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chapter nineteen - admissions
ophelia had a permanent face of disgust as she batted away leaves. regina slowed to walk beside her.
"your sister was wrong," regina spoke up.
"what?"
"you're not annoying. even when you are, it's never... annoying, it's weirdly endearing coming from you. you help more than she or you give yourself credit for."
ophelia sent her a weak smile. "thanks."
"you don't believe me?"
she shrugged. "i'm a mess, regina. i appreciate you trying to make me feel better but she was right."
"no she wasn't. you helped, ophelia."
she sighed. "thanks. you're not the villain, you know, well, you were but who gives a shit, you're changing for henry and you're actually pretty nice."
"is that why you're never scared of me?"
she shrugged. "apart from trying to poison me and killing my—whatever graham was to me, you've never given me a reason to be scared. besides when i'm dead, i'm dead, who cares?"
regina's face fell as she remembered what she had done to ophelia because of her own jealousy. that she'd crushed the man's heart for kissing her, for remembering his old life.
"the ridge is just a few hundred paces up ahead," hook informed.
"you really think we're gonna be able to see pan's hideout?" emma called from behind.
"from there, we should be able to see everything, including where he's keeping your son," he assured.
"you know, i could have just poofed us up here in an instant," regina reminded.
"where? have you any idea what's up here or anywhere?" hook challenged. "there are dangers all about. only i can guide us past them."
ophelia batted another branch away from her. "he's right. hook's lived here before. if he says hiking up is the best way, then we listen."
hook grabbed david's arms as he went to slash some thorns, "no."
"i can handle a couple of thorns," david retorted.
"that's dreamshade. it's not the thorns you have to worry about. it's the poison they inject you with. this plant is the source of the toxins i used on the dark one," he explained.
ophelia moved to get a better look at the plant. "the poison that almost killed gold? that poison?"
"indeed. i used a concentrated dose. in its natural form, death would be much slower and far more painful. i suggest we go this way."
david disagreed, pointing in a different direction.
"morbid. especially for something with such a nice name. you'd think they'd call it like... nightmare shade or something better than that. death shade? no that's worse" ophelia rambled as they walked. "i'll think on that one."
