Broken: The Second Book of the A Tale of Two Sisters Series

From the Past

Hearing someone knock on his office door, Archie went over to it. He opened to find the last person he expected.

"Regina," he said. "Are you here to see me?"

"I've been trying to keep my promise to the kids but it's been difficult."

"To not use magic."

"It's been two days."

"That's an excellent start." Regina looked away. "Come on in."

She sat down on the couch whilst Archie took the chair next to it. Once she was comfortable, she opened up, "It's just that magic is the way I've always gotten everything."

"It sounds like it's also the way you've lost everything. Regina this is your chance to start over, to earn the kids," Archie said as the door opened, and in came the town's infamous doctor. "Dr. Whale, this is highly inappropriate."

The doctor went to Regina, "Send me back."

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"To my land. Send me back to my brother."

"Why don't you check the missing board, like everyone else?"

"Your curse only brought the living."

"Well, then, I'm sorry for your loss. But I'm afraid I can't send anyone anywhere."

"Can't or won't?"

"Dr. Whale, I have to insist, please," Archie stood. "Go."

Regina looked between the two men until Dr. Whale decided to go. The psychiatrist followed him, closing the door behind him.

"Sorry," Archie said, going back to his chair. "What you said isn't entirely true, is it?"

"I'm sorry?"

"About the curse only taking the living. The grave of your father's here, right?"

"I don't care about Whale or his brother. I brought who I wanted."

"Anyone else?" Regina sighed. "If you want help, you have to try and trust me. Stopping magic is a lot harder than starting."

Regina sighed, started to recount everything to Archie: How she fell in love with the stable boy that worked at her estate, how they ended up having a child together, how she met Snow White who couldn't keep a secret, how her daughter had to grow up without a father because he died.

"His name was Daniel," Regina said. "I preserved his body with an enchantment spell. He's dead but frozen. And I've kept him in my family mausoleum."

"Because you couldn't let go of him. I always wondered who's Reagan's dad was—she talked briefly about him while she was in Northern. I knew she wasn't King Leopold's. If you can't let go of the past, Regina, it's doomed to haunt you."

Regina sniffled, "You know what, I think this has been quite enough." She stood, going to leave.

"Regina, wait, I can help you."

She opened the door, "I doubt it."

She left the building and got into her car as it started to storm. She started to make her way home, driving down Main Street, only to get cut off by a car that didn't stop at an intersection. She quickly braked and honked her horn as lightning flashed. She closed her eyes before looking towards the library to find a man staring at her. Regina stared back, seeing someone she never thought she would see again.

"Daniel?" she said. Lightning flashed again, and he disappeared as quickly as he appeared.

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