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

The Evil Queen

"Reagan won't like it," Mary Margaret said to her husband as they walked along the harbor at night. "You think leaving Regina behind if we go back to the Enchanted Forest is best?"

"She's too dangerous to bring with us. We have to leave her," David replied.

"But . . . Henry won't like it. And Reagan and Serenity have been staying up late trying to figure it out. They want to bring her back too. She is their mother, despite all the horrors."

"Mary Margaret, those horrors will continue. Do you wanna give her another chance, because every time we do, she—"

"She slips. I know. What do we do?"

"Instead of a second chance, we give her a choice—come back, live out her days in Rumple's cell, or stay here."

Not that far away, a fisherman had listened to the entire conversation. He went behind a pallet with crates on it before vanishing in a cloud of purple smoke, being replaced by Regina.

"Jail cell?" she said. "I don't think so."

*  *  *  *  *

Regina looked at the tank she had in her office that held stalks of magic beans. After she overheard the Charmings, she went to the field and stole as many as she could.

When she heard her door open, she turned to see who it was, "Captain! You look like you've had a rough time."

"Indeed, I have. I've come to ask you for your protection."

"From Gold? I'm surprised you'd show your face in this town after you noticed your murder didn't take."

"Well we've got bigger problems. That man Greg Mendell, the one who hit me the night I shot Belle, well he's in league with some woman. She abducted me in New York and dragged me back to Mendell. They want me to make an alliance with you, and then betray you. That's why they let me go."

"Mmhm."

"Well, I say that you and I make an alliance, and we'll skip the unpleasant betrayal business."

"Why should I trust you?"

"I took up with your mother for a reason. Perhaps the three of us could reestablish our alliance."

"My mother died."

"That is sad news indeed. I'm sorry, she will be missed. But I tell you this, Regina. I knew her well enough to know what she wanted most in the world was to see you win. Now I failed in my revenge. The best tribute I could give her is to help you with yours."

"Well, can I . . . Let me show you something," she gestured to the beans.

"An escape plan?" the pirate asked. "Oh, she would have loved that. She brought that giant for the beans so she could go back and start over with you."

"And now I'm going to do that with my children. If you'll help me. This is how we're going to escape the total destruction of Storybrooke. If I can trust you."

"Now when you say total destruction, including the crocodile, yes?"

"Oh, yes. Rumplestiltskin will die. If you help me."

*  *  *  *  *

"I'm telling you, Tamara is the 'she' August was trying to warn us about," Emma said as she stood in the apartment.

"Emma!" her mother said. "Shh!"

"What? Don't 'Emma' me!"

"Henry is upstairs," Reagan said. "Look, I know this has been hard for you."