Forest of Fireflies

Chapter 4

Daniella's POV

"She WHAT?" Snow cried, looking at my equally shocked face.

Teagan nodded, "I know. She asked if there were any girls in the village called Daniella. I didn't tell her the truth of course but why? I mean, why did she ask about a girl with the name Daniella?"

I continued looking up at the two adults, darting my eyes between their expressions. Teagan was genuinely confused but Snow's face was unreadable in a strange way. Teagan saw this and urged, "Snow, what is it? What do you know?"

Snow shook her head at Teagan. "I don't understand why Regina would ask such a thing. I mean, she couldn't have known young Daniella here..."

Teagan narrowed her eyes at the Princess before turning to me with a frown on her face. "Daniella, come with me...I want to have a little chat with you." Teagan took my hand and we walked out of the cabin. "Where are we going?"

"Just somewhere a little more private."

I didn't answer as I let Teagan take me past some trees in the forest. I looked back and saw the cabin become slowly concealed by the maze of trunks. "Let's sit on this log," I swiveled back around to see Teagan make a gesture as she patted the space on the log where she began to sit down.

I took a seat next to her, "We seem so suspicious!"

Teagan didn't smile and in a straight voice, she asked, "Daniella, have you ever met the Evil Queen?"

I shook my head quickly.

"You haven't? Have you talked to her? Seen her? Associated with any of her guards or servants or....."

"No Teagan! I haven't! I haven't even seen her...I told you so yesterday! I came from another realm, the one called Wonderland."

"How does she know about you then? Don't hide anything. Just tell me. Please. I want to know"

I leaned backwards as her eyes looked intently into mine. She was demanding an explanation. One that I didn't have...but Snow's story suddenly filled my mind. My mouth gaped slightly open. No, its impossible. But my magic....and the lady at the festival....and the mirror?!?

Teagan saw that spark of thought in my mind. "What is it?"

I looked sideways and briefly shook my head. "Nothing. I don't know anything."

Teagan sighed. "Alright. You won't tell me. But I know that you're hiding something..."

"I'm not..." Before I could finish, Teagan stood up promptly. She put her hand over my mouth as a soft rustle of leaves sounded throughout the air. The forest had a sudden eerie silence but that was soon broken by the clink of someone's clasps of their belt. Then, Teagan's shocked mouth opened, "Snow! I thought you...."

"Its my fault. I mean, its my fault that the Queen is after Daniella."

Neither three of us spoke for a second because we didn't know how to respond. To my own surprise, it was I who spoke up. "So, the Queen is looking for a child. Her child."

Teagan's face remained shocked. She finally let the words stumble from her mouth, "the Queen has children?" Snow looked away but answered, "yes the Queen had a daughter and..." Snow paused. With a reluctant breath, she muttered, "and I think that I was the cause of her disappearance."

I didn't even wait for Teagan to say anything. I had a sudden foreign fiery feeling in my voice, "What did you do?"

Slightly confronted by my outburst, Snow shuddered and looked at me in surprise. "I think I said something wrong at the wrong time. Its the only explanation. My sister wasn't dead like I thought she was. She was taken away and...I think that shattered the child's mother."