Scarred

Chapter 32

Eva's POV
Slowly, light begins to pour into the room, almost hurting my eyes as it does. No one speaks, but the two guards exit, and in comes a familiar face.

"Dad?!" I gasp, rushing towards the bars of the cell. As I hold onto them, I'm filled with a familiar, almost heavy feeling, and though it's nowhere near as bad as I recall, I stumble back.
"Sorry, the bars have Silence built into them," he says, sitting down in front of me, holding onto them tightly.
"Then why are you...?" Cas breathes.
"Because it keeps the queen away. She's only able to haunt me because of magic, this is safer for us all," he explains. "What did they do to the two of you?"
"They had to be rough with how much we tried to fight back," I laugh slightly, "We're criminals in their eyes, no wonder they treated us with such little care."
"Eva... I just wish I could get you and all your friends out of here but the moment you're gone, my mother will drag you and maybe even others back here."

"Others...?" I ask, trembling slightly. "Like who?"

"Anyone she could use against you. Maven, your friends, maybe even Cas' family, but it's almost expected to say... she'd likely drag your mother here. And that's something neither of us want."
"Yeah... so, we'll have to think of some alternative."

An alternative... something that would make this turn for the better.

"I know!" I chirp. "Listen, I made a promise when I called you, didn't I? I don't like breaking my promises, so... let me save you. Let me help break the spell, and get rid of the queen for good."
"What?! No, no way are you doing something like that, no... not with how dangerous it is..."
"So you know how to break it?!"

"Shoot, I shouldn't have said that..." he murmurs. "I guess I'm obligated to explain now. The only way to get rid of her is to destroy her soul."
"Sounds easy enough," I shrug.
"Let me finish, Eva. In order to do that, the soul has to take on a physical form, and the only way that could even potentially happen... is if a nightmare is created."

Cas reaches for my hand almost immediately. The nightmare of Edith Harris was terrifying and powerful, I can only imagine how powerful a nightmare of the queen must be. And of course it's linked to the person who created the nightmare's magic as well. So depending on who creates it, it could be even worse.

"A nightmare...?" I gulp.
"Oh, you don't know what they are, do you? It's not really something they teach-"

"I know what a nightmare is. "The manifestation of someone's negative memories and emotions to a person or place"; that's the textbook definition of one," I reply. "Though from what I'm aware it's a little more complicated than that. If the creator's magic is strong enough, then the nightmare becomes a physical being, but if it isn't, it is almost like a bad dream. Only those around at the time of the creation see it, like the one Cas made-"

I cut myself off immediately, but it's too late. Dad knows, the shock in his eyes proves it. Keeping his head turned to the back of the cell, Cas turns into his dragon form and settles in my arms, placing his chin on my shoulder.

"Of who...?" Dad breathes.

"Edith Harris. She stole Cas away from his family when he was a baby. And... she's Sammy's mother..." I explain quietly.
"You know Sammy?"
"Mhmm, I was in the room with her when she called you. Why didn't you mention her to me?"
"Because she wanted to tell you all the stories about her herself. Anyway, that's not important right now. I need to figure out what to do with you... that's it!"
"What is?" Cas asks.

"There's a house in the palace garden. It originally served as almost a playhouse for royal and noble children, and because it was so unsuspecting there's an entrance to the half blood prison there. It's not been used in a while, but the two of you can stay there for now."