“Family,” Aunt Gwynna said with a sigh, looking at her fingernails. “We owe it to her mother.”
“Excuse me,” I said, butting in. “But I can’t wait a decade for you to decide.”
“Why ever not?”
“I need you to help me now.”
Aunt Gwynna leaned forward. “Careful, child. We don’t look kindly on demands.”
“Yes, I know. I’m sorry. But I’ve brought a gift to barter with.” I reached into my bag and pulled out the wrapped piece of radish.
“Yes, yes, give it to us.”
I held it close to my chest. “But this is for bartering. I want the magical shears to cut Rapunzel’s hair.”
“I see you have much to learn, child. The radish is not to be used for bartering.” Aunt Neleia leaned forward, her eyes dangerously narrowed. “It’s to keep us from killing you.”
She snapped her fingers, and magical blue ropes appeared floating in the air above us. They wrapped around each of us, tightening until I gasped. The two women rose from their thrones and walked down the steps. As they got closer, the air grew chillier. From up close, I noticed their skin looked odd, as if it were coated with frost and seemed to sparkle as if lit from within.
Aunt Gwynna stopped as she stood in front of me. She reached out and plucked the radish from my hands. I felt completely helpless to stop her as she took a step away from me, the radish cradled in her palm.
“You can’t do that!”
“Why not?”
“Because—”
She flicked her wrist, and the ropes creeped around my neck, choking me.
“Stop!” Raj said.
Aunt Gwynna paced to Raj, her heeled shoes ringing out. “It seems we have a prince in our midst, sister.”
“Aye, we do.”
“Shall we kill him?”
“Oh, yes! What a splendid idea. Behead him, I say. That’s the best way to do it.”
“Yes, it would be so lovely.”
Gasping, I wanted to scream for them to stop, but only managed to choke.
“I shall draw my sword this instant and behead you both if you do not release Gothel,” Raj shouted.
The sisters laughed. Gwynna snapped her fingers and the rope loosened around my neck. I breathed deeply, not sure I’d ever felt so grateful for air.
“Don’t… touch him,” I gasped.
“Demanding, isn’t she?” Aunt Neleia said.
“Yes, perhaps if they spend the next year in the dungeons, it will help to break their spirits.”
Drekken cleared his throat. “Madams, if I may, I do not wish to cause any trouble, but—”
“Hush, you.” Aunt Gwynna said, waving her hand. His voice stopped working. His eyes widened, and he grabbed his neck, though no sounds escaped his lips.
“What did you do to him?”
“Silenced him, of course. A voice like his carries too much magic in it. He’s a dangerous traveling companion, niece Gothel. I wonder why you decided to choose such a vile elf to join you on this quest.”
“And what of this one?” Aunt Neleia chimed in, pointing at the wolf. “A mongrel shapeshifter? Dear niece, perhaps our sister never trained you as a proper witch. Traveling companions like these are hardly worth your time.”
I expected the wolf to growl or react. I prayed he didn’t change, or we’d all be dead in two seconds.
Please. Do not change.
He remained politely seated, his wagging tail thumping the floor, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Who I choose as my traveling companions is my decision. Could we please discuss the shears? If you give them to me—”
“Give?” Aunt Gwynna laughed, a cackling sound that made my skin crawl. “We give nothing. Ever.”
“But for the radish?”
“Yes, a gift that will keep us from killing you where you stand. We shall discuss your plight while you wait in the dungeons where you’ll be guarded by our dragon.”
“No, wait, if we could just talk—”
Aunt Neleia waved her hand. The world around us disappeared, and a cavernous dungeon appeared around us. I fell on the ground, my back taking the brunt of the impact, and my teeth rattling in my skull. I rubbed my sore backside as I stood. As I inspected our new surroundings, I cursed my luck. I knew this wouldn’t be easy, but I’d at least hoped to talk to them for a little longer.
“Where are we?” Drekken asked, his voice echoing.
“In the dungeons, I think.”
“These don’t look like dungeons,” Raj said.
I glanced from the stone floor, up to the rock dome soaring above us, to the rough stone pillars. Only a little light illuminated the room, though I wasn’t sure where its source came from.
“This is probably a cavern in the ice mountain. There’s most likely an entrance to the castle somewhere.”
“Could we use it to escape?” Raj asked.
“I doubt it,” I said. “I don’t mean to sound grim but I’m not sure it’s possible to escape. Plus, we need to be wary. They mentioned something about a dragon.”
“You think there’s a dragon down here?” Raj asked.
“Yes, I don’t think they would lie about that.”
Raj sighed, looking up at the towering stone above us. “Let’s at least have a look around.” He unsheathed his father’s dagger, and I also removed the knife from my boot. Our footsteps sounded loud as we walked over the uneven floor. Water dripped somewhere, a rhythmic sound that echoed through the cavern.
We approached a large mound that glinted in the faint light. As we narrowed the distance, the golden pile of coins, goblets, and crowns towered over us. A bleached white, human skull peeked from the mix, staring at us through empty sockets.
“I’m beginning to agree with Gothel,” Raj said. “It seems there must be a dragon down here.”
“What’s to keep it from eating us?” Drekken asked.
“I don’t know,” Raj answered.
Beside us, the wolf glowed, then changed shape. The dwarf sat on the floor, his face pale as
