Tentative, I hurried after him. The further along the corridor I went, the worse the smell. If Snow White could've run, she would have. I sensed her immense desire to turn back. She didn't want to see whatever we were headed into.
When we arrived in the room, I worked not to gag. The large room contained magical creatures in varying degrees of decomposition. Some lay on the table, their innards spread out on top of their body. Others hung from the ceiling, their eyes opened, and vacant.
"What have you done?" I asked, stepping toward a fairy pinned against a piece of wood, his guts pinned around him, his chest opened and peeled back like a banana. "This is wrong," I added, my throat dry. I couldn't swallow.
"How can you say that?" Titan asked, throwing his hands up in exasperation, scaring the trolls busily doing whatever it was they were doing. "Without this room we wouldn't understand how each creature works." He paused and picked up what looked like a walnut still in its shell. "This is the brain of a fairy. Right here," he touched his dirty index finger to the back of the brain and continued, "is where the ability to do magic is stored. Without this tiny piece of the genetic puzzle, a fairy can't do magic." Then he tapped a portion on the left. "This tells the fairies body it's going to be small and winged." Then he pointed at the portion directly in front. "Right here, this tells the fairy it wants to reproduce every six years."
I was mesmerized and revolted at the same time. It was fascinating that he knew such information, but as my eyes searched the tables, witnessing all the carnage, I couldn't be excited.
Titan walked over to a large container filled with a liquid that looked like dirty water. Encased within was another brain. Much larger than a fairy's. He tapped on the glass. "This is the brain of a troll."
I stepped toward it, involuntarily. Was this why he'd brought me here? Did he intend to give me a portion of this brain?
"We've studied each and every magical creature, save one." He gave a nod and two trolls grabbed each of my arms.
Where did they come from, I thought, letting out a roar of anger? How dare Titan think he could capture and study me? Didn't he know I wouldn't be taken captive?
I yanked my arms together, using their strength against them, and flipped over so that I faced them. Flapping my wings, I stuck them in the eyes with the pointed end of each wing as I stepped forward. They screamed out in pain in unison, lessening their grip on my arms, I slapped my hands together, knocking the disoriented trolls into each other. They crumbled to the ground. I stomped down, without regard for propriety, crushing their oversized heads into a dark pulpy puddle.
Whipping around, I faced Titan. "You didn't think I would be taken that easily?" I stepped toward him, a clear understanding of what I had to do sunk into my stomach. He gnashed his teeth in anger, crouching low, in a fighting stance.
I stepped to the left while he stepped to the right. A kind of dance in which, when it ended, Titan's life would be over. In order to retrieve a portion of the troll's strength, I would have to defeat Titan. It wouldn't be easy, but it had to be done.
Do you know where the Troll's strength lies? Snow White asked.
In his brain somewhere. That's what he said, I responded.
From the nearest table, I picked up a large, razor-sharp knife. The trolls performing their various tasks ran from the room, leaving Titan and I alone with the dead. It seemed fitting the troll leader died here, amongst the creatures he so mindlessly destroyed.
Tossing the knife from my left hand to my right, I said, "I suppose I'll cut your strength from your very large, incredibly convoluted head."
... "Hello my darling Chosen one. I just stopped by to check on you, see if the rumors were true. You still live, yet you are in some form of eternal sleep. This is a variable I did not foresee.
"I wonder if Abernathy knew the Seal would do this. Knowing him, he probably planned the whole thing with my insipid sister, Silindra. It's sad, really. I didn't have a second choice. Sure the Hunters selected many Chosen, but I always only wanted you. There were many reasons. Your beauty, intellect, the way you view the world, but most of all, I wanted you for your genetics. You're special Snow. More than just an ordinary human girl.
"It doesn't matter anymore. Whatever the Seal did, it's ruined you. The chayot, the witches, Adam Henry... they all believe you'll wake, but they don't understand the power within the Seal like I do. You won't come back. And that's for the best. I've chosen another. She isn't as great as you could've been, but she is part chayot.
"Besides, she's close. She's fallen in love and her craving for her lover's heart burns within her. It's so strong I can feel it. Soon she'll consume his heart, and then her body will be mine.
"Stay asleep, Snow. Because if you wake, I'll hunt down, and destroy everyone you care about, starting with that dimwitted child leader you call Gabe. That's right, dear one. I'll kill him first.
"Maybe I should just solve the problem, slay you while you slumber. Press this knife to your neck; sever your head from your body... Arrrrgh, my hand. I can't feel my hand. What have you done?"
Chapter 4
Sweat beaded at my brow. I ignored it, knowing I needed to end the altercation with Titan quickly.
"Silindra, you're making a grave mistake."
I didn't respond. His error was thinking he could withhold what I wanted. In one swift movement I spread my wings, stepped forward, and rammed the palm of my hand into Titan's chest, hoping to throw him off balance. He held his ground, and grabbed my wings in his clammy hands, trying to rip them from my back. I roared in pain, bringing the knife directly into the troll's immense chest, sinking it into his heart. He snarled, releasing my wings, and clutching his hand to his chest. Black blood poured from the wound, through his large fingers, and onto the sterile floor.
"You realize I let you win," he sneered, falling to his knees. "At the top of my brain, between the two hemispheres, is a black nodule. It's the source of a troll's strength. Take it, and protect it. I fear my kind won't be around much longer, especially if your sister has any say in the matter." He took a final, giant breath, and then collapsed, dead.
Pushing down the anxiety rolling off Snow White, I lifted Titan's chin, and sliced off the scalp of Titan's head.
This is awful. Why did you have to kill him? Snow rambled, and I felt her sadness, smelled her tears.
"I didn't have a choice," I growled aloud, wiping the inky blood, and other liquids from Titan's head, and locating the black nodule he spoke of. With my fingers I tried to pull it out, but it wouldn't come. "He's a stubborn arse even in death."