“Beware the green-haired abductor! She’ll come in the dead of night and steal those who are precious to you!”

The elderly woman issued the dire warning from the head of the dining table enclosed in the circular room of their tower home. She pounded the table with her fist, jarring the two children seated on either side.

“Oh, Mother.” Tiny Sinope flushed a deeper purple than her normal violet coloring. “Quit scaring us with your bedtime stories. You’ve told us such a tale every day of our lives.”

The matron pointed a gnarled finger at her petite daughter bobbing in the air, and rasped, “Sinope, you think you know everything, don’t you? Many people believe sprites are feeble-minded and aren’t worthy of the title ‘fairy.’ But you have a sensible head on your shoulders, young’un. Heed my warning.”

There she goes! Mother was at it again, trying to frighten her and her younger sister into submission. 

Slurping from her spoon, Sinope floated near the edge of the table. She caught her sister’s eye. Raquel, her human sibling, winked at her. Pinching her mouth, the sprite formed an expression that mimicked their mother’s. Raquel snorted, nearly choking on her gruel.

Mother rocked back in her chair. “We think this is funny?”

Sinope stirred her spoon around to catch the still-warm portion of her dinner and observed her mother over the room’s single source of light, a flickering candle. The lined face of the elderly soul glared at her with such vehemence that Sinope averted her eyes to her surroundings.

Encircling stone walls, mattresses stuffed with hay, and a bulky cabinet, were the only penumbral shapes in the near darkness. Off to the side, the light illuminated the outline of an old bench littered with several pewter cups, glass tubes, and three sets of mortars and pestles. Same old view every day—stone walls, alchemy junk, cobwebs. And why? Because of her so-called “mother’s” obscure warnings. Enough was enough!

Affecting a ghostly monotone, Sinope spoke to Raquel. “‘Beware the green-haired abductor.’” She switched to her normal high-pitched voice and braved her parent’s severe countenance. “You’ve told us this all our lives. Ever since you adopted us as babies, you’ve cautioned us to be careful of someone with green hair. I think we ought to know by now.”

Mother clenched her spoon. “You know nothing. You never met the girls I took in before the green-haired kidnapper snatched them away. Innocent Seraphina and wide-eyed Jaqualene. I turned my head for a minute, and she whisked poor four-year-old Jaqi from me forever.”

The red in Sinope’s purple cheeks flourished, overpowering the blue. “And Cesta. And Ingido. Yes, we understand we must be careful. But locking us up inside this tower? Is that the answer, Mother?”

Her mother pinched her mouth, and Raquel, with her short bob of blonde hair, lowered her head and hunched her shoulders.

Mother slapped her hand on the table. “I did it to protect the two of you.”

“Your rules are too harsh.” Sinope pointed her spoon at her elder, splashing gruel everywhere. “What of the grass beneath our feet and the wind across our skin? You’ve ensorcelled this tower so much I’m prevented from flying out a window!”

Mother pointed at a window. “Haven’t I told you countless times the world is cruel and full of green-haired villains? The abductor isn’t alone in those seeking to do us harm.”

But…the world was beautiful, and the people who delivered their food and Mother’s ingredients seemed pleasant.

Glowering at her parent, the tiny fae fluttered over the table—inches from Mother’s nose. “When Gilbert delivered your merchandise from town, he told us that five queens now rule and have for years. Your other children were stolen during the time of the evil king, not these queens. The world has changed! He said we live in a golden age now.”

“No, it hasn’t,” snapped Mother. “Only you have changed, Sinope.”

“Please, may we eat in peace tonight?” piped up Raquel. “For once?”

Sinope flew back to her bowl and pointed at the meal. “This slop isn’t even what the poorest of the poor must eat. Nor will Mother buy us the pretty things we deserve because of her fear.”

“I don’t have much coin,” protested Mother.

“You’re an alchemist,” said Sinope. “People come from everywhere seeking your advice and bringing you rare herbs for your concoctions. They’ve dropped gold in your hand.”

“And I’ve spent it protecting the two of you. Now eat your gruel.”

Raquel put a finger on Sinope’s tiny arm. The golden-haired girl begged, “Please, sister.”

Huffing, the older sibling resumed her floating position next to the table and dipped her spoon into the bowl. “Won’t even buy me a chair to sit on,” she muttered.

Sunlight streamed through the window the following morning while the two girls tidied up the tower, brandishing dusters, mops, and rags. High above, Sinope waved the duster to remove the spiders’ intricately formed cobwebs. Why couldn’t Mother’s spells repel insects and other crawling bugs along with strangers? Or perhaps she could create a potion to summon a whirlwind to whisk away the webs and dust? Sinope swished the downy fuzz at the end of the twig in her hand to destroy an arachnid’s construction.

On her knees, Raquel scrubbed the floor—the sunlight enveloping her in its yellow embrace while she toiled away. The watery suds on the stone sparkled from her labor as the human girl repeated this same chore day after day. Nonetheless, Raquel hummed a cheery tune as she moved the soapy rag back and forth. She paused to admire her handiwork, but addressed Sinope. “Will you try not to bother Mother tonight?”

Swabbing her duster at a dirty corner, Sinope replied, “I make no promises.”

“Mother isn’t so terrible. She adopted us when our parents no longer wanted us.”

The sprite lowered herself to the floor to retrieve an unused rag. “That is what she claims. A generous soul who has opened this tower to homeless girls is how Mother wants the world to view her. Our dear guardian should hang a placard with ‘Mother’s Home for Abandoned Girls’ printed on it. You and I know the truth.”

“The truth?”

Sinope drifted over to her sister’s bucket and dumped the rag into the sudsy water. “Dear Raquel, haven’t you figured it out yet? Mother uses her potions to experiment on you. A mother doesn’t test her dangerous wares on her child. To her, we serve only to advance her business.”

Raquel leaned back, frowning. “I do not consider what she does ‘experimenting.’ The potions she administers to me are for my protection.”

Sinope tilted her head. “Oh, Raquel, you are young and naive. Once you reach my age of sixteen years, you shall understand. Take some advice from me. Mother uses you to test her products.”

Raquel dipped her rag in the bucket. “Mother says she experiments on plants and animals first. She has never hurt me.”

“Not yet.” The sprite set her diminutive hand on the tip of her sister’s shoulder. “We aren’t her children. We are but a means to sell her alchemy.”

“She doesn’t give you her concoctions to try,” said Raquel.

“Indeed.” Sinope ascended to a shadowy edge of the roof and an adjoining wall, raining down drops of water. “Mother used to experiment on me until I told her to stop. I wouldn’t stand for her nonsense any longer.”

Raquel’s eyes widened. “And she stopped?”

“I was surprised, too.” Sinope scrubbed the roof of the room. “And then I understood. Her richest patrons are humans. You are human, Raquel. Mother must test her potions on you first, my dear.”

Raquel dragged her cloth across the stones. “Mother wouldn’t hurt me.”

Sinope sniffed. “Wait until a young boy discovers you. Then you’ll see Mother’s true nature for yourself.”

Sinope popped up from behind Mother’s shoulder after the elderly matron poured dinner from a pot into a teacup-sized bowl. Landing on the cook’s shoulder, the sprite pointed at the stew. “What did you just do?”

The old woman rolled her shoulders. “I thought you were upstairs!”

“What did you put in my dinner?” Sinope lifted off and hovered over the stew.

Pulling the bowl away from her view, Mother pointed her pinky finger. “Sit down. I did nothing to your meal.”

“You dropped something in it,” said the young fairy. “I saw you do it.”

Mother shuffled to the table. “You’re mistaken. Sit and eat.”

Raquel hurried to her seat while Sinope flew around her keeper and halted in midair. “You put powder in my food. How dare you.” She paused and put a hand to her mouth. “You are experimenting on me.”

“I am not—”

Sinope reached for the container, and with a bit of effort, toppled it. Stew splattered all over the stone floor, and the wooden bowl landed with a thud. The sudden action prompted Raquel to recoil and push her chair away from the table.

The sprite pointed to the remains of the dinner on the ground. “This is what comes of your lies. You’ve tested your potions on poor Raquel, yet at least she agrees to it. But I told you to stop experimenting on me a while ago. And now you’re sneaking your mixtures in my food.”

Glaring at Sinope, Mother exclaimed, “You’re speaking to your mother in this way? I know what is best.”

“Poisoning is best for me?”

Mother grabbed the bowl as the stew dripped off the table and to the floor. “I’ll get more. Now, sit down.”

Sinope landed on the back of a chair and clenched her fists. “No.”

Mother took a step back. “What do you mean by no?”

“I refuse to allow you to test your alchemy on me. Do you hear me, Mother? I’m leaving. Tonight.”

“I have only tried to protect you, Sinope,” said her mother. “Recall, you have asked to leave home many times before, and each time you’ve come to your senses. You do not understand this world. ’Tis not safe.”

Sinope eyed the stew. “Compared to being poisoned and imprisoned in a tower?”

“’Tis not poison!”

Leaping off the chair, Sinope hovered in front of her parent. The sprite poked her on the breastbone. “You admit it, then? You snuck something in my meal. I don’t care what it is. I didn’t permit you to add your substances to my food. For your deceit, I want to leave.”

“Oh, child,” replied Mother. She heaved a sigh full of despair, walked to the alchemy table, and retrieved a tiny flask of purple liquid between her forefinger and thumb. She handed it to the sprite. “Here. This will free you.”

Sinope examined the flask. “If I drink this, will I be able to cross the barrier you erected around the tower? I shall be free at last?”

“Indeed, though the effects will only last twelve hours.” Mother stepped back and crossed her arms. “You’ll return to me, though. You’ll learn how the real world works and come home.”

Sinope grabbed the flask and drank down all traces of the purple liquid. Citrusy but with a faint hint of bark, she smacked her lips. “I feel no different.”

Mother opened a shutter. “Try it.”

Sinope hesitated then fluttered to the open window. She bolted through the opening to the outside world with a whoop of joy. Enraptured with her newfound freedom, the sprite executed a perfect figure-eight in the air.

After a few more moments of frolicking, the fairy returned to the window, entered, and approached Raquel. Throwing her arms around her sister’s neck, Sinope said, “I will miss you, Raquel. Do not any longer let her try her concoctions on you. Stand up for yourself.”

Tears leaked from Raquel’s eyes. “Good-bye. I love you.”

Sinope turned around and nodded at the grizzled woman. “Mother.”

The tiny fae then exited through the window again and flew down close to the ground. From the castle, she could hear Mother’s raspy voice addressing Raquel. “She’ll be back.”

When Sinope arrived at the nearest village, all the thatched-roof shops and multiple-story inns were closed for the night. Nobody opened their homes to her despite her persistent knocking. Sinope found a sturdy rain barrel—fortunately, dry—as a bed where she might settle down for the night. 

While her pallet in the tower was hardly a bed,  it was comfortable. She curled up to fend off the cold. She wouldn’t miss her prison, no matter how uncomfortable her current surroundings! Yet, she recalled the sounds of Raquel’s snoring and her mother’s humming at night while she put away her tools. Focused on the happy noises of her tower home, the sprite drifted off to sleep, doing her best to ignore her gurgling stomach.

The next day Sinope went from door to door to find employment. Most of the establishments immediately informed her they wouldn’t need her services. She didn’t understand why they had rejected her after she had listed her talents. When the fae had pleaded with the grocer to give her a chance, the gray-haired lady had said, “If you were an elf with their powerful magic, I would hire you on the spot. A pixie, though mischievous, would be worth a trial period. I would even take a chance on a brownie. But a sprite? Everyone knows a sprite is worthless.”

The homeless fairy had huffed at the lady and exited from the store as fast as her wings would carry her. They had dismissed her simply because of her species! What “golden age” was this?

Time to form a new strategy.

Sinope settled in the town square and conjured a few lights to amaze several families gathered for shopping. They clapped at her illusions. Wonderful. She was finally getting through to them.

When the crowd started to disperse, she waved her hands. “Don’t leave. I have more to show you!”

A child laughed. “What does ‘don’t’ mean, Ma?”

The mother hid her smile with her hand. “’Tis the old way of speaking, my love. Perhaps this sprite does not realize we speak properly now, enunciating every word.”

Sinope raised an eyebrow. Her mother had taught her to use contractions. Nothing wrong with it.

The gathering walked away to attend to their business. Sinope put her hands on her hips. Ignorant simpletons! Time to leave for the next town where the residents might be more civil.

Sinope traveled on a trail in the opposite direction of Mother’s castle, floating between a cluster of pine trees. After the sun moved a handspan to the left, she came across the first sign of civilization—a wagon next to the road. The lettering on the wagon read “Curious Delights for Children.” She knocked on the door and called out. “I can help you in return for coins or food.”

When the door opened, a lady with a blue robe and cowl stepped forward. The wagon owner’s head twitched, and she made a shooing gesture. Her face was buried so deep in the recesses of her cowl, Sinope couldn’t discern her features. “Go away. You are no child.”

“A child I may not be,” Sinope blurted out. “But I’m an innocent to this world. I’ve been locked in a tower all my life. Any assistance would be appreciated.”

The lady froze before closing the door. “Did you say you have been locked in a tower?”

The promise of payment consumed Sinope’s thoughts. “Indeed, a woman who was not my real mother imprisoned me there, claiming she had adopted me. My sister and I were trapped together inside the tower. I escaped yesterday.”

The wagon owner put her fingertips together. “And this tower houses a child to entertain? If you would draw me a map, I shall provide you with coins for your journey onward.”

Sinope’s stomach growled its assent. “Glad to.”

The sprite drew the map for the woman and presented it to her. In return, the lady dropped two bronze coins into the fairy’s outstretched hand—enough for Sinope to eat for two whole days. The fairy grinned at the currency glinting in the sunshine, thanked the lady, and continued onward toward the next town. She would press forward to further destinations and shake the dust off of any inhospitable village.

After a couple of hours, Sinope came across a curious sight along the road. A man and woman knelt near an oddly positioned statue of a young boy. The sculpture had his arms raised as if warding off an attack. The man had his arm around his wife’s shoulders, comforting her. He said, “We shall find a potion to cure him.”

Sinope flew closer. Perhaps she could refer them to her mother and gain more coins in her purse. 

The sprite cleared her throat to attract their attention. The man turned toward her while the woman kept her attention on the carving.

“Begone!” shouted the man, his cheeks blooming with color. “My wife and I are mourning.”

“I couldn’t help but overhear you mention a potion. I’m acquainted with an excellent alchemist. For a little money, I will give you directions to her home.”

“Would you give us false hope, sprite?” asked the man. “We know your kind are good for nothing.”

Sinope asked, “Why does everyone keep saying sprites are worthless?”

“Sprite magic is weak.” The woman reached out and caressed the fingers of the statue. “Have you been in seclusion all your life? Sprites are the lowest form of species.”

Mother had never told her this! Her adopted parent had always treated her the same as Raquel without any favoritism. “Not me!”

“What of this alchemist?” The man stepped forward. “Is she good at her trade? She is not of your species, is she?”

Sinope squared her shoulders. “The woman I know is a master of her trade. But why do you need an alchemist? Do you or your wife suffer from an ailment?”

The wife started weeping again, and the man pointed at the statue. “Yonder stone carving is my son. A gorgon turned him.”

“Beg pardon, but what’s a gorgon?” asked Sinope.

Rubbing his jaw, the man scrutinized the sprite. “You have lived a sheltered life, have you not? A gorgon has snakes for its hair. One look from its pets and its target’s body hardens to stone. A female gorgon was rumored to be in the area. She drives a wagon with the words “Curious Delights for Children” on its side. She entices young children with an act, takes their money, then lapidifies them. Rumors say she sometimes kidnaps them instead. But most of the time, she transforms them into statues for her enjoyment.”

A woman with snakes for hair turning to people to stone? What if—?

The abductor!

Sinope put her hands on her cheeks. “Are the snakes green?”

The wife stroked the stone child’s cheek. “From the little we know, yes. Green snakes.”

The answer shook the sprite as rough as a gale of frigid wind in her face. The green-haired abductor must be this gorgon! Mother’s most feared enemy, and Sinope had given her directions to the tower. This gorgon may turn to stone the only two people whom…

Whom she loved.

Of course, she loved Raquel. No surprise, there. She and her sister were always affectionate. But…her mother? Despite the cutting remarks and accusations, she loved her mother. And sometimes you hurt those…

“…you love the most.” Sinope finished her thought out loud, “Oh! I have to warn her.”

The fairy executed an about-face and started toward the tower she had been so eager to leave the day before. The couple called after her, beseeching her to tell them more about the alchemist. Before Sinope rushed out of earshot, the husband cursed her. “Worthless sprites!”

The gorgon had a head start, but Sinope flew with the precision of an arrow shot by a true marksman. The fairy didn’t pause in the village she had left earlier but proceeded through as quickly as a fork of lightning. Adroitly avoiding the trunks of the trees, the sprite zipped through the forest and circumvented all obstacles with ease. Coming to the clearing of her tower home, she halted and gasped at the scene at the front door.

The gorgon, head uncovered and green snakes hissing, leaned over the prone body of Sinope’s mother. Multiple bite wounds spread across Mother’s face and neck, and she lay as still as a cord of wood.

“Mother!”

Despite her brusqueness and secrecy, Mother was still her only parent. Without her, the world seemed larger, dangerous, and cold.

Sinope wailed yet dared not approach. Not with her killer standing over her. The door to the tower was open, yet the killer didn’t enter. Her hands pushed against an invisible wall—a spell preventing any unwanted guest from crossing inside.

Despite Sinope’s cries and tears, the gorgon ignored her. The snake-haired woman bent down and removed an amulet her mother had been wearing. She fingered the necklace, holding it up to the sunlight. Chuckling, she placed it around her neck.

No, no! She won’t steal her mother’s things while her daughter was alive!

Sinope shot toward her. When she was close enough, the fairy released a stinging bolt of magic aimed at her opponent’s face.

Glancing at her, the lady shrugged off the spell. “Begone, gnat. You have led me to my nemesis. Take the coins I gave you and leave before you raise my ire.”

Sinope stung her again with another spell, and the gorgon stepped away. The evil woman shook her head, and her snakes turned to make eye contact with her adversary. For a moment, the sprite and the reptiles focused on each other.

Oh! The gorgon was attempting to convert her into a rockier version of herself.

But Sinope didn’t change.

Scowling, the monstrous woman eyed the corpse at her feet. “Your mother must have given you an antidote to keep you from petrifying. She anticipated me, then.”

The fae directed her magic to her fingers. “You’ll die for killing her!”

Another burst of magic from the tips of Sinope’s fingertips brought a slight jerk to the gorgon’s body but nothing more.

“I spotted a young maiden in the window.” Greedily, the lady eyed the shutters at the top of the tower. “The juene fille shall make a nice addition to my trophy case. Now leave, or I will end your life as well.”

Shaking with rage, Sinope exclaimed a single word. “No!”

The woman waved her away. “I shall deal with you later. This medallion shall allow me to cross the barrier. But I wonder if you will be able to follow me.”

Did her mother close the door to the tower to protect Raquel? It would make sense. She’d want to see if Sinope returned with any visitors.

“No?” queried the gorgon. “Toodle-oo, then.”

The gorgon marched toward the doorway. Without hesitating, Sinope jumped on the gorgon’s shoulders and rode her into the tower. Together, they crossed the magical barrier.

Upon breaching the threshold, the green-haired lady flicked Sinope off her shoulders. “What a nuisance you have become!”

With surprising speed, one of the snakes stretched and aimed for Sinope’s arm. The fangs, in fact, scratched the tiny limb of the sprite. Sinope screamed and retreated. Then yet another creature attempted to clamp down on her body, but the fairy backed out of its reach.

The gorgon retracted her snakes. “Though I am prevented from turning you to stone, I have other abilities at my disposal. The snakes’ poison shall make short work of you.” The lady cackled. “Short work. Oh, Mysgora, you should count jesting as one of your many talents.”

Sinope retreated into a corner of the chamber. Puzzled, she asked, “Who are you talking to?”

In a condescending tone, the woman replied. “I am Mysgora, you feeble-minded creature. Your accursed ‘Mother,’ Gothel by name, and I knew each other because of our shared interest in alchemy. Now, where lies the staircase? Gothel has hidden it somehow.”

The gorgon took a pinch of powder from a compartment on her belt and tossed it into the air. “No matter. My enchanted dust shall find it.”

What to do now? Buy time, of course. Get this horrid woman to talk. “Why did you hate my mother?”

Mysgora observed the powder drifting around the room. “As we constructed stronger and stronger potions, I wanted to experiment on peasants, but Gothel insisted we try them on ourselves first. My beautiful hair turned an ugly, pea-green color, and I became a pariah to all my friends.”

Green hair turned her against Mother? What an inconsequential tragedy to become upset about! But this lady’s vanity and temperament might have strangled her common sense.

“After a spat with Gothel,” continued the gorgon. “I tried to restore my beauty with other alchemic combinations. Witness the result!” Mysgora ran her hands through her slithering “hair.”

Sinope eyed the medallion, debating whether she could yank the center disc, snap the item’s chain, and remove it from the gorgon’s neck. “So, you blame your incompetence on Mother? And exact your frustration on children?”

“I am not to blame for the potion’s ill-effect,” snapped Mysgora. “A child interrupted me, and her partner pinched ground-up snake innards into my brew. Ever since that time, I have targeted the most gullible young children to test my wares. But Gothel thwarted me. She has sheltered the homeless and unloved children and made my pickings slim.”

Sinope’s guardian had never discussed her past, and the fairy found it difficult to reconcile the parent who laid out iron-clad rules with a hero who guarded the innocent against monsters.

Forming a staircase shape, the dust revealed the way upward toward the tower home. The gorgon proceeded to the steps. “Wither away, you insect of a fae. You shall not stop me from obtaining my prize.”

The abductor climbed the stairs while Sinope rubbed her throat. The sprite didn’t feel afflicted. Perhaps Mother had protected her from Mysgora’s poison as well. Another token of affection from her dead guardian.

Sinope darted after the monster ascending the stairs. She kept her distance, still attempting to form a plan. Sinope was weak while the gorgon was strong—tiny, whereas Mysgora was huge. How could she protect her beloved sibling? Perhaps the solution lay on Mother’s alchemy table?

Raquel’s scream spurred Sinope into action. The sprite crested the stairs to witness the gorgon threatening her sister. Mysgora advanced on the young girl as a jackal on a rabbit. Raquel huddled against the wall, crying.

Mysgora sneered, “So, Gothel protected you from my snake’s gaze too, I see. No matter. My lovelies will convince you to come along quietly with me. I have many potions to force down your pretty throat. Some will make you beg for death.”

Sinope zipped toward the bench and examined the chemicals. No time to decide the best to choose! The fairy would have to trust her instincts and launch one at the monster’s back. If the fae directed Mysgora’s attention to her, Raquel would be able to escape. But where would her sister go? They were both trapped in this tower with this vicious woman!

Snatching a beaker of olive-green liquid, Sinope turned around to launch whatever it was. But instead of initiating her plan, she nearly fumbled the flask at a new development. Raquel’s golden tresses rapidly lengthened down to her feet, pooling at the floor.

“Your hair won’t protect you against my own!” screeched the gorgon.

Raquel didn’t respond. On its own, her thick strands of her hair lifted from the ground to defend against an attack. Tufts of her locks poised in the air, ready to stop the gorgon’s snakes.

Her sister! She could…could control each strand of her hair with a thought?

Gobsmackingly phenomenal!

Mysgora snorted. “What a trick. But, my wee child, you are no match for me!”

Enough! Sinope threw the beaker at the middle of the gorgon’s back. The glass container struck Mysgora and shattered before the woman positioned her serpents. The liquid sizzled against her body, thin wisps of smoke curling into the air. Mysgora screeched.

Raquel used the moment to engage her entwined strands of hair with the snakes. While the gorgon reacted to the pain between her shoulders, the young girl encased each slithering strand on Mysgora’s head with her own fair hair. The bindings were as thick as cords. Raquel’s hair pulled the slithering creatures into the air and made each of Mysgora’s “pets” stand on end.

The gorgon thrashed and peered over her shoulder. She slit her eyes when spotting Sinope. “Why aren’t you dead?”

Suspended near the ceiling, Sinope straightened up with pride. “My mother protected me.”

Raquel’s hair tugged on the snakes, and Mysgora returned her focus to the young girl. “Stop this at once.”

Pressing her lips together, Raquel squinted in determination. Her tresses pulled harder at one cobra-sized serpent on the side of Mysgora’s head. With a squelching sound, the girl yanked it free of its host. The snake fell limp.

Mysgora uttered a shriek of mortal agony. Raquel’s eyes widened, and her blonde hair started to unwind and loosen. With horror, the young girl took a step back and placed her hands on her cheeks.

Sinope inferred her sister’s dilemma from her expression. Raquel couldn’t kill the gorgon. Her sister’s tender-minded nature wouldn’t allow her to torture or murder anyone. She was too innocent.

Indeed, vanquishing the gorgon was a job for a sprite!

Sinope zipped to Mysgora’s feet. Raquel’s resolve had weakened, and the snakes started to break free of their fetters. The sprite had to act, and she targeted the least-protected area of Mysgora’s body—her legs.

Sinope weaved in and out of Mysgora’s legs and ankles, forcing the gorgon to pay attention to her or else risk tripping. The woman’s eel-like hair again struggled to loosen itself as Mysgora tried to wave the floating fairy away. But Sinope had a plan, and she rose to the bedhead of vipers. Off-balance, the gorgon thrashed about, attempting to grasp the tiny being.

 Sinope used both hands to grab the head of a snake. The reptile opened its fanged maw to attack her, but the fairy positioned it toward the gorgon’s neck. Before Mysgora regained control of her “pet,” the snake’s fangs punctured her throat. Sinope exerted pressure and shoved the serpent’s fangs further into the monster’s flesh.

Mysgora’s eyes widened, and she gurgled an unintelligible response. She thrashed and reached for the snake. But it was too late. The gorgon fell backward, hitting the floor with a resounding thud. Mysgora twitched once, and then her body went still.

Raquel leaned against the wall, weeping. Her locks retracted into her head, transforming into the bob she wore every day. Tears flowing down her cheeks, Sinope rushed to Raquel and threw a spell to enlarge herself. The human-sized sprite wrapped her arms around her sister and squeezed her, sobbing on the other’s shoulder.

When they parted, Sinope wiped her eyes. “How did you lengthen your hair? Magic?”

“Mother created a potion to allow me to control the growth of my hair,” replied Raquel. “I’m able to move each strand as if it were an arm.” She gulped. “Mother told me to keep it from you because she hadn’t found a way to make it work on sprites yet.”

Water again pooled in Sinope’s eyes. “I was wrong about her.”

Raquel grabbed Sinope’s hands and squeezed. “Mother would’ve been proud of you today.”

But she had come too late to save her. And though Sinope was an adult, Raquel was still a child and needed protection. “Perhaps. But she was right about the world, Raquel. Maybe not as cruel as she thought, but no place for you yet.” Sinope gulped. “I must honor her.”

Raquel’s eyes enlarged. “What do you mean?”

Sinope placed her other hand on top of Raquel’s. “I will retrieve the medallion from the gorgon, and I’ll leave and find a job to support us. Mother was right to keep you here. You are still innocent. Though you could’ve overpowered Mysgora, you hesitated. I will protect you, Raquel, for as long as you’ll have me. I swear this solemn oath.”

Raquel again embraced Sinope, pulling her close. When they parted, Raquel wiped away a tear. “Mother gave her life for mine. You are now sacrificing your freedom. All this for little me. Who am I to deserve such gifts? I am of no consequence to this kingdom anyway.”