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I should have been able to get through to him. I swear I saw his eyes flicker a few times at dinner, even if I hadn’t seen them here in the hall.

We got back to the room and I looked around for anything I could use. Damn it! I needed more time! Where were the others? I had hoped they would be here by now, but I knew it would take time. Too much time.

“On the table.” Gage commanded.

I looked at the cold stone slab- gray, much like Gage’s eyes, and then at the dark Queen. “You’re ok with this?”

She laughed. “Don’t try to play me. I got what I needed. The look on your face at dinner will last me life times and that is how long I will live. Life times longer than you.”

“It’s starting to show.” I pointed around my eyes, “Wrinkles.” I snarled.

I saw the rage fill her eyes in a matter of seconds. “Get her on the table now so I can cut out this bitches heart and liver!” She yelled at the top of her lungs.

“Temper, temper.” I mocked. I had nothing to lose now. My only satisfaction was pissing her off as much as possible. Perhaps if she was mad enough she’d torture me, which would buy me some time. I shivered. When would anyone wish for torture?

Fight.The woman’s voice echoed in my head again.

Gage grabbed the chains and tugged on them to ensure they were affixed to the hooks at the corners of the table.

“Gage.” I quickly cupped his cheek in my palm. “Please. You don’t want to do this. This isn’t you.” I saw his eyes flicker from gray to blue repeatedly.

He was fighting. He was fighting the mind control or whatever the dark Queen had done to him.

“Gage. Please.” I grabbed his hand.

“Hurry up!” The Queen snapped.

Those two words made the decision. Gage looked at me, his head tilting to the side.

I got the gray eyed Gage.

He fastened the chains around my wrist, the weight of them making it hard to lift my arm. I reached for his hand one last time and caught his pinky and felt him squeeze, but he didn’t look at me, so I couldn’t determine the meaning behind the squeeze.

“Well, I wish I could say some nice parting words or that I’d miss you, but the truth is… well, you served your purpose and, like the others before you, you need to die.”

“I’m a witch, just like you, and I curse you!” I yelled in anger.

She grabbed her chest like she’d been struck with a sharp object, catching me off guard.

She froze, her eyes shut, and after a few seconds, she opened one eye and looked at me. “Oh. I guess I’m not. Idiot child.”

She raised her hand with the knife in it and looked at me, smiling. I turned my head to look at Gage, but he was stone cold, unwavering.

I closed my eyes, took in a deep breath and turned to look at the Queen. I was beating myself up for not learning some sort of useful curse.

“Care to say goodbye?”

“Go to hell, you spineless bitch.”

“Very well then.” She smiled and moved to stab me.

I screamed out at the same time the knife was hurtling toward my chest. I felt a pulse leave my body, like a warm gust of wind had blown out in every direction. I opened my eyes and saw the Queen stumbling backwards several feet from me and turned to find Gage, bent over grabbing his knees. He looked at me with his crystal blue eyes.

“Gage.” I breathed.

He looked up at the Queen, who was regaining her footing and moved forward faster than I have ever seen a person move. He broke the chains from my wrists, snapping them like twigs, and scooped me up in his arms.

“No!!! What are you doing?” The Queen was clutching her chest with one hand and reaching towards us with the other. “Gage. I command you! Bring her back.”