Page 73 of Bewitched

“Medea, you can’t believe those lies that King Osric told you about me. I swear, it was his idea to kill you, not mine. Besides, you know how I feel about you. I could never hurt you. I saved you from the sea serpent and the wrath of the gods—that should prove it.” The raven cried out from the sky, flying in circles above Rhys’ head now. The baby cried even louder.

“I suppose you’re right. I wouldn’t put it past King Osric to make up that lie. But even so, you are not proving a thing by what you’re doing now. Give me my baby.” When Medea tried to take the child from him, something happened. A buzzing noise filled the air, and some sort of shock wave hit Medea, knocking her to the ground.

“Medea? Are you all right?” asked Rhys in surprise, not sure what just happened.

“Why did you do that?” Her eyes bore fire. “You are purposely trying to keep my baby from me and I don’t like it.”

“Nay, I didn’t do that, Medea,” he said. “Honest. I don’t know what happened.” The raven continued to shriek, and the baby cried even harder. But above all the noise, he heard something else that took his interest. It sounded like the sound of large flapping wings. He looked up to the sky and swore. “Damn it, not now!”

“It’s the dragon,” screamed Medea, hurriedly getting to her feet.

The dragon flew over to the courtyard, while Rhys took off at a run, protecting the child against his chest. Medea was right behind him.

When he got to the courtyard, things only became worse. The plan to put the soldiers to sleep by eating Talia’s food worked too well. The only ones not prone on the ground sleeping were Darium, Talia, Rapunzel, King Osric, and a few stray guards. It seemed their plan had backfired. They would never be able to capture the dragon now. They needed more help.

“Everyone, get to safety!” Rhys shouted, as the dragon swooped downward. With outstretched talons, it picked up a stray pig from the courtyard, and took it back up into the sky. It tossed it into the air and devoured it whole.

Women shrieked and children cried in fear.

“Capture it!” called out the King, but he had no men there to help him do much.

“I’ve got the shields,” called out Zann, running from the keep with his arms full of shiny shields.

“Let me help,” called out Darium, taking half of them and heading at a run for the pit.

“Medea, get me atop that dragon,” screamed the King. “We need to use it now to conquer Sethor and Evandorm.”

“I’m not going anywhere or doing anything until I have my baby.” Medea reached out once more for the baby, and once again ended up on the ground.

“It wasn’t me!” shouted Rhys, watching Medea’s features change. “I don’t have the power to do that.” Her face almost seemed to twist and distort when the darkness filled her.

“You will die for this, Rhys. No one takes my baby.” Her eyes became black and so did her disposition. It didn’t seem like Medea’s words at all, and even her voice sounded different. Rhys was starting to feel as if she were somehow possessed.

“I told you, I didn’t do it,” he spat. “I don’t know what is going on.”

“I do,” said Rapunzel, running over to them with Talia on her heels. “I think it was the baby. She doesn’t want to go to you, Medea, because you are acting evil.”

“That’s not true. My baby loves me,” screamed Medea, turning into someone else now entirely. Rhys had never seen her look so mean. Her eyes narrowed to slits and were darker than ever. Her face contorted, making her look older than her real age. She almost seemed to have a dark aura around her. It was almost as if she were standing in a black cloud. It only made the baby cry even more.

“I will make you pay for this, Rhys. You turned my own child against me.”

“Sister, stop it,” shouted Rapunzel. “This isn’t you. You sound more like Hecuba right now. Please, stop it. Rhys is the baby’s father. He would never hurt your daughter.”

There was no reasoning with Medea when she was like this. There was too much darkness controlling her to even get through to the light hidden inside.

The dragon swooped downward again, coming right for them. Rhys realized he needed to do something about the beast now, and would worry about talking to Medea later.

“Rapunzel, take the child to safety, please,” he said, pushing the baby into her hands, giving her the bottle as well. “Bring her to my mother. She’ll be safe amongst the fae.”

“Nay! Sister, you will not leave here with my child.” Medea’s anger was out of control now. She raised her hands in the air, and a cart filled with hay shot over their heads. The roof blew off the mews and kennels, and the swords of the sleeping soldiers flew through the air on their own.

“Get Lily out of here. Now!” ordered Rhys, ripping his sword from his scabbard, ducking just as a sword sailed over his head.

Rapunzel disappeared, transporting out of there with the baby.

“I’ll call the animals to help us,” said Talia, shouting to be heard over the loud roar of the dragon.

“Nay,” said Rhys. “The dragon is hungry, and that will only entice it. We won’t sacrifice any more animals.”