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dangerous.
Two other figures manifested in the room, and I recognized them
as Anelah s two brothers, Rumpel Stiltskin and the Fairy Godfather.
Now back off, the latter continued to say. You can t stand against
us.
Had Anelah planned this all along? How? More importantly, why
had she kept it from me? Did she truly think that they could defeat the
Snow King? Frost certainly didn t think so.
Little Red and the Big Black Panther 113
Oh, this is cute, he said, laughing. A family reunion, just for
my benefit. And what do you plan to do? Bind me?
We bound our mother, Snow King, Rumpel Stiltskin said.
What makes you think we can t do the same for you?
Your mother was a fool, Frost shot back. She cut herself off
from whatever allies she might have made, all for an illusion. Tell me,
what woman in her right mind would give up her live children for one
who hasn t even been conceived yet?
You know, I always asked myself that, Anelah said. But
Mother was never really in her right mind. I have to wonder if you
are.
Do you truly think a mate is so unimportant that he or she would
automatically agree to follow you anywhere? Didn t it occur to you
that this person might have family, friends?
I don t care, Frost bit out. What is mine cannot belong to
anyone else.
Just like that, I knew my mother had been right. Some people
couldn t understand how precious a mate was. True enough, simply
the fact that Frost had been seeking one for so long was remarkable,
but it didn t feel like enough. And maybe it was unfair of me to deny
him this, but so far he hadn t struck me as a particularly loving
person.
Maybe he could change. Maybe a mate could change him. But he
needed to want that first.
Clearing my throat, I drew Frost s attention toward me. You
realize that under the circumstances, I can t possibly give you the
answer you seek.
Frost scowled at me. And what gives you the right to judge
whether I m appropriate for my mate or not? Do you consider
yourself so much better?
I never said I was better, I answered steadily. You just have to
understand that mate bonds don t work the way you think they do.
114 Scarlet Hyacinth
You can t own a person. You have to love him or her. Do you think
you can do that?
Love is an illusion, Frost answered. It wastes away into
nothing, just like wood turns into ash in the flames of a fire. Surely
you must understand this, Blaze Hood. Look at yourself and your
mate. Can you honestly say that you love the man next to you?
Yes, I replied without hesitation.
And what does that tell you? What meaning does your bond have
when you ve known this man a little longer than you have me?
It does have meaning, Philippe replied. It s not in the time
we ve spent together so far, but in what we experienced through it.
Maybe I don t know everything there is to know about Red, but love
is like that. It builds on top of itself, growing stronger, just like our
bond does.
Why do you even want a mate if you don t believe this? Anelah
asked. What use do you have for a person you can t make happy?
Frost didn t say anything. Maybe he didn t know what he was
doing either. Suddenly, he started to glow, so brightly my eyes began
to hurt. Anelah tensed, and so did the rest of our allies. Their reaction
proved to be correct, because, moments later, ice bolts started
shooting through the room.
The magic users fought back. They defended themselves, largely
managing to keep Frost from hitting them. But their spells didn t have
much success in hurting Frost either, and the Snow King seemed to be
preparing for a massive attack.
I tested my own magic against Frost and was disheartened when
the fire bolt I launched dissipated several feet away from Frost. But I
knew I needed to find a solution. Otherwise, all the risks my friends
had taken would be in vain.
They had come here for me and Philippe, for Mina, Vlad, Anelah,
and Vesper. They d taken a huge chance in facing such a powerful
mage, and I couldn t fail them. Once and for all, I had to take hold of
Little Red and the Big Black Panther 115
my legacy, embrace my power, and take my future into my own
hands.
Don t be afraid, Red, Philippe said. We can do this.
He melted into his panther form, and suddenly, I knew what I had
to do. Throwing a direct spell at Frost would never work. The man
had powerful shields up, and my enchantments wouldn t even put a
dent in those protective spells.
However, I had another advantage, one Frost didn t understand
and had, in fact, refused to acknowledge. The power of the mate
bond.
He had called us Little Red and the big black panther, and he d
been sort of right. Philippe and I were a team, and as long as we
worked together, not even Frost could stand in our way.
Taking a deep breath, I focused the full extent of my power onto
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