Several guards were lying on the ground some distance from Maleficent, who had her hand around the neck of a flailing Lord Ortolan.

“Godmother!” Aurora said, relief flooding her. She was so happy to see that her godmother was safe, alive, and unharmed that she failed to notice the warning in Maleficent’s expression until it was too late.

“Run!” Maleficent said in a terrible echo of her dream.

Run. He’s right behind you. Run!

She spun around only to crash into Count Alain. He grabbed hold of her. She kicked as he hauled her up into the air, and she struck him with her fists until he caught them, twisting her arms behind her back.

“I am very sorry to do this, Your Majesty,” he said. “Very sorry indeed. I had hoped to bring you to my home. I hoped we would grow close. I hoped you would never need to know about any of this. Even when you rode out, I hoped I would be able to steal away and arrange everything before you awakened.”

“Count Alain, what have you done?” Aurora asked.

“If only you’d listened to me. If only you had let me share my wisdom and experience, I wouldn’t have had to resort to such drastic measures.”

She looked at Maleficent and took a deep, shuddering breath. “Phillip was never a part of this, was he?”

“The prince was captured with me,” Maleficent said. “But fear not, he’s far from here. And he knows the truth of what you’ve done, Alain.”

Relief washed over Aurora. Not only was Phillip not responsible for what had happened to Maleficent, but he was safe. He was free.

“I will be sure to send my men to track him,” sneered Alain. “They always enjoy a hunt.”

Aurora tried to pull away from Alain again. He held her fast, his gaze going to Maleficent. “As you can see, I have the queen in my power. If you don’t want her harmed, release Lord Ortolan.”

Maleficent let the old man fall. “You dare much, threatening your queen.” He scuttled back from her, making a wheezing sound.

“The man who dares little achieves little,” said Count Alain. “Now, Lord Ortolan, I believe you will find iron chains in the guardhouse. Lock the faerie in them.”

Maleficent raised hands sparking with magic as green as her eyes. She looked at Alain with a wild fury in her face. Then her gaze went to Aurora. Their eyes met and the light of her magic extinguished. She bent her horned head and smiled ruefully.

“You have found my weakness. Anything else and I would have brought down this cave on us both before I submitted.”

Chapter 30

Maleficent stood stoically as the guards approached.