Chapter Seventeen: Sirenas (part 2)

Elena took the amulet in her arms and glared at Cristóbal.

"Where is she?!" She growled, narrowing her eyes towards him. "Where is Sofia?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Cristóbal scoffed.

"Sofia! She's Isa's age and never takes off the amulet!"

"Oh her. Well I guess you didn't see him. Quite surprised Paulownia was able to hide without getting caught."

"He has her?" Elena's scowl darkened, clutching a fist. "Do you have any idea what he's done to Sofia?! Oh right now I remember: you don't care about Sofia. But I swear if she's hurt, you'll get more than just me yelling at you!"

"Elena! I found one of Sofia's blue shoes she was wearing earlier leading out to the dungeon! I bet you anything that she's in there and scared!" Isabel panted, trying to catch her breath.

Elena thanked her sister with a smile before letting her take the lead.

If anything, Sofia had better be okay.

…

Paulownia had stopped groaning in pain as a few tears went down Sofia's cheeks.

Her stockings were stained with blood from the shackle burying itself in her leg as she glared at him.

"Why did you do it? Why did you take away my family?" Sofia croaked.

"Alas you didn't hear Cristóbal didn't you?" Paulownia laughed. "I was only supposed to go after you but it wasn't that easy."

"You mean he was... No. No! I-It's all my fault!"

"Well not entirely. That reward goes to your brother James."

"What reward goes to James?" Sofia sniffed. "He just wanted to protect me!"

"Maybe a little too much," Paulownia smirked. "He wanted to make sure I wouldn't do anything to you."

Sofia felt her heart ache in two. Even in his final moments, James wanted her safe.

Despite her heart ache, Sofia tried to put on a brave face before Paulownia glared at her as he noticed her missing shoe.

She gulped slightly as she tried blocking out the last time he had looked at her that way. The smell of blood and her screaming for him to stop as he had pinned her down.

"Please. Not again!" Sofia pleaded. "You've already done enough today. Just let me go."

"Let you go? Oh no my dear. I can't let you go!" Paulownia laughed, stroking her hair. "I'm afraid that's out of the question."

"Then what are you going to do to me?"

"Unfortunately Shuriki banned me from doing what I did last time. However she gave me a few suggestions."

"S-S-Suggestions?" Sofia hiccuped. "Can I just ask one question first?" Seeing him nod, she smiled a little. "Why did you take me here? What's your plan?"

"You want to know my plan'?" Paulownia sneered.

"Yes please."

"Well since you asked politely. I—"

Paulownia was interrupted by a slam as Sofia wiped away her remaining tears and smiled.

"Elena!" She cheered.

"You know it Sofia. Now let's get you out of here," Elena smiled, getting behind her to unshackle the child.

The crown princess of Avalor struggled with the lock before using her hair clip as it opened, unshackling Sofia before gasping at the sight of blood.

Sofia looked down, trying her best not to feel queasy at the sight of her own blood.

"I know it looks bad Elena but it's from the shackle I was in," She assured, trying her best to walk before Paulownia grabbed her arm. "Hey! Let me go!"

Paulownia glared at Elena, his brown eyes narrowing at her in hatred. "You have a way of interring with Princess Sofia and I," he scoffed. "I wish you'd stop."

"Stop? After what you did to her?!" Elena growled.. "You take away her family and then take advantage of her?! That's nothing but sick!"

"Now that you mentioned it, I did enjoy her sobbing as I took advantage of her."

"You..You bastardo enfermo!"

"Why thank you!" Paulownia chuckled.

"Blaze!" Elena shouted, aiming the scepter at him.

Sofia had ducked upon seeing the flash of light as she made a break for it, running into Elena's arms.

Paulownia groaned in pain, focusing where he had been hit to notice that both girls were gone.

…

Sofia felt a little shaken even after Luisa had wrapped up her cut and Francisco had given her something to drink.

She hadn't seen Elena actually hurt someone with her scepter before. Yes it had been to protect her and Sofia did appreciate it but was nevertheless still terrifying after the day she had.

Finding out her family wasn't supposed to die had crushed her and she wasn't hesitant to talk about it with the adults in the room.

Luisa gave her an empathic look while offering food. Sofia felt at odds with Avalor food but accepted the offer with a smile. Francisco had gently patted her back to settle her nerves.

Estéban, however, wasn't thrilled with the news. Sofia had never seen his knuckles shake in anger before.

And it scared her a little.

"Estéban please, she's been through enough today," Luisa sighed, gently patting Sofia on the back.

"I know Abuela," Estéban apologized. "But this was supposed to relax Sofia, not make her feel worse."

"It's not the vacation Mr. Estéban. Cristóbal hasn't been the nicest to me," Sofia frowned. "He doesn't want me to belong in your familia. He said that Elena only took me in out of pity."

"This is not true! Elena took you In because you were asustado de muerte! How were you supposed to act?"

"I don't know. Pretend everything is okay according to him."

"But you weren't okay," Elena added, hearing the frustration in Sofia's voice. "Cristóbal just doesn't care about you or the entire familia!" She gently placed a hand on Sofia's shoulder. "I know Paulownia is still here and I know how terribly you want to avenge your parents and siblings. I understand that. I really do. But now isn't the time."

"But it's just a cut!" Sofia protested. "It's not too serious and it doesn't hurt much. Elena, por favor, I just..." She blinked back tears. "I just want closure. I don't want to hurt anymore."

Elena went silent, nodding sympathetically. Even in her sympathy she still couldn't allow Sofia to be on her own.

In two days time Sofia's cut was close to healing. Mateo using a spell to heal it quickly certainly did the trick.

And after puppy eyes a plenty and grumpiness that only someone like Sofia herself could muster, Elena had given in to her request of avenging her family.

Just as long as she stayed out of the way when things were more life threatening.

Sofia agreed with a smile, getting on her adventure clothes that morning before struggling to put on one of her boots.

She hopped around until falling on the ground, hearing a chuckle.

"Need some help?" Elena asked.

"No I got it," Sofia assured.

"You'll just struggle again."

"You're right. But I don't want to burden you. I'm a big girl. Besides I wouldn't be here if I just surrounded myself to Paulownia like Cristóbal said.."

Elena growled at the thought that Cristóbal's scurrilous comments were getting to an innocent little girl.

An innocent little girl who didn't deserve the heartache she'd faced thus far.

She knelt down to Sofia, playing with her ponytail.

"Sof," Elena began, noticing the tears in Sofia's eyes at the familiar nickname. "You're not a burden. Furthermore if you had surrendered yourself, where do you think the rest of your familia would be? They'd be struggling to move on." She noticed an escape of the younger crown princess' shaky breath and squeezed her hand. "Your mother once told me that you were the light to your familia and without you, everything would darken around them. You're still that light even if you're a little broken."

"I don't feel like a light right now," Sofia sniffed.

"I know and that's okay. Find your courage and your pride."

"What if I can't?"

"That'll only slow you down," Elena smirked.

Sofia buried her face in Elena's chest who wiped away the girl's tears with one of her fingers.

With a few more sniffs, she obliged to Elena's help with her boot and soon they were ready.

She muttered a prayer to her family under her breath to watch over the both of them as Sofia felt Elena squeeze her hand.

All of a sudden, she found courage and pride.

…

Everything was a blur.

Except for their current situation as Sofia couldn't help but giggle as the ship crashed into Cristóbal's castle.

It wasn't proper princess behavior and she was sure she was going to get a scolding for it later but at the moment, she couldn't help herself.

After everything Cristóbal put her through, Sofia thought he deserved it.

She would have to thank Marzel, Marisa, and the other sirenas for that later.

A small chill went down her spine as she turned around and saw Paulownia limping towards her.

"You don't scare me anymore," Sofia huffed.

"Is that so?" Paulownia chuckled. "You used to be and still are."

"You murdered my family because I wouldn't surrender to you and then you do something so unspeakable, I don't want to even remember it. Yet I have to because you scarred me for life tu hombre desalmado. You don't know about the nightmares or the anxiety you left or the uneasiness around magic and men I have now thanks to you."

"So you want to be with your family is that it?"

"No. I'd rather avenge them," Sofia scoffed. "Amber and James will never grow up and Mom and Dad will never see me grow up. Who's fault is that? Oh right. Yours."

"My fault?" Paulownia scoffed. "It's your fault for not surrendering! I almost had you until Princess Elena showed up."

"That's because she loves me like a little sister."

"Well next time you are mine Princess Sofia."

"How can you with a limp?" Sofia smirked.

Mateo and Naomi came to her side as Naomi lassoed a rope around Paulownia's legs.

Sofia waved a farewell to Paulownia as Mateo lifted him using a spell into one of the ship's cabins for the time being.

Sofia sighed in relief, looking up just as Elena used blaze on Shuriki.

"Whoa! No more Shuriki. I hope," Sofia muttered to herself.

Mateo placed a hand over her eyes as blood from Shuriki splattered around where Elena was before nothing but the Scepter of Night was left.

Spotting Skylar, Sofia wished to be a jaquin and flew to where the Scepter of Night was. Grabbing what remained with her paws, she struggled to hold it as a red blur grabbed it from her.

"Sorry little one!" The voice chuckled. "Guess you should leave the grabbing to us stronger jaquins."

"I almost had it!" Sofia grumbled as she turned back into her human form.

"Sofia, it's okay. I'm just glad you're safe," Elena smiled, running to her and pulling her into a hug.

"What about Paulownia?"

"He escaped with Cruz unfortunately who was the one to steal what remains of the Scepter of Night from you. Pero no te preocupes niña, we'll get him and send him back to Enchancia to await trial for his crimes."

"And Shuriki?" Estéban asked.

Elena smiled, brushing some hair from her face. "She's gone. For good."

…

"I see you're still up. What are you doing?"

Elena smiled, looking up to see Mateo smiling at her.

"It's just a letter I'm writing to Duchess Tilly to inform her of Sofia's well-being. I see you're still up too," Elena smirked playfully.

"Just in case Sofia wakes up for a nightmare reducing potion. Again," Mateo smiled.

"I just wish I can help Sofia with her survivor's guilt. Mateo, you know as well as I do that things haven't been easy for her and then Cristóbal had to bring up that her family died because of her!"

"If I recall from your first few weeks of being out of that amulet, you had that same guilt."

Elena huffed, brushing some loose strands of hair back. "Mateo, things were different then." She looked at his assuring eyes. "Though if you think about it, Sofia and I do have the same circumstances but I'm not sure if I can be there for her when she'll need the most help."

Mateo squeezed her hand, not noticing the small blush forming on Elena's cheeks.

"When Sofia first arrived in Avalor traumatized and bloody, you could've turned her away but you didn't. Elena, you've helped her to your ability thus far," He reminded her. "That's better than what anyone else would've done."

"True. It is," Elena smiled. "Sofia's like Isa. I'll be by her side if she needs me."

Mateo laughed softly. "Oh believe me, you have. I haven't forgotten you two playing with the amulet's magic last week."

"We weren't playing. We were just experimenting with her animal transformations."

"Does experimenting include getting me to pet her baby jaquin form?"

"Oh come on Mateo! You couldn't resist!" Elena teased.

Mateo sheepishly put a hand through his hair in embarrassment. "That'll be the only time I won't be able to resist thank you."

Elena laughed with a smile before she kissed his cheek. It was just what she needed after the day she had.

Just her and the royal wizard alone together during the time between after dusk and before the crack of dawn.

Now that was a sight to behold.