Golden Touch

  Elizabeth was still under the witch's control; she stood completely still as if she were one of her grandfather's golden statues.

  Midas had gone to retrieve what he said would awake her power.

  She still couldn't bring herself to believe that her father had only cared about her because he'd believed she possessed the power to turn whatever she touched to gold just as her grandfather once did.

  With nothing to do, she pondered all the times Midas and Elaine would torture her only for her father to step in to rescue her. She thought of all the beautiful gifts he'd showered her in over the years. Was it all just a lie?

  Had he really only loved her as his daughter because he'd hoped she would fill his palace with gold?

  It made her sick think of what her father would have been like had he known she had no such power.

  The sound of footsteps walking through the secret passage had pulled her from her thought.

  Midas had returned with another person bound with rope and a sack over their head.

  "I've returned Elizabeth and look who I've brought with me."

  Midas removed the sack from the person's head to reveal their mother.

  "Midas! What is the meaning of this?! You untie me this instant!"

  It was rare to hear her mother raise her voice at Midas; he had always been her favorite.

  "I'm afraid I can't do that mother; it's time to play your part in Dulciena's future."

  "My part?!"

  "Please don't raise your voice at me mother, you know I hate it when you raise your voice."

  Sensing Midas's temper, her mother lowered her voice.

  "But my sweet boy, haven't I played my part by always being there for you when you needed me most? I'm your most loyal servant."

  "You most certainly are which is why I've given you the most important part to play."

  "You have?"

  "Of course, I need you to kill Elizabeth for me."

  "Is that all?"

  Elizabeth had learned so much about her family over the past two weeks but her mother's response to Midas's order to kill her was the least shocking thing she'd heard.

  It was no secret that her mother hated her, she suspected then when she was born her mother handed her of to be cared for by a maid because there was no room in her heart for Elizabeth. 

  "That all, but before you do, I want you to tell Elizabeth who chose Elaine to be the one to follow Maximus and his companion?"

  "It was me of course. Elaine is the best tracker now the Buros is gone.”

 The rage that washed over Elizabeth was like nothing she’d felt before. It was so intense she’d felt as though her blood was boiling in her veins.

  Elaine was just a weapon; it had been her mother who pointed her in Rei's direction.

  Midas just stood there observing his handiwork.

  Elizabeth knew he'd caused her to feel this overwhelming anger towards their mother on purpose, but it didn’t stop her from playing along.

  She didn’t care that their mother hadn't thought twice about killing her, it had been that she’d ultimately was the one who killed Rei.

  “Now Elizabeth, for your task I’d like you to simply touch our mother.”

  Just as Midas had instructed, Elizabeth’s body moved on her own and simple touched their mother on the shoulder.

  She’d wished she’d done more than just a light touch, the anger inside screamed for her to destroy their mother.

  However the witch’s spell had forced her body to do as Midas commanded.

  What happened next came as a shock to Elizabeth. Instantly her anger changed to fear and confusion.

  Her mother's once soft flesh was turned to cool slick gold. The gold continued to spread until she’d blended in with the rest of the golden statues.

  It was a fate worse than death, she was no longer alive but she wasn’t dead either. She’d become an inanimate object. A cold, unfeeling decoration symbolizing wealth.

  She’d hated her mother, she may have even been able to take her life for the hand she played in Rei’s death. But no one deserved to be stripped of their humanity and cursed to be a golden statue.

  Midas's response was to start clapping.

  "Well done sister.”

  “See how we can accomplish our goals with just the right motivation?”

  Motivation, that’s the word Maximus had used as well when he’d convinced her to join his crusade to put an end to Midas’s evil.

  “I knew you had the power within you, you just needed the proper motivation and what better motivation than revenge?”

  It was true, she’d never been motivated to stop Midas for her own freedom or even to save the people of Dulciena from his tyranny. She was motivated by revenge, revenge for her father and now revenge for Rei.

  Revenge had consumed her and given Midas what he wanted.

  “Now that we’ve unlocked your power, Dulciena will not only be the most powerful kingdom but it will also be the most wealthy. Both are needed to creat an eternal legacy, I know this had been hard for you to understand but I’m doing this all for us and the glory of…”

  A knock at the door to the secret room interrupted Midas. “What is it now?”

  Elaine had entered the room, it must have been night outside because she was wearing her nightwear.

  “Midas the guards are reporting that strange creatures are attacking the front gate!”

  Elizabeth didn’t know what was going on but somehow she knew that Maximus had returned to Dulciena.