Dark One's Daughter *Book Four*

Poor Unfortunate Souls {1}

Everyone was distracted.

I had been waiting for this ever since August had returned to the man he had been before. Ursula was currently outside listening to some opera music on an old stereo Papa had found in one of his cupboards; Regina had managed to get Maleficent into a conversation about their past and the two of them were laughing in the corner of the room; Papa was taking a stroll before the interrogation (and that probably meant he was stalking Belle somewhere); and Cruella had taken a liking to a selection of my jewellery from the Enchanted Forest that had made it's way into the cabin.

Taking this as my chance, I quickly knelt down beside August, brining his gaze to mine. He looked like he was going to speak but I raised a finger and gestured for him to be quiet.

"You can trust me, okay. Whatever happens. Just pretend and play along," I whispered quickly and quietly. "I will make sure that no harm comes to you but if they try, pretend."

"And how long do you think I can do that before they realise?" August countered.

"Just buy me enough time to think of something else," I requested. "Until then, you have to lie."

"Now that I can do," August smiled slightly.

I heard footsteps crunching on the gravel outside the cabin, so I quickly got up and moved away from August. Papa then entered the room with Ursula just behind him. Hearing the door open, Cruella also joined the group until we were all back together again.

The interrogation then began, and it started off tame with only some simple questions being asked, and just like I had told him to, August pretended that he knew nothing. It wouldn't last long but it was a start.

"I already told you. I don't know anything about this Author," August repeated.

Having had enough of his lies, Ursula grabbed onto a dagger that had been discarded at the front door, as you do, and held it up to August's throat. A right contrast to her peaceful classical music only minutes ago.

"Well, perhaps you could use a little incentive," Ursula smirked, and I prepared myself to step in if things went too far.

"No, that knife is not gonna make me remember something that I don't know," August fought back, not even the slightest bit phased by the knife.

"Wait," Regina said, making me turn to her, surprised that she was already stepping in. Even more so when she magicked Ursula's knife into her own hand.

"Is there a problem?" Ursula demanded.

"I knew she didn't have the stomach for this," Cruella commented.

I took the knife from Regina as she placed it into my hands, giving me a subtle but knowing glance as she turned to face the room.

"Please. I was torturing people back when you were still playing with puppies," Regina retorted, and from my other side I could see Papa watching with amusement. "This sorry excuse for a man used to be made of wood. So, let's light a fire under him and see what happens."

The small smile that had found its way onto August's face dropped instantly when a fireball appeared in Regina's hand. I knew that he was just pretending to be afraid now, as he knew that he had my protection, but I was my father's daughter which meant that he could also see that August was faking his fear. It might be time for a change of strategy.

"Okay, alright. You know something? I actually, uh, do remember something about the Author," August admitted. Regina chucked her fireball into the empty fireplace to our left and we waited for August to continue.

"Don't hold out on us," Ursula said when August hesitated.

"Er, yeah, when I was in Hong Kong, uh, before the cruse broke, I met a mystic. His name is the Dragon," August told us. "I don't know how he knew about the book, but he had been looking for the Author for years."