| When she came to, on a leafy bed at the edge of the forest, Faustine thought she saw the faces of her parents, who had come to save her, and take her back home to cherish her, their beloved daughter. Cruel clarity, however, soon revealed the gloating faces of Banewort, and Atropa Belladonna. Moving in close, the lady took Faustine gently by the hand, and with an earnest and imploring look said, "Tell me sweeting, were you truly happy with the things I gave you? I hope so, because, as you see, the cost of my services is very dear indeed." Then, with a smile and a kiss, she rose up and sauntered away with her ferine friend in tow. And at those parting words, Faustine, abandoning all hope, relinquished consciousness and fell into a deep sleep from which she never woke, as the first rays of the morning sun insinuated themselves through the treetops and onto her pretty little face. |