Cassandra's laughter echoed through the basement corridors as her form dissolved into a writhing mass of black flies, swarming through cracks in the stone walls with glee. The metal of her sickle screeched against stone, flying through whilst warping in and out of solid form, buzzing excitedly through the shadows.

Her voice seemed to come from everywhere at once as the swarm poured through a gap near the ceiling. "Soooo much scratching... that's either a very large rat or something much more fun to play with."

She reformed partially behind a stone pillar, just her torso and head materializing while her lower half remained a cloud of flies. Her eyes sparkled with cruel delight as she tilted her head. Mother's castle was old, and old places had their vermin.

Something bigger, she thought with growing excitement, something that thinks stone walls will keep it safe.

"Oh, you beautiful little fool," she whispered, sickle glinting as she raised it. "Mother's going to be so proud when I drag you upstairs." Her voice dropped to a purr.

The swarm condensed again, this time right against the wall where the scratching was loudest. Cassandra pressed her ear to the cold stone, grinning wickedly as she heard unmistakable breathing on the other side.

"This is perfect," she whispered, then raised her voice playfully. "Little mouse, little mouse, I can hear your heart beating through the wall. Thump-thump, thump-thump—like a dinner bell calling me to feast." She dissolved once more, flies seeping through the mortar cracks. "Keep scratching, darling. Every sound you make just tells me exactly where you are."