Love Spell: Book 2 of The Grimm Laws (29 page)

“He did fight for me, fool, which is why he was blinded!”

“As it turns out, thy noble prince was not so noble after all. Brindley was planning on running like a scared rabbit back to his kingdom.” He jutted out his chest. “Until I bade him to stay and defend thee! If ye ask me, Brindley got exactly what he deserved.”

The girl’s ragged intake of breath seemed to suck all of the air out of the room. All eyes turned to Jack. Rushton was the first to speak. “You said you did not know her.”

A nervous laugh escaped Jack’s lips. “Oops.”

Largot shook his head. “I do not like the sound of this, Jack.” He stroked his chin. “I do not like the sound of this at all.”

Tallia put a hand on his arm. “Ye cannot let him get away with this.”

Largot gave his wife a strange look. “Art thou so quick to turn on thy cousin, wife?”

A deep blush rose in Tallia’s cheeks. “These are extreme circumstances, husband,” she stammered, furiously batting her eyelashes.

“Indeed,” Largot said, “indeed.” He sat down. “I must give this some thought.”

Rushton looked at the girl. There was something terrible in her beauty as she stood there, hatred emanating from her eyes, which were the color of leafy ferns.

Largot scratched his head and looked at the girl. “I feel the passion of thy words, and thy loss moves me to pity.”

“Ye are taking her word for the whole thing?” Jack threw his hands in the air. “Ye have not heard my version of the story. That hag she calls a mother nearly ruined me!” He leaned forward, closing the space between him and the girl. “I should have left thee in that tower. I should have let thee die!”

She spit in his face. Jack started cursing. “Ye flame-haired fiend of the devil! Ye maggot-infested, rotten-smelling, loathsome wench! I ought to snap thy skinny neck for that!”

“Silence!” Largot yelled. He pointed at Jack. “Ye will keep silent!” He turned to the girl. “As much as I would savor putting this man in the stocks—” he gave Jack a scathing look “—were I to take action against him, I would then be forced to take like action against every other person that came to me with a personal vendetta. I am a businessman. I cannot involve myself in such matters.”

Jack gave the girl a mocking smile.

“But, husband,” Tallia began.

“Enough!”

Tallia rocked back, shaking her head. She turned to the girl. “I am sorry.” Without another word, she turned and fled.

“I also am sorry that I cannot help thee,” Largot said, looking old for the first time. “Ye should go now.” He raised his arm in a farewell gesture.

“I understand,” the girl said quietly. She took a step back like she was leaving but instead pulled a necklace from underneath her clothing. A large, clear stone was fastened on the end of a chain. Rushton heard Jack gasp when the stone started glowing amber like the eyes of a cat. The girl mumbled something under her breath, and the stone began shooting out rays of light. She held the stone so that it shone directly into Largot’s eyes.

He stumbled backwards. “What is this witchery?”

“You will arrest these men,” she said.

“Nay.” He shook his head. “Nay!”

The light from the stone grew brighter. “Arrest them! Earn thyself a fine reward from the king. You will be a hero.”

He grabbed his head as if he were writhing in pain.

“ARREST THEM!”

Largot stood up straight. A dull look formed in his eyes as he looked straight ahead. “I will arrest them.”

“Magic!” Jack sputtered. “Can ye not see that she is controlling thee with that thing?”

Rushton clutched Jack’s arm. “‘Tis an amulet.” Amulets were extremely rare and powerful. He had only seen his mother use one once when he was very young, but that was enough to burn the experience into his memory. His mother had singlehandedly defeated an entire band of bandits with an amulet. “Do not look at it,” Rushton warned. “If you look into it, she will hold thee in her power. Do not—”

It was too late. The light flashed in their eyes. “You will surrender,” she ordered.

“Nay!”

She repeated the words again. Rushton felt his will as it split into two parts. To obey was insanity. To resist was unthinkable. A white-hot pain ripped through his head.
Surrender.
The word encircled him, growing larger and more terrible in its intensity.
SURRENDER!

Do NOT do it
, his mind screamed.
Fight! Fight to the bitter end!
He grasped his dagger, but the blinding light was too powerful to resist. It burned fire as it coursed through his veins, cutting off all reason. He thought he heard a part of him weeping as the last of his will gave way. A curious blankness settled over him, drowning out the hurt, as he sheathed his dagger and obeyed the commands of the light.

A
curious numbness
settled over Elle as she collapsed in the chair beside her bed and sat there, staring into the distance. After Jack’s dad ordered them out of the hospital room, they’d made their way to the small chapel that was just down the hall from the main lobby. Rae had broken down crying, and Elle had done her best to comfort her, but the truth was—they were all scared. Rush had sat as still as a statue while all of this was going on, a stoic expression on his face.

Finally, realizing there was nothing else they could do, Rae drove them home. That’s when things went from bad to worse. Sera was waiting for her at the front door. Evidently, a police officer had called, requesting that Elle come to the station the following morning to answer more questions about the accident. This was followed by a phone call from Jack’s dad, breathing out threats about a lawsuit.

“Why did you not call me right away?” Sera wanted to know. “You caused an accident that put a boy in the hospital! I knew you were irresponsible, but this beats all I’ve ever seen.” The blood vessel in the center of her head began to bulge, and her voice became screeching. On and on she went—growing more furious by the minute. All Elle could do was sit there mutely with tears pooling in her eyes, looking straight ahead. Sera ranted and raved, kicked the baseboards, and stomped around the living room. She told Elle how worthless she was and that she would be the cause of bringing the family to financial ruin. To add to the humiliation, Josselyn and Huntsden sat in the other room, hanging on every word. When her anger was spent, Sera ordered Elle to go to her room. “I don’t want to see your wretched face the rest of the night,” she said.

Elle had gladly hurried up the stairs. She didn’t need to look at Josselyn and Huntsden to know that they were gloating over her misfortune.

As she sat, staring into nothingness, the full scale of her predicament hit her full force. The accident was under investigation, and she’d received a summons to appear before a judge eight days from today’s date. She’d overheard the police officers speaking to one other in hush tones, saying that if Jack didn’t make it then she could possibly be charged with vehicular homicide, which was considered a second or third-degree felony that levied jail time and a large fine. Add to the fact that Jack’s dad was going to sue, and things weren’t looking too promising. She’d taken the wrap for the accident on the spur of the moment because she couldn’t stand the thought of Rush going to jail. Dread knotted her stomach. Would she end up going to jail over this? A cold sweat broke out over her forehead. Her phone buzzed. She looked down to see that her dad was calling. She swallowed down the emotion that was building and answered the phone.

“Hi, Dad.”

“Honey,” he began abruptly, “Sera tells me that you’re in a bit of trouble.”

Tears glistened. “Yes,” she croaked.

“What happened?”

She rehearsed the same story that she’d told the police. When she finished, there was a long pause. She clutched the phone. “Dad, are you still there?”

“I’m here.” He hesitated. “Look, Elle, this is serious. If Jack doesn’t make it …”

A hideous fear rose in her breast.

“Look, I have an attorney friend that I can contact. I’ll give him a call first thing in the morning. Sera tells me that you’re being called into the station for questioning tomorrow morning.”

“Yes.” She raked her hair out of her face. It felt dirty and grimy from the day’s events.

“Listen to me. Tell them that you won’t answer any questions without your lawyer being present.”

She heard the words, but they sounded like they were coming from far away.

“Elle, do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Okay … then. Try and get some sleep. I’ll be in touch in the morning.”

“Thanks … Dad.” Before she could get the last word out, he ended the call. Tears stung her eyes. What had she gotten herself into?

T
wo excruciatingly long
days passed before Edward sent for her. The invitation to join him for an evening meal came at the very moment when Cinderella thought she would go mad, trying to find things to do to keep her mind occupied. Seraphina had been colder than usual and Josselyn more spiteful—their way of making Cinderella pay for the display of tears that she’d been unable to contain during Wisteria’s song. How the words had cut through her heart on that dreadful night, further condemning her.

She looked down at the square of parchment that contained Edward’s near-perfect handwriting, a further testament of his royal breeding and another example of how she didn’t belong here, with him. She traced her finger along the refined quill marks, marveling at how precise and beautiful each stroke was. Edward was tutored by the most brilliant scholars in the kingdom while she, on the other hand, had gotten the majority of her education from the books in her father’s study, the ones she could tuck away when Seraphina wasn’t looking. It was only when her chores were completed that she could find time to steal away and curl up with a book. Thankfully, her father had taught her to read and write before his passing. Otherwise, she would be exactly like all of the other peasants that never had the opportunity or means for higher learning.

It was concerning that Edward had sent a servant to deliver the invitation rather than bringing it himself. Before the incident with Rushton, her relationship with Edward had been comfortable and informal. Now everything was so complicated and stiff. She placed the invitation on the silver tray, stood, and went to the window. She looked out at the rolling green hills that were framed in the distance by tall, leafy trees. Her gaze went higher to the snow-capped mountain peaks in the distance. Her eyes caught on black dots of birds, flying in the bright blue sky. She wondered fleetingly how it must feel to be that free. No commitments. No constraints. Just simple, splendid freedom.

“Well, it seems, dear sister, that you are being given the opportunity to get back into Edward’s good graces. That is, if you do not spoil it as you usually do.” Josselyn held up the invitation.

Cinderella kept standing there, staring out at the mountains.

“I will go and tell Mother. She will want to know.”

“Of course you will.” She didn’t try to hide the bitterness in her voice.

“You do not see it now, but Mother and I are only trying to help.” Josselyn stepped up beside Cinderella and put a hand on her arm.

“I am not in need of thy sort of help.” She’d had just about enough of Seraphina and Josselyn. She turned and faced Josselyn, her eyes burning with all of the pent-up indignation she was feeling. Josselyn rocked back, surprised at the outburst, but Cinderella was not finished. “You forget yourself. The only reason that you and your mother are living here in this palace is because of me. I am the one who is engaged to Edward. The moment I am wed, I can have thee banished with the snap of my finger.”

Shock twisted Josselyn’s face, followed by tears. “What have I done to deserve this cruelty?” she wailed. “I have stood by thy side, day and night—never complaining, never criticizing.”

Cinderella let out a laugh. “Hah! All you ever do is criticize! In case you have not noticed, I am going through a difficult time. I could use a little support from thee at present. All you care about is yourself and the fine clothes and the food and the servants! You had better hope that Edward is summoning me to rekindle our relationship.” She leaned forward, her face nearly touching Josselyn’s. “If he is giving me the boot then you will go right out of the palace with me.”

Josselyn put a hand to her hair, and Cinderella noticed it was shaking. A twinge of guilt flushed over her, but before she could make amends, Josselyn spoke. “I apologize. You are correct. I have been selfish. I have gotten caught up in the splendor of the palace.” She let out a long sigh. “I will try hard to be more sympathetic to thy feelings.”

If Cinderella hadn’t heard the words that were coming out of Josselyn’s mouth she wouldn’t have believed it possible. She studied Josselyn to see if the words were sincere. Tears were streaming down her stepsister’s face, and her lower lip was trembling. She looked sincere … at least sincere enough to mollify Cinderella for the moment. “I appreciate thine apology,” she said, stiffly. “I need to be alone so that I can rest.”

“Of course.” Josselyn wiped at her tears. “I will leave thee be.”

“Aye, for I need to get prepared for tonight’s encounter.” Cinderella turned back to the window and looked out at the lonely mountains once more.

K
nowing
that it would highlight her eyes, Cinderella chose a coneflower, blue gown that hugged her waist and fell in soft cascades around her hips. She wore her hair, part up and part down. Millicent did an elaborate braid, intertwined with sapphires and diamonds, around the crown of her head. A teardrop diamond necklace added the final touch. When Cinderella saw her reflection in the mirror, her breath caught. She really did look stunning. The maiden staring at her was the epitome of a princess—so much so that she could even fool herself if she stared long enough.

Josselyn came up behind her. “You look amazing.”

“Thanks,” Cinderella murmured.

Josselyn touched her arm. “I mean it. You are destined to be a princess—the wife of the future king, and Edward will surely see that tonight.”

Cinderella’s eyes misted. In that small moment, she felt for Josselyn and all that she must be going through. A victory for her would mean that Josselyn would lose Edward forever. Despite everything, they were sisters. Josselyn and Seraphina were the only family she had. That counted for something, didn’t it? “I am sorry, Joss. I am sorry that ‘tis not thee standing here instead of me.”

Color rose in Josselyn’s cheeks, and she looked at the floor. An awkward moment passed. When she looked up at Cinderella, her expression was pained. “’Tis an absurd thing to say,” she barked. “All those years when you were a servant in our home, I never wished it was me.”

“I was not intending to insult thee. I only meant—”

“I know what you meant,” Josselyn cut in. She forced a smile. “Let us not make this situation any worse that it already is. Enjoy tonight—for me, would you?” She kissed Cinderella on the cheek. “Do not foul this up for us. A life here in the palace is the only thing I have left to hope for. Do not take that away from me too.”

B
reathe
. Just Breathe.
She looked up the grassy hill and could just make out the firelight from the torches, flickering against the evening sky. A sudden breeze lifted goose bumps on her arms, reminding her that she should’ve brought a shawl to wrap around her shoulders. Cinderella looked down and realized she was clutching her gown in her fists. She smoothed down the silk in an attempt to erase the wrinkles. She’d gone to great lengths to look put-together, and it wouldn’t do to fall apart now. This was her last chance for a reconciliation with Edward, and she needed to look her best.

She walked up the hill and paused when she saw him, standing beside the table. His blonde hair ruffled lightly in the breeze, and then he smiled. Her heart skipped a beat as conflicting emotions welled in her breast. Anticipation, sadness, and the whisper of limitless possibilities. It was all right there, rolling around her and reflecting back like broken bits of a mirror. Edward was so regal, so dashingly handsome in his royal blue tunic. He looked every bit the prince he was. She could do this. She could make it work. Any girl would give her eyeteeth to have a chance with Edward. He gave her a stiff smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. An image of Rushton flooded her. Rushton with his reckless smile and laughing eyes. Her heart fell a notch, and she had to force herself to return Edward’s smile with a wooden one of her own.
Focus on Edward
, she warned herself. She had to focus. She looked up at the sheer strips of milky white fabric that were gracefully draped between four tall posts. Dainty white and yellow flowers were intertwined in the fabric.
Thankfully, they weren’t daisies. That would’ve done her in for sure!
Flickering candles were artfully arranged on the intimate table that was laden with meat, cheese, fruit, and what looked to be an assortment of puddings. Two servants were standing on each end of the table, their postures erect, eyes watchful. Was this elaborate dinner Edward’s way of saying goodbye? She wondered fleetingly if the servants were there to serve or if they had been sent by Queen Loreena to give a full report of the event.

Edward gave her a deep bow, which she returned with a curtsy. He motioned for her to sit. The servant nearest her jumped to action and pulled out a chair. Edward took his seat across from her.

“’Tis beautiful,” she began.

He acknowledged her compliment with a slight nod. “I am pleased that you could join me this evening.”

She nodded. Everything felt so formal and awkward. If only they could have a few moments alone then perhaps they could connect again like they had before the fiasco with Rushton. She brushed the annoying thoughts aside.
No more thoughts about Rushton!

Edward reached for a cluster of red grapes and a wedge of soft cheese. He placed a handful of grapes into his mouth and motioned for her to begin eating.

Tentatively, she reached for the cheese and grapes. She’d barely gotten the food on her plate when the servant on her left rushed to her side and began pouring ale into her goblet. “Would the lady care for some venison or stuffed hen?”

“Nay.”

“How about some sweet pudding? ‘Tis smooth and creamy. A delectable delight.”

Cinderella fought the urge to scream. All she wanted was one moment of peace. One single moment where someone wasn’t pawing at her to get her dressed or falling over himself to get her food or drink. “I am fine at present,” she said, trying hard to keep the bite out of her voice.

Edward chuckled in amusement. Blood rushed to her face. Was she that transparent?

He motioned at the servants. “You are hereby dismissed.”