by Linsey Hall
It was enough to give our opponents the advantage though. Maximus was fighting like a madman—a skilled one—but he couldn’t land a solid blow on the wolves. I’d seen them in action during the opening ceremonies. They’d been giving it their all and they were fast, but not as fast as Maximus.
I frowned and turned my attention back to the fae, reaching for more bombs. Before I could throw one, Imani hurled a blast of pink magic at the chair. The thing exploded, sending cushions and wood flying everywhere.
I dived away and skidded to a stop under a table covered in hors d’oeuvres. “The hosts aren’t going to like that!”
She just hissed, and I knew she had to be powering up another blast.
But wait—hadn’t there been a punch bowl on top of this table?
Oh, shit.
If there was punch up there—and I was pretty sure there was—I’d be a mess if this table exploded. Not to mention the canapés. I needed this disguise to fit into the ball. And I looked damned good in it.
Fast as I could, I crawled out from under the table, making it to the safety of the corner of the room just before the table went boom. Punch flew into the air, red and bright and sparkling. It splattered the silk wallpaper and I winced.
“You are the worst guests!” I threw my potion bomb at the fae, this time aiming slightly right of her. It was a guess, but I guessed right.
She darted right, directly into my line of fire.
“Ha!” I couldn’t help but gloat, even though my mother would have said it wasn’t flattering.
But I was definitely right—the illusionists were in here. No question. They were changing the scene just slightly. Making me see my opponents not where they truly were, but about a foot off. Same for Maximus. No way he would keep missing the wolves.
I dug into my dress pocket to find the potion that would break the illusion—I only had a couple, so I needed to be sparing—but Jabari threw a blue glitter blast at me.
I darted away, hand still in my pocket.
Too slow.
The cloud hit me in the arm, and my limb went entirely numb. Oh, crap.
I tried to move it, but nothing.
Double crap.
I couldn’t let their paralyzing glitter bomb hit me in the chest again, that was for damned sure. I’d be out like a light. Maybe permanently.
This was just a game. Not worth death.
I reached into my pocket with my good arm. Thank fates I’d trained with both. My fingertips closed around the star-shaped glass bottle, and I yanked it free and threw it to the ground in front of me.
It broke open, sparkly pink lights flying out and zipping around the room.
A moment later, two pale figures were revealed, standing by the door. White hair and white eyes matched their ivory dresses. The fae and the wolves wobbled in their positions briefly, finally standing still in a spot about a foot from where they had been. Before I could say a word or throw a potion bomb at the illusionists, they were gone, darting right out the door, their dresses fluttering behind them.
“Cowards,” Jabari spat.
“Duh.” My tone was scathing. “And so are you, ganging up on us like this.” I hiked a thumb at the door through which the fae had disappeared. “They’re going to try to beat you to the clue now.”
“Then we’ll have to be fast.” He raised his hands, and his magic flared.
Poor bastard. I darted away before he could blast me, then hurled a stunner at him. It crashed right against his chest, splashing blue liquid over him.
His eyes widened just briefly, then he tumbled over. He’d be out for a good few minutes.
“Not so fast now.” I grinned and dug into my pocket for another stunner.
But Imani was faster. She avoided my first bomb—which was a little off since it was my left arm—and managed to throw one of those miserable blue glitter clouds at me.
I dived out of the way just in time, but it flew through the door into the hallway outside.
Oh fates!
That wasn’t good.
Nor was the short yelp that followed after. I rolled over to glare at the fae, who seemed temporarily surprised. I used it to my advantage, hitting her in the chest with a stunner. She toppled over a second later.
On the other side of the room, Maximus was slicing at the wolves with his sword. Though they were fast, he was faster, delivering wound after wound. They were small, since I thought he was keen not to actually kill them, but it was enough to drive them off. With the fae out, the wolves turned and darted, leaving droplets of blood behind as they sprinted from the room.
They were off to find the glass slipper, and we needed to hurry.
Somehow, Maximus had managed to avoid every splash of blood, which was impressive. I’d seen his quick moves before, but they’d never come in handier.
“Someone got hit in the hall.” I turned and hurried out, moving as quickly as I could so as not to be spotted.
A butler lay on the ground, frozen in his sharp black suit. Crap.
Maximus appeared at my side, immediately spotting the problem. He bent to inspect the man.
My arm, which had previously been frozen, was starting to get some feeling back. Thank fates it was temporary.
“Are you all right?” Maximus asked.
“My legs!” Panic echoed in the butler’s voice.
“They’ll be fine.” I dropped to my knees next to him, flapping my partially useless arm. “I was hit in the arm a few minutes before you, and I’m already getting feeling back.”
His eyes latched onto mine like I was a lifeline, and I nodded, trying to reassure him. He seemed to believe me, thank fates. I didn’t want to leave him here, afraid, but I also didn’t want to waste any time.
The fae sprinted out of the room while we knelt on the floor with the butler, ignoring us now. They’d shaken off the effects of my stunners quickly, and I hoped they got hopelessly lost in some kind of hedge maze in the back garden.
“Let me get you onto a sofa,” Maximus said.
The butler nodded, and Maximus lifted him like he was nothing. We re-entered the partially destroyed room, and the butler moaned like he’d been shot.
I frowned guiltily at the mess I’d helped create, then spotted Romeo, Poppy, and Eloise sitting amongst the scattered, destroyed food, massive grins on their faces. They were completely ignoring the food that sat on the undamaged tables.
Romeo held up a smooshed eclair. Fantastic!
I eyed him. “Sweet little weirdo.”
He just grinned.
“Can you guys sit with our friend here until he feels better?” I asked. “Maybe get him a snack.”
“Who are they?” The butler looked at the animals, wide-eyed.
“Buddies of mine. Really nice. Freshly bathed, I promise.”
Poppy hissed, as if offended.
I shot her an apologetic glance. “Sorry, Poppy.” I looked back at the butler. “Would it be all right if we left you with them? The jerks who hit you with that stunning cloud are after something we want, and we need to beat them to it.”
The butler’s eyes lit up. “Oh! You’re part of the competition! Yes, yes, go get them!”
“Any idea where Cinderella is?” I asked.
He frowned.
“Are you not allowed to aid the contestants?” I asked.
“No, no. It’s not that. I was just thinking.” He smiled, conspiratorially. “Actually, it is up to us if we wish to help with clues. All of the staff, I mean. And since you helped me, I’ll help you.”
“Oh, thanks.” I’d have helped him anyway, obviously. I didn’t really want to live in a world where I jumped over fallen old men and just kept going.
“Cinderella and the prince are in the back gardens. Behind the house, down the long corridor.” He waggled his brows. “I think it’s getting serious.”
“Thank you. So much.” I grinned at him.
Romeo hopped up on the couch next to him and handed him a non-squished eclair, then
glanced at me. I assumed he wanted a boring, non-smooshed human version.
“I think you guessed right.” I grinned. “Take care of my new friend.”
The three little animals saluted, and I thanked my lucky stars for my weird sidekicks.
Maximus and I thanked the butler again, then ran for it, sprinting down the long balcony and toward the smaller set of stairs back there. Since Cinderella was technically outside of the ball, I was less worried about getting caught. Not to mention the fact that everyone else had a lead on us. They might not know where old Cindy was hanging out, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t get lucky.
We raced down the stairs, quickly finding the large hallway that led to the back gardens. It was empty, the walls decorated with fancy paintings. Chandeliers hung every twenty feet, sending a warm glow glittering over the space. Our footsteps were quiet on the lush carpet underfoot, and I pressed my fingers to my comms charm as I ran.
“Bree? Ana?” I whispered. “Any sight of your friend?”
We’d agreed not to use words like “target” and “prey” in case people were listening in on their comms charms. That was the problem with crowded spaces like this. I also didn’t need the wisps overhearing. They were trailing behind, desperately trying to keep up.
“None,” Bree whispered. “We’re checking smaller rooms now.”
“We’re headed to the back gardens to find Cindy,” I whispered.
“Good luck,” Ana and Bree said in low voices.
I cut the connection and picked up the pace. We exited the huge hall onto an outdoor walkway. It was just as wide as the interior hall had been, bordered on either side by ornate white pillars. The moon gleamed on the marble underfoot, and the rich scent of roses filled the air. The sound of splashing fountains completed the scene, but it was the two women up ahead that really caught my eyes.
Each had long blonde hair, and they stomped forward with determination.
Hang on…
Didn’t Cinderella have mean, jealous stepsisters who treated her like a slave?
“Hey!” I shouted, hurrying up from behind.
Maximus gave me a curious look, but I ignored him.
The two stopped and turned. Neither was very pretty, and it wasn’t so much a product of their features or figures. It was more the scowl on their faces. Anyone with a scowl like that would end up looking like a miserable old witch.
“Are you Cinderella’s stepsisters?” I asked as I approached, my skirts swishing around my ankles.
The one on the right raised her blonde brows. “What of it?”
That meant yes, I thought. “Well, it seems like you’re headed off to break up her party with Prince Charming.”
They both shrugged.
“That’s a dick move,” I said, ignoring Maximus’s gaze. I wasn’t sure if he knew the story of Cinderella, but that chick deserved a break. “You’re hoping she’ll be your slave forever, so you don’t want her going off with the prince. Or having a good time at all.”
They both hissed. I was getting close enough now to really make out their features, and there was something a bit off about them.
“It’s her job!” the sister on the left hissed.
I frowned. The voice was weird. And the eyes…
Now that I was close enough to see them, their eyes were purple.
Two sisters. Two witches.
Only they weren’t Cinderella’s sisters at all. They were the evil witches, here to scoop us on the clue. Somehow, they’d glamoured themselves to look like Cinderella’s bitchy stepsisters.
Quickly, I pressed my fingertips to my comms charm. “Found your friends. Back gardens, on the big walkway.”
“On it,” Bree whispered.
“What’s that?” the witch demanded.
Clearly she still thought her disguise was working. They’d changed their hair and faces. Even their shapes. They were shorter and curvier now. But their eyes—they couldn’t hide those. I didn’t know what the hell these two were or what they wanted in the long run, but I knew I didn’t want them to have it. And it’d be better if I killed time till my backup was here. I just had to hope that the other competitors hadn’t beaten us to the back garden.
I glanced at Maximus, and he didn’t seem to get what was going on. I’d never told him about the purple eyes, I realized.
“Well, we’ll just be on our way,” the witch said.
Ah, that was interesting. They’d been super invested in killing me before. Now, they’d just let me go?
In exchange for the Truth Teller, it seemed.
“I don’t think so,” I said. “Even if you were Cindy’s evil sisters, I wouldn’t let you go screw up her date.”
At that moment, I vowed to myself I’d get the clue without ruining her chances with the prince.
Something dark rose up within the witch on the right. I could see it in her eyes, as if tar were boiling behind them, rising up and filling her.
The one on the left tried to keep it together. “You cannot command us!”
“Sure I can.” I grinned, winking at the angry witch.
Boy, was she pissed.
And from the look of the dark magic that roiled out from her, starting at her feet like a black cloud and bubbling over the tile, she was dangerous.
I didn’t know what magic she possessed, but suddenly, prickles of fear snaked over my skin.
Footsteps sounded from behind us, and I glanced back, hope welling in my chest.
Satisfaction shot through me.
Backup had arrived!
Ana, Bree, Lachlan, and Cade sprinted toward us, weapons drawn.
I turned back, just in time to see the women shift into their enormous bird forms. Like monstrous owls, their eyes glinted and their beaks snapped. The angry one lunged for me, then pulled back, shrieking in pain.
“Ha!” The binding charm was still clearly working. They could do no damage with beaks or claws.
The birds hissed, then launched themselves into the sky. Powerful wings carried them upwards.
From behind, my friends skidded to a halt.
“I’ve got this,” Bree said as her magic flared.
“Be careful, at least,” Cade said.
I turned. Her silver Valkyrie wings flared behind her. Ana had shifted into her large black crow form, and was already pushing off the ground and swooping into the air.
“I’m just tracking them.” Bree launched herself after Ana, flying close behind.
“We’ll follow from the ground,” Cade said.
Lachlan nodded.
“I’m out.” I saluted Cade and Lachlan, then turned and sprinted off, Maximus at my side.
We needed to figure out what the hell those evil witches were, but for now, I needed to find Cindy. We had to get that clue. And we had to keep the others from ruining her chances with the prince. I tried to keep my footsteps quiet as we ran, and a few moments later, the pathway spilled out into a massive patio that overlooked the moonlit garden.
It was beautiful.
And right in the middle, Cindy and the prince sat on a bench. Her sparkling pink skirts trailed over the ground, making her look like a beautiful flower. Her head was tilted toward the prince. Knees too.
My amateur body-language reading indicated that she was digging him. Big time.
No way I’d screw that up for her. Not when the alternative was a lifetime spent scrubbing her bitchy stepsisters’ house.
I skidded to a halt, grabbing Maximus’s arm and pulling him behind a huge planter full of giant green ferns. I tucked myself back in the shadows, panting as quietly as I could while I tried to catch my breath.
“Why are we stopping?” he whispered. “She’s right there.”
“We can’t just charge up and demand her shoe! This is her big moment. She’s meeting the love of her life.”
He frowned and turned, looking at the scene. Then his gaze met mine. “So, what do we do?”
I looked around, frantic. In the distance, I spotted
a beautiful clock tower. It was just moments before midnight. A minute, maybe two.
“We wait.” I peered around the planter to look at Cindy. “She’s going to run for it when the clock strikes midnight. We’ll follow her and try not to screw with her shoe too much.”
“Wait, what?” Maximus’s brow furrowed.
“You must not be familiar with the story.”
He shook his head.
“We need to get the clue in the shoe, but we can’t take it. The prince has to find it. It’s how he’ll locate her later.”
“With her shoe?” He looked disbelieving.
“I’ll explain it all later.” I turned back to look down the pathway, praying that our competitors weren’t behind us. They’d blow this thing out of the water.
I didn’t know if there were other shoes with clues for them to find, like there had been multiple maps. But this Cindy was my Cindy, and I wasn’t going to let anyone mess with her.
My gaze darted back and forth between Cindy and the pathway, my heart lodged in my throat as I waited to see if this situation would get a whole lot more complicated.
“Come on, Cindy, come on,” I muttered, turning back to check out the path one more time.
The wolves careened onto it, this time dressed in their tuxes as humans.
My stomach dropped. “Shit.”
Maximus turned back to look, then his eyes darted to mine. “I’ll hold them off.”
I looked at the clock. There were just seconds left. I nodded. “I need at least a few minutes. I’ll meet you on the main stairs out front.”
He nodded, then took off, sprinting down the path toward the wolves. I looked back at Cindy just as the clock tolled midnight.
11
Cinderella’s brows rose in shock, and she gasped, shooting a look of horror at the clock. She turned back and said something to the prince, but I couldn’t hear what it was. Then she was gone, sprinting off.
The prince stood there, dumbfounded. He’d go after her soon, once he got over his shock. But I needed just a few seconds alone with Cindy and her shoe.
I raced toward the prince, drawing a potion out of my pocket. I squinted at it in the dim moonlight, making sure I chose the right one. No way I wanted to hit him with something deadly. Not even a long-acting stunner.
