by Casey Lane
Kiyara looked up into his eyes as if she had something to say. Instead, she nodded and crumpled back down in her original, solitary position on the bench. Both the queen and Armenia stomped over toward him.
His mother spoke up first. “What exactly is going on here? What news do you bring?"
The prince stepped in front of the messenger. “Don't trouble yourself with it. It's something I need to look into, and the rest of you should enjoy the party. I'm sure you'll enjoy it more than I would have anyway."
Armenia did not appear to appreciate the comment. “But you'll return, right?"
The prince shook his head. “I'm sorry. I'm sure I'll see you and your daughters at the ball.”
He tried not to look the queen in the eyes, but he knew the anger she felt for him right then. He knew he might be making a wrong decision, but he walked toward the stables anyway.
With all hands on deck for the tea, the prince was alone in the stables as he prepared his ride. He wondered whether staying in the village for another night would've prevented whatever it was cutting their army down one by one. He'd saddled his horse and was ready to hop up when he heard a noise behind him. He turned around in a fighting stance, only to see Armenia standing there in the stall. With the look she had on her face, Braedon wasn't sure it was smart to relax out of his pose of readiness.
He held his breath. “Armenia, you shouldn't be in here. You might sully your dress."
Her eyes were locked on his. “You had my Kiyara in your arms, and now you're stepping away as if nothing happened.” She took a menacing step forward. “This is very distressing for me as a mother."
"I've never been one. I wouldn't know."
Her gaze was so focused, the prince wanted to turn away but couldn't. “You think you can do whatever you want, just because you have the backing of the crown behind you. You don't care what people get hurt along the way, do you?"
The prince gulped. “You're not the first person who's told me I should be more grateful."
Armenia took two more steps toward him. “I'm not saying you should be more grateful. I'm saying you should be afraid."
"Afraid?"
She stopped about a foot away from his face. “One day you're on top, but the next it can all come crashing down. And then, you'll do anything you can to protect your loved ones. Anything."
The prince nodded. “I understand.” He did not understand.
"Today I have to leave for an important kingdom matter, but I promise you that I will have a dance with both Malina and Kiyara at the ball."
After another second of an intense stare, Armenia let her face soften into a smile. “That's all a mother can ask for. Take care, Prince."
Braedon did not hesitate. He jumped upon his horse, turned it around, and rode straight out of the stable without another word.
What in the heck was that?
As his horse trotted out the stable doors, Prince Braedon noticed a smoking trail of scorched grass.
Chapter 19
The light of the moon illuminated the small blue charm that Cinderella held between her fingers. She rubbed the pendant as if it would reveal its secrets to her. As she continued to touch her stepsister's necklace, she racked her brain to determine some kind of connection between the recent incidents and Kiyara.
Cinderella walked down a dark alleyway in the space between the bowman's and the captain's homes. “The most likely thing is coincidence. Kiyara dropped her necklace the night she was in the city, the beast somehow got it caught on its feet, and it dragged the charm inside."
Her mind recoiled a bit at her reflex to hide the truth from herself. “Perhaps, the creature was in Armenia's house. It could have rummaged through Kiyara's things in an effort to find something in particular. Maybe an object they had brought from whatever land they came from."
She reached the end of the street and looked both ways for her next direction. She wandered to the right. “Of course, the explanation that makes both the least sense and the most sense is that Kiyara has something directly to do with this creature.” She sighed. “Her charm was at the bowman's house. The captain and his daughter both recognized her eyes. She was involved, but I thought she was the only one I could trust."
In the many years Cinderella had been tortured by the cruelty of her stepmother, Kiyara was the only one who seemed to care. With her father having gone into whatever dark hole his mind fell into, Kiyara was the only family she had left. Now whatever this situation was, whatever was taking the soldiers of Loren from their queen, might be taking the only family she loved from her as well.
She glanced upon the bowman's house from afar. There'd been no activity there since the previous night, and the guards had been doubled since she was spotted snooping around on the inside. Cinderella turned the other direction and continued walking until she heard a light wisp of the wind. It was just out of place enough for her to know what was coming.
"The Godmother must've shown you a nice trick or two the other day."
Two footfalls landed in front of the thief, and Prince Braedon stepped into the light. His blue eyes stood out in the moonlight. “I'm amazed you even heard me. I thought I was completely silent."
"You would think that, wouldn't you? You learned from the Godmother for a day. I studied for a decade."
The prince attempted to make himself look taller. “I am a fast learner."
Cinderella laughed on the inside. “You just keep telling yourself that.” She stuffed the necklace in her pocket. She wasn't ready to share this clue with anyone but the Godmother. “How was the tea? Do you feel sufficiently wooed that you no longer need to fish for compliments?"
He gave Cinderella a strange look she didn't recognize. Could it have been fear?
"Your stepmother is a piece of work. If I didn't promise your sisters a dance at the ball, I think she would've strangled me to death."
Cinderella didn't know whether to laugh, add another reason to her laundry list of why the Godmother should let her kill Armenia, or some combination of both.
"Welcome to my family. I'm sure you didn't get the worst of it."
"Thank the gods for that.” He glanced in the direction of the bowman's house. “Did you see anything interesting in there?"
Kiyara's charm burned in her pocket as she walked in the opposite direction. Braedon kept the pace with her.
"More claw marks. A lot of pain. A clue that doesn't make any sense."
She wasn't sure if it was her tone of voice, but she was glad the prince didn't push her further on the clue.
He shook his head. “I don't feel prepared for this, Elle. If this thing had us cornered, I don't know how we would stop it. After all, we don't even have an idea as to what it is."
"A friend of mine was working on a new weapon. Maybe it's exactly what we need to protect ourselves."
The prince shrugged. “Sounds like it's worth a shot."
Cinderella felt a little strange that the prince was entering every part of her life. He'd been to the Godmother's lair, and now he would meet one of her only friends in the world. It was an odd, slightly comforting feeling.
She shook it off. “Come with me."
As they took a rooftop path across the village to Tristan the blacksmith's home, the prince regaled the thief with stories from the tea. Instead of rebuffing him as she had before, she actually listened and asked questions in response. Since the silence made her think of Kiyara and whatever involvement she had in all of this, the absence of silence was actually somewhat pleasant.
Cinderella's hair whipped in the wind as they landed in sync on another roof. “We're close by. So, you're saying Malina made a pass at you?"
The prince grinned through heavy gulps of air. “Let's just say she undressed me with her eyes, and if I'd let things go further, she probably would have undressed me with her hands."
Cinderella shook her head and gestured toward another rooftop. The prince nodded and they leapt through the air one more time. There was s
omething about tumbling through the air with another person. It felt right.
This time, she landed about half a beat before him. “Gods. Part of me can't believe she did that with so many people around. But the other part of me wonders if she would've taken things further."
The prince raised an eyebrow. “Further?
"Something along the lines of stripping all her clothes off in the middle of the Royal Garden."
The prince's cheeks reddened. “While she seems kind of horrible, I might not have minded that so much."
She slapped Braedon in the shoulder. “Now that is gross. You are… just as disgusting as I thought you were the first time I met you."
He put up his hands. “Hey! I think I've earned a few points by now."
Cinderella rolled her eyes. “Now that we're on our fourth date, you mean?"
"You're the one who's keeping track, not me."
She laughed, and she didn't want to stop. Cinderella breathed the giddiness out. “You're terrible. The blacksmith's place is just below."
"I mean, I thought it was our second or third date at most."
"I should've thrown you off the tavern rooftop on day one. One should always go with one's instincts."
She didn't wait for his reaction as she began to climb down the building.
As they reached the ground below, Cinderella felt something in the air.
"You never would have thrown me off a roof. I would have stopped you."
Cinderella put up a finger and silenced him. The smell of the smoke reached her nose, and butterflies began to dance around her stomach.
"Something isn't right here.” She slowly stalked toward Tristan's front door.
"Are you sure that isn't just the smell of the smithy? Maybe he's working on the weapon right now."
She shook her head. As the sign of the hammer came into view, she could see the blacksmith's front door very clearly. Her heart sank. It was black and burnt to a crisp.
Chapter 20
Cinderella's lowered shoulder broke through the charred door with ease. As she stepped into the once-familiar home, she could tell that nothing was as it should be. The furniture and walls and art she remembered from many trips inside had all been burnt in some kind of controlled flame. Her pulse raced as her eyes darted from side to side.
"Tristan? Hannah?"
She heard nothing in response.
The prince's eyes widened as he pointed to the side of the door. She saw what caught his eye.
He shook his head. “Claw marks. We're too late."
The sound of a man screaming filled the home. Cinderella recognized the voice immediately.
She ran up the blackened stairs as quickly as she could. “Tristan!"
As she came upon another locked door, her adrenaline reached the boiling point. With one firm kick, the door collapsed in on itself and fell inside. Smoke filled the room, though it was starting to exit through an open window. Cinderella covered her eyes and coughed. “Tristan?"
She heard a steady breathing inside the bedroom. She waved away as much smoke as she could, attempting to see through it.
She had to see if one of the only people she cared about was still alive.
The prince helped to clear the smoke out of the room with a quilt he'd found downstairs. Before long, enough of the gray cloud had cleared to reveal the blacksmith staring straight ahead. All the joy and fire that had occupied his eyes for as long as Cinderella had known him was completely absent.
She bit her lip. “Tristan?” She rushed to him and grabbed his arm. She felt a pulse, but she didn't know if there was anything left inside. “Please, don't do this to me. Tristan?"
The blacksmith didn't even acknowledge her presence. He continued to look straight ahead, as if nothing could revive him from his stupor.
She pounded at his shoulder. “Look at me, Tristan. Where is Hannah?"
Nothing. He had nothing left.
The prince tried to take Cinderella by the arm, but she violently shook him off.
"Tristan! You have to tell me where your daughter is, or she might die."
He didn't move. He didn't care.
Cinderella placed her hands on the front of her forehead and screamed. She'd started to pull at her hair before the prince finally got her attention.
"There's no time for that, Elle. The only way to save his daughter is to find her. You need to keep it together."
Cinderella wanted to take Braedon by his throat and slam him into the wall, but she balled her hands into fists and restrained herself. “Okay.” She tensed and untensed her fingers. “Okay."
As they stepped toward the door, Tristan opened his mouth.
"Workroom."
Cinderella dashed toward him and looked into his eyes. That one word was all that had been left in him. Now there truly was nothing.
She sighed heavily. “We'll find her. I promise you."
He said nothing.
She fought off the emotions with everything in her, and she joined the prince on the way downstairs.
The prince reached the main floor first and turned back toward her. “We'll find Hannah. It's all going to be okay."
Between the smoke and the dread, Cinderella didn't have a chance to respond before a gray, clawed hand appeared out of the darkness and slammed into the side of the prince's torso. Braedon flew halfway across the room and landed hard on his shoulder. As he grimaced in pain, the demon before them came into full view. Its gray skin was like armor. Its claws were even longer and sharper than the thief had realized. It stood tall and ugly and angry. Cinderella pulled out her sword. “What did you do to him?"
She let out a war cry that seemed to take the demon by surprise. Her sword moved as fast as lightning, but the beast's hands were quick, and its strong claws deflected the blade. Cinderella fought hard enough to back the creature away before she attempted to kick it in its midsection. Her foot met a surface as hard as stone. It didn't even move the demon a single inch.
The creature grinned and swiped for the thief's face. Cinderella barely feinted the blow, slicing her weapon along the beast's arm. Blood spurted onto the ground, and the creature shrieked. It backed away as the prince joined Cinderella. The blood looked and smelled human.
Cinderella wiped the crimson from her blade using her cloak as she prayed the massive gray creature wouldn't strike again. With a running charge, the demon dashed her hopes in a second. Before it could swing its claws toward the thief again, Braedon stepped up with his blade and met its claws.
He gritted his teeth and pushed hard with his back legs. “Go find the girl. I'm going to hold it off."
She shook her head. “No! I'm not going to leave you here with this."
The creature snarled, but the prince's strength repelled it backward. The beast shook its bleeding arm and cradled the injury.
Braedon shouted in the thief's direction. “I can handle this! Find the girl before it's too late."
Cinderella let out a guttural noise. “Fine. Be careful."
He let out a smile for a second. “Aren't I always?"
Cinderella held back a response and ran for the back room. On the way there, she could see smoke billowing up from under the door. She used her cloak on the door handle and could feel the heat straight through to her fingers. She took one last look back at Braedon and yanked the door open.
The room leading to Tristan's work area had flames crawling up the wall. She shoved down the painful memories of her past and crouched low as she moved toward the workroom.
Come on, Hannah. Please be alive.
Even with the cloak to protect her hands, the handle to the outside was burning hot. She yanked it open, but the cool outdoor breeze did little to defend Tristan's smithy, which was covered in red fiery streaks. She ignored every instinct that told her to run the opposite way and slammed her shoulder through the flame-covered front door.
Everything around her was shades of red, orange, and yellow. The heat was like nothing Cinderella had ever
felt. She sweated from every pore and her vision blurred.
Her throat began to close up. “Hannah? Hannah!"
A faint voice called out from the other side of the room. “Elle!"
Cinderella pushed over a flaming worktable and sprinted until she saw the little girl hiding in the last untouched corner.
The moment of relief was fleeting. Without warning, one of the beams holding the building together toppled in front of their only exit.
There's no way out.
Hannah dashed from her hiding place over to Cinderella's side and gripped her leg hard. The thief tried to move to comfort her, but none of her muscles seemed to respond to their commands. Her chest tightened as she sunk to her knees. The flames continued to creep closer, threatening to burn the two of them alive.
Part III
Chapter 21
The prince summoned up every tactic and memory he had of his years practicing with the sword. Fighting with Cinderella was one thing, but he knew he needed to be flawless to defeat some giant demon from most people's worst nightmare.
He tightened his grip around the hilt. “What's this all about, demon? Got tired of playing around in the sewers with the other grotesque trash of the town?"
If the creature understood that Braedon was trying to insult it, it didn't let on. The beast let go of its bleeding arm and crouched down into a defensive stance. Its breaths were loud, heavy, and terrifying.
The prince's heart had never beat this fast. “I'm not looking forward to killing you. Your head would make a terrible trophy on my wall."
He wasn't sure if the beast understood, but it let out a primal scream that shook every inch of the house.
The prince was glad he used the toilet earlier. His voice was less convincing this time. “Fine, no trophy. Cremation, then.” As the creature lunged forward, the prince made his move to strike. His first swing was easily pushed aside by the beast's claws. Two more thrusts were likewise parried by the gray, hulking demon before him. He kicked off its midsection and retreated backward for another attack.
