“You look lovely, girls. Just lovely. I’m so proud.” She walked down the line.“ Even you, Lucy. Just look at you in your uniform.” She grabbed the sides of Lucette’s dress and tugged the neckline down lower. As soon as her teacher turned away, Lucette tugged it back up. Really, there was no need to show that much cleavage.
“I have very exciting news, girls,” Miss Eleanor said.
Lucette realized she’d wrinkled her nose, so she tried to relax it.
“A very special guest will be presenting you with your diplomas.”
“Who?” asked one of the other girls, and Lucette almost wished that she cared. The others chattered excitedly, and some wondered whether it might be the slayer commander himself, or one of the handsome actors from the palace theater company, or the lute player from the musical ensemble that had entertained them all at the graduation dance last night. Lucette had attended at her mother’s insistence, but she had hung out in the back room, practicing her backflips and lunging stabs all night. It had been difficult to explain the torn dress to her mother, who’d made all the wrong assumptions.
“I don’t want to spoil the secret,” Miss Eleanor said, clasping her hands together.
Lucette yawned.
The music started, and the girls watched as the line of boys dressed in slayer uniforms—tight black fabric from head to toe, masks with hoods that attached firmly to their shirts, and virtually impenetrable neck protectors—marched into the room. Why didn’t the girls get masks, not to mention neck protectors?
A mask would help her right now. There was an uncomfortably high risk that someone from the royal court would be in today’s audience, and if anyone saw her, her father might find out. She didn’t fear for herself—he always forgave her, even when she cut off her hair. But her mother was another matter. The charm school lie weighed around her mother’s neck like a stone.
If her mother weren’t so proud that Lucette had made her way through nearly three years of school, Lucette would not even have attended the ceremony today, but her mother planned to be in the crowd in disguise. And after all the queen had done to ensure that her daughter obtained vampire-fighting skills, walking across a stage to pick up a certificate was the least Lucette could do to make her mother happy.
The girls were supposed to slink across the stage and strike a provocative pose before receiving their diplomas, but when her turn came Lucette stepped onto the stage and stopped, momentarily blinded by the bright lights. This is crazy, she thought, and in one final act of defiance, she kicked off her uncomfortable high-heeled shoes and strode across the stage, executing a high sidekick, and then a series of walking punches before finishing with a series of cartwheels—no simple feat in the clingy dress. Finished, she landed next to the mystery presenter.
The crowd fell silent, and then people began to murmur, seemingly shocked by her behavior. She hoped her antics at least had distracted anyone who might’ve recognized her. Even if they were shocked, it was better than suffering the humiliation of wearing that dress in front of the crowd.
After making a short, sharp bow to the masses, she turned . . . and looked into the glaring face of her father.
A few hours later, Lucette pressed her ear against a thick, wooden door. Behind that door, her parents were talking—more like yelling. At least they were in the same room, which was an improvement these days.
“Princess,” one of the guards said as he stepped toward her, “I’m supposed to make sure you don’t touch the door.”
Lucette gritted her teeth. As if a splinter could even get through the ever-present gloves that she was still forced to wear around the castle. She stepped back, pretending the guard had won, then leaped and kicked. Her foot passed inches from the guard’s shocked face. “Leave me alone!” she snapped.
He backed away, and feeling slightly guilty, she pressed her ear to the door again.
“This is the last straw, Catia!” Her father sounded furious. “I know we disagree about how to best protect our daughter, but how could you have let this happen?”
“Don’t you see, Stefan? The curse is inevitable—that’s how curses work. If you’d had your way, she would have ended up alone in the dark, night after night, tormented by those monsters with no way to defend herself. At least now she can fight.”
“The curse won’t happen!” Stefan yelled. “I won’t allow it! From now on, I make all the decisions about Lucette’s care.”
“No, you won’t.” Her mother’s voice rose. “She’s my daughter, too!”
“But I can keep her safe. I’ll request a meeting with Natasha. I’ll talk her into lifting the curse. Maybe enough time has passed since I last asked. Maybe she’ll see she’s punished us enough.”
“Natasha won’t speak to you.” Her mother’s voice was hard and cruel.
“How do you know if I don’t try? Unlike you, I will not take it as fate that our daughter is doomed. What kind of mother are you?”
Listening to their harsh words, Lucette’s heart ached for both of her parents. They only wanted what was best for her, but had opposite ideas of what “best” meant. And the fact that she agreed with her mother’s approach more often hadn’t helped smooth her parents’ relationship. Maybe if she’d sided with her father more often, she could’ve kept the peace.
But as long as her parents kept talking, they had a chance of reaching a compromise. She pressed her ear harder against the door. Their voices had grown quiet and she could no longer make out their words. Lowered voices were a good sign, weren’t they? Had they made up?
Hope stirred inside her. Her father had to see that her mother had only been trying to help protect her, that she hadn’t meant to deceive him. Back at the ceremony, Lucette had explained to her father how it had all been her idea, her fault, not her mother’s, but she wasn’t sure if her lie had been convincing enough. She’d ruined everything by going to that graduation ceremony and making a fool of herself. Perhaps if she’d done as she was supposed to and slunk across the stage, her father wouldn’t have gotten so angry. Perhaps he’d have been happy to see her looking feminine and pretty. The thought that she’d found yet another way to make things worse between her parents made her stomach twist.
She heard footsteps inside the room, so she backed up and checked her gloves.
The door opened and her father stepped out. He looked defeated and tired. “Lucette, will you join us, please? Your mother and I have something to ask you.”
She followed him inside, hoping her father’s calm demeanor meant they’d reached a compromise. Lucette sensed a real shift in the room, as though a big decision had been made, and her mother stepped up to stand beside her father. They weren’t holding hands, but they were standing closer together than Lucette had seen in years. Even better, neither of them was glaring at the other. There was no yelling, no fighting.
“Lucette,” her father said, “I know I’ve made some mistakes”—he looked over to her mother—“we both have. But we’ve agreed to leave this decision up to you.”
A huge grin spread on her face. Her father realized that now that she was almost sixteen, she deserved to be treated like a grown-up. It was about time she gained some freedom. She was old enough to make decisions, and without their constant sparring for control over her life, she could figure out a way to make peace between her parents. Her heart felt lighter.
Her father cleared his throat. “Lucette,” he started, “we have something important to tell you.” He paused for a moment. “We’re getting a divorce.”
Lucette staggered back as if she’d been punched in the stomach.
“What?” Her ears rang and all the blood in her body raced to her head, making her dizzy. She had to remind herself to breathe.
“Darling,” her mother said, stepping forward, “I’m moving back to my father’s estate in the country. No vampire has gone near there for centuries. You’ll be safe there with me.”
Her father stepped in front of her mother. “You’ll be safer h
ere in the palace, with guards and slayers who will make sure nothing ever happens to you.”
Her mother pushed forward again. “Lucette, we’ve agreed that you’re old enough to choose.”
If you were Lucette, what would you do?
OPTION A: Lucette should stay with her father. Her father was so hurt by the lies she and her mother told him. She’s betrayed him so much, and living with him now would help make up for that. He’s more likely to keep her safe and ensure the curse never falls. Lucette can reach a compromise with him that gives her some freedom while still keeping her fingers prick-free. Plus, maybe if she decides to stay with him, her mother won’t actually leave. If you think Lucette should choose option A, go to section 4: Glass Houses (page 113).
OPTION B: Lucette should stay with her mother. Her mother has always supported her. If it weren’t for her, Lucette wouldn’t be trained as a slayer. Her mother might allow Lucette more freedom, but she doesn’t want the curse to happen any more than her father. Her mother will do everything she can to keep Lucette safe, too. If you think Lucette should choose option B, go to section 5: Country Living (page 147).
Section 3
BIG SECRETS
Lucette felt sure she’d made the right decision. Lying to her father about the Slayer Academy would have been wrong. And as proof that he admired her choice, he’d finally stopped treating her like a little girl. She was thirteen and coming into her own, and her father knew it.
First, he’d let her decide about the school—even if he didn’t know what her mother had planned—and even more telling, tonight he’d invited her to a real grown-up event. She felt sure that, with enough persuasion, he’d change his mind and realize that she was old enough to train as a slayer. Otherwise, if the curse happened, she’d end up defenseless, all alone in the dark.
Jenny, her dressing maid, slipped a dress over her head and laced up the back. Lucette turned and scowled into the mirror. Pink with tiny white roses, the dress seemed better suited to the delicate girls she’d seen from the shielded viewing galleries during her parents’ parties. The dress looked ridiculous on her, like putting lace on a wooden spike. “Are you sure this is the dress my father wanted me to wear?”
“Yes, and it’s very pretty.” Jenny wrapped the bright pink sash around on Lucette’s waist and tied a bow. While her invitation to this party made her feel grown-up and important, this dress made Lucette feel like an idiot.
Lucette swiveled and then winced when she saw the size of the bow that flopped down over her hips, its tails hanging over her flat backside. She ran her hands down the bodice of the dress, which was scooped down in front and was no doubt meant to show off assets she lacked.
“Don’t worry,” Jenny said, pulling the ties in back tighter so the bust line didn’t sag so much. “We’ll add some crinolines under the skirt to give you some shape. And any day now you’ll fill out that bust and you’ll be fighting off the boys.”
“I don’t want to fight off boys.” Lucette struggled not to pout. She wasn’t a baby and reminded herself not to act like one.
“Oh, so you want them to catch you?” Jenny winked.
Lucette furrowed her brow.“That’s not what I meant.” She bit down on her tongue to keep from saying that she didn’t like boys, that she found them noisy and rude and smelly and distasteful.
“You’ll change your mind soon enough,” Jenny said. “Now sit down so I can fix your hair.”
Half an hour later, with her hair piled up like a complicated puzzle, Lucette walked along the corridor she’d been scolded for running down as a child. A guard held her hand as she struggled to stay upright on the high heels Jenny had insisted she wear. She couldn’t comprehend why grown-ups wore these things. She much preferred to be in shoes designed for running and leaping.
But if putting on this dumb dress and shoes would please her father, she could suffer through wearing them for a few hours. Making him happy would help butter him up, and she needed all the parental coaxing she could muster to convince her father to let her learn some slayer skills. Part of her believed her father’s claim that he could fix everything and find a way to make the vampire queen lift the curse—or prevent it altogether. But if there was even a chance she might end up alone in the night someday, she needed training. Surely she could make her father understand.
She also hoped that once he saw her tonight, the truth about this dress would be obvious. She wasn’t the type of girl suited to being dressed up in anything frilly. She was too tall, too skinny, too pale, her features too severe and boyish. Even worse, with the makeup that Jenny had rubbed onto her cheeks and lips, Lucette felt she looked like a clown.
The guards opened the back doors to the reception room and bright light poured out toward her. She blinked and raised her hand to her eyes to adjust to the light.
“The Princess Lucette,” a deep male voice said, and someone nudged her forward. She teetered on the ridiculous shoes, her eyes focused down to see where she was going, and prayed she wouldn’t fall flat on her face. A collective gasp rose in the room, followed by polite applause. A huge crowd was gathered in the reception hall, and at the front of the crowd were dozens of boys. What the heck was going on?
“For goodness sake, straighten up,” her father said as he stepped next to her. Her mother stepped up to her other side.
“I can barely walk in these shoes,” she said to her mother, who looked delicate and elegant in a pale blue gown. “They pinch.”
“I told you it was too soon for this,” her mother snapped at her father. Lucette bit her lip and felt guilt drench through her. Even while trying to prevent it from happening, she’d caused yet more harsh words between her parents.
Her father tucked her gloved hand through the crook of his arm, the way he did with her mother at big events, and pulled her forward to the raised platform that was covered with vases full of daisies. She sneezed, and a collective twitter rose from the crowd, but just as quickly died down. A fire rose inside her. They were laughing at her, and she could only imagine how red her cheeks looked now through the makeup. She raised a hand to wipe off some of the rouge.
“Stop that.” Her mother grabbed her hand and held onto it. “You’ll ruin your gloves.”
Lucette fought the impulse to turn and run. As if running in those shoes—or with the crinolines under her heavy skirt—were even possible. She felt as if the bulky clothes had doubled her weight.
“What’s going on?” she asked her mother.
Before her mother could respond, her father raised his hands to silence the crowd. “Thank you for coming this evening,” he said, his deep voice failing to reassure Lucette the way it normally did. “It gives me great pleasure to stand before you all today and introduce my daughter, the Princess Lucette.”
Polite applause ensued, along with less polite hoots from some of the boys. Squirming under the itchy crinoline, Lucette turned to her mother to ask for a better explanation, but her mother raised a finger to her lips.
Her father gestured to his left. “Young men wishing to express their desire to court my daughter, please form a line over here.”
Noise filled the room as a hundred boys stampeded into line. They pushed and shoved for a few minutes before settling down to stand at attention.
“What does he mean, ‘court me’?” Lucette asked her mother.
“I told him you’re still too young.” Her mother shook her head. “You’ve got three years before you’re sixteen. There’s still time.”
“Still time for what?” Her stomach clenched. Surely her mother didn’t mean she should marry before turning sixteen. Lucette didn’t even want to date.
Her father put his hand on her shoulder. “Come, Lucette. One of these boys is bound to be your true love.”
“What?” She tensed and stared at her father. This had to be a joke.
He leaned down toward her and his strong, dark brows drew together. “It’s time you started meeting eligible young men, Lucette. It’s im
portant you find true love, and there’s no time like the present.”
“But—”
Her father raised his hand to silence her protests and then stepped over to the line of teenaged boys.
“Mom, do I have to do this?” Lucette asked. “I don’t want to. And I feel so stupid in this dress.” Terror grabbed hold of her. Would these boys want to kiss her? Yuck.
She tried to back up, but her mother slipped an arm around her waist. “I know this is ridiculous.” Her voice was tense. “Just say hello and let them kiss your glove. I couldn’t stop your father from doing this, but I’ll help you get through it, I promise.”
Her parents were already divided on this, so if she made a fuss and ran, it would give them something else to fight about. Lucette drew a long breath and resolved to grin and bear it. Staring down at the line of boys—most of them shorter than her, which made her even more self-conscious—Lucette twisted her toe on the floor and hunched her shoulders. Her knees trembled as she studied the line of suitors.
Her father beamed as he greeted each of the boys standing in the line, shaking their hands and asking polite questions. He turned a few away, but she wished he’d be more discerning. From the looks of these boys, it seemed as if her father would deem anyone suitable as long as he had a pulse.
Her father led a pudgy, pimply boy up the two stairs to the platform. On display at the top, Lucette squirmed in humiliation.
Two hours later, Lucette stomped out of the reception, keeping her head down to hide the scowl on her face. Her mother had stayed behind to talk to her father.
Great. Another fight.
Even if it was her fault, so be it. She was done trying to keep the peace in this family. Done with being a pawn in their games. Letting those boys ogle her had been beyond horrible, and both of her parents were responsible for tonight’s humiliations. It would never happen again. Not if she could find a way to stop it.
Sleeping Beauty Page 6
