by Tegan Maher
“I’ll totally trade you some ... whatever that cover-up is for spelling your bag, if you’re allowed to give me any. I’ll pay for it if it’s expensive.”
She laughed. “Nothing costs actual money in Celestial City, at least not if it’s to provide for guests. I’ll gladly bring you some.”
I narrowed my eyes, thinking of the whole timeline thing. My thoughts drifted to some of the women in Hollywood, both current and past, who never appeared to age and who always looked perfect. “I’m not the first woman to ask for some of that secret sauce, am I?”
Althea shook her head, still grinning. “No, you’re not. But we don’t give it to just anybody.” she winked. “For that matter, we don’t use it on just anybody.”
I gave her a sly smile. “I get you. I make my living waiting on rich people, too. Of all species. If they go out of their way to be nice, so do I. And if they don’t ...” I shrugged.
“Then neither do you,” she finished for me. “That seems to be the way it works no matter what plane of existence you’re on.”
I realized she probably talked to the other girls, and my nosy side took over. Well, that and my concerned side.
“Do you know anything about a servant named Ella?”
She frowned. “I do. But it’s an odd thing. The people she serves ... they treat her like a servant, but we have orders directly from them that she’s to be put in nice quarters—not like these, but ones for higher-up servants, with comfortable beds and nicer furnishings than what we have in the servant quarters. And she’s supposed to get the same foods that they do.”
“That is odd.” I didn’t know much about that time period, but I did know that classes were clearly defined.
“Yes, but I’ve seen many strange things. It’s not for me to question.”
“I suppose not,” I said. “After all, tomorrow she’ll go back to her time and I’ll go back to mine. How do you do it?”
“Do what?”
“Deal with people from more ... barbaric times?”
She lifted a shoulder. “I guess it’s easier for me to see the big picture. In order for people to affect change, they must be driven to it. Plus, you can’t change people over night. History is an ever-evolving thing. What seems barbaric to you was just life to them. For example, people had to get so tired of going outside to use the restroom or fetch water that they wanted a better option. Such is the way of change. First the problem has to be deemed such, then enough people have to get tired of it that they find a solution. You can’t just fast-forward to the good parts.”
That made sense, I supposed.
“And you’ll be surprised to learn that your time seems barbaric to those from a couple centuries down the road. Perspective is quite dependent on where you’re standing.”
“Really?” I asked. I hadn’t really considered that there were probably people there from my future as well as my past. “Tell me more.”
Her eyes sparkled. “Now that would be breaking rule number one. But I can tell you that you’ll see some amazing things just in your lifetime.”
That would have to be good enough, because no matter how I tried to get hints, she stood firm.
Inside of ten more minutes, she had me laced up into my gown.
“Now for the mask,” she said, handing it to me.
When I held it to my face, she sucked in a breath.
“I know, gorgeous, isn’t it? My friend really outdid herself.”
“Yes,” she said, distracted as she stepped forward to peer closer at Stephanie’s bracelet. “Is that a Valkyrie’s bracelet?”
I held my wrist out and twisted it so that the light caught the gold and gems. “Yeah. My friend Stephanie loaned it to me. Beautiful, isn’t it?”
“And terrible,” she replied, reaching out to touch it but yanking her hand back before she actually did. “There’s powerful magic in it—she must love you to loan you the magic of her kind.”
“The magic of her kind?” As far as I knew, it was basically a magical pager.
“Yes,” she said, giving me a quizzical look. “A Valkyrie’s bracelet is imbued with the magic of the gods. It’s one of her most powerful tools.”
I thought back to Steph’s words. Be careful with it. You’ll put your eye out.
The bracelet pulsed when I thought of its owner, and I remembered the rush of magic that had almost knocked me over when I’d put it on. Surely she wouldn’t have turned me loose with something so powerful without at least giving me instructions. It probably had some sort of safeguard that kept anybody but her from using it.
Althea cleared her throat. “Well, I’m sure she knew what she was doing.”
For the first time, she seemed to notice the mask. “Whoa,” she breathed, reaching up to touch it. “That’s incredible.”
She pulled me back a bit so that I could see myself in the mirror.
“What do you think?”
Between the magic Lucinda had worked and the amazing job Althea had done on my hair and face, I didn’t even look like myself. I looked like some glamorous chick from a fairy tale. And I felt that way, too.
The door between my room and Colin’s opened, and I turned toward it.
“Wow,” he said, giving me a slow, head-to-toe once-over. “You look ... magical.”
“I should hope so,” I said, warmed by his words. “I’m wearing a gown made by a fairy godmother and just had my hair and makeup done by a stylist of angels.”
Althea smiled. “I had a good place to start. I can only do so much, and the results depend on the canvas I’m handed.”
“And you were given quite a lot to work with. Ready, Princess?” Colin asked, holding out his elbow.
“Ready, my Prince,” I replied, smiling as I took it.
“Have a great time,” Althea said. “I’ll go get the primer and powder for you. It’ll be waiting when you get back.”
“Thanks, Althea,” I muttered, distracted for a minute by the way Colin was looking down at me. “Oh, and don’t forget to bring me your bag. Tempest, are you coming?”
She’d been curled up on the bed sleeping, and I had to wait for her to stretch and run her claws through her tail to straighten her fur before she deigned to saunter toward us and out the door.
The latch clicked shut behind us, and I blinked when I saw the transformation the hallway had undergone in the two hours since I’d been in it last. The modern lighting was gone, replaced with romantic wall sconces that flickered while providing just the right amount of light to allow me to navigate the hallway without falling on my face.
A red runner covered the white marble floor, and I was glad I’d opted for flats instead of heels; there was a reason the universe hadn’t let my parents name me Grace.
There were enough people moving in one direction that even if Ari hadn’t shown us the banquet room, we wouldn’t have had any trouble finding it. The others wore a strange menagerie of styles. Everything from Victorian gowns to futuristic attire designed with sharp angles and points, in fabric that seemed to shimmer without needing any light. Of course, my gown and mask did too, so that wasn’t necessarily a time thing.
The one thing everyone had in common was that they were all smiling and having a good time.
Except for one trio of women dressed like something out of a fairy tale. They wore ball gowns, each a different jewel tone with matching masks, and two of them were heckling one of the the small serving girl who was following them.
“My hair doesn’t feel like it’s going to hold, Ella.”
“You left a wrinkle in my dress, Ella.”
As if those weren’t bad enough, the oldest one—the stepmother, I presumed—stopped in the middle of the hall and turned to face my new friend.
“Why are you still following us? You know you’re not to be seen anywhere other than in the servant’s quarters.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Ella responded, head down, “but I thought to catch a glimpse of the ball. You know, just from afar. It’s all
Rowena and Ursula have spoken of for months.”
The woman cast a glare at the two older girls, who looked at their toes.
“Rowena and Ursula should be excited, but that’s not for you. This place is not for you, and you’re not to interact with any of the guests, do you hear me? Now go straight back to your chambers. You’re not to leave them.”
“Yes, Mistress. I’m sorry.”
The subservient way that Ella was behaving made me want to both cry for her and punch the three women out. Colin placed his hand over mine and held it in the crook of his arm.
“You heard what Ari said. Leave it. You’ll make things worse for her.”
Like I ever listened.
“She’s a human being, you know,” I said, digging my feet in and turning to face the group. “Ella, you’re your own person. You have the right to be happy.”
The stepmother’s eyes turned cold. “I’m aware she’s a human being. She’s my responsibility, so I’ll thank you to stay out of my affairs.”
Before I could say another word, Colin squeezed my fingers and tugged me forward.
Tempest butted me with her head. “He’s right, Destiny. You can’t interfere. Who knows what effect it might have on things?”
I scowled at her. “You mean that doesn’t bug you?”
She glowered back. “Of course it does. But not as much as the concept of destroying life as we know it, or even of making her lot in life worse because they can strike at her instead of us.”
I sighed but, after shooting an apologetic look toward Ella, I turned away and kept walking.
After a few yards, something started tickling at my consciousness. Ella, two wicked stepsisters and an evil stepmom—
“Wait,” I said to Colin, stopping mid-stride. “Does that not seem familiar to you?”
Tempest smirked at me. “It took you long enough.”
“Does what seem familiar?” Colin asked.
I explained to him, and disbelief crossed his features.
“No way!” he said. “Do not tell me we just met Cinderella’s wicked stepfamily.”
I lifted a shoulder. “If the slipper fits ...”
He shook his head as we started walking again. “Well we can’t say this hasn’t been an interesting experience.”
No, we could not. I was almost afraid to see what else was in store.
Chapter 8
The feast was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. Long tables set to seat thirty people each were draped in elegant white tablecloths and arranged in rows in the cavernous room, with one long table on a dais at the very front.
As with the hallways, the room was lit entirely by candles, but these were enchanted ones that hovered midair every few feet down each of the walls and above the tables. The light glittered off the silverware and the millions of jewels adorning fingers, gowns, hairpieces, and even shoes.
A Maître de led us to a table close to the front of the room, and I turned when I felt eyes on me. Ari was sitting beside his wife at the table on the dais. They both raised their champagne glasses and smiled. I smiled back and gave a little wave. Diana, the woman who’d locked horns with Stephanie, gave me a look of disdain before turning her attention to the angel to her right.
“Wow,” I said, my gaze roaming around the room. No matter how much I looked, I felt like I’d never catch every detail.
“Wow’s right,” Tempest said, hopping up onto a chair and putting her paws on the edge of the table. “This is incredible.”
I lowered my brows. “Get down from the table right now. I’m not sure what they expect you to do, but you can’t be up there, I’m sure.”
She raised a fluffy black eyebrow at me and motioned with her nose toward the table. “Can’t I though?”
There, in front of the plate, was a name card that distinctly said, “Tempest Maganti.”
“My bad,” I replied, holding up a hand. “Pop a squat.”
All around us, people were chatting and laughing, but I wasn’t exactly a mingler. I picked our champagne flutes up from the table and handed Colin his. With a quick flick of my wrist, I filled them up with our favorite vintage. Instead of the standard bubbly, though, the glasses filled with a pink effervescent drink that smelled faintly of raspberries.
I tilted my head, but Colin just smiled. “Apparently, the glasses know when to fill, and you don’t get an option.”
“Nifty!” I said before tilting the glass to my lips. “I’d like to know the trick. It would make my life a boatload easier.”
“Yeah, but then what would you do with all your spare time?” he smiled and clinked his glass to mine.
“Schmooze,” I replied, then took a sip. I almost choked when the wine hit my palate. The drink was unlike anything I’d ever tasted. The rich flavor of berries muddled with spices I couldn’t identify, but it was all I could do not to chug the rest of the glass. “This is one of the best things I’ve ever put in my mouth!”
“Yeah,” Colin agreed. “If the food’s this good, I’m in trouble.”
My stomach rumbled as I forced myself to take another small sip instead of a gulp. “You and me both, sugar.”
I’d noticed that no matter how I moved, the material of my dress didn’t bind. I’m not sure how Lucinda had accomplished that, but I hoped it stretched a little, too.
A spoon clinked against a glass, drawing all eyes to the dais. Ari stood, glass held aloft as he repeated the action.
“Welcome, everybody to the angels ball! First we feast, then we dance!”
A roar of approval met his pronouncement, and with a flourish of his hand, the tables filled with food. I’d never seen so much in my life. Salads, veggie dishes, massive platters of meat and seafood—my stomach rumbled again as we took our seats.
I was so intent on filling my plate that I didn’t even realize who was sitting beside me until she cleared her throat.
“Destiny, isn’t it?” The wicked stepmother said from her position to my right.
I turned to her, a little of my appetite fleeing. Well, not really, because there was very little that could distract my stomach from food, but she did capture my attention.
“Yes,” I said as if I was smelling something rotten. “And you’re Ella’s stepmother.”
“Shhh,” she hissed. “Don’t say that too loudly. Nobody is supposed to know that.”
“Know what?” Tempest asked. “That you’ve placed your own family into servitude and treat her like a dog?”
Mommy Dearest scowled at her. “You have the exact temperament I’d expect from a fox.” She gave me an appraising look. “And one suited to your charge, I have no doubt. My name is Endeara, and yes”—she lowered her voice—”Ella is my stepdaughter. But she shouldn’t have told you that. She’s been warned to never speak of it outside our castle walls.”
“And why is that, exactly?” Colin asked. “Ashamed?”
“No, I’m not ashamed. Ella is a wonderful girl. She deserves so much more than what she’s gotten, but it’s for her own good.”
“Of course it is,” I said. “Cleaning and catering to your two snotty daughters is great for character building.”
She sighed. “It’s not ideal, I know. But it’s the best I could do to protect her.”
“Not ideal,” Colin repeated. “Care to elaborate on that?”
“Not really,” Endeara snapped, “but since your beau here is obviously not going to let this go, it’s imperative that you have the facts before you ruin everything.”
She took a long pull off her champagne and gasped. “That’s incredible! Better than anything that has ever come out of my vineyard, and we have to best blends in the country.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I said, rolling my finger. “The wine’s manna to our lips, too. But I’m more interested in hearing why you think it’s okay to keep your stepdaughter stuffed away in rags.”
She looked around, then spun her finger in a clockwise motion. The noise around us became muted, and I narrowed my eyes.
“Why did you just dampen us?”
“Because, you little twit, what I’m about to tell you is for your ears only. Ella’s ... special. She was betrothed to Prince Alexander before she was even born. Her father was best friends with his father, and they thought to unite the kingdoms.” She rolled her eyes. “Stupid, arrogant men, meddling with love like that.”
“So if that’s true,” Tempest said, “you’re not making much of a case for yourself. We met Alexander earlier and he seemed delightful. But you’re right. She’s much better being a skullery maid than a princess.”
“Actually,” Endeara said, smirking, “she’d be a queen right now, assuming she’d still be alive. Alexander’s parents died while on the hunt years ago, back when Ella was still a small child.”
“Both of them?” I asked.
“Yes, both of them. And it’s every bit as suspicious as it sounds. Alexander has a mean streak. He’s cruel to animals and children, and he’s downright barbaric toward women. Yes, Ella is better of hidden under the guise of a servant in her own home than living in the open as his queen.”
“It can’t be that bad,” Tempest said, but Colin remained quiet.
“C’mon here, sweetie,” I said. “Back me up.”
Rather than say anything right off the bat, he studied Endeara. “How did his parents really die?”
“They fell from their horses into a river and drowned. Both of them were skilled riders and excellent swimmers.”
“So what happened to Ella’s mother?” Tempest asked.
“She died giving birth to Ella. At that point, my dear Henry already recognized Alexander as a bad seed. He passed the word throughout the land that Ella had died with her mother.”
“Why didn’t he just cancel the contract?” I asked, popping a ginormous shrimp into my mouth.
Endeara huffed out a breath. “Because they’d signed in blood. And before he could think of a way around it, he died, too.”
“From what?”
“In battle. I suspect—but can’t prove—that Alex had a hand in it. The two kingdoms were fighting together.’
“But what purpose would that serve?” I asked. “If he’s not married to Ella, he has no claim.”
