Spindle

by J. E. Taylor

  Autumn and Felicity each grabbed an upper arm and they marched me back to the cottage without a word. Smoke drifted out the windows of our little abode. Felicity squealed, dropped my arm, and flew inside. We all followed.

  The duck she had started to cook when I left, was now a charred shell. Thankfully it had not fallen off the spit and started the rest of the cottage on fire, although the amount of smoke still wafting out the windows and doors would seem to indicate that it had come close to demolishing our home.

  A dress in the center of the room was covered in soot and a cake on the counter that had partly fallen remained. The horror at the mention of a dragon did not compare to the devastation painted on each of their faces at the condition of their little world.

  Marabel burst into tears, covering her face. Autumn fell into the nearest chair as if she had been shot by an arrow, and Felicity stood still in the center of the room just staring at the overcooked bird.

  “Today was supposed to be perfect,” Autumn whispered.

  A chill skittered down my back. This was my doing, but the guilt making my stomach roll didn’t quite wipe out the questions accosting my mind. “Did the fae make that barrier?” I asked, because I could not get that to settle right in my head.

  All three fae turned toward me, exchanged glances, and nodded in unison. They looked as if they had secretly eaten the last piece of holiday pie.

  I crossed my arms and cocked a skeptical eyebrow.

  “Well... technically the dragons created the wall of thorns, but the fae hold it in place. Otherwise it would have grown rampant through our kingdom and swallowed every living creature outside of the dragons,” Marabel said.

  I narrowed my eyes at her. There were so many holes in her version of the truth that it would look like Swiss cheese if I let them continue. “I need to clean up.” I headed toward the bath at the back of the house to clean the grime off from my walking and bleeding in the Dragon Realm.

  I hand-pumped a bucket of water and poured it into the warmer before getting another bucket. When I returned with the second bucket, the first was just warm enough to not chill me to the bone. I let the warmer drain into the tub before plugging it and pouring the second bucket. Rinse. Repeat. By the time the tub was nearly filled, I was ready for the bath.

  It took a fair amount of scrubbing to get the grime off my body and out of my hair. By the time I was done, the water had turned a disgusting cloudy brown from the dirt. I unplugged the tub, waiting until the soiled water drained completely before closing the drain and adding the last bucket from the warmer to finish my soak.

  The last batch nearly scalded, but I forced myself to soak in it, and alleviate any knotted muscles in my legs and back. My mind wandered to the kiss I had shared with Zachary. When the water was nearly cool, I scooped up handfuls and ran it over my shoulders and hair, wiping off any remaining dirt. By the time I stepped out of the tub, I felt cleaner than I had in weeks.

  I towel-dried my hair and wrapped a robe around me. The clothing I had been wearing was too soiled to wear again. I scrubbed them clean in the remaining water before I hung them on the line to dry.

  When I stepped back into the heart of the house, it was as if dinner had never burned. A magnificent dress hung in place of the one covered in soot. A tall cake sat on the counter, and a duck roast sat on the table, with all the fixings.

  It seemed my fairy godmothers had decided that magic was needed to save the day, which was just as rare as me wandering away from the cottage. I reached for the dress.

  “Not yet, child. That is for the palace tomorrow night.”

  I had almost forgotten about the ball. “Do you think the dragon I met will be there?” I asked as I took a seat at the table. As soon as the question fell from my lips, I knew the answer.

  “Dragons are not welcome in King Henrick’s court,” Felicity said with such a cool voice that I glanced up from the feast before me. “I doubt one would be so bold after the last time.” She dug into the meal without any more explanation.

  When the meal was over, the cake was set on the table before me. Golden letters glistened in the sweet frosting, wishing me a happy birthday. “You are a day early.” I glanced at them.

  “We will be at the castle tomorrow night, for the celebration.” Felicity nodded toward the cake. “Go on. Make a wish!”

  Twenty candles burned on the top tier and I stood, closed my eyes, and made a wish to see Zachary again, to dance with him until the sun rose. I took a deep breath and blew. Every candle went out.

  I grinned. If only it were that easy.

  Marabel, Autumn, and Felicity danced around me, still singing “Happy Birthday.” They would continue until I devoured a piece of their sweet confection. I cut a small slice and put it in my mouth.

  Their singing stopped as they waited for my judgment of their masterpiece.

  The cake literally melted into a sweet, tangy mixture of strawberry and vanilla in my mouth. I leaned back, closed my eyes, and took a moment to savor the goodness. I smiled and opened my eyes to their rapt attention.

  “You’ve outdone yourselves with this one.”

  Felicity grinned as if I had given her a golden four-leaf clover and both Marabel and Autumn clapped happily. We all tore into the delectable cake as though we didn’t have a care in the world.

  Thunder clapped outside the window, making all of us jump. It felt like a foreshadowing of doom. If the world was going to end tomorrow with the princess’s curse, I was hell-bent on seeing Zachary one last time before the gauntlet dropped on humanity.

  Chapter 5

  I tossed and turned all night, too excited to sleep, so I climbed out of bed before daybreak and slipped out of the cottage. The skies were just starting to light up like a rainbow. The clouds that had crowded the sky the previous evening had spilled their wares and left, as if they knew that today of all days needed to let the light shine. A strange sensation tingled on the air, as if it knew the time in the light was coming to an end.

  I shivered and rubbed my arms as I made my way back toward the pricker bushes holding the dragons in their territory. The sun broke over the horizon, nearly blinding me. I squinted as I followed the path the sun lit.

  In the distance, a form emerged from the rays of light, and I blinked to make sure it wasn’t just the blinding dots from the sun playing tricks on my mind. As I got closer, the form of a man came into focus. But with the light framing him, his face was still hidden in shadows.

  Caution flags flared in my mind. This couldn’t be the prince. Not on this side of the barrier. It was too dangerous for him to be on this side. My heart clanged in my chest at the thought. Encountering strangers on a deserted path was just as harrowing, and I glanced around for any escape route. The trees were closer to the approaching man than they were to me. But if I could get there, the woods would give me cover.

  I sprinted toward the trees. Halfway across the field, I caught movement near me to my right. I took my eyes off the wood line at the same moment a body slammed into me, taking me to the ground in a roll. I struck out blindly until hands grabbed my wrists and slammed them on the ground by my head.

  “What. The. Hell,” a breathless voice above me said.

  I tossed my hair out of my eyes and Zachary’s bright-green eyes looked down at me with exasperated humor. My mouth popped open as I stilled. My chest heaved with the exertion, and Zachary’s grip on my wrists loosened.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked when I finally caught my breath.

  He grinned. “I did tell you I would see you again.”

  With his body still draped over me, I was helpless to fight off the charm in that smile. It made my heart go into the same pitter-patter that the run had, but this time, instead of an adrenaline rush, heat enveloped me.

  His gaze dropped to my lips and then he rolled off me, taking a seat in the grass next to me. I didn’t move. I just stared at the deep-blue sky above me, waiting for my skin to cool before I sat up. When I did, I h
and combed the leaves out of my hair and glanced at him leaning back on a single elbow with a blade of the long grass between his teeth. Prince Zachary lounging on the grass like a commoner sent my temperature to high.

  He studied our surroundings with interest, but it was nothing compared to the way his eyes shined when they landed on me. It was as if he had swallowed the sun, and light naturally found the golden chips in his irises.

  “You are taking a risk being here.”

  He laughed. A full throaty sound that I could get used to and I was sure I would hear in my dreams for weeks to come.

  “I have to say, despite the reaming I will get from my mother when I get home, tackling you in the grass was worth it.”

  “And yet you moved away from me.” I cocked my head and gave him a sly smile.

  “Is the lady inviting a kiss?” He rolled onto his hands and knees, crawling toward me like a predator.

  I giggled and shuffled back, but he caught me by the ankles and crawled up my body in a way that sucked the breath from my lungs. His touch was light as he ran his fingers up my calves. And then he crawled the rest of the way and settled on top of me. His weight felt good and we molded in all the right places.

  “Why, dear lady, you seem to be a naughty vixen at heart,” he purred, and his mouth found mine before I could launch a protest.

  The kiss silenced any argument I could come up with in my head to stop where this was leading. The attraction between us was as raging as the fire of a dragon’s breath. He took my cheeks gently in his palms and let out a gruff groan as the kiss deepened.

  His hands flowed slowly down my neck and if he had stopped there, I would have been content to kiss him until the moon rose. But his exploration did not stop. He ignited me with desire. His lips left mine to trail down my throat and into the vee of my shirt.

  A rustling in the bushes pulled us both out of the moment. His nostrils flared as a rabbit hopped out from cover and twitched its nose at us before continuing across the field.

  It was enough for me to come to my senses. When the prince leaned in to start again, I gently pressed my hand to his chest.

  “I’m sorry. As much as I enjoy...this, I don’t really know you.”

  He covered my hand with his and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he rolled onto his back next to me, accepting my not-so-valiant request to stop.

  “I want to know you,” he said softly, studying the leaves on the trees above us. “But I cannot have you risking your life by sneaking into my territory.” He turned his head and met my gaze. He lifted my palm and placed a kiss in the center of my hand.

  “And I cannot have you risking your life by sneaking into mine.” I rolled on my side and propped myself up on my elbow to look down on him.

  He glanced at me and cocked his eyebrow. “I could just ravage you right here, right now, you know.”

  I smiled. “I think you would already have done that if that was your intention.”

  “Mmmm. Are you so sure it isn’t? I am a dragon, after all.” He didn’t move a muscle to make good on his thinly veiled threat. “And you are what I covet most.”

  “Oh. You covet me?” I put my hand to my forehead. “Whatever shall I do?”

  He snorted laughter. “You do not strike me as the damsel in distress type, despite your misadventures yesterday.”

  I chuckled. I certainly was not a damsel in distress. I knew my way around a bow and a sword fairly well. “I am pretty good with a bow. Although my favorite one was eaten by your swamp.”

  “I shall make you another.” He wrapped his arm around me, bringing me closer. “What else do you want?”

  “I want my birthday wish,” I said.

  Sparks danced in his eyes. “And what wish would that be?” He traced a chilling path across my back with his fingers.

  “I want to dance with you at the king’s ball tonight,” I said.

  His lighthearted smile faded. “Oh, Rory, I am so sorry to have to disappoint you.”

  “I know. Dragons, even attractive prince dragons, are not welcomed in King Henrick’s kingdom.” His stomach muscles twitched under my fingertips as I traced lazy circles over his loose shirt.

  “I’m not so sure I would be able to stay in human form if I went anyway,” he said in a dark tone. “I might be inclined to eat King Henrick.”

  I blinked and pulled away from Zachary.

  “King Henrick killed my father. Took his blood to heal his ailing wife.” His tone carried the bitterness of growing up without a father as he stared up at the sky. “If he had just asked, I’m sure my father would have given him some of his blood, but instead, the bastard got greedy. He wanted to slaughter another king for the betterment of his kingdom.” He licked his lips and glanced at me. “My mother has never been the same.”

  I couldn’t think of anything worse than losing the one you loved. It must have shown on my face because Zachary propped himself up and pulled me into another kiss. This one tender and sweet and everything a girl could ever hope for in a kiss.

  He pulled back and studied my eyes as though they held the secrets of the world. “I want to learn all your guarded secrets.”

  “I have no secrets,” I said, and closed the distance.

  His hand glided down my side, all the way to my knee, and he pulled me on top of him. His hands drew up around my waist as the kiss deepened. Beneath me, I could feel his hardness form between my straddled legs. He slowly grinded against me, moving me in small circles. Those golden flecks in his eyes turned almost as hot as he was making me.

  He tightened his jaw and closed his eyes. “You are forbidden,” he said, almost as if it were a reminder to himself. “Innocent. Sweet. And oh, so damn edible.”

  His eyes flashed as he opened them, and I almost saw the dragon forming. I pulled back in alarm.

  He chuckled, holding me tightly in place. His hips still circled slowly under me. Enough to bring forth a rush of wetness between my legs. I had never had thoughts of losing my innocence before I met Zachary. And now that was all I could think of.

  Zachary stilled beneath me and closed his eyes, pressing his lips together. His eyes opened and he stared at the sky. “Someday I will show you bliss, but that won’t be today.” He met my gaze. “My mother is calling and if I don’t go...” His eyes filled with instant regret as he moved me off his lap. Zachary cupped my cheek and gave me a soft peck on the lips. “I will see you again, Rory,” he vowed. And then he was up and was gone before I could straighten out my clothing and get to my feet.

  Disappointment scratched over my heated skin, and I kicked myself for falling so easily into his arms. It was as if fate was forcing us to do things that put us in harm’s way. After all, I had ventured out alone this morning with the sole goal of finding Zachary. He apparently had the same impulse.

  Damn that sexy prince.

  If I didn’t watch myself, I’d certainly be eaten by a dragon.

  Chapter 6

  I took my time on my way back to the cottage. When I entered the glen, the fae were already dashing about, getting ready for tonight’s festivities. When Marabel saw me, she grabbed me and ushered me inside without any comment as to my whereabouts. Thankfully, my routine included a morning walk and the timing of my return worked.

  Before I had a chance to speak, they were already slipping me into the silky dress and tightening the corset until I could barely breathe. The sky-blue satin shimmered, and I smiled at the image in the mirror, even with my blonde hair windblown and knotted from my morning adventure. I could not envision being led around a dance floor by anyone other than Zachary.

  A chair slid against the back of my knees, and I fell into the cushion as the three fae flitted around me.

  “Should we braid her hair or curl it?” Felicity started brushing the tangles out with an efficiency that made me wince with each yank.

  “Braid,” said Autumn at the same time Marabel said, “Curls.”

  Marabel brought out a table with powders and c
olored chalk and sat right in front of me as if she were going to make me up like the court jester. I put my hand up and shook my head as she brought a powder puff straight toward my face.

  “No thank you,” I said to her, knowing it would probably hurt her feelings. But I never got the hang of make-up and I did not want to look strange on my first foray into a royal ball.

  “But...” she started.

  “She is beautiful without all that fake stuff.” Autumn sided with me for a change.

  “I agree,” Felicity added. “Even with her hair a mess, she would be the most stunning girl at the ball.” She yanked at a few strands that framed my face and wrapped them around a tube that she left in place. She did the same with the other side and continued until I looked like a strange version of a porcupine.

  She stepped back with a satisfied nod, stepped away for a moment, and when she returned, she had a plate of food that she handed to Marabel.

  “Let Marabel feed you so you don’t get anything on the dress, okay?”

  “Um. Okay.” I didn’t have much choice in the matter and before I knew it, I was so full that I had to wave off the next pastry Marabel offered. Not a speck fell on the dress, either. If I had been left to eat on my own, I probably would have had at least one stain from a falling bite.

  Felicity and Autumn raced about the cottage, dressing in their own clothing suited for court. Felicity returned to me and started pulling the tubes out of my hair. Little ringlets fell, framing my face and falling over my shoulders. She grinned at the effect and then went back to styling my hair.

  She finally had Marabel bring a mirror out. She had done a stylish updo that included intricate braids interspersed with corkscrew curls and the effect made me gasp with delight.

  “You will outshine the entire royal court!” Felicity said as she studied me.