“Oh, so he’ll take the time to really plot and plan my demise instead of getting sloppy in a way that could’ve given me the upper hand? Stellar move. Really, a big thank you for that!” Persephone sarcastically applauded.
Pushing off her knees, Alice rose to full—albeit slight—height. “I just intimidated the Lord of the Underworld into backing down. You really want to throw down the gauntlet with me?”
Persephone drew strength from the trees and foliage around her, causing dark clouds to roll in overhead. “Unlike my husband, I won’t tuck tail over a little girl.”
“Then he’s clearly the smarter of the two,” Alice snapped back, taking a threatening step forward.
“Ladies, please.” Sterling inserted himself between the two of them, forcing them apart. “I need a moment to evaluate this realm, and I can’t make sure we aren’t moments from death if you keep yelling!”
One look at him and both women expelled shocked gasps.
“I know,” Sterling nodded, reading their reactions entirely wrong, “this landscape seems quite lovely. A lush valley painted the deep jewel tones of fall leading to a beautiful mountain range. A storybook castle in the distance decorated with towers and turrets. It all appears harmless. Even so, sometimes you can get lured into a false sense of security, then a giant butterfly attacks your face and tries to suck your eyes from their sockets. Until we know that’s not the case, we need to play things a bit on the cautious side.”
Nothing. Not a word. Both of the ladies merely blinked in his direction.
“What?” Deflating, Sterling’s hands slapped to his sides. “Do I have a turtle head again? Ugh… I hate that, and not just because it leaves me with flaky skin for weeks. It is truly a frightening experience to feel your own head retreat into your chest cavity, let me tell you.”
“You’re definitely not a turtle,” Persephone managed in a breathy whisper.
“Worse than that?” Nose crinkling, Sterling felt at his face for some sign of what sort of monstrosity he had become.
“No.” A smile softened Alice’s features, returning her resemblance to the girl he once knew. “Sterling… you’re tragically, painfully attractive.”
“What?” Sterling scoffed with a shake of his head. “That’s a rather cruel joke. Why would you—”
Taking a bold step forward, Persephone caught hold of the leather satchel swinging at his hip. After digging out the mirror fragment, she held it up before him. “It’s not a joke. Look.”
Squeezing his eyes shut, he pushed her hand away. “I can’t. If I accidentally call Alastor, Hades could find you. You heard him. That’s exactly what he wants. Put it away, please.”
“Don’t you want to see yourself?” Persephone glanced down at the sliver of mirror before honoring his wishes and dropping it back in the bag.
“I want to see me,” Sterling wet his lips, his gaze searching her face, “through your eyes.”
Accepting the job with the utmost sincerity, Persephone closed the distance between them and considered him before uttering a word. “Your feline eyes are gone. Now, they’re a deep mahogany hue rimmed with golden honey. The purple stripes on your skin have faded to a peaches and cream pallor. Your scars,” voice breaking with emotion, she cleared her throat and pushed on, “are gone. Any smile you grace us with here will be entirely at your own discretion. Oh, and your hair that looked like you cut it with a knife? It’s now falling across your forehead in gentle waves that are quite becoming.”
Blinking back a wave of emotion, Sterling placed a hand to his cheek in disbelief. “That’s me. That’s who I was before this all began. I was lost for so long. But… I found me.”
In a surprising show of tenderness, Persephone laid her hand over his. “There you are.”
A million unspoken emotions played across his handsome features. Longing. Hesitance. Regret. Hope. Yet the only sentiment he managed was the one scrawled on his heart. “I’m glad you got to see me as I once was. Even if it’s just for a moment.”
Head tilted, Persephone’s eyes narrowed in inspection. “This look does hold its appeal. But I’ve grown quite fond of how you looked before.”
Pulling back, Sterling dropped his stare to the grass beneath his boots. “You don’t have to say such things.”
“I know I don’t have to. It’s true.” Linking her index finger with his, she refused to let him shrink away from her. “Amongst deities, attractiveness is mundane. Flawless features. Sculpted physiques. We are bred to be perfect specimens. Yet beneath many of those beatific shells roosts true ugliness. Unspeakable hatred slithering in our souls like a pit of serpents. Look at my husband. Outwardly, he’s a beautiful man. Inside, he’s scarred and vile. You, are the refreshing opposite. The scars your adventures have given you, are badges of honor you wear for all to see. They are a map of everything you’ve been through that has made you the wonderfully unique man you are. You don’t try to hide them or cover them up. Never do you allow those markings to turn inward. Which is why your soul remains pure, innocent, and kind.”
“This is a very touching moment,” Alice interjected, casting a nervous glance over her shoulder. “He’s pretty. She’s pretty. I’m pretty. We’re all feeling good about ourselves. That said, I should point out that I quite literally just kicked the proverbial hornet’s nest, and the fury of hell could come racing after us at any moment. We need to figure out what our task here is, and execute it quickly. Sterling, any idea what story we’ve found ourselves in?”
As if cued by her question, trumpet blasts echoed through the valley in welcome to all who would enter the castle’s opened gates.
Peering up at the indigo flags flying high above the grand estate, Sterling’s sand-colored hair danced in the crisp fall breeze. “I know exactly where we are, and you’re going to need a gown.” He glanced to Persephone with a mischievous grin. “We have a grand ball to attend, m’lady.”
Having learned her lesson on how her magic could change from realm to realm, Persephone tested out her power—or possible lack thereof—on a bushel of daisies that had begun to wilt as summer faded into fall. All it took was a snap of her fingers, and fresh flowers bloomed bright and full.
“Seems to be working okay.” The goddess shrugged, choosing to be optimistic she wasn’t about to turn herself into a toad.
With a flip of her wrist she replaced the tattered and stained dress borrowed from Sterling’s land with a gown reminiscent of the beauty of the Summerland. The ivory bodice was covered with an overlay of blue lace morning glories. The morning glories melted into a band of pink carnations, the carnations exploded out into brilliant orange daisies, the daises led to a hemline of sunshine yellow lilies. Her hair was piled into a crown of golden curls, held into place by a wreath of the same flowers that decorated her gown. Sterling she dressed in a sapphire coat belted at his waist, with a high-collared white shirt beneath. His black slacks were tucked into supple leather boots, the satchel and mirror still safely at his hip.
Back still to him, Persephone fluffed the layers of her skirt. “I think it’s a wise choice to have Alice watch the perimeter and keep an eye out for Hades. That seems the perfect job for her, since she seems hell-bent on becoming his arch nemesis. I mean, it’s understandable as to why I hate him. Nightmare of a marriage. Trapped in the Underworld. Not loved, or even liked, by my own husband. That whole song and dance. But her? She just smacked him down in his own domain, for what? It doesn’t make…” turning to face Sterling, she gasped the last word at the enchanting sight of him, “sense.”
“You are an absolute vision.” Looking every bit the handsome prince, he remembered his manners and offered Persephone his hand. “Shall we?”
A knot of trepidation twisted in Persephone’s gut as she considered the hand reaching for her. How long had it been since she allowed herself to rely on anyone? Since she made herself vulnerable by leaning on another?
Another blast of the trumpets resonated through the valley, snapping her from
that lonely reverie. “The ball seems to have started without us. I was going to arrange a horse drawn carriage and footmen but it seems time is of the essence. You look very handsome by the way. Like a true gentleman. Did I mention that already? If so, it bears repeating. You do. Look nice. Am I rambling? I feel like I’m rambling.”
One shoulder rising and falling in an understanding shrug, Sterling’s offered hand didn’t waver. “I know a thing or two about rambling. You’re still quite eloquent. That said, how about if you do that nifty little trick of yours and whisk us up to the castle? I’m sure they have a briar patch somewhere nearby that will shield us until there’s a break in the crowd for us to emerge.”
“No.” Shaking her head, a rogue curl bobbed at the side of Persephone’s temple. “We aren’t going to hide who or what we are. Not here. Not this time. We’re going to enter those gates in a swirl of magic, and manifest in the glorious fashion only we can.”
Chapter Thirteen
Three couples magically swooped in, just as Sterling and Persephone had, and stole their spot in the line for formal introduction to the extravagant hall.
“Okay,” Persephone relented, “maybe we’re not the only ones who can make a mystical entrance. But we do seem to be the only ones with manners.”
Finally, it was their turn at the top of the grand staircase.
A rail-thin man with a puffy, gray wig and hooked nose let his voice boom off the walls. “The Lady Persephone and Sir Sterling of… the Tree People.”
Shoulders rising, Sterling giggled like a little boy. “I just wanted to see if he’d say it. It was just as wonderful as I imagined.”
Persephone chuckled and hooked her hand delicately around Sterling’s arm as they descended the grand staircase into the sea of bodies waltzing to the music.
In the center of the dance floor, where diamonds of light rained down from the crystal chandelier above, Sterling turned to Persephone with a crisp pivot that made the heels of his boots click together. One arm at his middle, the other at his back, he bent in a formal bow. “It occurs to me I’ve never danced with a goddess. I’d very much like to remedy that.”
Righting his posture, he offered her his hand once again.
Watching the other couples glide effortlessly across the floor, Persephone anxiously chewed on her lower lip. “I… don’t know the steps. The only dancing I’ve done is with the garden nymphs in celebration of the changing seasons. But that was movement with wild abandon. Nothing like this.”
One corner of Sterling’s mouth tugged back in a sweet smile. “I sometimes forget where I am and what I am, but never once have I forgotten how to dance. If you’d allow me the privilege, you can simply follow my lead.”
The melody was enchanting.
The temptation of his touch inviting.
“Promise you won’t make me look a fool?” At that simple request, she did the unthinkable… and placed her hand in his.
“My queen, I would never dream of it.” Gathering her in a strong hold, he twirled her around the floor as though she weighed little more than a feather.
Laughter bubbled from her lips, the room whirling around her in a dizzying blur. After two rotations around the floor, the music slowed to an intimate instrumental. With practiced ease, Sterling traded his wide-stride for a gentle box step.
“So, frolicking with garden nymphs?” Sterling pressed, the corners of his eyes crinkled with interest. “I’m insanely curious to know what that looks like.”
“It’s not nearly as enticing as it sounds.” Persephone’s nose crinkled at the memory she could still smell. “Nymphs tend to be mossy beings with a very potent odor. I usually covered myself in mud before visiting them. Elsewise I would smell them on my skin for days. But the movements they taught me liberated my soul. They threw themselves into the celebration, letting the spirit guide their motions.” A cloud of sorrow moved in, shadowing her features with despair. “I wonder if any of them survived the fires in the Summerland. I should have looked for them. What if they needed help? Needed me?”
“Hey,” removing his hand from the small of her back, Sterling curled a finger under her chin and brought her gaze to his, “much of the land remained unharmed. Where the cottage sat was still lush and beautiful. They are beings of the land taught and loved by their goddess of the spring. I have no doubt they were resourceful enough to find a place to hide until it was safe to begin sowing and planting what was destroyed.”
Nodding her silent agreement, Persephone could feel the heat of Sterling’s gaze wander over her face. She prepared herself for him to compliment her beauty. To sing praises to the outer shell of her person, which was a testimony to good breeding between the gods and had nothing whatsoever to do with who she was.
Once again, he surprised her with his unpredictability. “Thank you, for dancing with me. It’s been a long time since anyone has allowed me to get close enough for such contact. And even if it’s only because of how I look now, I thank you.”
Coming to an abrupt stop, Persephone rooted herself in that spot. “Look at me, Sterling. I mean it. Look at me this instant.”
Reluctantly, his sheepish gaze met her steadfast resolve.
Jabbing her hands on her hips, her expression dared him to argue. “I have never danced like this before today, and I find it to be quite delightful. I don’t care if your skin is striped or alabaster. Your eyes could be feline, human, or polka-dot. It makes no difference to me. If I fancy a dance, we will have a dance. And don’t you dare presume otherwise. Now, we need to get back in step as we are fast becoming an obstacle to these other happy couples.”
Couples.
With that simple word spoken in passing, Persephone linked them in a way that made the impossible seem… possible.
Heat rushing from his neck to his earlobes, Sterling reasserted his grip and spun Persephone into an underarm twirl. When she landed back in his arms, he carefully weaved them back in the moving current of bodies.
Tossing a wayward curl from her eyes, Persephone eyed the extravagant splendor surrounding them. “Do we have any idea what our purpose in this realm is? I don’t recall having a directive as straight as the Nottingham arrow.”
“Tonight,” Sterling turned Persephone toward the back of the hall, positioning the crowned prince and his dancing partner directly in her eyeline, “our mission is true love.”
“Oh!” Persephone’s eyebrows darted into her hairline, her heart-shaped lips forming a perfect circle. “I definitely think we’re going to have to have a deeper conversation there… annnnd you’re talking about the man in the crown that’s twirling the maiden in the delicate blue gown around the floor.”
“Of course! Tonight is of great importance to the king. He opened the gates to his kingdom in hopes of finding a bride for his son. From what I learned in my past visit here, the lovely lass currently in his arms worked her way up from ash and cinder simply to escape the doldrums of her life by attending this grand gala. Her family life is dreadful. She told me all about it when I was a mouse, notably less when the kind woman with a wand turned me into a footman. A pumpkin became her carriage and off she rode toward her happily ever after.”
Persephone had been nodding along, but somewhere in the middle it shifted to a shake of her head. “You lost me around mouse.”
Sterling waved one hand in the air, as if to bat the words away. “Story for another day. The important thing to know is that it’s our job to make sure he finds her shoe.”
“In your mind that may have been intended to clear things up, but it did not.” Lips twisting to the side, Persephone’s forehead creased in her struggle to catch up. “As someone who spent the majority of her existence in a land without footwear, I may need a little help here. I’m guessing the lass is especially fond of her shoes, and when he returns the pretty slipper she is heartsick over losing, she is so overcome with appreciation, he wins her love as well?”
“Not exactly. When the clock strikes midnight she has to go. I�
��m not really sure why, but I think it has something to do with getting trapped inside of that carriage when it turns back into a pumpkin. Whatever the reason, she dashes out and loses a shoe. The prince finds it and tours the kingdom with it in search of her. He makes a vow that when he locates the foot that fits the slipper, that’s the girl he’ll marry.”
Persephone stopped dancing and froze stone still. “He’s been gazing into her eyes all night. Yet, after leaving this room won’t be able to recognize the face of the girl he claims has stolen his heart? Instead, he’s relying on the fit of a shoe? We’re following this logic under the assumption that there’s only one girl in the entire kingdom whose foot could fit that slipper? The only way such a concept would be possible is if her feet were a freakish size. Is that it? Is the basis of this so-called love story either a girl with giant flipper feet, or tiny nubs that can barely hold her up?”
Afraid to move, Sterling’s eyes darted around the room as if the fruit bowl or orchestra could offer up answers that may calm the boiling demi-god. “I… didn’t get a good look at her feet. Her skirt is really floofy.”
“The slipper fits her foot and that young lady is bestowed the privilege of vowing her eternity to a man who can’t pick her out of a crowd?” Nostrils flaring, Persephone spoke through tightly clenched teeth. “I think you have this all wrong, Sterling. Our purpose here has nothing to do with love. We need to save that poor girl from marrying a moron.”
Painfully aware of the judgmental glances shooting their way, Sterling stepped in close and dropped his voice to a hushed whisper. “I’m not sure that’s necessary. The girl sleeps on a fireplace hearth, I don’t think she’ll mind that he’s bad with faces.”
“No! The shoes are important? Let’s see what happens when we remove them from this little fairy tale.” A roll of her wrist, and the glass slippers appeared in her hand with the heels hooked on index and middle fingers.
The Unfortunate Souls Collection Page 48
