by R. L. Weeks
R. L. WEEKS
Books by R. l. Weeks
Haunting Fairytales Series
The Enchanted Kingdoms (Book one)
Journey to Neverland (Book two)
Into the Myth Series
Into the Myth (Book one)
Horror stories
One Way Out
See No Evil
You’re Next
Struck Three
Anthologies
Once Upon a Cursed Time
The Unforgiven
Christmas Nightmares
For Michelle Ranalli
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank my amazing beta readers.
To my Dad and John, who have been supportive and encouraging.
Sammie, not only are you a wonderful sister, but you also create the most wonderful illustrations. Thank you so much.
Rohan; thank you for being you. I never believed in happily ever after’s until I met you. You are just as crazy as me, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thank you to the rest of my friends and family for lighting up my life.
And a huge thank you to Sarah, Rue, and the rest of CHBB publishing and their imprints. You guys are wonderful, and I am so proud to have my works published by you.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, duplicated, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Cover Artist: Creative Cover Designs
This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious and are products of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual events, or locales or persons, living or dead are entirely coincidental.
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
For questions and comments about this book, please contact the author at
[email protected]
Published by Vamptasy Publishing, an imprint of CHBB publishing.
© R. l. Weeks 2016
All rights reserved.
First Edition
He will manipulate and charm you.
He will watch everything that you do.
Your hearts desires he will look into.
Until you give yourself up, too.
You’ll wish that you never believed him,
As you watch your brightest light dim.
When you realise your chances of escaping,
are unfortunately slim.
So as you cross through the woodland,
You may find it’s too late.
Don't venture too far into Neverland,
or he will seal your fate.
AS COLD AS SNOW
She looked down from where she stood on the mountain. Crisp white snow outlined the rocks that dangerously scattered the surface. She took a deep breath, breathing in the cold air. Her head was spinning from vertigo. She knelt and placed her hands on the little ledge. Looking over the edge, she had to stop herself from vomiting.
One minute she was sat by the crackling fire, the warmth sending her to sleep. The next she was lying on a ledge at the side of a mountain.
She cried when she thought about the warmth, the heat that she had always taken for granted. She was sure she’d die on the mountain. Her frozen corpse would be found by mountaineers. She thought that someone would surely come looking for her? But the sinking feeling in her stomach returned. No, they wouldn’t. She had no one left in the world who cared about her. She had seen to that.
Her fingers shook as she tried to tie up the laces up on her boots. They had come undone as she climbed onto the ledge. Her dress had already snagged on a rock, leaving a chilly tear.
Regret consumed her. She had done right by her dead mother, but it had cost everyone else greatly. Avenging her had always been her goal since she found out that Edward, the Frog Prince, had tricked her mother, turned her into a frog in place of him, and then killed her.
‘J-James,’ she tried to shout, but her teeth were chattering so much.
A childish part of her hoped that if she said James’ name enough times he would somehow hear her; even if he was a thousand miles away. But, if he did her pleas, would he come? He no longer cared about her. He had made that apparent.
Hadn’t she run after him after Edward’s execution? As Belle, his mother, was dragged away by guards, flailing and screaming.
Flailing and screaming because of her. She had betrayed them, hadn’t she? How was she to know that Lori would take Belle as a prisoner. She knew, of course, that Lori would kill him, but not that her envy would make her imprison her only friend in the world. Belle and Lori were friends, after all. Snow couldn’t deny that. In fact, she had spent many months hating that.
Wind swept over her, causing her to shake. Panicked, she pushed herself against the rock, as far away from the edge as she could. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rocked back and forth. Her lips, she feared, would fall off. She couldn’t feel anything anymore. Looking out onto the Skeletal horizon, she waited for deaths merciful release from the painful nightmare.
MIRROR ON THE WALL
Lori paced in front of the gold and silver mirror. The mirror warped into a cold, skeletal face with hollow eyes. ‘Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?’ Lori asked.
‘My Queen, Snow is still the fairest of them all.’
The face morphed back into the mirror, leaving Lori staring at her own, tired complexion.
Lori threw a vase, smashing it against her wall. How is that little brat still alive? She should have frozen by now, Lori thought.
She heard footsteps behind her. Someone had gotten into her chamber, uninvited. ‘Lori,’ Henry said, his voice breaking. ‘May I talk to-.’
‘No,’ she barked, ‘you may not! Now leave. You should not be in here!’
Tears brimmed in his eyes. ‘Please, my Queen, it’s Snow, she’s still missing. I fear for her life.’
‘Since when did you care again?’ Lori asked. ‘The last thing I remember, after the execution, was you walking away from Snow as she was attacked by Belle before Belle was dragged away.’
The truth is, Belle lunging at Snow was the perfect excuse that Lori needed to lock her away. Sure, she would have found a way regardless, but it was much quicker than she had anticipated. She didn’t need Belle seeking revenge after Edward’s death, nor did she want her around anyway.
Unfortunately, Kathryn, Edward’s mother, the Queen of Dolorom, and James broke Belle out of the dungeons.
She had prepared for the anticipated attack from Dolorom, but nothing happened.
She called off her own attack on Dolorom after Milborn sent a huge army there.
Henry grabbed a picture of him and Snow with Lori from the side. ‘I walked away because Snow made it apparent that she didn’t want me in her life anymore after she found out that I made a deal with you! I knew she’d be okay. the guards protected her.’
Lori rolled her eyes. ‘You’re so gallant.’
Henry sniffed back a sob. ‘I brought her up. I love and care for her more than anything.’
Lori turned and looked down at the little dwarf whose face had become annoyingly familiar over the years. ‘
I do not know where she is,’ she lied and gave a dismissive wave of her hand. He walked out, slamming the door behind him.
She waited for the footsteps to fade and paced in front of the mirror again. ‘Mirror, mirror on the wall, where is Snow White? And how is she still alive?’
The mirror warped back into a grey, solemn face and replied, ‘Snow is on the mountain which you placed her. She has befriended the Snow Queen and has found shelter there.’
Lori knocked the picture of she, Snow, and Henry over. ‘She can’t just die, can she?’
The face disappeared. Lori examined her wrinkled face and traced her fingers through her straight black hair. If her plan would work, then she would stay eternally young. The apples were running out, and she couldn’t make anymore. She knew that day would come, but had hoped that she’d find some other way by then.
‘Guard,’ Lori screeched.
A guard entered her chamber, ‘Majesty,’ he said with a low bow.
‘Find me a wolf,’ she ordered. ‘A particular one called Red. She lives in the Dead Woods. Bring her to me!’
THE SNOW QUEEN
Gallisa heard pained cries as she walked down the walkway from her palace. The palace sat in a large dip in the mountains top. The circular peak shielded the palace
from the ferocious winds, and due to the location, from any avalanches too.
The small village on the left side of the mountain was home to Gallisa’s snow fairies. Each of them lived in small houses made of solid ice, spelled never to melt. They lived harmoniously.
Gallisa lived in her magnificent ice palace with only her guards to keep her company. She loved her subjects and would often visit them, but she was bigger than them, the size of a human, as a Queen should be.
A lonely Queen.
A snowstorm swept the mountain. Gallisa pushed her blonde hair over her shoulder and raised her arms, calming the storm as much as she could. The cries were quiet. She listened carefully and followed the sound.
She climbed down the rocky surface and jumped onto a small ledge.
A woman with jet black hair was lying in the foetal position, covered with a thin blanket of snow. Gallisa brushed off the snow off and tried to wake her. The woman’s lips and skin had turned to a dark blue, and her rattling breaths were shallow. Gallisa pulled the woman up, lifting her over her shoulder.
She wondered if the woman was a fairy. She had such pale skin. It would explain why she was this far up the mountain. Gallisa wondered if she was looking for her?
Gallisa smiled at the hope that she had found another fairy who was the same size as her, who she could have as a friend.
Once back at the palace, she closed the doors and walked into the living room, placing the woman down on the silver sofa.
***
Belle looked at her son. James looked empty and depressed. She tried to cheer him up, but nothing had worked so far.
Since Snow had gone, the happiness in him went away with her.
Belle warmed her hands by the fire. She was angry with Snow for what she did to Edward, but, she did understand why she did what she did. Edward had killed her mother. She found herself in a constant turmoil of grieving the man she loved and hated him on learning of all the terrible things he had done.
‘Maybe we can find her,’ Belle suggested.
James looked up at her and forced a small smile which quickly disappeared.
‘I appreciate it, Mum, but I was horrible to her after Edward was killed. She won’t want to see me,’ he lowered his head. ‘Anyway, she’s disappeared. No-one knows where she went.’
Belle grinned. ‘Since when were you one to give up? Come on, where’s my adventurous boy?’
‘I grew up,’ James said bitterly. ‘I’m going to kill Lori, though. That, I do promise.’
‘No more killing,’ Belle said, shaking her head. James wasn’t listening.
He walked out and went to practice sword fighting at the castle.
Since Edward’s death, his mother, Queen Kathryn, had offered James to move there. They broke Belle out of the prison where Lori had kept her after Edward’s execution.
Belle told Kathryn what happened to Edward.
Kathryn wanted to attack Northmanni, but her husband, the King, would not allow it. He didn’t seem to care about Edward’s death at all.
On the walk to the castle, James stopped at a bench, gathering his thoughts.
James thought about the last words Snow had said to him. That was all he had ever wanted to hear from her. Those three words, I love you.
He missed her teasing, her soft side, and her slightly psychotic side. He secretly adored the crazy.
‘Mum’s right. I can’t give up!’ he said aloud and ran back to the cottage to pack a bag. He ran over the hills toward the quaint little cottage. The sun was setting, leaving the meadows and hills soaked in an orange glow.
He barged through the door. Belle was putting away the dishes and dropped one on hearing the loud bang. She raced into their small living room. ‘What’s wrong?’
He smiled. ‘Nothing’s wrong, except for my actions so far. I’m going to find Snow!’
‘Not alone,’ Belle said. ‘We will go together. I’m part of the reason why she would have left.’
He nodded and grabbed some food from the larder, placing it into a bag. ‘We need to leave now. We will ride to Northmanni.’
SWORD OF SOULS
Gallisa absent-mindedly made snowflakes dance around her perfectly polished fingernails. Her hair, an ash blonde, had a slightly blue hue to it. Pushed to one side, her hair hung past her small chest and down to her belly button, which was on show in the small gap where her royal blue crop top stopped, and her high-waisted trousers started. From her belly button hung a pretty silver charm.
‘What is that?’ asked Snow, who was sat across from Gallisa. Snow was pointing at the charm.
Gallisa looked down at her belly button and smiled fondly at the glistening triangle. ‘It’s a good luck charm, given to me by a wonderful man. I haven’t seen him for many years, although he wouldn’t have aged a day.’
‘Oh,’ Snow said. ‘Were you in love?’
Gallisa shook her head. ‘He didn’t love me. He was simply fond of me. I don’t think he was, or will ever be, capable of love.’
‘Sorry,’ Snow replied, feeling awkward for asking.
Gallisa laughed. ‘You asked a perfectly reasonable question. Don’t apologise.’
Snow nodded and sipped her cocoa. The castle was beautifully decorated. It looked like a winter wonderland. Glistening baby blue voiles covered the ceiling high windows and blew slightly in the breeze.
On the silver ceiling thousands of long, glistening icicles hung.
Snow looked at the icicles wearily. ‘Will they fall?’
Gallisa smiled. ‘Of course not. Everything in this palace is spelled. Nothing will ever melt, or fall.’
Snow finished her cocoa and set her mug down on the glass table. ‘So, you said you’re a snow fairy.’
Gallisa nodded.
Snow continued. ‘My question is, how are you different from other fairies?’
Gallisa walked over to one of the long windows and pulled back the voile. ‘We are warriors of everything good. Snow and ice are deadly, yet both are just as beautiful.’
Snow walked over to the window and looked out at the powdered white world. ‘What does that have to do with anything?’
Gallisa sighed. ‘Unfortunately, humans are drawn to beautiful and deadly things. We bring out the truth. We protect them from being lured by them and we control the weather, to a point. We also have all of the powers that other fairies do.’
Snow smiled sweetly at Gallisa. ‘That’s actually really nice.’
‘I thought you were a fairy when I found you,’ Galissa admitted. ‘But I saw your ears were not pointed when I lied you onto the sofa, and your lips are far too red.’
‘Umm, thank you,’ Snow said, not sure if it was a compliment or
not.
Gallisa walked back to her five-seater sofa and sat down. Gallisa was thinner than anyone Snow had ever seen, but she pulled it off so well. She walked with a royal air, and everything she did looked graceful.
‘Back to Lori,’ Snow said, changing the subject. ‘She will find out that I’m not dead. She will look for me,’ Snow repeated for the seventh time that day.
Gallisa said what she did every other time. ‘She will not find you here. I’ll protect you. I see your heart. You’re courageous, kind, fearless, and there’s something almost magical about your aura. You’re a truly unique person.’
Snow raised an eyebrow. ‘What do you want from me? In exchange for your help?’
Gallisa looked at her confused. ‘What do I want? Nothing. I simply want to help you.’
Snow furrowed her brows. ‘Come on, everyone in this world wants something. Each time they do something for someone, there’s always a catch.’
Gallisa smiled. ‘No catch. It sounds like you haven’t many genuine people.’
Snow shook her head. ‘No, well, just the one, but he’s history.’
Gallisa didn’t ask who on seeing Snow’s expression. ‘We will say no more. But really, I do just want to help.’
Gallisa’s eyes showed such honesty and kindness that Snow, for the first time since being found almost frozen, relaxed. ‘I believe you.’
‘Good,’ Gallisa replied and walked out of the room.
Gallisa walked back into the oversized room and handed Snow a sword. Snow took it and examined its otherworldliness. The hilt was glowing white; each little gem shone brightly. The blade was not silver as expected, but the colour of the sky on a summers afternoon.
Snow grinned. ‘Thank you, but how will this help me kill Lori?’
Gallisa knelt in front of Snow. ‘It’s fairy-made. It captures the souls of its victims and puts them into a box. This box,’ she said and handed it to Snow.
