Cinderella Complex

by Rebekah L. Purdy

  He grinned. Ew. As if that’d ever happen. “Well, if you need an escort, I’d be more than happy to show you—”

  “Thanks, but I think I lost him.” I backed away and decided to find a new hiding spot. One far away from Captain Pervert.

  A sculpture of a naked man loomed ahead of me. Nasty junk. I situated myself next to it. From here, I could see and listen to Kat without being noticed.

  “Yeah, the weather’s great,” Kat said. She twisted her hands nervously.

  “Come on, girl,” I whispered. “You can do better than that.”

  Connor touched her arm. “You should talk cheerleading with my mom. She cheered in high school and college.”

  I smiled. Yes. That’s it. Be the charming guy I know you are. Come to her rescue.

  Mrs. Prince’s eyes glittered as they spoke of cheerleading. Most of it shallow stuff, but hey, it was an in. The conversation didn’t last long before the next lull.

  She totally needed help. I leaned closer, my hands resting on the sculpture as I tried to avoid its junk. If I got her to look my way, I could at least feed her some conversation starters. Maybe we should’ve opted for spy gear. Like an earpiece-and-microphone-set-up.

  A throat cleared behind me. Seth. “Am I interrupting something?”

  I glanced down at my hands and realized I’d been clutching the nude statue’s butt. I jerked back and bumped into a very solid chest.

  His fingers rested on my arm as he spun me around to face him. My heart leapt into my throat. His shaggy hair framed a chiseled face, the dark suit coat made him look like a hot mobster. Man, I’d missed him.

  “You’re okay.” I launched myself into his arms. “Why didn’t you return my calls?”

  He held me at arm’s length, his gaze moving over me like a surveillance camera. His gaze met mine and a slow smile spread across his face. “You look beautiful.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “Don’t change the subject!”

  He chuckled. “I’m fine, okay? My dad showed up unexpectedly and wanted to take me out of town for a couple of days.”

  “So, you couldn’t call?”

  “No.” He frowned. “Trust me, I wanted to. Because we’ve got lots to talk about.”

  “Like how you rescued me?”

  His finger brushed my cheek. “Someone broke into the house, Mags. I had to defend you.”

  “But this isn’t the first time you’ve saved me. That day in the park…”

  “Those were just shadows.” He laughed again. “We were spooked, that’s all.”

  Why was he lying? It made no sense. “Seth, c’mon. Stop the crap. I know you saw something.”

  “Yeah, I did. The last thing I noticed at the summer house were the three thugs trying to carry your TV out the front door.”

  I didn’t want to fight with him. Not here. Not now. I stared into his eyes. Maybe he didn’t see the Grimms. Maybe they were just shadows to him.

  “So, what did your dad want?”

  Seth snorted. “For me to come live with him.”

  “What? You’re not going, are you?” Panic raced through my veins as I grabbed his arm.

  His hand trailed down my back and he pulled me closer. “Not a chance. There’s no way I’m leaving you.”

  I felt warmth filling me up. “I wouldn’t let you go.” Not quite an admission of love, but close enough.

  “Take a ride with me.” He leaned closer, his breath fanning across my cheek. “We can go somewhere more private and talk.”

  My heart bounced in my chest like a kid on a trampoline. He didn’t know how bad I wanted to go away with him, but I caught a glimpse of Kat fidgeting with her bracelet.

  “Can I take a rain check? Like maybe, after the exhibit tonight?” I caught my bottom lip between my teeth. Flutters danced in my belly at the thought of being alone with him. More than anything, I wanted him to kiss me again.

  “Okay,” he said. “Maybe we can go to your house.”

  My attention shifted to Kat again. I watched as she laughed at something Mrs. Prince said. And Connor couldn’t take his eyes off her. So why did she still look so nervous? Maybe she needed a conversation pick-me-up.

  “Give her conversation a little punch, to make them like her,” I muttered under my breath. Heat blazed through my fingers like a firework ready to launch. Power pulsed through me, sticking to the very fibers of my skin.

  Seth jumped back, cradling his head in his hands.

  “Seth?”

  He kept his head lowered and backed away from me. “I’m not feeling so good. I have to go, Mags.”

  “Seth, wait.”

  He glanced at me, his eyes black as night. “Tomorrow,” he promised.

  What just happened? Before I could give it much thought, I heard a loud crack. I glanced up in time to see the punch-bowl table buckling to the floor. The punch bowl flew through the air, drenching Kat and Mrs. Prince.

  Aw, Great. The conversation got some punch all right. I squeaked and hurried over to them.

  “I’m so sorry,” Mrs. Prince said. “The table must not have been sturdy enough. I’ll get your dress dry-cleaned for you.”

  Kat caught my eye and I shook my head no. “No, don’t worry about it. I’ve got, like, a couple dozen more where this came from.”

  Attendants rushed over to clean up the mess while Kat and Mrs. Prince stepped out of the way.

  “You must eat dinner with us. It’s been such a joy talking to you tonight.” Mrs. Prince took a card from her black clutch. “We’ll be at the Herring Bone on Wednesday night.”

  “If you need a lift, I can pick you up,” Connor offered.

  Was that a smile on his face? It worked. I could totally do the whole matchmaking thing.

  Kat smiled. “Sure, I’d love to go.”

  “Then it’s a date.”

  The Princes left.

  Kat mouthed the words ‘thank you.’ For the first time, I realized why Grandma loved helping people so much. It felt good.

  Not wanting to get in the way, I moved back to my place by the nude statue. Something stuck to the bottom of my shoe. I bent down to pick it up, only to find a black feather crushed beneath my heel.

  Grimms. Somewhere close. I needed to find Jack. And fast.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Jack surveyed the room. “It’s a Grimm feather, all right. But I don’t see any.” He clutched my arm and led me toward the exit. “We better get you home. I’ll let Mom know we’re leaving.”

  I kneaded my fingers together. Everybody who passed by us made me suspicious. Their smiles. Their gazes. The Grimm could be anyone. The Grimms could be anywhere. A hand clamped down on my shoulder.

  “Holy crap, Jack. You scared me.” I sucked in a deep breath as my pulse throbbed.

  “Sorry. C’mon, let’s go.” On guard, he left the building first. He looked up at the trees and into the shadows.

  We maneuvered between cars until we reached ours. Before he let me get in, Jack checked the backseat and floor for any stowaways.

  “So, this is what it feels like to have a bodyguard,” I teased.

  “This isn’t a joke.” He ushered me into the front seat. Once inside, we secured our seatbelts and he roared the engine to life.

  “Would you chill? I’m fine. See.” I waved my hands in front of his face. Truth be told, I was scared to death. And the last thing I needed was Jack freaking out on me. He shifted into gear and pulled out. Street lamps dotted the cityscape as we headed out of town.

  Fog whispered across the road. The windows frosted over. The car chugged and coughed before it stopped moving.

  “C’mon.” Jack slammed his fists into the steering wheel.

  The hairs on my arms stood on end.

  “Jack.” My voice cracked. “Something’s wrong.” I watched as he tried to get the car to turn over. The air sizzled with energy, with a heavy blanket of magic that hadn’t come from me.

  Crash. The car slid across the road and the rear door on the driv
er’s side buckled. I screamed as the car flew into a ditch. A black wing brushed across the back window. Fear sang in my ears, telling me to hide, run, or do something.

  Jack fumbled with his seat belt and kicked the door open. He unsheathed his sword. It glowed golden with liquid flames.

  “Stay put.” He slammed the door shut behind him. Within seconds, I heard the distinct sound of clashing blades. Jack swung his weapon at a shadowy figure which appeared to conjure itself from the fog.

  My hands trembled as I gripped the door handle. What if they hurt Jack? A fist punched in my window. Glass sprayed everywhere. I fought to get my seat belt released, then scurried away to the middle section of the seat.

  Jack leapt at the creature, knocking it to the ground.

  Riiiip. The roof of the car peeled back like a sardine can. The Grimms had torn the vehicle apart. I ducked down low, but it was too late.

  Claws dug into my shoulders, hefting me into the air.

  “Stop!” I screamed. Pain seared my body, as the dagger-like talons penetrated my skin and muscles. My feet flailed beneath me. “Let me go.”

  “Maggie!” Jack ran toward me, his wings extended. But before he could lift off, a figure tackled him and crashed him into a large maple.

  I clenched my eyes shut. Please let him be okay. My flesh burned and throbbed. Blood seeped through the fabric of my dress. I wriggled, trying to raise my arm to strike my captor. But its claws only sank deeper.

  I cried in agony. Black dots danced before my eyes. Stay focused. You have to be strong.

  From behind the cloud cover something flew through the sky toward us. An enormous wingspan stirred the air. Whatever it was, it came fast. It wasn’t pulling up. The Grimm holding me screeched as the new one rammed into it. I toppled from the talons and fell toward the ground. Before I could extend my wings, a pair of arms caught me.

  I swallowed hard, staring at raven-like feathers. This Grimm wore a dark hooded sweatshirt, which covered his features.

  “Close your eyes,” he whispered. “And you won’t get hurt.”

  My body quaked, but I clung to him. My eyelids squeezed shut as the night air zoomed past. What would he do to me? I imagined blood and pain. Torture.

  “Please, let me go.”

  I heard a low chuckle. “If I did that, you’d splatter all over the road.”

  “No, I can fly myself.”

  He ignored me. We descended. I dared a quick peek at my surroundings, only to find we’d landed in someone’s yard. The Grimm carried me to a gazebo and sat me down on one of the benches.

  “You should be safe here. Stay hidden until the others leave,” he said in a low voice.

  No way. The Grimm had just saved me. “Wait.” I caught his hand. “Who are you? Why did you save me?”

  He went still. “You dare question me?”

  I released his hand, my fingers moving to the hood. “I have every right to.”

  He grabbed my arm. “You forget we are enemies, Godmother. I may have saved your life, but it changes nothing.”

  My breath caught in my throat. “Then kill me.”

  “No.” He jerked back. “I have other uses for you. But be warned, you better watch your back.”

  In one swift motion, he darted into the dusky sky. I cowered on the bench. My gaze darted back and forth across the yard. The gloom-drenched wood-line made me shiver. Somewhere within the darkened trenches I knew he watched me.

  If we truly were enemies, then why help me? It didn’t make sense. He’d attacked his own kind to save me, to free me.

  “C’mon, Jack, where are you?” I clutched my dress.

  At last, my brother landed outside the gazebo, his eyes wide with worry. “Thank God you’re okay. I saw the Grimm take you…”

  “One of them saved me.”

  His mouth twisted. “What?”

  “One of the Grimms saved me.”

  “Crap.”

  “My thoughts exactly.” I hugged my chest, trying to get warm.

  “We need to get you home. The car’s totaled, so we’ll have to fly.”

  “All right.”

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” He eyed my wound.

  “Yeah.” My lips quivered as I forced a smile.

  “Liar.” He bent closer, pressing his hands onto my shoulders. My skin warmed beneath his touch, and slowly, the wounds began to close.

  “How—”

  Jack’s lip twitched. “You didn’t think you were the only one given powers, did you?”

  Matter of fact, I did. But no way would I admit it to him.

  After a moment, he picked me up. “I managed to kill one of the Grimms. And I injured another one. I slashed its arm pretty good. Maybe they’ll take the hint and leave us alone.”

  “Why are they attacking us all of a sudden? They used to stay in the shadows.”

  “Because they know you’re making Katrina’s happy ending come true. They’re trying to stop it.”

  “Then why save me?”

  Jack shrugged. “I don’t know, but we need to figure it out. Which means from here on out, I’m sticking to you like an extra pair of butt cheeks.”

  Great. Not only did I have to worry about the enemy closing in, but now I’d have to contend with an overbearing big brother.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  I pierced a leaf of lettuce with my fork, dipped it in my blue cheese dressing. Taylor chatted non-stop about Will Edgar asking her to Homecoming, while Jack and Riley stood near the cafeteria entrance, talking. It seemed like everyone around me had someone. How depressing.

  So where is Seth today?

  Jack appeared next to me. “Riley and I are going to Homecoming.”

  My gaze met his. “Are you back together?”

  “Yeah. She apologized for acting jealous.” He smiled. “Knew it was only a matter of time. Females can’t resist me.”

  I snorted. “Keep telling yourself that.”

  “Hey,” a familiar voice said. Seth sat down across from me. A bruise ran down the side of his face, his arm was bandaged. He looked as if he’d tangled with an angry bear and lost.

  I dropped my fork. “What happened to you?”

  Seth glanced at Jack then at me. “Motorcycle accident. Probably a good thing you didn’t come with me last night.”

  Jack stiffened. His hand gripped the edge of table. “Motorcycle accident?”

  “Something ran in front of me. Probably a deer. I tried to swerve and ended up in a ditch.”

  “What a coincidence, we totaled our car last night too,” Jack said. “We were up on Crowley Bridge Road.”

  “Where did your accident happen?” I asked Seth.

  “Crowley Bridge Road. The fog got real thick.” Seth’s eyes darkened.

  Goosebumps puckered my skin.

  I glanced at Jack. “What are the odds?”

  “Is there something you want to tell us?” Jack bristled.

  Seth shrugged. “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Really, I think you do.”

  “What’s your problem?” Seth challenged him. “I just told you I got into an accident, and now you’re interrogating me.”

  “Just seems odd we both crashed in the same area.”

  “I didn’t realize there was some law against crashing on the same road.” Seth clutched the table, his knuckles white.

  “Jack, knock it off.” What the heck had gotten into my brother? “The visibility was horrible.”

  His eyes narrowed. “We need to talk. Now.”

  Jack tugged me from my seat. I followed him into the hall.

  I jerked free from his grasp. “Ow. What’s going on with you?”

  “Okay, did you not notice his bandaged arm?” Jack paced back and forth, his eyes wild.

  “Kind of hard not to.”

  “Last night, I injured a Grimm. I cut its arm with my sword.”

  “You can’t be serious.” My brother’s lost his freaking mind. No way was Seth a Grimm. I would’ve sen
sed it.

  “He’s been acting weird lately. I mean he saved you from Grimms at the summer house, and then he went and disappeared for a few days.”

  “Seth’s our friend. We’ve known him forever. He’s not a stinkin’ Grimm.”

  Jack ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes. “I hate this. I don’t know who to trust, Maggie. Everybody looks suspicious to me. Half the time, I can’t even sleep at night. I worry someone will break in and hurt you.”

  I touched his arm. “The last thing we need to do is toss aside our friends. Yes, there are bad things out there, but Seth’s always had our back.”

  “You’re right.” His fists clenched and unclenched at his side. “I’ll apologize. But do me a favor?”

  “Sure.”

  “Be careful.” Jack tugged on my hair then headed back to the lunchroom.

  For some reason, I didn’t think this was the end of it. The Grimms kept ruining everything.

  From down the hallway, I caught Connor staring at me. He juggled his books in his hands. I noticed the wrapping on his forearm. I gasped. He waved at me then disappeared down the hall.

  My mind raced. This was getting ridiculous. Who could I trust? Maybe it explained why he’d suddenly become so interested in me. But it didn’t make sense—he was supposed to be Kat’s happy ending. The Godmother power wouldn’t screw up this bad, would it?

  ****

  Seth caught me at my locker after school. “Hey, can I give you a lift home?”

  “I thought you totaled your bike?”

  “Mom let me take the truck.” He took my backpack out of my arms.

  I closed my locker door. “In that case, I’d love a ride.”

  He led me outside to a brand new, shiny black truck. He opened the door for me and slid the bag in next to my feet. His hand grazed my leg.

  My breath caught in my throat as I glanced at him. Dark hair fell across his forehead. With trembling fingers, I brushed it aside.

  With a lopsided grin he asked, “You ready to go?”

  My face burned. I pulled my hand back. “Yeah, whenever you are.”

  Seth walked around to the other side of the truck, climbed into the driver’s seat, and started the engine. He waited for me to get my seatbelt on before he pulled onto the main drag. He flipped on the radio and rock music filled the cab.