Sweet Tea and Sass

by Tegan Maher

  Ari, who’d been waylaid by one guest after another, finally made his way toward us. “May I ask who the princess is and why you felt it necessary to take the well-deserved attention from her earlier?”

  I explained, and he heaved a sigh. “Destiny, what did I tell you about meddling?”

  I squirmed beneath his gaze. “I know, I know. But wasn’t the story supposed to take place anyway?”

  “Not here, it wasn’t. It was supposed to take place on your plane of existence.”

  “But the Brothers Grimm are here,” I pointed out.

  “Yes, and?”

  “What story are you talking about?” Endeara asked, puzzled. “And what does it have to do with Maribella?”

  “Wait,” I said. “Who?”

  She motioned with her hand, exasperated. “Maribella. Ella.”

  My mouth formed a little O. Boy had I really muddled things.

  Ari shot me a warning glance and I did my best to extricate myself before I sank myself even further into the hole I’d dug. “It’s one of those rule things. The short answer is that maybe Maribella isn’t supposed to have anything at all to do with the story.”

  I glanced around the room to see where Ella and Alexander had gotten to, and I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that they were on opposite sides of the room talking to different groups of people. Still, I didn’t like the way he kept looking in her direction, his eyes appraising, nor the way Ella kept fluttering her lashes at him. Alexander may have been a real jerk, but he wasn’t a stupid jerk. If he managed to put two and two together, we were in real trouble.

  “Maybe she’s had time to get her fill of the ball. I’ll try to corral her and get her to go back to her room,” I said. “You two keep Alexander occupied.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t help there,” Endeara said. “He despises me, and any overture of kindness on my part would be suspicious. He’s a murderous swine, but he’s no idiot.”

  “I’ll do it,” Colin said. “We’ve already met, so it won’t be odd for me to approach him.”

  While Colin worked his way toward Alexander, I elbowed my way through the throng of men vying for Ella’s attention.

  “Excuse me gentlemen, but I need a word with the lady.”

  Ella looked at me, her big baby blues dancing with delight. “Destiny! Isn’t this grand? Thank you so much for talking me into defying Endeara.”

  “I didn’t mean for you to do it in such a grand fashion,” I snapped, then pressed my lips together when her face fell.

  “I thought about what you told me,” she said, “and then it occurred to me that our meeting was not just happenstance. Perhaps you truly were my destiny, come in the flesh to guide me.”

  I didn’t even know how to respond to that for a couple of moments.

  “Not even close,” I finally replied. “In fact, I’ve made a royal mess of things, no pun intended. You need to go back to your room. Endeara knows what’s best for you; trust me.”

  “Silly girl,” she said as if I’d made a joke. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m having the time of my life and I deserve to be here. I am a p-p-p—” she stumbled over the word princess, and I was glad to see Endeara’s spell was holding. She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “And that prince, the most handsome man in the room, likes me, I think.”

  “That prince is trouble with a capital T. He does not have your best interests at heart. He wants your kingdom, or at the very least, your virtue.” I couldn’t believe I’d actually just used the word virtue in a serious conversation, but then again, I was standing in a room full of angels talking to a mythical princess. It wasn’t the weirdest point of my evening.

  Her eyes sparked with righteous anger. “Why would you say something like that? You’re the one who said I didn’t deserve to be treated poorly, and now you’re saying I’m not enough to attract a handsome man.”

  I sighed. “I’m not saying that at all. I’m saying that particular handsome man has an ulterior motive. Maybe two, if he’s figured out who you are.”

  Her face fell and I wanted to kick myself for being the one to knock the wind out of her sails. “Look,” I said. “You’re beautiful and kind and deserve a man who will treat you well. That man is not him. Now please, just go back to your room and wait for Endeara. The ball’s about over, anyway, and then we can all go home, no harm, no foul. Hopefully.”

  She narrowed her eyes at me but then heaved a sigh. “You’re the first person who’s ever treated me as if I have worth. If you say that’s what I should do, then I’ll do it. Besides,” she said, giving a self-deprecating laugh as she plucked at the shimmering fabric of her skirt, “I should have known this was too good to be true. I’m ... related to my father in name only. In reality, I’m a servant.”

  I didn’t have the time or luxury to correct her. If that’s what it took to get her away from the prince, then I’d just have to deal with the blow to her newly found self-esteem later.

  “Do you need me to escort you back?” I asked, half-afraid to leave her alone.

  She shook her head, resignation in her eyes. “I’d rather be alone, thank you.”

  My heart ached at the harm I’d done to her, but I let her go. When she disappeared from sight in the direction of the living quarters, I scanned the room to make sure Alexander was still occupied. He was. Colin had him locked in conversation, his back to us. I sent up a little prayer to the universe that I’d managed to fix my screw-up, then returned to Endeara’s side, stopping along the way to chat with other guests so that I didn’t look too obvious just in case I was being watched.

  “Thank you,” she said, worry deepening the fine wrinkles around her eyes. “I think I should go check on her. She looked crushed.”

  “She was,” I said, disgusted at myself for doing so much damage. Even though I’d done it with her best interests at heart, I’d harmed her much more than I’d helped her.

  Endeara laid a hand on my arm, the worry on her face shifting to compassion. “Don’t berate yourself. What you tried to do was commendable, given the information you had to work with. Just, in the future, be wise in your actions. Know the whole story before you assume the worst.”

  With those words of caution hanging in the air, she left me to go check on the child she’d done so much to protect even though it had broken her heart to do so. I felt like a real ass.

  I plucked a glass of champagne from a tray and gulped it down, reveling in the warmth that spread through me. I waited eagerly for the numbness I knew would follow.

  Tempest jumped onto my shoulder and nuzzled the side of my face, an affectionate action that she only used when she knew I was hurting. “You realize that in almost any other situation, what you did would have been right, don’t you?”

  “It doesn’t really matter, because this wasn’t any other situation,” I said.

  “Then go ahead and wallow,” she said, using her standard tough-love approach. “I love it when you’re all woe-is-me. It’s such an attractive look, and you wear it well.”

  I scowled, but she was right. What was done, was done.

  Colin extricated himself as soon as he could without raising suspicion, and we went back to our rooms. The ball had lost its magic for me, and all I wanted to do was sleep until it was time to go home.

  CHAPTER TEN

  A loud pounding on our door roused me from a solid sleep, where evil princes had chased me through a dark forest all night. Try as I might to get away, I kept falling, and my magic failed me. I was almost grateful for the intrusion.

  As always, Colin was on his feet and wide awake before I even had enough wits about me to realize what was making the noise.

  He pulled on his clothes on the way to the door and jerked it open.

  “You have to come,” a woman’s voice said. “I’m Syri, Endeara’s handmaid. Endeara’s been cursed and the princess is gone.”

  “Which princess?” Colin asked, buttoning his shirt. I peered around him, Tempest already on my s
houlder, to find a woman dressed in a serviceable dress and a maid’s cap.

  “Princess Ella,” she whispered, and I wondered how she’d been able to speak her name. I about passed out when realization hit me. Endeara’s spell was broken. That couldn’t mean anything good.

  “Ari!” I called, hoping against hope that he’d hear me and come. I was nothing short of amazed when he popped in less than three seconds later.

  “What?” he asked, poised for battle, his panicked gaze darting around the darkened room for the threat. I explained what had happened, and his eyes darkened. “Wait here.”

  He disappeared as quickly as he’d appeared, then popped back in not ten seconds later.

  “He’s gone. Alexander. Along with his belongings.”

  The maid’s terrified gaze shot toward me. “What can we do? I have no magic and no knowledge of this godforsaken land.”

  Ari’s brow raised. “We’re hardly forsaken by the gods. In fact, there are several in attendance at this very moment.”

  Typical angel, being literal.

  Colin waved a hand. “Now’s not the time to pick at semantics. She’s right; we need a plan. Is Alexander familiar with Celestial City? Where would he take her?”

  “Endeara, first,” I said. We may need her if the curse is triggered.”

  “What curse?” Ari asked, his brow creased. I explained and he pulled in a deep breath then let it out through his cheeks. “This isn’t good,” he said.

  “No, and Endeara’s protective spell is broken. Syri was able to call Ella by her title.” Colin shook his head. “We have to find them if we’re going to save Endeara, Ella, and their kingdom.”

  Wow. Not only had I messed up one poor girl’s life, I’d put an entire kingdom at risk. If nothing else, nobody could accuse me of half-assing it. I’d gone in whole-hog.

  Rage rushed through me, partly at myself, but mostly at Alexander. Something about Ella had drawn her to me, and I thought of her as a friend. Maybe it was because I felt responsible, but it was more than just that.

  Possibilities flashed through my head, and inspiration struck.

  “I know where they’re at. They’re at Aphrodite’s.” I turned to Syri. “Go guard your mistress, and if you’ve brought any wizards or mages with you, gather them.” I didn’t even know if that was a thing. I mean, I knew they existed in that time, but I didn’t know if they’d passed from being right-hand men and women to being Satan’s advocates yet in the mind of the people. Endeara was obviously a witch, but I didn’t know if she practiced openly or had just been clever enough to hide her magic during her reign.

  She nodded. “We brought our wisest one. He advises Endeara in matters of the court, and he’s powerful.”

  I gave a sigh of relief. “Fetch him, please. He’ll know what to do.” At the very least, he could protect her. At best, he could break the curse. I was gonna have to trust Endeara’s judgment, but she hadn’t given me a reason to doubt it so far.

  Ari laid one hand on my shoulder and the other on Colin’s. Tempest wrapped herself around my neck, understanding before I did what was coming. Before I knew it, I was on my knees in a shadowed part of Ari’s yard. The nausea that I’d felt when we’ jumped planes was blissfully absent.

  I jumped to my feet and took two steps toward Aphrodite’s house, but Colin stopped me.

  “We need a plan,” he said.

  “We have one,” I snapped. “We’re gonna go in and rescue Ella.”

  “Use your head,” Ari growled back. “Now’s no time to be rash.”

  I sucked in a couple of calming breaths. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  His eyes softened. “Sometimes I forget how young you are because of the power I can sense in you. You need to learn how to best use that power. Rarely will it serve you to rush into anything blind.”

  “Okay,” I replied, trying to slow the rush of adrenaline so I could think. “Do either of you have any suggestions?”

  Ari nodded. “I should be able to mask my presence. I’ll go in and see what we’re facing. Then we can strategize. I’ll be right back.”

  “Wait,” I said as he faded. “What if you don’t come back?” He didn’t answer though, and I was left standing there with more questions than answers. I had no idea what sort of powers Mitzy might have, nor did I know what sort of power Alexander had at his disposal.

  “We’ll figure it out if that happens,” Tempest said. “But I doubt they’ll be able to thwart an angel. I won’t be surprised if he handles it himself while he’s in there.”

  “But he said he was just gonna scope things out,” I replied, and she rolled her eyes.

  “Of course he said that. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have stayed put.”

  She was probably right, but I still ran through the scenarios in my head. I could handle a mage with one hand tied behind my back as long as he didn’t know I was coming. But a full-fledged witch might pose a problem. I’d never been in any sort of battle, and though I knew I was powerful, I wasn’t trained. I may be rash, but I’m not stupid. They got the jump on Endeara, who was much more experienced than I am, and I wouldn’t be able to help Ella if I ended up like her.

  We waited a full five minutes, and my nerves stretched to the breaking point as more time ticked by and Ari didn’t return. I glanced at Colin; the worry on his face pushed me almost to the point of panic. I took three deep, calming breaths, forcing my mind to evaluate our options.

  “I say we give him three more minutes before we sneak closer to the house and find out what’s going on,” I said.

  Colin was shimmering—a sure sign that he was preparing to wolf out.

  “I’m going to change. I’m useless in human form, but in my wolf form, I’ll at least have the element of surprise on my side.”

  I nodded. Not only that, but he’d also be able to channel his healing abilities if worse came to worst. Plus, he would be a force to be reckoned with no matter how much magic was cloaked within those walls. Shifters had their own kind of magic.

  He knelt with his palms on the ground and I watched in fascination as he shifted. No matter how many times I saw him do it, the magic never ceased to amaze me.

  “It’s been three minutes,” I said, bouncing on the balls of my feet. I called my magic to the surface and shivered as it danced across my skin. Stephanie’s bracelet grew warm against my wrist and I wondered if I should call her. No, I decided. If I absolutely needed her, I would, but I’d hold off. She tended to be a bull in a china shop, and Ari’s words came back to me. We needed stealth, not a nuclear bomb. At least for now.

  Colin bumped against me, his shoulder at my hip. He was a big man and an even bigger wolf. His dark fur blended into the night and I wound my fingers in it for comfort. It was obvious by that point that Ari wasn’t coming back, and it would be stupid not to be a little scared; fear could save your life as long as you managed it.

  We crept closer to the house toward a side window that was hidden in the shadow of the house. There was only a space of a few yards where we’d be exposed, and I held my breath as we paused and watched for a twitch of the curtains or any other sign that they were watching. When none came, we rushed across the space and I pressed my back to the side of the house.

  The window was higher than I’d estimated, but Colin sat back on his haunches and put his paws against the outside of the house. He was barely tall enough to see in. Tempest ran up his back to look for herself. The terror on her face did nothing to calm my nerves; if she was scared, there was good reason.

  Colin dropped back to all fours, then knelt in front of me, indicating I should climb on. I did, and he stepped back to the window. I rose, planting my feet on his shoulder blades and my hands against the side of the house. Ella was asleep on a chaise lounge and Ari was gagged and bound, blood running from a wound on his forehead. He was conscious, but barely.

  Three men and one woman stood in the room—Mitzy, Alexander, Albert, and a man dressed in archaic wizard robes. He was pacing
, but he stopped mid-stride, his gaze snapping toward us. He narrowed his eyes and flicked a wrist, and I sucked in a breath when the side of the house gave way under my hands.

  Before I could pull back and get my balance, I was falling forward, straight into the house. The wall sealed shut behind me, leaving Colin outside. The wizard uttered a phrase in Latin, and I struggled to understand the words. I hadn’t spoken it since high school, but I picked out enough to know that he’d just sealed the house. Unless I was way off, he’d also made it invisible.

  I glanced from one face to the other and cringed when Alexander’s face curved into a smug smile.

  “If it isn’t the little witch who delivered my kingdom right into my hands.” He moved toward me, his steps smooth with confidence. “And you’re pretty, too. Mayhap I’ll keep you for a pet.”

  Tempest hissed and struck out at him from her place on my shoulder, her sharp teeth almost—but not quite—clamping down on his hand.

  The wizard made a sweeping gesture toward us, then waggled his finger. “Not so fast, little girl. It won’t do to be spiteful toward your king.”

  Alexander ran his knuckle down my cheek, and sheer rage streaked through my veins when I realized I couldn’t move. Tempest growled, but was also powerless to do anything else. Ari groaned.

  “I’ll be glad to take her when you’re done with her, brother,” Albert sneered. A shudder of revulsion swept over my body, but I didn’t miss the look of disbelief and jealousy that crossed Mitzy’s face.

  “You hear that, Mitzy?” I asked. “He’s already proving himself to be faithless, right here in your own house. He’s using you.”

  She glanced back and forth between the two of us, her eyes narrowed. “I’m granddaughter to Aphrodite, Goddess of Love.”

  I snorted. “Maybe, but from what he said, you missed a few of the genes.”

  Up close, her nose was a little crooked and her eyes a bit too close together. She wasn’t ugly by a long shot, but unless I missed my guess, she’d held herself up to Aphrodite’s image and found herself lacking. After all, who wouldn’t?