Chapter Twenty-Eight
Perceived Injustices
Alexander was getting a bag of peanuts out of the vending machine when he saw Ruben stepping onto the elevator to go up to Jack’s floor. His senses went on full alert as he tossed the peanuts in a nearby trash bin and hurried to catch up. Immediately after his conversation with Adele, he’d hurried over to the hospital where he found Rae, sitting by Jack’s side. There was a hollow look to her pale face as she looked up at him in surprise when he walked into the room. “I didn’t realize that you know Jack.”
He gave her a polite smile and made some inane excuse about visiting an old friend. This seemed to appease her. He attempted to strike up a conversation about something trivial, but her short answers made the task nearly impossible. Finally, he offered to keep an eye on Jack, so that she could get some rest, but she declined. “No,” she said, squaring her jaw, “Jack needs me here.” She gave him a weak smile. “I’ll be fine.”
Not wanting to arouse suspicion, he bid her a good night and had been hanging around the lobby for the past three hours. He was getting the peanuts to stay awake when he saw Ruben. It was 3:00 a.m. He briefly wondered how Ruben would try to do it. Had he brought a gun? No, too noisy. A knife? Too messy. The answer was obvious. Ruben would use what he considered to be his greatest asset—his strength.
Alexander made it to the third floor and practically ran down the hall to Jack’s room. His heart dropped when he saw the closed door. He opened it and did a quick assessment. Thankfully, Jack was still alive. Ruben was standing near the bed, a pillow in his hands. Rae was nowhere to be found.
Ruben spun around. A cold fury twisted over his features when he saw Alexander. He threw down the pillow and stepped over to Jack. “You’re too late,” he sneered. “One twist of the neck, and it’s all over.”
“Step away from the bed!”
Ruben’s black eyes glittered in amusement. “So, you think you have the strength to stop me? You’re on your own this time, brother. Thanks to Adele, no magical creature can enter, meaning there’s no Merek or Wisteria to save you.” He rolled up his sleeves. “It’s just me and you this time.”
“Yes, just me and you … and this,” Alexander finished, drawing the gun from his coat.
“I might’ve expected this from you,” he growled, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. “You were always too much of a coward to fight me.”
“Just because you’re large in stature does not make you strong. You are a coward of the worst sort. You’ve had every opportunity to go your way and live a full life, but you’ve become so fixated on getting revenge for perceived injustices that you’ve drummed up in your mind that you have become a miserable shell of the man you once were.” He motioned. “Now step away from the bed.”
“You won’t shoot me,” Ruben sneered. “You don’t have it in you.”
Alexander’s eyes bore into Ruben’s. “I wouldn’t count on that if I were you.” His expression went hard. “I’ve ordered countless men into battle, knowing that I was sending many of them to their deaths—men that were far better than you. I still see their faces, flashing before my eyes. I hear their cries of anguish and the futile gulping as they take their last breath of air. I watch them go cold and motionless like stone—knowing that a life was snuffed out before its prime.” He paused. “Now mind you, I don’t relish the thought of killing my own brother, but you can rest assured that if it comes to that, I won’t lose a minute’s worth of sleep over you.” He kept solid eye contact with Ruben, so that he would know that he meant every word. The air in the room seemed to shift, and he saw the subtle hesitancy in Ruben’s eyes as he stepped away from the bed—the telltale sign that let Alexander know that Ruben believed he would kill him if necessary.
He motioned with the gun. “We’re gonna step out of the room … nice and slow. You first. No sudden moves.”
Hatred burned in Ruben’s eyes as he walked out of the room. Alexander kept the gun trained on him the entire time.
When they got into the hall. Ruben turned. “Your day of reckoning is coming, brother. And that paltry gun isn’t going to save you.”
Alexander chuckled. “Save your breath. And get out of here before I change my mind and shoot your miserable kneecaps off. Go back to Griselda like the lap dog you are and tell her that once again … you have failed!”
Ruben’s face drained as a venomous light came into his eyes. “Your day is coming!” he said, stalking away. He pounded the wall with his fist. “You mark my word, as I live and breathe, you’ll pay dearly for all of the things you’ve done to me.”
Alexander shook his head. “You keep referring to all of those perceived injustices that I’ve supposedly heaped on you. You really are delusional, and that’s a shame because you could’ve been so much more … if only you’d stepped outside of my shadow and had the courage to live your own life.”
Ruben shot him one final black look and muttered something under his breath before he turned the corner, disappearing from Alexander’s view.
“Principal Kingsley, you’re back.”
Alexander quickly placed the gun back into his coat before turning. “Rae, I came to see if I could get you something to eat or drink.”
“Thanks, but I’m not hungry. I just went to the restroom. How’s your friend?”
“My friend?”
She gave him a funny look. “The one you’re here visiting.”
“Oh, yes. That friend.” He forced a smile. “He’s doing fine.” His shoulders sagged in relief. “Thankfully, I think he’s going to weather the storm after all. Any word on Jack’s progress?”
“I heard the doctors talking earlier. His swelling has gone down considerably. They’re considering bringing him out of the drug-induced coma.”
“That is good news,” Alexander said heartily. “Good news, indeed.”
* * *
A dull headache was pounding across the bridge of Elle’s nose as she sat up in bed and rubbed her tired eyes. She’d hardly slept a wink the night before, worrying about what lay ahead the following morning. Dread knotted her stomach as she thought about her upcoming visit to the police station. She got up and mechanically went about getting dressed. Sera was going to take her to the station, and she didn’t know which she dreaded most—the drive to the station with Sera or the events that would take place when she got there. She was pulling on her jeans when she saw the folded note, leaning against the mirror. She opened it. A cry escaped her lips as she sank down onto the bed. Tears sprang to her eyes. Even though she was reading the words, she had the eerie feeling of floating above the room, looking down on herself. Her heart began to pound as she read through the note again.
Dear Elle,
By the time you read this, I will already be at the police station, admitting that I was the one responsible for the accident. It means the world to me that you would offer to take the blame in order to protect me, but I can’t let you do it. Were I to do such a cowardly thing, I could never live with myself. Know that I love you with all of my heart. I always have, and I always will.
R ---
She hated herself for feeling an instant of lightheaded relief at not having to go to the station. This was followed by a gut-wrenching sadness. They would not go easy on Rush, considering that this was the second time he’d been the cause of an accident. A blinding anger overtook her—anger at Rush for not letting her help him—anger at Adele for not being more forthcoming about the shadow crawlers and whatever it was that was happening to them—anger over the entire situation.
She wadded the letter and threw it across the room. Then she curled into a fetal position and wept.
* * *
Cinderella’s mind was still reeling from the testimony that she’d given where she stated unequivocally that she had acted under the influence of a love spell. And even though she loathed Wisteria for all of the terrible things she did to separate her from Rushton, she didn’t want to be the cause of her death. She wa
s so caught up in her own turmoil that it took her a moment to realize that the entire throne hall was in an upheaval over the two prisoners in handcuffs that had been marched in by the warrior-like girl with the flaming hair.
One of the prisoners turned, and she saw his face. She gasped. In her worst nightmares, she couldn’t have imagined the horror that was taking place. “Rushton!” She placed her hands over her mouth. “What have I done?”
“Keep thy mouth shut, you silly fool,” Seraphina said, clutching Cinderella’s arm so hard that she drew blood. “You have already testified, ‘tis too late to turn back now.”
It was then that Cinderella realized that King Aalexander was speaking. He eyed the two captives and the woman with them. “Pray tell me, who might you be?”
She lifted her chin in the air, her eyes burning with righteous indignation. “My name is Rapunzel Le Machel, your majesty. I have come here to turn these criminals over to thee … and to collect my reward.”
Aalexander held up a hand. “Aye, you shall be compensated.” He paused. “I will be forever in thy debt for returning Squire Rushton.” He fanned out his hand. “Thy timing is impeccable, as we were at this very moment finishing up his trial.” His eyes hardened as he looked down at Rushton. “‘Twould seem that the long arm of justice has finally caught up with thee.” He looked at the man standing beside Rushton. “And who might you be?”
Jack stepped forward and offered a ceremonious bow. “Great and famed King Aalexander the Just, thine illustrious and grand reputation precedes thee. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Humble Jack Swift of Landerburg Township.”
Aalexander looked dubious. He turned to Merek. “Who?”
Merek shrugged.
Rapunzel stepped forward. “Jack the Coward. The one who helped the giant escape. The one who stood by and watched him plunder an entire village. The one who watched him devour every living soul there. Every man, woman and child in that village. He stood by and watched him crush the bones of those villagers and grind them to dust.”
“Ah, Jack the Coward,” Aalexander said. “Aye, you were in the dungeon with Squire Rushton. The two of you escaped on the same night.”
Jack spun around to Rapunzel. “I am not a coward! Ye of all people know that.”
She got up in his face. “You are a coward. A coward of the worst kind. I hope they cut thee into tiny pieces, squeeze every last drop of blood from thy miserable body, and feed you to the wolves.”
He balled his fists. “Oh, ye would like that! Then ye can finally get thy so-called revenge for Brindley, thy prince in shining armor.” He scoffed. “Brindley with his soft hands and whiny voice. Brindley is the real coward. Not me.”
Her eyes went wild. “Retract thy words, fool!”
Jack laughed in her face. She rushed at him, and they both went down to the floor in a fit of kicking and scuffling. She was hitting him in the face and tearing at his hair as he tried in vain to fight her off, despite the fact that his wrists were bound together.
“Cease this madness!” Aalexander ordered, but they paid him no mind. He pounded his scepter on the floor. “I demand that you cease!” he roared. “Madam, I command thee to get off of that man, or I shall have thee thrown into the dungeon, along with him.”
At that, Rapunzel stopped fighting. The guards pulled them to their feet where they stood glaring at each other, both of them breathing heavily.
Aalexander motioned to his guards. “Take this madwoman and this coward away. Put him in the dungeon and her in a guest chamber. We are in the middle of a trial, and I do not want any further distractions. Squire Rushton will stay.” He looked down at him. “All of the witnesses, including Cinderella, have testified. What have you to say for yourself?”
Rushton looked at Cinderella. Tears were streaming down her face, and she was sobbing in soft gulps. He gave her a sad smile. “I suppose this really is the end.”
“Do you have anything you wish to say?” Aalexander repeated.
Rushton gave Cinderella a long, searching look, and then his gaze went to his mother. He acknowledged her presence with a thin smile, followed by a curt nod. He then turned to Aalexander with squared shoulders, head erect. “I did it. I, alone, cast a love spell over Cinderella. My mother had absolutely nothing to do with it.” He pointed to his chest. “I take full responsibility. I made it impossible for her to resist me.” He flashed Cinderella a quirky smile that was tinged with sadness. “She has always found it impossible to resist me,” he said quietly. “She is innocent, and I am guilty,” he proclaimed loudly enough to be heard throughout the hall.
A ripple of gasps went through the crowd.
“Do not do this, Rushton!” Wisteria was on her feet and running to his side. “Do not say another word.” She put her arms around his shoulders. “Oh, Son. My son.”
Aalexander looked at the council. “In lieu of the other testimonies and Squire Rushton’s own admission of guilt, I do not deem it necessary for you to hold further counsel. Have you reached a verdict?”
“We have. Guilty.”
Wisteria let out a cry.
Aalexander looked at Merek. “What is thine opinion?”
Merek stroked his beard, not saying anything.
“Thine opinion?” Aalexander demanded.
Merek gave Rushton a searching look. “You would take the blame for all that has occurred?”
Rushton gave him a sure nod. “Aye, I take the blame upon myself.”
“Even when the specter of death reaches out to make thee food for worms?”
“Aye,” Rushton replied.
“You would take the blame even though it means that the love of thy life will marry another?”
Rushton shifted, and his expression grew pained, but then he gathered himself up. “Aye!” He was near shouting. “In the name of everything that I hold dear, aye!”
Merek leaned back in his chair, stroking his beard, thoughtfully. “Magnificent,” he murmured. “Truly magnificent. A diamond shines his brilliance and all around are too ignorant to notice. We would grind him into the ground in an attempt to shut out the light, for its purity blinds us and makes us ashamed of our own shabbiness in comparison. ‘Tis been many a year since I have witnessed such pure and undiluted courage.” He cast a meaningful glance at Aalexander. “He reminds me of another lad I once knew.”
Loreena leaned forward. “What are you babbling on about, old man? Cease that incessant, nonsensical chattering and give us a verdict!”
Merek dismissed her comment with a flick of his hand. She might’ve been an insignificant fly to be brushed away and forgotten. Then he did something Aalexander had only seen him do on rare occasions. He smiled at Rushton. A bright, genuine smile that gave hope for a better world.
Irritation clouded over Aalexander. How Merek could be so impressed with this scoundrel … traitor … was beyond him. And to think, he was comparing Rushton to him? Unbelievable! The boy was nothing like him! “Thy verdict, Merek,” he prompted.
Merek looked at Aalexander. There seemed to be a hint of amusement mingled with a world of disappointment in his eyes. “I would hate to keep the lovely queen and this patient crowd waiting.” He looked at Rushton. “Out of the lad’s own mouth, so must the verdict stand. Guilty.”
Aalexander spoke with a feigned solemnity that he did not feel. What he felt was anticipation of the most frenzied degree. It was all coming to a head. Only a few more moments to go. “The council and my most trusted advisor have found Squire Rushton Porter and his mother Wisteria Avalonia Porter de Florin guilty of casting a love spell over the Princess Cinderella. The responsibility for pronouncing judgment hereby falls on my shoulders.”
Rushton stepped forward. “But my mother … I told thee that my mother had nothing to do with the spell. She is innocent.”
Wisteria put a hand on his arm. “Save your breath, Son. This is all just a ruse to execute me.” Her eyes glittered with malice as she looked first at Queen Loreena and then at Aalexander.
/> Aalexander turned to the council. “What is thy ruling in regard to Wisteria?”
They spoke furiously amongst themselves until the portly man in the center stood. “Guilty.”
“Merek?” Aalexander didn’t dare look him in the eye as he spoke, for fear of Merek’s disapproval.
“Guilty,” Merek said.
Wisteria faced Aalexander, her eyes blazing. “Aalexander, the judgment falls to thee. What will you do?”
He’d known this was coming, and he knew it was all a necessary part of the plan, but standing here, looking down at Wisteria, who in that moment was both terrible and beautiful, he started to second-guess himself. What if it all went wrong? What if he ended up losing her after all? He tore his eyes from Wisteria and looked at Loreena, who had a smug smile on her face. Then there was Edward, sitting on the edge of his seat, clenching and unclenching his hands. He felt for his son. He really did.
The tension in the hall was mounting. They wanted blood. Wisteria’s blood. Everyone was looking to him for the answer. Here’s where it could all come together or all fall apart. At this point, it could go either way. He looked at Merek’s fathomless eyes. As usual, he was sitting patiently, waiting to see how it would all play out. He seemed to be saying, You started this, and now ‘tis up to thee to finish it.
A tremor started running through his hands, and he clenched them to keep from shaking. He’d miscalculated. He’d thought Cinderella would come forward the moment she saw Rushton. He’d been wrong. He closed his eyes and then reopened them. There would be no going back from this decision. “It seems that I am left with no other choice but than to find the two of you …” His voice failed him. He couldn’t find the words. He began again. “I am left with no other choice but to find the two of you—”
“Stop!”
Aalexander turned. Weak relief rushed over him when he saw Cinderella stand. Saved in the knick of time. Seraphina had her by the arm and was whispering furiously in her ear, but Cinderella was shaking her head and pulling away. Tears were streaming down her face. “I want to change my testimony.”
Love Spell: Book 2 of The Grimm Laws Page 35
