by Laura Kenyon
“Not to worry,” she heard him reply. “The polls don’t even close until midnight. Only a few districts are reporting so far, but right now the thrones are all—”
His sudden silence caused Belle to dump the entire box of crackers into the porcelain bowl. Tiny seeded hexagons bubbled up like over-boiled rice and spilled onto the floor. Beast handled cleanup while she cursed, dropped the box on the table, and raced into the living room.
“Fifty-seven percent in favor of dissolving the monarchies,” she read, her hands suddenly limp. She resisted as Gray wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close.
“Don’t worry,” he said, picking a crumb from her hair. “They only just started counting.” She melted into him. “Believe me, it’s going to be okay. That article was phenomenal and exactly the sort of honesty people have been waiting years to see from their leaders. There’s no way Angus is going to win.”
Belle opened her mouth to reply, but couldn’t decide on the words. Matilda’s article had been phenomenal. It cast off Angus Kane’s fleece to expose a calculating, salivating wolf. It handed the entire realm access to their rulers’ deepest, darkest secrets. It created a political climate so tense, she could have slashed it with a corkscrew. It gave Belle and her friends a certain level of protection as the world scrutinized Angus Kane’s every move. But without the Charmés’ confirmation that he was responsible for their imprisonment … without his confession or a receipt in his name for anabolic steroids in bulk … was it enough?
“I’ll get it,” she said as the doorbell rang and their first four guests toppled in hauling glass bottles and bakery boxes and tight, jittery faces. As if the vote wasn’t nerve-racking enough, they were also waiting to hear from Ruby and the other purebloods, who were gearing up to swipe the stone any moment—just in case.
“Thanks for having us,” Snow said, making a beeline for the bassinet in the corner. She’d finally ditched the excessive makeup and was looking like herself again—with a few, subtle upgrades. “I know we should be on Tantalise tonight of all nights, but with our cottage uninhabitable and the castle still being used as a spiritual learning center, we figured the people would understand.”
“That and she’s going through baby withdrawal,” Griffin said, his voice forcing amusement though his eyes held a mixture of sadness and concern. “Please, any time you need a babysitter, call us.” He paused to accept a beer from Gray, then tipped it back and turned toward the news. “Really. Any time at all.”
* * *
At nine o’clock, the vote to dissolve the monarchies was still unnervingly close but support for ending magic had dropped all the way into single digits—leading Gray to once again question why Angus even floated the idea in the first place.
“Was he just trying to scare us? Was it a distraction?” he asked, shaking his head from the couch. He was sitting on the middle cushion, feet on the coffee table, between Belle and Snow. “I just don’t get it.”
A slumbering Rye smacked his lips together in Gray’s lap, as if agreeing in his own infant way. A smile crept up the far side of Belle’s mouth. She liked the way they looked together, and was beginning to regret inviting Donner even though he had nowhere else to go. For someone who’d come careening into her life with no fear of death and a self-professed inability to love, Gray certainly had changed. And while she couldn’t deny missing his cavalier spirit sometimes (especially when he became overprotective instead), she knew that was better for her and Rye. Better for being part of a family. Better for raising a child.
She reached out to hold Gray’s hand as Rapunzel flashed her a proud, knowing smile. Then she rested her head between his shoulder and the side of his neck. It fit her like a winter hat, the fun kind with pom poms on top and flaps covering both ears. Gently, her thumb ran up and down the scars on his forearm—the scars she’d decided never to ask him about because she didn’t need to know all the details. Everyone had secrets. Everyone had done things they were ashamed of. Whatever these meant to him, to her they were simply a leg of the road that had brought him here.
* * *
By ten thirty, the proposition to destroy magic was formally declared dead, but the vote to end the monarchies was too close to call. Kingdom by kingdom, Tantalise was overwhelmingly in favor of keeping their monarchs in charge. Carpale lingered at a surprisingly low seventy percent, possibly because no one knew exactly how, when, or in what condition the Charmés would be found. Regian was hopping back and forth across the halfway mark. Riverfell was bringing up the rear. And Braddax was sinking like a bowling ball catapulted from a lighthouse.
“Don’t take it personally,” Gray said, pretending to give Rye a pep talk. “They’re just used to someone a little … taller.”
Belle smirked and gave his arm a playful jab. She would never admit it out loud, but she wasn’t entirely against Marestam becoming a full democracy—or at least Braddax. That’s presuming Angus was removed from office immediately and her friends still got to live in their castles. She just didn’t want that life for her son. But either way, they’d survive. They’d make the best of it.
“Has anyone heard from Ruby?” Snow asked. “Or the others? Should we tell them they voted to keep magic?”
A short discussion began, during which they decided the vote shouldn’t deter them from taking Jacara’s powers out of play. That rock, or charm, or whatever it was, had to be destroyed. They just couldn’t risk it falling into the wrong hands—or Angus deciding to use it regardless of the vote.
* * *
Forty-five minutes before midnight, Ruby sent Belle a message saying they were closing in on the stone, and frazzled newscasters announced that Donner Wickenham had just turned himself in at Marestam Central Prison.
Belle leapt from her seat to call him, but then changed course and plopped down to cuddle with Beast instead. She would probably have to walk a fine line between Donner and Gray forever, but was proud of him for taking responsibility for his actions—and putting some uncharacteristic faith in the people of Marestam.
* * *
Ten minutes before the polls officially closed, the pro-monarchy numbers in Braddax rocketed past those in Regian, and even Riverfell received a noticeable boost. Dawn called Belle within seconds of this change.
“Did you tell him to do that?” she asked, her voice piercing. “I never thought I’d say this, but thank you, Donner!”
“Yeah,” Belle answered, relieved that she’d taken the call in the kitchen—and hadn’t put her on speaker. “Me too. But no, it wasn’t my idea.”
“Well you can’t deny that those numbered leapt up as soon as he turned himself in. I don’t think it’s a coincidence. I don’t see how there’s any way we can lose the vote now. Now all we need is to get the all clear from Ruby and we’re—”
The line went dead as the entire cabin quaked and everything went black. Something fell from the edge of the kitchen counter, and Belle heard it shatter against the floor. She stretched her hands out and felt her way back to the living room, grabbing a flashlight on the way.
“What the heck was that?” she asked, following the beam to Rye’s room and finding nothing amiss. She jumped as something brushed against her leg, then saw the dim reflection of Beast’s eyes. She shined the flashlight on the floor and led them both back into the living room.
“Snow,” she said, skirting a poorly placed ottoman, “you’ll be happy to know that Rye’s still fast aslee—”
She stopped, centering the flashlight on Snow’s end of the couch. She was slumped over the armrest beside Griffin, who was trying frantically to shake her awake. “Babe!” he called, not acknowledging anyone else. Snow’s neck flopped limply to the side as he tapped her cheek. He then tried to pull her up, but her arms did the same thing. “Sweetheart, open your eyes!” He flashed Belle a look of pure horror. “Wake up!”
A few seconds later, the lights flickered back on. Everyone sprang up to help Snow. Everyone, that is, but Ethan.
“W
hat’s going on?” he asked, reaching for Rapunzel but touching nothing but air. His eyes cast downward but at nothing in particular, and there was a rising panic spreading across his face. “Rapunzel, where are you?” His hands rose again.
Belle gaped from Snow to Rapunzel to Ethan and back again, then heard three concentrated explosions in the front yard. She reached the door in two seconds flat and flung it open.
“What’s going on?” she shouted as Hazel, Ruby, and Elmina stared back at her. They were hunched and ragged. Ruby appeared to be crying. Elmina had a limp. All three of them seemed to be covered in soot. “Are you okay?” she pressed, her arms and legs suddenly jelly. “Did you get the stone? Are we—”
“Where’s Grethel?” Rapunzel suddenly shrieked, racing over the threshold but clinging to the door. The three fairies looked at her, then each other, then down. The devastation on their faces was undeniable. Rapunzel repeated the question, her voice beginning to shred.
Then Elmina hobbled forward, looked Rapunzel in the eye, and gave her the news. Their powers had overloaded the stone. Angus must have planned it. They barely escaped with their lives. Grethel … Grethel didn’t make it.
The next thing Belle felt was a strain around her heart, her friend’s full weight on her elbow, and the cold, hard ground.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
RAPUNZEL
In most cases, the Pulse only lasted a few minutes. For others, it was hours. Everyone who had magical abilities found themselves temporarily ordinary, and everyone who’d been affected by magic found out what life would have been like had they not. For some, this meant encountering a different spouse. For others, it meant grieving the loss of a loved one who, in reality, magic had saved. For the people of Selladóre, it meant either a black void or a white light or a second life as a lobster—depending on whom you asked.
The experts said Jacara’s powers had self-combusted. They explained that between the Hall of Curiosities’ charms and the powers of four purebloods, things just got out of hand. The stone went on overload and sent out a supernatural shockwave, freezing magic all over the world. Thankfully, this was only temporary. It was all just a glimpse.
Everything seemed back to normal by Tuesday morning. Snow was walking and talking just as she did after Griffin’s kiss so many years ago. Dawn, Morning, and Day, were healthy and happy to be alive. Almost everyone experienced a new lease on life, a determination to “live for today,” and a resolution to not let things like regret or anger bog them down—except, of course, when it came to Angus Kane, who many believed planned the Pulse and expected it to be permanent. And in the southeastern corner of Ellada, a brave group of hikers who’d heard about the Charmés plight ventured into the cursed town while the magic was down and guided twenty-seven people to safety.
They’d taken a tremendous risk, not knowing when or whether the magic would return, and were being hailed as heroes worldwide. The people of Carpale were overjoyed to see Cinderella and Aaron returned safely, as were their children and everyone else who’d held out hope that a lost loved one would someday turn up. But no one was more surprised than Belle. For when Cinderella stepped off the plane at Marestam International Airport, she had by her side a frail-looking woman with chestnut brown waves, a noticeably small nose, and a nervous, unworthy smile. Belle had forgotten to breath the moment their eyes met.
“I left your father,” her mother said as she stood in front of Belle, looking her up and down in outright amazement at the woman she’d become. “I left because he was no longer the man I fell in love with. Because the choices he made ruined our reputation and robbed my children of the lives they deserved. And yes, because I fell for someone else who wasn’t a heck of a lot better, as it turned out. But there’s a difference between needing a few days away and disappearing for twenty years. I was a mother. I always intended to come back for you. I left your father,” she said again, “but I never in a million years would have left you.”
It was the sort of reunion that spread a blanket of hope from the western shores of Regian to the eastern reef of Stularia. Nothing was ever lost forever, it said. No story was ever fully known. No one was doomed to repeat the mistakes of their forebears, live and die under the shadow of the past, or give up their dreams because the deck seemed stacked against them.
For Belle, that meant showing Rye what strength looks like in a woman, and going to bed each night without regret. For Snow, it meant finding a way to be the mother she’d always wanted to be, regardless of what her body allowed. For Dawn, it meant diving headfirst into her family and giving them everything she had. For Penny, it meant staying true to her ambitions no matter what happened to her and Logan’s crown. And for Rapunzel, it meant exposing her heart to the dirty, unpredictable world that had sprung up around her while she wasn’t paying attention.
Weeks later, she still lived for the occasional, thinly researched story saying the Pulse wasn’t completely over. That some effects were still waiting to be lifted. That Ethan’s continued blindness might mean Jacara’s powers were still circulating somewhere—not that Grethel was truly gone. After all, no one ever found her body. Perhaps she just wanted to be alone for a while.
After a month, however, the reality began to set in—as did the food aversions, the fatigue, and the daily after-breakfast hurl she could no longer blame on motion sickness. In all of the commotion with Belle, she’d lost track of her monthly check-in.
“There’s just so much I wish I’d told you,” she whispered one day at the foot of a marble obelisk a few blocks from Marestam General Hospital. The Realm had erected it in honor of Grethel, whose funeral had closed down half of Carpale. “I assumed there would be time after we saved the world. I wanted you to know that I believe everything you did, you did because you loved me. To me, you were always my mother, no matter what anyone else thinks. And I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I should have told you this while I had the chance. But I promise I’m not going to make the same mistake twice.”
She paused, jostled a blue velvet box between her fingers, and smiled. She’d have to leave in a few minutes to get ready for the dedication of Tantalise Castle, which Snow and Griffin were turning into an orphanage, but she wanted Grethel to be the first to hear this.
“I know Ethan worries about being a burden,” she said, looking around to make sure she was alone, “but to me he’s just my Ethan. He still looks the same, talks the same, laughs the same, jokes the same. He still makes me smile, dream, think, and hope like no one else. And his kisses—” She stopped to laugh. “Believe it or not, his kisses are even better. Must be a heightened senses sort of thing. Sure, some things are different. He won’t be making any late night pickle runs to the supermarket for me, but so what? At the risk of sounding like pre-independence Belle, he fills up parts of me that I never even knew were empty. I have no problem being his eyes. It’s a fair trade for the rest of him. I hope you approve.”
* * *
“I can’t really describe it other than to say we spent every morning cuddling, every day dancing, and every evening—pardon my candor—every evening making love. We had no worries, no cares, no fears, no regrets.” Cinderella laughed and took a long sip of her champagne. “Honestly, if it wasn’t for the whole memory-draining imprisonment thing, I’d advise all of you to take a romantic getaway to, ah, what was it called again?”
“Circadia,” Aaron said, shaking his head but smiling at his wife’s ability to find the silver lining even in being kidnapped. “And yes, there is some bliss in ignorance. No responsibilities, no stress, no regrets, no worries. But if you ladies hadn’t organized that magical blackout, our poor kids would be spending the rest of their lives trying to figure out whether their parents abandoned them or were murdered. Let’s not forget that.”
“I know,” Cindy cooed, giving her husband’s shoulder a playful push. “I’m not justifying what that reptile did. Angus Kane deserves every second of his sentence. The judge was absolutely right to throw the boo
k at him. But Ruby … I mean Ruby at least meant well. And if you think about it, the Pulse kind of vindicated what she said about broken curses returning and all that.”
Aaron rolled his eyes but beamed. “My wife is the only one who thinks one year in jail and five more of supervised probation is harsh for turning a sitting monarch into an animal.”
“Oh. No, I’m fine with that,” she clarified. “It’s not the legal sentence I think is harsh; it’s the social one.” She shook her head but then pulled her fading smile back up. “But this is a celebration so … Sorry. Happy thoughts. See what I mean about ignorance being bliss?”
Now it was Aaron’s turn to shake his head. “Well, as much as I’m enjoying this, I think I’ll take a look at the bar. Dare I ask what the Whites are considering libations these days?”
“Non-alcoholic beer,” Penny grumbled.
“Virgin margaritas,” said Rapunzel, raising a glass filled with a neon green liquid and tipping it in a mock toast.
“Bona fide thirty-proof merlot,” Cindy chirped, then leaned forward and shielded her raspy, top-secret whisper. “Use the bar by the fireplace and ask for cranberry cooler.” A wink. “I planned ahead.”
Aaron laughed, asked if he could get anything for anyone, and turned around to navigate Tantalise Castle’s former throne room—now the auditorium for Second Chances Orphanage and Grammar School.
As soon as he was gone, Belle launched forward, threw her arms around Cinderella, and repeated what seemed to be the theme of the month—how happy they were to have her back.
Cinderella blushed and thumbed the sash wrapped around her burgundy dress. “How’s your mother doing?”
Belle blushed, but there was no denying the way her eyes lit up at this question. “She’s great. I still can’t believe she was lost in that town for all those years. I never understood how she could just abandon us like that but. . .” She sniffled and gave Cinderella a huge smile. “Anyway, she’s babysitting Rye tonight. And last weekend we actually got together with all of my siblings and—”
