by M. J. Haag
“Bitch!” he roared, coming at me. He struck me in the face, knocking me aside. I fell near the hearth and grabbed a burning log.
Before I could swing it at him, he grabbed it from my hands with a pained grunt and tossed it aside.
“She gave me a task,” he panted. He groped in his pants with his good hand and gripped my arm with the burnt one. His expression twisted with a blend of pleasure and pain. I kicked at him and he backhanded me. My chain rattled with our struggles. He lifted me in his arms then slammed me on the ground. Before I knew it, I was pinned under his weight. I could feel him trying to position himself as he held my free arm.
Everything slowed as I looked up at him. His face was bloody and angry. Underneath the mask, I still saw my friend. I saw him as I wrapped the chain around his neck. I saw him as I rolled and squirmed and beat at him. I saw him as his face reddened, and he gasped for air. And finally, at the end, he saw me.
“El…”
It was an apology, not just for the moment but for everything before what just occurred, too.
His weight slumped against me. Because it was wasted by Maeve’s magic, it didn’t take me long to be free of his body. I sat beside him and silently cried. I cried for everyone I’d lost and everyone I had yet to lose.
I couldn’t be sure how long I sat there before Maeve walked in.
“I told you there were more ways to be hurt. You will learn.”
Anger blazed inside of me. Releasing his burned hand, I looked up at her.
“This is what you wanted?”
“Not at all. I wanted an obedient daughter. However, this is the bitter lesson that life must often teach us. We will always want what is just out of our reach.”
“That’s not a life lesson.”
Her lips curved in a small smile.
“You are correct. That’s our nature.”
“Yours, not mine. I want nothing more than what I had before you came.”
“That is because you had everything. Live with nothing for a few days and tell me you still need nothing.”
She swept out of the room, leaving me as I was. A short time later, Cecilia and Porcia came and removed Hugh’s body.
Dirty, naked, and hungry, I lay on the cold stone before the unlit hearth. Had I been smart, I would have hidden away Hugh’s shirt before he was taken to the woods.
Porcia entered the kitchen from the dining room.
“This is all your fault,” she said angrily. “We had servants to do this.”
“This” was the terribly menial task of slicing bread and salted meat for their morning meal. I turned my head to watch her, unable to help myself. Even day-old bread was better than no bread. Instead of seeing Porcia cutting bread, I saw the reflection of myself on the floor. I was hardly recognizable.
A ripple of something shimmered across the smoky surface. Had I not been staring at the mirror, I would have never noticed it. I glanced at Porcia who continued to grumble, unaware something had just happened. Not that it mattered because Maeve was very aware. She strode into the kitchen several long moments later.
There was a measured amount of impatience in her stride and expression. For two days, the mirror and the bells had remained silent, and Maeve’s temperament had deteriorated by the hour. Porcia, well aware of her mother’s mood, ducked her head and worked faster as Maeve approached the mirror.
“I am here. Show me who calls.”
The mirror’s surface clouded then cleared to reveal Grimm. The man looked delightfully terrible. His dirty, worn clothes hung torn and ragged from his body. Color darkened one eye, and his nose appeared swollen and crooked. Tufts of hair stuck out oddly near patches that seemed a bit thin.
“My Lady,” he said with a deep bow and reverence.
“Where is she?” Maeve demanded.
“She remains with the small men. Magic protects them all. We could not get to her. I am all that remains. I wanted to gaze upon you one last time before I attempt to retrieve her again.”
Maeve made a sound of impatience.
“Stay as you are and wait for my summons.”
The mirror dimmed, and I saw Maeve’s angry expression. Porcia, finished with her task of fixing them something to eat, set the knife aside and quietly carried the plate to the table. She said nothing, but Maeve watched her with a narrowed gaze.
“I’m surrounded by incompetent fools,” she said softly before focusing on the mirror again. “How can one child elude so many?”
Her gaze met mine in the cloudy surface, and she slowly turned, a smile growing.
“What a sight you are,” she said with a low chuckle. “I’m tempted to leave you just as you are. One of the fairest in the land reduced to the look of a starving street beggar. Prince Greydon certainly won’t consider you now, will he?”
Cecilia swept into the room, her eyes dancing merrily.
“Of course, he wouldn’t. Covered in soot and desperation, Eloise couldn’t catch a man fresh from the docks.”
Maeve’s gaze locked on her daughter.
“Do you truly believe that?”
Some of Cecilia’s humor faded as Maeve turned to the mirror.
“Show me the fairest in the land. Those with the beauty to tempt Prince Greydon’s hand.”
The surface shifted, growing dark for so long that I thought it was trying to indicate no woman would tempt Prince Greydon. Given his arrogant presence, I wouldn’t have been surprised. Then the surface lighted, reflecting me even in my current state.
Cecilia gasped softly, and I fought not to laugh at her outrage. My image faded to be replaced by my sister. She once again slept, but far differently from before. She wore a light shift that left nothing to the imagination. Her hair lay in a dark halo around her pale face. Her slightly parted lips and the flush coloring of her cheeks made her seem more woman than young maid. I blinked at my twin in surprise before her image disappeared, and several others flashed on the surface before it finally showed Cecilia and Porcia.
“It will take more than dirt and questionable attire to hide your sister’s beauty,” Maeve said. There was no anger in her tone, only calculation. I wished I could hear her thoughts.
“Cecilia, go to the market for a piece of fruit. Select the most tempting one you find. Take a horse and make haste. Do not fail me.”
“There is bread and meat, Mama,” Porcia said softly.
Maeve turned on her youngest.
“The fruit is not for me, my sweet. It is for your sister, Kellen.”
I fisted my hands and sat up, fighting the urge to shiver.
“What are you going to do?” I demanded.
“If you both refuse to see your value to me as proper young ladies, then it is my duty, as your mother, to help you learn.” She turned to Porcia. “Come, my darling. I will need your help to trick your sister. She will return home on her own once I’m done with her.”
Chapter Seventeen
Porcia entered the kitchen and threw a homespun, tawny cloak at me.
“Clean yourself with that, and I’ll give you something to wear.”
I quickly wiped my face, arms, and legs with the cloak. The yellow-brown color became more muted with my filth by the time I finished and tossed it back to her.
She hung the cloak on the corner of the mirror and left again, leaving me with my reflection. Though dirt no longer marred my face, I looked slovenly. Using my fingers, I combed my hair and created a rough braid in its length. It didn’t help. How could the mirror possibly think a pompous ass like Prince Greydon would ever fall for me as I was?
I turned my back to the mirror and sat on the stool to wait for Porcia and my promised clothing. However, that wasn’t who entered several minutes later. An old woman shuffled into the kitchen, her brown eyes sweeping the room and landing on the cloak.
Feeling an odd itch of awareness tingle its way up my back, I covered my chest.
She chuckled softly to herself, seeming not to notice me, and continued her slow pace acro
ss the room. The dress she wore hung from her thin frame and swished around her bare feet while the long, soft wisps of her light grey hair moved against her shoulders. When she reached the mirror, she tugged the cloak free and met my gaze in the glass.
“I’ve already seen all that you have, my darling. Covering yourself now is hardly worth the effort.”
The words sent a chill through me as I stared into the brown eyes that struck a faint chord of familiarity. Other than a hint in the eyes, there was no resemblance between the woman before me and Maeve. However, the way she continued to study me as she settled the cloak around her shoulders left no doubt.
Porcia entered the room, a simple servant’s dress in her arms.
Maeve nodded to Porcia, who handed me the dress. They both watched me step into the skirt then Maeve chuckled when I couldn’t place my shackled arm into the sleeve. She waved her hand and the shackle fell away.
It felt good to be free of its weight, and I quickly slipped my arm into the dress.
“You may have clothing,” Maeve said. “But you may not yet have your freedom.”
The shackle immediately rose up and closed over my wrist again.
“Keep her chained unless there’s a raid,” Maeve said to Porcia.
“Yes, Mama.”
Maeve’s gaze drifted to the door a moment before we heard the horse’s hooves pound into the yard. Cecilia arrived through the kitchen door a moment later. Her cheeks were rosy and her hair windswept. Her beauty was unmistakable.
She offered Maeve the small basket she carried.
“I picked the best and the worst,” she said.
Maeve smiled at her daughter and patted her cheek. “Very clever of you.”
I didn’t miss the side glance that Cecilia gave me at Maeve’s praise.
Maeve plucked an apple from the basket and held it up before the mirror. Its red perfection hinted at a juicy sweet treat.
“Such a rare bounty this time of year,” Maeve said.
“It cost a small fortune,” Cecilia said. “A boat laden with fruit had just docked.”
A glow radiated from Maeve’s chest as she gazed at the apple.
“With a bite of this fruit so juicy and sweet, a forbidden fate our Kellen will meet.” Maeve’s grin widened before she turned her back on me and continued the whispered spell.
Cecilia laughed and clasped her hands, her eyes dancing with delight as I strained to hear what Maeve said. I caught a few words. Sleep. Lover’s touch. But nothing that would help me understand what curse she was weaving.
The reflection of green light died and Maeve tucked the apple into her basket before turning toward Cecilia.
“Remove the mirror from Eloise’s sight while I’m gone. No need to tempt her. I’ll return within three days. Hunt for news of the Prince. I expect glad tidings when I return.”
Maeve shuffled to the door then paused before opening it.
“Oh, and see if you can break the protection spell.”
With that, Maeve left and Cecilia turned to me with an evil smile.
The glow from Cecilia’s necklace faded with her final word. Porcia sat on the bench, watching from a safer distance. This wasn’t Cecilia’s first attempt to break the spell. I’d felt the unnatural tingle of her magic and hoped this endeavor would fail like the ones before.
Cecilia picked up the fire poker, her face twisting into an evil mask of anticipation. I prepared myself. She knew I wouldn’t just stand there and take a blow and was counting on a fight. Which was why they’d shortened my chain for the time being, giving me only seven links. It was the chained arm she meant to hit and hoped to break.
She lifted the poker, and I fisted my hand. She struck fast, bringing the metal rod down on my arm as I kicked out at her. My foot grazed her thigh as the metal touched down on my arm. Light flared where the rod touched my skin, and I watched Cecilia fly across the room with an immense sense of satisfaction. Although I’d told Rose not to reflect back the damage meant for me, that seemed to have changed with Cecilia’s last spell.
Porcia’s eyes rounded as Cecilia crashed into the cutting block and crumpled to the floor.
“Foolish girl,” Porcia said to me before rushing to her sister’s side.
“Did it work?” Cecilia asked, her words slurred.
“No. The protection spell’s hold seems to have tightened.”
She helped Cecilia to her feet.
“Come, sister. Let us rest for a bit then go to town. We must have news before Mama returns.”
Cecilia nodded, and I breathed a sigh of relief as the pair finally left me in peace. They had spent a day and a half attempting to break the spell protecting me. Cecilia had even gone so far as to wait until I slept and then attempted to beat me. Although I was unhurt, I was exhausted.
I sat on the stool and stared at the fire’s dying embers. Now that I had clothes, there was no reason to withhold heat. Not that having either had greatly improved my situation. Though I was warm, I was still hungry and thirsty. Looking at the table set with bread, cheese, and a pitcher of wine, my stomach growled. Since Maeve left, Cecilia had made sure to leave both food and water visible but out of my reach.
Angry, I turned away from the sight and considered my circumstance and Kellen’s. If the little men protecting her had beaten the trackers, perhaps they would see Maeve for what she was and continue to protect my sister. If Maeve failed, that meant she would return here and continue her plan, whatever that may be. And her greatest asset continued to be her damnable mirror and the amulet. Attached to Maeve as it was, the amulet would be as impossible to destroy as the mirror.
Something popped in the hearth, sending embers floating upward. Idly turning the cuff circling my wrist, I tracked the path of one. Like me, it drifted on a course in which it had no control.
I sat there for a long while before I heard the sisters leave through the main door. Bitterly, I hoped Cecilia's ears would ring for a week.
My gaze once more returned to the table. Standing, I grabbed the stool and threw it at the broom propped against the wall. The rod fell sideways, just as far out of my reach as it had been before. Annoyed, I picked up the poker and once more attempted to stretch far enough to catch the longer object, not that the broom would do me much good if I managed to get it. The table was twice its distance from me. But I was tired of doing nothing.
The metal bit into my skin for only a moment before the discomfort vanished. I tugged, and I strained, my anger growing as the end of the poker came within an inch of the broom. I shouted and heaved with all of my might.
Suddenly, I fell forward.
I crashed against the floor in a heap and looked back at the hearth, confused. The chain hung from its anchor, and the manacle lay on the floor, still locked. I lifted my hand, looking at the undamaged skin with a growing smile.
I’d pulled myself free. I stood and rushed for the table only to stop short at the last second. If I ate the food, they would know I could free myself. I would have more freedom if they thought me still contained. Changing course, I went down to the cold storage and found some wilted carrots from last fall. I took three then returned to the kitchen and went to drink my fill from the well.
Breathing deeply, I debated what to do next. They had only just left, and the sun beckoned me to stay in its warmth as long as possible. Giving in to the urge, I walked around the house, following the path to Mother’s grave. The birds sang loudly in greeting, and I smiled and twirled, lifting my arms to the sunlight.
Freedom had never felt so fine.
Smiling to myself, I entered the clearing. Instead of sitting on the bench, I walked among the flowers and inhaled their fresh scent until I stood near the tree. The little bird chirped at me in greeting.
“Hello, my little friend. Will you sing me a song?”
It warbled out a few happy notes, and I closed my eyes in contentment for a moment before resuming my circling walk in the flowers. It didn’t take long for Kaven to appear. I stopp
ed my wandering steps and watched his approach.
“You look tired,” I said.
“So do you and many of the people of Towdown,” he said.
I nodded sadly.
“I heard the bells and saw for myself the sickness spreading in the market two days ago.”
He moved to the bench and sat, looking up at me.
“I was worried I would need to leave before I saw you again,” he said.
“Leave?”
“Yes. With the King ill, the Prince will be expected to return to the castle now.”
“Ah.” I hadn’t considered that and was as relieved that Kaven would be leaving as I was sad. He was the only friend I had left to me.
I sat beside him and leaned my head on his shoulder as I listened to the bird’s song.
“I will come back,” he said softly, his arm moving around my back.
“No,” I said. “After the King is well again and when the Prince has less need of you, I will come to you. When I’m ready.”
He held me close, his fingers tracing patterns on my side before he chuckled.
“Why is it you favor these dresses so?”
I turned my head to look up at him.
“Why ruin perfectly good dresses when I wander the woods?”
“You used to wear perfectly good dresses while climbing through windows.”
I grinned.
“And I ruined them.”
“Ah. So you’re up to no good today?”
“Most definitely.”
His laugh ended with a light cough. I jerked my head from his shoulder and looked at him.
“I’ll be fine,” he said softly.
“We both will,” I said before closing the distance between us. At the last moment, he tried to pull back, but I threaded my fingers in his hair and tugged him forward.
Our lips met, and Kaven groaned. The hand at my side pressed into my ribs, pulling me closer and sending waves of warmth and desire through me. I lifted my free hand to his shoulder, exploring the feel of him under his rough coat. He was broad and strong and lifted me into his lap. I settled with a sigh, leaning into him.
