Halia: Daughter of Cinderella

by Armitage, J. A

  “I am the law.”

  “You can’t do this!”

  “I can’t? I can do anything I please! Watch me.”

  I threw my knee upward as hard as I could, repeatedly going for his groin, yet failing to reach it. I tried to scratch him with my fingernails, but his face was too far away, making it impossible to hurt his eyes or any other vital part. And when his forearms began to bleed from my nails, he barely even glanced at them.

  Pinning my arms down with one hand, he began to unzip his pants with his other hand. I bucked and thrashed underneath him to no avail. How could this be happening to me? Why wasn’t anything I was doing working? I needed a weapon.

  Desperately, I glanced around but couldn’t find anything on the ground, not even a stone. Victor also didn’t have a weapon on him as far as I could see, and anyhow, my arms were still pinned down. Breathing hard, he leaned forward, his body crushing mine, and I knew I had only seconds before he plunged himself into me. I had to think and act quickly.

  What could I do? His body was immobilizing me. I had no weapons.

  Use your gift, my inner voice whispered.

  I opened my lips, but his hand came down and clamped down on my mouth. Clearly, he was afraid I would scream. While his hand prevented me from screaming, I could still sing.

  “Let go of me now, let go of me now,” I sang.

  Victor’s hand came off, and he chuckled. “Really, you think your singing will help you?” He positioned himself above me, pushing my legs apart.

  “Leave me alone, leave me alone,” I sang, willing every ounce of power I had into my voice.

  He paused, hesitation written on his face.

  “I am no longer yours. I am no longer yours.

  You must let me go, step away from me.”

  Victor’s face contorted as if he was in pain. “What is this witchery?”

  “You must leave, you must leave. Let me go right now,” I belted out as much as my shallow breathing and galloping heart allowed.

  A vein bulged in his neck, and his hands trembled. Slowly, his weight shifted off me. I was tempted to defend myself physically again, but my gut told me to focus on the singing.

  “You must leave now, you must leave and never come into my life again and never come into my life again.”

  Victor’s hands flexed and closed rapidly by his sides. His nostrils flared. And yet he took another step back.

  “Go away from me, go away and leave me alone. Forget me. Forget me completely.”

  He turned around and began walking away.

  Tears ran down my face, but I continued singing, sensing I wasn’t safe yet.

  “Go away, go away, and leave me forever. Forget me. Forget me completely.”

  It was only when I could no longer see Victor that I stopped singing and rose to my unsteady feet.

  If I hadn’t had my voice, if I hadn’t found the courage to sing, Victor would have hurt me very badly. With my back sore from where he had pushed me onto the ground and my dress torn, I headed toward the market, singing underneath my breath, willing my voice and words to calm me and stop the trembling in my body.

  “Evil, stay away from me. Let me pass peacefully, let me pass peacefully.”

  I repeated the three phrases like a mantra, like a song stuck on replay. The panic abated, but what Victor had shattered within me didn’t meld.

  Arcadia was my home. Arcadia was supposed to be safe, welcoming, and loving. After today, it didn’t feel like that anymore. After today, it had become tarnished. No one had been around to help me when a patrolman who was supposed to protect the city’s citizens had attacked me. Not just any patrolman, but one who had claimed he loved me only a week ago.

  My belief in the goodness of others was splintering. First, Acacia. Now, Victor.

  I knew I should count myself lucky since I had gotten away. However, as grateful as I was for my inner strength, I was devastated that Arcadia was turning into a city where only the strong survived, where money and weapons ruled.

  I only stopped singing when I reached Daydream. With most patrons preparing to go back to work on Monday, the bar was open only until midnight on Sundays, which explained why there were no customers when I entered. Tia was sitting cross-legged on the bar, laughing at something Mikka had said.

  I attempted to walk past them, wanting nothing more than to wash off the dirt from my skin. But Tia noticed me. From my peripheral vision, I knew she was running toward me.

  “What happened to you?” She scanned my disheveled appearance and waited for me to meet her eyes.

  “Victor,” I rasped.

  Immediately, the terror in her eyes turned into a sharp blade. “I’m going to kill him for this.”

  “He’ll never come near me again.”

  There was a question on her face, but before she could pose it, Mikka joined us, asking, “Are you all right?”

  “She will be once you freeze off Victor’s balls,” Tia said, and I managed a half-smile before my legs gave out. Luckily, Mikka and Tia grabbed an arm each and sat me down into a booth.

  Tia gently pushed the hair out of my face. “Tell me.”

  I took a deep breath and recounted everything.

  When I was done talking, Tia jumped up. “I’m going to kill him!”

  I shook my head. “He won’t hurt me again. I compelled him to stay away from me.”

  “You don’t really think that your voice…he was probably just shocked.”

  I grabbed Tia’s hand and pulled her back into the booth. “My voice has magic in it. Lorenzo confirmed it.”

  Tia gave me an uncertain look, then glanced to Mikka for help, who was sitting across from us in the booth.

  “She’s right,” the half-ice demon said. “Victor won’t hurt her again. In the future, he’ll stay away from her.”

  Tia nodded slowly. Her face contorted in a grimace. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you found out that you had magic in your voice. I should’ve been there for you.”

  I swallowed hard at the opening Tia had given me. The night had been trying enough, but I couldn’t continue to push off the talk I needed to have with Tia. “We both had a lot on our minds,” I began. I forced a smile. “I’m happy you found a new friend, but I have to admit that I’m a bit hurt. A lot, actually. You completely disappeared.” I met Mikka’s black eyes that flashed with something. “I’m not jealous of you. I just wish I would have been included in some of the things you guys did.”

  Mikka and Tia exchanged a meaningful glance, which only made me feel more excluded.

  “The thing is,” Tia began, and I braced myself, expecting to hear that it was my fault, that I had changed too much, and that now that we didn’t work together, Tia simply was closer to Mikka because she saw her all the time.

  “The thing is,” Tia repeated, “Mikka and I are more than friends.”

  I choked out a laugh. “Yes, I get it. You’re best friends now. I’ve been replaced.” I hugged myself. Why did she have to rub it in, especially tonight after what had happened with Victor? “You don’t have to be so cruel about it. Don’t you care at all about all the years of friendship we had?”

  “Of course, I do!” Tia hugged me. “You misunderstood me. You’ll always be my best friend. What I meant was that Mikka and I are more than friends because we are in love.”

  I blinked; then my gaze zigzagged between Mikka and Tia. “But you’ve always dated men,” I finally blurted out.

  Tia shrugged. “And it never worked out. But that’s not the point. I don’t care whether Mikka is female or male. I’m in love with her because of who she is, not what gender she is.”

  Wow, that had happened fast. They had only known each other a week, but then again, that’s what Tia was like—fiery and intense.

  “Say something,” Tia said, her voice quiet for once.

  I glanced at Mikka. “Are you in love with Tia as well?”

  The ice demon wrapped her long, white hair around her tiny wrist. “I’m
not really good talking about all that stuff, but yes, I care a lot for Tia.”

  I smiled. “Then I’m happy for both of you.” But not everyone would be. “It won’t be easy, will it?”

  Mikka tugged on her lacy top. “Demons don’t care about same-sex relationships, but humans seem to. Then, there’s also me being a half-demon. Neither party will appreciate that.”

  “Most people don’t know that you’re a half-demon,” I pointed out, unsure whether that was helpful or not.

  “They will after I help you put on your show.”

  I bit my lip. I needed all the help I could get to win the royal competition, but I didn’t want to force Mikka to reveal herself to Arcadia if she wasn’t ready. “I can’t use your ice. It’s against the rules and I don’t want to push you into—”

  “No,” she cut me off. “I appreciate it, but I’ve been hiding for a long time. It’s time to embrace what I am.”

  I wished I could say the same. How I wished I could stop hiding the golden rings in my eyes. Soon. Once I knew what they meant. A yawn escaped me.

  “I think it’s time for us all to go to sleep.” Tia stood and took my hands to help me up from the booth.

  “I don’t want to be alone tonight,” I said.

  Tia glanced at Mikka, who nodded. “You won’t be. I’ll be right next to you.”

  “Are you sure?” I needed my friend, but I didn’t want to annoy Mikka.

  Tia grinned. “Yes. It will be just like old times.”

  Mikka gave Tia a quick peck on the lips, and I glanced downward, feeling like I was intruding on something private.

  “Are you okay with this, Mikka?” I asked when they pulled away.

  Mikka flashed me a smile, her teeth sharp, reminding me that even though she looked like a tiny girl, she was a force to be reckoned with. “I never wanted to take your friend.” She gave Tia a gentle shove, and Tia and I walked upstairs.

  “I’m really sorry I disappeared,” Tia said, once we were in our room and I had washed the dirt off my skin. I then turned to her so that she could examine my back, which felt like it was on fire. “It’s just that meeting Mikka was like an earthquake.”

  An earthquake. I had never experienced one in Arcadia, but I’d heard that other kingdoms had this type of natural catastrophe. It was an odd comparison, but I knew what Tia was trying to say. Her attraction to Mikka had been sudden, unexpected, and intense. Was that what I had with Lorenzo? I wasn’t sure. It did sometimes feel inevitable. At least, for me. I wasn’t so sure he felt the same after he had refused to kiss me before he left on his trip.

  Tia dabbed an ointment on my back, and I hissed as the tincture seemed to burn through my muscles. “How bad is it?” I gritted out through my teeth.

  “A few lacerations. Not too deep.” Tia inhaled sharply. “Are you sure you don’t want me to go over to Victor’s and hit him over the head a couple of times with a cocktail mixer?”

  A weak laugh escaped me. “Thanks, but no. Please leave him alone.”

  She sighed. “How can you be so forgiving?”

  “There’s no point in hanging on to anger. It won’t help me.”

  She shrugged. “I suppose, but I would still be angry.”

  “Him trying to rape me is unforgivable, but I know he must be really messed up on the inside to act that way. He has so much rage inside of him. I would never want to live like that.”

  “I don’t care if he’s miserable. He has no right to hurt others!”

  I turned off the lights, plunging the room into a comforting darkness, illuminated by Arcadia’s night-lights streaming through the window. “No, he doesn’t, but I don’t want to focus on Victor or other people who have done horrible things and hurt me. I want to focus on the good. I want to pay attention to the light and grow it, not feed the darkness.”

  “Victor and Madam are sickos.” Tia was lying on her side, her arm propping up her head.

  “Yes, they are, and we’re lucky that we got away from them. I wish we could stop them from inflicting pain on anyone else.”

  Tia pursed her lips. “Somebody needs to put them into their place.”

  I yawned. “We’re not the police or vigilantes. I’ll talk to Thomas.”

  “You think he’ll believe you?”

  I nodded. Yes, I thought Victor’s partner would. Thomas had always been kind to me.

  “Fine. But Victor better not hurt anyone else,” Tia huffed. “He should keep the peace, not create fear, especially now that fights are breaking out daily. Guys are constantly punching each other. Girls are pushing each other. Men are grabbing girls’ butts.” She shook her head. “It’s disgusting.”

  “At Daydream?”

  “Yes. Lorenzo is pretty good at breaking it up, but it keeps happening. It’s like the whole city is on edge. It’s contagious. I feel on edge too.”

  That explained why she was so fixated on punishing Victor.

  “It’s been getting worse for a few months now,” I agreed. “Especially in the last few weeks since Queen Ella went missing. We need to find her. Perhaps her godmother can set the situation right.”

  A look of uncertainty crossed Tia’s face. I knew that look. Something was on her mind, and she wasn’t sure if she should tell me about it. “What is it?”

  She sighed. “It’s probably nothing.”

  “Tell me.” When she didn’t, I added. “I’m trying to win the competition to talk to the king and figure out what happened to his wife. I need to know as much as possible to have a shot at helping Arcadia. I want our city and kingdom restored back to its goodness. Whatever is happening here right now isn’t normal. And if we don’t stop it—” I shook my head. “We can’t let any more of our citizens get hurt.” Last week, a couple disappeared from the boarding house, and a middle-aged woman had been drained of her energy and aged overnight. Now, the whole city was on edge.

  Tia nodded. “Fine, but promise not to freak out.” She inhaled. “You know how you said Cinder might be Queen Ella’s long-lost twin or sister? Well, while it’s possible, I think it’s even more likely that she’s the queen herself.”

  I jerked upright, coming into a sitting position on my bed. “What? Why would the queen be working for Madam Fontaine, scrubbing away in the kitchen?”

  Tia chewed on a fingernail painted green. “I don’t know.”

  “And why would she not be talking?”

  “Maybe something traumatic happened to her. Maybe she’s scared.” Tia shifted onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. “Maybe I’m wrong. It was just an idea.”

  “Thank you for sharing. I’m going to ask Cinder about it.”

  She stared at me, her eyes wide. “You’re going to ask her if she’s the queen?”

  I smiled. “If she’s the queen, I’ll trick her into admitting it tomorrow.” I glanced at the clock that read 3 a.m. in the morning. “Or, I guess today.” I had a long day ahead of me that included my shift at the post office, preparing for my recording, and confronting Cinder.

  Or so I thought, because by the time I started delivering the post, Madam Fontaine’s boarding house was fenced off, patrolmen swarming around it. They stayed long past sunset. With Victor being one of them, I didn’t dare to get closer and decided to wait until the next day.

  7

  28th July

  The next day when I started my shift at the post office, the police carriages were still camped outside the boarding house, yet there weren’t quite as many patrolmen around, giving me hope that I could sneak in, talk to Cinder, and find out what was going on. It also helped that I had several pieces of mail for the boarding house. Since I planned to spend some time inside and didn’t want to draw attention by having my bike stand nearby or risk someone stealing it, I forced myself to remain patient and deliver all the other pieces of mail first. Once I was done, I dropped off the bike at the post office, then returned to the boarding house. My stack of mail contained letters addressed to Madam and her daughters, as well as a few for
her tenants.

  Like I had done last time, I entered through the back and headed for the kitchen. Taking a calming breath, I pushed open the wooden door, its hinges squeaking. I half-expected to find the boy from last time inside, but luck was on my side—Cinder was all alone in the kitchen. She didn’t bother looking up from the dishes she was scrubbing, even though the old hinges made it impossible to ignore my entrance. I knew I had one shot to get this right.

  “Ella?” I asked.

  Her head shot up, her eyes wide with fear.

  I brought a palm over my mouth. Tia was right. “Ella. Queen Ella?” I stepped closer. “What are you doing here?”

  The dish Ella had been holding slipped from her grip and plopped into the soapy water, splashing us both with bubbles. Not bothering to wipe her hands, she grabbed a piece of paper and wrote on it hastily.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  A sad smile curled my lips. “Yes, you do. This is the first time you ever bothered to reply. You’re trying to uphold a lie. The question is why.”

  She shook her head vehemently.

  I took the piece of paper from her. “A lot of kitchen helpers don’t know how to write, but even if they knew how, I doubt they would have such beautiful handwriting.” The curlicues were perfect. “This is written by someone with a lot of writing experience, someone who had private tutors that rewarded easy to read and pretty handwriting.”

  Queen Ella’s chest began to rise and fall rapidly.

  “It’s all right,” I said. “Tell me what’s going on, and I will help you.”

  She shook her head again, then took the piece of paper from me and wrote on the backside.

  “Don’t tell anyone.”

  I tried to take the piece of paper from her, but she was faster. She threw it into the oven, and the flames consumed it.

  Just like that, she had destroyed the only piece of evidence proving she was the queen.