His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down at my admission, and the need to collapse into his arms overwhelmed me. To avoid making an idiot out of myself, I stood up and headed to the opposite side of the room, grabbed the windowsill, and stared out on the streets of Arcadia.
I didn’t hear him get up or walk over to me, but I knew he did because his fresh cut grass and lemon scent wrapped around me, and his hot breath caressed my nape. “You care about me.”
I inhaled deeply, gathering my courage. “I do. And it terrifies me.”
“Why?”
Such a simple question that didn’t have a simple answer. I turned around slowly.
“Is it because I’m a demon?” Lorenzo studied me intently as if waiting for my face to betray my next words.
I shook my head. I had gotten over him being an “other” a long time ago. I guess it had happened somewhere in between learning how much magic surrounded me and having to admit that I had magic too and that it was a gift I had to use to help Arcadia and it’s citizens.
“Caring about you terrifies me,”—I wrung my hands— “because it means I would be devastated if something happened to you, or if we were separated.” Or if you got bored with me, I added silently, my courage not extending far enough to express this particular concern.
Lorenzo reached out and brushed away a loose strand of my hair. “As agitating as fear is, we should be grateful for it. It tells us that we care. It makes us feel alive. It makes us fight for what we want.”
I pushed away the emotions stirring within me and asked in a whisper, “What about you? Aren’t you afraid that it won’t work out? Are you that confident and carefree?”
He chuckled. “I don’t think about what can go wrong. Not because I’m conceited or overly optimistic. I don’t think about it not going wrong because this”—he gestured between us—“is already more than I ever hoped for.”
“How so?”
He chuckled again, and annoyance swelled up within me. Was everything I did and said amusing to him?
“Sometimes I forget how different human culture is from ours,” Lorenzo began. “In the human world, only marriages of nobility are arranged. Even in those arranged marriages, the parties often seek out someone they fancy for pleasurable pastimes.”
Heat warmed my cheeks at what he was implying. “It’s not the same for demons?”
He shook his head. “Many of my kind create alliances. Not because it is forced upon us, but because it’s the best thing to do if we want to survive. We’re always worried about power and strength. And for those of us who can procreate, we’re always worried about creating the most powerful offspring.” He paused, then added, “So you see, it’s not just marriage but even bodily pleasures that have a purpose. And those that can’t procreate stick to one-time affairs, afraid to be stabbed in the back if they let anyone too close.”
That sounded dreadful. What a cruel world! “But you don’t want an alliance?”
Ruefulness entered Lorenzo’s face. “I lost my whole family. And while I would do anything to bring them back, there’s a freedom that comes with them being gone. I’m not bound by my customs. I don’t have to worry about family honor or protecting them. In a sad way, their deaths freed me to live the life I desire.”
What a horrible, bittersweet, silver lining. And yet, I understood. Because I too felt that way. Sure, Madam and Victor had tried to make me self-conscious and stop me from singing, but the pressure I experienced from them wasn’t comparable to being born into a family that expected me to marry well and stay under the radar like a good girl. As orphans, Lorenzo and I were free to pursue our passions without our heart’s desires clashing with the respect and love we held for our families.
I had always thought that if I had the choice to give up the gift of my voice in exchange for a family, I would, but now, I wasn’t so sure. My conscience told me that I was an awful person for thinking that my art and freedom was worth more than a family, but an older and wiser part within me told me that I didn’t need to beat myself up. I was exactly where I was meant to be. I didn’t need to censor my thoughts or feelings.
For whatever reason, only known to the universe, I was meant to go through this life as an orphan with the ability to influence others with my voice, and the desire to be a performer.
Self-flagellation wouldn’t do anyone good. Self-flagellation would only distract me from what I had to do, namely, find Queen Ella and save Arcadia.
Outside, the bells on the market square rang, their crescendo tearing me from my thoughts. I jerked into action and darted toward the door, Lorenzo on my heels. Neither of us spoke as we rushed down the staircase and then out toward the square where a crowd was already gathering.
Out of breath, I reached the king’s courier, praying he hadn’t come with dire news.
“I have an announcement to make regarding the royal singing competition.”
I exhaled with relief. This wasn’t about Arcadia or the royal family, just the competition.
“As you might remember, in previous years, fifty competitors were selected from the initial auditions. This year, however, in light of recent events, only twenty-five will be selected.”
Gasps erupted around me, and my heart plummeted. It would have been hard enough to get into the top fifty, but getting into the top twenty-five? I’d never get the chance to talk to the king and tell him about Queen Ella posing as a maid and working for Madam Fontaine.
“The twenty-five selected competitors will be interviewed publicly to determine who can best represent Arcadia. The top twelve will then progress into the next round of singing.”
My head spun. Even if I somehow was in the top twenty-five, I would never win a popularity contest.
“The twenty-five candidates announced today must report here tomorrow at noon and be prepared to answer a few questions regarding why they entered the competition and should represent Arcadia. The twelve winners of that round will performy a short song chosen by the king’s advisors. Dates and details are to come.”
I wanted to throw up and hide in my bed. Lorenzo stepped in front of me. “You’ll be fine.” He squeezed my hand.
“We don’t even know if I made it into the top twenty-five.”
“You did,” he said in his annoyingly confident manner.
“These are the twenty-five finalists,” the courier said, and every muscle in my body stiffened. He rattled off one name after another, most of which I wasn’t familiar with. However, there were two names, two spots that I knew had been taken up illicitly. Bernadette and Georgette Fontaine, Madam’s daughters. If they made it to the next round and I didn’t, I would never forgive Acacia for aiding them in their deceit.
“And the final spot goes to—” The announcer paused dramatically, and my chest constricted. I needed this. I needed this so badly. This was my only chance to talk to the king.
“Halia Bright.”
My knees buckled as I heard my name, and Lorenzo pulled me into a hug.
“I knew you’d make it.”
I laughed, but my joy wavered as a gaze drilled into me from across the square. Victor was staring me down, his face marred with pure disgust. He walked toward us, and at first, I was afraid he would make a scene, but then he stopped in front of Georgette and Bernadette, who were there with their mother. He rearranged his face into a smile, congratulating them.
It felt as if he had slapped me across the face. I knew he hated me, but to go out of his way to congratulate the woman who had made my life hell when I had worked for her was despicable. Victor nodded at the sisters, clearly believing the credo, “my enemy’s enemies are my friends.” Would he still think so if he knew the sisters had bought their voices with fae magic?
Victor hated everything that wasn’t human or what he deemed natural, but he also hated me and clearly wanted to spite me. Even if I submitted an anonymous tip, revealing what the sisters had done, he might choose to put a blind eye to it since he knew I didn’t get on with the Fonta
ine’s. However, there was another way to expose the sisters without getting Victor involved. Thomas, Victor’s partner, was even-tempered and reasonable. He might not take my word for it that the Fontane sisters were using illegal means to win the competition, but I was certain he would thoroughly investigate my claim. Even if he didn’t find anything immediately, he would be suspicious of them and ready to catch them red-handed when they pulled another trick.
I stepped away from Lorenzo. “I need to go and talk to someone.”
He raised an eyebrow in question.
“I won’t let the sisters cheat their way into victory like they tried to cheat their way into the king’s arms eighteen years ago.”
Before Lorenzo could hold me back, I pushed through the crowd toward Thomas, needing to catch him before he left or Victor joined him. If I had told Lorenzo about my plan, he would’ve probably tried to talk me out of it, saying it was a waste of time. I disagreed. Yes, Thomas was a human patrolman and didn’t have the power or insight magic wielders possess, but he made up for his lack of magical abilities with dedication and work ethic. If any of the patrolmen of Arcadia could help me, it was him.
I was a few feet away from Thomas when he noticed me. His eyebrows drew together, telling me he wasn’t too happy to see me.
“You’re not planning to pull another stunt, are you?” he said in greeting.
I pressed my lips together. I wanted to scream that if not for me, he and Victor would have condemned a young boy to prison time for stealing food to support him and his mother but held my tongue, knowing better than to voice my opinion.
“What is it, Halia?” Thomas asked a note of impatience in his voice.
How I wished I had more time to get him into a better mood. However, since Victor would eventually run out of things to say to the Fontaine’s, I had only minutes to make my claim. So I launched directly into the meat of the story.
“You need to keep a close eye on the Fontaine sisters.”
Thomas crossed his arms. “Why is that?”
“Because they can’t sing. They’re using fae magic to cheat their way through the contest.”
“And you know this how?”
Darn it. I hadn’t expected him to ask that.
If I told him I had seen them coming from Acacia’s, his next question would be why I had been hanging around Acacia’s house. I could claim it was a coincidence, but it wouldn’t be hard for him to prove otherwise and discover that I had visited the fae regularly. Even if she didn’t betray my secret, he would know that I was hiding something.
Thus, all I said was, “It’s something I heard at the market. Someone said the sisters went to a faerie in Arcadia to enhance their voices.”
“So it’s a rumor then, nothing more.”
I groaned inwardly. If I told him more, I would look suspicious, but if I didn’t add anything to my statement, I would come across as unreliable. There was a third course of action. I glanced past Thomas to find Victor striding toward us. If I was going to do this, I had to be quick.
I opened my mouth and hit a G note. “Please trust me on this. The sisters are hiding something. Find out their plans. Keep our kingdom safe.”
At first, Thomas had looked like he was about to protest, but as I continued with my singing, his face softened, and by the end, he nodded.
“What’s going on? Is she bothering you?” Victor interrupted, and I was glad that the crowd has prevented him from hearing me sing.
“Just saying hello to an old friend,” I said, then slipped away before Victor could accuse me of anything else. However, his parting words dripping with hate still reached me.
“I’m on to you, Halia. You’ll pay dearly for your crimes. That I promise you.”
A shiver ran through me, chilling me to the bone. Because when Victor set his sights on something, he succeeded.
3
31st July
I woke up to Lorenzo shaking me gently. “Mikka’s back. She brought the girls.”
I opened my heavy lids, trying to make sense of what he said. The girls, right, he must be referring to the mental institution patients who had planned their escape. “I’ll be down in a moment,” I said, noticing that Lorenzo’s silver hair was unkempt for once. Tenderness swelled in my chest, and I imagined how silky his hair would feel if I ran my hands through it. But there was no time for flirtation. We had to interview the mental institution patients.
Lorenzo closed the door gently behind him, and I jumped out of bed and threw on my clothes. It was still dark outside, and I had two hours before I had to report for my shift at the post office.
As I walked down the stairs toward the bar, three unhappy voices reached me.
“You can’t hold us here against our will!” one said.
“What are you playing at? Pretending to help us only to capture us again.”
“We’re not planning to hold you here,” came Mikka’s response. “We simply have a few questions to ask you. Don’t you think you owe us a bit of gratitude after we rescued you?”
“We would have been fine without you!” The brunette crossed her muscular arms, and I recognized her as the ringleader. She was the one behind the escape plan.
“Hello, girls,” Lorenzo greeted them with a smile.
The smallest girl, who had angry cuts running up her arms took a step back while the other two girls scowled.
“Are you behind this?” the ringleader asked.
“If you’re asking if I sent my friend to help you escape the mental institution, then, yes, I did,” he replied coolly.
“And we appreciated that very much.” The smallest girl bit her lip. “But we really must be on our way. We can’t risk the guards catching up with us.”
Lorenzo nodded. “You shall be on your way soon. We just have a few questions about the mental institution.”
The three girls exchanged uneasy glances.
“You see,” I began, “a lot of strange things have been happening in Arcadia lately, and we believe that the mental institution is involved.” When that didn’t produce a reply, I continued, “People have been getting sick, aging overnight, disappearing even. A plague has befallen our city. We’re trying to figure out where it’s coming from so that we can help our kingdom.”
The ringleader snorted. “Isn’t that the king’s responsibility?”
“I believe it is every citizen's responsibility to take care of their kingdom,” I replied with steel in my voice.
The ringleader shifted from foot to foot, showing the first signs of her bravado failing. “Fine, shoot. What do you want to know?” She plopped down onto a bar chair.
“Have you noticed any changes at the mental institution in the last few months? Any increases, new things going on in the last few weeks?”
“Obviously, that’s why we left,” the middle girl said, pacing the room. “We were afraid that we were on the chopping block.”
The ringleader threw her a glare, and she stopped talking.
“Please,” I said, “We’re not interested in why you left, and we’re not judging you for why you were there in the first place. We just want to understand what is going on in Arcadia.”
The ringleader pursed her lips. “We weren’t put there because something is wrong with us, but because our parents couldn’t handle us. The whole system is messed up, not us.”
The middle girl slipped behind the bar. “I’ll need to have a drink to get through this conversation.”
“I don’t think you’re of age,” Mikka said, but the middle girl ignored her, knowing this was not the battle we would pick, and poured herself a beer.
“We were locked up because our parents are crazy, not us,” she said. Despite her harsh words, her hand trembled, betraying her feelings.
I bit my lip. I had always wanted to have a family. The few children who got to leave the orphanage to join a family had been considered the lucky ones, but now I wondered if there were families out there that were worse than the orphanage. True,
the orphanage had employed extreme discipline, and there wasn’t much affection or understanding, but none of us were singled out and shown an unusual amount of cruelty. We were all treated equally badly. However, if one grew up in a troubled family, I could easily imagine that the parents would take out their frustration on the one or two children underneath their rooftop.
I glanced at Tia, whose face was contorted. We were lucky to have had each other. She had stood up to the bullies and made sure with her brash behavior that they left us alone, while I, the obedient and respectful one, got us on the good side of the sisters running the orphanage.
“It started a few weeks ago,” the middle girl said, tearing me out of my thoughts. She pushed a full beer toward the ringleader and took a large gulp of her own beer before inclining her head toward the shy girl, who shook her head no in response to the unspoken question..
“Inmates started disappearing without reappearing.” The middle girl took another gulp as if the beer was water, and I itched to find some food for them but knew it was best to keep her talking and feed her later. “At first, we thought it was a punishment, something to scare them and to scare us. Isolate them and make us think that if we misbehave, we could be taken too.”
“They never returned,” the ringleader said. “We never saw them again, and when we asked what happened, we were told they were taken to a different facility. The staff wouldn’t answer any other questions.”
“More disappeared, almost on a daily basis,” the shy girl added, staring at her fingers as if they held all the answers. “And none ever returned to the facility. There were also no new inmates.”
How very careless and obvious. Wasn’t the head of the facility worried that the king’s patrolmen would ask questions? I made a mental note to tip off Thomas about these happenings.
“Did you see where they were taken?” Lorenzo asked. “What kind of carriage they were transported in?”
The girls shook their heads in unison.
“Our window didn’t look out onto the street.” The shy girl rubbed the angry red marks running up her arms.
Halia: Daughter of Cinderella Page 20
