The dragon wasn’t there. In the center of the cave stood Leo.
“Hi, Cinderella. I hope you don’t mind, but Abernathy went out for a snack. He agreed it would be better if I answered your questions instead.”
I backed away, allowing the light in my hand to extinguish. I didn’t want to see Leo. Not now.
“Go away,” I shouted, turning and stomping on old bones as I walked back the way I came.
“I can’t do that, Cinderella.” His voice was right in my ear and I screamed. A light like the one I held appeared in his hand. “We’re the same, you and I—at least where it matters. And it’s about time you understood what that means.” He grabbed for my hand, but I pulled it away and ran and ran and ran until I was at the entrance of Abernathy’s cave. I wasn’t in the greatest shape and I bent over, grabbing my knees, gulping in deep breaths, and grateful the air smelled better so close to the opening.
I heard him in front of me and glanced up. “Just stay away from me,” I retorted, trying to think of a spell that would make him go away. Nothing came to mind.
“It doesn’t matter what sort of spell you throw my way. I’ll just counter it with one of my own. It’s easy since I’ve been doing magic longer than you’ve been alive.” He grinned, flashing his white teeth and dimples.
“Stop smiling, dammit.” I tripped over some bones. Leo caught me before I went down.
His face grew serious. “There is something I need to show you. Someone I want you to meet. Would that be okay?”
I straightened. “Do I have idiot stamped across my forehead? Why would I go anywhere with you?”
Leo examined my forehead earnestly. “There’s a dirt smudge and part of a cobweb, but I don’t see a word.” He brushed at it. “Yeah, there isn’t a word on your forehead.”
Against my will, a gurgle of laughter erupted from my throat. Leo gave me a confused look. “Why are you laughing?”
I shook my head. “Merde, you really aren’t from around here, are you?”
His eyebrows scrunched together. “No, Cinderella. You’ve seen my land.”
A very unladylike noise came from my nose. I covered it and my mouth.
Leo smiled, his eyes twinkling. “Are you alright?”
“Yes,” I said through my hand. “Sure, I’m fine.” After last night, I should be depressed beyond belief, but Leo had a way about him.
He reached out and grasped the hand covering my mouth. A shiver of exhilaration ran through my body at his touch. “Will you come with me? Please.”
He seemed harmless, but the idea of going to another land with no knowledge of how to get back didn’t fill me with warm fuzzies. It wouldn’t be the smart thing to do. Not even a little bit.
“You’re scared?” He released my hand and stuck his own in his pants pocket.
“No.” I lifted my chin. If he tried anything, I could kick his ass.
From his pocket he pulled out a thin chain. It was long and looked like it was made of silver. On the end was an hourglass.
“Here,” he said, holding it out for me.
I shrunk away, my hands behind my back. “I don’t want it.”
He took a deep breath. Obviously, I was frustrating him. “This is a travel charm.” He placed the small hourglass on the end of the chain between his thumb and first finger and held it up for me to see. The dust inside sparkled like diamonds. “If you hold this in your hand and think of where you want to be, the charm will take you there.”
I stepped forward. “So if I wanted to go home, for example, I would just need to think of it, and I’ll be there?”
Leo grinned, showing off his dimples. “Almost. You must have the charm in your possession. Also, it can be a little tricky. If you think of two places at once, you might end up in some random location instead.”
My eyebrows raised in worry. That wouldn’t be good, but I was a witch. I could open portals. No doubt I could handle a travel charm.
“Be specific.” He held the necklace in the palm of his hand. “Try it.”
I took the charm, careful not to brush his skin.
“Let’s try somewhere easy. How about the middle of Abernathy’s cave? I’m going to come with you, so I need to be touching you, okay?”
“Sure.” I licked my lips in preparation.
His warm fingers surrounded my forearm. My heart sped up and I shivered. To cover it up, I cleared my throat. “So, I just think about Abernathy’s cave?”
“Close your eyes.” Leo moved closer to me, so close I could feel his breath on my cheek. “Now think about the rock walls covered with moss, the dirt floor. The white bones scattered throughout and the bright sky above.” He paused. “Got it?”
I didn’t have to answer. The stench that abruptly filled my nose made it obvious we had arrived. I opened my eyes.
Leo’s eyes were on me. “You’re brilliant.” He leaned in and I thought for a moment he might kiss me. Instead he took the necklace from my palm and placed the chain around my neck. “Will you come with me to Polonias, Cinderella?”
I studied his blue eyes, searching for a sign on deceit, but there wasn’t any. “I will as long as we can make it quick. I have classes to teach soon.”
“You needn’t worry. Time in Polonias passes at a different rate than time here. We can be gone a year according to time in Polonias and you will only miss a day here. Okay?”
I bit my bottom lip, thinking I didn’t understand how time could scroll at different rates. Time was time. But I decided to go with it. If anything about the land or Leo became sketchy, I could use the travel charm to return. “Fine.”
Chapter 13
Leo grabbed me around the waist. “Hold still,” he whispered, his voice intense. He pressed my body against his and I held my breath.
I didn’t know what to do with my arms, so I wrapped them around his neck. It was strange, the way my body so easily responded to him. Momentarily, I felt like I was cheating on Gabe, even though the ass told me in no uncertain terms he never wanted to see me again. I pushed the guilt away. I wasn’t cheating. We were over. It still broke my heart.
Leo took the hourglass between his thumb and first finger. “Ready?” he asked.
I looked away. “Sure.”
He pulled me closer. We seemed to fit like his body was made for mine. At the thought, I put my hands on his chest, trying to put a little space between us. Leo winked.
We began to move. As we went, the dust inside the hourglass slowly rose and swirled from the bottom to the top.
If that wasn’t strange enough, we entered a misty fog. The air changed and I knew we were no longer in Abernathy’s cave, but somewhere else. It churned through the air like it wished to claim us. Whispers could be heard all around, tiny voices speaking in a language my mind tried to understand but couldn’t. Almost like the wind was speaking.
Dozens of feathery touches brushed against my arms, my neck, and even pulled at my hair. I glanced up at Leo, curious what was happening. His features were focused. He concentrated on something beyond what I could see.
I turned so my back was against his chest, nervous, but I didn’t speak, feeling that doing so might cause a disturbance. Leo’s hand held me tightly and his clean-shaven jaw pressed against the side of my head.
“Almost there.” He spoke through clenched teeth.
As we moved the air changed several times. From the clingy stench of Abernathy’s cave to wet mists to a dry heat so hot it was hard to breathe. The landscape changed as well. Darkness turned to grayish-black mists to fiery lava. When we finally stopped, it changed again.
I held my breath as I searched the land before me. Electric pink and purple flowers grew from vibrant green branches. Poppy orange and lemon yellow blossoms sprung from the ground in droves. Overhead was a bright violet-blue sky. From Leo’s arms I could see two moons with bubblegum pink rings. Birds sang in the branches and insects buzzed in the lush foliage.
“What is this place?” I asked, stepping away from Leo.
“This is Polonias,” he said, coming to stand beside me. I heard the smile in his voice. It was obviously a land he loved.
“It’s beautiful.” A delicious breeze licked the back of my neck and my arms. It was the perfect temperature. “How many moons does Polonias have?” I pointed to the two I could see.
“There are six moons total.” Leo’s arm brushed against mine, sending prickles of pleasure along my skin.
“What about those mists we passed through?” I bent and picked one of the orange flowers. Then brought it to my nose. The petals were shaped like pansies and smelled like tangerines.
“These flowers are called tigerspaw.” He plucked the flower from my hand and spun it between his fingers.
The color was that of a tiger’s fur. “Why tigerspaw?”
Leo turned the flower over and gently touched it against my wrist. “Its petals leave a paw print. See?” He moved the flower and sure enough it looked like a paw print.
“Cool,” I breathed.
Leo smiled, his eyes studying my features. “May I put it in your hair?”
My lips parted slightly, and my heart lurched. I needed to be careful. It was obvious Leo knew how to say what a girl wanted to hear. “Sure,” I finally said.
He stepped close and slid the flower through my hair so it rested behind my ear. “Beautiful,” he said.
“Thanks.” I placed a hand on his chest. “Now about the mists. What were they?”
Leo’s features darkened. “Those are the Witch Mists. Travelling from where we were to our land requires we go through them. It can be very dangerous if you don’t concentrate.”
“I heard whispering and felt something like feathers touching me as we passed through them.” Remembering made me shudder.
He gave me a sharp look. “You heard them? Felt them?”
“I—Yes, I think so.” I stepped closer to him, suddenly afraid. I knew nothing about where I was.
Leo placed his hands on my bare arms. “Those are the Fallen: creatures who turned their backs on Polonias and the goodness of the magic in the land. They are like the demons of your world. Some are desperate for a way out of the darkness, while others seek to pull unsuspecting travelers in. They are the cause of the Sickness in our land.” He shook his head. “Did you understand them?”
“No,” I answered firmly. No sense telling him it felt like I should’ve understood their language, that it felt like I was close.
“Good.” He nodded like that was the end of it.
The air was fragrant with flowers and I stepped to one of the blooms on a low hanging branch. Near the middle it had burgundy freckles. “These are beautiful,” I said, reaching out to touch one.
Leo stepped beside me and put a hand on my finger. “Careful, they’re huggers.”
“Huggers?” I giggled at the funny name.
“Watch.” He placed his first finger on one of the petals and it curled around his finger. The other petals lengthened and reached for his finger as well, wrapping around it until it was no longer visible.
I was momentarily scared. “Does it want to eat you?”
Leo chuckled. “No, the petals are drawn to warmth. But they won’t let go until you scratch or tickle it near the stem, like this.” With his other hand, he rubbed the bottom of the flower like one would scratch behind a dog’s ears. The flower immediately released Leo’s finger and sighed. “I just thought you might want to know before you thought it was attacking you.” He smiled, flashing one dimple.
“Yeah, good call.”
“Want to try it? The petals are soft.” He watched me curiously.
I shook my head. “Maybe later.”
He caressed a few more blooms the way he had the first. Each sighed with delight.
“They like you.” I laughed, thinking everything swooned at his touch, not just me.
“Nah, they just liked to be caressed.” He shrugged and started walking through the orange and yellow flowers. A glittering ebony path appeared below our feet.
“How did you…?” I began, then stopped. Of course, he used magic.
Leo turned back and smiled. “Come on. There’s someone I want you to meet.”
Chapter 14
We followed the path through the forest for a long time. Everything around us buzzed with life. The more we walked, the deeper into the forest we went until the path barely allowed us room to get through. Tall, skinny trees with furry silver trunks grew tightly on either side of the path. Or maybe they hadn’t grown there but moved to make room after Leo’s spell. With him, such magic felt possible.
“Where is this person?” I finally asked after more than thirty minutes of non-stop walking. I wore my wedge sandals, the most comfortable heels around. Still. Enough was enough.
“At the Center,” he answered, but didn’t elaborate.
I huffed. He said the words, but they told me nothing. Still, I strived for patience and kept walking, admiring the vegetation, the colorful flowers, and the random animals and birds we startled.
Probably an hour later I was tired, hungry, and my feet hurt. Leo finally stopped.
“We’re here,” he said.
“Here” was truly magical. A mountain wall shot straight up so high I couldn’t even see the sky, from which tumbled five different waterfalls. The sound should’ve been deafening, but it wasn’t. Instead of a roar, it was like the sound of heavy rain. The water slapped against flat rocks and meandered down until the waterfalls all came together and emptied into a pool of turquoise water. Colorful dragonflies flitted around the edges, landing on flowers in lavender, pink, bright yellow, and red. The air was clean and fresh, making me feel relaxed and happy.
To the right of the pool bloomed a rose the size of a manhole cover. Without a stem or leaves, it grew from the ground, not on a bush. Its petals were mauve around edges, then buttery yellow and cream.
“That. Is. Incredible,” I said moving toward it.
“That is Polly,” Leo said, respectfully.
“The flower has a name?” The closer I got, the more glorious the flower became.
“She goes by many names. She is the heart and soul of Polonias.”
I stopped directly in front of the flower. “Well, she’s very beautiful,” I said, confused about why he would bring me all this way to see a flower, even if it was the biggest, most beautiful flower I ever saw.
Leo stepped next to me. “She is beautiful. And she needs you.” He sounded sad, and I glanced over. He looked as sad as he sounded.
“She needs me?” I pressed a hand against my chest. “Why?” I watched him, mesmerized by his emotion. It was sweet he cared so much about the end of a flower. But that was how flowers worked. They began as a seed. Grew into a bud. Bloomed. Flourished a while. Then died. Hell, it was how life worked. I patted his arm. “Does she need more water? A spell? I’m confused,” I said shaking my head.
“Speak her name and let her tell you herself.”
My head snapped toward the flower. “The flower can talk?” There were many things I became aware of after I discovered I was a witch, but talking flowers was a total shock.
“Yes, Cinderella. Because she’s more than a flower. Say her name.”
“Okay.” I wiped my hands on my dress. I was instantly nervous. “Uh, Polly?” I glanced at Leo and he nodded encouragingly. “Polly, would you mind speaking to me?”
The petals shuddered and shifted. A young woman, my height, with hair the color of cream and blush pink eyes stood before us. In her hair was a small rose and she wore a dress made of rose petals.
“Hello, Cinderella. Thank you for coming to see me.” She bowed slightly.
I tried to speak a few different times, but nothing came out. “Hi,” I raised my hand in a lame wave.
She smiled, walked over to the edge of the pool, cupped her hand and lifted water to her lips. “Nothing better than drinking water,” she said in a voice that sounded like tingling from a music box.
The tips of her fi
ngers looked bruised. Deep purples and navy. Polly followed my gaze and held her hands out in front of her. “Oh, dear. It’s getting worse.” She turned her hands back and forth, studying them intently.
“Why are they bruised? Did you hurt yourself?” I asked, abruptly filled with concern.
“The Sickness. It’s getting stronger. I can’t hold it off much longer.” Polly looked at me and my heart broke. Her eyes were filled with terror, sadness. The hopeless look of a person who knows they are going to die and can’t do anything about it. I saw that look once before in my grandfather as stomach cancer took him. Day by day, hour by hour, second by second. It was the most difficult thing I ever had to watch.
“What can I do?” I asked, taking her hand in mine without thinking. As soon as I touched her, the bruises left her fingers. I gasped and pulled away. “What happened?”
Polly smiled, glancing over my shoulder to Leo before focusing on me. “It is you, isn’t it.” She took my hands in hers and pressed them to her cheek. “Will you help me, Cinderella? Please?”
My eyes met Leo’s, but he just stood there, his features unreadable. Both he and Quilla asked me to come and I turned them down. But Polly? I sensed her magic, her natural goodness. Without doubt, she needed my help.
“I’ll help in any way I can,” I answered, and knew in that instant everything in my life was about to change.
Dear Diary
Today I entered a new world and met a girl by the name of Polly. She’s a beautiful flower girl. I know that sounds kind of funny. No one is getting married. She’s just a girl who is sometimes a flower. She’s also the heart of the world of Polonias—the world I entered today. If she gets sick, Polonias gets sick. If she dies, Polonias dies.
She asked me to help her and I agreed. I’ve no idea how I’m going to do it, but I feel utterly drawn to her. So I’m staying here. Leo put me up in a room in the castle. His family’s castle. It’s beautiful. Filled with thick tapestries, and a large four-poster bed. Tomorrow, Leo’s going to give me a tour of the land and I’m nervous about what I’ll see. I’m also worried about home and the Seven Magics Academy. I’m worried about Heather but know Snow and Coco will take care of her. I’m also worried about Sera and her powerful magic. And Gabe, too, though I hate to admit it.
Deadly Witch: Cinderella Reimagined with Witches and Angels (Seven Magics Academy Book 4) Page 7
