I retake my throne. “I have reconsidered. Elle and Alec aren’t married yet. For my own reasons, I do wish to break up that relationship. Am I right in assuming we share that goal?”
“Oh, yes,” gushes Legend. “That’s exactly what we all wish!”
While Legend speaks, Diamond takes a pointed step away from the group. It’s a small movement that speaks volumes. Alec’s mother may be a problem for this particular scheme. Something to consider later on.
“What is your plan?” asks Marchesa. “What can we do to help?”
“You can stay here in the Faerie Lands and stay out of my way. But I do need your consent that I take one of your daughters back with me to the human realm. Consider it a sign of your support.”
“Of course,” says Marchesa. “You have my agreement. My daughters are yours.”
A small grin rounds my mouth. Marchesa should never agree so quickly to anything with a resident of the Faerie Lands. I speak a single word. “Excellent.”
“You’ll take Ivy with you, of course.” Marchesa pushes her eldest daughter forward. “If you wish to break up Elle and Alec, Ivy is the one to do it.”
“I’ll take Agatha,” I state.
“What?” Marchesa gasps. “You must take Ivy.”
“I must do whatever I want. You already promised both your daughters to me. “ I crook my finger toward Agatha.
A smile quirks the girl’s mouth as she steps closer. “You have a request for me?”
A request. She even talks like a royal.
“Yes,” I state. “How do you fancy working in an Earth store with me and Doc Eight?” I tap my chin. “On second thought, don’t bother answering. You’re going with me. Now.”
With the blink of an eye, I cast a spell to transport me, Doc, and Agatha back to the human realm.
I haven’t been this intrigued in years.
—The End—
* * *
The adventure continues in BANDITS AND BALL GOWNS (Magicorum #5)!
Also By Christina Bauer
BANDITS AND BALL GOWNS
The story of Elle, Alec, Jacoby, and Agatha continues in BANDITS AND BALL GOWNS (Magicorum #5)!
ANGELBOUND
Revisit ANGELBOUND, the kick-ass paranormal romance with more than 1 million copies sold!
DIMENSION DRIFT
A kick-ass heroine + a swoon-worthy prince + an all-girl heist = the DIMENSION DRIFT series!
BEHOLDER
Medieval mages … Slow-burn love … And heart-pounding action! Check out the BEHOLDER series!
PIXIELAND DIARIES
PIXIELAND DIARIES tells the story of sassy pixie Calla and ‘her’ elf prince, Dare.
BANDITS AND BALLGOWNS - Description
One Prince Finds True Love ... And Risks It All
Elle Cynder has fallen hard for Alec, the 'prince' of Le Charme Jewelers. Time for some happily in their ever after, right?
Not so much.
While the new couple shares joyful moments--and sizzling kisses--serious trouble is brewing. Elle's evil stepmother, Marchesa, schemes with none other than Alec's twisted father, Legend. Their plan? Destroy Elle and Alec, along with everything the young lovers hold dear, including Bry, Knox, and Wilhelm.
Another Royal Freezes His Heart ... But For How Long?
As a prince of the dark fae, Jacoby focuses on one goal: avoid assassination. Marrying Elle would certainly aid in that cause, considering how she's both a Cinderella life template and a powerful fae warden. Even better, Jacoby doesn't truly love Elle. In court life, deep romantic attachments only mean certain death.
Then Jacoby notices Elle's youngest stepsister, Agatha.
For the first time in his life, Jacoby's cold heart warms with true affection. The elven prince struggles to ignore his feelings, but it might be a losing battle. And what would the prince's newfound emotions mean for Elle and Alec? Could Jacoby really stand by and watch another's true love be destroyed?
Buckle up for a wild ride as Cinderella's time-honored story gets some all-new twists.
Order BANDITS AND BALL GOWNS (Magicorum #5)!
Appendix
If You Enjoyed This Book…
…Please consider leaving a review, even if it’s just a line or two. Every bit truly helps, especially for those of us who don’t write by the numbers, if you know what I mean.
Plus I have it on good authority that every time you review an indie author, somewhere an angel gets a mocha latte. For reals.
And angels need their caffeine, too.
Acknowledgments
If you’re reading my freaking acknowledgements, chances are, I should thank you for something. So, for the record: you are awesome, dear reader.
That said, huge and heartfelt thanks must go out to my husband and son for their rock-solid support. Being an author means a lot of early mornings, late nights, long weekends, and never-ending patience. You two are the best guys in the universe, period.
After that, I must thank the extensive network of reviewers, friends and colleagues who helped me build my writing chops in general. Gracias.
Finally, deep affection goes out to my late, much loved, and dearly missed Aunt Sandy and Uncle Henry. You saw the writer in me, always. Thank you, first and last.
Collected Works
Fairy Tales of the Magicorum
Modern fairy tales with sass, action, and romance
1. Wolves and Roses
2. Moonlight and Midtown
3. Shifters and Glyphs
4. Slippers and Thieves
5. Bandits and Ball Gowns (coming 2020)
6. Evil Queens and Goblin Kings (future)
ALSO: Magicorum Box Set (Books 1-3)
* * *
Angelbound Origins
About a quasi (part demon and part human) girl who loves kicking butt in Purgatory's Arena
1. Angelbound
2. Scala
3. Acca
4. Thrax
5. The Dark Lands
6. The Brutal Time
7. Armageddon
8. Quasi Redux (coming 2020)
ALSO: Origins Box Set (Books 1-5)
* * *
Angelbound Lincoln
The Angelbound experience as told by Prince Lincoln
1. Duty Bound
2. Lincoln
3. Trickster (coming 2020)
ALSO: Lincoln Box Set (Books 1-2)
* * *
Angelbound Offspring
The next generation takes on Heaven, Hell, and everything in between
1. Maxon
2. Portia
3. Zinnia
4. Rhodes
5. Kaps (future)
6. Huntress (future)
ALSO: Offspring Box Set (Books 1-3)
* * *
Dimension Drift
Dystopian adventures with science, snark, and hot aliens
1. Scythe
2. Umbra
3. Alien Minds
4. ECHO Academy (coming 2020)
5. Drift Warrior (future)
ALSO: Dimension Drift Box Set (Books 1-3)
* * *
Pixieland Diaries
Sassy pixie Calla loves elf prince Dare. Too bad he hasn’t noticed her. Yet.
1. Pixieland Diaries (coming 2020)
2. Calla (future)
3. Dare (future)
* * *
Beholder
Where a medieval farm girl discovers necromancy and true love
1. Cursed
2. Concealed
3. Cherished
4. Crowned
5. Cradled
ALSO: Beholder Box Set (Books 1-5)
About Christina Bauer
Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chick
s, too. Christina lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.
Stalk Christina on Social Media
* * *
Blog:
http://monsterhousebooks.com/blog/category/christina
* * *
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/authorBauer/
* * *
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/christina_cb_bauer/
* * *
Twitter:
@CB_Bauer
* * *
VLOG:
https://tinyurl.com/Vlogbauer
* * *
Web site:
www.bauersbooks.com
Complimentary Book
Get a FREE novella when you sign up for Christina’s newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/bauersbooks
Afterword
Welcome to the end of the book! If you’ve read this far, then maybe you’re interested in some extra background on this story. Here goes!
I loved the Cinderella myth growing up. LOVED. As in, I pretty much played Barbie Cinderella non-stop. And when you replay something a million times, you start to notice where the gaps are. Here are some of the questions that (seriously) haunted me from my youth:
When Cinderella’s parents die, how does her stepfamily make a living? Her father was a merchant. If he stopped doing his thing, how did the bills get paid?
Who was the stepmother? In this I mean, how did the stepfather meet her? I didn’t picture her as another merchant, so it must have been that she was part of the same social set. If so, wouldn’t the stepmother know Cinderella’s birth mother?
Why didn’t Cinderella DO SOMETHING about her crappy situation? She could make clothes for mice and clean houses, so she clearly had marketable skills.
Plus, what was up with the fairy godmother? Nice to show up for the ball, but what about when her parents died? It seems like the godmotherly to have done would be to at least send a card. Showing up the night before the ball with fashion tips is a little thin.
And finally, why does the Prince have to be so wimpy? He’s about to become king one day and yet allows himself get bossed into this ball-for-a-bride deal. Every country has problems. What are the ones facing his realm? How will going to kick ass and take names … with his new partner at his side?
Those are a lot of questions to answer, and I couldn’t fit them all into one book. Hence why there’s another Elle and Alec story, BANDITS AND BALL GOWNS.
There’s more I wanted to do with this story than fill in some missing world building. If I’ve done my job right, this tale is about finding your authentic self and facing some real-world problems. I like my romantic partners to team up and take problems down. In that department, there’s a lot more to come from Elle and Alec!
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