Damnation: A Cinderella Retelling (Tales of Cinder Book 3)

by M. J. Haag

  “Kaven introduced me to this dish during our travels,” the Prince said. “Not only is he usefully observant, he also has impeccable taste.”

  “That he does,” Maeve said agreeably.

  “How long has Kaven served you?” I asked.

  The Prince glanced at Kaven, humor twinkling in his eyes.

  “Since as long as I can remember. His father decided his fate at a young age, for which I’m very grateful. I couldn’t imagine what would have become of me if not for Kaven’s steadfast presence.”

  I looked at Kaven, too, and found him watching me, all humor absent from his gaze. Is that why he’d said he couldn’t leave the Prince’s service? Because Kaven was bound to the Prince for life? What good would my patience then do?

  “It’s very fortunate you have him, then,” I said.

  “Indeed. He has saved my life countless times. Poisoned food. Man-eating creatures set loose in my tent. There was even that time you—”

  “Perhaps not an appropriate topic for the dining table,” Kaven said softly.

  “Too right,” the Prince said with a smile before returning his attention to his food.

  I took my first bite and tried to savor the food. However, I’d been with Maeve long enough to know the signs of her temper. Her quiet. Her rigid posture. Her very kind smile.

  Through the remainder of the meal, Cecilia and Porcia both attempted to win the Prince’s favor through conversation. Yet, it inevitably seemed to return to me.

  “Would you walk with me, Eloise?” the Prince asked after we had finished eating.

  I glanced at Maeve.

  “I will allow it. With a chaperone, of course.”

  The Prince glanced at Porcia.

  “You may follow us with Kaven’s escort.”

  Porcia bowed her head and accepted Kaven’s offered arm when he approached. I had no choice but to join the Prince. My hand rested lightly on his sleeve as he led me from the dining room.

  “Did you enjoy yourself this evening?” he asked.

  “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  He directed us toward a trophy room adjoining the dining room. My stomach knotted uncomfortably with each step I took further away from Maeve. It was fortunate that I didn’t go flying backward, though. Explaining that away would have been impossible, and I would have likely found myself back in the dungeon this evening, regardless of Kaven’s fondness for me.

  Rather than focus on my discomfort, I studied the stuffed remains of one of many creatures crowded throughout the entire space.

  “What I want to show you is further in,” the Prince said.

  I continued onward, fighting the pull in my middle and the sickening need to return to Maeve.

  “Here,” he said, stopping.

  I looked at the giant creature, surprise distracting me for a moment. Frozen in time, with its lips curled in a vicious snarl, the beast stood on two legs but was stooped. Wickedly sharp claws tipped every digit. Its head reminded me of both wolf and bear.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “It’s what your mother helped to stop. A creature made of magic and sickness. A creature that was once human.”

  “Human?” I said, looking closer.

  “Yes. We aren’t sure how it started, but we know how it spread. With a bite, this creature would infect others. If not for your mother and her magic, the kingdom would have fallen.”

  I turned to the Prince. The hint of scornful patronization that had lingered in his tone since our first meeting was now absent, and I wasn’t sure what that meant.

  “You think my mother had magic?”

  He smiled slightly.

  “It would seem we were raised hearing different stories.”

  “I’ve heard none, actually. Not until after her passing.”

  “It saddened me to receive word that she had passed. I’m sorry for your loss. She did a great service for the kingdom.” He took my hand and held it in his own as he looked at me.

  I wasn’t sure I cared for this new side of the Prince any more than I had the pompous side. I could no longer tell when a person was being true to their nature or hiding something more.

  “You are one of the reasons I came to stay at the Retreat. I wanted to meet the Cartwright daughters. I’m curious where your sister is. Kellen, is it not?”

  I eased my hand from his and stared at the beast once more.

  “She left in the middle of the night to find our father,” I said. “I can only hope that she’s found him rather than beasts such as this when she entered the Dark Forest.”

  “She left? Alone? Why?”

  “Why does anyone do anything rash?” I asked. “My stepmother sent men after her, but they haven’t yet returned.”

  For a long moment, he said nothing.

  “You’ve lost everyone you hold dear.”

  He had no idea how very much I had lost because of Maeve. A sudden pain knifed through my middle.

  “Not everyone,” I said with a smile I hardly felt. “I think we should perhaps return to the dining room.”

  He nodded and placed my hand on his arm. When his touch lingered, I moved my hand from under his.

  “You don’t care for me,” he said.

  “It’s hard to care for someone I do not know.”

  “And equally hard to forgive mistreatment.”

  I looked up into his grey eyes.

  “Very true, Your Majesty.”

  “I hope to sway your opinion of me.”

  We turned then, and I saw Porcia and Kaven only steps away. Porcia looked pale and flushed at the same time. Kaven looked annoyed. He looked pointedly at my hand on the Prince’s arm. Really, what did Kaven expect me to do? Outright reject the Crowned Prince?

  Ignoring him, I allowed the Prince to escort me back to the dining room.

  “I look forward to seeing you soon,” he said, releasing me. Then he honored me with a small bow.

  “The Crown will forever be indebted to your family. As soon as we are able, we will send men to look for your father and sister.”

  “Thank you,” I said with a bow of my head, wishing instead I could kick the man. Why had he waited until we were in front of Maeve to say such a thing?

  “We look forward to our next meeting,” Maeve said as she and Cecilia joined us. We all gave our curtsies then departed.

  The carriage had barely started forward when Maeve rounded on me. She hit me hard enough that my head twisted to the side, and my bones cracked. Thankfully, there was no pain.

  “You knew? How dare you not tell me.”

  “Would it have changed your course?” I asked, looking at her. “He still needed to be flushed into the open. The spell would have still needed to be cast.”

  Her eyes narrowed.

  “What else have you been keeping from me?”

  “Nothing that you haven’t already discovered.”

  She tilted her head, studying me.

  “This sudden boldness is unwelcome. If you believe the Prince’s momentary interest will protect you, you are wrong.” She turned to Porcia. “What was said while they were alone?”

  “He showed her the creatures that attacked the kingdom and said it was her mother’s magic that saved everyone. Then, he said that she was the reason he came to the Retreat. To meet her and Kellen. When he asked where Kellen was, Eloise said that she’d run off to find her father, and you had sent men after her but they hadn’t yet returned. Nothing was said to implicate us. Instead, she inferred we were her family now.”

  Maeve considered me.

  “Your lie of omission cannot go unpunished. It’s a pity about the spell. A beating would have been easier for you.”

  “If anything happens to Kaven, the Prince will—.

  “It’s not Kaven who will suffer. Remember, your choices brought you to this fate.”

  Her amulet flashed brightly, and an abyss followed, swallowing me whole.

  Chapter Six

  The overwhelming need to vomit jerked me up
right. Turning my head, I gagged once then emptied my stomach into the mud and straw. Despite that, the nausea didn’t fade. Instead, my head thumped in time with my pulse as I gasped for breath.

  I closed my eyes against the light of day, trying to find a moment’s ease from the constant roiling of my stomach, but there was none. I continued to gag as I turned to my side and got to my knees. The ringing in my ears grew in volume as I tried to stand, only to stumble to my knees again.

  Everything hurt as if I’d been beaten again. I blinked slowly, trying to clear my mind of the pain as I inspected my arms for injuries. However, I was too covered with filth to see. Gagging again, which had nothing to do with whatever was covering me, I tried to wipe my hands and arms clean. My efforts only made matters worse.

  I struggled to my feet, panting, and noted that I was encumbered only by the shaking of my limbs. Confused, I glanced down at myself and stumbled at the sight of bare, dirty legs and torso. I touched my soot-covered stomach, trying to understand as I looked around.

  The small dead-end alley in which I stood was stacked with broken barrels and old straw. Nothing looked familiar. Frowning, I struggled to remember how I’d gotten here or why I was naked. I recalled the dinner with the Prince then—

  A tug in my middle almost brought me to my knees again. My stomach heaved, and I coughed on bile. The burn in my throat was barely noticeable amidst all the other pain I suffered, and my vision swam dizzily. However, the urge to move, to start walking home, had me struggling to my feet once again.

  “Ho! What do we have here, lads? This little bit seems to have lost her way.”

  I turned and found three men in the entrance to the alley. While the lead man leered at my filth-coated breasts with open fascination, the other two did not look tempted. Still, I used my hands in a feeble attempt to shield myself from their view.

  “I ain’t touching that,” one said, sniffing. “She’s covered in pig shite.”

  “A bit of water will clean her up.”

  My stomach heaved. Whether from the thought of these men touching me or whatever ailed me, I emptied my stomach again.

  “Please,” I gasped. “Help me.”

  One of them swore.

  “She’s sick.”

  Something hit my shoulder. I grunted as the impact knocked me off balance then lifted my head to see one of the men bending down for another rock. The rocks wouldn’t hurt me, and even as wretched as I was, I knew I couldn’t let them discover that. Such a mysterious ability would only bring much more unwanted attention to me.

  I lurched toward the opening of the alley where they stood, needing to escape. They moved back as if being near me would cause them to fall ill, too. However, I knew better. The illness I felt was the magical pull to return home.

  I rounded the corner, emerging onto the road. My eyes swept the area. I didn’t know where I was. Looking up, I spotted the castle’s turrets in the distance. I was in Towdown. How had I even left home?

  Maeve’s final words in the carriage came back to me. She’d done this.

  Another pull knocked me forward. I put my hand on the nearest building to brace myself.

  “Go on! Take your sickness from here. We don’t want the likes of you in Towdown.”

  A rock hit me in the back as did something else firm and wet. I pitched forward, not to escape them but to make my way home to end my suffering.

  People stopped to stare at me as I made slow progress through the streets. Mothers covered their children’s eyes, a reminder that I wore nothing. Men stared, either laughing or making lewd comments. I kept my hands covering my front, only sacrificing what little modesty that gained to prevent myself from falling.

  All the while, my tormentors stayed behind me, driving me forward with whatever they could find to throw at me. I didn’t need to stop and look where I was. Though I had no idea, the pull kept me moving in the correct direction.

  I turned a corner and found myself at the edge of the market district. The back alleys that I’d traversed so far had kept me from drawing a large crowd, something that would certainly happen if I went through the market. I turned around and attempted to take another route.

  The men following me threw even more at me, trying to turn me back toward the market. But, I lifted my arms and ducked down, determined to find another way even as the pull caused me to gag and made my eyes water.

  Winning my way to another side road, I continued on.

  “Stop,” someone yelled from ahead.

  There wasn’t a way I could stop even if I wanted to listen. My insides felt like they were on fire, now. I had to keep moving.

  “Throw one more thing,” the voice shouted, “and I’ll find where you live and burn it to the ground.”

  I slowed and looked up, shocked by the vehemence in the words.

  Ahead, I saw the backside of Crumbs and Casks with Alfie standing by the rear door. He wasn’t looking at me but at those that followed me.

  “Go on! Leave the woman alone.”

  “She has a sickness,” one of the men said.

  “So did half the town not more than a week ago. No one used stones to cure it then, yet here we are, hale and hardy. Not everything is as it seems.”

  Grumbles came from behind me. Then silence.

  I stumbled forward, grateful for even that small bit of a reprieve. Alfie rushed toward me, gripping my arms to help steady me as he guided me to a bench near the back door.

  As soon as I sat, he pulled off his shirt.

  “Put this on. I’ll see if I can find a cloak or something, too.”

  I took the shirt with trembling hands and looked up at him. After all the years he and his friends had tormented Kellen and me, I never would have thought to receive any kindness from him.

  His eyes widened as we stared at each other.

  “No. This is enough,” I said, standing. “Thank you.”

  “Wha—?”

  Movement to my right caught my attention. I caught a glimpse of a familiar cloak before it disappeared. I continued to stare, waiting, and was rewarded when Porcia peeked around the corner at me. My stomach twisted.

  “Should I call for a carriage?”

  I leaned in and purposely threw up on him. He cried out in disgust but didn’t move. Lifting my head, I looked him in the eye.

  “Run,” I whispered fiercely under the guise of wiping my mouth.

  His eyes widened, and he ran back inside. I pivoted and stumbled in the direction of the estate as I tugged his shirt over my filthy body. Maeve meant this to be a punishment and wouldn’t like that I now had a shirt. I smiled slightly, not caring.

  The agony tearing at my insides did not ease with each step. Instead, the urgency to get home only grew more intense. My shuffling gait became a trundling jog.

  When I reached the edge of town, Porcia called my name softly. I stopped and looked back at her. She waved me to a path between two houses. It was the opposite way I needed to go, but I followed her regardless. She was here for a reason. When we reached the backyard, several buckets of water waited along with a clean dress.

  “Rinse what you can and dress. Mama doesn’t want you returning to the estate like this.”

  I stripped from Alfie’s shirt and dumped the buckets over my head in quick succession. They didn’t clean me. Using the shirt, I dried myself, spreading the muck more than removing it from my skin, then tugged the dress over my head only to promptly throw up on myself. I looked down at the yellow stain, wondering how I still had anything in me.

  “Mama will not be pleased,” Porcia said. “You’re no better than you were before.”

  “Her action is what brought this fate,” I rasped, pivoting to start home.

  Porcia walked with me in silence. I noted the way she wrung her hands as we walked the road home.

  “Why you?” I asked.

  “Because I ate everything I was served last night,” she said.

  I grunted, not understanding or truly caring what the reason
was. As we neared the drive, I started to jog again. Porcia panted trying to keep up. The pain intensified until the last moment when I stepped over the estate’s boundary. All the pain and sickness vanished. I stopped and took a deep, cleansing breath.

  “Come, Mama is waiting.”

  “Let her wait,” I said, moving toward the shed. At the horse trough, I stripped from the dress and sank into the water. Ducking under, I let it cover my head, cooling me and my rage. Naked, and covered in filth, I’d been driven through town by vicious men. Had the spell not protected me—

  I screamed under the water and scrubbed at myself.

  When I emerged, I felt no calmer.

  A low chuckle reached my ears, and I looked up at Seth who leaned against the side of the shed near the end of the trough.

  “Can’t say I’ll mind having to change out the water for the privilege of this view.”

  I glanced around and saw Porcia was missing.

  “You’d better run, Seth,” I said. “When Mama comes, she will not like what you’re doing.”

  He smirked, glanced at the house, and paled.

  I followed his gaze and saw Maeve standing in the now open door.

  Seth nodded his head at her then went back into the depths of the shed.

  While she crossed the yard, I exited the trough as gracefully as possible and looked down at myself. Although the water running down my skin wasn’t clear, dirt no longer coated me.

  “Have you no shame?” Maeve demanded angrily as she reached me. “A proper young lady does not bathe in the open.”

  “The buckets of water in town didn’t clean me, and Porcia said you would be disappointed by my filth. Disappointing you so soon after my latest punishment didn’t seem wise. And given that I just walked naked through town, I didn’t think I was still a proper young lady. I apologize for misunderstanding.” I kept my tone neutral, devoid of any emotion.

  Maeve picked up my discarded dress and threw it at me. “Put it on.”

  I tugged the dress over my head and met her gaze. Anger rolled off of her, unmasked and unbridled. It paled in comparison to mine.

  She took a deep breath and regained control.

  “What if we’d had company, Eloise? What if the Prince was here to call upon us?”