And at her words, she and Nigel Fennick came to an abrupt halt and she heard his grunt of surprise.
But Elle didn’t process this.
She was staring in front of her, no longer struggling because floating before them in the darkness was a see-through Fiona Cameron.
* * * * *
Prentice
“Prentice, I hardly think –” Hattie, standing in her front door, began but Prentice leaned into her, getting into her face and she clamped her mouth shut.
“Bring me your boy,” he growled.
“She wasn’t here,” Hattie snapped back. “She isn’t here.”
“Her Rover is at your curb, woman,” Prentice returned.
“So? Maybe she’s visiting Mrs. Kilbride. She lives just across the street,” Hattie shot back.
“You think I haven’t already knocked on her door?” Prentice retorted.
“Why on earth would she –?” Hattie started but Prentice interrupted her again.
“Your boy has been home since school,” he stated.
“Of course,” Hattie replied shortly.
“And you told me you just got home but if Elle was here, he’d know and I need to know. She’s disappeared, she’s no’ answering her mobile, no one has seen her, no one has heard from her except Fern who only knows she canceled their appointment at the last minute, no’ why. I need to retrace her steps and her Rover is at your curb, Hattie, so if you haven’t seen her and Nigel isn’t here then I need to speak to Davey to see if he has.”
“I have,” a young boy’s hesitant voice came from behind Hattie and Prentice’s gaze jerked around the woman to see her son standing behind her in their hall.
“Davey, upstairs to your room,” Hattie ordered on a turn and Prentice beat back the desire to wrap his fingers around the silly, bitter cow’s throat.
“You’ve seen her?” Prentice asked and his gut, already tied in a tight knot, clenched even further when he took in the boy’s pale face and frightened eyes.
When Davey didn’t answer, Prentice pushed by Hattie and strode swiftly to the boy who backed up at his advance but slammed to a halt against the banister of the stairs.
“Prentice Cameron! You are no’ welcome in my home!” Hattie shouted from close behind him but Prentice ignored her and bent his face to the boy’s.
“Why are you afraid, Davey?” he asked, his voice low, his meager reserves of control slipping, his focus on trying not to terrify him further because he needed to know, and now, what the boy knew that was making him look so fucking scared.
“Davey, up to your room!” Hattie snapped and only Prentice’s neck twisted so he could lock eyes with the bitch.
“Why won’t you let him speak to me?” he clipped.
Hattie tossed her hair and crossed her arms on her chest. “I already told you, I don’t know why you’re here or Bella’s Rover is in front of my house, Prentice. The never ending drama of your life doesn’t intrude in ours. We have no’ one thing to do with you and jet-set Isabella Evangelista.”
He straightened and turned to her. “You do. You know you do. You live and breathe Elle and me. It’s coiled in you like a rotting vine.”
“Hardly,” she hissed with another toss of her hair but Prentice was done, he didn’t have time for Hattie Fennick, he never did and he turned back to Davey.
“Talk to me, boy,” he demanded.
“Go to your room,” Hattie ordered.
“Talk to me, damn it!” Prentice shouted and Davy got tense but he spoke.
“She came, earlier, Dad let her in then I saw Dad carrying her out to his car.”
Prentice’s body shot straight as he heard Hattie breathe, “What?”
“She was bleedin’ from her head,” Davey whispered.
Fear cut through his body leaving nothing but raw in its wake because he suddenly knew, he knew what life was like at the Fennick household when someone as controlling, twisted, bitter and malicious as Hattie lived in it, obsessed with another man and his family.
“Where would he take her?” Prentice bit out quickly, Davey’s mouth opened and shut and then again before he swallowed. Prentice gave up on him, turned to his mother and repeated, “Where would he take her?”
“I don’t –” she started, her face pale, she was shocked, completely unable to comprehend what her warped obsession with another man wrought on her husband.
Prentice didn’t have time for her to think so he turned and advanced, fast, Hattie retreating and then she slammed against the wall by the door and stared up at him with deeper shock as his body pressed close and he got nose to nose with the bitch.
“Where would he fucking take her?” Prentice gritted through his teeth.
“I… I…” she stammered.
“Where?” Prentice roared.
“The cliffs,” she whispered. “The cliffs at Kenkames.”
Prentice said not a word nor spared a glance.
He sprinted out of the house to his Rover.
* * * * *
Elle
“Bloody hell,” Nigel Fennick breathed and even though Elle was staring at Fiona floating and shimmering in front of her, her beautiful dark hair drifting like it was caught in a stiff but delicate breeze, the ends of the attractive tunic she wore doing the same, Elle knew Nigel was stunned and this was her chance.
And it could be her only one.
So, at the same time, she kicked back with her boot, hitting him sharply in the shin as she scratched at his hand, her nails digging in. He yelped, his leg went back automatically to avoid her foot, his arms loosened; she pulled free, rounded him and ran.
Head for the road! Fiona shouted, zooming eerily beside her.
“You said that already!” Elle shouted back but did it anyway.
I know! I have super-ghostly sight, you don’t, so you have to listen to me! Fiona shouted back.
Super-ghostly sight. Insane! Elle thought.
Seriously, you need to rethink your footwear, Fiona advised and Elle kept running even as she rolled her eyes.
“You don’t think I know that?” she returned.
Faster! Fiona yelled. He’s gaining!
Elle tried to run faster, her breath coming in deep pants, her boots and Nigel’s boots hitting the road sounding jarringly in the quiet, dark, deserted night.
“Where are we?” Elle asked through her pants, deciding to zig and zag to see if she could put him off so she did at that same time hoping whatever Fiona’s answer was would give her the information she needed to get out of this bloody mess and back home.
Kenkames. No’ populated and nobody will be up here this late at night, Fiona answered.
“Marvelous,” Elle muttered right before she heard Fiona’s ghostly scream and Elle was tackled, going down hard, first to her knees then her hand slammed into the asphalt of the road, the pain in her wrist shooting up her arm then she hit the road at her chest, her breath going clean out of her.
Let her go, you fool! Fiona shouted as Elle sucked in air but still she immediately started struggling, twisting, turning and kicking out. Let her go! Fiona repeated. Let her go! Let her go, go, GO!
Then Nigel’s weight was off Elle, she rolled several times to the side, got to a knee and looked back to see Nigel struggling with the supernatural body of Fiona.
RUN! Fiona screeched as, with parted lips, Elle watched Fiona lifting Nigel clean in the air and darting away, both of them several feet off the ground.
Now! Fiona yelled, Elle found her feet, turned away from her surprising attacker and by far and away more surprising rescuer and she ran.
* * * * *
Prentice
“Prentice –” Dougal started, his voice coming from Prentice’s speakerphone on his mobile.
“Just do it, Dougal. Call the police and head up to Kenkames,” Prentice ordered.
“You should leave this to the cops, Prentice, you should –”
“I’m no’ discussing it, I’m telling you. Call the fucking police, get
in your fucking car and head up to fucking Kenkames,” Prentice ground out, hit the button on his phone to end the call and tossed it in the passenger seat.
Then he focused on the road. He needed to focus on the road. He was in a 4x4 going twice the speed limit. He needed to get to Elle, get her safe and beat Nigel fucking Fennick bloody and not die in a fiery crash before he could do it.
And that was what he was bloody well going to do.
* * * * *
Fiona
Fiona forced Nigel in his car, locking it and keeping it locked with her newly realized powers. Once she accomplished that, she floated outside it, hands on hips, glaring at Nigel.
It wasn’t anger that brought on her powers.
It also wasn’t effort.
Or concentration.
It was love.
Magic came from love.
Who knew?
All she knew was, faced with the possibility that, if she didn’t do something, there would be no Isabella Austin soon-to-be Cameron in this world, Fiona couldn’t abide that.
Her children needed Bella.
Her husband needed her.
Annie, Fergus, Mikey, they needed her.
And Bella needed her happy ending.
And Fiona loved her enough to make it so.
So she did.
You’re mad, Nigel Fennick, and you need help, she informed him through the car window as she floated at its side and he struggled with the handle to a door she kept locked.
He stopped struggling and scowled up at her.
“You don’t exist,” he declared.
No, you’re right but then again, I also do, she replied. When Prentice finds Bella they’ll send someone up here to get you and then you need to get help.
“Go to hell!” he shouted.
No bloody way, she shot back, gave him one long, last glare then she dematerialized and materialized at Bella’s side.
A Bella who was walking, holding her side. She was walking quickly, very quickly, but she was still bloody walking.
Why are you walking? Fiona snapped, Bella’s body jolted and her head jerked to the side.
“You’re back,” she noted unnecessarily.
Aye, I’m back and there’s a bad man no’ too far away who’s lost his mind and wants you dead so why are you walking?
“I can’t run anymore, I have a stitch in my side,” Bella explained. “And anyway, you carried him away. A grown man…” Bella shook her head, disbelief stark on her features. “A grown man.”
Fiona drew in a needless, frustrated breath then advised, Bella, run.
“Have you taken care of him?” Bella asked.
I hope so. My powers are new, so let’s no’ take a chance, agreed?
Bella studied her. Then, thankfully, she started jogging.
Then, faced forward, she whispered as her breath started to get heavy, “You’ve been with us.”
Fiona didn’t answer.
“You’ve been with us for awhile,” Bella went on.
Fiona kept silent.
Bella waited then continued, “You gave him to me.”
Just run, Fiona whispered back, zooming beside her.
“You gave him to me,” Bella panted as she kept running. “You gave them all to me.”
Of course, I’m your fairy godmother, Fiona replied and Bella came to a rocking halt and turned sharply to her.
“What?” she gasped.
Oh for goodness sakes!
Bella, run! Fiona yelled.
“You’re my fairy godmother?” Bella asked, still panting.
Bella –
“Who would do that to you? God?” Bella queried, her expression, Fiona thought, in normal circumstances, would be hilarious, incomprehension mixed with a liberal dose of anger. But it wasn’t hilarious considering they were in the middle of nowhere on a roadside cliff in the freezing cold (though Fiona couldn’t feel it, she saw the chapped red in Bella’s cheeks so she knew it to be true), running from a madman.
Colonel Sanders, Fiona answered, watched Bella blink and couldn’t bite back her smile.
“Colonel Sanders made you my fairy godmother?” Bella demanded to know, her hands going to her hips. Then she declared, “Well, that’s crazy. And it’s… it’s… it’s mean. Why would he do that?” she asked then didn’t wait for Fiona to answer before she declared. “I’m never eating his chicken again.”
Yes, she was hilarious. Even in the middle of a trauma.
Fiona floated close and, surprisingly, Bella held her eyes and her ground, not frightened of her, not at all.
Then Fiona whispered, Love, please run.
Bella continued to hold her eyes. Then she turned again and ran. She kept doing this quietly, her breath beginning to heave as Fiona zoomed at her side.
After awhile, Fiona informed her, Once you’re safe, it’s likely I’ll move on.
“Okay,” Bella forced out then, carefully, “That’s good, right?”
Right, Fiona answered and hoped she wasn’t lying.
“Okay,” Bella breathed.
I don’t want them to know, Fiona said softly and watched Bella close her eyes tight even as she continued running then she opened her eyes again.
“Okay,” Bella repeated, it was breathy, again forced but it was also sad.
Thank you for taking care of them, Fiona went on and heard Bella’s breath hitch and not with the effort of running.
Then she pushed out, “It’s my pleasure, honey.”
I know, Fiona whispered then they saw them, headlights.
“Thank God,” Bella breathed, her pace quickening, Fiona saw the 4x4, she recognized it, she reached a hand out and slid it along Bella’s neck. Bella’s head turned, her eyes caught Fiona’s and Fiona smiled.
Then she disappeared.
* * * * *
Prentice
The instant he saw Elle running, Prentice stood on the brakes, pulled on the parking brake and was out the door. He barely cleared it when Elle hit him full on.
His arms closed around her trembling body, trembling even as she pulled in deep breaths, wrapped her arms around him and held on tight.
“Baby,” he whispered into the top of her hair, seeing the blood at her temple that had run down her cheek but other than that she seemed unharmed and he sent thanks to God quickly but he meant every silent word.
“Nigel –” she struggled to get out between pants and Prentice’s arms squeezed.
“I know,” he told her.
“He’s… he’s…” she pulled in breath, “he’s lost his mind.”
“I know,” Prentice repeated.
“He’s –” Elle began but she stopped when they both heard the car and saw the headlights.
Their heads shot around and they saw Nigel Fennick’s car racing their way.
“Oh my God!” Elle cried and Prentice caught her hand, pulling her with him, he dragged her to the back of the Rover.
The cliffs were to their right, the hills to their left. At Nigel’s speed, it wasn’t a good choice but he only had one and that was to round the boot of the Rover and head for the hills.
So he did, his head turned, watching Nigel’s fast approach, praying he could get them off the road to the safety of the hill where Nigel in his car couldn’t follow, running while pulling Elle behind him then suddenly he saw something form floating over the road.
Nigel saw it too and cut the wheel to the right, too hard. Way too hard.
He lost control of the car.
Prentice abruptly stopped, his chest freezing as the realization of what was about to happen hit him, Elle slamming into his back and they watched in horror as Nigel and his car flew over the cliff.
There was silence except a distant, disembodied male scream of terror then the loud, crushing crash of car slamming into rock.
“Oh my God,” Elle breathed, pressing close. “Oh my God, did he just…?”
Elle spoke more but Prentice didn’t hear her.
And he didn’t hea
r her because the floating form had turned and her sweetly familiar eyes across the distance landed on him.
“Fee,” he whispered.
Her head tilted to the side and he remembered that. Christ, he remembered that. She did it when she was about to smile and say something beautiful to him or to their children.
Or when she was about to say something self-mocking or teasing.
And he watched as she said something self-mocking.
That’s unfortunate. It appears I should have taken away his keys.
A jolt tore through his body.
Christ, her voice. Christ. He never thought he’d hear it again. Never allowed himself to even dream. Not like that, not husky with humor. Not at all.
Then, head still tipped, she smiled and said something beautiful.
Stay happy, my darling, you worked for it and so did Bella. You both deserve it, he heard her aching voice was now filled with love right before she started glimmering slightly then he heard her whispered, I love you, right before she disappeared.
Prentice stared into the darkness, Elle pressed to his back and he didn’t move.
He couldn’t believe he’d seen what he’d just seen.
But he’d seen it.
Then Elle pulled her hand gently from his and her arms slid around his stomach, she moved in closer, pressing deeper, her arms going tight.
“She saved me,” Elle whispered.
But Prentice didn’t move, he didn’t speak, he just stared where he’d last seen his wife, her words echoing in his head.
“She told me, when we’re safe, she’ll move on,” Elle said on a squeeze.
Prentice stayed silent and motionless.
“She doesn’t want the children knowing she’s been here,” Elle finished and Prentice closed his eyes and dropped his head, the knowledge that his wife, his beloved Fee, had been with them, and he knew then, he knew she’d been with them awhile, burned through him like acid.
How had she endured it? Any of it? All of it?
Christ. His Fee.
Elle held him close and also didn’t move or speak.
Then she whispered, “Pren, you know, think about it, you know she helped us find each other again.”
Prentice kept his eyes shut and his head bent but he murmured, “Aye.”
“I feel she’s gone, Pren, she’s going home. Do you feel it?”
Fairytale Come Alive Page 45
