The box the mirrored creation came in rested on the ornate desk, taunting Darianna. She picked it up and glanced at the small print. Caution: keep bag away from children. This is not a toy. Broken glass can harm children and infants. Do not ingest. Not intended for children under twelve. She rolled her eyes and tossed it back onto the desk. Something clunked inside. Darianna picked up the box again and opened it. The clear keydagger to the citadel shimmered inside. Slipping it from the box, she marveled at the balanced heft of the blade. She’d seen keydaggers before at the market but had never held one, especially one as important as this knife. The clear edges glittered, an elaborate etching of a skeleton key engraved on the side. After a few more moments admiring the craftsmanship, she tucked it into her belt and left the room. All the way down the dim hallway, she puzzled over how to shut down the citadel. Maybe she could lock Jerissa up inside? But then the guests would be locked up, as well, and the glass rooms would continue to operate with their shifting lights and creepy music.
All too soon, she arrived at the ballroom, the glittering, mirrored rooms of the citadel glowing with multicolored beams. Two palace guards stood at the entrance. One stepped forward. “He said he would wait for you inside, Miss.”
She nodded and hurried into the glass rooms. One pass through didn’t reveal Jerissa or West. She squinted. They had to be here somewhere. She found Ruler Audric in the same room as before. He sat there, eyes half-closed, this time talking to the wall. “But, my dear, you sound divine every time, even without another singer to accompany you. Execution seems a bit extreme for the singer. Uncooperative employees are usually exiled.”
After a moment, he nodded. “Yes, execution is an excellent deterrent.”
Darianna backed up, hiding behind a mirrored pane. Was the image of his wife telling him she needed to be killed? She renewed her search, even more impatient to find West or Jerissa. In a large mirrored room nearby, she found West staring at a wall while Jerissa muttered into the cuff on her wrist. When he caught sight of Darianna in the mirror, he turned to Jerissa as she finished speaking into her cuff.
She glided up next to him and took his arm. “Sorry, Kyllen, I needed a minute. Have you seen this beautiful landscape?”
He pulled away, frowning. “Jerissa, you’ve had your fun, but now it’s over.”
“What do you mean?” Her big blue eyes went wide.
“I mean, we need to leave. This contraption is dangerous.”
She began to giggle. “It’s fine. Enjoy yourself, dearest.”
“Enjoy myself? My father’s sick, the guests are drugged, and my fiancée’s unconcerned.” When she said nothing, his voice lowered. “What exactly is going on?”
“It’s a gift. Don’t you like it?” she asked with a pout.
He shook his head. “I think it’d be best if we leave. Let me get my father.”
“Good luck persuading him to leave his beautiful wife.” She smirked before turning her attention to Darianna. “You’re still here? You’ll be executed if Ruler Audric sees you again. His wife thought it would be an excellent deterrent to other rebels. If I were you, I’d run upstairs and pack your bags.”
Darianna pursed her lips as if in thought. “Hmm. No, but thanks for the warning.”
Reaching into the pocket of her dress, Jerissa withdrew a solar ray gun and pointed it at Darianna. “I was hoping to avoid this. But you’re being unbelievably stupid.”
Darianna froze, her breath catching in her throat.
West grabbed Jerissa’s arm. “Put the ray down.”
She grinned, her eyes menacing. “Or what?”
Pulling the keydagger free from her belt, Darianna spoke, an idea forming. “Or I’ll use you for target practice.”
“That’s mine! You’ve stolen from my room. Kyllen, she must be arrested. Or are you in on the theft, too?” A perfect tear traced down Jerissa’s cheek.
In an effort to look intimidating, Darianna spun the knife. “Shut this thing down, or I’ll poke you full of holes.”
The princess struggled against West’s grip. “You wouldn’t dare. My father will have you arrested and killed.”
“I’m a hunted woman anyway. What’s one more ruler in the grand scheme of things?” Darianna eyed the ray glinting in the princess’s trembling hand.
West’s mouth dropped open. “What are you thinking? No, Anna, she’s not worth it.’”
Jerissa turned to him. “Is this the little tramp you’re having a fling with? I heard the rumors, you know... And I’ve noticed the disgusting way she looks at you—”
With the princess focused on him, Darianna tuned out Jerissa’s vicious diatribe, took a deep breath, and then threw the blade. The knife landed on the cuff’s button with a hard crunch, cracking the bracelet in half. The bracelet cuff and gun clattered to the floor. With a grinding smash, a few glass panels of the citadel collapsed.
Oops, hadn’t expected that.
“My father!” West’s eyes met hers. Darianna waved him away, and he took off toward the room where Ruler Audric had last been seen.
As Jerissa tried to flee, Darianna reached out and grabbed a lock of blonde hair. The girl screamed, turned, and smacked Darianna on the side of her head. Stars littered her vision. Jerissa yanked fistfuls of Darianna’s brown hair, her eyes alight with madness. “You can’t stop this takeover. Ruler Audric’s half-crazy. Another evening in here, and he’ll be finished. After Kyllen and I wed tomorrow, King Jastin will be the ruler of both kingdoms.”
Ignoring the tearing pain from her scalp, Darianna seized both of the princess’s wrists and then kneed her in the stomach. A few more glass shards dropped from the ceiling. Scrambling for safety, Darianna dragged the princess through the entryway. She shoved the traitor toward one of the guards standing nearby. “You’ll want to detain her for questioning. Prince Kyllen has more information, so don’t let her go until he can fill you in.”
Her heart pounding, she turned to dart back into the maze to find West and his father. Cracks and pops echoed through the ballroom as the structure continued its slow disintegration. A loud crash shattered through the room, lights and mirrored shards exploding out from the collapsing panels of glass. West and Ruler Audric staggered from the chaos. Darianna gasped. Glass and blood covered their faces, arms, and hands. A couple maids hurried forward to help the royals, while other guests stumbled out of the glass wreckage. Several servants had been drawn from their posts by the commotion, and two rushed away, yelling for the on-staff doctor. As she shifted closer, Ruler Audric turned, his bleary eyes meeting hers.
You’ll be executed if Ruler Audric sees you...
Darianna fled the ballroom. Upstairs, she stuffed her belongings into a bag and strapped on her knives, leaving behind the fancy dresses and other royal trappings. In the hallway, she kept her footsteps quiet and headed for the main entrance. Familiar with her hikes around the palace grounds, the guards standing watch said nothing when she emerged. A crescent moon hung in the dark sky, while clouds shifted, veiling Isvora’s beautiful surface. If she hurried, she’d be home in an hour.
During the walk back to her house, the evening’s events looped through her head. The solar ray in Jerissa’s hand. West bloody and covered with glass. The look on Ruler Audric’s face. She wouldn’t be welcome anywhere near the castle or his son ever again. She’d be lucky if he didn’t hunt her down.
Ten minutes from home, the purr of a wanderer drove her off the road and into a stand of trees. The silver castle emblem on its side caught the moonlight as it glided past. Her mind whirled as she dashed through the forest. This path would get her home more quickly than the main road. Once there, she’d retrieve the wad of money hidden under her mattress. She’d drive her wanderer to the Atmospheric Terminal, buy a ticket to somewhere new, and disappear. She wouldn’t meet up with her father right away. Ruler Audric would expect that.
Her house came into view as she staggered out of the trees. No sign of the castle wanderer. She stayed hidden for a m
inute before finally dashing for her front door. After fumbling with the lock, she hurried inside. With the lights off, she crept into her bedroom and removed the money from under her bed. It wasn’t much, but it might be enough to get her beyond the ruler’s reach.
Casting a last glance toward her bed, she turned and ran right into a strong chest. A muscled arm pinned her to the wall, and another slipped over her mouth. Rez—it had to be. She went crazy, kicking and wriggling. Her knife set waited at her waist, but she couldn’t get an arm free. Her knee connected with something solid.
“Oomph. Ow!” A low voice growled near her ear. “Sun’s halo, stop fighting me, Anna.”
“West?”
“If I let you go, do you promise not to knee me in the thigh again?”
The fight drained out of her. “Yes. Sorry.”
He released her and turned on the light attached to his cuff. It illuminated his face, decorated with small cuts.
She gasped. “You’re still bloody.”
“I’m fine. Well, mostly.” He held up a hand wrapped with a white bandage. “This caught the worst of it.” The blue light from his cuff shone bright in the dark room.
“Why are you here?” She shoved away from the wall and hurried into the kitchen for travel snacks. “You can’t drag me back to the palace. I’ll leave the zone, but I refuse to be led to my execution.”
“Dramatic much?”
“It’s not drama. Your dad mentions an execution, then you jump me in my house in the dark. What am I supposed to think?”
“The last time I surprised you, you tried to knife me. And Jerissa, who was pretending to be my mother via her bracelet, mentioned an execution, but never fully convinced my father.”
“Really?” Darianna let out a slow breath. “Well, good. I’d hate to leave—I should stay at least until my dad returns from his trip.”
“Why do you have to leave at all?” West dropped into a kitchen chair, his legs kicked out in front of him.
“I—I don’t know.” She turned on the kitchen light and took a chair next to him. “Everything’s kind of a blur.”
“It’s been that kind of night. But you know what I’ll never forget?” he asked.
“What?”
“Watching you run out of the palace ballroom. It was the worst thing I could imagine, seeing you leave like that.”
“It wasn’t personal.” She shrugged. “I—I was scared.”
“And now?”
“I don’t believe your dad likes me very much.” Darianna shook her head. “I refused to sing, even though it was my job. He told me to leave, and I didn’t. And then I destroyed a royal gift.”
“A gift that tried to kill him. You saved his life and the kingdom.” He held out a note, the palace’s reflective seal glimmering. “He told me to offer you this apology, as well as a restoration of your residency. Give him a chance to apologize in person. You have my word he won’t harm you. After all, I can’t have him executing the one girl I can’t live without.”
He caught her hand on the table between them. “I never cared for Jerissa. Even when I should have. Because there was another girl with a terrifying ability with knives and an amazing voice.”
At his words, joy tumbled through her, heady like a beautiful aria.
Could she and West really have more than friendship? “I’m not a princess.”
“It’s not a prerequisite. And in light of certain events, I’m pretty sure my father will let me choose my relationships from now on.”
Darianna tried to keep her face impassive, but a grin broke through. “I don’t know if I can be involved with someone with two names. I might get confused.”
“I’ll be right there to remind you, Anna.” He leaned close, his dark brown eyes pulling her closer. His lips covered hers in a sweet kiss, leaving tingles as delicious as a new melody dancing over her lips.
THE END
About the Author
J.M. Hackman loves thunderstorms, bookstores, and happy endings. She’s never met a reading nook she didn’t like and prefers soul talk to small talk. When she’s not writing or reading, she spends quality time with her greatest fans—her family.
Her stories have been published in the anthologies Realmscapes, Mythical Doorways, and Tales of Ever After. Her award-winning YA fantasy Spark (The Firebrand Chronicles) was released in 2017 from L2L2 Publishing. The sequel, Flare, was released in February 2019. She spends her days writing stories, consuming massive quantities of dark chocolate, and looking for portals to other worlds.
The Last Mrs.
Bluebeard
A retelling of “Bluebeard” by Charles Perrault
S.E. Clancy
Chapter 1
I FIXED MY eyes on the stranger’s gold bolo, covering the top button of his shirt. The nugget was as large as a sparrow’s egg, and I had never seen a waistcoat with such fine weaving. No matter how hard I stared at the neck piece, his beard captured my attention.
“I know, it’s awful,” Mr. Meyer said, accent thickening the words on his tongue. He leaned down but kept a respectable distance. “My dog, Hund, happened to bound up onto my lap while I was drinking blueberry cordial.” He stroked his short beard. “It was dark purple. So I tried lye, and dees is what I got.”
Dipping my head down, I tried to hide my smile behind my glove. How perfectly awful! A beard as blue as a midsummer’s day.
Mother snapped her fan open to break my ill-mannered response. “You must have a very large dog, Mr. Meyer.”
“Truth be told, he’s rather small.” His accent was enchanting, the way it pulled each word into a melody. “Short legs, but runs like the devil.”
My sister, Anna, and my mother gasped. I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing and finally had to fake a cough.
“Pardon, ladies.” He bowed at the waist, his beard even bluer against his black waistcoat. “I have the manners of an ox, since I worked at the mines with my men.”
Our host appeared at Mr. Meyer’s elbow with a tumbler of amber liquor. “Ladies, I see you’ve met our Mr. Meyer, all the way from Switzerland via New York.” Mr. Jacobs raised his glass a bit. “He made his way west and hit a vein of gold that made him entirely rich.”
I looked to Mr. Meyer. He gazed at his shined shoes, while our inebriated host rambled on about the Suss mine and its profits. Mr. Meyer only looked up when Mr. Jacobs asked him about the mine’s namesake.
He held my stare. “It is named after my homeland.” His eyes were a shade lighter than his beard.
“Suss is peculiar,” Anna said. She twisted her tiny waist this way and that way to make her skirts move. The lace was spectacular. We’d spent hours sewing it to the muslin, thanking the Almighty for finding such a delicate border tangled in a tree. Surely, we thought, it would attract a suitor that season.
“It is the word the captain used for me when I traveled across the Atlantic.” Mr. Meyer looked at me until I lowered my eyes.
Mother whipped her fan to stir the air as Mr. Jacobs moved on to another group. “I do not mean to be presumptuous, but allow me to introduce my daughters, Mr. Meyer.” She didn’t start coughing, but I wondered if the heat made her so pale.
I did wish she would have left formalities alone, but smoothed my skirt since I’d be first. At times like that, I missed Father’s quiet nature. He’d have calmly gone through introductions and allowed Anna and me to linger with friends. But without his support, Mother was left to secure our futures.
“May I present my eldest daughter, Miss Robin King.”
Dipping into a curtsy, I couldn’t help but notice the intricate stitching at his trouser cuffs. It must’ve cost a fortune!
“Miss King.” He again bowed at the waist, and I noticed the silver running through his dark hair. He wasn’t ancient, but well past my age.
“My youngest, Miss Anna King.”
Anna dipped low, the blush spreading on her pretty cheeks. “Mr. Meyer.”
“Miss Anna.”
; Mother moved the conversation into safe territory, and away from the revenues of Suss mine. I watched her gauge Mr. Meyer’s response, how he often directed his gaze to me. I didn’t mind his attention. The more we talked, the less I noticed the color of his beard.
When the heat built up inside the house, the entire party moved out of doors and toward the creek that ran near Mr. Jacobs’s home. Mr. Meyer offered his jacket for Mother to sit on, so that she didn’t ruin her dress. He was so near her age, that I imagined I may be calling him Father. The thought struck my heart with dread. I retreated to the shade of another tree to allow them to become better acquainted.
“Robin!” A flurry of yellow dress and brown curls bolted across the yard and into my arms.
“April! I didn’t know you were coming.”
My best friend pulled back and then embraced me once more. “I’ve been traveling for days and days. But I would not rest until John brought me to you.”
The mere mention of her brother’s name, and I looked toward the direction April arrived. There, in the shadow of the porch, John Hastings took a long draw of water from a dipper. He reset his top hat upon his shaggy hair and smiled when he saw me looking. I’d never seen him in anything but plain trousers, so the plaid pants made me laugh as he strode across the lawn.
“He’s still not over you,” April whispered into my ear.
I felt my skin turning pink by the time John joined us. “Mr. Hastings.” I bobbed down.
“Hello, Water Sprite.” The tip of his mustache turned up when he used my childhood nickname. It had taken years for him to master the curse of a lisp that made it sound like “Thprite.”
“I long for the days we could walk in the creek.” April groaned as we lowered ourselves to the grass. “Or at least take off our boots to cool our toes.”
Encircled Page 12