When it reached the wound, it burrowed into my body. I cried out at the horrible feeling of the monstrous creature driving itself under my skin.
A bump raised on my stomach and started moving upwards.
“NO!” I roared, half sick half furious. I couldn't do anything but thrash and beg that this thing would stop its ascent beneath my flesh.
A shadow rushed through the room and slammed into Gothel, sending her flying to the ground and cracking her head on the ground below. Aladdin stood there, his eyes wide in alarm as he stared at me then looked back to the unmoving form of Gothel.
“Cut it out!” I shouted, my voice hoarse.
“He just pushed that woman over. I know, I saw it,” Kyra's voice reached my ears.
“What the actual shit is that?” Aladdin suddenly spotted the lump moving up my body.
“Get. It. Out,” I snarled through my teeth as the beetle crawled up to my collar bone.
Aladdin snatched a dagger from his hip and slammed his palm onto my throat to stop the thing advancing. The tip of his blade scored into my skin and pain burst through the wound as he twisted the dagger.
He squeezed the cut and I ground my teeth to dust as he forced the vile insect from my skin. It tumbled to the floor and he drove his heel down on it with a satisfying crunch.
Aladdin hurried around to Gothel, rummaging in her robes and producing an iron key. He slid it into the shackles binding me. Freeing my legs, my right arm-
Gothel sprang to her feet with a scream of fury. Her eyes fell on Kyra and she gasped, rushing toward her. Aladdin abandoned me and I swung my legs over the stone table, yanked backwards as my left wrist remained tethered.
Gothel lunged for Kyra, but her hands slid through the genie's skin as if she was made of smoke. Aladdin fell on the witch, locking an arm around her throat. He dropped the key and it tinkled across the ground. Anxiety poured through me.
“Kyra!” I called and she nodded, snatching up the key and running toward me.
Gothel was frighteningly strong, forcing Aladdin off of her and slashing her nails towards his face. He planted a kick to her chest before her strike made contact and spat air through his teeth. “Not the face!”
Kyra jammed the key in the lock, twisting it and I yanked my arm free, running to help Aladdin. As Gothel lunged for him once more, I caught a handful of her hair and dragged her backwards.
“We have to apprehend her!” I called to Aladdin. “We must expose what she is!”
Gothel shrieked like a wraith, turning in my arms and throwing me away from her. I stumbled, catching hold of her arm and taking her with me. My legs hit the cauldron with a resounding dong and I forgot my morals, forgot fighting with honour and rammed her whole head into the liquid.
Aladdin whooped, running forward to help. Gothel reared backwards like a demon, coated in the purple potion which stained her white hair and her contorted face.
She threw a punch to my stomach which knocked the wind out of me and I hit the ground. Aladdin seized her arms, trying to hold her in place. He staggered backwards, moving closer and closer to the raging river.
She moved like a wild animal, slashing at his skin and finally slapping his face.
“Bitch!” he yelled in anger. “Kyra, I wish I had an iron fist!”
“Your wish is my command!” the genie sang as if we weren't fighting for our lives here.
I gained my feet, running toward Aladdin and Gothel on the edge of the water. Aladdin's right fist shone like silver as he slammed it into Gothel's face.
“NO!” I bellowed as I tried to grab the witch's arm. She hit the water with a scream, blood flying just before she was dragged beneath the waves. I moved to storm into the river and fish her out, but Aladdin caught my arm, pulling me back.
“Are you crazy? You'll be swept downstream with her.” He pointed and I spotted swathes of her robes floating on the surface, careering along the current at a fierce pace before being sucked into the tunnels and out of sight.
My mouth parted. Panic threatened to set in but my training got in the way of it.
First rule in an emergency: keep your head.
Aladdin clapped his iron hand to my shoulder, his eyes dark. “She's gone, mate. Nothing we can do.”
“She floated away, should we have stopped her floating away?” Kyra asked and I realised too late Aladdin probably could have wished something into existence to stop this from happening.
I sighed, rubbing my fingers into my eyes. The heat of blood washed down my chest and I lifted a hand to the neat cut Aladdin had made to get the beetle out.
“Thank you,” I said earnestly as I gazed at Aladdin. “You saved my damn neck.”
He smirked and his eyes filled with warmth for a second. “Well don't expect me to make a habit of it.”
“I wouldn't dream of it.” We stared at each other for a moment and I wondered how this lowborn thief had somehow wormed his way under my skin – kind of like that beetle. I wasn't sure I'd ever had a real friend before, but it was starting to seem like he was one.
I gazed around at the lair I was in, the spilled potion, the chest of jars and bottles which surely was enough to incriminate Gothel.
“We'd better alert the guards.” I made a move toward the door, but Aladdin snatched my arm, turning me to face him.
“Are you crazy? How are we going to explain this?”
“With the truth,” I said frankly. “We'll tell them she brought me here.”
“And why would they believe that? How are you going to explain this without bringing the lamp into it?”
“We'll say we don't know why she was after us,” I growled. “We can't just let her get away with this.”
“Cassian,” Aladdin hissed. “Gothel's gone. Drowned, dead, who knows? Who really cares? Doesn't look like she's coming back, mate. So let's just return to our rooms and pretend it never happened.”
I shook my head, ready to walk away again when he went on.
“Without Gothel, we don't have an admission of guilt,” he pressed. “Without her, the Royal Guard can twist this any way they want. And right now, it looks like we just killed the queen of Osaria and are standing in a den full of shit we could have brought here for all they know.”
I clenched my jaw. “They will believe us. We only need to explain-”
“Not everyone is as honest as you, Cassian. I've been on the receiving end of the Royal Guard's mercy more times than I can count. And you may not have kicked the shit out of street boys but I've met plenty of them who did. And I'm not going to risk ruining what I have for the sake of your morals.”
“The evidence is right here,” I snarled. “The kingdom must know what Gothel has done.”
“They'll want to question us,” Aladdin growled. “All of us.” He glanced over at Kyra who was sitting on the stone table, swinging her legs. He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Do you think she'll get through a line of questioning without them figuring out what she is?”
My gaze trailed over the innocent genie girl with my gut tying in knots. No matter what vendetta I had against, Gothel, I couldn't risk Kyra being exposed. The lamp would be seized. She'd be forced back into it and who knows what would be done with her then. They could kill her...
I shut my eyes, fury making my blood hot. “Gothel will get away with everything.”
“She's dead,” Aladdin whispered. “That surely means the Emperor will be free now? Everything will be okay again just like you wanted. You just won't get a medal for it.”
“I don't want a-”
“Sure sure.” He winked, turning to face Kyra and raising his iron fist. “Can you undo this now? As much as I like it, I'm not sure it'll count as honourable in tomorrow's brawl.”
Kyra jumped down from the table, her eyes falling on his hand until the metallic sheen of it fell away.
My heart clenched as I gazed between the two of them, knowing I had to accept this fate. We'd return to our rooms, pretend we knew nothing about this when it
was announced that Gothel was dead. And if her death released the Emperor, then maybe everything I'd hoped for would come to fruition anyway. Maybe there would be no pageant at all by tomorrow. Maybe it would be outlawed. Maybe Rapunzel would be given the freedom of choice at long last.
“Come on,” Aladdin urged as he led the way through the cave toward a door hidden in the shadows.
Kyra threw me a hopeful look. “Friends share secrets. That makes us all friends, doesn't it?”
I nodded, giving her small smile. “Yes...I suppose it does.”
“We take this to the grave, yeah?” Aladdin called back at us.
Kyra and I shared a look before replying in unison. “To the grave.”
Book Two
Kingdom of Wishes
I lay in bed, gazing up at the star-spangled ceiling painted in blue and silver. A white net kept the bugs from finding my skin, the material blowing in a gentle breeze that tumbled in from the open balcony doors.
My sheets were pink and a soft little bear of the same colour rested on the mounds of pillows. I was a woman in a girl's room. I'd never thought to redecorate. Maybe I'd wanted to cling to my childhood, back when my father had loved me, my mother had played with me and her laughter had filled the halls. Had the summers been cooler then or hotter? The memories were fading away like the sun slipping beneath the horizon, taking all the light with it.
I brushed my fingers over my lips for the hundredth time.
I'd kissed Count Nazari. Or rather, the Count had kissed me. No person in the world had ever touched me like that. Hands roaming, caressing, his mouth encasing mine and taking something from me I'd been perfectly willing to give. My first ever kiss.
My heart had throbbed and my shoulders had trembled. I probably hadn't done it right, but I didn't care. It was liberating to have shared something so undeniably sinful within the walls of my own personal prison. The suitors weren't supposed to touch me and they definitely weren't supposed to kiss me until our wedding day. But Aladdin didn't seem to care for the rules. He was recklessly defiant, carefree and entirely at ease in the world. And those were things I'd longed to be my entire life.
What were kisses supposed to feel like?
I'd read about them in countless books. Passion, heat, pounding hearts and curling toes.
My heart had definitely been pounding but that might have had more to do with the fact that I'd broken a hundred rules by sneaking into a suitor's room. I could almost hear Gothel's shrieks if she were to discover what I'd done. Gracious, Rapunzel have some dignity!
A smile pulled at my mouth that spoke of the secret I shared with Aladdin. If there was one word to describe that kiss perfectly, it was improper. How many kisses had it taken for him to be so confident in the act? A hundred? A thousand? And he'd had my only one ever.
I recalled what he'd said to me out on the balcony during the feast. “If I married you, it wouldn't be for a throne, Princess.”
Was that true? Or was I a fool to believe any of the words that came out of the suitors' mouths? But somehow I sensed, in that moment at least, he had meant it. Was it too much to hope for that if Aladdin won the pageant and took my hand in marriage, that he'd also set aside the laws which forbade me from ruling my own kingdom?
I only had one wish greater than that in my heart and that was forgoing the marriage altogether and having my throne handed to me by Father.
Unlikely.
“A wish is a dream without a plan,” that's what my mother had always said to me. So maybe this was a chance to make that wish come true. Make a plan. Hope the man who promised me my throne won the competition, then marry him and pray he fulfills that promise.
Gah, why do my wishes have to depend on the charity of a man?
A pit opened up in my stomach, hollowing out then sucking everything in like a vacuum. One kiss was not going to cloud my mind and make me trust a suitor who no doubt had his eye on one thing: my kingdom. He was probably just trying to dazzle me into falling for him. A guy with a face like that could have lied a thousand times to women, his words a sweet poison they drank willingly. And one day they'd wake up and realise he never fulfilled any of his candied words, he'd just taken their hearts and their bodies for as long as it pleased him.
I won't be his next victim.
I rolled over, the heat suffocating. Sleep wasn't going to come for me, that was obvious. I tore back the netting and stepped out onto the cool tiles, heading onto the balcony to clear my head. It was just the same as the one on which I'd shared a moment with Aladdin.
I rested my hands on the railing, gazing down at the garden where fireflies danced and cicadas buzzed. Clouds had drawn over the moon and the wind rustled my hair and pulled at my nightdress. I shut my eyes and thought back to the words we'd shared just hours ago, trying to figure out if they were really true.
Goosebumps rushed across my flesh as I recalled how close he'd been, his musky scent, the caress of his breath on my neck when I'd told him I wanted to be free. I'd never spoken those words to anyone, so why him? Why then?
Perhaps it was because it had felt like he'd seen right through me already. Like I'd unveiled more than just my face to him in the past few days, I'd somehow bared my soul. And in that second he'd already seen my heart's most desperate wish. So sharing it had been easy.
If wishes were fishes, we'd all cast nets into the sea.
And if my net's empty when it comes back to shore, I'll throw it away and go fishing no more.
Maybe it was time to cast my net. Because either way, I could end up right back where I'd started. So there was really nothing to lose.
I gazed down at the drop below. The wall ran down two floors and was lined with sharp spikes to stop assassins climbing in. I leaned further over the edge, my hair tumbling forward and creating a curtain of gold around me.
Imagine if I jumped?
A snort escaped my mouth. Sometimes crazy thoughts like that sprang into my mind. I'd never actually do it, but it was amusing to wonder what reaction the kingdom would have to my demise. Their pretty princess dashed to smithereens on the grounds of the palace. How unfortunate for all the suitors who'd travelled from miles around to take my hand in marriage.
The sound of a man singing reached me and I frowned, standing upright as I stared down into the dark gardens below.
“I dream of flowers in the moonlight, shining oh so bright.” Captain Hariot appeared out of the trees, flanked by a group of musicians with violins. They started up a harmony as he continued on, raising his arms in the air as he sang out to me.
It was nearly midnight. Was this guy insane?
“Rapunzel, oh your face, I'd die for you, your grace.” He ran a hand over his ebony locks, his navy eyes sparkling. “For you I'd fight a hundred wars, I'd break down a million doors.”
I cringed, my shoulders stiffening as I had to listen to the embarrassing display.
Holy shit, when is this going to stop?
I wrapped my arms around myself, aware that I was dressed way too inappropriately to be seen by a suitor. When he was finally done, he bowed so low his nose almost touched the ground.
“It's very late, Captain,” I called down to him.
“I have come each night since I arrived hoping you might be here to listen to my serenade, my love.” He grinned and I rolled my eyes.
“How persistent of you,” I remarked, my tone light. I wondered if Captain Hariot was smart enough to realise I was mocking him.
“I shall persist until the other suitors have fallen, sweet Rapunzel. A song a night, so long as you come to your balcony each evening.”
Thats a shame, because I was just thinking about bolting my doors shut for the rest of time.
“How kind of you, Captain, but I do tend to prefer the chorus of birds to be the last song I hear before bed.”
His lips pursed and I sensed he was getting the hint. “How unfortunate, perhaps the mornings then?”
“I'm usually rather busy brushing my hair in the
mornings, Captain. As you can see, there's an awful lot of it to tame.”
“Oh, I do see. Of course.” He bowed again and guilt pinched my heart for a moment.
Stop being such a bitch.
“Your lovely voice shouldn't be kept just for me, perhaps you'll sing at the ball tomorrow night?” I offered.
His eyes brightened and all insult was forgotten as he nodded eagerly. “What an honour, your highness. I would be delighted to partake. And I do hope I'll have the opportunity to lead you in a dance as a gentleman of your court?”
I nodded stiffly. “Tomorrow then.” I made my exit, shutting the doors behind me before bursting into laughter.
I heard Hariot berating his quartet in a furious tone and my smile fell away.
Gentleman my ass.
Aladdin pushed the door to his chambers open and I stepped aside quickly as Cassian stumbled in.
I followed them into the room and chewed on my lip as Cassian started pacing. There was blood in the back of his hair, forming a sticky clump over what must have been a painful wound. I glanced at my master, wondering if he wanted to wish his friend better but he’d crossed the room and was pulling the cork from a bottle of wine instead.
I slipped across the tiled floor towards him and he gave me a tight smile as he offered the first glass of it to me.
“Thank you,” I breathed as I accepted the wine and his fingertips brushed against mine as he handed it over.
I looked up at him as energy zipped across the small point of contact between us and his gaze probed mine searchingly for a moment before I pulled back.
If you don’t stop looking at him like that then he’s going to think you like touching him too much.
“I’m not sure there could be too much,” I muttered as Aladdin crossed the room, thrusting a glass into Cassian’s hand before drinking from the bottle himself.
“I think we need to tell the guards,” Cassian said, half rising from his seat but Aladdin clapped a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
Forbidden Fairytales- The Complete Series Page 27