Once Upon a Twist

by Michelle Smart

After they had feasted on fruit, cheese and bread, they had abandoned their plan to sleep. They were far too wired from the evening’s events in any case.

  It had been much more fun to lure more of the undead to the house.

  Between them all, they had killed another two score of the creatures before the sun had made its ascent and the remaining undead sidled off to sleep.

  It had acted as an anesthetic and had allowed her to delay the time when she would actually have to think. And grieve.

  Once James and his men were out of sight, she went back inside, rubbing her arms against the sudden chill.

  Phillipe locked up and settled himself into an uncomfortable armchair by the front door.

  Yawning widely, she made for the cellar, figuring she would check out her old bedroom shortly and see if it was habitable. First though, there were some things she needed to collect before she closed the cellar door for the last time. One thing she knew for certain – after this, she would never step foot in that dank, moldy cellar again.

  She opened the cellar door.

  “I’ll come with you.” Phillipe appeared behind her, making her jump.

  “No.” She placed a hand to her skittish heart. “Thank you but I shall only be a couple of minutes.” She wanted to be alone. Finally, she would allow herself to think. And to feel.

  “Then I shall wait here for you.”

  Everything was exactly how she had left it a short twelve hours earlier. Her meager possessions were heaped in a pile in the corner, her cleaning utensils neatly stacked together in another.

  Movement under her blankets caught her attention. Her heart nearly flew out of her chest.

  “Itchy?”

  Responding to her call, a tiny black nose appeared, followed by whiskers and an alert pair of ears.

  “Oh, Itchy, you made it home.” Ella sank onto her knees and held her hand out. With much more caution than usual, Itchy crept out of his hiding place and onto her open palm.

  She held him close and gently stroked his trembling back. A tear rolled down her cheek. Poor, poor Itchy. How heartsick he must be without Scratchy.

  “Phillipe,” she called out, “I’ve changed my mind. I’m going to sleep in here.”

  Yes. For one last time she would sleep in the smelly cellar with her faithful pet. Together they would mourn their brave friend and together they would pray James and his soldiers made safe passage to the palace.

  “It’s going to be fine,” she whispered gently into a furry ear, dripping another tear onto his cute face. “I’ll help you through it, I promise. We’ll help each other.”

  Taking extra special care, she placed him on the floor and then arranged the blankets into a bed for them.

  Snuggled down, sleep came quickly.

  One Month Later

  Ella gazed in awe at the red-bricked palace gleaming under the glorious sunshine, her chest filling with so many happy emotions it felt dream-like. She could not believe how wonderful everything looked considering the carnage that had taken place such a short time ago.

  The pumpkin carriage came to a stop in the front courtyard.

  “Are you ready dear?” Linda asked, squeezing Ella’s hand.

  Ella nodded, for once too choked to speak.

  “In that case…” Linda waved her wand at the door and it sprang open.

  Her two frogs, who Ella had named Favian and Ellard to denote their bravery, had been transformed by Linda into Footmen, an upgrade they were both delighted with. Their faces beaming with pride, they helped her down from the carriage, taking especial care with the train of her white dress.

  Linda, resplendent in a shocking-pink dress, took her arm and together they walked into the palace.

  About to step over the threshold into the ballroom, Linda disentangled her arm. “Hold on dear,” she said, patting her dress. “Have you seen my wand?”

  “Behind your ear.”

  “Ah, yes.” Removing it, she waved it at Ella’s chin. “There. Now you are spot free. Let’s go and marry your Prince.”

  The ballroom was, once again, full to the bursting. It seemed to Ella’s eyes that every living person in the kingdom was there, along with dozens of her animal friends who had returned to the kingdom. Row upon row of bodies were seated, all facing their newly crowned King James, whose father had died so heroically in the battle against the undead. Those looking closely would have seen the impatience on his face and the new worry lines etched in his cheeks and forehead. To her eyes they only made him look sexier.

  Merlin had worked wonders, overseeing the repair of the palace so it looked almost as good as new. Almost. Many parts were still uninhabitable.

  What Merlin had not been able to fix were the dead. Compared to other realms, their kingdom had gotten off lightly. It was estimated half the population had survived, which in context was a miracle.

  Those who had survived were united on that day, all determined to put aside their mourning and celebrate with much joy and love the union of King James and Lady Ella Tremalow.

  It truly was a miracle, Ella reflected, spotting her dear friend Rapunzel, who was sporting a newly cropped hair-do. They had survived.

  Izzy, who would be following her up the aisle, took her place behind her, holding Itchy in her hands. Ella kept hearing her wince as Itchy took sly nips at her fingers. Clearly Itchy had not forgiven her part in Ella’s captivity.

  Poor Itchy. His one venture in human form had been enough. He’d declined Ella’s request that he give her away. She hadn’t asked twice – her most faithful friend would be there to witness the occasion. That was enough.

  Christell had been condemned to live the rest of her life in the tower. She had refused to break the enchantment. Ella had told James in no uncertain terms that if her stepmother should ‘happen’ to die, whether by fair means or foul, she would not marry him. She had meant it too. There had been enough death to last them all a lifetime.

  She pretended not to notice that the small window in Christell’s cell gave her stepmother a perfect view of the Hanging Tree.

  It had taken many days but Merlin had broken the enchantment and Ella had been freed.

  And now she was going to marry the man she loved.

  The music began to play and everyone rose to their feet, including the Queen who, as was tradition for those in mourning, was dressed in black. Merlin had given her a potion that would keep her alive long enough to witness her beloved son marry, and then she would join her husband in the afterlife.

  As Ella walked closer to James, so gloriously handsome in his navy breeches and white ruffed shirt, she witnessed the lines begin to relax and that old sparkle return to his eyes. He even dropped her a wink.

  She accepted the hand he held out for her.

  “Are you ready for this?” he murmured, for her ears only.

  Her eyes sparkled. “I think the pertinent question is, are you ready for this?”

  “Oh yes, my darling. I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life.”

  And, barring the occasional clashing of wills that would see the King dispatched from the marital bed for the odd hour until the new Queen began to miss him and summoned him back, they all lived Happily Ever After.

  The End.

  About Michelle…

  My love affair with books began as a baby when, according to my mum, I would throw my teddies out of the cot and cuddle my books instead. This love for all things wordy has never left me. I have always been a voracious reader, crossing all genres depending on my mood. Looking back, my first experience with romance was as a child devouring copious amounts of fairy tales. As my reading tastes evolved, encompassing amongst others Mills & Boon, Jackie Collins and Jilly Cooper, I discovered something special – that a book has the capacity to make my heart beat as if falling in love for the first time.

  When not reading or pretending to do the housework, I love nothing more than creating worlds of my own featuring handsome heroes and the sparkly, feisty women who refuse to
take crap from them. I hope my books can make my readers' hearts beat a little faster too.

  Contact: Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

  Other books by the author:

  Tempted by Trouble – Available now

  The Rings That Bind – Available for pre-order now

  Reunited With Red

  Many, many years later…

  When Ruby visits her grandmother in the deep, dark forest, she stumbles into a nightmare. Her grandma’s been attacked by a wolf-like creature, and an ancient disease that turned people into monsters is back… and so is the cold-hearted ex she walked out on a year ago.

  Now she has to either accept Jeremy’s help or face becoming a monster herself. Fighting alongside the man she once loved isn’t easy, especially when she discovers there’s more to Jeremy than the cheating bastard she took him for.

  As they fight to survive the disease and save those they love, can they keep from falling for each other all over again?

  Reunited With Red

  by Aimée Duffy

  Chapter One

  Using her free hand to tug up her hood, Ruby swung her grocery bag in the other as she walked through the forest. Bushes grew wild along either side of the path and the thick canopy of leaves above blocked out what little there was left of the evening sun. She stopped at the fork in the road.

  She didn’t have time to take the longer path on the left to Grandma’s house, not unless she ran the whole way, but if she followed the one on the right she’d risk seeing him. After a year of running away from the pain of her broken heart, she had come to the conclusion that she was better off without him—or so her therapist told her.

  But the thought of bumping into him made her heart thrum out an unsteady, agonizing beat. She chose the left path. Maybe if she put her speed-walking to good use, she’d make it to Grandma’s before the sunset. The wind picked up and howled through the trees, accompanied by owls’ hoots far in the distance, but the subtle sounds of other nocturnal creatures in the forest was missing. The back of her neck prickled, sending a shiver down her spine. She slammed her feet down faster, breaking into a light jog, keeping a tight hold on the bag in her hand.

  The closer she got to Grandma’s house, the darker the path grew under the heavy blanket of leaves above. If she hadn’t spent every other day of her life in these woods until her twenty-fifth birthday last year, she was sure she would have gotten lost. Sliding an arm around her stomach, she tried to hold back the guilt bubbling there, but it was no use. She’d run away and left Grandma, the only family she had in the whole world, because she couldn’t face him. And now Grandma was sick.

  She saw lights glowing through the bushes up ahead. She let out a sigh of relief. Grandma was awake. Pushing her legs faster, she hoped the hulking shadows she passed were nothing more than small trees or bushes swaying in the breeze. Not men or monsters reaching out for her. Ruby shook off the thought. Monsters didn’t exist.

  Breaking through to the small clearing, she darted a glance around. Her neck still prickled like she was being watched. Slowing to a walk, she opened the carrier bag, mentally tallying the medicine and herbal tea she’d brought Grandma. She hadn’t thought anything would have made her come back to this forest until Grandma had called her saying she had the flu. Especially not with his cottage so close. She hadn’t even come back when a buyer had asked to view her small apartment in town, choosing to have Grandma show him the place.

  Nearing the door she heard muffled scratching, a low growl, and then a thud. Her heart bounced into her throat and she pushed the door open.

  Ruby froze.

  It took a second for her brain to register the sight before her.

  A grey creature, bigger than a dog, loomed over a red-streaked lump on the floor in a puddle of dark liquid. The creature’s skin was hairless, flaking off in places, and covered in dark purple splotches in others.

  Low growls rumbled from inside its throat as its teeth sliced into the object, again and again. Her gaze slid over its body, while her feet remained welded to the carpet. The creature’s snout dripped with the same stuff covering the lifeless lump, but when her attention focused on the mound on the floor, she realized the frilly pink nightgown she’d bought Grandma as a gift last Christmas covered the…her…body.

  Ruby’s stomach shifted and turned, until acid launched up her throat. Gagging, she tried to swallow it down. Tried to stay silent. The thing’s ears kicked up and it turned its horrifying head to face her. Saliva mingled with blood dripped from the creature’s open mouth, and a wave of grief crashed into her chest so hard she dropped the bag and grabbed onto the door frame for support.

  Eyes filling with moisture, she kept her blurry gaze on the creature, and it stared back at her with the intensity of an intelligent being—as if it were studying her. Impossible. Its snout crinkled as it pulled in blood soaked air through its nose. The thing lowered its body into position and sunk down on its skinny haunches. She knew that she was its next prey.

  The creature pulled flaky skin back from its teeth in a terrifying grin. Then it pounced.

  Ruby’s body unfroze. She jumped back outside and pulled the door closed behind her. It shuddered as the creature hit the wood. Mind blank, body numb, she stared wide-eyed at the door until the thing crashed into it again, the force this time causing a crack to split in the middle.

  She staggered back a step, and another, until she heard a grating moan behind her. Spinning, her heart almost burst out of her chest as her blurry vision took in three men, although men was pushing it. They didn’t have lips. Their skin was a dark grey, blackened where the flesh had been removed and their eyes glowed yellow, the same color as the creature’s. They reminded her of those who’d had the disease, but that wasn’t possible. Everyone had been cured. It said so on the news.

  But, impossible or not, she was surrounded. She backed up to the door, but the thing inside hit it again, jolting her a step forward and the wood splintered this time. The men hulked closer, their limbs awkward as they moved but they weren’t slow.

  “You’re supposed to be dead.” Her whisper was lost in the sound of a gunshot.

  One of the men’s heads exploded. Bits of blood and brain and skull flew through the air in every direction. She covered her face with her hands as the cold, wet flesh rained on her.

  “Red, get over here!”

  Ruby barely registered her old nickname, nor could she move. Her chest had constricted so tightly it was an effort to breathe. The husky demand jolted through her skin, sinking into her pounding heart and breaking it all over again. Tears stung her eyes and she wondered if her mind really was that cruel. Playing tricks on her so soon after her witnessing all this.

  A shot sounded just as the door behind her groaned in protest at the force of the creature’s attack. She could give in. Best case scenario, the thing would kill her, but she knew if the man-like creatures got anywhere near her she’d become one of them.

  Another shot echoed in her ears. The men were close and the bullet took them both out. She closed her eyes against the sight of brain and blood and yuck. Once had been enough.

  “Now!” he demanded.

  Without thinking, she took off down Grandma’s garden path, ignoring the bodies on the floor. The sound of the wood splitting made her push her legs faster as she headed for the forest.

  A muffled curse sounded to her left. She turned in time to see him running toward her, a shot gun aimed directly at her head. Her heart missed a few beats. She stopped immediately.

  “I’m not…I’ve not been bitten. I—”

  “Behind you!”

  She spun around. Another few of the infected were at the edge of the forest. He let off another shot and her ears rang with the sound. It didn’t muffle the crack of more wood splintering, or the snarl that came from the creature which had managed to make a hole in the door big enough for its head to get through. Snapping jaws gnawed at the gap, trying to create a way out.

 
He caught her around the waist and picked her off the ground with one arm, pressing her close to every hard, unrelenting muscle of his body. His scent engulfed her, and his rough skin comforted her.

  Anger and gratitude rippled through her, as well as something she didn’t want to think about. She bit her tongue to distract herself, but the tears streaming down her face reminded her that Grandma was gone. Her breath choked out on a sob. His arms squeezed tighter around her.

  Ruby pushed at his chest. “Don’t touch me, put me down!”

  He lowered her to the ground, his jaw tense, his sharp features so severe she probably imagined the flash of hurt in his black eyes. Eyes she’d once happily fallen into. Eyes that had once made her forget everything else in the world. Eyes she’d wanted to gouge out for betraying her in the worst way possible.

  “We need to get out of here.” His voice tore her back to the present. She heard the creature tear another chunk of wood from the door. “Now.”

  She reached for his outstretched hand, but hesitated. “Grandma.” Her voice broke around the word.

  They had to go back, what if there was still a… Ruby stopped the thought dead. Even she knew hoping was ridiculous. Still if they could get her to a hospital… She snatched her hand away and turned back to the house.

  His strong, constricting arms banded around her waist and he picked her up again. She kicked and screamed, unwilling to go easy, her mind a haze of grief. The bastard didn’t even flinch, didn’t loosen his hold. And then they were moving. She tried another kick, aiming for his knees.

  “Red, quit it.”

  Her limbs froze, but her chest ripped out sobs with every breath. “Stop… calling… me… that.” Her hair was more blonde than red, especially now she’d had it highlighted, and the nickname took her back to a time she wanted to forget.