by Casey Lane
Her eyes were locked on his. “I'm not sure how your other guests wear this stuff. It gets a lot of attention. I'm not really used to attention."
Braedon looked left and right and saw that nearly every eye in the ballroom was on them. He glanced up to the likewise staring musicians and cleared his throat.
As if shaken from a trance, the players began their music once again with a slow waltz. The prince placed his hand on the thief's lower back and gently brought her to him. Touching the dress and being so close to her shot a wave of energy through his entire body.
Braedon laughed. “There certainly are more people in here than you'd find on most rooftops. Where did you get that dress?"
Her eyes drooped down and looked at her outfit before coming back to his. “I have a feeling that if I told you, you wouldn't believe me."
The prince felt his cheeks redden. “Over the last few days, I've realized I should believe everything you say."
"And I have a feeling if you did, I would take complete advantage of you."
For the first time that evening, the prince let the heavy weight off his chest. “I'm sorry. I messed up, and then the queen wouldn't let me leave. I should've been there to help and I feel wretched for– for skipping out on you at a very important time."
The thief smirked. “You know, it's not like I haven't worked alone for a very long time. I took care of myself."
"Of course. I know that. But I don't want you to have to. You deserve an equal partner. I think maybe I could be that–"
"There she is! I have a note for you, little lady."
Both Braedon and Cinderella turned their heads at the very same moment to see a bumbling knight stomp his way toward them.
The prince's cheeks grew warmer. “Falstone! You were supposed to find her before–"
He laughed and placed his hands on both of their backs at once. “I know, I know. I got caught up with a few old friends. But now, I have the opportunity to make a new one.” He pulled Cinderella's hand from the prince's grasp and brought it up to his mouth. “Charmed to meet you, my lady."
As the sweaty knight brought her hand to his lips, the thief had her eyebrows raised and pointed in Braedon's direction the entire time. After Falstone held her hand for an uncomfortably long period of time, Cinderella withdrew it as politely as she could.
"Sir Falstone, I've heard far too much about you to kiss you back."
The man's cheeks turned as red as Braedon's as he howled with laughter, sending even more eyes toward them. “My boy, it's no wonder that you're crazy about her."
Braedon wasn't sure his face could get any hotter.
The thief smirked. “Crazy about me, eh? Can you tell me a little bit more?"
The prince stammered. “I– he meant to say… I think I need to go outside."
Before Cinderella could respond, a shriek pierced through the music. Braedon turned toward the noise and saw something that made his blood run cold. Standing beside his mother were two grotesque demons. Their claws were wrapped around her dress, poised to strike and spill her blood at a moment's notice.
Chapter 36
Cinderella didn't hesitate for a second. As soon as she saw the two creatures that were somehow her own stepsisters, she reached into the folds of her dress and pulled out a dagger. She used it to snip off a few threads that connected to a long, flowing part of her dress. The material fell to the floor, leaving Cinderella's legs free for combat. All around the room, women and men alike screamed at the sight of the demons, and about a dozen guards sprung into action. Unfortunately for them, approximately half of their ranks were apparently on Armenia’s side. The unluckiest among the Queen’s Guard received a sword in the back. It was utter chaos.
The prince's head darted from side to side to try to keep track of it all. He saw the nearest sword from one of the fallen guards and made a run for it. Cinderella caught his arm before he could take a single step.
Braedon growled. “I need to stop them from killing her."
Cinderella's eyes fought to grab his attention. “Don't think about her right now. We will save her, but we need to get through these guards first. Focus will keep you from getting knifed."
Even amid the wild screaming and dashing around them, the prince nodded his understanding.
The thief nodded back and let him go toward the sword. She had enough time to glance up to see the demons scurrying the queen off to another room. She was not surprised to see Armenia behind the trio, a glowing red fireball in her right hand.
"I hope we'll all have our vengeance tonight."
Cinderella kicked off her glass slippers and went running for one of the turncoats. One of Armenia’s men laughed when he saw her coming, which gave the thief just enough time to slice his wrist to lower his sword hand and kick him right in the throat with the ball of her foot. Two additional fake guards approached her. Before she could plot her attack, the prince held a new weapon and stood by her side.
He winked. “Shall we let the real dance begin?"
The thief licked her lips. “I lead."
"Wouldn't have it any other way."
When the guards were but a few feet away, Braedon and the thief easily rolled beneath their swinging swords. Braedon whipped his weapon back around and slammed the attacker in the head with it, while Cinderella spun her legs back and heard a crack from the back of the other turncoat's kneecap. Both of Armenia's men crumpled to the ground in pain.
Cinderella and the prince only had a moment to smile, before she saw a man approaching behind his shoulder. “Duck."
The prince complied, bending at the waist while the thief dove over him with her legs extended. The man had no chance to draw his weapon as she kicked him so hard in the sternum that he lost his balance completely. The spy slammed his back on one of the hard wooden tables and clutched it as he fell down.
When she turned back toward her dance partner, she watched him easily avoid half a dozen swipes with a sword using his newly enhanced agility. With moves so quick she could barely make them out, he used his own weapon to knock the sword out of the spy's hand before he roundhouse-kicked the man's nose, bending it sideways and causing it to spill out blood.
The thief rushed to his side. “You're quick."
"You should see my tango.” He pointed to the other side of the room. “Will you look at that?"
Cinderella watched with a smile as the drunken knight Falstone swung a leg he must've ripped off a table into the heads of two unsuspecting spies. Falstone screamed in victory after knocking them both out.
Cinderella shrugged. “Never get between a man and his party."
She watched the prince's eyes shoot upward to the place the queen had previously been standing. “They're headed to the throne room. We need to move quickly."
Cinderella nodded, and they dashed up the staircase together. The prince and the thief easily dispatched the trio of guards that stood between them and the royal hostage. Cinderella used momentum to toss a couple of them over the railing, while Braedon’s speed was too much for the third one to handle. She could still hear his string of curses tumbling down the stairs as they reached the second-floor hallway. The prince waved her ahead and they sprinted toward the sound of two gurgling monsters and their fiery leader.
She'd never seen Braedon look so serious.
"If they harm a single hair on her head–"
She stowed her dagger in mid-stride and prepared to reach for the jeweled sword. “She's going to be fine, Braedon. I'll make sure of that."
Braedon stopped them at the beginning of a short hallway lined with ornate decorations and paintings. The thief had no time to admire the beauty, as there were six more guards standing between them and their objective. They all wore thick armor and were starting to move toward them.
Cinderella grinned. “You go low, I'll go high."
The prince returned a smile and prepared his weapon. That's when the thief began sprinting.
Cinderella waited until exactly the
right moment to take flight. The outstretched swords of the heavily armored men merely grazed her dress as she leapt high into the air. All six of Armenia's guards watched her as she somersaulted through the air. The thief made her best effort to hover as long as possible. She didn't even need to look to know that Braedon would have all the opportunity he needed.
Cinderella heard the Prince of Loren run at top speed with his weapon drawn. Braedon blazed through a half-dozen spies with the side of his sword, easily tripping all of the men with his incredible momentum. They yelped, and shouted, and cursed, as the armor that made them nearly invulnerable became their downfall as well.
Cinderella landed on the other side of the now-harmless knights. The prince took a leap of his own and landed beside her. She smiled at the sight of the pinned men, who reminded her of turtles stuck on their backs.
Braedon raised his eyebrows. “That was a nice plan, Elle."
"Speed trumps armor. Let's save your mom."
Braedon nodded and they rushed through the open hallway into the throne room. The room was just as intricately decorated as the hallway had been. Paintings and jewelry from every corner of the world covered the walls and ceilings above. Cinderella thought it was no wonder that the queen had been after the Heartstone. It probably would have gone on one of the corners of the window. But Cinderella didn't have much time to admire the artwork.
She could see plainly as day that her two demon stepsisters continued to hold the queen hostage. That didn't surprise her, but the thing that did was that Armenia herself sat upon the throne. A throne that was covered from top to bottom in terrifying flames.
Chapter 37
All the feelings of excitement and strength that accompanied the prince as he fought with Cinderella by his side evaporated as soon as he saw his mother up close. One of the beasts had already punctured her skin with its claws, and a thin trickle of red blood spilled down the front of her dress. His mother was the most incredible, strong woman he'd ever seen. He hadn't even been sure she could bleed until now.
He spoke more assertively than he felt. “Unhand my mother, Armenia. This isn't a fight you can win."
Armenia grinned and crossed her legs. “Oh really? I think I have all the power in this situation. And all you have is idle chatter.” She looked at her flaming throne and then back over to him. “I even have the throne. I think it's possible I've already won."
While the prince held his ground, he could feel Cinderella moving toward his mother.
Armenia held up her hand. “Tut-tut, daughter. I think you've gotten close enough."
The prince was surprised when he saw that Cinderella didn't even look up at her evil stepmother. She focused right in on one of the demons.
He was even more shocked by the name she used.
"Kiyara, you don't have to do this. I know that she's forcing you to do it."
One of the two demons who held his mother in check hissed loudly. She even began to form words. “You don't know me, slave girl. This is who I am now."
Cinderella's face showed pure resolve. “No, it's not. I know you better than them. I know you better than anybody else in this world."
The prince now understood why he recognized the eyes of the demon he'd faced. It had been Malina. And the other demon was her sister, Kiyara. He wasn't sure how it made sense, but it did.
Braedon shook off his confusion and looked into the eyes of his mother. “It's okay, Mother. We're going to get you out of this."
The queen's skin started to look pale. “I'm proud of you, Braedon. Maybe not the boozing, but I'm generally proud."
"Don't you go saying goodbye right now!"
Armenia's laughter echoed throughout the chamber as she stood up and stretched. The witch made it look as if it was part of her throne room routine.
She stepped down toward them. “It is time for many goodbyes, Prince Braedon. Of course, you should start to say goodbye to your mother. You should also bid farewell to the kingdom you once knew. Loren will be a very different place without your mother. Without the essence of who you are."
Cinderella and the prince both took a step back with every pace she took.
Braedon held his sword up high. “That's enough, Armenia. Make this between you and me, and leave my mother out of this."
Armenia continued to walk forward. Each stride felt like a dagger scraping against his skin.
"Part of me is glad that I was banished. I had grown weak and predictable. My daughters were maturing in a life of pure luxury.” She smiled widely at Cinderella. “It was time for a change of scenery. It was time to steal someone else's life."
The prince could see how much the thief was fighting her desire to take a stab at revenge. He figured that she knew as well as he did that the numbers and the power were not on their side.
Cinderella breathed heavily. “Kiyara, you need to help me. You know the queen and the prince have done nothing wrong. This is your opportunity to show them who you really are. To show them you are the sister I love."
The demon-form of Kiyara relinquished her grasp on the queen and held her clawed hands up to the sides of her head. “Enough, servant. Stop talking right now!"
"We're not related by blood, Kiyara, but you are my sister."
Kiyara grunted. “Leave me alone!"
Armenia continued to step toward them. “It's no use, Stepdaughter. You may confuse her for a while, but she will always come back to her mother. It's too bad that you aren't able to do the same. I really should have made sure that I burned you to death like I did your mother."
The prince turned toward the thief. He watched Cinderella grit her teeth and fight with everything she had not to give in.
He reached toward her. “She's just trying to rile you up. Everything is going to be okay."
Cinderella was so angry that she couldn't even speak.
Braedon spun back toward the queen. “You're right, Armenia. You have all the power in this situation. You're the one in charge."
The evil fiery witch stopped in her tracks, sneering. “I'm glad you're finally willing to acknowledge this, Your Royal Highness."
Braedon laid down his sword and took a step in her direction. “We don't have to fight. I'm sure my mother and I will be willing to abdicate the throne to you as long as you spare us our lives."
The queen moaned in Malina's grasp. “Don't, Braedon. Don't give in."
Her demon captor laughed. “Quiet. You no longer have importance."
The prince moved ahead once again. “Armenia, I'm telling you that you can have everything you want."
Armenia's grin was pure evil incarnate. “But the only thing I truly want, dear Prince, is your heart."
Time seemed to freeze as Armenia nodded to her daughter. Braedon and the thief both dashed toward the queen, but it was too late. With the stab of her claws through the regent's back, Malina took the queen's life. The prince felt his limbs fall motionless by his sides as he watched his mother drop to the ground, lifeless. He heard Cinderella shout something as she drew her sword, but even as time moved slowly, Armenia was far too fast for any of them. In a magical blaze of light, the witch had wrenched Braedon from his statue-like state and yanked him toward the throne. He felt himself being pulled through the air in a world where he no longer had control.
Armenia tossed the new ruler of Loren into his throne and placed her hand on his chest. Everything he ever knew and loved and hated drained out of him, and the scream that left his mouth was the last thing he remembered.
Chapter 38
Cinderella couldn't believe it. The sequence of events that had seen the queen fall dead and Prince Braedon pulled from her grasp was the worst-case scenario by far. Despite drawing the Heartstone sword, Armenia continued to pull life from the prince's body. Cinderella let out a war cry and ran toward her stepmother.
Red flames shot through Armenia's eyes as she tossed a ball of flame toward the thief. Cinderella rolled to the side to avoid it. She continued running. Armenia thr
ew another fireball, this one larger than the first. Cinderella rolled and ducked and kept on sprinting.
As Armenia kept working Braedon over, she threw a third, carriage-sized fiery blast in the thief's direction. With no chance to avoid it, Cinderella tightened her grasp on the sword's hilt and the fiery death was averted. The fireball dissipated before it could reach her.
Cinderella growled. “Let him go, or I swear–"
Malina tackled her stepsister and clawed at her face. Cinderella's back landed hard on the stone ground, knocking most of the wind out of her. As she struggled to breathe, the sword was the only thing that prevented an immediate mauling. Malina's demon body pressed down hard on the thief's chest. She was too heavy to shake off, and Cinderella's best efforts to roll were for naught.
She glanced sideways for a moment to see Armenia standing over a dead-eyed Braedon. Anger and remorse went through every part of her body, giving her the strength she needed to push the massive creature off her. Malina flew back and landed with a thump. When Cinderella looked up, she saw the prince standing. She knew the look in his face immediately. The man she knew was gone. Like her father and the blacksmith before him, he would never feel anything again.
As much as she hated to do it, she turned her attention away from mourning and toward winning the battle. Her eyes leapt towards Kiyara, who stood over the dead queen's body.
Her voice quivered. “If you feel remorse, my sister, it means that is the real you. It doesn't matter what your mother made you into. What you choose to do is who you are.” The thief screamed the final words. “So do something about it!"
Kiyara got the message. With a primal yell, Cinderella's sister dashed across the room and attacked Malina. She watched the demons grappling for position, a mass of gray muscle and bone.
The thief stepped toward the throne, which now featured a lifeless prince standing before it. To the side was her stepmother, just asking for an opportunity to exact revenge upon her.