A Grimm Curse: A Grimm Tales Novella (Volume 3)

by Janna Jennings

  “There’s just been a lot going on. I’m bound to have a bad dream or two. Last night violins were chasing me,” she told Remi, attempting a smile. She didn’t quite make it. Gray light was just showing in her tiny window. It wasn’t entirely morning, but she didn’t think she could go back to sleep.

  Chapter

  1 5

  “There aren’t enough women here to keep you busy without me?”

  CYNTHIA SPENT A RELAXING, IF boring, day in her room. It had been years since she had a day off. They snacked on some of Ann’s gingersnaps and Cynthia read out loud to Remi. The only damper on the day was Lady Wellington’s visit with her daily bread and water and her repeated request for Cynthia to grovel for forgiveness.

  She knew it was petty to refuse her stepmother, really what did it matter at this point? But Cynthia was done being bullied.

  The door slammed, echoing in her small , circular room. Cynthia smiled at Remi as he emerged from his hiding place in her kettle and they returned to their book.

  Twilight came . T he sound s of her stepfamily ’s preparations rained down on Remi and Cynthia , ending with hurried footsteps out the door and the carriage roll ing away . T hey made t he i r way up the steps and waited for Ann.

  Soon the key turned in the lock and the old woman’s face appeared in the crack. She was blocking the door.

  “What is it?” Cynthia asked.

  Ann swallowed and Cynthia sensed her nervousness. “Young misses is still here.”

  “Coriander?” Cynthia lowered her voice to a whisper. “Why didn’t she go?”

  “Her curse has gotten worse. The dresses and make-up, they can’t cover it up any more.” Ann’s eyes flicked over her shoulder before she continued. “They say she’s a monster.”

  Cynthia exchanged a look with Remi. “Where is she now?”

  “Her room. She never leaves it anymore,” Ann said.

  Coriander’s room overlooked her mother’s hazel tree. Cynthia sighed, she’d just have to risk it. She didn’t plan on being in this house much longer anyway. If she and Remi failed tonight, they were going straight to his family.

  “It’ll be fine, Ann,” Cynthia said, gently nudging her out of the way. She closed the basement door, locked it, and hung the key back up. That might buy her a little time.

  In the courtyard, the moon was waxing, just slightly smaller than it had been last night. Cynthia stood under the hazel tree, one hand on her mother’s stone marker and considered what to ask for. She wasn’t sure what the feast would consist of tonight, but she remembered the dresses made last week for Coriander and Portia had been pretty casual in comparison to the last two nights.

  The birds descended, and when they disappeared back into the tree, Cynthia found herself in a simple knee-length dress with a full skirt and wide collar. Little cherries dotted the fabric in a cheerful pattern. A thin red belt cinched in her waist, and a wide brimmed hat with matching cherries was cocked at an angle over one eye. She felt a little exposed without her painted on mask, but it was dark and hopefully she could just avoid anyone who might recognize her.

  “And what are we doing tonight for transportation?” Remi asked, appraising her clothes.

  “A friend is coming to pick us up.”

  “A friend?”

  An impatient honk came from the front of the house. Cynthia grinned at Remi as she tucked him in her small, square handbag.

  The tree had provided her with practical black heels that were quite comfortable, as if it knew how much walking she had done in the last two nights. She rounded the front of the house, ducking under the lilac bushes and startling Todd who had been tapping the wheel of the Model T impatiently.

  He whistled and Cynthia cocked her head so her hat hid her face. She reined in the silly smile that had popped up on her face as Todd opened her door and she slid into the car.

  “No Christina tonight?” she asked as he put the car in gear and they rolled down the dark street toward the castle.

  Todd scowled, looking smart in his suspenders, tie, and fedora. “She’s been acting cagey the last two days. Said she didn’t want a ride tonight, she had other plans.”

  Cynthia remembered seeing her with King Rothstein last night, but chose to stay quiet.

  “I was pretty surprised to have a dove drop a note in my lap from you this morning,” Todd said after a moment of silence.

  “You did say we could be friends,” Cynthia pointed out, knowing how needled Remi was sitting alone in her purse.

  “I did.” He smiled at her. “And I’m glad you asked.”

  As they got closer to the castle, the curious smells hit Cynthia first, followed by a quiet rumble of new noises.

  “What’s going on tonight?” Cynthia asked.

  “Didn’t you know?” H e glanced away from the road momentarily to take in her profile. “Tonight’s the carnival.”

  A thrill went through Cynthia and she sat forward in her seat like a little girl, anticipating her first glimpse of the fair. The carnival had only come to their small town once before, and Cynthia—of course—had not been allowed to go. Coriander and Portia had come home laden with stuffed animals and cotton candy, talking about it for a week afterwards. She remembered being able to see the very top of the Ferris wheel if she climbed onto the roof of the barn. The royal family must have brought them to the castle for the prince’s birthday.

  Todd grinned at her posture. “Haven’t you been before?”

  She shook her head, her eyes glued to the road ahead.

  He laughed. “This is going to be fun.”

  They had to park outside the brick wall of the castle and walk in. They passed a pair of guards whose eyes seemed to follow Cynthia as she passed by, but they made no move to stop her.

  She stood just inside the gate and took everything in. Popcorn and caramel saturated the air, underlined with a peppery sawdust smell. The grounds of the castle and surrounding gardens were lit up as bright as noon. Electric lights strung along the midway and traveled to the top of a giant wheel that spun people high in the air. There was a ride that mimicked a top, spinning swings with dizzying speed. Kaliope music flooded them, mixing with the call of carnies, the ding of bells, and babble of excited voices.

  “Where do you want to start?” Todd asked, but Cynthia was already wandering to a cluster of tents labeled Nature’s Marvels! Pictures of gorillas beating their chests with fangs bared adorned the outside of the tent.

  The barker outside noticed her staring and lifted the flap, winking at her. “Go on it, little lady. Monsters of the jungle inside.”

  Todd trailed her into the dim tent. A pungent smell similar to the inside of the barn made her wrinkle her nose. Several cages were set up inside. Cynthia gazed into the first one. The beast was hunched in the far corner. Covered in dark fur from his head to his feet that looked curiously like hands, he was humanoid in shape, but massive in size.

  “What do you think of him?” Todd asked in a low voice.

  The gorilla shuffled around at the sound. His deep-set eyes under rigged brows stared into hers. The deep brown color and expressiveness surprised her. It wasn’t like looking into the eyes of one of the horses or sheep dogs at the estate. These were more—human.

  “He looks sad,” Cynthia said.

  “Wouldn’t you be, stuck in that cage?” Todd asked.

  Cynthia flashed back to the stone walls of her basement room and shook her head. “I think I’ve seen enough.”

  “Come on,” Todd said, taking her elbow and steering her out of the tent. “Let’s try some of the rides.”

  “Only if I get a caramel apple first,” she said with a smile, spying a booth across the way.

  “Sure, wait here,” Todd said.

  Keeping one eye on him, Cynthia opened her handbag.

  “How you doing, Remi?”

  “Nice of you to remember me,” he grumbled.

  “Don’t be that way,” she sighed. “We need a plan.”

  Remi was qui
et for a minute and Cynthia wondered what he was thinking.

  “I’m a little parched. Do you think you could find me some water?” he asked.

  Cynthia glanced up, the attendant at the booth was handing Todd an apple.

  “There’s a fountain not too far,” she said.

  “Perfect,” Remi said.

  “One caramel apple and now a ride on the merry-go-round,” Todd said coming back over.

  Cynthia closed her purse with a snap and accepted the apple.

  “Do you mind if we look around a bit first?”

  Todd shrugged. “Sure, lead the way.”

  They wove around tents advertising acrobatic shows and wonders like the bearded lady and the strong man. Barkers flung their voices, enticing people to try their hand at knocking down milk bottles or tossing hoops over stuffed animals. Cynthia kept her eyes open for her stepfamily, ready to turn her back or dash away at a moment’s notice, but they never appeared. The merry-go-round fascinated her. She itched to ride the painted wooden horses that seemed to prance in a circle to the tune of an organ. But she turned her feet toward where she knew the fountain was.

  She was sticky from the caramel apple, and splashed water on her hands from the fountain. Unlatching her purse, she slid Remi out. Todd had stopped to watch a fire-eater that had drawn a small crowd from the fountain.

  “Better?” Cynthia whispered to Remi as he hopped into the water.

  He gave her a smile that for some reason seemed sad. “Much. Why don’t you leave me here a while and go enjoy yourself?”

  She gave him an odd look. “I’m here for you, not the rides.”

  “What’s wrong with the rides?”

  Cynthia stood up, almost banging her head against the prince’s in her haste.

  “Your highness!” Cynthia dipped into a curtsy. She was in trouble if people could sneak up on her so easily.

  His expression told her he was still expecting an answer to his question. She had to think a second to remember what he’d asked.

  “I just haven’t ridden any yet.”

  “Allow me, then.” He held out a hand. Cynthia glanced at the fountain, but Remi had disappeared.

  She looped her hand through his arm as Todd came back over, a look of irritation on his face that morphed into surprise when he recognized the prince. He gave a clumsy bow.

  “Prince Wilhelm, this is my friend Todd Levinson,” Cynthia said, her eyes shifting around the milling crowd. All she needed now was for her stepmother to walk up.

  The prince gave Todd a bored passing glance. He looked down at Cynthia’s face and back to him with more interest. “Is this the friend? The one you needed a princess for?”

  She laughed despite the situation. “No, different friend.”

  She didn’t miss Todd’s puzzled look.

  “Come, you have to ride the Ferris wheel.” The prince tugged at her hand.

  “I can’t just leave Todd. He’s the one who brought me,” Cynthia said, digging in her heels.

  “No, it’s fine. I should probably check up on Christina anyway.” Todd looked like it was anything but fine, but Cynthia gave him an apologetic smile and let herself be lead away.

  The prince laced his fingers with hers as they dodged through the crowd toward the giant star shape that lit up the side of the massive wheel. Cynthia wasn’t entirely comfortable with this intimacy, but she didn’t know a tactful way to disengage her hand.

  “That wasn’t nice, the disappearing trick you pulled last night,” Prince Wilhelm said his eyes forward and concentrating on navigating the crowd. Cynthia glanced up at him, his tone was teasing, but his eyes were hard.

  “I apologize, my friend was having a difficult evening and was ready to go,” she said.

  “The friend that isn’t the one I just met?” the Prince asked with raised eyebrows.

  “That’s the one,” she said.

  “You know I’ve been waiting for you tonight,” his voice was low and intense.

  Cynthia’s heart jumped into a faster gear and her scalp prickled as she started to sweat.

  “There aren’t enough women here to keep you busy without me?” she tried to keep the comment casual. She was tired of the glowers being sent her way by every female in the vicinity , though .

  She couldn’t be the only girl the prince had spent time with in two days. Could she?

  “Wait! I love this game.” The prince pulled Cynthia to a stop in front of a booth. “Let me win you something.”

  There was no waiting at the milk bottle game. Cynthia had heard most everything along the midway was rigged, but the barker bowed low and offered a handful of baseballs to Wilhelm. The prince rolled up the sleeves on his white collared shirt and tilted his boater hat back off his head.

  “You’ve got to knock them all down,” the barker said. “You’ve got three tries.”

  Prince Wilhelm drew back and let the first ball fly. It arced toward the stacked bottles, knocking over the top one. The milk bottle clattered to the ground. There was light clapping from behind them. Cynthia glanced back to find a crowd had gathered. She tilted her head s o the hat was sure to cover ed her face.

  The prince grinned and wound up again. This time the ball struck the bottom of the stack of bottles, but the throw wasn’t hard enough and the ball bounced off, zooming into the crowd.

  An, “Oooo,” rose from the onlookers . The prince frowned and threw the last ball. It struck the middle stack of bottles, both rattling after the other to the ground. Three milk bottles were left standing. The carney shrugged, “Tough luck.” And began collecting the bottles.

  “It’s rigged,” the prince said in a quiet, dangerous voice to the man running the game.

  “That so?” the carney replied, tossing one of the balls in his hand and narrowing his eyes at the prince.

  “Can I try?” Cynthia slipped up to the counter and plucked the baseball out of the carney’s hand.

  The prince’s smile bounced back as he glanced at her, but the look was patronizing.

  “Be my guest.” He winked at the crowd behind Cynthia. They tittered. She shoved her purse into the prince’s hands . She kept h er grip on the ball , firm but loose as she waited for the booth attendant to finish stacking the bottles.

  Chapter

  1 6

  “I’m hardly royalty. ”

  CYNTHIA’S FIRST BALL HIT IN the exact same place as Wilhelm’s, one bottle rolling away. She held out her hand for another. The carney tossed her the second ball. She wound up, rocketing the baseball at the base of the tower. The milk bottles scattered, all six rolling to the ground.

  Grinning, she looked up at Wilhelm only to find a scowl on his face.

  “Nice arm, doll,” the carney smirked at her. “What’ll it be?”

  Cynthia looked over the collection of stuffed animals, porcelain figurines, and glass vases.

  “That one.” A small ceramic frog that reminded her of Remi caught her eye.

  “Not that.” Prince Wilhelm made a face. “What about the wolf?” He snagged a gray stuffed animal from the booth that was almost as big as Cynthia.

  “Nope,” Cynthia took the frog that the barker had wrapped in newspaper and placed it in her purse. “I won, I get to pick.”

  Remi would have laughed, or groaned in mock annoyance at her. The prince narrowed his eyes and tossed the stuffed wolf on the ground in front of the booth.

  “Hey —” —“ the carney tried to protest, but Wilhelm had stalked away, hustling Cynthia toward the Ferris w heel.

  Several people waited in line, their heads tilted back as they watched the ride rise up, around, and down. Cynthia headed to the back of the column, but the prince grabbed her by the elbow and walked her past the waiting people. As had become her habit she scanned their faces as she went by—no stepfamily.

  “Where are we going?” Cynthia asked.

  “No waiting for royalty,” he winked at her, his good humor restored. The man’s moods swung around more than a weather v
ane.

  Cynthia dragged her feet, not wanting to force ahead, but not wanting to make a scene and risk the prince’s irritation.

  “I’m hardly royalty,” she said.

  “Then it’s a good thing you’re with me,” he said, sliding them in the front of the line. He signaled the ride attendant to slow the cars. Cynthia heard whispers of discontent behind her and she looked at the cherries on her skirt, letting her hat hide her face.

  They climbed into a car, the attendant lowered a bar across their laps and they were spinning into the air. Cynthia clutched the prince’s arm as the world dropped from under her feet. Her caramel apple churned in her stomach, threatening to make a spectacular reentry. She took a steadying breath through her nose, and was able to enjoy the lighter-than-air feeling.

  The ride paused at the pinnacle, just even with the top most turret of the castle. Cynthia enjoyed the view in a way she hadn’t while hiding in the pigeon coop several nights ago. It seemed the whole of Elorium was spread beneath them. The dark mass of the forest took up a good bit of the view, but lights were sprinkled through the landscape and the almost-full moon dangled close enough to touch.

  “Breathtaking,” the prince said in her ear. Cynthia nodded in agreement and turned to find his dark eyes locked on her. An intense emotion bubbled on the surface that Cynthia couldn’t identify.

  He hadn’t been talking about the view.

  Prince Wilhelm slipped an arm around Cynthia’s shoulders and tucked her firmly into his side. She stiffened, unsure of how she felt about this. The prince either didn’t notice or chose to ignore it.

  “You know I’ve got an important decision to make tonight,” the prince said. The Ferris wheel dipped and they blew past the ride operator. The butterflies in Cynthia’s stomach weren’t just from the ride.

  “So who’s the lucky girl?” Cynthia joked, her stomach churning under her flippant words. “No, let me guess.” She tilted her head so she didn’t have to look into his penetrating eyes. They drew her in like a magnet and made her head fuzzy. “Princess Marcella is the obvious choice. She’s poised and dependable, you obviously get along well, and she’s been training her entire life to be queen.”