“This is Charmaine. She’s a friend of mine. Charmaine, this is Lita and this little one here...”—he tickled the baby in her arms,—“is Juno.”
“Pleased to meet you,” I said, extending my hand, which she shook.
“Would you like a cup of tea?” the woman asked.
“Yes, please.”
Then to my surprise, she pulled out three mugs and filled them using a wand she’d just brought out from her belt.
“You’re a Mage?” I exclaimed.
“She doesn’t know?” The woman suddenly looked fearful, and the others who had, so far, ignored us, looked up.
“She’s fine. She won’t tell on you for using your magic.” Leo turned to me. “Will you?”
How could anyone live in a state like this when they could change it in an instant with a swish of their wand? It was unimaginable that anyone would choose to live this way.
“No. Of course not. Why would you not want me to tell anyone about you using your magic?”
She looked at me as if I’d just arrived from another planet.
“Because it’s illegal, isn’t it? Where are you from?”
Illegal? The staff at the palace used magic all the time. At least, they had until they were fired. I picked up the tea and drank it down, so I didn’t have to answer her question.
“The police have been around twice this week to check up on us,” Lita said to Leo. “Like we are going to do anything with them coming around all the time. Still, I couldn’t resist using a flower spell. I can’t stand the stink of the diapers otherwise.” She kissed her young daughter on her nose. The baby giggled.
So that’s why the place smelled so nice despite its obvious decay.
“How’s the job hunt going?” Leo asked her
“No luck. No one will hire us. Especially now the palace is firing everyone. I’m sick of looking, but the others still spend all day knocking on doors begging for work.”
“Uncle Leo?” one of the children, a scruffy little thing who looked no more than four years old, pulled on Leo’s trouser leg. “Did you bring us food?”
“Of course, Dylan.” He emptied the contents of one of the bags onto the table, and the other kids came running.
“Are you not hungry?” I asked as Lita watched her kids tuck into the food.
“I’ll wait for the kids to finish, and then I’ll grab a bite.” She looked so skinny; I just wanted to give her a sandwich. I was just about to empty another bag out when Leo stopped me.
“Those are for other families.”
After we left, I questioned him. “There are more families like that? Magi, I mean.” This time I kept my voice down.
“There are hundreds of them all over the city. I try to visit different families every night, but I’m limited to what one person can do. I’m too scared to hire anyone to help because if I get caught I’ll end up in jail and they will too.”
“You’ll end up in jail for feeding the homeless?”
“If they are Magi, yes.”
“But why?”
“The non-Magi don’t want them around. It’s easier to let them starve.”
I’d not realized until now, just how sheltered I was living in the palace. I’d lived my whole life among Magi.
“How can using magic be illegal? Most of the staff in the palace use it, or, at least, they used to.”
He pulled me to the side of the road and looked both ways to make sure we were out of earshot.
“I shouldn’t be telling you this, but I think I can trust you...”
“Go on.”
“When I was invited to the palace, I was asked to sign a confidentiality agreement. Most of it was the kind of stuff you’d expect: don’t talk to the media about the palace or royal family, don’t talk to anyone about the princess without the permission of the family, etc. The last clause was that we should not tell you or Elise about magic being illegal.”
“Why?” I had never felt so outraged or confused.
“I think your parents wanted to protect you both.”
“In less than five months’ time, I’m supposed to be getting married and preparing for a life as the queen and head of the country. How do my parents expect me to fulfill my role if they are keeping things from me?” It was a rhetorical question. I didn’t expect him to answer. He answered me anyway by putting his arms around me and giving me a hug. I’d not even known I’d needed protecting, but at that moment, his arms felt like walls around me, keeping the entire world out. I snuggled into him grateful for his presence and warmth.
“Maybe, you will be the queen to change things?” he said.
And maybe he’d be the prince to show me the way.
A noise startled me. It was only a cat, but it brought me back to reality. We’d already been away from the palace twenty minutes, and I was no closer to getting to Cynder.
“Listen, can you do the next one on your own and I’ll meet you at the palace gate just before ten?”
“I don’t know. I don’t like the thought of you out there on your own. I promised Elise I’d look after you.”
“I’ll be fine. I know someone else that could do with some of this food. It will be quicker if we split up.”
“Ok, if you are sure.” He passed me one of the remaining bags and kissed me on the cheek.
The townhouse that I’d seen Cynder in had five floors of apartments and a communal entrance. As it was open, I slipped through the front door quietly. The last thing I needed was anyone to spot me.
I ran up all the stairs as quickly as I could until I reached a landing with no doors. It made no sense. Where was the entrance to the top apartment? There was an old writing desk with a wilted bunch of flowers and an empty bookcase. A sliver of moonlight hit the floor from an open window. I looked out, wondering if this is where I’d seen Cynder, but it couldn’t have been. It looked out the wrong way.
“Cynder?” I hissed, not wanting to raise my voice.
There was no answer. I was just about to head down a floor to knock on the door there when I heard a creak behind me. I turned to find the book case opening. From behind it appeared a familiar face with a mop of curly hair on top.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Cynder again
I ran to him. Pulling the bookcase closed behind me he hugged me tightly as though he’d never let me go. I clung to him, fearful that if I let go, he’d inexplicably disappear.
“I didn’t think you’d come.”
In the half-light, I could barely see him, but his eyes still sparkled as much as they always had.
“I wasn’t sure I’d be able to. I’ve brought you some food.” I handed him the bag. He didn’t take his eyes off me as he led me into a dimly lit room. He pointed his wand at the curtains which shut immediately and then turned on a light. In the center of the room was a table. A chopping board was out with peppers, onions, and garlic, all chopped neatly on top.
“You have food already!” I exclaimed.
“The police want me for murder. I don’t think they’ll bat an eyelid at me getting food with my wand. I’ve got enough for both of us. I hoped you’d come.”
I sat down at the table while he resumed chopping.
His last statement, while made in jest was enough to cut me to the bone. He was wanted for murder. Not just any murder, but multiple murders including a member of royalty. If he was caught, he’d not be locked up; he’d be given the death sentence.
“Can’t you use your wand to disappear or fly away?”
“I can’t literally disappear. Not even the strongest Magi can become invisible or teleport. I can’t fly either.”
“But you managed to conjure up all this food.”
“I didn’t conjure it up. It already existed. I just magicked it here. I guess you could say that I stole it. Most of the time, I’ve been living off bread and scraps, but I wanted to cook something nice for you.” He began to add oil to the veggies along with other herbs and spices.
“You thought of me
even though you are on the run.”
“Charm,” he said looking up from his task. “I’ve thought of nothing but you since the day I left.” He put down the knife and walked over to me, kissing me so lightly on the lips, I barely felt it, and yet my heart nearly sky rocketed out of my chest. He went back to his task of coating the veggies in oil, completely unaware that he’d turned me emotionally upside down.
“Why haven’t you run away?” I asked, trying not to cry. “Even without flying, surely your magic will help you escape?”
“Maybe, although there are police officers on every corner now. My photo is everywhere. Where would I go?”
“Anywhere. I want you to be safe.”
He wiped his hands on a towel and smiled. “I stayed because of you.”
I felt my stomach jump again. My heart was already beating at double time. “Why?”
“You’ve been here ten minutes, and you’ve not asked me if I planted that bomb.”
“I know you didn’t.”
“That’s just it. You couldn’t possibly know for sure. You were in the ballroom with everyone else. Everyone else thinks it was me.” He picked up the pan and walked to the stove.
“The way you are talking sounds like you did do it.”
“I didn’t do it, but you didn’t know that. You believed that I didn’t do it. You believed in me.”
“I do believe in you,” I said. I’d never believed in anyone more.
“That’s why I’m still here. No one has believed in me before. Pascal never once let me cook, and yet you think I should be the head chef.”
“Yeah. Your food is delicious,” I grinned, taking a slice of pepper, he’d missed and crunching it between my teeth.
“Hey. They are for dinner!” The tension was broken and all thoughts of the bomb and that terrible night left me. He showed me how to chop the chicken just right and let me help him make the sauce. When he’d finished, the meal was enough to rival anything served at the palace.
Cynder placed the plate in front of me. “I’m just sorry I don’t have wine.”
“Hang on.” I scrambled around in the bag from the palace. There was no wine, but there was a bottle of orange juice. I poured us both a glass.
“To freedom!” said Cynder, raising his glass.
“To freedom,” I agreed, clinking his glass against mine.
Were we talking about his freedom or mine, or just the freedom to be together?
“Do you think the Magi will ever be free?” I asked, taking a bite out of the cooked chicken.
“Not with the way things are now. The Non-Magi are afraid of us, and it’s only getting worse. The explosion at the palace was a great excuse to run us out of town.”
“One of the guests placed you near the scene. Did you see who it was?”
“No. I was walking down the corridor with your shoes. I’d planned to put them somewhere safe for you but somewhere nearby in case you wanted them. I couldn’t take them to the kitchen, so I decided to hide them in a huge vase of flowers in the corridor next to the ballroom. I saw that guy walk past as I was pulling the flowers back. What he didn’t see was me discovering the bomb. It had one of those countdown timers. I watched it count down from seven to six. There was no time to alert anyone. I only had six seconds to get away, so I ran as fast as I could down the corridor. I’d just managed to run through a door when I heard the explosion. I was knocked to my feet in the blast. The first thing I thought about was if you were alright. I headed to the ballroom door to find you, but I heard one of the king’s men in a small room to the side of me. He was talking to your father, I think. He said that a Mage had bombed the Palace. I panicked. The door began to open, and so I ran. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have, but I was scared. I thought that I’d spend the night here in my parents’ house and then come back in the morning when everything had calmed down. The next morning, I saw my photo on the cover of the newspaper. Not only did they think it was a Mage that had bombed the palace, but they thought it was me. I ran back upstairs and magicked the bookcase to block the door. Every day I looked through this window, hoping to see you. It was only the next day when I read the paper again that I saw that you had survived and were uninjured. From then on, I spent as much time as I dared looking out to see if I could spot you. I used a mirror to shine it on your room, but you only noticed when you were out in the garden with that bachelor guy. I hoped you’d come to me that night, but you didn’t.”
“I didn’t know it was you. I thought it was a member of the paparazzi.”
“I almost gave up hope then,” he continued, “but I kept trying. When I saw you leave the palace tonight with the same guy, I was excited, but scared at the same time.”
“Scared. Why?”
“Because I knew he was one of your dates. I thought maybe you’d fallen in love with him and were going out to a restaurant or something.”
He looked so solemn. Of all the things he could be scared of in his current situation, his biggest fear was that I’d fall in love with someone else.
“Dance with me.”
He looked up in surprise. “Here?”
“Yes here.”
I stood and walked around the table.
He took my hand and stood with me. Waving his wand, he made a record player turn on. The record was a slow, soulful tune with no words. Perfect for slow dancing to.
He put his hand around my waist and pulled me to him. Dancing with him was effortless. We swayed together as if we knew each other’s bodies well. And I did know him. I knew him better than I knew myself. My head rested on his shoulder and my arms wrapped around him. I’d score no points from Stephan with my lack of technical ability, but I didn’t care. I’d never felt so safe or so perfectly right as I did in that moment in Cynder’s arms.
When the music came to a climax, I lifted my lips to his ear and whispered. “I’m not in love with Leo.”
Cynder looked right into my eyes and kissed me. My first real kiss. It felt so natural, so right. I leaned into him and kissed him back, feeling my whole body tingle as he ran his hand up my back to pull me in even closer. All those times I’d thought about kissing had not prepared me for how amazing it was, how completely wrapped up in the moment and how breathless I felt. I knew in that moment, that no matter how good-looking, how perfect, or how nice my suitors were, none of them would ever take the place that Cynder held in my heart. I’d fallen deep, and there was no point denying it. I never wanted it to end, but all too soon it had to.
“You have to go.” It was the most heartbreaking thing I’d ever had to say, and yet, I knew that if he stayed in town, he’d be caught eventually. He’d been right earlier when he’d said that there was an officer on every corner. I’d seen them myself. I wanted to be near him so badly, and yet, I wanted him safe more.
“I don’t want to leave you.”
My heart ached with the impossibility of our situation.
“I don’t want you to leave either. When they catch who bombed the palace, you can come back.”
“I’ll never be welcome here. Even if they catch who did it, I still won’t be able to get a job.” I hated that he was right. There was nothing keeping him here. Nothing but me.
“One day, I’ll be queen, and everything will change.” I tried to sound upbeat even though my heart was shattering. We both knew it was a long way off. I felt tears welling up in my eyes.
“You’ll be the best queen,” he whispered, kissing my tears away.
“If you use your wand, will you be able to get away?”
“I could try. I’ve heard that Thalia allows Magi. I could attempt to cross the border. If I make it, I’ll be safe there.”
“Then you should go there,” I replied, blinking back the tears. The thought of him being in another kingdom was enough to break my heart even more, but the alternative was much worse.
“I’ve heard it’s beautiful. The flowers will be in bloom at this time of the year. Prince Luca told me that.”
“If you marry the Prince, maybe you’ll visit?”
I nodded and closed my eyes. I’d not even had my date with Luca yet, and here I was discussing marriage to him with the one who had my heart. In truth, I’d probably never see Cynder again.
I pulled out a gold chain from under my sweater and took it off.
“Take this. It used to belong to my grandmother. It’s worth a lot of money.”
“I can’t. It must mean so much to you.”
“Not as much as you do, and besides, I’ve still got this.” I held up my wrist and showed him the charm bracelet he’d given me. “I’ll wear it always.”
He took my hand and kissed my wrist. I felt goose bumps all up my arm.
The clock on the wall behind him said nine forty-five. It was time for me to go.
I kissed him again one last time.
“I’ll see you again one day,” he whispered. “You are all I have.”
As I left, I didn’t bother to wipe away the tears that were falling down my cheeks.
Leo was already waiting for me. He made no mention of my wet eyes. Maybe he didn’t even see them in the dark.
The guards let us through without question. When we came to the palace, I could see two other guards by the back door. They were looking around them.
“Let’s go around the front,” I said to Leo. I didn’t want them to see us coming up the driveway.
Leo changed his direction as I asked and began to walk around to the front of the palace. When I was sure we were out of view of the two guards, I kissed his cheek and thanked him, before dashing back into the palace and running through until I got to the back door. Then it was just a matter of opening it and telling the guards I’d changed my mind about going out. To my relief, they accepted it without question. That night, I hopped straight into bed, but sleep was elusive. I spent the whole night listening out for sirens.
In the morning I looked out of the window. The curtains on the window in the apartment were open. Cynder was gone.
Charm (A Cinderella reverse fairytale) (Reverse Fairytales Book 1) Page 12