Cinderella Complex

by Rebekah L. Purdy

  Snap! One of my wings broke as the creature tried to smother me. Pain radiated up my spine. Black dots danced before my eyes. Panic roared inside me and I flailed, smashing the back of my head into my captor’s face. Every nerve ending in my body caught on fire.

  The creature released me and I tumbled toward the ground. I tried to slow myself down, but my injury made it impossible to stop. I smashed to the ground, the impact jarring my bones. Tears streaming down my cheeks, I crawled into the brush. The scent of blood made me nauseous, and I covered my mouth to keep from crying out.

  Silhouettes emerged from the trees. They were like wild dogs searching for prey. I willed myself to remain still even as fear crept in. I’m going to die.

  “She’s injured, Master,” a masculine voice said. “We won’t let her get away.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Shadows shifted closer to my hiding place. The heavy scent of sulfur burned the back of my throat. I squeezed my eyes shut and breathed through the lingering pain in my wing. My body quaked as I crouched. I’d never been so scared in my life, not even when I started high school.

  Then it hit me. No one even knew I’d left the house. Well, Jack might, but I wasn’t sure how long it’d take him to figure it out. My lids fluttered open as a rustling stirred nearby.

  Two forms hulked close to the tree line. They were searching for me. My leg throbbed. I touched it with my hand and came away with blood. Great! How was I going to get out of this?

  Someone or something bent down in a hedge across from mine and shoved their hands into it. “There’s no one here,” a gravelly voice declared.

  “Fine, check the other ones. She’s around here somewhere, I can sense her.”

  I sat, frozen, waiting for a pair of hands to grab me. A loud buzz reverberated through the trees. The air glowed. Then a flame-like circle opened. Jack flew out of the smoky ring, fire licking at his heels. It was as if he alone commanded it. He wielded a blade, his armor reflecting the brilliant oranges and reds around him.

  A Grimm launched across the clearing, dark wings glistening beneath the lunar light. I gasped. Its skin had a bronzed glow to it. Shadows clung to it. Other than the wings and claws, it possessed human-like features. Darkness emanated from it.

  “Jack!” I scurried from my hiding place.

  “Stay back, Maggie.” The Grimm tackled him and they crashed against an oak.

  Stay back? He couldn’t be serious. What if the thing killed him? I needed to help him.

  “Wand!” Magic, don’t fail me now. All I had to do was distract the Grimms long enough for Jack to defeat them. With shaky hands, I lifted my wand. Please let this work. “Give me a big distraction. Make it loud and angry.”

  The wind picked up. I glanced over in time to see a large white and black object falling toward the ground.

  “Moo…”

  Nice. I watched as a cow landed on the Grimm fighting with Jack. The Grimm yelped in pain but couldn’t move. The cow snorted, eyeing it.

  Jack scowled at me and then chased after the Grimms. He disappeared into the trees. Unfazed, the cow grazed in the park. The downed Grimm crawled to his feet then darted into the sky.

  If I wasn’t so banged up, I might’ve considered following my brother. But I felt as if I’d been put through a paper shredder.

  Jack returned. He sheathed his sword and hurried to my side. Sweat glistened on his brow. His eyes were filled with worry.

  “You okay?” He touched my wing.

  Tears trickled down my face. “I’m fine. Let’s just go home.”

  He looped an arm under me and lifted me. “I’ve got ya, little sis. Just lay your head back.” A pair of greenish-blue wings appeared. With me tucked under his arms, he flew into the air. He stuck to the well-lit areas. “You need to be more careful. In other words, don’t take off like that.”

  “I didn’t have a choice. When the call comes, I have to answer it.”

  “Then get a hold of me so I know where you’re at.” His jaw tightened. A flood of emotions crossed his face. “I’m connected to you, Maggie. Tonight, when you got hurt, my body felt as if someone had set it on fire.”

  “Wh—what are you talking about?”

  “As your knight, I sense whatever you’re feeling. Like anger or pain…”

  I swallowed, hard. “When I get hurt, it doesn’t hurt you too, does it?”

  “Not in the same sense. I won’t physically carry your wounds, but I’ll feel them as if I’m the one who got injured. Like if you got stabbed. I’d feel whatever pain you do, but I won’t have an actual injury. Does that make sense?”

  “Oh.” Not good. I didn’t want Jack to go through this with me. It wasn’t fair to him. The Godmother world was seriously messed up.

  After a few minutes, we reached our house. The porch light blazed below like a lighthouse beacon. A curtain on the ground floor shifted. I went still.

  “I think someone might be up.” Jack’s gaze followed where I pointed.

  “I’ll drop you off on your balcony, then walk in through the back door. If anyone asks, just tell them I let the dog out.”

  Jack gently set me down. I limped into my room, closed the French doors behind me. My gown disappeared, leaving me standing only in my bra and underwear. My left leg burned with pain as I hobbled to the bathroom. I flicked on the light, grabbed a washcloth from under the sink. I doused my leg with warm water and sat down on top of the toilet.

  A nasty gash stretched across my upper leg. I hoped I didn’t need stitches. Pressing the washcloth against it, I whimpered. Breathe in. Just clean it out and everything will be okay.

  Once I washed up, I hobbled back into my room.

  Thump. The sound came from outside on my balcony.

  “Hello? Who’s there?”

  My body trembled and I sucked in deep breaths of air before ripping open the doors. The coldness of the night nipped at my bare skin, causing gooseflesh to speckle my arms and legs. My gaze darted around the deck. But no one was there. From below, I saw something duck into the shadows near the fence.

  I backed up, my foot brushing against a soft object. I looked down. There, resting on the wooden planks was a black feather. My heart beat against my ribcage. I bent down to pick the feather up.

  I spun around, raced into my room, and slammed the doors shut behind me. Fear absorbed my every thought. The Grimms knew where I lived. And I wasn’t anywhere near making the happy ending come true.

  With frayed nerves, I threw on a pair of pajamas and headed downstairs. Taylor slept on the bean bag, while Seth lay sprawled out on the couch. Jack lounged on the recliner, his gaze focused on the wall. Riley was gone.

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered.

  Jack shot me a dark look then leapt to his feet. “Yeah, well this knight bull-crap is screwing everything up.”

  He pushed past me. My throat grew thick as my eyes welled. My brother was right, it wasn’t fair. I wished I could do something to get him relieved of his duty to me. But I didn’t think it’d be that easy.

  ****

  My head throbbed as I stretched my arms above my head. My body felt as if it’d been shot through a wood-chipper. I struggled to open my eyes. The loveseat was definitely not the most comfortable bed. My blanket slid to the floor as I sat up. A yawn escaped my lips, and I raised a hand to stifle it. Memories of last night’s fight with the Grimms and my brother corroded my mind.

  “Where’d you disappear to last night?” Taylor appeared in the family room, already dressed.

  “Oh, sorry. My mom needed me to run to the store.”

  “And it took you that long to get there? We waited up for you.” Taylor’s hands rested on her hips, her eyes narrowed.

  “The first place didn’t have what I was looking for, so I had to drive across town to Deals-A-Plenty.” Why was she giving me the third degree here?

  “I don’t buy it.” Taylor stalked across the room, grabbed her sleeping bag. “You’ve been acting funny ever since you sta
rted hanging out with Kat.”

  I snorted. “This has nothing to do with her. I told you, I had to run into town. If you don’t believe me, then go ask my mom.”

  “I’m outta here. Call me when you feel like telling me the truth.”

  “Taylor, c’mon. Be reasonable.” I limped after her.

  “I am!” She slammed the door.

  I trudged back downstairs and noticed Seth watching me closely. His gaze moved from my head down to my feet then back up again.

  “What happened to your leg?”

  Come on! Why couldn’t I have stupid friends who didn’t pay attention?

  “Oh, I tripped on the sidewalk last night. No biggie.”

  He stood and walked over to me. His finger traced the jagged cut on my leg. My skin burned against his touch. I gripped his shoulder to keep from collapsing.

  “Don’t lie, Mags—this is me you’re talking to.”

  “Why does everyone think I’m lying?” I pushed away from him. “I said I tripped.” My voice was frosty.

  Seth held up his hands. “Fine. You tripped.”

  But the look he gave me told me he didn’t believe me for one second. Grandma must’ve been on drugs to think I could handle this.

  Chapter Eighteen

  I twisted the combination on my locker, my mind on anything but school. There was so much I had to get figured out before Wednesday night. The most pressing item, a dress for Katrina. Maybe if I visited the Godmother Room or searched the handbook, I might be able to come up with a good spell. Well, at least one that worked.

  “Hey, Maggie.” Connor leaned against the wall next to me.

  My gaze met his and I smiled. “Hey, what’s up?”

  He stood so close. The scent of soap lingered on his skin as he reached into my locker and pulled out my textbook for first hour for me.

  He handed it to me then cleared his throat. “Here’s the thing. I really like you. And after talking to your friend, Taylor, I know you feel the same.” He smiled. “If she hadn’t caught me in the parking lot this morning, I’m not sure I’d have the guts to say this.”

  Dang it! This couldn’t be happening. No. No. No. Connor Prince liked me.

  “What I’m saying is, I think you should go to the Homecoming dance with me.”

  My throat tightened. What was I supposed to say? Yes. Say yes. No. Connor is not for me. But what if the Godmother thing got it all screwed up? Maybe I looked at the globe wrong. Right. Nice try.

  Connor shoved his hands in his pockets, waiting for me to answer. I can do this. I can turn down the hottest guy in the school. I glanced down the hall for some type of excuse. A way to let him down gently.

  Seth stood next to the drinking fountain with Jack. Seth. That’s it!

  “Connor, I’m sorry. I’ve already got a boyfriend.” I squeezed my textbook so tight my knuckles turned white.

  He laughed. “You’re joking, right?”

  “No. I’m going out with Seth Charmaigne.”

  Connor rocked back on his heels. “If you’re dating, then how come your best friend doesn’t know?”

  My face grew warm. Sure, now he chooses to be smart! Okay, that wasn’t fair. Just because he was a jock it didn’t mean he was dumb.

  I shrugged. “We’re keeping it on the down low.” So low even Seth didn’t know.

  “I don’t buy it,” Connor said. “Taylor told me she thought Kat was bullying you.”

  “She said what?”

  Taylor was so gonna get strangled, or better yet, gagged. Seriously, she had made my job way harder than it ought to be.

  “She said Katrina Melville made you break dates and stuff.”

  “That’s just stupid. Kat and I are friends. I tutor her. End of story.”

  Connor’s gaze darted down the hall. “So, will you go with me to the dance?”

  If only he’d been this aggressive at asking me out last year. Seth lifted his head in my direction. I waved for him to come over.

  Seth grinned, his tall frame looming over me. He wore a tight black t-shirt that fit snug across his chest. His faded jeans sat low on his hips.

  “Hey, Mags.” He glanced from me, to Connor, and back again.

  “Connor doesn’t believe I’m your girlfriend.” I brushed my free hand against his arm, giving him a pleading look.

  Seth slid an arm around my waist, pulling me closer. “Sorry, Prince, she’s mine.”

  As if on cue, I saw Taylor standing across the hall from us. She glowered, but I turned away, my gaze locking on Seth’s.

  He cupped my chin in his hands, tilted my head. The breath caught in my throat. He bent down. The scent of cinnamon lingered on his lips. His warm mouth captured mine. Blood pounded in my ears as my textbook slipped to the floor. I wrapped my arms around his neck, every nerve ending in my body on fire. He pulled me closer, pressing me into him as if we were a part of the same body. As the kiss deepened, he buried one of his hands in my hair. This was it. The moment I’d waited sixteen years for. My first kiss. I didn’t want him to stop. His tongue parted my lips, grazing mine. He tasted like cinnamon gum. And I couldn’t get enough.

  Mine. The word leapt to my mind.

  “Okay, I believe you,” Connor said from behind me.

  Seth pulled away and I instantly missed our closeness. Dazed, I caught ahold of his hand. He leaned down to grab my book.

  “Hopefully, you’ll remember that next time you try to hit on my girlfriend.” Seth’s tone gave no room for argument.

  Connor stepped back. His brow creased as if he still considered the idea of challenging us. “I’ll see you around, Maggie.”

  I turned to Seth. “Thank you.”

  He touched my cheek, trailing a finger across my skin. Tingles ran rampant through my veins. “Anytime.”

  Taylor stormed over to us. “What the heck was that?”

  “A kiss,” answered Seth, his eyes narrowed.

  “No. I mean, she just totally blew off her crush.” Taylor’s voice raised an octave. “I don’t get you. Why are you letting Kat ruin everything? And why did you kiss Seth like that? I mean, what else are you hiding from me?”

  “Chill. It’s my choice. And I don’t want to be with Connor anymore.”

  “Liar.” Taylor grabbed my arm. “You forget I’m your best friend, Maggie. I know you better than anyone else.”

  “Let it go, Taylor,” Seth warned. “She made her choice.”

  “Fine, but when this blows up in your face, I don’t want to hear it.” Taylor whipped around and headed to first hour.

  Great, now I was fighting with my best friend. And I couldn’t even explain any of it to her. Seth stroked my thumb. My heart somersaulted. I glanced at him. I’d just kissed my other best friend—and liked it.

  ****

  For the rest of the day, all I thought of was the kiss. How Seth’s lips felt on mine. How I wished it’d lasted longer. Every time he glanced at me, my pulse thumped in my throat. Too bad he had plans after school. We never even got to talk about what happened.

  I tossed my book bag on the bed then walked to my dresser to grab a hair tie. A picture of Seth sat on my desk. I picked it up.

  “Why can’t I stop thinking of you?” I ran my finger along his face. Okay, this was ridiculous. Since when did I grope photos? I set it down and walked to the closet. Time to figure out how to make Katrina a dress. Tugging the door open, I maneuvered through the clothes to the secret Godmother door. I opened the door and pushed my way inside the Godmother room.

  Warm light poured over me as I entered. The fire crackled to life as a cast iron teakettle hung itself over the flames. A coffee mug and plate of cookies appeared in the center of the table.

  A carving of a knight stood in the center of the room as if it were guarding me. I smiled and ran my hand over the dark cherry wood of the table. My shoulders relaxed. I’d come home.

  I sauntered to the bookshelves. My gaze trailed over the book spines. Remedies of an Everyday Healer. How to Transport. Fal
ling in Love in a New Era. Dressmaking for Beginners. Ah-ha. Just what I needed.

  As I reached for the book, it disappeared, only to reappear at the table, next to a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Wow, I could totally get used to this. I sat down and opened the first few pages.

  I’d need a piece of fabric, preferably in the color I wanted the dress. Next on my list. I needed a needle, an element from nature, and a strand of my subject’s hair. The spell must be performed outdoors. Didn’t sound too hard.

  I burned the directions to memory then watched the book float across the room and slide back into place on the shelf. My mouth fell open. The cup of cocoa moved closer to my hand. I picked it up and took a sip. The warm chocolaty concoction slipped down my throat like silk. I’d never tasted anything so good. The steam warmed my face as I took another drink then set the mug down.

  This is heaven. The scent of chocolate chip cookies permeated the air. My mouth watered. I grabbed a cookie from the plate. It practically melted in my mouth. Maybe I’d start eating all my meals in here.

  Dessert in hand, I stood up and walked to one of the windows. I opened the shade and squealed.

  Kat’s room sat on the other side of the glass. She tossed her shirt to the floor and I tugged on the shade, trying to get it to close. Okay, this was too weird. I didn’t want to see into my charge’s bedroom. Way creepy.

  I backed away from the window. The front door swung open. My heart thudded and I screamed.

  “Judas, Jack. You scared the heck out of me.”

  He winked. “Hey, sis. Oh, are those for me?” He pointed to the cookies.

  “Whatever.”

  He snagged a few. “These are good. Wonder if there are any more?”

  “Okay, so we have to, like, share the cottage?”

  “Yep. What yours is mine. I’m your knight, after all.” Jack grinned as he tossed a piece of cookie into the air and caught it in his mouth like a bass nabbing a fly.

  “Of course. I can’t get away from you.”

  Jack sauntered across the living room and pulled the window shade up. “Nice.” Kat stood on the other side, dressed in her underwear and a bra, oblivious to my brother’s stares.