by A E M
“Dear Beau. You were gone the entire summer. Not so sincerely, Charlotte.”
“Dear Charlotte. That’s not a new thing. I’m confused; but I did miss you. Does that help? Please write back, Beau.”
Charlotte gave in. She couldn’t expect him to understand how important this summer was supposed to be when she hadn’t told him what she was thinking. She offered him a smile as a truce. “Did you have a good summer?”
“I met a girl.” He offered.
Charlotte took a step back. Of course he met a girl. Why wouldn’t he? “Well, at least one of us met somebody.”
He stared at her quietly for a couple of minutes. “Come meet her. Her name is Raven. You’ll like her.”
Charlotte forced a smile to her lips. “Of course.”
He nodded to the first floor of the library. He threw his legs over the banister and held his hand out. “Shall we?”
She nodded and let him steady her as she threw her own legs over the banister. He pulled her into his arms, spread out his wings, and jumped down to the first floor. Charlotte pulled away quickly and headed for the door.
“You’ve changed since you’ve been gone.” Beau caught up with her as she pushed open the library’s double doors.
“People do that.” She said softly. “I’ve missed you.” She added.
“Let’s do something together tomorrow.” Beau tugged another strand of her hair. “Would you like that?”
“I would.” She quieted her heart. There would not be a tomorrow for them, but at least he offered. At least she would have that.
“Save me a dance.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed.
“I will.” She let his hand drop, but hung onto the imprint of warmth he had left until it vanished from her skin. She took a deep breath at the entrance of the hall. Beau offered his arm. She slipped her hand into his elbow.
“You better save me one.” Beau patted her hand. “If you don’t, I’ll claim one anyway.”
She curtsied and gave him a full smile. “Fine, then.”
Charlotte’s heart pounded with excitement as she walked into the dance hall on Beau’s arm. He winked at her, then stepped back as her parents came forward. They lead her up to the stage where she hoped she was smiling enough, but not too much, as her father made a speech in her honor. She blushed as he called her a beauty like her mother and laughed at his insistence that every eligible bachelor dance with her right after they submitted a detailed application with character references. The room was soon full of music and dancing once more.
Her first dance was with her father, which suited her fine. They had danced together many times during her childhood, starting with him dancing with her in his arms when she was an infant. He claimed that it was the only way that she would settle for him. As a child she would dance with her feet propped on his. Now that she was taller, it was a whole new experience. She had to know the steps, for one.
Charlotte stumbled along, catching the steps correctly when she could. Her father’s eyes laughed, and his lips curled up now and then. He leaned close and kissed her on the forehead. “I had forgotten.” He chuckled teasingly. “If you see one you like, then step on his foot hard.”
Charlotte’s eyes widened. “Papa!”
“You can nurse him after, and since you don’t dance well unless you are on your own, he’ll never know it’s a set up.”
Charlotte glanced over to her mother and nodded her head towards her father. “Save me.” She mouthed.
Audrey nodded towards her own dancing partner. “Sorry.” She mouthed back.
“Your mother and I are very proud of you.” Isaac’s eyes darted between the two women. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it quickly. He nodded to Beau instead. “I wonder when he’s going to settle down, or if he ever will. I take it he likes his life the way it is right now.”
Charlotte added, “On the other hand, maybe he needed to find the right one. He met a girl this summer.”
“Oh, has he?” Isaac said. “Wilder didn’t mention a girl. Is it the one he’s dancing with?”
Charlotte stole a glance at the couple. Beau’s dancing partner wasn’t a bronze eagle, but like them, she did have wings. She was a dark beauty with jet-black wings, short black hair, and eyes dark as night. They were a stunning pair. Together they were chocolate and caramel. “Her name is Raven. He’s going to introduce me to her later.” She turned her face away from the couple and frowned at her father’s waistcoat.
“Sometimes it’s hard to watch childhood friends grow up and form new relationships.” Isaac said quietly to the top of Charlotte’s head.
“Hmph.” Charlotte mumbled.
“Just don’t forget that it’s probably hard on him, too.” Isaac patted her back. He kissed her forehead and Charlotte quieted her thoughts. She focused on the warmth of his hands. The glare of the room’s light on his glasses. The shine on his nice shoes. She wanted to scold him for leaving for the summer. She wanted cry on his shoulder and tell him everything. She wanted to be five again. She would give anything to rewind time and live her childhood again, only this time she would sit in his lap a little longer. She would take more walks with him. She would breathe it all in a little slower.
“Isaac.” Audrey scolded when she finally made her way over to them. “Are you tormenting your grown daughter?”
“That would be found in my job description.” Isaac said with a gruff tone paired with kind eyes.
“Well, darling. I’ve come to claim you.” She snaked her arm around his arm and winked at Charlotte. “Don’t worry, I’ve laid claim on the rest of his dances.”
Charlotte smiled at their backs as they made their way through the throng of dancers. She thought for a moment about mingling with some of the other young women, but for the next hour and a half she found herself constantly being asked to dance. She danced with familiar faces, though it was true that quite a few of them she hadn’t seen since they were younger. She stepped on a few feet, but mostly by accident. It was a relief when she finally found herself with enough time to dash out of the room to catch a break. There had been no connections or fireworks, and at this point she would have taken a small spark as a good omen.
She slipped into one of the empty offices and kicked her shoes off before stretching out onto a couch to catch her breath. She had enjoyed the dancing, the conversations, and the meeting new guys. Most of them. There was one of her father’s students who felt compelled to dance with her while he spoke of the beautiful ladies he was after that night. He had even had the audacity to ask Charlotte which one she thought was the prettiest. She had stepped on his foot on purpose, but there was no nursing of injuries afterwards.
The door slammed open and a young couple stumbled in, clawing at each other’s clothes on the way to a couch. It was the bragger and his latest catch. Charlotte rolled her eyes and bolted for the open door only to run into a suited chest.
“Oops!” She cried out before adding an apology. The man flashed her a smile. He was a handsome one, much more so than anybody else she’d seen that night. He was dressed in a stunning suit and polished to a glaring shine shoes.
He bowed. “My apologies for startling you, though I believe I found who I am looking for. You are Isaac’s daughter, correct?”
“Yes, I am.” Charlotte smiled over at his straight white teeth and short, curly black hair. Goodness. Even his ears were perfectly shaped. She found her voice before her mind got lost looking at him. “I’m afraid I don’t know who you are.”
The tall man held out his hand. “My name is Philip. I am a former student of your father.”
Charlotte couldn’t contain the flush she felt come over her face, but she also raised an eyebrow before she took his hand. “How former of a student are you?”
He frowned briefly. Charlotte wanted to kick herself. “Oh, I meant no offense. I wanted to know because it’s hard to tell with you weavers and your long life span. You look young for so terribly long.” No. Ugh.
Out of one hole and straight into another like it. She wanted to kick herself again. “Sorry again.” She sighed. “I’m afraid I stumble over words periodically.” She tilted her head. “Frequently.”
He chuckled. His eyebrows were still high, but he smiled. “Oh, I was a student long enough ago to remember you with braids, a tutu, and smudges of dirt on your face.” Philip remarked as they walked back to the dance hall.
“Oh, dear. You have me at an advantage, then.” Charlotte nodded towards the left hallway. “Would you care for a short stroll? I’d like a second chance at a decent conversation if you aren’t scared off by now.”
Philip flashed a smile. “Lead the way.”
They walked out to the courtyard. It was cool and quieter here. The moon and stars lit up the sky and the sounds of their shoes clicking against the cement startled the quiet. Charlotte felt her muscles relaxing. Perhaps out here the pressure would be off and she could get to know this man. It was hard to get to know somebody during a dance.
“So where are you from?” Charlotte asked. They had stopped at the edge of the pool. She stared down at the reflection the sky.
“Nowhere.” Philip began. “Well, everywhere.” He grinned. “Not long enough at one place to call anywhere home, I suppose.”
“The opposite of me, then. I’d love to travel.” She stared into his eyes. “You must want to sit still.”
“I suppose it would depend on who I’m with, really.”
Charlotte blushed.
Philip reached for her hand. She let him take it. “Will you be missed?” He asked.
Charlotte looked through the large arched windows. The room was full of light and dancing. “Not yet. I needed a break anyway.” She admitted.
“In the magical world there aren’t many coming out parties for dane-weavers, so I figured you must be pretty special.”
“Oh, well, I—”
“Frankly, I’m surprised that you are still single.”
Charlotte drifted somewhere in between the ground and the sky. She could feel the smile and the rush of heat staining her cheeks and she was glad for the darkness of the night to hide some of it. “I’ve been away in the dane world for a few years.”
“Well, that explains it.” He smiled, and then started to hum. “I’m afraid that I arrived late. I’ve yet to even have a dance tonight. Would you do me the honor?” He stepped back and bowed.
“Oh, why, yes!” Charlotte took his hand and let him sweep her around the courtyard. They danced around the pool in a pocket of time that seemed to be set-aside for the two of them. He hummed a song she didn’t recognize. Neither of them missed a step.
“That was perfect.” She gushed. “I’ve never danced so well in my entire life!”
Philip pulled her close and grinned at her. “I put a spell on you.” He admitted. “That’s what magic is for. Making life perfect.”
Charlotte swallowed hard. He had put a spell on her without even asking. She tried to calm her mind. Weavers were not supposed to spell each other without asking, save for extenuating circumstances. Yes, the dance had been beautiful, but it had also been faked. She felt cheated. He flashed his perfect smile with his perfect teeth all dressed in his perfect suit and suddenly she felt perfectly sick. She stepped back.
“Philip, thank you for the dance. Let’s head back. It’s gotten cold and I have several more people to dance with and then I think I’ll mingle.”
He stepped closer to her, jolting her backwards until she hit the stonework of the castle. “I was thinking of something a little more personal and quiet.” He pressed his hands into her shoulders. “I could warm you up.” He said and pressed his body against hers. The jagged edges of the stone scraped her shoulders and the backs of her arms and she shivered from his presence rather than the cold.
“No thanks.” She said firmly. She tried to step to the side, scraping her back a little. “I’ll be going now.”
He pushed her up against the wall harder and stared deep into her eyes. “You don’t have many options, you know. Nobody of any worth wants a dane-weaver.”
Charlotte’s breath caught in her throat. She glared at him. “I guess you must be one of the worthless ones, then.”
A flash of anger crossed the man’s face quickly before he corrected it to show no emotion. “Why your parents even bothered to throw you this pitiful ball is beside me.” He paused and smiled a horrible smile. “Tell me, are you really their child?” He twirled her hair around his finger. “You don’t look a thing like either of them. Perhaps you are a pet of theirs to dress up and pretend with. Is tonight their way of auctioning you off, perhaps? Maybe they are ready for a new toy?” He dusted her shoulders off as if she were a doll found in the attic.
Charlotte couldn’t control the shiver she felt so close to the awful man and his awful words. She had known a few jerks in her life, but this man took it to a new level. She nudged him away, hoping to get as far away from him as soon as possible; but was caught off guard when he shoved her back against the wall and held his hand over her mouth before she could even think to scream. The music from the dancing hall was loud, covering up any sounds she did manage to make.
“Tsk, tsk.” Philip breathed in her ear. “Everyone is having fun and dancing. They aren’t even going to think of looking for you for a while.” He traced her neck and collarbone. “It is such a pity that you are not magical. You would be a fairly pretty specimen.”
“Get off me!” She mumbled through the hand on her mouth.
“I’ve got to find a place to stash you first.” He pressed up against her harder.
Charlotte panicked. She kicked her shoes off to the side and tried to kick at him. He shoved her head against the building. “Enough.” He grabbed her arms and pulled her forward. Charlotte threw herself at him and knocked them both down onto the floor.
“Get away from her, you disgusting pile of worms!” Beau stomped towards them. Raven was at his side.
Philip stood up from where he had fallen. “Stay out of this, birds.” He calmly straightened his clothes, even as Beau neared him with a glare that would frighten most people.
Raven offered Charlotte a hand up. She glared at the man. “You need to leave. Now.”
Beau added quickly, “If not by your own accord, then I will personally escort you out.”
Philip didn’t even flinch. A crooked smile glazed his lips. “I will leave when my master commands me to and not a moment before.” He turned his gaze to Charlotte. “I’ve been following your parents for some time now. Good thing I waited. This little event will be much more profitable for my master.” He snarled, and with a snap of his fingers, vanished.
Charlotte’s knees buckled, but Raven held her to her side. Beau hurried to her other side. “He’s gone; it’s okay. You handled yourself well. He won’t mess—”
“Beau, we need to warn my parents now! He was threatening everybody here!”
“I’ll go, you two stay here.”
“No, I’ll go.” Raven inserted quickly. “I think Charlotte needs somebody who knows her a little better to stick with her for the moment. Make sure she rests. I’ll bring her parents here after I talk to them.”
“Good idea. Thanks, Raven.”
Charlotte blinked her eyes furiously until she was certain that she wouldn’t cry before looking Beau in the eyes for the first time since he came outside. “We should follow.”
Beau looked in her eyes a little longer than she would have liked. “Let’s take a quick walk to the kitchen. We’ll have Basil make you some hot tea and warn the hobs who are around.”
Charlotte took his arm for the second time that night. She could feel his muscles clenching in his arm. She shivered and held on to him. The same stars and moon hung over her. The same cold touched her skin. But everything looked and felt different now. They halted outside the kitchen doors. The lights were out. There were no hobs. No plates of food for the ball. No Basil. Even the fire was snuffed out. Lying to the side of the door was
Lynx, still as stone. Charlotte gasped and started for the ground.
Beau pulled her back up by the tops of her arms. “I know this is bad, but I think we need to move on quickly. Neither of us can do anything if it’s magic, and we can’t be sure that it’s not a spell that will transfer from one body to another.”
Boom. The ground beneath them shuddered. Boom. Screams shattered the silence. Strikes of light flashed. Boom. They both nearly fell to their knees.
Beau turned her around to face him and put her arms around his neck. “Hold on!”
Charlotte held on tight, digging into her own skin with her nails. “I don’t like heights, Beau!”
“I don’t like what’s going on down there.” His voice was calm and deeper than she was used to. He wrapped his arms around her waist.
“My parents! Your parents and sister! Everybody!” She cried out.
“I know, Lottie. But this isn’t the place for you right now. Your father will care for your mother, and the place is packed with weavers. I have to get you to safety.”
Charlotte focused on her breathing. Deep. Slow. Steady. The cold night air swept across her bare shoulders and she shivered. She didn’t dare open her eyes. Leaping from bannisters aside, she had flown with Beau only once before when they were very young. He wasn’t strong enough to fly with somebody yet, and he ended up dropping her to the ground in a crash of bones and blood. He had blamed her for being wiggly. She had blamed him for dropping her. Both sets of parents had blamed them for being irresponsible. They hadn’t tried it again.
It was the wrong memory to think of. Charlotte groaned and coughed against Beau’s chest. “I think I’m going to throw up.”
Beau wasted no time in landing.
Never in her wildest dreams had Charlotte imagined that someday she would be in the middle of a field throwing up in a gorgeous dress in front of guy. The night had gone from hopeful to perfect to rotten. It all hit her. Philip. The threat to her family. Lynx. The hobs. Everyone at the castle. She tried to stifle the sobs, but it was too late. She hurried away from where she had lost her supper and knelt down in the dirt and grass near the tree line. Beau knelt down in front of her.