A squeak on the hardwood floor behind Ryder had him turning to see who had entered the room. The imposter queen stood by the opened door, her heated glare piercing right into Ryder before she switched her focus to the king.
“Well, believe it, my darling husband, because I’m not dead. I’m right here.”
EIGHTEEN
Ryder stood frozen as panic boomed in his chest. She heard! But at least she wasn’t trying to deny it. Then again, evil witches like this one were so selfish they couldn’t wait to show others what control they possessed.
He was ready for her. He had his sword—and his rabbit’s foot—if either would do any good. Silently, he prayed his mother was right and that this particular object would bring him good luck.
Remembering his role as a guard, he straightened his shoulders and stepped in front of the king, glaring at the witch, ready for battle.
“It’s true?” the king asked, standing and trying to move in front of Ryder, who stood firm and wouldn’t let the king pass.
Laughing, the imposter queen flipped a lock of her long, blonde hair over her shoulder and walked farther into the room. “Yes, it’s true. I am the woman you betrayed all those years ago.”
A low grumble came from the king’s throat, and he tried once again to get in front of Ryder. But Ryder couldn’t allow anything to happen to the king.
“Betray? I didn’t betray you. I did everything you asked. Did I not name my daughter Clarissa?” He flipped a hand in the air. “But then you had to have more, which is why you kidnapped her.”
She didn’t bat an eye. In fact, her expression almost appeared bored as she watched the king. She even glanced at her manicured fingernails a few times as if she didn’t care about the conversation.
“I believe you have this all wrong, witch,” the king snapped. “You betrayed me!”
Her gaze snapped up from her fingernails, and she glared at him. Ryder held his breath. The evil look in the woman’s eyes worried him.
“You don’t know what it’s like to be ridiculed,” she said in a scratchy voice. “You will never know what it’s like to want someone to love so desperately, it tears you apart inside. I wanted a man to look at me as if I were a real woman instead of a creature of the night. Men couldn’t give me the one thing I craved. Love.”
She stepped closer to the king. Ryder tightened his grip on the sword.
“And then a man came into my life that looked at me with helplessness in his gaze as he begged me not to harm him. He said he was only picking my special flower to give to a woman he loved.” She pressed her fist against her chest. “Do you know what that did to me?”
“That’s not my problem,” the king said. “I never once led you to think I loved you. I was grateful that you released me, and that was all.”
“True.” She nodded. “But as I watched from afar as you and your wife had the perfect marriage, and the perfect daughter, I felt cheated. I wanted to be your wife. I wanted to be the mother to your daughter.”
“You are an old hag! Why would I want someone of your age to be my wife?” The king’s voice turned harsh.
Ryder released a small groan. Wrong answer. To be sure, the witch wouldn’t take kindly to that kind of talk.
“Indeed, I was an old hag. But look at me now.” She swept her hand, motioning to her body. “I’m a young, beautiful queen.”
“You are not my wife. I command you to get out of here. Now!”
She shook her head. “Oh, so sorry, my dear husband, but you cannot tell me what to do. You don’t rule any longer. I do.”
“Over my dead body!”
Ryder grimaced. Once again, those were probably the wrong words for the king to use.
“No, my dearest.” Displaying a faux frown, she shook her head. “I cannot have you dying. This kingdom needs to know everything is normal. Your daughter will wed Prince Ormond as planned and move to his kingdom, so I don’t have to worry about her getting in my way. However, behind closed doors, I will be making the decisions from now on. Things will go my way or...” she paused and nibbled on her lip as if in deep thought, and then she shook her head, “Actually, things will go my way no matter what. After all, I am the one who holds magic. Am I not?”
The king grumbled curses as he marched toward the fireplace, fisting his hands by his side. Ryder felt as helpless as the king looked. He wouldn’t enlighten the witch that Prince Ormond would not be marrying Clarissa. But he couldn’t sit back and allow any of this to happen. He was one of the king’s guards. He must protect the kingdom at all costs.
“May I ask you a question?” Ryder asked the imposter.
She shrugged. “I suppose.”
“Has this been your plan for a few months now?”
She cackled. “For several months, in fact.”
“Is that why you were slowly having the king’s close guards poisoned?”
The king hitched a breath and swung around to watch the imposter as they awaited her answer. Her smile stretched tight across her thin face.
“You are very clever, I must say. How did you figure out the guards were being poisoned?”
“Because my father was the first one you poisoned, and he died.”
“Ah, so sad,” she said without feeling. “But you are correct. The guards were beginning to suspect that I was a witch. I couldn’t have them alive to tell others. So now I suppose you shall be the next one to die since you know my plan.”
He gritted his teeth. He would not become her next victim. His mind scrambled to think up a way to stop her. Perhaps he should have brought the evil witch’s twin sister along. Maybe she could have stopped this out-of-control woman.
Raising her hands, her gaze on him narrowed. Unrecognizable words exited her mouth. His heart dropped. She was trying to put a spell on him!
Quickly, he reached into his trouser pocket and grasped the rabbit’s foot. He said a silent prayer it would accomplish the very thing his mother had mentioned—ward off spells. He held his breath, waiting for the outcome.
When she finished what she was saying, she waved her hands toward him as though she were pushing something invisible his way. Yet nothing happened.
Her forehead creased in confusion, and she glanced down at her hands. When her gaze jumped up and met his again, determination lit her dark blue eyes.
“Weepest, willest, toofuss decry, poison this man for him to die.”
Ryder didn’t understand any of this, but he certainly didn’t like the ending of the spell. He rubbed his thumb against the furry foot, and waited. Still nothing! Unbelievable!
He chuckled, unsheathing his sword as he slowly walked toward her. “It appears that you have no power over me, and I’m not going to allow you to upset the king any longer.”
Her eyes widened in surprise before she tilted back her head and laughed. “You want to play? I can play.”
She waved her hands in the air. A powerful jolt made Ryder stumble back, but it didn’t knock him down. He was still in control.
He surged toward her with his sword in front of him. Shock registered on her face, and she darted away from him. She swished her arms again, but the powerful force he’d once felt was nothing but a small breeze now.
He chuckled. “I think your powers are weakening, witch.”
Ryder lunged at her with the sword, nicking her arm. She gasped, peering down at the blood seeping through her sleeve. With another wave of her hand, the blood flow had stopped. When she met his gaze again, evil filled her glare.
Once again, she raised her arms and muttered words he’d never heard before. In a split second, his sword grew warm, and then moments later, it nearly burned his hands. He dropped his weapon before it seared his flesh.
With another wave of her hands, the sword moved toward her and she held onto it. Victory appeared in her evil eyes. Defeat filled Ryder, and he shook his head. No, he couldn’t let it end this way. He was the king’s guard. He must save the king and the king’s family no matter what the cost
.
Mustering all the energy he had, he rushed toward the witch. She tried to raise the sword to block him, but the steel weighed too much and she couldn’t lift it. He kicked it out of her hands and knocked her down to the ground. He wrapped his hands around the witch’s throat, ready to do anything to stop her.
An unrecognizable gurgle rose from her mouth. Suddenly, it was her body that turned hot as fire. Ryder grunted and jumped off her. His mind scrambled to think of what he could do next. There must be some way to stop this witch from hurting anyone ever again.
“Enough of this, I say!” The king marched past Ryder and stood in front of the witch. “If you promise not to harm my wife, my daughter, or any of my guards ever again, then I shall do your bidding. I cannot allow you to hurt any more of my people.”
“Your Majesty!” Ryder gasped. “If she is in charge, many more will be harmed than if we simply stop her now.”
“This is my kingdom,” the king spoke firmly. “You will do well to remember that. I have tried to defeat this witch before, and it clearly did not work.” The king turned his attention back to the witch. “No more of my people may be harmed. Not one!”
The witch smiled victoriously and nodded to the king. “Of course, my dear,” she smirked. Then she tilted back her head and released another cackle. “Oh, isn’t this wonderful. We should celebrate, don’t you think?”
“What are we celebrating?”
The familiar voice jerked Ryder out of his dismal thoughts as his heartbeat picked up rhythm. He jerked his gaze toward the door. Clarissa walked into the room, holding something large and square in her arms that was wrapped with decorative paper and tied with a ribbon.
His heart dropped. Why was she here? He’d asked her to stay at his mother’s house. Why hadn’t she listened?
CLARISSA’S CHEERFUL smile also worried him. She couldn’t possibly still be under the spell. True love’s kiss broke it. So what was the reason she appeared as if she didn’t know what was going on?
“Good day Mother, Father.” Her sing-song voice echoed in the room. “What are we celebrating?”
The witch laughed, sounding more like the queen than the old hag. She clapped her hands joyfully. “We are celebrating your return. I heard you were missing earlier today.”
“No, I wasn’t missing.” Clarissa giggled. “But I didn’t want you to know where I was going.” She walked to the witch and stopped. “I bought you a gift, and I wanted it to be a surprise.”
The imposter hitched a breath and placed a hand on her bosom, acting elated. “Indeed, I am surprised, my dear.” She pointed to the wrapped gift in Clarissa’s arms. “What’s that?”
Clarissa’s smile widened as she glanced at the object. “I’m not going to tell you.” She took it to the couch and set it on the cushion. “Mother, you need to open it now...in front of everyone. I want to see your expression.”
“Well, all right. If I must.” The witch stood in front of the couch, looking down at her gift. “I’m most curious to what it could be.”
So was Ryder. He was also curious to why Clarissa was acting this way. He feared the worst—that she was somehow still under that wretched spell. But at least he knew where Cordelia lived and could get her to reverse the spell or remove it completely.
The king moved slowly and stopped beside his daughter, slipping an arm around her shoulders. Clarissa smiled up at her father. Ryder wished he could feel as confident as she appeared.
As he watched the witch slowly unwrap her gift, he kept his hand around the hilt of the sword, prepared for anything.
“Oh, Mother,” Clarissa exclaimed. “You are too slow. Rip the paper quickly.”
The witch chuckled. “My dear, you remind me of when you were younger and eager to open your Christmas and birthday gifts.”
She turned back to the object, and did as her daughter requested. Using both hands, she ripped off the paper covering the front. Confused, Ryder shook his head. What was Clarissa doing with his mother’s favorite mirror?
The moment the witch saw her reflection, she screamed in a high-pitched voice. She jumped back as her hands covered her face.
“Get that thing out of my sight!” she hissed.
Ryder unsheathed his sword, pointing it toward the witch. What is going on?
In pure amazement, before his eyes, the witch’s hands withered. The smooth skin she once had turned leathery and wrinkled. Her once blonde hair grew gray before changing shades once again and becoming a silvery-white color. The curves of her womanly form also changed. She not only lost her height, but her weight altered as well until she became as crooked and bent as her twin sister.
Slowly, she moved her hands away from her face and looked at her hands. Her attention shifted to the mirror again. This time an ugly, old hag stared back from the reflection. She released a pitiful cry and fell to her knees, covering her face once again. “I’m done for!” she screamed.
“It worked,” Clarissa muttered with happiness. She turned and gave her father a hug. “It worked! We’re free from the witch.”
The king continued to stare at the unexplained spectacle before him, shaking his head in denial. “What...just happened?”
“Father,” she stroked his bearded chin, “I finally remembered things about when she kidnapped me, and one of the things I remembered was that she loathed mirrors. She acted as if she’d die if she had to look in a mirror. I took a chance and hoped the reason she didn’t like mirrors was because it would take her powers away.” She touched her bosom. “Something in my heart told me it would work, and I can see it did.”
Ryder slapped his forehead. “That’s right! The witch’s sister told me something about that. Apparently, her mother used to tell her if she didn’t stop being evil, she’d never be able to look at herself in the mirror without feeling guilty.” He chuckled. “I just didn’t think she meant literally.”
“Apparently, so.” Clarissa glanced at the witch briefly, and then moved her gaze to Ryder. “When I remembered about the mirrors, I knew you would be in danger, Ryder. And I had to do something to save the man I love.”
Her announcement in front of her father, no less, shocked Ryder and stole his breath for a moment. His heartbeat hammered with happiness, yet... He glanced at the king. What would her father think now?
The king jumped back and stared with wide eyes at his daughter. “You love Ryder?” He pointed to Ryder. “This man right here?”
She smiled up at her father and nodded. “Yes. With all of my heart.” She stepped away from the king and moved toward Ryder. Just before reaching him, Ryder held out his arms and she walked into his embrace. “I love you, Ryder.”
“I love you, Rissa.”
His heart melted the longer he stared into the deep pools of blue-green. Her eyes sparkled with emotion. He sighed heavily. Was everything finally over and they could begin their lives? Dare he hope?
“Well, what a surprise.” The king chuckled. “But a pleasant surprise. So tell me, Mr. Grey, when were you planning on asking me for my daughter’s hand in marriage?”
He continued to stare into Clarissa’s beautiful eyes as his smile widened. “As soon as I can, Your Majesty.”
Through the brief pause, a high-pitched scream ripped through the air. The witch jumped up and ran toward the king. Her jagged fingernails aimed toward the king’s throat. Her expression hard and murderous.
When she reached him, she muttered disjointed words again, sinking her claws into the king’s neck. He grasped her hands, but it seemed as if he was powerless to release her.
Clarissa cried out and sprang out of Ryder’s arms. He quickly unsheathed his sword and in two steps, drove it through the witch’s back. Her body froze. Stumbling away from the king, she looked at Ryder. Pain etched her expression for only a moment before she collapsed to the ground.
Dead.
Sobbing, Clarissa hurried to her father and hugged him tightly. The king stroked her long, glorious hair and repeated the words, it�
�s all right now.
Ryder hurried to open the study door and called out to the closest guards. Two men came running. He instructed them to remove the witch’s body. Within minutes, she was taken.
The king’s gentle gaze met Ryder’s and he smiled.
“Thank you, my boy. You saved my life—and the life of my family.” He shook his head. “I don’t understand what kind of strength she had, but I couldn’t stop her. I have been amazed at your bravery, and your strength to fight off her spells.”
Ryder breathed a sigh of relief and moved to stand beside the king. Withdrawing the rabbit’s foot from his pocket, he chuckled, “Actually, Your Highness, this was the only power I had to fight her.”
The king took the rabbit’s foot. “I gave this to your mother after your father died.”
“You did, yes.”
He laughed. “And to think it really did ward off the unnatural.”
“Indeed, it did.” Ryder handed it to the king. “So now I want you to take this back so that you and your family are protected.”
“I won’t argue with that.” The king winked as he took the good luck charm.
Clarissa pulled away from her father and took hold of Ryder’s hand. “Ryder? Don’t you have something to ask my father?”
His heart pounded with renewed life again and he smiled. “Your Majesty, I love your daughter with all that I am. Would you give your permission for us to marry?”
The king wrapped an arm around his daughter and one around Ryder. “I would love nothing better. I’m so very thrilled she has finally found a wonderful man to be happy with for the rest of her life.”
Clarissa tilted her head. “I’m assuming that’s a yes?”
The king nodded. “Wholeheartedly.” The smile faded from his face when he met Ryder’s gaze again. “Where is my wife?”
“I’ll go get her now.”
“Take my coach,” the king instructed.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“And...don’t forget to take your fiancée, too.” Clarissa squeezed Ryder’s hand. “From this point forward, I want to do everything with you. We make a good team, and I don’t want anything to come between us ever again.”
Once Enchanted Page 15