The Forgotten Fairytales

by Angela Parkhurst

  “You look like crap.” I peeked through my fingers as Desiree sat in front of me chewing a granola bar. Today her eyes were honey and green. “Oh, and I heard the news. Everyone’s talking about Princess April.”

  “Ugh, please, not you too.”

  “Does that mean you and I are done?” she asked. “Cause if it does, I may have to light someone on fire. Or cast a wicked spell. Haven’t done that in, like, forever.”

  I raised a brow. “Who are you? I don’t think we’ve ever talked about it.”

  “That’s because I don’t like to brag.” She sat up straight and flipped her hair back. “It’s not easy being Your Heart’s Desire.”

  “I’ve never heard of that.”

  “Of course you have. No story is complete without a desire. And I fulfill them.” She sat up, proud, happy of her talents.

  “How are you a villain?” I asked. “You create happy endings.”

  “Wrong.” She pointed her half-eaten granola at me. “Happy Endings don’t come cheap and they all come with a cost. The books don’t show all the endings and they sure as hell don’t show you what the heroine sacrificed to get what she wanted. Those darling, are the lost fairy tales.”

  I pushed my coffee aside. “Wait, there’s such thing as Lost Fairy tales?”

  Desiree nodded, with one blink her eyes darkened—brown and sapphire. “Once a new version is created, usually one with a happier ending, they lock the old story away so no one knows the truth. Take Little Briar Rose. Originally it wasn’t a kiss that awoke her, but the prince raping her. How screwed up is that?”

  Excitement seared through me. I had to know the real stories. It was as if everything I had ever known was a lie. Somewhere in this castle were books upon books of stories no one remembered. Stories forgotten because their endings weren’t as perfect as one wished. Because they were dark and sinister. I had to find those books.

  “Every story comes from another story. If the truth got out so many people could be ruined.”

  “Where can I read them?”

  “Oh, you can’t.” Desiree bit into her granola bar. “They’re locked away. Hidden forever.”

  “But wouldn’t the truth get out one way or another? These people are based off characters that were written already. They’re living a lie.”

  Desiree shrugged. “Once a story is rewritten, the past evaporates. Well, unless the past is brought to life again.”

  Danielle, April, and Pearl walked in. And just like that, my heart shattered into a million pieces. “Can my desire be to disappear? Because I don’t think I can handle watching my sister ruin her life.”

  Desiree crumbled the wrapper between her fingers. “She’s okay, her desires are really budding.”

  “What?”

  “I see the desires within people, they all have a certain glow around their heart—lust, love, money, fame, adventure, pain. Danielle, she’s surrounded by this deep crimson, which is power. Pearl’s is tinged blue for love. April’s is a soft yellow, usually for friendship. When it comes down to true attraction, the color is different and almost always matches the person they are attracted to as long as that person is attracted back. Finn’s heart is surrounded by this weird pinkish-purple color.”

  Not this again. “I told you, I don’t care about him that way.”

  “That doesn’t stop him from liking you, and before you get all argumentative, I know it’s you because Wolf’s is the same.”

  My heart swarmed at the sound of Wolf’s name. I’d do just about anything to see him and tell him about all the craziness.

  My forehead hit the edge of the table. “Any other fantabulous news you want to share with me? Because I’m all about it today. Not only am I under house arrest, Wolf is avoiding me, Danielle is out for revenge, and my sister is only a princess because stupid Danielle wants to manipulate me. Oh, and that whole rumor thing about me being some kind of sex freak sporting an STD. What next? A long lost evil twin?”

  Instead of sitting through lunch I went to the library to read. Finding a nice, secluded spot, I reached in my bag and a small book fell out. The one Donny gave me. I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten about it. When I opened it, a bright golden light extended from the pages into the air. My first instinct was to close the book. Instead, I waved my hand through the glittering light. So weird. The inscription on the following page was how to conjure light.

  Imagine the sun is shining from the palm of your hand.

  Everyone said magic, easy magic, wasn’t like witchcraft with lots of spells and ingredients. Easy magic was based on desires. To picture what you want, like light, and it would appear. I wasn’t sure how much I believed, especially since I couldn’t get anything right. But I closed the book and sat back with my eyes closed. Using the breathing I learned in yoga, I focused on my hand and the light.

  Peeking one eye open, nothing had happened. I had to focus. I think I sat for twenty minutes trying. I was ready to give up until finally, the tips of my fingers glowed. Holy shit! I closed my eyes again and imagined heat blistering my palm. Tingles ran down my arm and vibrated the skin. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. Calm resonated through me, but so did a surge of heat and power. Opening my eyes once more I saw it. A bright ball of light about the size of a hockey puck dancing in the air in front of me.

  I gasped. My hands flew to my mouth and the light disappeared.

  “No way,” I breathed. I did magic. Me! I was so excited I jumped up, grabbed my stuff and ran out of the library. I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go, find Kate or Desiree or someone, anyone who cared! Even if they didn’t care, hell, I did magic, after all my fuck ups. And the best part? It felt amazing, like a rush of cold air waking me up.

  Wolf exited from one of the classrooms. Excitement soared through me.

  “You won’t believe what I just did!” He looked above my head, not hearing a word I said. His attention lingered to the side as a fairy girl passed by. Carrie, I think. We had a class together. Carrie’s pale yellow dress was so short, her ass popped out of the bottom of it. “I’m sorry, am I interrupting your mental sex session?”

  “Yeah, you kind of were.” His head snapped forward. I sucked in a breath, feeling like he’d punched me in the face.

  “Way to be blunt.” I bit the inside of my mouth.

  He shrugged. “Whatever. I’m a guy, it’s what we do.”

  What a line. Guys could control themselves, especially guys who kiss girls like he kissed me. Did I really mean nothing to him at all or was he angry over the rumors? Dark bags hung under his eyes. His face, usually tight, seemed to sag from lack of sleep. Instead of fighting with him, I rolled my shoulders back and took a deep breath. He was probably having a bad day, or a bad couple days.

  “Whatever. Anyways, like I was saying—” words cut from my throat when he adjusted the strap of his backpack, showing me his busted knuckles, scabbed with dried blood. Like a reflex, my hand went to his. “Ohmigosh. Are you okay?”

  He flinched from my touch and moved away. “I’m fine. Are we done here? The fairy won’t wait forever.”

  Another punch in the stomach. “Are you seriously messing around with her?”

  “Why not?” His eyes were darker than I’d ever seen, not a single trace of gold within. “She’s hot and single, I’m hot and single. Sex is inevitable.”

  Ignoring the trembling in my hands and the sudden desire to throw up everywhere, I thrust my chin out. “Then by all means, go. Wouldn’t want to keep you and your precious little fairy whore from slutting it up in the AV closet between classes.” I pivoted on my heels and stomped away, my heart shattering into a million pieces.

  “Please, Norah.” The pleasure in his voice sent chills up my spine. I peered back at him. “Everyone has sex in the woods now. Remember?”

  A cry caught in my throat as I hurried down the hall, forcing the tears to stay inside. His feelings for me were crystal clear. He felt nothing. Nothing. And yet, I felt everything. Like my insides were being put t
hrough a paper shredder. How could he? A tear slipped down my cheek. I bit back the sadness, turning it into anger. God, he sucked so bad. There weren’t even words to describe how much I hated him now.

  Later on, when I told Kate what happened she cursed under her breath and offered to turn him into a slug. Being jealous and possessive and totally envious wasn’t my style, but Wolf brought out that part of me.

  Why couldn’t I have attended some boarding school where no one spoke English and I could sit in a corner by myself and become invisible? Oh, right, because that would’ve been too easy. No, instead I had to like an asshole and then be jealous of a fairy. Who was jealous of a fairy? Well, I kind of was jealous of the girl at Disney World who flew down the castle as Tinkerbell before the fireworks, but still. She wasn’t a real fairy, so she didn’t count.

  Commotion in the main hallway drew my attention back to the real world. Everyone’s faces in the crowd were chalk white. Kate and I shouldered through the mass of still, zombie-like people, till we reached the front. From the end of the hall, ten men dressed entirely in black—even their faces masked in black sheaths—marched forward.

  In the middle, held by two large men, was a boy. One I vaguely remembered. His hair was gold and wavy and his skin naturally tan. He was bigger than Wolf all around. Thick like a brick wall, cut with muscles, and much taller, four inches or so. He had to be a year older than me and I think I’d seen him lurking with Wolf on some days.

  “What’s happening?” Kate whispered to the boy beside her.

  “The council is arresting Koyte,” the boy said. Koyte howled, thrashing as the guards led him away. They had his hands strapped in leather bindings.

  Kate stared at the boy, her mouth wide open. “On what grounds?”

  The strings of guards were closer now. Koyte’s screams were like sonic waves. I was tempted to cover my ears. The council was arresting someone? My knowledge of their existence was very, very slim. With the exception of a few mentions, no one really talked about them. They were like the Voldermort of the fairy tale world. Well, okay, not that extreme, but still.

  “They caught him trying to run away again. Third strike. Rumor has it, he attacked one of the guards. Almost killed him.”

  “Crap.” Kate muttered. Looking to my right, Wolf was a few people down, standing in the front of the line. His hands clenched by his sides, his chest barely moving. Was he breathing? His jaw locked and the veins in his neck bulged. Why on earth did he look so pained, like someone was twisting a knife in him?

  I tugged on Kate’s arm. “How well does Wolf know him?” Wolf never spoke of Koyte. Not once. Come to think of it, Wolf rarely talked about anyone. He had to have friends, right?

  Kate’s brows knitted together. “Koyte is his cousin. Up until last year, they roomed together. Then they deemed Koyte ‘High Risk’ and secluded him.”

  A chill ran up my spine and my feet moved without warning, cutting between people, muttering apologies though no one registered my movements. Everyone was too focused on Koyte and the guards. They held him as if he was a wild beast seconds from breaking free. Despite how hellish Wolf and I left things, he meant something to me and seeing him so sad, so hurt, made my chest ache.

  Wolf flinched when I touched his arm, but didn’t pull away. Instead, he laced his fingers firmly in mine, giving me a solid squeeze. Together we watched as Koyte move closer. Wolf’s brows tightened and I was tempted to reach over and smooth the skin. To ease his pain in any way I could. What if that was April? What if April was being hauled away like some kind of animal fugitive? He had more restraint than me. I would have thrown myself in the guard’s path, begging them to not harm her.

  Koyte’s cries silenced when his eyes locked with Wolf’s. Now closer, their features were scarily alike, more like brothers than cousins. Same thick brows, same broad shoulders full of strength and cut with sharp muscles. Their hair was different colors, but there was so much similar. The anger and hatred in his light eyes matched Wolf’s.

  Wolf and Koyte locked gazes. Silent messages passed between them, secrets no one in the world knew but them. In those few seconds I understood, well, kind of understood, their strange bond. They both wanted something more, something more than this school, more than their storybook life. Koyte’s time had run out. A life wasn’t in the cards for him any longer.

  In a flash, Koyte looked at me. Fire lit his eyes, but not the way they did Wolf’s. There was a hatred I’d never witnessed. A hatred not even April or Danielle looked at me with. I tightened my hand and shifted closer to Wolf, begging for protection. He squeezed my hand twice, like Morse code. Then Koyte screamed. It was piercing and frightening, shaking my legs and biting at my ears. He lowered and arched his back, bucking like a wild stallion.

  The people beside us screamed, holding the nearest person. With a force never before seen, he raised his arms and broke free from the guards, smashing them backward like chess pieces. Beside me, Wolf cursed and took a hold of me, forcing me behind him. Koyte ran straight for us, pushing Wolf back so hard, he stumbled onto the ground a few feet away. And then, Koyte’s bone crushing hands were on me.

  Razor sharp teeth stared back at me when he snarled, but I didn’t scream, I couldn’t scream. His icy blue eyes crippled me. I was frozen. He was going to rip my throat out, I knew it. Koyte, a boy I’d never spoken to in my life, wanted me dead and I had no clue why. He shook me in place, like a doll, his vicious grip bruising me.

  “You’re next.” Venom dripped from his words. I opened my mouth but nothing came out, only air and fear.

  The words were deeper than any threat I’d ever heard. In fact, it wasn’t a threat, but a fact. You’re next. Before another thing was spoken, the guards regained control, stabbing him in the back with a large syringe. His hold on me dropped and the guards yanked him back into the lineup. Moments later, they were gone, and the voices were a haze as I stared at the space in front of me. The space where he once was.

  Wolf stood beside me now, shell-shocked. “Did he hurt you?” He went to touch me, but decided otherwise.

  “No.” Not physically.

  The crowd dispersed, yet we stayed in place, my chest rising and falling like a crashing wave. You’re next.

  “Should I be worried?”

  In my peripherals he nodded. “Yes. You should.”

  I stared at him, my jaw slightly slack. If Wolf said to worry, then I needed to. Kate found me and grabbed at my arm, snapping me out of my daze. “Come on, we need to get out of here before they start questioning you.”

  We walked away quickly. The school was already abuzz about Koyte leaving. Rumors said he tried to run away. Running away! Who got in trouble for that?

  “What do you think they’ll do to him?” I asked Kate.

  She shrugged, letting out a heavy sigh. “I don’t know. The council can do whatever they want. Execute him, torture him, throw him in a dark prison cell until he dies.”

  “What?” I froze. “For trying to run away? People run away all the time.” Kids got mad at their parents and left for whatever reason.

  Kate stopped, holding herself close. “Not like this. Not here. Running away means trying to hide from the council. They don’t do well with that. I don’t think they’ll kill him, not yet, but he’ll get locked away for sure. No doubt tortured in a public way. ”

  “Public?” Did I even want to know?

  She nodded. “The council is headquartered in Normandy, on a hill surrounded by water. It’s invisible to mortals. In the middle of the village is where they do everything. Public executions, torturing, etc. They use it as a way to show authority. If he’s going there, I’m sure they’ll make a public scene of his disobedience. The sick part is most of the people believe the council has a right to do what they do. Their lives are devoted to the seven of them. They worship them.”

  Hearing this made me think of the quill and how freaky they became over it. I shuddered. “You know, people talk about the council, but I still have no
idea who they are.”

  Kate stopped and sat at one of the tables in the nearly empty cafeteria. Some were finishing their meals, others sat and talked.

  “The council is made up of seven members from the founding families, descendants of the authors. They wrote all the stories, though the world has no record of them. Every story is a story based off theirs. It’s exclusive. No one else can be a part of it. You must be blood born. Anyways, they monitor everything we do.”

  Kate lifted her arm, showing the scar on her palm. “There are tracking devices inside all of us. The council is our form of government; much like the states have a president. We have seven rulers, though there is one higher than the others. Nyssah. Some call her a queen, but no matter what you call her, she is the most feared because she has the last word. The power of veto. The power to make her decisions the final ones, no matter what the other members say. Nyssah’s lineage dates back the farthest, but is also the smallest. She hasn’t married or reproduced, so there is no heir.

  “They are the law. If they want you dead, you die. Trials are just a nice way to make it look fair. Who knows what goes on inside those walls, but one thing is certain, they know us all by name and face. And not to freak you out, but with you being an unknown, I’m sure they’re asking questions.”

  I swallowed hard, Koyte’s words replaying in my mind. They’d be after me next. God, what the hell did that even mean?

  Sleep didn’t come easy that night, or the following. Nightmares haunted me every time I closed my eyes. First, I had dreams the council was after me and I was running through the woods. When they finally caught me, the man in the black took off his mask, revealing himself to be Wolf. Together we ran away, battling everyone who got in our way.

  Koyte haunted me too. His words were like an eerie carousel I couldn’t escape from.

  You’re next.

  To top off my sleepless nights, I dreamt of April and Danielle. Sometimes they were best friends and other times April was cutting herself again. Not like the cutting she did normally, as sucky as that was to say. This time she cut to kill. And when she did, she blamed me for being such a selfish sister.