Forever Ella: The Everly Girls Book 2

by V. B. Marlowe

  “What won’t work?”

  “You staying here over night.”

  My stomach dropped. This wasn’t going to be as easy as I thought. “Why not? I thought you liked me.”

  Scarlett’s cheeks turned a deep, dark red. “I do. But it gets dangerous around here at night time.”

  “Dangerous, how?”

  She took a deep breath, looking like she didn’t really want to say what she was about to say. “Wolves. This area is wolf-infested. At night, they come close to the cabin and it’s just not a good idea for you to be here. I mean, Nana and I are used to it and we know how to handle them.”

  I thought about the rifles leaning in the corner. Who knew there were so many wolves in California?

  “I don’t understand. The wolves are outside, right? If we’re inside, we should be fine.”

  Scarlett pressed her lips together and shook her head. “No, it doesn’t work like that. I’m sorry. As much as I’d love for you to, you just can’t stay.”

  I tried to talk her into it, but she shut the subject down. “Can I use your bathroom?”

  She nodded and I headed for the tiny room at the back of the cabin. I didn’t really have to use it, but I needed a quiet place to think of a plan B. It had never crossed my mind that Scarlett would decline my second offer to spend the night and I only had a minute to come up with another plan.

  I relented and figured it was time for me to come clean. I needed to be honest with Scarlett. I was going to tell her who I was and that I knew who she was. She was a cursed girl who has been around for hundreds of years and we needed to work together to come up with a solution that would save all our lives. After making my final decision, I headed back to Scarlett’s room. There I found the contents of my duffel bag laid out on her bed.

  The shoe box containing the glass slippers sat nestled in her lap with the lid removed.

  “Scarlett, you went through my bag?” I didn’t know why I was surprised. Her lack of human interaction had left her with few social skills. She probably didn’t know any better.

  “Yeah, I wanted to see what you had.”

  I took a seat on the edge of her bed. She stared at the shoes as if they were the most intriguing thing she’d ever seen.

  “Why do you have these?”

  I shrugged. “They’re just shoes.”

  She shook her head. “I know what these are. I know exactly what these are.” She tossed the shoes to the side. “There’s only one pair of shoes like these in the world and one girl who would have them. Cinderella. Is that why you’re here? To kill me?”

  My heart caught in my throat. “Scarlett, what are you talking about? They’re just shoes.”

  She hopped up from the bed and stood over me. “I know what those are and I know exactly what they do. Those shoes were designed to kill. Those shoes were made by the Crimson Coven.”

  “You know about the witches? You know they’re after us?”

  “Of course. Why do you think we live out here alone? Why do you think we’re so weary of new people? Anyone could be one of those witches in disguise. We weren’t afraid of you because we knew who you were.”

  “You know about me?”

  Scarlett paced back and forth. “Of course. Ella, I knew you long before you knew me.”

  “What the hell does that mean?”

  She glared at me. “I can’t believe you brought those shoes here to try and kill me. I saved your life and you repay me by trying to kill me?”

  “You saved my life? What are you talking about?”

  She narrowed her eyes at me. “You don’t remember. You were just a little girl but I remember every second of it like it happened yesterday. You were running for your life at midnight in the woods. A witch was after you. She wanted to kill you. I stopped her.”

  I remembered brief flashes of that night. I remembered seeing my father for the last time as he pushed me ahead of him. I remembered the witch being right on my tail. She was going to kill me until something stopped her. I remembered the sharp teeth. The glowing eyes. The low, angry growl. The sounds of the witch being torn apart.

  “I remember that night but what do you mean you saved my life? It was a wolf who stopped the witch.”

  Scarlett scowled. “I think it’s time for you to leave.”

  22

  I couldn’t leave. If I did that, Brayden would die and I would be stuck with my curse forever.

  A realization hit me like a truck. “You’re a Wolvenblood.”

  The fact that her face remained expressionless and she didn’t bother to deny my accusations, sent me hurrying to the door. It all made sense now. How she could run and catch the rabbits so fast. Why I couldn’t stay for the night. Why they lived secluded in the woods.

  Scarlett threw her hands up. “No, please don’t be afraid. I know you’ve been taught that we’re all bad, but that’s not true. Just like there are good people and bad people, there are good Wolvenbloods and bad ones. We’re not all bad.”

  “How am I supposed to know that?”

  Her hands dropped to her sides. “I saved your life. Isn’t that enough proof?”

  She had a very valid point.

  “Please, Scarlett. We can work together to figure a way out of this curse. Aren’t you tired? Aren’t you tired of never changing and having to live in hiding? Is this really the kind of life you want to have?”

  She sighed, giving me my answer. “Yes, I’m tired. My Nana’s tired. She’s only still here so I won’t be alone. The only way to break your curse is for you to get a cursed girl to wear those shoes. You come across any of them lately? I mean, any besides me.”

  “Yeah. Well, she’s not really cursed anymore, but I ran across Snow just a couple of days ago in a convenience store not far from here. I don’t know what she had to do, but she did it. Her curse is broken. She got one of the elixirs.”

  Scarlett stood up. “The princess of Eirwen? She’s still alive?”

  “Yes, but she’s not a princess anymore and Eirwen no longer exists.”

  “So how many does that leave? Seven?”

  I nodded. Seven, but there were still twelve girls who needed one.

  Scarlett plopped back down on her bed. “Were you actually going to let me put on those shoes?”

  Shame overwhelmed me. “Not for me, but for someone else. My boyfriend, Brayden. The evil queen has made him sick and I couldn’t just sit around watching him waste away. I love him more than anything and I don’t want him to die because of me.”

  Scarlett looked at her hands. “I’m sorry about your boyfriend. Unfortunately, we’re no match for magic and spells, are we?”

  “No.”

  Scarlett was quiet for a moment. “I’ve heard some things.”

  “Things like what?”

  She swallowed hard. “That the other girls who were cursed, they’re in a special school. There they’re guarded by one of the most powerful fairies ever and they’re learning things. They’re learning magic and ways to break spells. They’re trying to track down the elixirs.”

  “Really? Where is this school? How do we get there?”

  Scarlett shook her head. “I don’t know. It’s well-hidden for the girl’s protection. Nana and I have been trying to figure it out. What we’ve been doing all these years hasn’t been working so it’s time to try something else, right?”

  I thought for a moment. “Maybe I can ask Merna. Maybe if she thinks hard enough, she can come up with something that will help us.”

  “Who’s Merna?”

  “The woman who raised me after my father was killed. She’s a witch—but a good one. She can’t break our curses. Curses from the Crimson Coven are too strong for her but maybe she can help us find that school.”

  Scarlett ran her fingers through her hair. “Sounds like a plan. Right now, it’s the only one we’ve got.”

  Merna said she would feed Brayden and then come and meet with us. Scarlett and I stayed in her room as we waited. Nana would still be
out for the next day or so.

  I was drawn to the tall stack of books on her dresser and walked over to take a look. Red Riding Hood. Lon Po Po. The Girl in the Scarlet Cloak. Red.

  Scarlett stood beside me. “I’m obsessed with them.”

  “Why?”

  She shrugged. “It’s interesting to see the different takes on my life. You would think the authors were actually there. Mostly the stories are ridiculous. My grandmother has never been sick a day in her life. I’ve never worn or even owned a red hood. Also, I would never be so stupid as to not be able to tell my grandmother from a wolf. None of the stories mention me being legally blind so that makes me sound like some sort of idiot. Don’t you read your stories?”

  I stepped away from the books. “I don’t have any.”

  Scarlett scoffed. “Oh, please. You have one of the most popular fairy tales of all time based on your life. Cinderella, the girl with the glass slippers.”

  “My name is Ella. Cinderella was a name they gave me at the palace but it’s not my name and I don’t answer to it. I’ve read the children’s story a few times but that’s about it. It’s all lies anyway. What do those people really know?”

  A knock on the door interrupted our conversation. Merna arrived a lot faster than I thought. She was hurried and out of breath.

  “How is he?” I asked as soon as she entered the house.

  “Not good. I’m sorry, Ella. We have to hurry.”

  I appreciated her honesty even though the news crushed me. “Merna, this is Scarlett.”

  “I knew you wouldn’t be able to do it.”

  Merna offered her hand. Scarlett shook it with a raised eyebrow. “Nice to meet you, Merna. Please, make yourself comfortable and let me know if I can get you anything. Ella, can I talk to you for a minute?”

  “Why? Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of Merna.”

  But Merna settled into a chair at the kitchen table. “It’s fine, Ella. Go ahead. I’ll be waiting right here.”

  I followed Scarlett back to her room where she closed the door behind us. “I don’t trust her.”

  “What? I’ve known Merna since I was a little girl. I don’t trust anyone more than I trust her.”

  Scarlett bit her bottom lip. “Ella, something about her smells off. Part of my condition is having an intense sense of smell. Whenever something bad is around, it smells pungent, like rotting meat.”

  I’d heard enough. “So, Merna smells funny to you. That’s your reason for not trusting her? You need to get over it because right now she’s the only person who can help us.”

  “But—”

  Before she could say anything else, I left the room and went back to Merna. She sat at the table with her small hands clasped around the teacup. She smiled warmly. “I hope you don’t mind. I helped myself to a cup of tea.”

  Scarlett slid into a chair. “That’s fine,” she muttered.

  I told Merna about the school. She sat on the edge of her seat. “Where is this school?” she asked Scarlett.

  Scarlett shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  Merna eyed her. “Are you sure? That school is full of girls who could break both of your curses. How did you hear about it?”

  “A fairy told my Nana about it. Nana had no interest in letting me go so she didn’t inquire any further. I don’t know how to find the school or the fairy. I keep hoping she’ll pop up again and offer me another invitation but she hasn’t.”

  Merna narrowed her eyes. “We have to find that school. Think harder! What did the fairy look like? Where did you see her?”

  Scarlett studied Merna for a long time. “I’ve told you everything I know about it already. Why are you so interested anyway?”

  Merna blew on her tea. “Because I’d love to get Ella there. She can increase the chances of breaking her curse and she’ll be with other girls like her. It would be good for you too, dear.”

  Scarlett pushed her chair back. “They’re hidden and protected so the witches can’t find them. I don’t think you should know where they are.”

  Scarlett doubting Merna was really pissing me off. “Stop it, Scarlett. I told you, she’s a good witch. They’re not all bad. You should be able to relate to that.” Why did she expect me to give her the benefit of the doubt but then she couldn’t do the same for Merna?

  Merna cleared her throat. “I should get back to Brayden. He shouldn’t be alone too long. I wish I could have been a better help. I’ll keep thinking of a solution. Ella, walk me out please.”

  I threw Scarlett a dirty look and followed Merna outside. She walked as far as the edge of the property before she started speaking again. “I’m sorry, Ella. I was wrong before. You should give her the shoes.”

  “What?”

  “Your time is running very short. You only have one day left. You need to do what you have to do—for you and Brayden.”

  I couldn’t believe what she was saying. “Merna, I would have agreed with you a few days ago, but now that I’ve met Scarlett, I can’t do that. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. Do you know that she saved my life? If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t even be here.”

  Merna took my hands in hers and squeezed them. “That’s all very touching, but we all have to do things we don’t want to do.”

  Suddenly her warm hands turned ice-cold. I pulled away from her. “What?”

  Her kind smile turned into a cruel one. Merna had never smiled like that. Her smiles were always warm and genuine. This one was sinister.

  I took a step back. “You’re not Merna. You’ve never been Merna.”

  She let out a cackle. “I’m sorry, Ella, but Merna has been gone for quite some time now.”

  There it was. That cruel voice that could cut glass. My eyes brimmed with tears. “What do you mean she’s been gone? What did you do to her? Witches aren’t supposed to hurt other witches. She was one of you.”

  Angeline clucked her tongue. “Oh, stop it. I didn’t do anything to Merna. After you left the palace, she threw herself off a cliff. For some reason, she lost her will to live.”

  I didn’t want to believe that, not any of it. All this time I’d taken comfort in the fact that Merna was somewhere leading a healthy, happy life and not worrying about me. It never occurred to me that she was dead. “I don’t believe you. I think Merna is somewhere alive and well living the good life she deserves.”

  “Live in denial if you must but we gave her a proper witch’s burial and I can assure you she’s gone. Anyway, I’d better get back to that young man of yours, he only has another day left, doesn’t he? Don’t worry. I’ll take great care of him in his final hours . . . or maybe I won’t.”

  Like that, she was gone, leaving nothing behind but a chill in the air. I turned back to the house. Scarlett stood in the doorway, watching. I hurried over to her. “You were right. She wasn’t Merna. She was the evil queen.”

  Scarlett pressed her lips together. “I knew something was off with her. Ella, I think you should stay here with me and Nana. She won’t mind. You’ll be safer and protected.”

  The last thing I wanted to do was live a secluded life in the middle of nowhere. Besides, I needed to get back to Brayden. “No, Scarlett. Thanks for the offer, but I need to get back to Brayden.”

  I texted Keelie and she said they’d come and get me soon. In the meantime, I waited with Scarlett at the cabin as she tried to convince me the entire time not to go. Something nagged at my insides telling me that I needed to listen to her, but I couldn’t. I had to get back home.

  23

  It took the girls about thirty minutes to make it to the cabin. As I grabbed my duffle bag and headed for the car, Scarlett grabbed my wrist, digging her nails into my flesh. I struggled to get out of her grasp, but she held on to me tightly.

  “Scarlett, let go!”

  “Please, Ella. I have an awful feeling and I think you need to stay here. We need to stick together. It’ll be much safer that way.”

  “I told you.
I can’t.” I pulled away from her and hurried to the car. I slid into the backseat and Keelie proceeded to back the car out of the yard. Scarlett stood on the front porch watching us. Jade waved at her, but she didn’t wave back.

  “What’s her problem?” Jade asked.

  “Well, we really bonded and she’s going to miss me,” I lied. “She wanted me to stay an extra day.”

  Keelie gasped. “Yeah, let’s! Why not?”

  “We can’t. I told you I have to get back to Brayden. He’s very sick.”

  Jade huffed. “If you were so concerned about your loser boyfriend, you wouldn’t be here to begin with. Anyway, what’s one more day. He’s just sick. It’s not like he’s going to die.”

  But he was dying. I resented the fact that Jade and Keelie had nothing to get back to. They had no jobs, no obligations. They’re lives were like one big party while I had so many life-threatening issues I had to deal with. The whole thing seemed unfair. Life had dealt me an unfair hand the second my mother and father were taken away from me and everything had gone downhill ever since.

  Jade dug in her purse looking for something. “Anyway, Keelie and I are having an amazing time and we’ve decided to stay an extra day. I’m sorry but, majority rules.”

  I attempted to compress the anger rising in me. “We are going home tonight. That’s the plan. That was always the plan. You guys can go out and party and do whatever the hell you want all the time. It’s what you do every day of your life. I have to get back to Brayden and I’d hoped my real friends would understand that. I’ve been gone too long already.”

  “Fine, fine,” Jade muttered. “You don’t have to be so dramatic.”

  I breathed deeply and thought about Brayden. I was afraid of what I would see when I went home. How bad did he look? Seeing him in poor condition would absolutely break my heart.

  “Everyone, just chill,” Keelie said. She handed Jade a purple lollipop and turned to offer me a red one. “Candy makes everything better, right?”

  I unwrapped the lollipop and stuck it in my mouth. Watermelon. Usually it was my favorite flavor, but that day it had a bitter aftertaste.