Once Upon a Fairy tale: A Collection of 11 Fairy Tale Inspired Romances

by Danielle Monsch, Cate Rowan, Jennifer Lewis, Jeannie Lin, Nadia Lee, Dee Carney

  She rolled up the overlong sleeves, and shook the water out of her leather slippers before she stepped back into them. Looking like she played dress up in her father’s closet, she moved to the clearing, tears stinging her eyes when Dak handed her Tarek’s cloak.

  “We have blankets for him,” he said, his voice low. “You need the protection now.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Dak nodded, and strode back to their camp. Swallowing, Snow surrounded herself with the warm wool cloak, and gazed up at the cliff, at the castle wreathed in shadow.

  It was time to depose the false queen.

  *

  They climbed the narrow tunnel, their only light the torch Dak carried. Snow wrapped Tarek’s cloak more tightly around her, and silently urged him to move faster. She did not know how much time Tarek had, or what it would take to drag the means to save him out of Hilde.

  Father told her about this tunnel when she was a little girl. It had been hewn out of solid rock by his grandfather, as an escape from unhappy nobles. Based on what she knew, his grandfather would have liked Hilde.

  Nathan followed her, his bulk comforting. Men who had once been her captors now became her champions. She hoped she wasn’t leading them to their deaths.

  Dak halted, raised his hand. There was no time to regret; that was the agreed signal. They reached the door leading to the lower levels of the castle.

  The other men pressed against the wall, giving Snow room to move to Dak. He gazed down at her, dark eyes intent. “Ready, princess?”

  “Snow,” she whispered. “After today, all of you will call me Snow.”

  He flashed a smile, then ducked under the low doorway, leading with his sword.

  No one challenged them, not even in the great hall, where there should have been staff, readying the castle for the day. In fact, there was no one at all. Anywhere.

  Snow laid her hand on Dak’s arm, and he stopped. His troubled gaze told her she was not the only one bothered by the empty castle. He gestured, and the men surrounded her, a wall of muscle and weapons.

  “There is a chamber, behind the throne room,” she whispered. “Hilde spends most of her time there, and I believe I know why. I go in alone, Dak, no argument—”

  “Not alone. Not anymore, Snow. You’ve faced this alone for too long.”

  She stared up at him. “I—all right. Thank you.”

  “Take this.” He handed her the club. “It will do more damage than the knife.” The light weight of it surprised her. She expected the club to be much heavier. Dak smiled. “You father gave it to me in the middle of a skirmish, after I lost my weapon. He told me after it was enchanted, with an old protection spell. My arms never tired when I swung it, and I always hit my target, even when it should have been impossible.”

  “My father gave it to you.” She touched the polished wood. “I will return it in the same condition.”

  “No worries there. I’ve never put a mark on the wood, no matter what I hit.”

  That made her feel better, since she planned on hitting a magical mirror with it.

  They finally stumbled on a huddled group of castle staff, near the entrance to the throne room. Snow stepped forward, gestured them to stay quiet. They surrounded her, touching her hair, her shoulder, her arm, as if to prove to themselves she existed.

  She whispered, clutching the hands closest to her. “Where is Hilde?”

  The cook answered her. “In her secret room. Gone crazy, she has, raving about killing you with an apple. My lady, have you seen Lily?” Fear pinched her narrow face. “She’s been gone and missing since you left.”

  “She is safe, and with a friend of mine. Once we deal with my stepmother, I will have her brought to you.”

  “Bless you, my lady.”

  Snow squeezed her hand, then turned to Dak. “I want you to stay here.”

  “Princess—”

  “This is my fight. Thanks to you,” she lifted the club. “I have my father with me. I will need you to get me back to Tarek, as fast as you can, once I have the antidote. If something happens to me, I want you to find the antidote, and take Tarek with you, away from here. That is a royal command, Dak.”

  “Your highness.” He pulled her aside before she could object. “One shout, and we’ll be at your side.”

  “I will appreciate your help.”

  She took a deep breath, and moved down the narrow hall that led to the chamber Hilde warned her to never enter, on pain of death.

  The screams halted her. Even through the closed door they sounded wild, and raised the hairs on the back of her neck. She inched forward, closed her hand on the latch, and slowly opened the door.

  “Dead! She should be dead!” Hilde stormed around the chamber, shouting at the tall, narrow mirror. Her golden blonde hair hung around her, knotted and tangled. When she yanked at it, Snow understood how it reached that state. “Where is she? Why can you show me nothing, you worthless piece of glass!” She threw a heavy silver bowl straight at the mirror. Snow flinched in anticipation of impact. To her shock it bounced off the surface. “What have you done?”

  “Your wish, oh, beautiful one.” The hollow, masculine voice drove through her. It sounded like—it could not be…

  “Father?”

  Hilde whirled at her whisper, green eyes wide, and more than a bit mad. “You. How did you survive? The poison—it was meant to lock you in sleep forever! Only true love’s kiss can break the enchantment.” Snow stumbled back. “No one should still be beautiful dressed in rags. No one! I will—” Hilde’s ranting cut off, her gaze on the club. “Where did you get that? It was destroyed, he told me it had been destroyed—”

  “It belongs to a friend of my father. Why is his voice coming out of the mirror, Hilde? What did you do to him?”

  “Made him useful—” She lunged at Snow, grabbing for the club. Snow stumbled out of reach, and Hilde veered away, headed for the door. “You will not defeat me, Gareth! I always win—I took the throne from you, the kingdom, and now I will take your daughter’s life—”

  She slammed the door and locked it, dropping the key into the heating grate at her feet.

  Snow slid along the wall, toward the mirror. With a high-pitched scream Hilde darted forward, throwing herself in front of the mirror. “You will not take what is mine! I earned it, do you hear me? By putting up with you and your righteous father, I earned it.”

  “He thought you loved him.” Snow didn’t believe her own words for a moment, but she needed to distract Hilde. Her father married Hilde to give Snow a mother, and not once did he let Snow think that she was a replacement for the wife he never stopped mourning. “What did you do to trap him, Hilde? Did you use another innocent?”

  She sneered, her gaze on the club. “I used his love for you.”

  Anger Snow had never felt before surged through her. “And that love will release him.”

  She swung the club and smacked Hilde in the ribs. The woman doubled, screaming as she hit the floor. Snow waited, club raised for another blow, but Hilde crawled away from her, muttering and shrieking at odd moments.

  The anger faded as she moved to the mirror, her heart pounding so hard she pressed one hand to her chest. “Father?”

  “My Snow.” The mirror’s voice warmed.

  “Are you—dead?”

  “My body is dust, but my spirit has been trapped here, subject to her control. You have the means to free me.”

  “Father.” Snow pressed her hand to the mirror, felt the silvered surface move under her touch. “I will lose you again. I don’t know if I can—”

  “Look at me, sweetheart.” She swallowed, and lifted her head. His face replaced hers in the mirror, just as she remembered him. Her hand slid up, and she let out a gasp when it slid into the mirror as if it were water, cradling his cheek. “I never thought to feel the touch of your hand again. Dak found you.”

  “In a way, we found each other. You saw what happened to me,” she whispered. “What happen
ed to Tarek.”

  “The antidote is here, Snow. You must break the mirror to retrieve it.”

  “But I am inside the mirror now—you can give it to me—”

  “You are merely touching the surface. There are too many layers. Hilde never wanted you to be revived, and hid the means to do so in the one place only she could open. There is little time, my daughter. I saw how much Tarek means to you, how much he loves you. He is a good man, and more than worthy of you. The antidote, and your love, can save him—but you must hurry. Now break the mirror, Snow.”

  Tears filled her eyes. She blinked, let them slide down her face as she pulled her hand free and raised the club.

  “No!” Hilde leapt at her.

  Snow backed against the mirror, trapped.

  “Down, Snow!” Her father’s command cut through her panic. She dropped to her knees—right before a wood box flew out of the mirror and smacked Hilde in the face. The woman collapsed, hands pressed to her nose as she rocked on the floor, wailing. “I warned you, Hilde. The box followed Snow White, straight back home.”

  The door burst open a moment later. Dak appeared, sword in hand.

  “Snow—”

  “Here.”

  He turned to her, and froze when he saw the mirror. “Gareth?”

  “It is good to see you again, my friend. Snow.” She looked up at him. “There is little time.”

  “Father.” The surface of the mirror shifted, coalesced into the shape of his hand. She gripped it, never wanting to let go. “I love you.”

  “And I you, my heart. Now set me free, save your love.”

  Snow stepped back, kept her gaze on her father, and swung the club.

  The mirror shattered.

  She dropped the club and covered her face, lowering her arm when she realized there was no glass hitting her. Her eyes widened; the shards of glass floated in front of her, forming the shape of a man.

  “Father—”

  A smile flashed across his face, then the shards became a whirlwind of colors, flying up to the ceiling. It hovered, the colors spiraling up and into the ceiling. When the last bit of color disappeared the whirlwind died, the shards falling to the floor.

  “Snow.” Dak knelt beside her, one hand on her back. “Look.”

  Just inside the frame sat a small blue bottle. She picked it up, shaking, and met Dak’s eyes.

  “I need that fast journey now.”

  “At your command, princess.”

  *

  Dak carried Snow toward the river. Her legs decided to give out halfway down the tunnel, and he picked her up, ignoring her protests.

  He lowered her at Tarek’s side, then joined Jessie and Lily, the little girl asleep in Jessie’s lap. Snow cradled Tarek’s cheek, and took in a sharp breath. He was as cold as marble, his normally tanned skin just as pale.

  “Please,” she whispered. She pulled the cork out of the small blue bottle, and emptied the contents into his mouth. “Please, Tarek. Come back to me.”

  True love’s kiss.

  Hilde’s words echoed in her mind. Was that what broke the glass of her prison, brought her back? She had loved Tarek since she was a child, falling hard for the self-important teenage boy who gave her the first of many wilderness lessons. Was that love strong enough now?

  She kissed him, poured all that she felt, all that she was, into that kiss.

  When she pulled away, he lay still, staring up at the night sky, his dark eyes blank.

  Snow laid her head on his chest, closing her eyes. If he still had a heartbeat, it was so faint she could no longer hear it. She took too long, and he was gone, slipping beyond her reach.

  “Princess.” Dak’s quiet voice held regret. “We’ll take him up to the castle.”

  “Not yet—it may take longer for the antidote to work—”

  “Snow.” He laid a hand on her back. “A storm’s coming, and we can’t linger. Let me take him to the castle, let him rest in comfort and warmth. You need sleep, and food. We can make decisions once we have him settled.”

  “He is not dead—”

  “None of us believe that. But we need to leave, princess. I need you to let him go, for now. Trust my men to take care of him.”

  She nodded, and Dak helped her to her feet, instructing Nathan to carry Tarek. The big man knelt at her feet, and bowed his head.

  “I’ll treat him like my kin, princess.”

  “I know you will, Nathan.” She fought back the tears that lodged in her throat.

  Too much loss, all at once—her father, the life she knew. Tarek. She wrapped both arms around her waist, and stumbled when Dak started to lead her forward.

  “Princess?”

  She shook her head, unable to control the tears any longer. Dak lifted her, cradled her against his chest, and held her as she cried.

  She was aware of him walking, but when he gently settled her to the settee in her bedroom, she let out a ragged sigh, and realized she had been crying all the way to the castle.

  “I am sorry, using you as a human handkerchief.”

  He smiled. “It was my honor.” The smile faded as he crouched in front of her. “Tarek is in your father’s room. The men are changing him, and will watch over him until you’re ready.”

  “Thank you, for everything. I have no words—” She pressed her lips together, to keep them from trembling.

  Dak cradled her cheek. “I loved your father like a brother. To give back to his daughter, who has his courage, and his heart, has been my greatest honor.” He stood and headed for the door. “There are several eager maids waiting just outside. I suggest you let them take care of you, and sleep if you can.”

  “I will not be able to sleep—not until I see Tarek.”

  “I’ll wait for you there, then.”

  He opened the door, and good as his word, all of her maids rushed in, every reaction from curious to horror at her attire crossing their faces. They fussed over her, led her to the bathroom, where the sunken tub was already filled with hot, lavender fragranced water.

  Frowning at the oversized, masculine clothing, they undressed her, and two of them took charge, sitting her on a stool to wash and rinse her hair before helping her into the tub. The water seeped into every inch of her cold skin. Everywhere but her heart.

  “Please, leave me.”

  “My lady—”

  “I will call you when I’m ready. Now go.”

  She waited until they left, closing the door. Then she pulled her legs up, lowered her head to her knees, and cried.

  *

  Weeks passed, with no change.

  Snow spent her days repairing the damage left by Hilde. Her stepmother disappeared, leaving no trace. After days of searching, Snow called the soldiers back, and let her go.

  She spent her nights with Tarek, sitting next to his bed, cradling his cold hand until she could no longer feel hers.

  The former thieves became her trusted guards, with the pay and homes they earned, after risking their lives to help her regain the kingdom.

  Dak stayed on as her advisor, moving his family into the castle. He knew better than any what Hilde had done, and where to start untangling the web of oppression. More often lately, he had become her two-legged alarm, waking her late in the night before turning her over to one of her maids.

  Tonight was no different.

  “Snow.” His hand closed over hers. “Time to find your own bed, princess.”

  She straightened, started to let go of Tarek—and froze.

  His hand was warm.

  “Dak.” She stood, leaning over Tarek. With a trembling hand, she touched his cheek. “Warm,” she whispered. “His cheek is warm.”

  He spun, grabbing up the heavy blanket at the end of the bed. She helped him tuck it around Tarek, then framed his face. They closed his eyes the first day, but now his lids fluttered, as if he struggled to open them.

  “Fight, Tarek. I’m right here. Come back to me.”

  Snow took a shaky breath, and
kissed him.

  His lips responded, opening under hers. She started to pull away, and let out a gasp when his hand tangled in her hair, holding her in place as he deepened the kiss.

  Endless moments later, he freed her.

  Snow lifted her head, and met his dark eyes.

  “Welcome back,” she whispered. Tears edged her voice, blurred his face.

  “You never gave up on me.” He touched her cheek, and closed his eyes, his hand falling away.

  Panic shot through her.

  “Tarek—”

  “Here. Moving is—exhausting.”

  “You have been fighting for weeks to come back.”

  He blinked at her. “Weeks?”

  “She was here, at your side, every night.” Dak stepped into view, smiling down at Tarek. “Welcome back, huntsman. I’ll spread the good news. I imagine you must be hungry.”

  “I—yes. Thank you, Dak.” He studied her, waited until the door closed to speak again. “I heard every word, Snow, felt you at my side. It was like watching you—”

  “Through glass.” He nodded. “It was the same for me. Hilde called it endless sleep.”

  He tried to sit. “Where—”

  “Gone. For good. I have spread the word—if she dares show herself anywhere in the kingdom, her life is forfeit.”

  With a sigh, he relaxed against the pillows.

  “I missed you. Missed being able to talk to you, to touch you.” He held out his hand. “Stay with me, Snow.”

  “Always, Tarek.”

  She took his hand and slipped under the blanket, then laid her head on his chest, so she could hear the strong, steady beat of his heart. The heart of the man she loved, now and always.

  The End

  Love in Time series

  Final Hours (Book One)

  First Breath (Book Two)

  Loving Kane (Book 2.5)

  Second Chances (Book Three)

  Three for Christmas (Book 3.5)

  About the Author

  Cate Dean has been writing since she could hold a pen in her hand and put more than two words together on paper.

  She grew up losing herself in the wilds of fantasy worlds, and has had some of her own adventures while tromping through the UK, and a few other parts of the world. A lover of all things supernatural, she infuses that love into her stories, giving them a unique edge.