Halia: Daughter of Cinderella

by Armitage, J. A

  Perhaps Victor was right, and I was provocative. As if thinking of him had conjured him up, six patrolmen marched past us, one of them, Victor.

  I pulled Tia into an alcove.

  “What?”

  I shushed her, my eyes glued on Victor.

  “Oh.” She fell silent.

  With bated breath, I watched as Victor and the other soldiers dragged away two teenage boys with dirty hands. What had the youngsters done? Were they thieves? Stealing wasn’t all right, but what if those children didn’t have anyone to provide for them? With their countless rules, orphanages didn’t work out for everyone. What if those two boys simply couldn’t sit still, follow all the commandments, and pretend the nuns didn’t hide forbidden romance books or hit children for eating cookies with dirty hands?

  “That was close,” Tia said once Victor was out of sight.

  I shook my head. “I’m not hiding.”

  “Sure. You just didn’t want him to see you because you knew he would disapprove of you going to Daydream. Tell me again how he’s not controlling.”

  I shook my head. “You don’t understand. He’s protective of me.”

  “He’s treating you like you are his possession.”

  I tore a hangnail off my middle finger, making it bleed. As much as I wanted to disagree with Tia, Victor could be restrictive. But then again, wasn’t that proof that he loved me? Wasn’t every relationship like that? One gave up some of their freedom to get love in return. The orphanage had been strict with lots of rules, but they took care of us. Then when we were allowed to do whatever we wanted because we turned eighteen, we were kicked out.

  If the choice was between being loved and receiving safety in exchange for which I had to follow rules versus being all on my own without any support, how could I choose the latter? I wasn’t strong like Tia, not needing anyone. I wanted to care about someone and to have someone care about me. Perhaps I was too soft for this world. Perhaps I should harden myself.

  Tia touched my shoulder gently. “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. Can we put this aside and focus on having fun tonight?”

  “Yes.” I hugged my friend. As hard as it was to hear her opinion, I was glad I had somebody I could talk to who didn’t mince her words. Perhaps Tia was too hard on Victor, but it was nice to have a second perspective. Sometimes Victor’s forcefulness and loudness snuffed out my personality. He was so righteous, so steadfast in his beliefs that my flexibility was a trait that disappeared in the background while his ideology took the foreground.

  Even though it was half an hour past eleven, Daydream didn’t have a line to enter and no bouncer to admit the guests.

  “It’s not very popular, is it?” I asked.

  Tia shrugged. “It was packed when I came here the other night. I’ve heard the other bars aren’t happy about a demon buying it and are trying to sabotage it by offering ridiculously cheap drink specials.” She shook her head. “They’re losing so much money just to spite Lorenzo.”

  Lorenzo. Was that the demon’s name? It was too melodic, too nice. I had expected something sharp and lethal. Shaking off the random thought, I asked, “Isn’t it better to go to one of the other bars first?” Money was always tight.

  Tia gave me a knowing smile. “You’re not getting out of this. Believe me, it’s going to be fun. And with us the first to arrive, we’ll get the best seats and have time to talk to each other without having to shout.”

  I supposed Tia had a point. Plus, she had won fair and square. So if she wanted to go to Daydream now, we’d do it.

  She pushed open the lacquered, black door, and I followed her inside, my mouth dropping open in wonder. I had expected black and red decor, something that looked like a fun version of hell. A pink and purple decor wouldn’t have surprised me either since the name Daydream lent itself to a Sugarland theme. Even a simple, minimalistic black and steel décor with a large stage was within my range of expectations.

  What I didn’t imagine was that Daydream would sport a thousand different shades of blue. The smooth floor was reminiscent of an ice rink. The stage glowed in an electric light that made it look like a magical lake, while the main floor was decked out in detailed ice sculptures of demons. One spitfire, another wielded a sword, while yet another rode on a dragon. And amidst all those magical creatures were two human sculptures—our king and queen.

  Victor would say this was blasphemy. Liberal Arcadians would say it was cool that magic creatures stood alongside our rulers. The bar was progressive and lived up to its name. The demon who had bought it had made the conscious decision to appeal to both humans and magical creatures to create a place where both felt at ease.

  Mesmerized by the sculptures, I stepped closer. There was a woman who looked like a nymph. She stood on a seashell and was surrounded by waves, dolphins, and smaller fish. Next to her, was a demon with a triton in his hand and a crown upon his head.

  Two-winged fae were flying toward each other, the ice sculptures supported by clouds that reached the ground. Its neighbor was an incubus who struck a suggestive pose and stuck out his tongue. To his right was a demon that looked like a goat and one that looked like a half-lion, half-bird.

  At the end of the display were our king and queen. Ella’s blonde hair was arranged in an elegant chignon. Her smile was sweet and gracious. Behind her stood her husband, his hand on her shoulder. Even though they were made of ice, there was nothing cold about them, quite the opposite, they radiated warmth and love. How I wished I could see the king and queen once in my lifetime. Rumors had it that nobody was as generous and understanding as Queen Ella. Even though I had only heard tales about her, her sudden disappearance last week felt like a dear friend had been ripped from me. Whatever had happened to her, wherever she was, I prayed she returned home safely.

  “Isn’t she beautiful?”

  I whipped around at the melodious voice, coming face-to-face with a man half a head taller than me, one with violet-green eyes and silver hair. Not a man, but a demon.

  “I’m Lorenzo, and you must be Halia.” He extended his hand, and I shook it, releasing a breath when nothing happened at his touch besides my heartbeat quickening. Still, given his sharp chin, high cheekbones, and muscled body, I was certain he was an incubus, which meant it was best to stay away from him. I inched backward, bumping into the statue behind me.

  “I’m so sorry.” I stepped aside, far away from him and the statue.

  Lorenzo smiled. “They’re sturdier than you might think. The artist is a dear friend of mine. He’ll create a replica if I need it.”

  “I’d never be able to pay you back the cost.”

  He tilted his head, amusement swirling in his eyes. “Is that so? Your friend Tia swore you’d double my nightly earnings with your singing.”

  I cursed silently and scanned the room for Tia, who was nowhere to be found. Why did she always have to go around, bragging about me?

  Lorenzo must’ve noticed my agitation, because he said, “Don’t worry. Your friend went to the ladies’ room.”

  “Are you an incubus?” I blurted out, immediately regretting my question. It was probably very uncouth to ask such a question after meeting a demon only minutes earlier, but I needed to know. I needed to know if I was daft enough to be attracted to a demon or if my need to trace his lips was something he was responsible for.

  Lorenzo threw his head back and let out a carefree, unrestrained laugh. “Would you like me to be?”

  I shook my head vigorously, sending my untamed hair flying. “No. I hate how they’re able to....” I trailed off. What was wrong with me? Was I set on making this conversation as awkward as possible?

  “I’m not an incubus.”

  “What kind of demon are you?”

  Lorenzo’s smile disappeared, and I wanted to kick myself. I might not want to sing at Daydream, but there was no point in pissing off an influential demon who had just moved to Arcadia.

  “I think it’s easier if I demonstrate my powe
rs to you. Hopefully, then you’ll stop acting as if I could pounce on you at any moment. You know, I don’t appreciate being accused of taking advantage of or hurting women, especially when I have not given you a single reason to believe that’s who I am.”

  I opened my mouth to apologize, but he was already gone. Was he like Mrs. Woods? Could he disappear and reappear at will?

  “Behind you.”

  I followed his voice to find him next to the flying fae statues. Then he was gone again. I pivoted around my axis, unable to find him until there was the rattling coming from the bar. Lorenzo was standing behind it. Lazily, he swirled ice cubes in a tumbler. “What can I get you?”

  Ignoring his question, I asked, “How were you able to do that?”

  “I teleport.”

  I blinked, shocked that this was even possible and at how casually he spoke about it.

  As if he hadn’t just revealed his power, he proceeded to casually pour purple, yellow, and amber liquid into a mixer and shook it vigorously. He poured the concoction into a martini glass. “I’m glad my powers don’t terrify you, but just so you know, not all incubi are evil. Only some of them.”

  “Just like humans.”

  That earned me a long look I couldn’t decipher. He pushed the martini toward me. “Try this.”

  “What is it?”

  “Why don’t you tell me?”

  I took a seat at the bar but didn’t touch the drink. Sure, I had seen him mix it in front of me, and all the ingredients looked legit and not like any suspicious powder that could be poison, but if he could disappear in one place and reappear in the other, he could easily add something potent to my drink.

  Sensing my reluctance, he grabbed a shot glass and poured himself some of my drink, then gulped it down. “Satisfied?”

  I nodded and finally took a sip of the concoction. Black currant and citrus exploded on my tongue and were washed down with something that tasted like liquid sunshine. “Delicious. Lemon, black currant, and the best bourbon I’ve ever tasted.”

  He smiled and showed me a bottle called Star Rush.

  “Never heard of it.”

  “It’s small batch. Very limited.”

  Immediately, my joy turned to worry. “How much do I owe you?”

  “Nothing. The first drink is on the house.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t need a handout.”

  He leaned forward. There was a challenge in his gesture, but nothing about it was threatening or made me want to pull back. In fact, the warm buzzing in my stomach made me want to lean forward into him.

  “I’m not in the habit of pitying a pretty and smart girl, especially when I’m told she has the best voice in Arcadia.”

  I licked my lips, my throat suddenly parched. What was it with this guy? He might not be an incubus, but it appeared as if he had done an apprenticeship with one.

  I took another sip of my drink. “My voice is nothing special.”

  “You’re not going to address the other compliments I gave you?” His tone was so playful, so easy-going that I wanted to joke in return, yet I couldn’t come up with anything funny.

  Normally, I would have said that I wasn’t all that pretty and that I most certainly wasn’t smart. Sure, I had some common sense, and I knew how to highlight the gifts Mother Nature had given me, but I was nothing special. But with Lorenzo, it was hard for me to say those things. It was hard because if he truly saw me as smart and pretty, I didn’t want him to stop seeing me that way.

  I traced the drops of condensation running down my glass. “What brings you to Arcadia?” It was safer to redirect the conversation toward him and way more interesting.

  Several emotions crossed his face—sadness, wistfulness, and determination. “I felt the call.” At my confused expression, he elaborated. “My otherworldly nature tells me where to go. We all have a role to play in the game of the universe, and I felt the call, so I followed it.”

  “You’re here to help someone?” Perhaps he would bring back our lost queen.

  He gave me a sad smile. “When I feel the tug, I’m never told why; that’s for me to figure out.”

  I motioned around the bar. “Why did you buy Daydream?”

  He shrugged. “That was a personal decision. I always wanted to own one, and this one was perfect for me.”

  I pondered his response, trying to make sense of it. “You’re very intuitive.”

  He tilted his head, his violet-green eyes sparking. “That seems to surprise you. Are you not?”

  I shook my head. How could I trust my intuition, how could I trust the voice inside when whatever I did never seemed to impact my environment? I had tried to be a good girl, and yet I had been thrown out of the orphanage. I was a good employee, and yet Madam yelled at me almost daily.

  “You might want to work on that.”

  Defiance raised its head within me. I didn’t need advice from a stranger who didn’t know me and had no idea what it was like to be mortal, vulnerable, and without a family. “No, thanks. Intuition is dangerous. It makes you do stupid things.”

  “Like what?”

  His voice caressed me, pulled me in. I needed to redirect the conversation. “Do all demons and fae have influence over humans?”

  He propped his hands against the shelf behind him and leaned back. “You must have had a very bad experience with an otherworldly if you keep coming back to this question.”

  “Better safe than sorry.”

  “No, not all of us possess mind manipulating abilities, just as not all people are skilled at manipulation. And before you ask, I have no ability to manipulate others, but I am keenly aware of their desires. Not because of any evil power within me, but because I am attuned to my own emotions.” His voice was tinged with hurt, and I realized I had gone too far.

  “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

  He ran his hand through his silver hair that almost reached his shoulders. “I can move past this if you can.”

  Could I? He was asking me to put my suspicions aside. He was asking me to let my guard down and trust him, a demon. I bit my lip. “You’re very direct.”

  He chuckled. “That I am.”

  “And you’re very comfortable with your…” I waved my hand in the air, unsure how to word my thought.

  “My masculinity? I don’t need to act like a macho to feel like a man.”

  I liked that. I liked that a lot, and I liked him. He challenged me, and yet, he made me feel at ease at the same time. Sort of like Tia did, but in a more exciting kind of way. Talking to Lorenzo was almost like singing, a heady rush that pulled me out of my shell.

  4

  18th July

  Before I could ponder whether I was all right with Lorenzo pulling me out of my shell, Tia finally emerged from the ladies’ room and strolled toward us, her gait relaxed, as if she had no care in the world. A clock on the wall told me it was already past midnight, and yet, the night was young. Nightclubs in Arcadia opened late at night but stayed open until the first light.

  “Did you two have a good talk?” she asked.

  I pushed my cocktail over to her. “You must try this. It’s delicious.”

  She took a sip and leaned forward onto the bar, pressing her elbows into the ebony wood. “I can recreate this.”

  Lorenzo chuckled, apparently not the least bit offended. “Please, be my guest.” He motioned for her to go behind the bar. “If you manage to recreate it in half an hour, I promise I’ll let you work tonight.”

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  Tia smiled. “Lorenzo and I had a deal. If I brought you in, he would let me experiment behind the bar. If I impress him, he’ll give me the chance to bartend for him tonight.”

  I felt as if she had just punched me. “I thought you said tonight was girls’ night.”

  She grabbed my hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything, Halia, but we need to get out of the boarding house. And while your talent is obvious, I’m still trying to figure out h
ow I can earn a living. I was always interested in cocktails. I need this chance.” She looked at me with pleading eyes.

  “I understand.” I forced a smile. I had no doubt Tia would make a great bartender. But what would I do? Even if I had a talent for singing, it didn’t mean I would be able to support myself as a singer. The entertainment industry was fickle and unpredictable. If Tia left me, I would be all alone at the boarding house. She made the depressing and boring work doable. She cheered me up and was there if I needed to talk after serving a creepy client or being reprimanded by Madam. If I had to continue working at the boarding house without her, my days would become pure bleakness.

  “Why don’t you give it a try?” Lorenzo’s voice tore me out of my thoughts. I bit my lip as I realized he was pointing his head toward the stage.

  “I couldn’t.”

  “Why not?” He made a show of glancing around us. “There’s no one here. What’s the worst thing that could happen? Or do you care that much whether I’ll like it or not?”

  Gosh, this guy, demon, really knew how to push my buttons. “I don’t care what you think.” I pushed off the barstool and headed toward the stage. Even though my fear grew with each step I took, my determination to show Lorenzo he had no effect on me was bigger. With his good looks and charming smile, he already had a big head. I didn’t need to add to his exaggerated confidence.

  It was only once I was up on stage, the microphone in my hand that I realized I had no idea what to do.

  Lorenzo materialized next to, making me almost drop the microphone. He reached for it, and our fingers brushed, electricity darting through me. I licked my lip. So much for not showing him how much he affected me.

  Thankfully, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he grabbed the guitar that was lying at the back of the stage. “Go ahead. I’ll come in as soon as I figure out the melody.”