“What did you say?” I ask.
Grunt doesn’t even blink, let alone reply.
“Tell me about your favorite food. I’m pegging you as a chocolate fan.”
Still zip.
I’m out of small talk, so I press the bottle to my lips and take a precious sip.
The final drops of water settle onto my tongue. Sweet bliss.
For the first few days here, I waited for Bry, Knox, and a ton of shifters to burst through the walls. Nope. Then I figured at least Blackaverre would pop in with a pity drink. Nothing. Marchesa was right. I’m locked away.
Even so, it’s not in me to give up. Closing my eyes, I reach out to my magic once more. I can’t access so much as a single silver dust particle.
And time is running out.
36
Alec
The darkness stays absolute. I’ve floated in empty space for so long, it’s hard to tell where my arms and legs are sometimes. Shivering, I curl more tightly on myself. All the while, the voices grow louder.
No hope.
No escape.
Obey.
Something new gets added into the mix. Beyond it all, I hear my parents. Diamond says, our son has been through enough. Legend counters, there’s no way to stop the process now. Alec breaks or he dies.
Diamond weeps.
The screech of voices sears through my every nerve ending.
No hope.
No escape.
Obey.
I ball my hands so tightly, my muscles pop from the effort. I’m not giving in. Not dying, either. If only I could sleep, I think I might come up with an answer. There’s no rest here, though.
Focusing all my strength, I prepare to reach out to the midnight diamond one last time. A vision appears in my mind. It’s Elle at the masquerade.
Kiss me again, I command.
Yes.
I keep the memory of that kiss close as I reach out one more time. The midnight diamond rolls beneath my tongue. I shoot a firm directive at the stone.
Answer me!
All of a sudden, a wave of cool power wraps around my soul. A new voice sounds in my head. It sounds a lot like my own.
Hello, Alec. How can I serve?
It’s the stone. Yes. I exhale slowly as I reply in my mind.
Keep the voices away. I must sleep.
The stone replies right away.
As you command. Afterward, shall we cast a spell?
I’m already half asleep when I think my reply.
We’ll cast many spells.
Perfect silence encases me as I finally get some rest.
37
Elle
Saturday, The Morning of the Glass Slipper Ball
I open my eyes a crack. Even that movement hurts. It’s as if the insides of my eyelids were covered in sandpaper or something. New beams of light shine out from under the basement door. I’ve been tracking the days. It’s Saturday morning.
Tonight, there’s the Glass Slipper Ball.
Squinting, I try to focus on Grunt. The room warps around the troll. Colors merge and slide. Some part of me knows that I’m turning delirious. Marchesa gave me just enough water to last through the Glass Slipper Ball.
That’s almost here.
Through the haze in my head, I notice that Grunt’s eyes are shut. Is he sleeping at last? I open my mouth, ready to call for him. My throat is too dry.
No sound comes.
My mattress undulates beneath me, like it’s made of water. I look up. Gustav sits nearby on his back haunches.
“Don’t give up, Elle,” he says in his little mouse voice. “We’re all here for you.”
I force my head to raise an inch. Kokkivo stands nearby, too. So does Harvest. There’s Doc Eight as well. Even little Ooks jumps up and down.
If this is a hallucination, at least it’s a nice once.
Kokkivo’s body erupts in fire. The room becomes consumed with flame, yet no one burns. Grunt stays asleep. Kokkivo focuses his glowing yellow eyes on me.
“You will live,” declares Kokkivo.
I force a smile, which is a bad idea. My lips crack and bleed afresh. Kokkivo is sweet, but I’ve tried to reach out to my magic for days now. Not a chance.
The flames roar higher. Now Mom and Dad step out from the fire. They look just as they did before Mom ever got sick. Dad’s all things solid and strong. Mom’s simply radiant. Together, my parents kneel by my cage.
“You’re a fae warden,” says Mom. “And more.”
“Nothing of fairy calls to you, does it?” asks Dad.
I want to shake my head. Can’t find the energy, though.
“You’re both fae and enchanter,” adds Mom. “You’re the only you in all of space and time. No cage can hold you.”
With every corner of my being, I want to touch Mom’s hand one last time. I try to raise my arm, but it’s just too hard.
The flames roar higher once more. When the fire lowers, everyone from Cynder Mercantile is gone. A new figure stands surrounded by low flame. Alec.
“Get up, Elle,” he says.
Finally, I find my voice. “Can’t. So thirsty.”
“What did you say when I asked for your kiss?” he asks. “Yes. Hold to that.”
Closing my eyes, I pull on the magic inside me. This time, it’s not fae power. It’s enchanter energy. Being a fae warden is something that happened to me. But caring for Alec? That’s who I am. The enchanter in me connects to the wizard in him.
I focus within my soul. For a long moment, there’s nothing. Then, I see it. Loops of red light and power shift inside my deepest being. I pull on those strands. A refreshing surge of magic careens through me.
“Yes, Elle.” The flames burn more brightly behind Alec than ever before. “Come back to me. You can do it.”
Energy and life move through my limbs. I force myself to roll onto my hands and knees.
In my mind, I command my magic.
Make the cage liquid.
Red tendrils of smoke appear around my hands. Those magical lines moves to wrap about the metal structure. For a moment, the entire cage is surrounded in a crimson haze. Then the power soaks into the structure itself. The metal shifts. Undulates. It’s no longer solid.
I rise. As I move, my body goes right through the bars. I step out of my prison.
Alec smiles. “It’s just as I said. I’m here when you’re ready.”
Both the fire and Alec vanish. I stand in the basement. No question what I’ll do next. I step over to the shards of the glass slipper and pumpkin carving. Reaching out with my enchanter magic, I send new swirls of red power around the broken pieces. One moment, they’re in pieces. The next, the slipper and pumpkin are reformed and perfect. Picking them up, I grip one in each hand.
Then I turn to Grunt.
The troll opens his right eye. “Hired to watch you, I was. Saw you in the cage, I did. Now I see you out of the cage. Watch you go. All watching. All what I promised.”
I tilt my head. I wasn’t expecting him to be kind. “Are all trolls like you?”
“Some good, some not. Part of the Faerie Lands, we are.”
“But you told Marchesa you’d watch me. Now you’re watching me leave.” It may seem nutso to hang out and ask Grunt questions, but if you’d been talking to him non-stop for days with no answer, you’d pause a hot minute, too.
“Trolls twist things to suit them, if you know my meaning.”
“What a very Fairy Land thing to do.”
Grunt chuckles in a low and rumbly way. “And chocolate is my favorite food.”
“Called it.”
“Plus, we can hold our pee for weeks.”
“Good to know.” Honestly? I might miss Grunt a little when this is all over. Assuming I’m still alive and everything.
Turning, I face the basement door. “Here goes.”
And I leave.
38
Elle
Atop the stairs, I discover my next problem: a line of ten v
ials, all of them filled with green potions.
“Question for you, Grunt.” Turning around, I look for my ex-guard.
No one’s there.
Which makes sense. Trolls are shadowcoe, meaning they’re experts at vanishing when they wish. Kneeling down, I take a closer look at the tiny bottles. It’s a border spell of some kind. This line of glass containers must be magically hiding my position from everyone else. I tilt my head and think things through.
What I know about potion magic is next to zero. Maybe I can just walk over the vials, no problem. Or perhaps once I cross the line of vials, their power could singe me into a little Cinderella burgers.
I poke at one vial with my finger. It shifts over an inch. Then it tumbles over. Green liquid oozes out onto the floor.
Ick. That smells like old man farts.
Nothing else seems to happen, but it’s just too risky to push more. Plus, my jolt of magic is starting to wear off. I’m feeling a little woozy and a lot thirsty. Closing my eyes, I pull on my inner power once more. This time, I lean into my fae ability.
Gustav? Are you there?
My legs turn rubbery beneath me, so I slump down onto the top step. Not sure how long I sit there, but it’s enough time that I wonder if I could drink the green fart water and live.
Gustav appears on the other side of the threshold. “Elle? Are you there?”
“Yes,” I whisper. “You can’t see me because there’s a spell.”
The wall beside me rumbles. After that, it implodes. A massive white wolf leaps into the basement. It’s Bry in her animal form. She gallops over to me.
“Elle!” Wolf-Bry nuzzles her snout into my neck. “We’ve been so worried.”
Wolf-Knox jumps up behind her. “Let’s get her to Az. He’s a healer.”
“No.” My voice sounds rusty. “Heal me here. Please. I must go to the Glass Slipper Ball tonight.”
Tilting her head, Bry lets out a wolfy whine. “That’s not a good idea.”
Knox nods. “Bry’s right. Alec has changed. You can’t go near that ball.”
I glare at Wolf-Knox. “If it were Bry at the ball, and you were me, what would you do?” I round on Bry. “And if it were Knox?”
Wolf-Bry nuzzles me again. “I understand. Where do you want to go?”
“My old room is on the second floor. Back right door.” I nod toward the line of potions. “Watch out for whatever that is.”
Wolf-Knox sniffs. “Border char. It would have killed you, Elle.”
I try for a sassy grin. Not sure it works. “I thought there might be a problem.”
Wolf-Bry nudges my hands with her snout. “What are you holding?”
Loosening my fists, I show off the tiny glass slipper in my left hand and pumpkin in my right. “Don’t let me forget these,” I say.
Then I pass out.
39
Alec
A knock sounds at my bedroom door. I’d ask who it is, but that would show independent thought. Right now, my plans rely on my parents believing that the mind vise spell worked… and that my midnight diamond still contains enough juice for tonight’s Glass Slipper Ball. Protecting me from the mind vise really drained the stone.
The question is, how much power remains?
The door swings open a sliver. “It’s me. Legend. Mind if I come in?”
So strange. After the mind vise spell, both my parents take care to ask my permission for every little thing. Do I want the kitchen light on? Would I mind if they change the channel? Funny how that works out. No free will in terms of my future, but lots of double-checking on TV shows.
With hesitant steps, Legend walks into the room. “So, you look well.”
I fix him with a vacant smile. “Thank you.”
“The tux still fits. Good. We were worried you lost a little weight.”
“Yes.” Ever since I came out of the mind vise, I find that saying yes covers most issues for Legend. I never realized that it was what he’d wanted all along. The same isn’t true for Diamond. She chokes up when she sees me.
One Mother Of The Year award, coming right up.
On a side note, there is an extra bonus with this particular tuxedo. It’s the same jacket I wore the night of the Autumn Masquerade. The cleaners found my tiny glass slipper in the inside pocket, so they placed it in a bag around the hanger. My parents didn’t notice. Now that same slipper sits in my pocket once more.
If this all works out, I’m giving that cleaner a bonus because now? I have the slipper in my right pocket and the midnight diamond in my left. That makes me fully prepared for tonight’s ball. Or as ready as I can be.
“So you know the drill?” asks Legend.
We’ve been through this many times, so I launch right into my answer. “We go to the L Center. Candidates step down the winding staircase. Charles talks. You, Diamond, and Marchesa ask questions. There’s a drumroll and I announce the winner.”
“And who will that winner be?” asks Legend.
“Ivy Cynder, of course. We will share a dance before the Queen of Hearts bonds us forever.”
“That’s right.” Legend grins. “That doesn’t sound too hard, does it?”
“Only one problem. I’ll never choose Ivy Cynder. Elle will attend tonight.”
Legend pales. “That’s impossible.”
“I connected to her in a dream this morning. Elle escaped Marchesa. She’s on her way, Legend.”
Is it one hundred percent sane to have such faith in a dream? Maybe not. But screw sanity. Tonight, I’m getting my girl.
Legend gasps. “No.”
“Just kidding.” I give my father a playful punch in the arm. “You should see your face.”
Legend’s mouth quirks with a lopsided grin. “So you’re joking.”
I force a vacant look into my eyes. “Obviously. I do what you say, Legend. You know that.” I lower my voice to a whisper. “No hope. No escape. Obey.”
A look of regret might have flashed in Legend’s eyes, but it’s gone too quickly to be sure. My father leaves the room without saying another word.
Wilhelm appears in the corner. One thing I’ll say for my parents. They kept their word about the dwarves. Once I started pretending to be a total and complete worm, they released Wilhelm’s crew from the lower caverns. I’m still not happy about it, but I’m glad they’re all free, safe, and well.
Wilhelm slings his axe over his shoulder. He glares at the cutting edge with a hungry look. If anything goes wrong tonight, Wilhelm and his crew have my back.
Which means things might get bloody.
40
Elle
I awaken in my old bed. Sunflower wallpaper covers the walls. It’s the same pattern I picked out with Mom on my eighth birthday. Hand-carved furniture lines the floor, including a dresser, bed, and side table. One of the animates made this set. Framed pictures hang on the wall, all of them black and white photos of me, Mom, and Dad. My glass slipper and carved pumpkin sit on the windowsill.
Maybe my head is way foggy from sleep, because this must be a dream. When I came back to check Cynder with Alec, the whole building was trashed. Especially my room.
A low and growly voice sounds beside me. “Ah, the patient awakens.”
Rolling over, I find a massive gray wolf sitting beside my bed. “Hello, Azizi. Nice to see you again.”
“We must cease meeting under such dramatic circumstances.”
“True.” The last time Azizi and I were together, we were fighting zombie mummies. Long story.
“You seem far better.”
On reflex, I lick my lips. My mouth is no longer a chapped mess. I don’t even crave a glass of water. “How did you heal m—” I pause, noticing the white bandage tied around Azizi’s front leg. “Or don’t I want to know?
Azizi chuckles. “I suspect you already realize my methods.”
“I’ve a pretty good idea. You gave me some of your blood?”
“I did.”
“Am I a shifter now?”
/>
“No. That wouldn’t happen without your permission. I gave you a few drops to drink. That’s enough to heal. Becoming a shifter requires were blood in your veins.”
Huh. As news goes, this is both fascinating and disgusting. But mostly, it’s interesting. “Just a few drops? That’s all?”
“I’m a very old shifter.”
Which he is. Azizi is also the last warden of shifter magic. So the stronger Knox gets, the more ill Azizi should become. In fact, the last time I saw the old werewolf, there was no missing the way his skin hung loosely on his bones. I hoist myself up to sit and take a closer look.
Azizi looks ripped. His fur is all full and shiny, too.
“Wow,” I say. “You look amazing.”
“I am.”
I press my lips together. Not sure how to ask this next question. “I thought you were… you know…”
“Dying?” asks Azizi.
“That.”
“You recharged magic into the world.”
I frown. “I thought that hadn’t worked. Bry and Knox are super-worried about it.”
“They are right to be concerned. Magic isn’t returning in a consistent way. I benefit, to be certain. But the effect should be far greater. It’s definitely a problem.”
A knock sounds at the door. Azizi tilts his head. That’s a classic wolfy-listening routine. “Bryar Rose and Knox are outside. Should I call them in?”
For a moment, I debate asking Azizi more about magic, but there are bigger things to worry about today.
Slippers and Thieves Special Edition Page 19