Love Spell: Book 2 of The Grimm Laws Read online

  “Cinderella, my love. I have been so worried about thee,” Edward said.

  “I appreciate thy concern,” Cinderella replied demurely, lowering her lashes as she’d been taught to do while a lady in waiting.

  “Come and take a seat where it is more comfortable,” Seraphina said, leading them to the drawing room off to the side of the great hall.

  Edward sat on the settee beside Cinderella. The two guards stood by the door. Seraphina and Josselyn took their seats in the chairs on the opposite side of the room so as to give Edward and Cinderella a measure of privacy.

  Edward angled himself toward her and held out the glass slipper. “I believe this belongs to you.”

  She took it from him and placed it in her lap. The glass slipper, perfect and pristine in every way, was a stark contrast to her mixed-up life. “Aye, I seem to have lost it the night of the ball.” Where was her fairy godmother? The woman had magically appeared the night of the ball, but she needed her now more than ever. Why couldn’t she pop in and whisk her away from this situation?

  He gave her a searching look. “What happened at the ball? Why did you flee?”

  Here it was—the moment of truth. The moment where she would either tell Edward the truth or live with the lie forever. There was no fairy godmother to save her. She was on her own. Could she really do it? Could she sacrifice her happiness for the good of her family? She glanced at Seraphina, who was making a show of sipping her tea, although Cinderella knew that her keen eyes were taking in every detail.

  “I am truly sorry, Edward.” Her eyes met his, and she wet her dry lips. “The truth is …” The words got caught in her throat, and she had to begin again. “The truth is …” Everything was hinging on this moment. She was standing on the precipice of either disaster or good fortune, and it would all be decided by the words that issued forth from her mouth. If only there were a way to undo everything and start fresh, but it was too late. It was written in The Grimm Laws, and not even her fairy godmother could change that. She was engaged to a prince who loved her. Surely, she could find happiness in that. She should be grateful that such a wonderful man adored her. “I was overwrought.” She had to force the words out of her mouth. Finally! She’d said it. Even from across the room, she could see Seraphina’s shoulders relax. “‘Twas the excitement of everything. Life in the palace is so much more than I am accustomed to,” she explained.

  Edward looked relieved. “Of course,” he answered smoothly. “I was afraid that I had done something to upset thee.”

  “Nay, ‘twas not you that upset me.” She looked away. Tenderly, he cupped a hand on her cheek and turned her face, so that she was forced to look at him. His golden eyes scanned over her, and he seemed to be memorizing her every feature. Then he gave her a radiant smile.

  A window of her heart opened, and she thought back to the night they danced at the ball. She’d felt a sliver of happiness then. Perhaps she could capture it again. “Thou art a good man, Edward. A kind and noble man.”

  He took her hands in his. “I seek only to make thee happy. I realize how quickly everything took place, and then I worried that I had pressured you into getting engaged.” There was an earnest look in his eyes. “I fell so hopelessly in love with you that I never stopped to consider your feelings. I want you to love me as I love you, Cinderella. I realize that it will take time.” A sense of urgency sounded in his voice. “I will spend the rest of my life seeking to earn thy love.” He brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them. “Cinderella, come back to the castle with me … please.”

  Tears gathered in her eyes. “For thee, Edward, I will go.”

  * * *

  “Adele, can you come here?” Elle called as she looked at the cuckoo clock on the wall.

  A couple of minutes later, Adele came into the front room of The Chocolate Fountain, wiping her hands on her apron. “Yes, dear?”

  “Something is wrong with your clock. The birds used to chirp every hour, and now they’re chirping every half hour.”

  A gloomy expression settled over Adele. “You’ve noticed it then.”

  A sense of foreboding ran down her spine. “Yeah, what’s going on?”

  “The clock is getting faster. It has been picking up a minute every two hours for the past several days. Ever since—” She looked at the ceiling and then back at Elle.

  “Ever since what?”

  “That doesn’t matter. The point is that the clock is speeding up.”

  “Yeah, that’s what you told me.” Every conversation with Adele was circular. There were never any clear-cut answers. This time her aunt seemed genuinely worried.

  “Time is running out,” she said meaningfully, looking over her spectacles.

  Adele was trying to tell her something without coming right out and saying it. “So, do you mean time is running out literally?”

  “Yes, that’s what I mean.”

  She scratched her head. “Okay, what should we do about it?”

  “Don’t you see? Only you can do something about it. The answer lies within you.”

  The cryptic words might as well have been gibberish. “Okay, what do you want me to do?”

  “Remember. You must remember.” She looked around cautiously. “Drats! I’ve said too much. Don’t even start with me, Merek,” she mumbled. “If I hear you say the word, forbidden once more, I’ll stuff my ears with wax just so I won’t have to hear your babbling.” Then she seemed to remember that Elle was there. She put a finger to her lips. “We must not speak openly about this here—too many listening ears.”

  Elle glanced around at the customers. There was a middle-aged woman with two small children, sitting at the table. Three young girls were sitting on a sofa, giggling, as they nibbled on brownies. “Yep, I see what you mean. Some of these people are questionable.”

  Adele made a face. “It is those you cannot see, dear, that pose the greatest risk.”

  Those she couldn’t see? The front door chimed, and they looked expectantly to see who would enter. Elle went on full alert when she saw him step through the door. Her face went a shade darker.

  Huntsden stepped up to the bakery case. “Hi, Elle.”

  She gave him a black look.

  “I thought I would stop in for some chocolate.”

  Before Elle could answer, Adele beat her to it. “Why are you really here? Did your father send you?” She glowered at him from across the case.

  A ripple of shock went through Elle. Never before had she seen Adele act rude to a customer.

  Huntsden’s face fell. “No, my father didn’t send me.” Confusion clouded his eyes. “Do you know my father?”

  “We’ve met,” Adele fired back.

  He shifted back and forth, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I came in to see Elle and to get some chocolate, that’s all.”

  Adele straightened her shoulders and looked him in the eye. “You’re not welcome here. Not after what you did.”

  It was Elle’s turn to be confused. What had Huntsden done that was so terrible? She didn’t personally like him, but Adele seemed to be overreacting.

  Huntsden shook his head. “I’m not sure what you think I did. Maybe you have me confused with someone else.”

  “Hardly. You don’t remember, but I’ll never forget! You will turn around and march yourself out of my shop, and you will never return.”

  He looked at Elle. “Is this woman for real?”

  She glanced at Adele whose face was cherry red. In that instant, she made a decision. No matter what, she would stand by her aunt. She was a little eccentric, but her judge of character was right on the mark. Huntsden was a thug who got his jollies out of intimidating people. “Yes, she’s for real, and she owns this shop. You heard her.” She leaned forward, issuing a silent challenge with her eyes. “You’re not welcome here.”

  Fury twisted over his face. “You’re making a mistake.”

  “No, the mistake will be yours if you don’t leave NOW!” Adele countered.<
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  He held up his hands and started walking backwards. “Fine, I’m leaving.” He looked at Elle. “I tried to do this the easy way. Just remember that you made it harder.” He turned and left the shop.

  Elle turned to Adele. “Do you mind telling me what that was all about?”

  Adele’s face was chalky white. “Some other time, dear, there are some things I need to take care of.” She plastered on a smile. “Besides, it’s time to close up shop. Edward will be picking you up at 8:30 for your date.”

  Adele was evading the question. This was becoming all too familiar. Elle thought of something. “How did you know about my date with Edward?”

  Adele didn’t answer. She was already lost in her own world. She removed her apron and began muttering to herself as she walked out of the room, shaking her head.

  * * *

  Jack finished the sketch and then stepped back to admire his handiwork. In vivid detail that would’ve made Mrs. Fenwick, his hard-to-please art teacher, proud, he’d drawn a goose that was laying gold eggs on a bed of straw. He scrunched his nose. “Jack, you sucker, you’re really losing it.” The images kept coming to him faster than he could put them on paper. Images of another world that seemed so real. He leafed through his sketchpad, stopping at the beanstalk that rose high above the clouds, the vines twisting into each other like tangled heaps of snakes. Then there was the giant of a man with the thick black beard and meaty arms. He frowned. The ruthless expression on the giant’s face bore a startling resemblance to his dad. Maybe these images were leaking out of his subconscious mind. The TV was blaring obnoxiously through the paper-thin walls of the trailer, but he didn’t dare open the door and ask his dad to turn it down a notch. A couple of hours ago, when Jack went into his room, his dad was watching a fight and screaming obscenities at the TV. He was downing beers like water, and with any luck, would soon be passed out for the evening. Only then would Jack emerge from his room and make himself a sandwich. His stomach growled, but he ignored it. His dad was always ornery, but things had gotten really bad ever since he got fired from his security job at the sports equipment manufacturing plant.

  For as long as Jack could remember it had just been him and his dad. He suspected that his dad might’ve been different before tragedy struck the family, but he couldn’t be sure. When Jack was three, he’d wandered out into the street. His mother ran out to save him and ended up getting hit and killed by a car. His father had never been able to forgive him for it. Consequently, Jack had perfected the art of staying out of his way as a means of survival. Growing up in a dilapidated trailer with an alcoholic father was brutal, and Jack had long ago developed the talent of using humor to deflect the hardship he endured.

  His phone buzzed. It was a text from Rae.

  Hungry? How about pizza? My treat. I have my mother’s van.

  He smiled as a feeling of warmth covered him. Rae knew his situation better than anybody else. He’d confided in her because she was so easy to talk to. Oh, she blustered and carried on—nagging him relentlessly, but deep down, she was true blue. She knew it was all he could do to scrounge up enough money to pay for his phone. Eating out was a luxury he couldn’t afford. Most of the time, Rae treated him to dinner. While he felt guilty for letting a girl pay for his food, he appreciated it immensely. And pizza sounded much better than a cold sandwich. He texted back.

  Sounds great.

  She responded with …

  Be there in fifteen minutes.

  He flipped to the page where he’d drawn Rapunzel in the tower. His eye trailed up the fat braid of red hair until he came to the girl’s face. A shiver ran through him. He’d not realized it until Elle pointed it out, but the traditional Rapunzel had blonde hair. Looking at the face of the girl now, he realized that she bore a strong resemblance to Rae. Funny, he’d not thought about Rae, per se, when he was drawing it. He’d pictured a girl from another time, a lonely girl who was wistful and a bit of a dreamer. Rae was the polar opposite of that girl, and yet there was the same fierce look in her emerald eyes and that same stubborn set of the chin. He shook his head. This was crazy! He needed to get some food in his belly. He closed the sketchpad and placed it on his dresser. He didn’t know what in the heck was going on with these pictures, but it was starting to worry him.

  A sense of movement outside the window caught his attention. He jumped as a shiver of fear ran through him. It was if a dark, ominous presence had entered the room. He glanced around before standing and looking out the window. Nothing. He ran a hand through his hair. Man, he was starting to get spooked by his own shadow. Weirdness!

  * * *

  Elle looked down at her phone. Rae was texting her.

  Jack and I are headed out for pizza? Want to come with?

  She responded back.

  Sorry. No can do. Edward and I are on a date.

  Edward?????

  Can’t explain now. We’ll talk later.

  K

  Edward shot her a sidelong glance. “Everything okay?”

  She put her phone back into her purse. “Yeah, it’s Rae. I told her we’d catch up tomorrow.”

  He nodded.

  “Where are we headed?” They were going up the canyon to Edward’s house, and that’s the last thing she wanted. She couldn’t handle running into Mrs. Porter tonight. Things were volatile enough as it was with Rush without adding fuel to the fire.

  “You’ll see,” Edward said mysteriously.

  “Are we going to your house?”

  “Nope.”

  Relief settled over her as they passed his neighborhood and curved up the canyon. Finally he pulled into a parking lot for one of the trailheads. “Are we going hiking? In the dark?”

  He only smiled.

  The days were growing shorter and the nights colder. Not the ideal time for hiking. Elle suppressed a shiver. She’d not thought to bring a sweater or jacket.

  Edward got out of the car, came around, and opened her door. Then he went around the back and opened the trunk and retrieved a large square basket that was covered. He grabbed his letterman jacket and a sweatshirt. “For you.” He handed it to her.

  “Thanks.”

  It was one of Edward’s sweatshirts and about four sizes too big, but she was grateful for it as she slipped it over her head. He draped the jacket over his arm and took her hand, holding the basket in his other hand. He led her through the parking lot, up the trailhead, and to a grassy spot where they could see the city lights twinkling below.

  She cocked her head. “Are we having a picnic?”

  He put down the basket, opened it, and pulled out a folded blanket. “A candlelight dinner.” He gave her a quirky grin as he pulled out two battery-operated candles. “Well, sort of a candlelight dinner,” he amended. “The wind is too strong up here for candles.”

  She laughed. “I’m impressed.”

  “Good, that’s the point.” He motioned. “Have a seat in the finest starlit, open-air restaurant in Tower Heights.”

  “Thank you.”

  He began pulling items from the basket. “Dinner tonight consists of fried chicken strips, potato wedges, Cole slaw, baked beans, potato chips, and two chocolate chip cookies.”

  There was a boyish quality about Edward that was very enduring. He’d gone to great effort to impress her, and it was working. “Wow! This looks fantastic. I’m famished!”

  “Me too.” He twisted the top of a green apple soda and handed it to her. “Ladies first.”

  “Always a gentlemen,” she said appraisingly.

  To Elle’s relief, the conversation stayed on light topics while they ate. The food was excellent, and she found herself laughing at Edward’s witty jokes. When they’d finished eating, they put the empty containers back into the basket. Edward stretched out his legs and looked up at the stars overhead. Elle looked up as well. “It’s so clear up here.” She pointed. “Look, there’s the big dipper.” It laid on her tongue to tell him about constellations, but then a pang went through her.
Sitting on the roof and talking about the stars was something she and Rush did together.

  “The moon looks so large tonight.”

  “A big ball of cheese.”

  Edward chuckled as a comfortable silence settled between them. Then his expression grew serious, and he turned to face her. She went tense, her heart dropping a notch. Things had been going so well. Was he going to ruin it now by putting pressure on her? “Elle,” he began, “I know things have been a little off between us lately because of the accident.” He hesitated. “And a few other things.”

  Irritation flickered over her. “Things like Rush?” She figured she might as well get it out in the open rather than beating around the bush about it all night. If she and Edward had a chance of working things out then they would have to discuss Rush sooner or later. From the sound of things, it was going to be sooner rather than later.

  His jaw became hard. “Yeah.” He let out a breath. “Look, I don’t really know what happened between the two of you.” She started to respond, but he held up a hand. “And I don’t really want to know.” A wounded look came into his eyes. “It would only make me hate him even more,” he said vehemently.

  She brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms tightly around them. It was probably better that Edward didn’t want to talk about Rush. How could she explain things to him when she didn’t understand them herself?

  “I know it has been hard for you due to the coma and memory loss.”

  “You have no idea,” she muttered.

  He began rubbing her arm. “I know, and I’m sorry. What I’m getting at is that this thing between you and Rush. It’s not real. It came about because you were confused about who you were. He took advantage of the situation,” he finished bitterly.