The Stepsister Scheme (44 page)

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Authors: Jim C. Hines

BOOK: The Stepsister Scheme
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“Come on,” said Talia. “We’re getting close. At least, I think we are. I was rat-sized the last time I came through here.”
As they walked, the blue light of the cavern slowly faded to darkness behind them, replaced by the warmth of the fairy suns. Danielle squinted, and her eyes teared at the sight of golden light streaming through tattered vines at the mouth of the cave. She stepped carefully. Sparkles of glass still shone on the cave floor, remnants of Snow’s mirrors.
“Do you think Charlotte will be all right?” she asked.
Talia snorted. “Should I care?”
Charlotte had never been alone. Danielle wanted to feel sorry for her, but every time she tried, she remembered Charlotte’s face, her words spewing spit and rage as she tried to force poison down Danielle’s throat.
Maybe being on her own would force her to grow, to learn to take care of herself, but deep inside, Danielle doubted it. Far more likely she would leap into a bad bargain here in Fairytown and end up a slave. If not to the Duchess, then to the dwarves or the pixies or whatever guide happened to find her first.
Danielle started walking. She needed rest, but she needed even more to be free of this place. She hesitated only briefly at the curtain of vines, remembering the last time. But the vines didn’t react as she stepped into the blinding light.
Her eyes took a long time to adjust, after so long in the darkness. The scrape of wood on stone told her the others were following. She kept one hand on the cave wall, listening to the water and feeling the warmth on her skin.
A deep groan made her smile. The instant he passed into the sunlight, Prince Armand began to stir. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, then tried to sit up.
Snow hastily set the travois on the ground. Armand jerked his head around, his eyes widening. He stared at Talia and Snow, then turned to Danielle.
She sat down beside him, carefully stretching her leg off to the side. “Are you . . . do you remember me?”
Armand reached out, his fingers touching her cheek and pushing back her hair. His hand trembled. “You’re really here.”
And then she was kissing him. A part of her was tentative, afraid that if she held him too close or kissed him too hard, he might disappear again.
She risked it. Exhausted and wounded, she still found the strength to pin him against the ground, her lips seeking his until she had driven all of the fear and desperation and loneliness away.
Armand matched her passion, his hand sliding up the back of her neck to hold her close, until finally Snow cleared her throat and said, “You know, I helped rescue you, too.”
Danielle pulled back slightly and tried to catch her breath. She could have shoved Snow into the water for interrupting. Though it was probably best that she had. They were still on the border of the Duchess’ lands, after all. This was hardly the place for such . . . celebration.
Armand’s face was close enough for her to feel his breath on her lips. Breath which was coming far more quickly than before, she was pleased to note.
“I missed you,” she said.
“So I noticed.”
She smiled and sat up. “Also, the next time you try to take a trip without me, I’m going to have Talia chain you to the bedpost.”
“I can help, too,” Snow piped up.
Armand blushed. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t very princely of me, was it? I just . . .” He glanced down at himself. Danielle wouldn’t have thought it possible for his face to grow more flushed, but he managed. “Can somebody please tell me what it is I’m wearing? How did I get here?”
“How much do you remember?” asked Snow.
He frowned. “Snow, isn’t it? You’re one of my mother’s personal attendants. How did you—”
“Armand, please,” said Danielle.
“I was in Emrildale. I remember taking a drink at the tavern, and everything else is like a dream.” His face grew even redder. “Your stepsister, Stacia. I remember . . . I kissed her, didn’t I? Oh, Danielle. Forgive me, I don’t know how—”
“Stacia and Charlotte cast a spell,” Danielle said. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“We’re in Fairytown,” Talia added, wading back to the shore. “The river’s clear.”
“Talia was afraid the Duchess would arrange some kind of ambush,” Snow said. She leaned toward the prince as though she were sharing state secrets. “Talia’s a little paranoid sometimes.”
Talia splashed her.
“The Duchess?” Armand asked.
“The woman who’s been holding you for the past month,” Danielle explained.
He plucked at his robe. “Whoever she is, she has abominable taste in clothes. What kind of woman—” He blinked and turned away. “Oh, damn. I kissed her, too, didn’t I?”
“You were enchanted,” said Danielle.
“Enchanted or not, it doesn’t matter. Married less than a year, and already I’ve strayed. I—”
Danielle punched him on the arm. “That’s enough,” she snapped. “I did
not
fight my way past goblins and living shadows, not to mention my stepsisters and a dead witch, just so you could mope around feeling guilty.” With that, she twisted her hand into the front of his robe and pulled him up for another kiss.
“I see,” said Armand a while later, somewhat breathlessly. He looked more closely at Danielle’s companions. “The three of you rescued me? Alone?”
“Your mother didn’t think it would be a good idea to invade Fairytown,” Danielle said.
Armand squinted at Talia. “I’ve seen you around the palace as well. Talia. How did you—”
“They’re my friends,” Danielle said. She waited for him to ask more, but his attention had gone to the bandages on her leg and arm.
“We fought,” Armand said slowly. “You and I. I tried to kill—”
“But you didn’t,” Danielle interrupted. “It wasn’t you.”
Snow rolled her eyes and turned to Talia. “
Men.
How much longer are we going to wait for him to notice?”
Talia shrugged. “If you hadn’t stopped them, he probably would have figured it out while they were tearing one another’s clothes off.”
“Talia!” Danielle didn’t know whether to laugh or throw something.
“What does she mean?” Armand’s eyes widened. He looked ready to fall over. Danielle caught his arms. His expression changed from guilt and confusion to pure joy. “I remember. You told me you were carrying my son?”
“That’s right.”
He wrapped his arms around her and laughed.
As Danielle kissed her husband again, she heard Snow and Talia whispering behind them.
“Touching as this all is, I’d really like to get out of here,” Talia said.
“I did warn her he’d be eager.” Metal scraped as Snow uncovered the mirror in her knife. “I should be able to get in touch with Queen Bea while they indulge themselves.”
Armand broke away from the kiss, though he kept his face close enough for his breath to tickle Danielle’s ear. “Did she just call my mother ‘Queen Bea’?”
Danielle laughed and kissed him again.
“Hey, Princess!” Snow waved her knife in the air. “She wants to talk to you and Armand.”
Leaning on Armand for support, Danielle walked over to take the knife from Snow’s hand. She couldn’t make out much detail in the tiny mirror, but the relief on Beatrice’s face was impossible to miss.
“I knew you’d save him, Danielle,” Beatrice said. “Even Trittibar had given up hope. He came to me the other day, saying that after so long, it was likely the three of you had fallen prey to the dangers of Fairytown.” She wiped her eyes. “I’m afraid I threatened to stuff him through a keyhole if he said another word.”
Armand leaned over the knife. “Hello, Mother.”
“Armand.” Beatrice reached out to touch the mirror. Her voice broke with a sound that blended laughter and tears. “What have you done to your hair?”
“Tilt the mirror,” Snow called out. “Let her see the robe!”
Armand’s hand closed over Danielle’s, keeping the mirror oriented toward their faces.
“I’m all right, Mother,” said Armand. “Though I can’t imagine what people will say when they learn how Cinderella had to ride off to rescue her prince.”
Danielle grinned. “Well, it
was
my turn.”
The queen’s image turned back to Danielle. “Well done, Princess Whiteshore.”
Those four words, spoken with such simple gratitude, made Danielle’s eyes water. She managed a quick “Thank you,” then handed the mirror to Armand and stepped away before the queen could see her cry.
“You were right, you know,” said Talia, coming to Danielle’s side.
“Right about what?”
Talia waved her arm at the cave behind them. “I’m the one who wanted you to stay behind, remember? I was ready to lock you up to keep you from getting in my way.” She shook her head. “You’re stronger than I gave you credit for. Stronger than I was.”
Danielle bowed her head. “I had no choice. I had to protect my family.”
“I suppose Armand is a good man, for a prince. And your son—”
Danielle touched Talia’s arm. “
All
of my family.”
Talia’s retort died on her lips, speared by Danielle’s unwavering gaze. “Oh,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.
“My father is sending men from Pine Bay to escort us home,” said Armand. “They should reach the edge of Fairytown by nightfall.”
Home.
Her throat tightened. The word was like the first rays of sun after an ocean storm.
Snow brought her knife to her mouth, whispered a few words, and smiled. “Hi, Arlorran! Did you miss us?”
Danielle was amazed the mirror didn’t crack from the volume of Arlorran’s shout. “Snow! How in the name of Tirgoth’s third nipple did you escape? Where are you? Are your friends with you? Does the Duchess know you’ve—”
“Arlorran, stop!” Laughing, Snow shook the knife until Arlorran sputtered. Fluttering her lashes, she asked, “Would you mind summoning the four of us back to your place?”
“Did you say four? Don’t tell me you actually found the poor bastard!”
Talia coughed, and even Snow looked a little worried by Arlorran’s bluntness, but Armand only laughed. “If he can get us away from here, he can call me whatever he’d like.”
“Gather close,” Snow said. “Everyone needs to be touching. But don’t get carried away,” she added, giving Danielle a mock scowl.
Danielle did her best to obey. Holding hands aggravated the wound in her arm, so Armand gently slid an arm around her waist instead.
“You realize we still need to make our way from Arlorran’s place back to the hedge,” Talia pointed out.
Armand studied each of them in turn. “Somehow, I find myself feeling sorry for the fairy who tries to stop you.”
Danielle kissed him, then stepped forward, tightening their circle. “Let’s go home.”

 

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