“Ow!” Torn out of my admiration, I zap around, rubbing the sore spot on my crown. “Why did you do that?”
Her strict look bores into me. “Because you need to remember the rules. It would be disastrous to stay at the ball too long.”
My eyes roll behind closed lids. “Okay, okaaay…” No need to whack out. “I don’t intend to crash at the castle.”
I lift my skirt, about to slip a naked foot into one of the beautiful glass shoes, but the lady slaps her wand on my chest and shoves me backward. “Uh, uh, uh!” Quickly, she bends and picks them up, protecting them against her décolleté as her gaze slides to the broken glass frame on the chest. “We’d better not give you those.”
“No?” My face falls, voice weak from disappointment. “You want me to go to the ball barefoot?”
“Hmm.” Scratching her chin, she drops the shoes.
I scream in terror, uselessly reaching out my hands. But the slippers vaporize into thin air before they hit the ground. Rubbing my fingers over my face, I expel a breath. Oh, man…
“There’s only one other pair of shoes I have access to. They might not be as dreamy and elegant as the glass slippers”—she swishes her wand, pointing it at my feet, and her mouth curves like a banana—“but at least they’re the right color.”
Pulling up the skirt, I bend forward and look at my new footwear. Glittery red and wonderfully comfortable. I know these ruby slippers. Enthralled, I lift one foot and roll my ankle, marveling like a child in a candy shop.
The fairy giggles. “There’s no chance you’ll break them.” In the next moment, concern swamps her face, and she shapes her palms to my cheeks, staring insistently into my eyes. “But whatever you do, don’t click your heels together.”
Swallowing, I give a firm nod. I don’t want to be swept off to Kansas tonight.
“Now, there’s only one thing left to do.” She takes my hand and drags me out the door, throwing me a wry glance on the way. “You wouldn’t happen to be friends with some mice, would you?”
If she’s thinking about changing some rodents into fine horses and harnessing them to a pumpkin, sadly, she’ll be disappointed. “Sorry, no.”
“Ah, no worries, my dear. We’ll find something else for you.” Pulling the door closed behind us, she scans the porch. Goodness, I hope she’s not on the lookout for any roaches. That would be gross.
Her gaze lifts to the nest under the roof from where my tiny friend watches us curiously. “Hey, you there,” she calls, pointing her wand at the robin, and her face brightens with delight. “Come down, my lovely, would you?” As she holds out her hand, the tiny bird glides into it and moves his gaze back and forth between us. “A little tap of this, and a little swirl of that…” the Fairy Godmother sings as she waves her wand around the robin. In the next moment, the little fella grows and grows and grows—until it doesn’t fit under my awning anymore.
The brown coat has changed into white fur, four hooves have replaced the delicate claws, and when it shakes its head, a silky mane wafts in the wind. The only thing that remains from the bird is the wings, but they, too, have grown substantially.
My chin smacks on my chest.
“Shoo, shoo! We don’t want you late to the ball.” The fairy pushes me gently with a hand on my back, assisting me as the beautiful winged stallion bends his front legs and lowers, allowing me to mount.
The only time I’ve ever sat on a horse was with Phillip a few days ago. My knees tremble, and my hands start to sweat. Holy Pegasus, let’s hope I survive the ride.
“Oh, wait!” Madam Fairy pulls on the elegant reins, keeping the horse back for another moment. “I almost forgot…” Lifting her hand, she twirls one of my locks around the tip of her wand. Over the next three seconds, I can feel how my hair shapes up at the back of my head. Some loose strands hang down and brush my bare shoulders.
As something soft covers the top half of my face, I reach up to feel around my eyes and nose. It’s a satiny mask, and I would bet my cloak that it’s the same color as the glamorous dress.
If only Jack could see me now. He wouldn’t believe his eyes.
With a grateful smile, I lean down and squeeze the fairy’s hand. “Thank you so much for everything.”
“You’re very welcome, my dear. And now…” As she steps behind the horse, a loud smack sounds. “Off you go!”
With a feral snicker, my changed robin friend gallops off, his mighty feathered wings beating the air. A hoarse cry escapes me. I grab the beast’s mane in panic, holding on tightly as, three strides later, we’re airborne and racing across the sky, heading for Castle Grove.
The wind blows in my face, forcing my eyes shut as fear of plummeting to death takes hold and gives me a chill. The flight is smooth, though, and soon, my dread eases. I even dare a look down.
Goodness, this is beautiful. The Wood of 1000 Dawns sweeps by under us, and there, in the distance, the stunning lights of Briar-Rose’s palace appear. We start a gentle descent, and the horse takes the final strides back on the ground, directly into the castle’s pebbled front garden.
Like before, the beast bends its front legs to make it easy for me to get off. As soon as my feet touch solid ground, the mighty white stallion shrinks to bird size and pops back into my cute robin friend. With a happy chirp, he says goodbye before he takes off in the direction we came from. I guess that means a march home for me after the ball.
It doesn’t matter since I usually come here by foot anyway. The two miles through the forest won’t kill me, even after a night of dancing.
When the robin is out of sight, I turn around and stare at the huge, winged doors of the castle that are wide open tonight. Two guards stand watch on the left and right, holding their spears formally by their sides and gazing straight forward. I greet them both with a hesitant nod, my eyes moving shyly from one to the other. Hopefully, they don’t expect the guests to show an official invitation because there’s certainly none stored in this enchanted dress. But neither of them moves a muscle, diffusing my worries.
All right. Here we go. Lifting the front of my dress a few inches off the ground so I don’t trip over the hem, I cross the threshold.
My ever after is waiting.
Chapter 14
Riley
Rory’s castle is an impressive sight even on normal days. Tonight, it’s a dream.
Big bows and intricate lanterns decorate the walls. They bear the colors of Phillip’s family crest—white, blue, and silver. Hundreds of candles illuminate my way as I stroll through the high entry hall and move to the east wing. The path is flanked by countless pink and white rose petals, suffusing the air with a wonderful scent.
I’ve never walked into a truer fairy tale than this.
As if carried by golden clouds, I gravitate to the strains of string music softly drifting to me. Another late couple flitters past me down the hallway. The woman’s marvelous midnight-blue dress sweeps across the floor as the heels of her attendant’s boots clack on the stone.
With a faint heart, I follow them and wonder if it’ll look strange for me to appear alone. On the other hand, that’s the whole point of me coming here, isn’t it? If I'm attached to the arm of a gentleman, no foreign prince will even think about approaching me. Better to communicate that I’m single straightaway.
The sweet music gets louder, the chatter of people mingling with it. A few steps ahead, the hallway ends at the top of a wide stairwell that leads directly down into the grand ballroom I’ve only ever seen empty.
What might it be like tonight, filled with hundreds of people from all corners of Fairyland? Will I even fit in?