《Stone Prison (Twisted Tales #1)》


 Page 1

    The sky was dark the night my father was killed. The servants had just lit the nightlights, and the flames flickered happily in our windows. I was barely two years old when it happened, but I remember everything. I remember the sticky night air dripping with the scent of honeysuckle. I remember hearing the hushed whispers of frantic servants. The noises carried through the house, making the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I remember the sound of my father''s footfalls crossing to open the door.


    An unnatural silence filled the house, as the door creaked opened. Then, I heard her voice. It was sweet like honey, promising everything and asking nothing. It drew me from beneath my covers. I had to see the face that went with that voice. As I padded across my room, Father hushed her, and forced her outside our home. Dressed in a white nightgown, I inched toward my window, shrouded in darkness. I stood on the tips of my tiny toes peering over the ledge.


    The shadows painted a pattern of black lace across her form, but I could still tell that she was the most beautiful woman I''d ever seen. Thick golden hair fell in long waves beneath the hood of her black cloak. As she spoke, full ruby red lips shone like they were covered with dew. Her skin was like that of a fine doll''s perfectly smooth. But her eyes were angry.


    As they spoke, the woman became more agitated. Her beautiful face contorted with rage.


    The only thing I heard my father say was, No. He wasn''t unkind. It didn''t sound like he was chastising one of the servants, or rebuking her. He sounded pained, like he didn''t want to say the word. But he did.


    That single word shattered my world.


    Before he finished speaking, the woman lunged at my father. One fist was at her waist, while the other hand grabbed my father''s shoulder. She looked into his eyes as she thrust the blade into his stomach and twisted. Scarlet poured from the wound, spattering on the dirt at his feet. The woman released him. Without a scream, my father fell to the ground, dead.


    Before my tiny lips could scream, the woman''s gaze turned upward to my little body, watching from the window.


    I disappeared from my home that night. Not a soul saw the woman pluck me from the window, and carry me to the stone tower deep in the woods. Every night since, I dreamed of a beautiful woman stabbing my father. Every night was the same.


    The screams that no one shrieked the night of his death rang out deafeningly loud in my dreams, waking me with my heart beating so fast that I thought it would burst. The dreams did not cease. And I grew older, alone, locked away from the rest of the world, with a murderer as my only companion.

 Page 2

    Blood is power, the old woman said. Her golden hair had faded long ago. The sun had been unkind, weathering her skin like an old hide. She had trudged up the long staircase to my room at the top of the stone tower. Fifteen years passed since the night her horrific shadow first crossed my path. The old woman''s hunched form gasped for air, and she lowered herself into a chair.


    The hag''s ancient gray eyes were listless. She sat across from me like we were old friends, though we were not. Staring at her gnarled hands, I remembered seeing them smooth and covered in blood. It was impossible to forget. That moment was etched into my mind, like acid burning away metal, for eternity.


    That dark memory crushed all happy ones. I couldn''t remember Father''s laughter or the sparkle of his eyes when he spoke. I couldn''t remember his warm voice and strong touch. All of that was gone, stolen by the woman who sat across from me.


    The witch.


    The old sorceress wrung her hands, and took a deep breath.


    This was the only night of the year that I was allowed a small amount of freedom. It was my birthday, but that wasn''t the reason I was allowed to venture from her side. The reason I was permitted to leave my stone prison was due to someone else''s birth the Crown Prince. Each year, the royal family held a ball to celebrate his birth. And every year the witch forced me to attend.


    However, that tiny bit of freedom came at a price. I was forced to steal, taking things that were not mine. The penalty for theft was severe in this kingdom. The guard who caught me had the right to sever my hand at the wrist. If I was caught a second time, my head would be severed at the neck. Theft from the palace was a higher risk. There were more guards to see me steal. I risked much in doing this, but it was worth the risk.


    The witch taught me how to take things and evade the guard''s detection. I became more than adept as I grew. No one suspected me. A governess concocted of dark magic trailed behind me, until I found what I needed. And the witch usually asked for things that wouldn''t be missed like a lock of hair, a piece of cloth, or some other discarded, worthless, item. She collected these things and stored them under lock and key in the wooden cabinet. I expected that this year would not be different.


    She would require me to take something that wouldn''t be missed, and send a governess to trail along behind me.


    But my assumption was wrong.


    The witch licked her withered lips. They were so chapped that they bled in the corners, making it appear as if she had sores on her mouth. This night is more important than the previous balls. This night you will steal the object I seek, the item that will secure your future and mine. The item I require will bring us much. You will take it for me and return home before midnight. She paused, looking at me with her withered lips pulled into a tight smile. If you do as I say, there will be enough endless beauty, unsurpassed riches, and power to last a lifetime.


    Those things were foreign to me, though I knew she craved them. I''d been locked in a tower, shunned for a lifetime. On the nights I was allowed out, I had to return before midnight. The witch made certain that I was always locked in the tower by the twelfth toll of the night bells. To most people, midnight marks a new day, bringing new hope. But not me. I was always acutely aware of the twelfth chime. There was a stirring within me that seemed to long for something, but I didn''t know what. It only appeared at that hour and vanished instantly as I sat alone, staring at stone walls from my pillow.


    Then the morning would come, and rays of sunlight would spill across the cold floor. Most days I stared out a window that was too small to throw myself through. I know because I tried. It would have been more bearable to plummet from the tower than to endure another day of confinement. I dreamed of walking among people again, and staying with them past the eleventh hour. I dreamt of a normal life, just another content peasant in a vast kingdom.


    But the witch had other plans.


    I glared at her. So many thoughts rushed through my mind.


    If I could only be free from her. I''d tried to run away several times, each time ending the same hard-learned lesson no one can escape from the witch.


    Ever.


    I could tell from her posture, from the wringing of her hands that this night mattered more to her than the others. This night was unlike the others, but a single facet remained the same.


    I was to leave at the eleventh hour.


    Her gray eyes seemed to come to life as she spoke. For too long, our kind have not been welcome there, Ella. For too long we have toiled like wild animals amongst the stones and forests trying to claim a life worth living. But no more. After tonight, things will change.

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    She reached a gaunt hand toward me, stroking my head as she rose. Remember child, blood is power. She gazed down at me. When I failed to nod, she reached for her staff and struck it to the side of my head. The stick cracked against the side of my skull. White spots sparkled in front of my eyes, even after I''d closed them and pulled away from her.


    I no longer trembled when she struck me. I stood. There was a time when I was younger that I cowered at her hand, but that was long ago. I looked down at the witch and bowed deeply, while pressing my fingers to the wound. Blood trailed down my cheek, as I lowered my head. Yes, Madam. Blood is power. I apologize for my disrespectful silence. I chanced it, and glanced up at her. She had a superiority complex. Those who did not submit died. There was no other way to live, and be near her. And for whatever reason, she would not release me.


    The old woman reached for me, tucking her bony fingers under my chin, which forced me to turn my face up and look at her. Precious child. Many things will come our way, especially after tonight, but make certain that there is no doubt in your mind about how much I cherish you. A wayward child must feel the sting of this stick to grow into a fine woman. And that is what you are. That is what you have become a fine woman.


    And, tonight everyone will see.


    You will attend the ball as a woman in lady''s finery that will make all others seem trite. Ella, you will win the prince''s heart. He will choose you to be his bride before the stroke of eleven. I swear it to you.


    Lowering my dark eyes, I nodded and replied, Yes, Madam. But, what am I to wear? I have never seen the gown of which you speak.


    In every year past, I wore the attire of a child or young lady, but it was my seventeenth birthday. I was of age. In previous years, my long golden hair had trailed down my back, my small hands were ungloved, and my gown swished just above my ankles. But this year I would wear women''s garments. The women''s gowns, the gowns of the fine ladies who attended the ball, touched the floor. And, they wore revealing, low necklines with sleeves that draped off their shoulders. Corsets that had been pulled tight offered every woman an hourglass shape, and silk gloves spanned arms from fingertips to shoulders. It was the mark of womanhood. And tonight it was being offered to me.


    The old woman crossed the room to a cabinet that was always locked. It stood floor to ceiling, and had only one thickly carved wooden door. Massive black hinges held it tightly shut.


    Though I tried, I was never able to pry the door open to see what she hid inside. I was certain that the items I stole were in this box, though I''d never seen her put them inside. The only thing I did know was this she kept her prized possessions locked in this tower.


    The wooden door creaked in her hand. When she turned away from the cabinet, I could see that she pulled out a box made of stone. It was far too small to contain a gown, or even a shoe. She pressed the door closed, and strode toward me. The stone box was clutched to her chest.


    This is the last of my magic, she confessed. I have used it sparingly until this occasion. This will provide you with brilliant beauty. You will be the personification of perfection.


    The prince will be unable to look away from you. Neither will any other man for that matter.


    I stepped closer, looking down at the closed box. Your power is from the box? I didn''t understand. I thought you were a sorceress. I thought your powers were within you.


    Wiry white hair framed her haggard face. She smiled softly while rubbing her hand over the lid of the stone box. Dark power comes from many places, child. It is not innate. Power must be attained and then channeled. My powers dwindle, and you know how important it is that I have them to take care of you. Without me, you would surely die a horrific death. If the kingdom knew what you were what you''ve done... Ella, they wouldn''t just run you through with a spear. They have ways of ridding their lands of evil. Ways that would make you cry out in fear.


    She shook her head slowly, while keeping her palm on the top of the box. I won''t tell you what they do. It will only terrify you tonight when you have to face those people. But remember, remember when you look into their smiling faces and see them for what they really are. Remember that they would have you skinned and set aflame before they ever accepted you. Or me.


    For we are the same, child. And we both know what will happen to us if we fail tonight. I nodded, not fully understanding what she was implying. Swallowing hard, I wrapped my arms around my middle and kept my eyes fixed on the box, on the source of her power.


    She continued, The greatest power comes from blood.


    Blood is power. It always has been. It always will be. The old woman''s lips twisted into a smile when she slowly pulled back the lid. It opened in her hands, revealing a stone case lined with gold. There was something dark contained within a beating heart. It was small and withered. Black veins spidered across its surface, like mold on cheese.

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    I gasped. My hands flew to my mouth to drown out my scream. The heart was no larger than a child''s fist. It beat once, as if it was dying and then shuddered another beat. A tiny drop of blood dripped onto the golden box from the heart. Then it beat no more. The witch took her finger and pressed it across the crimson drop. She raised it to her mouth, placing the precious drop on her tongue and swallowed.


    I''d never seen her do this before. In the fifteen years that I''d been in her care, I never knew the source of her power. She said, I will accompany you this evening, for this night is unlike the others. You are of age, and that will change things. But first, I must alter this. She gestured to herself. She was more terrible than I''d dreamed. She drank blood from the heart of a child!


    Before I had time to consider anything else, the old woman''s appearance began to change. I''d seen her alter her appearance years ago, though I''d never seen how she did it. I''d never witnessed the magic firsthand. Now that I was, I wanted to get as far away from her as possible. The source of her magic was deplorable! Where did the heart come from? Who did it belong to?


    My heart banged against my ribs, as a wave of emotions slammed into me. The air was stiflingly hot. White haze thick like fog surrounded the witch, distorting her ancient form. It molded her body back into that of a younger woman. The witch''s hair sprouted from her scalp in thick waves of gold and fell down her back. Her weathered skin smoothed, adding curves to angular bones that had been protruding from sagging skin. The sorceress looked old enough to be my mother, but not my grandmother. In no way did she resemble the old hag that had stood before me moments ago.


    Within seconds, the magic transformed her completely. And the woman who killed my father was standing in front of me.


    She arched a dark eyebrow at me as she folded her arms across her chest.


    I stared at her. Then at the box. I didn''t know what to ask. I wanted to berate her. I wanted to hammer my fists into her face for what she''d done to me. The memory that stole my childhood and all my hope was alive and standing in front of me, and all I could ask was, What was that?


    Her voice was different. Younger. Lighter. You know very well what that was, Ella. And, you know that adult hearts are larger than that one, so yes it was from a child. A powerful child. One that disappeared nearly twenty years ago. Her ruby red lips pulled into a smile.


    My throat tightened, as I stared at her in horror. There was a famous story that spread through the land. I''d heard it every year at the ball. There was no way to live in this place and not be aware of it.


    I answered, Twenty years ago the prince''s brother disappeared in the woods. They found his little body torn apart by wild beasts. They''d devoured his organs, and taken his heart... But as I spoke, I knew I already knew what she''d done. There were no beasts. It was her. She was a murderer.


    Even before she met my father, she had killed an innocent.


    What she''d done was an act of pure evil bestowed upon a child.


    She laughed like it amused her. The witch turned her back to me, moving to the small mirror in my room. Her hands worked quickly, piling her thick golden hair on her head. To some we are beasts, but to others of our kind we are gods, Ella. She turned to me suddenly. Her gaze was intense. They were too cowardly to do it. They would have never harmed a royal, but not us. That is why we survive and they have been destroyed. Blood is power. She turned, and continued to twist her hair and pin it. Beautiful loops and twisted golden locks were piled on her head in an elaborate style.


    I continued to stare at her, trying to fathom the depths of her dark nature. But out of all the things she''d said, only one thought kept floating to the surface. She compared us, but I didn''t know why. I was a good person, torn from my family stolen from the people who loved me and taken to this retched place. A''s she pinned another lock of hair, I felt bold and angry. It came out in my question. I no longer cared if her hand flew.


    Why do you keep saying us? I am not like you. I moved across the room and stood at her back. I have no power. I''m no witch.

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    My pulse raced in my ears as I waited for a reply that didn''t come. Instead the sorceress continued to weave her hair, and threaded precious jewels into it. The jewels appeared in her hand, forming from colored mist until they took a solid shape.


    Then she plucked the gem from the mist and threaded rubies, pearls, and sapphires into her golden mane.


    Courage and insanity collided within me. I didn''t want to be like her! I couldn''t be. She spoke lies. Hear me, old woman! I am my father''s daughter! A mortal. He did not kill children and rip their beating hearts from their tiny bodies. He was a good man and would still be alive today if you didn''t slash your blade through his gut! I screamed the words. I''d held them inside of me for so long, never daring to speak them. But no more. The witch slowly turned. Her gray eyes sparkled as she looked up at me, amused. I snapped, We are not the same.


    Deny it all you like, child. But we are alike for one reason and one reason only. She tilted her head, pausing before she spoke. Do you really have no idea? After all this time, do you not see it?


    There is nothing to see. I bit off the words, hating her.


    It''s only more lies more carefully crafted lies to make me submit to you. I''d had more to say, but she didn''t allow me to finish.Before another word fell from my lips, the witch grabbed me by my throat and pressed my face into the glass. The mirror cracked as she screamed, LOOK! Tell me what you see? I am now as I looked when I bore you. Notice the eyes your father''s dark eyes but the rest is mine. Your figure. Your hair. Even the delicate shape of your face. See it, Ella. I am your mother.


    She released me. Horrified, I stared into the shattered glass seeing dozens of tiny reflections. I was standing closest to the mirror, with the witch behind me. The tension that lined my body made me utterly rigid. She was right. We were the same.


    My face was a copy of hers. I could see it much more clearly now that she had restored her youth. Everything from the shape of our bodies to the way we stood was identical.


    Through narrow hate-filled eyes I stared at her in the broken glass. That night you came back. That night you slayed my father what were you fighting about? I heard you. He kept telling you no, but you wouldn''t listen...


    She laughed, You! We were fighting about you, stupid girl! She huffed and turned away from me. Crossing the room she pulled an object from the wooden cabinet. It was an emerald green snake. She hung the beast across her shoulders. It hissed in her ear, ready to strike, when she reached out and snapped its neck. The bone cracked in her hand, and she didn''t even pause.


    A spell fell from her lips and transformed the dead beast into a gleaming green gown made from the finest silks.


    She continued to speak while she crafted her gown. I know that they won''t accept you, because you and I are the same. We are dark creatures with dark hearts. We thirst for power the way mortals thirst for water. Our lust for conquest is insatiable.


    Uncontrollable. And yet... her voice softened as she gazed at the floor. Her eyes seemed unfocused as she remembered, I had hoped that I''d found one that could accept me. He was a kind man, seeing all of me and not just the darkness. He''d said it was worth the risk to be with me. And so he did. He took me as his wife, though his family shunned him. They didn''t even know what I was. They just assumed I was a peasant after his gold. So they expected me to leave when they retracted his fortune. But I did not. Besides, your father was a self-made man, and we didn''t need their money to survive. And that was all we managed, but it was enough.


    And I was happy. I was happy, Ella... Her eyes were glassy when she looked up, but the expression on her face was deathly cold. Until we had you. That was when the fighting began. You were a witch, a sorceress daughter and you needed to be groomed properly. It''s a trait as obvious as the color of your hair, but your father didn''t see it.


    Eventually, he sent me away. I wasn''t allowed near you.


    He feared for you when he discovered the source of my power the contents of the stone box. She laughed, The fool. As if I would kill my own daughter. But he didn''t understand. He didn''t accept me as he promised. And I knew, once you were able to walk on your own, that you wouldn''t fit into his world.


    They would destroy you when they found out what you were. A witch cannot be hidden. It would be like trying to hide the sky.


    Being able to channel power as we do is an inherited ability. But it must be controlled, taught. Or you would have died. And they would have traced you back to me. Your ignorance would have risked both our lives. I could not tolerate it.


    That is why you were locked here. That is why I destroyed him that night. He turned on me, Ella he turned on us. There is no place for our kind in this world. Never forget it.

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    Though our coach was built for comfort, I could not relax.


    Anger coursed through me tightening every muscle in my body.


    The witch was my mother. I was like her. I was her daughter.


    I would have given anything to be anywhere else at that moment. Instead, I was sitting in an elaborate gown crafted by the witch. She''d plucked three swans from the sky and made them into my dress. The skirt billowed and moved lightly. It looked as if I was flying when I walked. The silvery gleam of the creatures white feathers made my gown shimmer. The neckline swooped low, showing my ample curves. The witch had crafted a necklace of white gold and pearls that hugged my neck in front, and draped across my bare shoulders in back. The corset of the gown sat so low that it exposed more skin than I was used to. As was the style, white gloves adorned my hands and stretched up my arms. Instead of fabric draping off my shoulders, the witch used more silver and pearls, adding rows of soft, glistening gems. My hair that was so like hers in its golden color and thickness, she pinned up more elaborately than I''d ever worn. Braids, twists, and tucks made the most beautiful style I''d ever seen. It showcased the skin on my long slender neck, skin that hid the witch''s blood that flowed through my veins beneath.


    The witch snapped, Sit up straight. I complied and glared at her. Ella, this is your destiny as well as mine. If you make a mistake tonight we both die. I do not have enough power to overtake them. If they discover you, you are on your own until I can come for you.


    If there''s enough time, I added, staring at her.


    Her voice was low and menacing as she leaned toward me in her fine green gown, What do you mean by that?


    I glanced callously at her face. Blood is power, but you have no more. Royal blood fuels your dark magic. You wanted me to win his heart tonight, but that''s not enough, is it? My voice had grown louder.


    If there had been a real coachman, she would have scolded me. But there was a corpse driving the carriage, animated by the witch''s magic. His fine clothes and the thick night shadows hid his rotting flesh, and the spell disguised the stench.


    The witch smoothed her skirts. Of course it''s not enough.


    And the blood is necessary for both of us to survive. What do you think sustained you all these years? You have ingested blood from the heart as well. Witches need it to survive. And young witches that come of age are especially hungry. A witch in her seventeenth year could slaughter a small village and still not feel sated. That is why I am here tonight. That is why I will help you. She spoke sternly, scolding me. However, the only thing I heard was blood. She''d fed me blood from that heart, and I''d unknowingly swallowed it. I nearly wretched, but the woman said a spell, sealing my lips, and stilled my stomach.


    Really, Ella. You do not grieve when I feed you the flesh of animals, but the blood of one boy sickens you. You''re too soft. Too much like your Father. Thankfully witches are born, not bred. You will develop a taste for it over time. Tonight you won''t have to do that part. I will kill the prince. That is why I came with you this year. When the prince chooses his princess, he will take her to the royal gardens first, at the eleventh hour and no later. During that time, I will do what must be done.


    If everyone saw me walk to the garden with the prince and he died, they would think I did it. They would know what I was when they saw his heart carved out of his chest, just like his brother s. The carriage rattled as I stared at the witch. My mother.


    She glanced at me, arching a perfect brow, speaking as if she could read my mind. You need not fear for your own safety, Ella. I have taken care of that, too. They will not discover you. You must trust me child, as I trust you. You could expose me before we even step through the door. People remember your father. They remember his death, and that no one was brought to justice. You could reveal his murderer.


    I would not be so foolish, I replied and turned my head to look out the window. Trees towered above us, flying past as the coach sped toward the castle at an inhuman pace. The white horses that pulled us seemed to fly. It was almost as if their magical bodies were trying to ascend into the heavens, for they were made of nothing more than bones of mice and the rotting flesh of a mare. They were made from creatures that had been wakened from their eternal slumber by my mother''s dark spells.


    A smile twisted across the witch''s ruby lips. Good. A cry for help will only destroy you. No one will help the daughter of a sorceress, no matter what you say. You''ll thank me for this one day, Ella.


    I doubt it, I said plainly. But the witches hand did not fly across my face. Her staff did not connect with my skull. We were too close to the palace for her to risk ruining my appearance.


    Do not be so bold, girl, she growled. Not unless you can take what I plan for you later...

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    The witch and I stood atop the grand staircase waiting to be announced. My throat tightened when I saw him look up. The prince was beautiful. He stood a head taller than me in the crystal slippers that the witch forced me to wear year after year.


    They made dancing awkward, because every time I stepped, the heavy shoes clacked against the floor. I half expected them to shatter under my weight, despite the witches reassurances that the glass slippers were stronger than any metal.


    A smile spread across the prince''s face as he turned from a dark-haired girl across the dance floor. My heart fluttered, as I looked away shyly. He was the only boy I''d ever spoken to. But, now he was a man. And in a room filled with beautiful women, his green eyes were still on me. The witch took my arm, snapping me out of my trance.


    She whispered in my ear, The magic is working. He only sees you. But I didn''t want that to be the reason he looked at me. The old witch didn''t know what happened at these parties in the past. She didn''t know that the prince favored me already.


    That he spent hours talking to me, and at the last ball, he''d shunned everyone else to enjoy my company for the evening.


    But then the eleventh hour tolled.


    And I ran.


    My mother and I stepped forward and the man in the gray wig announced us to the court. The king and queen nodded once, and we stepped forward into the grand room. Candlelight filled the space, casting a soft glow on the white marble walls. A massive golden chandelier hung high overhead.


    The witch gazed up at it, breathing, In the garden, then.


    She squeezed my arm hard and then disappeared into the sea of people.


    For a split second, I thought about fleeing. I''d tried it once before, but she caught me before I had a chance. And then punished me severely. She''d said that I needed her. She kept saying that over and over again with every brand of the hot iron on my skin, trying to burn it into my memory. I shuddered at the recollection. I didn''t think I needed her then at all. But now I wasn''t so sure. Would these people truly destroy me if they knew what I was? Or would they accept me as I was?


    Swallowing hard, I pressed back the thoughts and tried to figure out what to do. I had to be free of the witch, but I didn''t want to sacrifice the prince. He was my only friend. As if he knew I was thinking of him, Prince Phillip touched my arm gently with his hand. I smiled and turned slowly toward him.


    His voice was deeper than last I heard it. His shoulders were broader, too. May I have this dance? He bowed his head and held out his hand. I smiled softly and placed my palm in his.


    Eyes were on the pair of us as we walked toward the dance floor. I heard whispers as passersby wondered who I was. It was as if they''d never seen me when I was a child. But, I''d been here. I''d danced with their prince. When we were ten, we both ran out of the ball and got covered in mud chasing frogs in the garden. I was the same girl, even if they didn''t notice me then.


    Prince Phillip smiled down at me, Ella. It''s been too long...


    I smiled faintly, both loving and dreading this moment. I didn''t care that he was the prince. At that moment, I wished he was just a poor sailor. Then we could escape and my mother wouldn''t pursue him. But she cared too much to let her precious royal blood run off with her daughter. And she was watching me. I could feel her eyes on my back, which made my skin prickle.


    I answered, Yes, my Prince. It certainly has.


    He grinned as we swept around the dance floor. His hand felt warm in mine. His arms were firm, leading the pair of us around the room with ease. I doubted to see you again after that exit last year. You ran out so quickly. Did I say something that upset you? Did I offend you, Ella?


    Looking into his beautiful face, I said, No. Nothing like that at all. Please believe me when I tell you that I would have stayed, if I could. His grip on my waist tightened as he spun me closer to him. I gasped at the lack of decorum. Our bodies were pressed tightly together, and we stopped. He stared down at me, taking a loose curl between his fingers.


    Will you stay tonight? Will you dance with me, Ella, and stay in my arms until the dawn? His eyes studied my hot face, blushing at the open confession of his intentions.


    The corner of my pink lips pulled into a smile, If that is what you wish. I didn''t know how to defy the witch, but the thought of staying in his arms all night drowned out my reasoning.


    I do, he replied and began to move us around the room again. Everyone was watching, but the prince moved as if we were alone. His hand felt perfect in mine, strong and confident.


    It pained me to lie to him. I have very few friends who speak to me plainly, as you do you. If there is something that gives you pause, please enlighten me. We turned with a flourish and the skirt of my gown billowed around my ankles showing off my crystal slippers. I kept step with him, with a clink, clink, clink, as the crystal struck the floor.


    There is nothing, my prince. I fibbed. I felt the bitter taste of the lie thickly coat my tongue, nearly choking me. How could I save us? The memory of his brother''s heart in the stone box filled my mind. My pulse pounded, echoing loudly in my head.


    I didn''t realize that the prince was waiting for me to answer until he dipped his head and whispered into my ear, Are you worried that I won''t choose you? If that is the case, I could stop the ball now, and announce my intentions toward you. Ella? Is that what concerns you?


    Hmmm? I asked looking up at him. A wrinkle formed between his eyes as he pulled me tighter.


    The prince''s dark hair fell into his eyes. His warm breath rushed across my skin as he spoke in a whispered hush. You make me crazy. I see you only once a year, and every year you grow more beautiful. More wonderful. And this year, the year I can finally announce to the world that you are the woman who has my heart, you aren''t all here. Something''s troubling you. I can see it. Please, let me help you, Ella. What is it? He held his arm up and I passed underneath with his hand on my back, still following the moves of the dance. The music continued. Other dancers passed us by, catching pieces of the conversation.


    It was a conversation that I''d never expected to have. In my wildest dreams, I never expected him to choose me. Yes, he favored me, but I was always the girl who did things she wasn''t supposed to. I ran through these halls, got him covered in mud, stole him from the parties, and got him into too much trouble over the years. Our governesses had many sharp words, usually to the effect of me ruining their perfect prince.


    But tonight. I could see the worry on his face, but it was all I could manage to push him away. If he did not enter the garden with me, then witch could not slay him. That thought shaped my next words.


    Though I am honored that you''ve chosen me, my Prince, I cannot marry you. I''m sorry. When I said the words, it felt like the world stopped. Prince Phillip was rendered motionless. He was about to turn me, but instead, his arms dropped to his sides.


    A hurt expression flashed across his face and disappeared without a trace. He nodded once, as if he understood and agreed with my rejection of his proposal.


    The young prince bowed to me, then turned and walked away.


    I stood alone in the center of the ballroom. All eyes were on me, but there was only one pair of eyes that I feared. And when I turned, I saw her gray eyes raging with fire. The witch wrapped her gloved fingers around my elbow and led me off the floor, all the while hissing in my ear. I was trapped. There was no way out. And though my words wouldn''t save the prince, they would push him away long enough to come up with a better plan.

 Page 8

    An hour passed as I stood with the witch. My toes were aching, pressed together tightly within the glass slippers. I wished I could kick them off and run through the room barefoot.


    But I knew that wasn''t possible. Many things were not possible.


    The witch did not waste time scolding me. Instead she wanted every detail of our conversation from the time before the Prince stormed off. Because that was what it had looked like to everyone else that I''d said something that angered him. Prince Phillip had left the room and not returned. At the toll of the clock, my heart lurched. It was past eleven. Normally, I would be leaving now. But not tonight. There was no escape from the witch''s control, and she wanted me to remain until the prince claimed me as his bride and went to the gardens.


    She smiled while she spoke, If you are not withholding anything from me, then I am certain we can fix this, quickly. We must have you home by midnight. She fussed with a stray curl, putting it back in place. Listen carefully. The spell upon you makes other men covet you. Simply dance with another and the charm will invoke the Prince''s lust for you. She spoke so coldly. Her mind was such a twisted web of thorns that she didn''t notice that I truly cared for him. The Duke''s son smiled at me. A girl slightly older than I was, was on his right arm. My mother stepped in front of the boy, causing his date to step aside. May I have a word, your eminence?


    The boy smiled at the flattery and bowed his head acknowledging my mother. She said quietly, I believe my daughter has offended the Prince. But since we are mere women, we cannot figure out what it was that she has done.


    Perhaps you would find it in your heart to dance with the girl, and help her discover her mistake?


    The boy''s eyes widened. There was a second''s hesitation.


    But, he extended his elbow for me, and I held on. He led me away from the witch and to the dance floor. I smiled and nodded, playing along as the dumb girl trying to mend her mistake with the prince. Before we circled the ballroom twice, the Prince appeared. I felt his eyes on the back of my neck, slipping across my cheek, and finally meeting my eyes as we danced by. Others approached the prince, but he was despondent. His eyes were transfixed on me. When we were to pass the prince again, he stepped in front of us, blocking our path.


    If I may... Prince Phillip said, and cut in. His hands gripped me hard as he took the boy''s place. As we danced away, I saw the Duke''s son back away with sorrow on his face. My mother''s spell was thick, and it was as if the boy mourned me, though he only spoke to me for a moment.


    I felt my mother''s eyes on me. I couldn''t speak here. She''d know what I''d said.


    The prince seemed irritated, and immune to the spell that seemed to enchant the rest of the men in the room. All male eyes were on me, staring. All female eyes were enraged as they coaxed their dejected men to dance.


    Prince Phillip seemed not to notice. He spun me once, and pulled me tightly to his chest. What have I done? What would make you say such a thing? And don''t deny that you love me, Ella. I see it in your eyes. Year after year. It grows stronger, as do we. Tell me. I won''t let you go until you tell me why we can''t be together. He turned and a several pairs of dancers moved between the onlookers in the crowd, including my mother.


    I spoke softly. Quickly. Take me somewhere we can be alone. Take me to your bedchambers. Now. I looked into his eyes, begging that he would understand. If he couldn''t detect that something was very wrong, we would both die. Before he could say anything, I added, tilting my head toward the guards Tell them you''re going to the gardens. Make certain that no one knows.


    His perfect lips were silent as he nodded. The last time I was up there in his bedroom, we were children sneaking away from a party. Now we were adults, and it would look quite different if we were caught. Go up the servant''s stairs, he whispered. I''ll meet you there.


    I nodded once, and smiled shyly. I was aware of my mother''s gray eyes on my face. I turned to smile at her. It was the sign I was supposed to make when the prince was to take me to the gardens. It was the signal for her to take over. I was to leave the palace and return to my prison as I''d done so many times before.


    When the prince moved away from me, he walked towards his guard. This was to be expected. He would tell them to keep their distance while he proposed to me. The clock, with its hollow bells, chimed that it was nearly midnight. After I walked out of the ballroom, and away from prying eyes, I clutched the skirt of my gown in my hands and ran. But my shoes didn''t want to stay on my feet. And they were so noisy that it sounded like a pot clanging on stone every time my foot struck the ground.


    Stopping, I hopped and pulled the shoes off. Running barefoot, I held one shoe in each hand and darted up the servant''s staircase on the far side of the castle. The narrow passageway was empty as all the household staff was tending to the ball.


    When I reached the upper-landing, I looked out into the garden. My mother sat shrouded in darkness, waiting for a prince who wouldn''t come. Her wrath would be worse than anything that the people dancing at the ball would do to me. Turning quickly, I sprang down the long hallway, and through a doorway.


    I emerged in the Prince''s bedchamber and slammed the door behind me.


    Prince Phillip rushed at me, throwing his arms around me, and kissed me hard before letting go. His kisses were like last year, but also different and terrifying.


    When he broke the kiss, he asked, What''s wrong? What''s happened that you''re acting like this?


    He held me in his arms, and I felt like I could tell him anything. That he''d protect me from her. That he''d rather die than see something happen to me. He''d said so many things to me, and I believed every single word. My mother was wrong.


    The prince loved me. He would always love me, no matter what.


    I felt my lower lip tremble as I looked into his eyes, and took the chance. I told him the truth. The woman who came with me tonight... she''s been holding me prisoner since I was a child. This is the first time that she hasn''t had an enchantment on me that sealed my lips and prevented me from speaking of her. Phillip, she''ll kill me if she knows what I''ve done. We must run away. There is no other way. I looked into his green eyes as I spoke. His hands clamped around my waist, leaving no space between us. I would be queen if we stayed here, but it wasn''t worth risking him. I had no power to overthrow the witch. I couldn''t kill her.


    The prince soothed me, holding me tightly in his arms. I''ll take care of it, Ella. There is no reason to run. I''m a prince, and after tonight you''ll be my princess and one day my queen. We do not run. My guards will take care of this woman, and punish her for what she has done to you. He paused, his eyes drifting lower, staring at my shoulder. He released me, and turned me slowly. His fingers pressed into the smooth bare skin on my back, where he''d seen the marks from the branding iron long ago. But now they were gone. He swallowed hard. She did that to you, didn''t she? And she used magic to remove the scars for tonight? Ella you''ve always had those scars. I remember them. I remember asking you how you got them, but you wouldn''t say.


    It was done by the same person, wasn''t it?


    Phillip, please. You don''t know what she''s like. Please believe me. We need to run. If you and I are to be together, we cannot stay here. She''ll figure out we aren''t coming to the garden at any moment. Pulling on his arm, I tried to get the prince to walk towards the servant''s stairs and run. But he wouldn''t move.


    Phillip shook his head, Do you not think I can protect you? Ella...


    My Prince, that is not the problem. She is not what she seems. She has power that is unnatural, and has already killed.


    Please. We need to go now...


    He allowed me to pull him two steps toward the door and then stopped me. Turning me to him, he said, What is she? Tell me if you know. There can be no secrets between us.


    Staring at his dark green eyes, I answered, She''s a witch. A powerful sorceress. I paused, swallowing hard, and added, And she''s my mother. I stared at him waiting for him to answer, but his mouth fell open.


    He breathed, You''re a witch, too? A sorceress? I didn''t recognize the expression on his face. I didn''t know what he was thinking.


    I nodded, heart hammering in my chest. Yes, but I have no power. I have not used it, despite her. She has killed before. She slayed my father because he defied her. She killed your brother when he was a child, and she intends to kill you tonight. I can''t stay here another moment. She''ll destroy me when she learns what I''ve done. I have to run, with or without you. I turned to flee down the stairs when I felt his hand on my shoulder. He gripped me hard and turned me back to him.


    Did you think I would shun you? Did you think that I would despise you when you revealed to me what you truly were? Ella... answer me, he demanded.


    There wasn''t time for this. We had to leave. But his grip on me was too tight. I closed my eyes, trying to hush the roaring of my beating heart in my ears. When I looked up at him I said, Love forgives many things, but blood so vile... I don''t know.


    Without a word he pulled me to his lips. His warm body pressed against mine as the kiss deepened. When he pulled away we were both breathless. I have always loved you. My heart has always been yours. It always will be, Ella. Forever. There is nothing you could do that would make me stop... He smiled at me. He took my face in his hands as he spoke of his affection for me.


    My shoes were in my hand, clutched between my fingers, as I stared up at him. His words melted into me, making every lash of the witch seem like it''d been worth it just to get to this moment in time. I was in his arms. And he loved me even though I was tainted by my wicked mother even though I was a witch.


    I barely recognized the toll of the clock. Midnight. From that point, things changed so fast that I didn''t know what was happening. But I could feel it. Something within me awakened.


    The prince''s eyes changed from adoration to horror, as I felt my body thirst for something I didn''t know I needed blood.


    He backed away from me, saying, Ella, what''s wrong?


    What''s happening?


    But I didn''t know. My face felt hot. Every part of me was screaming like I was going to die. I no longer knew who I was or where I was. The man standing in front of me was not someone I knew. All memories of him vanished, as my gaze transfixed on the thick vein on his neck. It pulsated like a frightened animal, making my instincts completely overpower my mind.


    I lunged at him, dragging him across the room, and pressing him onto the massive bed. Phillip''s back hit the bedpost before his body fell on the mattress. He let out a gush of air as his eyes widened in terror. The blow to the head made him weak, too weak to fight me off. He tried to free himself from my grip, but was unable. He screamed for help, but no one came. No one knew where he was. There wasn''t a guard nearby to see what was happening. No one could save him from me.


    Clutching the slippers in my hand, I swung them at the stone wall. The shoe shattered into a million pieces. Without a thought, I picked up the longest, sharpest piece. My hands ripped open the prince''s shirt. Wildly, I pressed my fingers into his flesh looking for the pulsing spot. My fingers pressed against the rib, feeling the soft skin right below. Without a word, I plunged the glass shard into his chest, tearing an opening large enough for my hand to pass through. The prince screamed so loudly that I nearly stopped, but when his warm blood covered my hand and dripped off my wrist, the insatiable thirst returned.


    On instinct, I cut the prince''s heart from his dying body.


    Blood soaked the bed, as the prince screamed with mortal terror.


    His blood stained every inch of my white gown as I worked the organ from his body. But it didn''t matter. I had the thing I desired. I watched the prince''s heart beat in my hand.


    There was no comprehension of what I''d done. I spoke to Phillip like he was still alive. I told him what I thought our future would be like, and that I''d wanted him since the first time I saw him. It wasn''t until my mother stood in the doorway that I noticed something was wrong.


    Bring it here, Ella. Her voice commanded me, but I didn''t move. She had no power over me. And her golden hair had grayed at the temples. That meant she''d used much of her power to stand before me at that moment. And when she aged this time, she would die. That I knew. I felt it within me. Something that said blood allowed us to live. To survive.


    No. His heart belongs to me. He said so! I expected Phillip to speak, but he didn t. His body lay still where I''d slain him. Clutching his heart close to my chest, I said, You cannot have it. He''s mine!


    My mother took a small step toward us with her hand outstretched. It was like she was trying to coax a madman with a knife. Yes, your prince is yours. Let''s put his heart in the golden stone before it dies, Ella. You did what you came here for. The guards are coming. We must act quickly.


    But her words threatened me. She would not take his heart from me. His heart belongs to me. You cannot have it! I shouted despite her protests. My mother aged before me as she tried to use her power to make me surrender his heart. But I would not release it. Power flowed from somewhere within me, refusing to let him go. As the witch withered back into her ancient form the guards appeared in the room. They surrounded us, pointing their weapons at my mother and myself.


    The captain of the guard''s jaw fell open as he took in the scene. I was covered in the prince''s blood, and there was an enormous hole in his chest. When the guard''s gaze landed on me, he shouted, She''s killed the Prince! Take her! As the solders approached, they tried to take Phillip''s heart from my hands. At least that was how it seemed. My aging mother used the little magic she had left until a spear embedded itself in her chest.She cried out to me, Ella! Save me! A drop will save me!


    Please Ella! But her cries fell on deaf ears. No one else would have his heart. No one else could share him. Phillip had accepted me. He didn''t care that I was a witch. And as long as I held his heart in my hands, as long as it was the twelfth hour, I would know no different.


    The guards came at me, but I killed every last one of them.


    In the end, their armor didn''t matter. I was able to cook them like meat in an oven by heating their protective metal. When no one threatened to take Phillip from me, I sat on the bed, and lay down next to him. His beating heart slowed, but I held it next to mine. I awoke when the clock chimed one; I saw what I''d done and Phillip''s heart was gone.

 Page 9

    I stood before a vast hole dug into the earth. Cold wind tugged at my hair. My tattered gown still had Phillip''s blood crusted to the bodice. My mother was right about everyone, except Phillip, which made what I''d done even worse. When the guards came and captured me in Phillip''s room, I was instantly damned. There was no trial, since there was no question that I was a witch. But there was one thing that terrified them most of all. And they hesitated to kill me until they learned where it went. Where was the prince''s missing heart? They asked me over and over again.


    I stared at the hole in the ground blankly. I recalled the fuzzy state of the nightmare that started at midnight. Phillip had just said he loved me. That he accepted me and my vile blood.


    But when I awoke, he was dead. His heart was carved from his chest, and the only other person who was still breathing was me.


    They peeled me from his cold lifeless body, as I cried. Phillip may have accepted me, but it didn''t stop what I was... what I was capable of.


    I found out later, after it was too late, that the evening a witch becomes of age, she will feed off her lover''s heart, much like a black widow spider devours her mate. When the clock chimed twelve, in the dark of night, I became something else. I was a dark creature that needed that boy''s heart to live. My mother knew this. She tried to make it less painful for me. I didn''t understand. I didn''t know what I was or what I was capable of.


    A large man with a large gut hollered at me one last time, Where is the crown prince''s heart! This is your last chance.


    I did not answer, as I could not. I didn''t know where his heart went. When my haze of bloodlust lifted, his heart was gone, evaporated into thin air like all our hopes and dreams.


    The large man screamed again, demanding that I tell him.


    When I did not answer for the third time, he shoved me. My hands were bound behind my back as I fell into the pit they''d dug out for me. I fell on my back and was unable to get up. This would be my final resting place. This is where I would die, slowly, horrifically as my mother had warned.


    Every member of the court stood around the pit. The king and queen glared down at me. The king threw the first massive stone. The boulder fell into the pit, and crushed my leg. I let out a scream. The queen threw the next. The rock hit my head and rolled next to my face. A ribbon of blood ran down my cheek.


    One by one, the rocks fell from above, crushing me. I felt every last one as the hole was filled in slowly with stones. The weight of the rocks should have killed me, but I didn''t die. I remained quiet. No doubt they all thought I was dead. But I was a witch a real witch. And no stones could crush me. Not with the power that flowed through my veins.


    As dirt fell from above, I heard the gravediggers speak as they filled in the tomb. So, where do you think she put the heart?


    Sand and rock fell from above, surrounding me. Soon there would be no air. I could not survive if I remained where I was. I could shatter the stones on top of me, and crawl out of the deep grave, but I didn''t want to. Part of me died the night I destroyed my beloved.


    The memories turned rancid in my mind, as I recalled exactly where the prince''s heart was. That horrific night, before the clock chimed one, I remember feeling the serene sticky warmth of his beating heart slide between my lips. It slid down my throat, warming me as it went. His blood gave me the power I needed. Swallowing his heart hole, allowed it to continue to feed me and grant me power. I''d consumed the heart of the prince.


    Blood is power, and the heart consumed of one much loved is the most powerful thing of all. After all, what is love if you keep your heart?