Love Spell: Book 2 of The Grimm Laws (5 page)

He retrieved her English book and handed it to her. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Really?”

He flashed a mysterious smile. “Really.”

“But I have to work.”

“I know. I’ll pick you up at The Chocolate Fountain at 8:30.” He caught her arm. “We need this, Elle,” he finished gently.

Edward was such a good guy and so thoughtful. To think, she’d intended to choose Rush over him. If Edward knew, he would be so furious he would probably never speak to her again. She looked up into those golden eyes that held a wealth of possibility. There was a hopeful expression on his handsome face as he waited for her to make up her mind. Why was she even wasting her time on Rush when Edward was right here, trying his best to win her back? “Okay, you talked me into it.”

“That’s great.” He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. When she went still, he looked disappointed for a split second, but then he shrugged it off with a smile. He grabbed his English book and closed the locker. “Let’s get to class.”

When they stepped into the classroom, Edward glanced in the direction of the area where Elle and Rush sat. “You know, you can sit in the back with me.”

Elle glanced in the back of the room to where Huntsden and some of the other football players were sitting. “No!” she blurted and then saw his confused expression. “Thanks,” she added, trying to soften the blow, “but I can concentrate more where I am. I’ll see you tonight.” Before he could argue, she quickly walked to her normal seat and sat down. Thankfully, Rush wasn’t there yet.

Edward hesitated and then walked to the back and took his seat.

A minute later, Lynessa sauntered into the room. Elle was surprised when she walked past her normal seat in the front to where Elle was. She stood beside Elle’s desk.

Elle arched an eyebrow. “Is there something that you need?”

A crafty smile curved Lynessa’s lips. “Under the circumstances, I was thinking that you might want to switch seats with me.”

Elle’s blood began to boil. She leveled a death glare at Lynessa. “Oh, and exactly what circumstance are you referring to?”

“You know, the circumstance where Rush and I are dating.” Triumph glittered in her dark eyes.

It took every ounce of control she could muster to stop herself from jumping up and clawing that smug expression off Lynessa’s perfect face.

The moron sitting across from her put his hands to his mouth like a megaphone and began hooting. “Catfight!”

“Shut up, you bumbling buffoon!” Lynessa snapped.

For once in his life, the moron was speechless.

Lynessa turned back to Elle. “Well?”

There was so much she could’ve said to this demon diva who thought the clouds were supposed to part at her feet, but it wasn’t worth her breath. She had the hysterical urge to laugh. Instead, she collected her things. “You know what? If you want the seat, you can have it.” She stood, facing Lynessa. “You and Rush deserve each other!”

“Thank you,” Lynessa said with a satisfied smile.

Elle was stomping to the front to sit in Lynessa’s former seat when Rush entered the room. A look of surprise flickered over his face when he saw Lynessa sitting in the desk in front of his. He gave Elle a questioning look, and she scowled.

Five minutes later, Elle was still steaming when Mrs. Porter walked into the room. “Good morning, class. Sorry I’m a few minutes late.” She sat down in her desk and then picked up the roster to call roll. When she saw Elle sitting in the front, she stopped. Her eyes then touched on Lynessa and Rush before zeroing in on Elle. “Why are you in Lynessa’s seat?”

“Lynessa approached me before class and asked if we could switch seats. Evidently, she wanted to sit next to her boyfriend.” The words cut like razors from her mouth.

This brought chortles of laughter from around the room.

Wisteria lifted an eyebrow. “And you let her?” She made a clucking sound with her tongue. “How disappointing.”

What was going on here? One minute, Wisteria was warning her to stay away from her son, and the next, she was worried about her not sitting in front of him. Before Elle could formulate a response, Wisteria turned her attention to Lynessa. “Is this true?”

“Yes,” Lynessa admitted, her eyes wide.

Wisteria looked past her. “Rush? What do you have to say about this?”

“Not a dang thing,” he fired back.

“I see.” Her lips formed a hard line as she eyed the students. “Let’s get one thing straight. There will be no switching seats unless I say so, is that clear?”

“Yes,” they murmured from around the room.

She motioned. “Switch back. Now!”

Elle reluctantly stood and gathered up her things for the second time. The stricken look on Lynessa’s face as they exchanged places was priceless. Elle had to bite back a smile. As much as she disliked Mrs. Porter, she had to hand it to her. She’d put Lynessa in her place.

Elle was keenly aware of Rush’s presence behind her. This hyper awareness thing she had for him was driving her crazy! She wished she could make it stop! She had to force herself to concentrate on the English lesson, which had been going on for a good twenty minutes, and she’d not heard a word of it.

“As we move into
The Great Gatsby
, we will be doing group term papers,” Wisteria was saying.

This solicited groans from around the room.

Wisteria wrote the word
trust
on the board. “This is the topic for the papers. You will discuss the topic of
trust
in context with
The Great Gatsby
. You will do an analysis of the characters, discussing the trust or lack thereof that the characters had in one another. Furthermore, you will discuss whether or not that trust worked for their benefit or detriment. For example, Jay Gatsby was so hopelessly in love with Daisy that he resorted to criminal activity in order to amass the wealth that he hoped would win her back. He put his complete trust in Daisy, but was she worthy of that trust? Where did it leave Jay Gatsby in the end? You can also expound on the roaring twenties and how materialism and excess impacted the story. What overall level of trust did the characters have in society?” She waved her hand. “There are many avenues which you can take. Just make sure whatever avenue you choose centers on
trust
.” She reached for a clipboard. “I will be assigning partners.”

More groans.

“The papers will be due two weeks from today.”

She began reading names. All the while, Elle waited to hear whom her partner would be.
Please let it be Edward
, she prayed.

“Edward Kingsley and Lynessa Miles.”

Elle nearly protested out loud. Really? She was pairing Edward and Lynessa? Before turning her sights to Rush, Lynessa had been after Edward.
Great! A fine day this was turning out to be!

“Rush Porter and Elle Worthington.”

Elle’s jaw dropped. Had she heard Mrs. Porter correctly? She couldn’t help but turn around and glance at Rush. His eyes met hers, and she could tell he was just as shocked. Elle quickly turned back around. Mrs. Porter kept going through the list, but Elle was oblivious. She would be forced to spend time with Rush. There was no escaping him. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Oh, one more thing,” Wisteria added. “For the last portion of the paper, I want you to focus inwardly. Discuss
trust
with your partner and how trust impacts everything we do. What is your level of trust in the human race … society? How well do you trust others? How well do you trust yourself? This will be an in-depth look into how you view the world. Any questions?”

Several students raised their hands, and Wisteria began answering them. Elle paid little attention until she heard a familiar voice.

“Mrs. Porter?”

“Yes, Edward.”

“Um, would it be possible for me to change partners? Nothing against Lynessa, but I think I might be better suited to work with someone else.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Lynessa said saucily.

“The partners cannot be changed. Part of this exercise is learning to trust your partner. I suggest you get used to the idea of working with Miss Miles,” Wisteria said crisply.

A warning bell went off in Elle’s head. Why did Edward not want to be paired with Lynessa? Was there something going on between them?

“Well, this ought to be interesting,
partner
,” Rush drawled in her ear, his warm breath sending ripples down her spine.

“Yes,” she agreed tartly, “very.”

T
he trill
of a bugle sounded in the distance. Cinderella’s heart felt like it would flop out of her chest. She closed her eyes and took in a breath, trying to calm down. Seraphina ran to the window and pushed aside the heavy velvet drape. “They are coming.” She snapped her fingers at Josselyn. “Help Cinderella with her gown so that it will not trail across this filthy floor. She must look perfect for the prince.”

“Aye, Mother. Thy wish is my command,” Josselyn muttered.

Seraphina clapped her hands together impatiently. “Come! We must not keep the prince waiting.” She hurried out the door and down the stairs to the great hall to receive their guest properly.

As Josselyn stepped behind Cinderella and gathered up the fabric, Cinderella turned and touched her arm. “Thank you.”

A look of surprise washed over Josselyn. “For what?”

She offered her a tiny smile. “For simply being my sister. It means the world to me.”

Josselyn’s jaw went slack and something akin to tenderness touched her features. She coughed to hide her emotion. “For what it is worth, I am sorry that it has to end this way. I know how much ye love Squire Rushton.”

Cinderella nodded and looked away.

“Prince Edward is a good man. He will make thee happy.”

Cinderella searched Josselyn’s face to see if her words were sincere. She knew what it had cost her to say them. “At this point, my happiness does not have much bearing on the situation, does it?”

“Nay, I am afraid it does not.” She shrugged. “Perhaps it is not meant for either of us to get our happy endings.”

The truth of Josselyn’s words settled between them. “Come, we must not keep Prince Edward waiting,” Josselyn said as they hurried out the door.

Edward was standing beside the front door when Cinderella came down the steps. As he looked up at her, there was such a pure expression of undiluted adoration written on his face that her heart softened a fraction. He was holding her glass slipper in his hands, and there were two guards, dressed in royal finery, flanking his sides. The front door was standing wide open, and Cinderella caught sight of men on horses. The prince had traveled here in royal style. Cinderella wondered briefly if Rushton were just beyond the door, but then she squelched the dangerous thought. If she were to have a moment’s peace, she would have to learn to close off that part of her heart forever.

Seraphina was standing off to the side. There was a strained expression on her angular face. She caught Cinderella’s eye, silently willing her to stay the course that she had outlined.

“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.”

“
A
dele
, 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.

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.

J
ack 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.

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.

She responded with …