Sneaky Snow White (Dark Fairy Tale Queen Series Book 2) by Anita Valle Page B
Authors: Anita Valle
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chain clanking and shuddering. I walk around the circular frame, lighting the candles with my torch. Then I crank it high again.
The orangey gloom reveals several tables, a large cauldron sitting in a fire pit, bottles and jars of weird substances, and a bookstand that holds an ancient-looking volume, thick as four of my fingers. I stick the torch into a bracket and turn the crackling pages. There has to be something here I can use.
Most of the spells seem petty to me. Spells that cure warts, restore lost teeth, or change the color of your eyes. I don’t need any of that. The section on curses is more interesting. Sure would be fun to give Cinderella a snout like a pig. Or huge, hairy feet! She’s always been obsessed with her feet, they’re even smaller than mine. But no - that isn’t good enough. I need something deadly.
For a minute, I think I found one. An aging curse that causes the victim to grow old and die within a week. But as I read the spell, I see it must be cast on the victim’s birthday. That’s seven months away for Cinderella. I can’t wait that long.
I continue to search, pausing now and then to check over my shoulder. That old lady made me nervous. She clearly has magic of some kind or other. A witch, perhaps. A witch on Cinderella’s side. I did not need that kind of stress.
I turn a few pages more and find a spell that somebody marked with a black feather. Curse of Eternal Sleep, it says. It calls for poisoning an apple with a special brew and then feeding the apple to the victim. One bite is all that’s needed, and the victim will sleep forever. Not really dead, but not alive either.
I smile.
It’s perfect.
The old lady doesn’t want me hurting Cinderella. Very well, then. I won’t hurt her. I’ll just help her take a nice little nap.
Forever.
~*~ 23 ~*~
I wait for Hunter by the well, as promised. For some reason, Cooper insisted on coming with me. I argued that I didn’t need him – I prefer to be alone with Hunter – but he wouldn’t listen. The Wood is a dangerous place, he said. The only reason I gave in is because I’m still afraid of the old lady.
I wait until long after noon. Finally, a little peasant boy I’ve never seen rushes into the grove with a scrap of parchment in his hand. He bows. “For you, m’lady. From Mr. Hunter.”
I shake out the parchment and read it.
Snowy - The queen gave birth during the night. She is well but needs my care. I’ll come to you when I am able. -H
H? How hard could it have been to write out his full name? Couldn’t he have ended with some reassuring words of love? That’s what I would have done if I had written a note. Was he in such a rush to get it over with?
I crunch the note in my fist and look at the boy. “You may tell ‘H’ that ‘S’ is not pleased. Can you remember that?”
The boy nods and, sensing my anger, runs away quickly. I stalk a circle around the grove, fuming to myself. So the child is here. At least that makes things easier. I wasn’t sure if Cinderella could deliver the baby while under a sleeping curse. Now I don’t have to worry.
“What happened?” Cooper asks. He’s standing under an apple tree, his thick arms folded.
“Hunter isn’t coming,” I snap.
“All right, then let’s go back.”
“No. Take me to the cottage.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I’m not asking you to think! You’ll do as I say.”
“So, you’re the queen now, eh?”
I sigh. Why does everyone keep saying that?
Cooper walks up to me, and without hesitation, scoops me up like a toddler. “Let’s go, little miss.” He tosses me over his shoulder.
“Put me DOWN!” I shout, pummeling his back with my fists. Then I notice how high I am, how the apples are right at my eyelevel. There’s a big, beautiful red one hanging within my reach. I snap it off the branch before Cooper carries me away.
~*~ 24 ~*~
“Mirror, Mirror, on the wall – I need to see Hunter right
The orangey gloom reveals several tables, a large cauldron sitting in a fire pit, bottles and jars of weird substances, and a bookstand that holds an ancient-looking volume, thick as four of my fingers. I stick the torch into a bracket and turn the crackling pages. There has to be something here I can use.
Most of the spells seem petty to me. Spells that cure warts, restore lost teeth, or change the color of your eyes. I don’t need any of that. The section on curses is more interesting. Sure would be fun to give Cinderella a snout like a pig. Or huge, hairy feet! She’s always been obsessed with her feet, they’re even smaller than mine. But no - that isn’t good enough. I need something deadly.
For a minute, I think I found one. An aging curse that causes the victim to grow old and die within a week. But as I read the spell, I see it must be cast on the victim’s birthday. That’s seven months away for Cinderella. I can’t wait that long.
I continue to search, pausing now and then to check over my shoulder. That old lady made me nervous. She clearly has magic of some kind or other. A witch, perhaps. A witch on Cinderella’s side. I did not need that kind of stress.
I turn a few pages more and find a spell that somebody marked with a black feather. Curse of Eternal Sleep, it says. It calls for poisoning an apple with a special brew and then feeding the apple to the victim. One bite is all that’s needed, and the victim will sleep forever. Not really dead, but not alive either.
I smile.
It’s perfect.
The old lady doesn’t want me hurting Cinderella. Very well, then. I won’t hurt her. I’ll just help her take a nice little nap.
Forever.
~*~ 23 ~*~
I wait for Hunter by the well, as promised. For some reason, Cooper insisted on coming with me. I argued that I didn’t need him – I prefer to be alone with Hunter – but he wouldn’t listen. The Wood is a dangerous place, he said. The only reason I gave in is because I’m still afraid of the old lady.
I wait until long after noon. Finally, a little peasant boy I’ve never seen rushes into the grove with a scrap of parchment in his hand. He bows. “For you, m’lady. From Mr. Hunter.”
I shake out the parchment and read it.
Snowy - The queen gave birth during the night. She is well but needs my care. I’ll come to you when I am able. -H
H? How hard could it have been to write out his full name? Couldn’t he have ended with some reassuring words of love? That’s what I would have done if I had written a note. Was he in such a rush to get it over with?
I crunch the note in my fist and look at the boy. “You may tell ‘H’ that ‘S’ is not pleased. Can you remember that?”
The boy nods and, sensing my anger, runs away quickly. I stalk a circle around the grove, fuming to myself. So the child is here. At least that makes things easier. I wasn’t sure if Cinderella could deliver the baby while under a sleeping curse. Now I don’t have to worry.
“What happened?” Cooper asks. He’s standing under an apple tree, his thick arms folded.
“Hunter isn’t coming,” I snap.
“All right, then let’s go back.”
“No. Take me to the cottage.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I’m not asking you to think! You’ll do as I say.”
“So, you’re the queen now, eh?”
I sigh. Why does everyone keep saying that?
Cooper walks up to me, and without hesitation, scoops me up like a toddler. “Let’s go, little miss.” He tosses me over his shoulder.
“Put me DOWN!” I shout, pummeling his back with my fists. Then I notice how high I am, how the apples are right at my eyelevel. There’s a big, beautiful red one hanging within my reach. I snap it off the branch before Cooper carries me away.
~*~ 24 ~*~
“Mirror, Mirror, on the wall – I need to see Hunter right
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