Her words are a gut punch.
The Fairy Godmother is right. With patience, a sense of humor, some ass kickings and a pocketful of marshmallows, I feel safer than I ever remember. I’m pretty sure the rope played a big part too. . .
But regardless, I’ve always been a little detached, a little floaty, keeping my distance from my friends, the world, hell, myself. Inch by inch, Kai reeled me into my own body giving me experiences it was worth being present for.
Maybe becoming grounded was the bridge to coming into power.
Not that I’m sure how to harness the power of blood that tastes like sunshine. . . Sounds a bit like a lame hand I’ve been dealt, but I’ve got more important things to worry about.
“So she’s a witch?” Kai asks. “Oof.”
Kiki smacks him with a closed fan in the gut. “That’s an outdated term, princey-pie. We call wielders of magic mages, and yes. I imagine Cinder is a mage at a level commensurate with that of her friends.”
“You’re here because I’m a super powerful mage?” I ask, feeling a bit of whiplash from the last twenty-four hours.
“No, honey,” she draws out. “I’m here for your wedding. I got this, what would you call it, sixth sense you might need somefriends now. And maybe a new pair of shoes.” With a snap of her fingers, Dame Kiki summons a pair of boots from thin air.
They're glossy onyx black, studded with gleaming silver spikes and with platform heels that kill. Deadly and delicious.
My heart skips a beat.
“To replace those glass, shank traps I had you in,” she says with a wink. “These beauties will let you come and go from this pretty palace as you please. Because if you are going to get married, you’ll need to assemble your wedding party.”
“My wedding party?”
“Your maidens, your posse, your squad. Every Queen needs her court. And honey, it's time to rally yours.”
“It’s going to be difficult for anyone to shove their foot into that tiny devil boot to transport,” Kai points out.
The Fairy Godmother turns to him with a skeptical look. “What do you mean shove their foot in the shoes? Only Cinder needs to wear them. If she wants to bring a boo, they only need to hold hands with her and they’ll travel with her just fine. Hell, she could make a daisy chain and they’d all make it with her.” Her expression smooths with surprise as Kaison’s face blanches. “Have you been sticking your big man foot in one of her shoes to travel back and forth? Sweet baby ogres, did you cut off your toes to get that honking thing in there?” She gestures to his feet.
Kaison mumbles something about nearly becoming an amputee and it would have been nice to know earlier.
“Yes well, stop that,” Kiki barks before turning back to me. There’s a glint in her eyes as Kiki presses the boots into my hands. “It's time to show Midnight what happens when you mess with the Lost Girls.”
As I clutch the boots to my chest, I feel a new resolve taking root. Kiki is right. I'm done being a passive prisoner, a pawn in this twisted game.
I am Cinder Park. Goth Queen. Mistress of my own fate.
And I'm ready to raise some hell.
Chapter 49
My Red Wedding
CHARMING
The day of the wedding comes all too soon, and my bride-to-be has spent the entire day being prepared.
My father assures me that the Red Room has been readied for me. I’m a man today and I should feed and fuck before my wedding night. After all, we need Cinder alive now. She’s great for public relations.
For now anyway.
Fucker.
The grand hall is resplendent, decked out in the royal indigos and silvers of the Midnight court, yet there is an undercurrent of unease rippling through the gathered crowd. Anticipation and disdain create a heady atmosphere, yet I’m oddly calm.
I stand tall at the altar, my posture impeccable, my expression carefully schooled. This is it. The moment that will make or break not just my future, but the future of the entire Midnight realm.
