Cinderella: A Fractured Fairytale

Thirty-Six

Jovette's POV

Chapter 36

***

I awoke with a start, sitting bolt upright and glancing around. What had startled me out of sleep?

Ethan was still asleep on the other side of the fire. I watched him for a moment, then sat up and pulled myself over to a space next to him.

During the past twenty-four hours, I had tried and tried to be angry with him. To yell at him. To feel some sort of hostility towards him for kidnapping me.

But somehow... the only thing I was capable of feeling towards him was pity.

Pity.

I had always disregarded the emotion before. It had seemed useless to me. But now...

What could cause a person to never smile? Never laugh? Never feel a shred of happiness?

Was he sad? I didn't think so. He was just... expressionless.

Emotionless.

I bent over him, trying to see his face better. He looked haunted, afraid. Was he having bad dreams again?

Could I maybe... help him somehow?

What are you thinking, stupid? came the voice from within. Why would you help the person who kidnapped you and is holding you hostage? Why?

I ignored it.

He was wearing some sort of rock around his neck. I moved to pick it up in my hand, but when my skin touched it, I flinched away immediately.

It was deathly cold.

How was it even possible for anything to be that cold?

The rock was a deep, deep black color; however... there seemed to be hints of another color flickering in it, as if an unseen light source was reflecting off its edges.

At the same time, though, the stone radiated darkness. I had seen things that shone, that radiated light before, but never darkness. What was this?

Ethan stirred. I jumped, terrified that he'd catch me. I scrambled back to my previous spot on the other side of the fire and lay down hurriedly, trying to slow my breathing and relax so it looked like I was asleep. My eye opened a crack and I peeked through.

Ethan's eyes opened. He sat up slowly, running a hand through his hair the same way Eric had the first time I'd seen him. I couldn't help it. A thousand butterflies exploded in my stomach. If only I could talk to him...

I almost squeaked when his hair stayed perfectly disheveled in tousled, spiky waves.

What is happening to me? I wondered. He's not a nice guy! This never happened to me yesterday or the day before.

He blinked once, twice, and my gaze was irrepressibly drawn to his green eyes. Stop it!

In a bad mood, I opened my eyes all the way and groaned.

His gaze drifted over to me. "Hello to you, too, Miss Irritable."

My mouth dropped open. "Was that a joke?" His tone had been monotonous, but stil...

Ethan glanced away immediately. "Of course not. I was simply stating a fact."

I saw through it, though. That was a joke! Maybe he's not completely helpless after all...

I stood up, stretching. "Do we get a morning meal today?"

Ethan regarded me silently for a moment. "Perhaps." He stood slowly. "But I'm tired of fish."

"Me, too!" I exclaimed. My mind was racing. He's acting different, personable today. What does this mean? Is it all just a show? Is it fake?

Or is he for real?

Ethan glanced around. "Maybe I can find some wild currants. They grow around here. It is a bit early in the season, but..."

Suddenly, he glanced down. His expression changed into one of tense awareness. "Something's wrong with my heartst-" He cut himself off, shooting me a wary glance, and then closed his fingers over the black stone around his neck, which had been flickering more and more with a color that looked like some sort of ice blue. His chest heaved as if he were in pain and he fell back to his knees, eyes wild, fingers gripping the stone until they turned white.

I tried not to be worried. "Ethan...?"

He didn't respond. He was gasping for air as if he couldn't get enough into his lungs. His hands were shaking and his face was pale now.

I put a hand to my mouth. What was going on?

Okay, that was it. I didn't care if he didn't want me to help him. I was going to do it anyway.

I rushed over to him, kneeling on the ground beside him and touching his arm. "Ethan, what's wrong?"

He flinched away from my touch as if it burned him. "Don't touch me," he growled out through gritted teeth.

I shrank back in fear.

Moments later, his breathing slowed and he took one last deep breath, then met my eyes coldly. "Don't ever try to help me again."

I wasn't going to agree to that, but apparently he didn't think he needed an answer. He turned away. "Fish for breakfast," he grumbled.

***

Walking again.

How boring.

I tried to pass the time by making up stories in my head.

They were mostly stories where Ethan realized it was wrong to kidnap people, decided he wanted to turn over a new leaf, and came back home with me and we became friends.

More than friends in some of the stories.

Of course, that was entirely fanciful. I didn't actually want or hope for that to happen.....