Cinderella: A Fractured Fairytale

Eighty-One

Chapter 81

Ana's POV

*****

"Phillip! Ella!" My voice shook slightly. "I need help."

Eric's face was pale, though he had stopped mumbling like someone possessed by a demon. He was breathing hard, eyes flaring like green flames... fearful ones.

Phillip hurried into the room, looking worried. Ella was close behind. "What's wrong?"

"It's Eric," I said, feeling tears prick the corners of my eyes. "I don't know what's wrong."

The two of them looked at Eric, who was staring into space as if seeing something we couldn't. His body was tense.

"Eric?" Ella sounded hesitant. "What's wrong?"

Phillip looked slightly afraid to get close to him, probably unsure of whether Eric still held hostile feelings toward him. "Eric...?"

I choked down a sob, unable to push away the fear taking hold of me; gripping me with iron claws. "Please," I whispered, reaching out to touch his arm. "Please be okay."

As soon as I touched him, something changed and he looked up, finally seeming to see me. His body relaxed slightly, and he met my eyes. When he saw the worry there, he shook himself as if waking from a dream. His mouth smiled, but his eyes were full of sorrow that I wasn't sure if I was imagining or not.

"I'm fine," he reassured, seeing all our expressions. "I was just... lost in thought."

I wanted to believe him. Besides, why would he lie to me?

But I couldn't help it. I was still on the verge of tears.

Eric sat up straighter, eyes catching on mine. "Hey." He took my hand and gently pulled me to him, sitting me down next to him. "Don't cry. It's okay. Nothing's wrong, Ana." He leaned over and kissed my forehead.

I blinked, trying to believe it. "You scared me," I whispered softly.

He pulled me close, hugging me. "Shhh... it's okay, Ana. I'm fine." A tender smile touched his lips, but still his eyes were melancholy. "I'm sorry for scaring you."

"It's okay," I mumbled, closing my eyes and listening to his heartbeat. Maybe I was imagining the sadness. Maybe I was just being paranoid. I pulled away, meeting his eyes. "Just don't do it again."

Eric looked away, guilt pooling in his eyes. He didn't answer.

Nothing's wrong, I promised myself. Nothing's wrong; he'd tell me if it was.

"You know," Eric said softly, "I have a feeling we don't need to worry about Black anymore. He won't be coming back to hurt us."

"How do you know?" asked Ella, seeming skeptical. "We thought he was dead before, and he still came back. He could return any second to finish us off."

Eric shook his head. "He's weak, Ella. My spell still has an effect on him. He'll be recovering his strength. He's probably realized by now that we're no longer worth the effort to him."

She considered that for a moment. "Well, we still don't know for sure. I think we should stay on our guard until we know he's no longer a threat."

He inclined his head. "Fair enough."

I stood abruptly, suddenly feeling decidedly cheerful. "I'm going on a walk."

Eric stood too. "May I join you?"

I met his eyes teasingly, pretending to consider for a moment. "I suppose. If you must."

He laughed. "I think we should go find Ethan and Jovette."

"Really?" I tilted my head. "And interrupt their 'quality time'?"

Eric grinned sheepishly, seeming a bit more himself now. "I need to talk to Ethan."

"Fine," I replied. "Let's go."

*****

"You know," I mumbled, "I'm kind of tired of people almost dying around here. Do you think we could have a normal day tomorrow?"

Eric laughed from beside me, but I saw a faint hopelessness in his eyes. "Maybe," he replied softly. "That would be nice, wouldn't it?"

After a moment he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close as we walked.

We were coming upon the wild-grown rose garden, and as we rounded a corner in the labyrinth of stone arches and shrubs, Jovette and Ethan came into sight. Ethan was carefully placing a rose in Jovette's hair, seeming entranced and spellbound. He whispered something to her, and she stared back, seeming just as mesmerized as he was.

And then the tension pulled taut as Jovette took a deep breath, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him.

He was pulling her close and beginning to kiss back just as Eric, who hadn't been paying attention to them and had instead been staring at the cobblestones beneath us, lost in thought, called his brother's name absently. "Ethan!"

Oblivious boy. I elbowed him in the ribs, and he glanced up in surprise, then saw what was happening. He turned pink. "Oh."

The sound of Eric's voice startled Ethan and Jovette, and Ethan jumped back before the kiss had even really started. He saw Eric and me, and his face flooded with color. "Yes?"

Jovette shot me a glare, as if to say, Look what you've done!

I winced back apologetically.

Eric blinked. "Um. Sorry. We can... leave now...?"

Ethan glowered. "No, it's fine. What did you need?"

Eric glanced at Ethan, then at me and Jovette. "I... I need to talk to you."

The undertone of his words pierced me slightly. Alone. Without anyone else.

Ethan immediately grew serious. The glare melted from his face into a slightly worried expression. "What is it?"

Jovette looked a bit miffed, but she sighed and smiled a little, as if determined to stay positive. Who was this girl? Certainly not the sister I had known before she'd been kidnapped.

Ethan glanced at Jovette, eyes softening. He bent down and picked up the rose from the ground. It had dislodged from her hair as his fingers had tangled in her curls when he'd kissed her. "Here." He tucked it into her hair again, fingers brushing her face and lingering there.

Quickly, before he drew away, he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. She jumped in surprise, then her cheeks tinted pink.

Ethan turned to Eric. "Okay. I'm ready."