Lucky Charm (Reverse Fairytales Book 2)(50)

“Why not?”

“Because I’m scared. I’m scared that I’ll forget who I am or you will. I’m scared that I’ll do something to hurt Luca. I’m scared that if we start, I won’t ever want to stop.”

Cynder smiled down at me. “I’m not going to hurt you, Charm.”

“Just being here with you hurts. Don’t you know that? Why do you think I’ve avoided you this week? Because I fell in love with you a long time ago, and I don’t know how to turn that off. I didn’t want you to come back because I needed to get over you. When I thought you were married, it made things easier, but now...” I paused, unsure how to carry on. “How am I supposed to get over you when we have to go on dates like this? You have made this date the most perfect date I’ve ever been on. I may be a queen and used to such wonderful things, but you’ve still managed to make it more special than anything I could have imagined. I was just going to take you to the bowling alley in the palace. I never in my wildest dreams expected you’d do this for me. I love it, and I hate it all at the same time because as much as I want this date to be real, it can’t be. You and I can never be together. You know that, and yet you still went to all this trouble for me. The dress, the food, the carriage. My plan was to make this the least romantic, most boring date ever.”

I was babbling, and I knew it. Everything I’d tried to keep inside, spewed up to the surface. Cynder held up a finger to my lips.

“Shhh.” Just that small touch was enough to have my blood burning through my veins.

“I’m an idiot, and I’m sorry. This is too much.”

“You aren’t an idiot...” I began.

“Yes, I am. I should have known how this would affect you. I’ve thought of nothing all week but planning this so I could win you back. I didn’t come back for the Magi, I came back because I wanted to. Being apart from you has been hell. I was so happy when I found out that there was to be another competition. A chance to get you away from Luca. I’ve wanted nothing more than for you to come to me and tell me that it’s over between you and him.”

Tears began to spill over, and I made no attempt to stop them.

“I can’t end things with Luca. I’m the queen. Can you imagine how it will look if the public finds out I’m with you? Yeah, they all think they want that. It makes great television. They love watching us go through these dates as if we are lab rats under scrutiny, but the truth of the matter is, if I really do break my engagement with Luca, they’ll never trust me. Even the Magi. Yeah, they want you as their king, but if I dump Luca for you, they’ll never want me for their queen.”

“I know all that.” He wiped a tear from my cheek with his thumb. We were only inches apart, and yet, it might as well have been hundreds of miles. “That’s not the reason you can’t be with me, though, is it?”

“No,” I admitted. “I can’t do that to Luca. He’s stood by me through the worst time of my life. You weren’t there...” I saw the look on his face and immediately felt bad. “Not that you could have been. I know you were hiding from the law. I’m not blaming you, it’s just this is the way things are. I’ve promised my life to Luca. I can’t go back on that promise.”

Cynder nodded. “You are a true asset to your kingdom, my lucky Charm. Luca is a very lucky man. I wish you both well.”

He stepped back, dropping his hand. I could still feel the warmth on my face.

“Please don’t be like that. I don’t want to hurt you either. I don’t want anyone to hurt.”

He turned and pointed his wand right at me. At first, I thought I’d hurt him so much that he was going to attack me. As I stepped back away from him, I felt something happening around my body. My dress began to move and became lower. What was going on?

When the strange movement finally stopped, I looked down at myself. The beautiful dress and the high heels were gone. Instead was a shabby pair of trousers and a dull brown tunic. Over the top, my beautiful cloak had turned a shoddy brown color and it had holes all over it. On my feet were a pair of brown boots.

When I looked up, I saw that the beautiful suit Cynder had been wearing now matched my own attire. We looked like a couple of street urchins.

“What are you doing?” I asked in shock.

“I’ve been selfish. This date was a date for a queen. Luca can give you that next week.” He took my hand and led me to the stairwell. “Let’s get out of here.”

As we ran down the stairs into the night, I looked behind me. Four rats emerged from four suits and ran off into the darkness, their instruments hitting the ground.

As we got to the bottom floor, I pulled my earrings out. They really didn’t go with my new outfit at all. Slipping them into my tunic pocket, I pulled the cloak hood up, to conceal my face.

“No one will recognize you,” Cynder said, pulling the hood back down. He showed me my reflection in the restaurant window. My hair hung loosely over my shoulders, and my face was now free of make-up and filthy. I barely recognized myself. If Xavi saw me now, she would pitch a fit. I, on the other hand, felt strangely free.

“Come on,” he said, pulling me with him.

“Where are we going?” I laughed as he took me down a street I’d never been down before.

“I’m taking you on the least romantic, most boring date you’ll ever have. You are going to love it!”