Lucky Charm (Reverse Fairytales Book 2)(51)

The least romantic, most Boring Date


I laughed as we ran through the darkened streets. People passed us, barely giving us a second glance. Since I was a small child, every outing I’d ever been on had people gawping at me as though I was an exhibit in a zoo. The only time I’d managed to walk the streets without being seen was last year when I’d come out with Leo, and even then, I’d had to wear a cloak to cover my face and stick to the shadows. Now, I walked with Cynder through the streets with my face on full show, and not a single person recognized us. Without all the fancy clothes, the woman who had graced the cover of every magazine and paper for the last six months was almost invisible. I’d never felt so free in my life.

We walked for an hour until we came to a pretty little square surrounded by shops. In the center was an ice skating rink. So many people were out, enjoying the evening, eating hot food from the little wooden market stalls dotted around the edge of the square, and dining at the restaurants.

“Let’s skate!” Cynder invited. “Do you have any money?”

“No. I don’t carry money; I’m the queen.” I reminded him, feeling foolish.

“Me neither. Wait here.” I watched as he sneaked in the back entrance of the skate rental place. A second later, he came out carrying two pairs of skates.

“You stole them?” I whispered.

“They are for hire. We’ll take them back. Technically, I only stole time with them. We are street rats now, remember?”

I took my pair and pulled them on my foot, leaving my boots to one side. Street rat or not, I’d make sure I sent one of the palace staff with some money tomorrow. Lacing up both skates, I headed out onto the ice where I promptly fell straight over onto my butt.

“You’ve never done this before, have you?” asked Cynder as he reached down to help me up.

“No,” I admitted. “It looks so easy.”

And it did. Couples skated around hand in hand, children chased each other at frightening speed across the slippery ice. No one but me seemed to have any problem with it.

“Hold my hand,” instructed Cynder. “We’ll take it slowly.” I held onto him as he pulled me out onto the ice. Nerves about being in love with him were completely overshadowed by the fear of falling on my face and breaking my teeth. Ice skating, it seemed was a good choice.

I was never going to be a great skater, but with Cynder helping me, I managed to stay upright for the rest of the session. Speeding around on the ice left me feeling exhilarated and the cool night air colored my cheeks.

Even though it was early spring, the weather was still colder than average, and my hands were freezing by the time we dropped the skates off and put our boots back on.

Cynder took me to one of the small wooden huts that lined the picturesque square. The smell of cinnamon and chocolate filled the air.

“Cynder!” Greeted the rotund man in the window of the hut as if they were old friends. “Long time no see. I’ve been watching you on the news. Crazy times, my friend.” He glanced at me and whispered something in Cynder’s ear that I didn’t quite catch. Cynder grinned. “Can you spare us a couple of your finest doughnuts?”

“For you, my friend, anything. Here’s a hot chocolate each too.”

He handed us both a cup of thick creamy chocolate and a cinnamon doughnut each. I was still full from dinner, but it smelled so good, I wolfed it down anyway, licking the sugar from my lips for good measure.

“What did he whisper to you?” I asked as we walked away from the square, our hot chocolates still in hand.

“He said I should be careful stepping out with a pretty young thing like yourself when I am supposed to be courting the queen.”

I snorted, blowing hot chocolate everywhere. It was amazing how people could look but not see what was right in front of them.

We walked until we came to a canal which was lit up prettily, not with the magic fireflies that Cynder had produced earlier, but with fairy lights. A boat was moored to the side, waiting for passengers to fill it for a short pleasure cruise.

“Don’t worry. I’m not taking you on anything as romantic as that. This is a boring date. I’ve got something much more appropriate in mind.” He handed me a pair of oars. “You can row.”

I followed him down to a tiny rowboat that was tied to the canal’s edge with a thick rope. I stepped in and put the oars in the correct position, but he took them out of my hands.

“I’ll row there. You can row back,” he said, pulling the oars through the black water.

“Where exactly are we going?” I wondered aloud.

“Nowhere.”

The oars cut through the glasslike surface of the water, sending ripples all around us. The fairy lights continued all along the banks. I watched the people we passed. Couples out on a romantic nighttime stroll, a couple of teens walking their dog.

“Is this what life is like?” I asked, trailing my fingers through the frigid water.

“What do you mean?” replied Cynder.

“The freedom to walk along the canal, to eat a doughnut without being hounded by the press. Is this what life is like for people?”

“Some people. It’s not like this for the Magi, or at least it hasn’t been for a good many years.”

“What’s it like for the Magi?” I asked.