Lucky Charm (Reverse Fairytales Book 2)(53)

Monty cut me off.

“May I inquire as to what you were doing out by the canal at this hour?”

I looked at the clock on the wall. The time was eleven forty-five. I was never going to be able to get home by the time I promised.

“That’s not really any concern of yours,” I replied brusquely. “What should concern you is that a couple of anti-Magi thugs threw an innocent child into the water.”

“Innocent? If they were anti-Magi, does that mean the boy in question is a Mage? Maybe he was doing magic on them, and they were defending themselves?”

“They were twice his size! The innocence of the child is not in question. However, the guilt of the older two boys is. I want them found and charged with attempted murder.”

Monty’s mustache twitched. “Now that’s a bit harsh, don’t you think? It was just a prank.”

“The boy nearly drowned. If I’d not been there to save him, he would surely have perished.”

“But he’s just a...”

“A what?” I knew exactly what he was going to say, but I wanted to hear him say it. I wanted to hear him say the word Mage because then I could fire his sorry ass for flouting the law on prejudice.”

“I know what you are thinking, Your Majesty, but the truth of the matter is, I can’t arrest two young boys because they happen to throw a vagabond in the water. He’s a Mage. He can fend for himself.”

“I’m so glad you said that, Mr. Grenfall. Please take your things and leave.”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m firing you. I said I was going to find a Mage to help you, but it seems to me that if you can’t remember your own laws, then I‘ll just have to find someone to replace you.”

“What law exactly do you think I’ve broken?”

“I made it quite clear that I would have no discrimination against the Magi. If you refuse to look for these boys because their victim is a Mage, then that is blatantly flouting that law.”

“You can’t do that. Your own father hired me. I’ve been on the force for over thirty years.”

“Well, you’ll be able to have a nice rest then, won’t you?”

“If you replace me with a Mage, that’s discrimination against the non-Magi. You are breaking your own law!” He crossed his arms and glared at me with a self-satisfied grin on his face.

“I actually said I was going to bring a Mage in to help you. I said nothing about a Mage replacing you. I’ll hire the best person for the job, be they Mage or non-Mage.”

I stood up, leaving him to simmer in his own outrage. Having him in charge of all the police in Silverwood was no good. It was about time we had some new blood. Some new magical blood.

By the time we finally left the police station, it was about two o’clock in the morning. Our statements had been taken, and the young boy’s mother had been found and brought to the station. The earliness of the hour hadn’t stopped the paparazzi from being out in force. Someone, I suspected Grenfall, had tipped them off and now there were hundreds of them camped outside the station waiting for us.

As Cynder and I walked down the station steps, hundreds of flashes from all the cameras dazzled us.

“Move aside!” A voice boomed out, causing them to part. In front of us stood Luca. Daniel was by his side. He took my hand, and we followed him to the pumpkin carriage Daniel had magicked up earlier. As we closed the carriage doors behind us, Luca wrapped his arms around me. His warmth filled me.

“So much for being back at midnight, huh?” Luca said. “The carriage turned back into a pumpkin, so Daniel was forced to use magic on it again. I don’t think the mice were too happy. Did you know he was a Mage?”

“I’m sorry,” I sighed, ignoring his question about Daniel.

“Don’t be. I heard you were quite the hero. I’m proud of you. I have to thank you too, Cynder, for keeping her safe.”

Once again, Luca surprised me by not being angry. I don’t know why I thought he would be or why I was expecting it. Instead, he was being perfectly lovely.

“Did you two have a good time before all the excitement?” he asked.

“It was the least romantic, most boring date I’ve ever had the misfortune to go on,” I said.

I noticed Cynder’s mouth curl up at the edges before he turned his face away to look out of the carriage window.





Out in the Open


The next morning, I did something I should have done a long time before. I called a meeting of the household. As I’d slept in and missed breakfast, I asked the kitchen to send up some croissants and fruit.

A member of staff brought Daniel and Dean up to the palace, and I brought the rest of the men. Elise was in bed with a particularly nasty case of morning sickness, and my mother declined to come as she was too busy with some wedding issue or other that I had no interest in. The meeting ended up with just the boys and me. Luca sat on my right and Cynder on my left. Leo, Daniel, and Dean filled up the remaining spaces.

“Thank you all for coming,” I said, standing up. As I did, Jenny walked in with a huge pot of coffee. “Jenny, you can stay too. I think it would be helpful for you to know what is going on.”

Jenny blushed and sat between Leo and Dean. She grabbed a notepad and pen from her pocket and waited for me to begin.