Sleeping Beauty (Not Quite the Fairy Tale Book 7)(23)

Aurora jumped out of the way and hid behind a column, knowing how useless that was. Fuck. What now?

No fire came. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she guessed why. She was an intruder and the creature wanted to kill her, but it wouldn’t harm those who belonged here, the animals and beasts resting around her. Still, just because it wasn’t willing to set fire to their Eden, it didn’t mean that it wouldn’t find a way to kill her. Eating her alive, clawing her until there were little pieces everywhere.

She gulped.

“I’m not here to fight you,” she screamed from behind her column, not daring to peek. “I’m not here to take your treasures or kill any beasts. I’m not a hero. Or a hunter, knight, poacher, you name it. I’m a freaking head scientist with a PhD in biochemistry. I’ve sat on my ass behind a computer calculating odds for the last half dozen years!”

No noise indicated whether the dragon was paying attention or not. But she was still alive. An encouraging thought.

“I’m Aurora Stephenson. My father, the Regent of Ferren, spent years dismissing scientists when we said we could revive the king. So I took a chance and just did it.”

Steps. The huge creature was taking heaving, ground-shaking steps. Towards her.

She closed her eyes and bit her lips.

“Rupert made it. Only just. He said he kept on hoping Maleficent would hear about it and come help him. Give him a hand with his daughter. He was so sure she’d want to help. But something went wrong last night. He’s been captured, maybe even hurt, I don’t know. Some weird ass robot got me out of the palace before the traitors could get to me and led me here. I just need to speak to Maleficent. Then I’ll be gone, I swear.”

It was close. So close. But the steps weren’t quite so heavy now. They were silent and, if possible, more threatening. Aurora’s heart beat so freaking fast. She turned to face the dragon.

It was still dark, still dangerous, still mystic. But it had now taken a very different shape.

A long skirt, falling to the ground. A tight leather corset. A cape floating behind a woman so painfully perfect watching her hurt.

She had dark horns coming out of her head, covered by a black metallic crown.

“Well, well,” said Maleficent. “Look what we have here.”





Chapter 19





The Seelie Queen





The Seelie Queen was very different to Rumpelstiltskin. Wilder. Darker. Angrier. But against all logic or reason, Aurora found her heart beat slow down the moment she met her eyes. Fear left her limbs. This was a formidable creature, no doubt - it just didn’t strike her as a foe.

“You’re a dragon,” she stated the obvious.

“I wish,” said the queen, laughing. “But not quite, no.”

She could have fooled her. “So, you love Rupert,” she stated, making Aurora’s eyes widened. “Don’t look so surprised. I spent the last century meditating on that damn curse. I don’t think anything could have saved his life, other than True Love’s Kiss. My magic is too powerful to be thwarted by less.”

She blushed. True love? She’d certainly been quite infatuated with the sleeping, beautiful king. But that was quite a leap. Although now that she knew him, Aurora had to admit that she was indeed very, very close to falling.

Alright, so she might have already gone ahead and jumped off that cliff a little while ago. But still. Didn’t mean that she’d loved him to begin with, did it?

“You have Fay blood, little Cinder,” said Maleficent. “That’s what we call it now, and here, anyway. Magic blood coming right down from an ancestor that wasn’t human at all. That race came in pairs. Soul mates, you’d call it. Don’t try to rationalize things that are beyond your understanding. You love him. And a good thing, too,” her smile was downright wicked. “I know better than to give a chance to women who don’t deserve him, now.”

Aurora’s head was going to explode. She concentrated on the least understandable part of her little speech, “Cinder?” said she.

She knew of the Cinders - everyone did, now more than ever. The last Cinder, humans coming from the strongest line of fire-using Fays, was Ella De Luz.

“You think I’m a Cinder?”

That made no sense. She had no magics, save for those two wishes she’d now used up. Cinderella could wave her hand and summon fire.

“Cinderella’s mother was one of three sisters - triplets. All born with Fay blood aplenty. One was Seelie, one, quite mortal, and the last, as Unseelie as they come. Wild and reckless. Reckless enough to leave her baby at its father’s steps before disappearing.”

Aurora blinked, again, and again, and again. “You’re not serious.”

“Both Courts have looked after you,” she told her, somewhat defensively. “I sent Fae. That poser, Rumple, sent Petunia. We take care of our children.”

As Aurora’s entire world was flipped upside down, the Seelie Queen started walking away. Seeing that she wasn’t following, she turned, and lifted a brow. “Well, are you coming? Seems like we have a Kingdom to save.”



“You’re kidding,” Stephenson groaned, when his men reported what they’d just found out.

“Every access code has changed. We can’t even enter the Council chambers, let alone the King’s office. When Rench tried to take the crown, he was stopped by…”