Chapter 6

6

I woke the next morning with a stretch and a smile. I sang as I showered and made breakfast. I fed my friends their breakfast before I ate my bowl of fruit smothered in thick cream.

Once dressed, I headed outside, just before seven, already planning to call a taxi if Levi wasn’t?—

He stood leaning against his blacked-out SUV parked in front of the house. Sunglasses covered his eyes, but I didn’t need to see them to notice he looked as rigid as ever. Unlike the expression he wore in my dream last night. Remembering the things he’d done made my cheeks flush.

“You okay?” He pushed away from his car with a concerned expression.

“Yes, why do you ask?”

“Your face is awfully red.”

It turned brighter at the fact he’d noticed. “Fine. I’m just hot.”

“It’s sixty-five degrees.”

“Hot from cooking, um, porridge.”

“Un-hunh.” I couldn’t tell if he believed my lie.

He opened the passenger door for me to get in and then slid behind the wheel.

“Anything happen overnight?” I asked.

“Nope.”

“So the prince is…?”

“Fine.”

Talkative sort in the morning. I glanced at Levi and noticed he wore a black T-shirt and jeans. Same as yesterday. Most likely he had a closet full of the same outfit. The scruff on his jaw was new, though. I don’t think I’d ever seen him not clean-shaven.

“Anything planned for today?” I queried.

“Nope.”

His one-syllable answers began to grate. “Can we swing by the bureau first? I don’t have my suitcase.” My briefcase of goodies, which I hoped to never have to use.

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s currently being fumigated.”

Finally, more than a one-word reply.

He abruptly slammed on the brakes, and I would have jolted harder if he’d not slapped an arm across my chest. On my boobs, I might add. He didn’t do it to cop a feel, though.

I blinked at the family of swans, big and small, crossing the road. Given the stories only had adults, I couldn’t help but murmur, “Are they multiplying?”

“Seems like.”

Kind of gross, actually, since the swans used to be human but magic transformed them, which made me wonder about the chicks toddling along. Would they revert to human if the spell broke or remain birds forever since they were conceived in that shape? Either way, a good thing the government had a ban on killing swans.

The hotel appeared busy, not because of guests but the growing crowd of women, many dressed in ball gowns, some holding signs.

I’m your true love.

I’ll put on the shoe.

Make me your princess.

“Jeez,” I murmured. “The ball is still days away.” And already these potentials were fully immersed in the curse. I understood the Grimm Effect influenced some of them to act this way. Still, some measure of self-respect should allow them to push back. You didn’t see me doing my best to make Killian notice me.

I stepped out of the SUV and headed inside, ignored by the crowd. Meanwhile, the truck got mobbed, blocking Levi from exiting. They banged the vehicle and pressed their faces to the window chanting, “It’s the prince!”

A major groan of disappointment filled the air when Levi shoved open his door and stepped out.

As he headed for me, I walked into the lobby and promptly tripped…

…right into Killian’s arms. So much for not throwing myself at the closest prince.

“Well, hello there. Guess you’ve changed your mind about falling for me,” the prince teased.

I righted myself with a chuckle. “Dream on. They never mention in the stories how clumsy Cinderella can be.”

Killian’s hand on my arms lingered as he smiled. “If you ask me, flaws make a Cinderella more approachable.”

“Where’s your assigned Knight?” Levi snapped as he joined us.

Killian took a step back from me. “I’m afraid Hannah didn’t manage to get on the elevator since it was rather full.”

Levi looked like he might explode. “Your Highness knows he’s not supposed to wander around alone.”

“Calm down. Here she comes.” Killian indicated as the elevator opened and Hannah stalked out, looking ready to murder.

Levi intercepted her, and they bent heads to whisper.

“Uh-oh, I think you’re in trouble,” I murmured.

“One can hope.” Killian didn’t seem bothered one bit that he’d peeved the Knights. “I trust you’re recovered from our mishap yesterday.”

“Not a single scratch. And you?”

“Ready to see what the day has in store.”

“Do we have a plan?”

“Food! The hotel, on my mother’s orders, tried to feed me healthy stuff like spinach omelets made of egg whites with a serving of plain granola.” Killian made a face.

“The horror,” I agreed.

“My mother is convinced I need to eat better. Meanwhile, I think my figure is just fine.” He spun for me and showed off his snug-fitting but worn jeans paired with a heavy metal T-shirt.

“Does this mean you’re looking for a heart-attack breakfast?”

“Yes, do you know a place?” His expression lit up, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“Indeed, I do. Miranda’s Diner. Deep fried potatoes, real bacon, made-from-scratch waffles and pancakes. It’s really quite good, if artery hardening. It’s only a few blocks from here. Maybe a ten-minute stroll.”

“The prince can’t walk around in public,” Levi stated flatly, having rejoined us without Hannah. “He’ll be mobbed the moment he steps out that door.”

I glanced through the glass and saw the women pushing against the police barricades.

“Which is why we’ll go out the back,” the prince exclaimed.

Before Levi could say no, Killian grabbed my hand and tugged me in his wake as he led me behind the reception desk, where the attendant gaped but didn’t stop us.

Levi followed with a grumbled, “I am going on the record now and saying this is a bad idea.”

“If you ask me, you’re just grumpy because you’re hungry.” Killian teased the big man.

“I’m grumpy because this is foolish.”

“We’ll be fine. I have the best Knight, after all, guarding my back.” Killian went through a door marked Employees Only, which led to a corridor with several closed doors. Killian didn’t open any of the ones we passed, heading for the one at the far end marked Stairs – Basement.

“Do you know where you’re going?” I asked as Killian led me at a quick trot down the steps.

“I studied the hotel schematics this morning. I’m used to having to sneak out of places. Lucky for us, this hotel connects to the building behind it, which holds their laundry facility.”

A glance over my shoulder showed Levi with his phone to his ear as he murmured, probably advising his team of our route. With an operation like this, agents would spread out rather than cluster around the target, moving ahead to watch for possible threats, guarding the rear.

The twist and turns we took had me confused. “Are you sure we’re going the right way?”

“I memorized the blueprint, photographic memory being a skill of mine,” Killian admitted. “Almost there.” He yanked open a rusted metal door, and up some stairs we went, emerging in a storage closet then into a vast steamy place full of massive, industrial laundry machines.

While the workers gave us curious glances, no one impeded our path across to the door marked Exit. We emerged onto a sidewalk, and Killian gave me an exaggerated bow.

“If my lady would be so kind as to show the way…”

With Levi guarding our rear, I led us to the diner, which proved to be surprisingly empty, until I realized Gerome sulked in a corner. Mostly likely he’d thrown money at the patrons before tossing them out.

“I like to people-watch.” Killian’s claim led to us sitting in a booth with a window. Levi remained standing by the long Formica counter, glowering.

“It’s kind of exposed. Aren’t you afraid of being recognized?” I asked, grabbing the plastic-coated menu.

“Let’s be honest. Would anyone expect me to be here, dressed like this?” He indicated with a wave of his hands.

“Good point. However, if you’re wrong, this won’t be easy to extricate ourselves from.” What could I say? Levi’s caution might have rubbed off a bit on me.

“We’ll be fine. Food and then to work. Your boss, Hilda, says you can run a background check on the guest list so we can weed out some of the troublemakers ahead of time. Maybe also pull any info you can on women affected by the Ash Girl curse, since they seem to be getting invitations that we didn’t send.”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to just ban all the potential Cinderellas?” I asked.

“I would have, but Mum insisted some attend because, as she claims”—he raised his fingers to quote—“ I need grandbabies, and I won’t have them be bastards.”

My lips quirked. “And she’s okay with the curse choosing your bride?”

He shrugged. “I mean they supposedly lived happily ever after.”

“Wait, I thought you were against getting married, though.”

“I am. But who knows? Maybe I’ll come face to face with someone and be like, bam, she’s the one.”

“You believe in love at first sight?”

“First sight, email, phone call, tackle. You never know when it will happen.” Killian rolled his shoulders.

“Shall we order? I am famished.” My light breakfast hadn’t stood the test of time, and the smell of deep-fried breakfast potatoes had me salivating.

Killian ordered the greasiest and unhealthiest stuff on the menu. Bacon, sausages, two waffles with whipped cream and strawberries, a side of potatoes.

I had the potatoes smothered in hollandaise with chunks of bacon and sausage. To those surprised I ate meat, being friends with nature didn’t make me a vegan. Most of my friends were carnivores, and through them, I understood the cycle of life. Eat or be eaten. It was the way.

We stuffed ourselves. Well, the guys did. I managed about half and then carried my plate over to Levi and dropped it without a word, although he did quirk his lips. No surprise, he polished off the rest.

As I finished my coffee, the waitress, a sturdy gal of later years, emerged carrying a tray and on it a massive pie. And I mean huge. It took up almost the entire surface of our table.

When she set it down with a heavy thump in front of us, Killian waved her off. “No thanks. We are quite stuffed.”

“But it’s a pie fit for a king,” the waitress exclaimed.

“I’m not a king,” he stated flatly, starting to rise, but me, I had my gaze glued to the heaving crust.

“Um, what’s in the pie?” I asked as the surface began to crack.

“Step back!” Levi barked, yanking Killian away from the booth, but I had the waitress blocking me, so when the pastry exploded, the wings of the black birds baked in the pie buffeted me.

I threw my arms over my head, trying to protect my face, but I didn’t have to worry because a familiar chest once more cradled me.

By the time the commotion died down, the waitress was in hysterics, probably because Gerome had a gun pointed at her while asking where she’d gotten the pie. Killian sat on a stool, eating a cookie, calm as could be. Levi glowered—no real surprise—and I started to laugh.

The big man glared and groused, “What’s so fucking funny?”

“Considering there’s a verse to the Sing a Song of Sixpence nursery rhyme that talks about someone losing their nose, this could have been much worse.”

My comment didn’t help. Levi barked, “Back to the hotel. But no heading out the front. Gerome has the SUV parked in the alley.”

As we piled in, me in the back with the prince, Levi in the front with his gun in his lap while Gerome drove, Killian leaned over to whisper, “How did someone know I’d be at that diner?”

Not to mention have a pie with blackbirds already to go.

I didn’t have an answer, but I just knew Levi would use this as an excuse to be even more strict.

I just didn’t expect it to extend to me!