Chapter 6

T hey dashed toward one of the exits in the ballroom that led to the balcony. He didn’t stop as he headed down the length of the balcony to a set of stairs that took them into the palace gardens. She followed him, breathless, as they descended the stairs. Her shoe slipped off her right foot.

“Oh, wait, please.” She halted in the middle of the steps and turned back to grab it.

Nicholas was faster. He stepped around her and picked up the shoe from the stone step. He held it in his hands, gazing at it in wonder.

“It’s made of glass,” he said.

“Yes.” The breathy whisper plumed white in the air.

“May I?” He held up the shoe.

Her heart pounded hard. She nodded, taking a step back to lean against the balustrade. She pulled back the voluminous skirts to expose her stocking foot. He knelt, slipping the shoe back on. A perfect fit. When he rose, he held his hand out to her again.

“I’ll go slower this time,” he said.

She took his hand, shivering as they descended to the ground.

“You’re cold,” he said.

“I’m fine.”

She refused to give up this moment due to a little chill in the air. Snowflakes danced in the inky black sky as they fell in a dreamy circle to the ground. It wasn’t snowing hard yet, but Ella knew the winter storms would come.

“Here.” He pulled off his white gloves and handed them to her. “I don’t have my cloak or I’d give that to you, too.”

Uncertainty pounded through her.

“I insist,” he said.

She took the gloves and slipped them on her hands. They were still warm from his body heat. It sent a thrill through her right to the tips of her toes.

They walked at a much slower pace through the moonlit rose gardens. Even during winter, the roses were fragrant and blooming. Deep blue roses lined the pathway as they wound their way through the hedges and bushes. Ahead, a greenhouse was at the end of the path.

“We can take shelter in there.” He pointed to it.

She nodded, following him. She wondered who he truly was. She had never seen him before, but that didn’t mean much. Ella was only allowed to visit the market or remain at the house to cook and clean for her stepmother and stepsisters.

“Do you live in the village?” he asked. He took her hand in his as he led her down the rest of the path.

“Yes,” she said.

“With your stepsister?”

“Stepsisters,” she said, “and stepmother.”

She cringed. She was telling him way too much. He didn’t need to know any more than that or that she was a servant in her own home. She quickly decided to change the subject.

“If you’re not a lord, then what are you?” she asked.

He chuckled, a deep rumble in his chest. She liked the sound of it.

“I’m just a man,” he said. “My friends call me Nick.” He cut her a coy glance that indicated he wanted her to call him that.

“Are we friends, then?” she said.

He paused in the threshold of the greenhouse, taking both hands in his. His eyes were brilliant and bright as he looked at her. An eager affection rippled from him. It sent her senses whirling through her.

“I’d like us to be.”

“I hardly know you,” she whispered. Again, her words plumed in the night air.

“Then we should get to know each other.”

He pulled her to stand in front of him in the doorway of the greenhouse. His body heat radiated over her, sending a warming wave through her.

“I don’t know—” she began.

He placed his cold forefinger over her lips to silence her. He emitted a vitality that drew her to him. The idea of getting to know him filled her with an unexplainable happiness. He was handsome and attentive, but was that because they were at a ball caught up in the merriment and exuberance of the night?

He glanced up, meeting her eyes with a coy smile. “Look up.”

Above them, a cluster of mistletoe hung from a red ribbon. Ella was certain that wasn’t there a moment ago.

“Mistletoe,” she said.

“You know, I’ve heard mistletoe is used to ward off evil spirits,” he said. “And that it’s also a sign of love and friendship.”

Her stomach twisted with his words. Her heart fluttered wildly as she looked up at him, a twinkle of delight in his blue eyes.

“Is that so?” she asked.

“Just so.” He nodded. “And, of course, there is the other tradition.”

Kissing. There was kissing under the mistletoe. But could she allow him to kiss her? They had only just met.

He cupped her face in his cool hands.

Yes, she believed she could allow him to kiss her. Even though they had just met.

“If you’ll permit me?” His warm breath fanned over her face, delighting her.

Her breath caught in her throat but she managed a reply. “I permit you.”

He tipped his head to one side, leaning in, his lips a breath away from hers.

BONG .

The first clang of the clock startled her out of her reverie. She gasped and jerked away from him.

BONG.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I-I have to go.” She pulled off his gloves, shoving them at him in a panic. Then picked up the voluminous skirts.

Before she dashed away, he caught her arm, stopping her. “Why?”

BONG .

That was three strikes from the clock.

“I’m so sorry, Nicholas. Thank you for you a wonderful evening.”

She pulled her arm out of his grasp and dashed as fast as her shoes allowed. She ran up the pathway back toward the balcony steps.

“Wait, Ella!”

Footsteps behind her indicated he hurried after her. She clutched the material of her gown tighter in her hands as she ran harder. At the bottom of the steps, she hurried up.

BONG.

Four. Four strokes. What was it Noella said? She had to remove the shoes before the last stroke of midnight. But what happened if she didn’t ? At the top of the stairs, she dashed toward the open balcony door to the ballroom.

BONG.

Five. She had to hurry.

“Please, wait!” Nicholas called.

He was close behind her. She took a deep breath and dashed into the middle of the ballroom, weaving her way through the gyrating dancers and trying her hardest not to bump into any. She made direct eye contact with Lucinda, who immediately recognized her. Her eyes flew open in surprise and then narrowed. She said something to her dancing partner and pointed.

Ella had no time to pause. She pushed through the crowd, eyeing the stairs to go back up to the landing and exit the grand ballroom.

“Stop her! The woman in red! Stop!” someone shouted.

She stole a glance over her shoulder to see Nicholas entering the ballroom and imploring the others to help him stop her. Still clutching her gown in her fists, she made it to the bottom of the stairs and started up. Her legs throbbed with the exertion.

BONG .

Six and she was at the top of the stairs. She sprinted through the open door much to the surprise of the guards. They said nothing as she ran through the hallway, heading for the palace exit. Others were behind her. She heard their foot falls as they followed.

She kept her eye on the open door, her heart beating wildly. She was going to make it.

BONG.

Seven. She was out the door.

More stairs. But she couldn’t stop. She headed down them. As she made her way down, her right shoe slipped off again. She paused, turned and grabbed it, and saw a group heading for her. Gasping, she turned and ran down the rest of the stairs clutching the shoe in one hand and trying not to trip over her gown.

BONG.

Eight! She hurried across the lawn to the gates. It was almost impossible to run with one shoe, but she wasn’t going to take the other one off until she was clear of the gates.

BONG.

Nine and she was at the gates, her heart a furious beat. Her legs pumped madly as she made her way out of the gates.

BONG .

Ten and she was outside where she met Noella.

She stole a glance behind her to see Nicholas pause at the bottom of the stairs to search for her. When he found her, he bolted into a run.

BONG .

Eleven. Gasping, she stuck the slipper back on her foot, then hurried up the dirt road in her ball gown. As she did so, something began to happen. A warm tingling sensation spiraled through her. The world spun around and around and around like it had when she put on the shoes.

BONG.

Twelve.

And then suddenly she was floating, floating, floating, and falling, falling, falling, into a dreamy world of green and red. She flailed her arms as she fell through darkness and shadow. The snowy ground came up quickly and then suddenly everything went black.

Nicholas ran through the gates as a flash of fairy dust exploded in gold and white sparkles, leaving behind a puffy cloud of magic. He pitched forward, his hands on his knees as his breath see-sawed in and out. He was too late. Ella had disappeared and he had a good idea who was responsible.

“Well, that was exciting,” a familiar voice said in the darkness.

She appeared in a puff of magic next to him, her cheeks rosy and her blue eyes bright.

“Mother, what did you do to her?” he demanded on a pant.

“I did nothing,” Noella said, looking abashed. “Except give her what she wanted. A night at the Christmas ball.”

“She had on glass slippers, Mother. The glass slippers.” He stood straight, glaring at his meddlesome mother.

“Yes, well…I had to do something to keep them out Malvina’s hands.”

Frustration edged through him as he spun on his mother. He took her by the shoulders. “I saw the puff of magic in the air. Where did she go, Mother?”

“Whatever do you mean? The spell was broken at midnight and—” She gasped, putting her hands to her mouth as disbelief registered on her face. “Oh, dearest me. I think I made an error.”

He huffed, his breath silver in the air.

“I forgot to remove the teleportation spell. I had thought she would remove the shoes before the last stroke of midnight. Then everything would be as it was before and the shoes would be returned to their proper place. Now, we’re in a bit of a predicament.”

“What does that mean? What do you mean proper place?” he demanded.

“It means, my dear son, you have to rescue her before Malvina finds her and steals those shoes.” She clucked her tongue. “And I worked so hard to get them away from her. Ah, well. Nothing to do now but get the girl and the slippers back.” She raised her arms, ready to do magic.

“Wait. You mean, Ella was sent to Rovenheim?”

She nodded. “Yes, dear. Quite by mistake.”

“ Mother ,” he said on an exasperated breath.

She ignored his irritation. “We haven’t much time. First, you need to change.”

She did an exaggerated wave of her arms around him and changed his clothes from formalwear into something more befitting. He was dressed in a thick tunic, pants, boots, with a sword at his waist on one side, a dagger on the other, and a heavy hooded cloak. She tapped her finger against her chin.

“Ah, yes, and you’ll need a disguise. It won’t do for you to go traipsing around looking like, well, you .”

She started to wave her arm again, but Nicholas caught her wrist. “How will Ella recognize me if you disguise me?”

Thoughtful contemplation crossed her face. “My boy is so clever. Of course, you are right. Then a concealment spell instead of a disguise spell.”

She cast the spell over him in a sprinkle of gold fairy dust.

“How will I find her?” he asked.

“Use your supreme tracking skills, my darling.” She started to send him through to the other realm, when he stopped her again.

“How do I bring her back?”

“Ah, yes.” She tapped her chin. “Now that she’s in the Christmas realm, I’m not sure removing the shoes will send her back here. But give it a try, hm?”

“That’s not helpful at all. How did you get the shoes in the first place?”

“Ah, that’s a long story that will have to wait. Off you go, now. Good luck.”

She tossed a handful of fairy dust and snapped her fingers and then he was gone.