Damnation: A Cinderella Retelling (Tales of Cinder Book 3) Page 20

  “And the second promise?” she asked.

  “She wants the ban against magic lifted.”

  The humor left Elspeth’s expression.

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s wrong. Magic is a part of our world. By forbidding those with the ability from using it, King Aftan is creating resentment and fear. As you said, anyone with power has the capacity to be dangerous. That applies to people who have magic and those who don’t. It’s not the magic that makes a person evil but how they use it.”

  “You are your mother’s daughter,” Elspeth said. “She often said the same thing to me about magic and about those with wealth. She didn’t want to marry a titled man, either. Instead, she married your father, a merchant.”

  “You knew her well?” I asked, studying the old woman.

  “Since she was as tall as my knee. Her mother would often come to me for potions to help with fertility. When they didn’t work, Lady Thoning stopped coming but not Margaret.” A smile lifted Elspeth’s lips. “She was trouble in a good way. A restless spirit who wasn’t content with the injustices in our world.”

  Elspeth sighed and reached out for my hand, which I reluctantly gave.

  “I loved your mother as my own. Everything that befell her broke my heart. I’m so sorry she’s gone.” She gave my hand a light squeeze and released me.

  “I read your letters to her,” I said.

  She shook her head.

  “I warned her to burn them. It was dangerous to keep them.”

  “I’m glad she did. They serve as proof that you’re telling the truth. Why did you leave?”

  “To protect your mother, her new twins, and Queen Sevil’s babe.”

  “Garreth?”

  “Yes. Despite my warnings that it would weaken her further, your mother nursed that boy as her own along with you and your sister. A house full of babes was the safest place to hide him so I could track Maverene. But she was always just ahead of me.”

  “She had a mirror that showed her things.”

  Elspeth nodded.

  “I thought as much, which is why I cloaked myself. Apparently, it wasn’t enough.”

  “Greydon told me you raised Garreth.”

  “I did. I came for him when he was barely a year and old enough to be weaned. Yet, young enough never to remember anything.”

  “So Mother never planned to give Kellen or me away. It was Garreth you were coming for.”

  Elspeth laughed.

  “Your mother would have never let you go. Not even to me. Is that why you’re here? Did you believe she didn’t love you?”

  “No. I’m here for something I left behind. Something Mother gave me.”

  I led Elspeth to my attic space where I removed the rings gifted to me by the tree. The one Maeve had taken from me I’d found the night Seth died, and I’d taken care to hide it by the chimney with its partner.

  “Mother knew long before I did that I was meant to be with Greydon,” I said, holding out the rings.

  Elspeth studied what I held then closed my fingers over the items, holding my fist.

  “The Prince will be relieved to hear this,” she said. “He thinks you’re trying to run off.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “He still doesn’t believe I will marry him.”

  “Have you given him cause to believe that?”

  I grinned, recalling all that he’d suffered at my hand, some of it intentional, some of it not.

  “At every turn,” I said. “But I will spend the rest of my days assuring him that I am his and he is mine.”

  Elspeth surprised me with a hug.

  “You and Greydon will do well together.”

  Epilogue

  The higher pitch of David’s voice was answered by a low murmur. I smiled, thinking Greydon was already tucking our son in for the night. However, when I pushed open the door, I saw Aftan sitting on the boy’s bed.

  “I’m glad the bad woman was killed,” my son said. “She shouldn’t have hurt my mama.”

  “No, it was wrong for her to do so. And her punishment, though terrible and hard to behold, was just. Always remember to be fair in your rulings.”

  “Yes, Grandfather,” David said. “But what of Auntie Kellen’s story. I want to know what happened to her after she ran away.”

  I thought of my sister and felt a pang. It had been too long since I’d seen her.

  Aftan chuckled and leaned down to kiss the boy’s forehead.

  “That will have to wait until another time. If your mama discovers I’ve kept you up this late with stories, she’ll serve me stewed plums for breakfast.”

  “I like stewed plums,” David said with a smile. “I’ll eat yours for you.”

  Laughing, I pushed the door open further.

  “Your grandfather is right about the time. You need to sleep, David.”

  He pouted a bit and sat up.

  “I need to say goodnight to my brother in case another caster comes, and he needs to be hidden away like Uncle Garreth was hidden away.”

  I moved close to the bed, and David bestowed a sweet kiss to my enormous belly.

  “You know that there are good casters, too. And besides, it might be a sister,” I said.

  “You’re right. No caster will want to steal a girl.”

  The King and I shared a look, for Maeve had indeed done just that.

  “To bed, little one,” the King said. “And you too, Eloise. You should be sleeping, yourself.”

  “I was looking for my errant husband.”

  “Try the door next to your room.”

  I returned to our suite of rooms and tried the door to the adjoining room. For the first time in months, it was unlocked. I opened it and looked around the room with a growing smile.

  “I can claim no part in the making of that,” Greydon said when I ran my hand along the edge of a hand-carved cradle. “But I commissioned it.”

  I smiled at him.

  “It’s beautiful. As is everything else in here.”

  The soft green wall coverings, small wooden toys, and plush rugs were new to celebrate our second child’s birth. Greydon’s arms wrapped around my waist, and he gently rubbed my back. I leaned into him with a groan.

  “That feels so good.”

  He chuckled.

  “I can make you feel better.”

  I tipped my head back to look up at him.

  “I’m sure you can. But your methods keep putting me in this state.”

  He picked me up and gave a fake stagger.

  “How many children do you carry?”

  “Don’t even tease like that,” I said. Barely halfway through my pregnancy, I’d begun to notice my enormity, as well. The thought of carrying twins didn’t frighten me, but it reminded me of my sister and made me miss her dreadfully.

  “Eloise, I’m sorry,” Greydon said, noticing the fall in my expression and rushing to set me on our bed. “I love you without condition. One child or twenty. And we have the best midwife possible.”

  “It’s not that,” I said. “I miss Kellen.”

  “Ah,” Greydon said.

  “That’s it? Ah?”

  He gave me a sheepish smile.

  “Of course not. However, the longing you feel for your sister is not something I can as easily remedy. She’s a kingdom away. If you were hungry, I could quickly fetch you something to eat. If you were in pain, I could summon Elspeth. If you were lonely, I could read from your favorite book for hours until you would know I will never leave you.”

  “I want to see her again.”

  “And you will. But not until after this babe comes. It’s not safe for us to travel with you in this condition.”

  I scowled at him.

  “You’re being stubborn. Why can’t we just invite them here? Why must you condemn what happened to her? It’s not her fault.”

  Greydon leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my belly.

  “I never said it was. And I could never condemn her for wh
at she’s endured.”

  I hit his shoulder.

  “Invite her.”

  He sighed.

  “How will we explain her situation to our son?”

  “With words. It was your father who told me it takes love and understanding to rule a kingdom. What better way to teach him than through telling him the full story of what happened to his Auntie Kellen?”

  Greydon sighed, his hand sliding up my skirt along my leg. My pulse started to speed up.

  “As you wish, my love. I will send out the invitation tomorrow.”

  I smiled and ran my fingers through his hair.

  “Thank you.”

  “I will always do what I must to bring you joy,” he said. “I will never again shirk my duties to you.”

  And he proved that thoroughly before I fell asleep.

  Thank you for reading Damnation, book 3 of the Tales of Cinder! Please consider leaving a review to let other readers know what you thought of the series. It would mean the world to me!

  Be sure to keep reading for more information about Kellen’s story and other amazing books by MJ Haag.

  Author’s Note

  It’s hard to know what to say after writing this trilogy. Cinderella’s story was never one of my favorites mostly because in all versions, she endured so much. And it chapped me that the prince never really did much to “save” her other than to remove her from a life of drudgery. When I started considering writing my own version, I needed to have an explanation as to why he didn’t do more. It helped that I had Eloise kick him in the testicles a few times.

  Something else I noticed when doing my initial research is the strong parallels between Snow White’s story and Cinderella’s story. It was almost like they could be sisters…so of course, that’s what I did. I can’t wait to share Kellen’s story. It won’t be as dark (at least, I don’t think it will be) and will probably be a lot heavier on the romance. I anticipate having that ready next summer.

  For now, the Resurrection world is calling to me again. There’s something about those big grey hotties that demands my attention. Maybe it’s their lack of shirts… If you haven’t yet read that series, keep reading for an excerpt from Demon Ember. You might just like it.

  To ensure you never miss a release announcement, follow me on social media or sign up for my newsletter at mjhaag.melissahaag.com.

  Until next time, happy reading!

  Melissa

  Character List

  Eloise - *Cinderella* (Twin daughter of Margaret and Atwell).

  Kellen - *Snow White* (Twin daughter of Margaret and Atwell).

  Margaret Cartwright - Eloise and Kellen’s mother.

  Atwell Cartwright - Eloise and Kellen’s father.

  Hugh - A stablehand.

  Judith - A housemaid.

  Anne - A housemaid

  Lady Maeve Grimmoire - Kellen and Eloise’s new guardian.

  Elspeth - A caster who Margaret knew.

  Rose - A caster/enchanter.

  Catherine - A housemaid.

  Heather - A housemaid.

  Aftan - The King of Drisdall

  Sevil - The deceased Queen of Drisdall.

  Greydon - Prince of Drisdall.

  Grimm - A tracker/huntsman.

  Cecilia - Maeve’s daughter.

  Porcia - Maeve’s daughter.

  Damnation is the final Tale of Cinder, which takes part in the Beastly Tales world. If you haven’t yet read the Beastly Tales, you’re missing out on a seductively dark Beauty and the Beast retelling. There’s character cross over between the two trilogies that you’re going to love.

  Series Reading Order

  Beastly Tales

  Depravity

  Deceit

  Devastation

  Tales of Cinder

  Disowned (Prequel)

  Defiant

  Disdain

  Damnation

  Resurrection Chronicles

  (zombies and hottie demons!)

  Demon Ember

  Demon Flames

  Demon Ash

  Demon Escape

  Demon Deception

  Demon Night

  *More to come!

  Connect with the author

  Website: MJHaag.melissahaag.com/

  Newsletter: MJHaag.melissahaag.com/subscribe

  Sneak Peek of Demon Ember

  Now Available!

  Movement next to my window made me jump, and I turned my head. Yellow-green eyes met mine. I froze, afraid to move. My heart felt like it wanted to pound its way out of my chest. He watched me as I watched him. His focus made me very aware that I needed to do something soon. My shaking was only getting worse. If I continued to hesitate, I’d end up dead like the rest.

  My knees still pressed against the seat, my feet nowhere near the pedals. I grabbed the wheel and started to swing my legs to the side. He slammed his open hand against the window. The glass splintered and folded in toward me. He reached in, his hand wrapped around my left arm.

  I yelped and pulled back, no longer caring about lunging for the pedals. He reached in with his other hand, grabbed me under the right armpit, and dragged me forward. The steering wheel slipped from my grasp. I tried for it once more but missed as he yanked my upper body out the window. I reared back, flailing. His hold under my right arm slipped, and I struggled to pull myself back in. He reached for me again, missed my arm, and grabbed my boob.

  He jerked his hand back, and I froze, staring at him with wide-eyes as I hung out the window, pinned in place by his other hand. He reached forward with his free hand, and I put my arm up, trying to protect my neck.

  His palm covered my right boob, and he gave it another tentative squeeze. I lowered my arm in shock and watched him pull back once more. His gaze zeroed in on my left side.

  “Hell no,” I said, renewing my struggles.

  As if his first attempt to remove me had just been a test, he plucked me out of the truck and set me on my feet in front of him. He kept his right hand firmly anchored around my upper arm as he lifted his other hand.

  My chest heaved with each panicked breath. When his hand got close to my boob, I swatted it away.

  He grunted, lowered his hand to his side, and studied me. When his gaze dropped to my jeans, a new panic surged forth. I pulled hard, willing to yank off my own arm to get away from him. He backed me against the truck, limiting my struggles, and proceeded to pat down the front of my jeans.

  “No…no…just kill me already.”

  He stopped patting and sniffed my hair, my ears, and my face. Shock kept me still for most of it.

  Abruptly, he let go and stepped back. We stared at each other as my pulse thundered in my ears. What the hell was going on? Was he toying with me?

  The truck still rumbled behind me, a possible means of escape if I could just get inside. With the door handle digging into my back, I edged to the left. He put his hand on the door, stopping my progress. I bolted the other direction. He moved incredibly fast, blocking me by the front tire.

  With a growl, he turned toward the hood. He raised his fisted hands and brought them down on the hood. I jumped at the sound of metal crunching on impact. He hit the front of the truck again and again, crushing the metal in until the engine clunked several times then died.

  I took an involuntary step back. He’d just smashed a truck with his bare hands. I swallowed hard, and it took a moment to realize he’d killed any means of escape. I stared at him, out of ideas and out of hope.

  He wasn’t even breathing heavily, just standing there watching me. When he saw he had my attention, he reached up and pulled the cord holding his shirt together at his throat. Within seconds, he had the loose-fitting dark shirt off.

  I stared at his heavily muscled torso with increasing despair.

  He tilted his head at me, then reached up and patted his chest. First one side, then the other. When he reached for me, I cringed back. It didn’t deter him. He followed me and patted first one boob then the other before tu
gging at my long-sleeved shirt.

  My brain struggled to process what was happening.

  “I don’t want to take off my clothes.”

  He tilted his head again and waited for a moment. When he reached for the cord at the waist of his pants, I squeaked. My reaction didn’t stop him from shoving the dark material down far enough to show me his grey package with a penis longer than any human version I’d ever seen. Not that I’d seen many in person.

  He palmed himself as if saying “see, this is what I’m offering you” and watched me expectantly.

  “No, thank you.”

  He shook himself again and, in that moment, I understood he was attempting to communicate.

  “I-I don’t want to play Tarzan and Jane.”

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