The Forgotten Fairytales (10 page)

Knocking twice without a response, I tried the door knob. Unlocked. When I entered her room, April sat on her bed, doodling on her hand with a thin brown marker. Besides the bed and two worn, russet suitcases, there was not a single thing about the room that suggested someone lived there. As if the lifeless and unadorned stone walls weren’t enough to unsettle me about April’s condition, the lack of a second bed confirmed my worst fear. They had her by herself. No roommate. No one to make sure she didn’t succumb to her worst thoughts. She should not have been left alone. I’d be taking this up with Madrina tomorrow.

“I knew I should’ve locked the door.” April kept her attention trained to the drawing. Her hair canopied over her face, masking the expression of annoyance she always had around me.

“You never told me where they put you. I’ve been looking all week.”

Ink spread over her skin, the henna-like designs twisted in intricate patterns covering her entire palm. I smiled, despite myself, remembering the summer we spent in Morocco.

“I didn’t tell you for a reason,” April said. “Professor Jansen said I didn’t have to see you if I didn’t want to.”

“That’s a little harsh.” I sat on the edge of the bed, holding my arms close to me. “Come on, April. Can’t we put the past behind us? I miss you. I want us to be close, like sisters should be.”

“Yeah, right,” she scoffed.

“I’m serious, April.” Why did she have to be so damn hardheaded! “Remember that summer in Paris, I was ten, you were eight. We had so much fun together, like friends.”

She dropped the pen and exhaled so heavily, I thought she was seconds from putting her fist in my face. “I don’t want to walk down memory lane with you, not now, not ever. Get out, Norah. I mean it.”

I’d have preferred to be slapped. She pushed me away at every freaking opportunity. I was so sick of her attitude, her constant need to be alone and away from me. Was it selfish of me to want her to want me around?

“You can push me away all you want, but I’m never going to give up on us. I promise you that.”

The expression she shot back at me made me wish I was dead. “For both of our sakes, I hope this is one promise you don’t keep.” April’s hatred grew by the day. All because she was convinced Dad favored me.

I left soon after and found myself staggering through the dark, cold forest. I shivered as I shouldered through branches, leaves crunching under every step I took. Somewhere along the way, between the cold and the fact I was slipping deeper and deeper into the woods, I debated leaving a trail to find my way back.

The thought of leaving a breadcrumb trail evoked an image of Hansel and Gretel lost in the forest. Their little trail didn’t help them. I guess I’d have to take my chances. Not that I wanted to go back. Hope of mending my relationship with April was quickly crushed. For a girl who she assumed had everything, I sure felt like a piece of shit who had no one. No friends, no sister, nadda.

“Norah?” I swirled and tripped over a tree trunk. Finn’s hands broke my fall. Damn him and his quick reflexes. “What are you doing?”

“Um, you know, just walking around.” I shrugged.

“At eleven o’clock at night?”

“Yep.”
Be casual, Norah.
He doesn’t have to know I’m sneaking through the woods to find some party of villains. Hopefully they had drinks. If not, I knew Finn would be good for a shot.

He narrowed his eyes. Somewhere in the distance music drifted into the air. The beat hit my hips but I stayed still, unwilling to dance no matter how bad I wanted to. Wolf was right, I did need to let loose. Damn him.

“Come on.” He motioned for me to follow him. “This way.”

Was Mr. Prince Charming going to the anti-royal party? That would make for an interesting night.

We followed a thin trail until a veil of moss stopped us. He pulled it back and that’s when I saw the people, the drinking, and the dancing. Smoke billowed into the air and sucked me in. The flames of the bonfire stretched into the sky like arms reaching for the stars.

An ember sparked and a group of girls laughed. A part of me wished I knew these people better. I was a stranger in a strange place, a place I still didn’t want to be, yet I longed for a friend and acceptance.

Finn handed me a red plastic cup filled to the brim with golden liquid. One sniff burned nose hairs, telling me this was not beer. Not even close. But didn’t smell like any liquor I ever had.
Relax. Forget about April. Forget about Dad. Forget about everything.
Letting out a heavy breath, I rolled my shoulders back, the tension slowly slipping away.

“How fast can you chug?” I asked Finn. “I have a record of ten seconds.”

“Seriously?”

I nodded. He had no idea of what I was capable of.

Finn raised his glass to mine. “Alright, let’s see it.”

The cup touched my lips and excitement coursed through my veins. The liquid burned like the flames of hell as I lost feeling in my throat and chugged. The trick was not to think about it, or taste anything. Just let it flow like water. A burp came out as I finished. I covered my mouth and Finn stared, wide-eyed, laughing.

“Ten seconds, like a champion,” he said. “Is there anything you can’t do?”

Almost immediately, the beginning of a buzz washed over me, spreading warmth through my body. Head to toe. Whoa. Whatever I drank was super strong. I never got buzzed after one drink.

“I suck at
so
much.” My shoulder knocked into his. Finn’s strong hands steadied me. His fingertips were lightly callused, yet they still sent waves of excitement through me as he held on. I closed my eyes, wishing I could slip into a different world with him.

“Doubtful.”

“So, you’re Norah.” A girl in red skinny jeans and tank top with a glittery heart—appeared at our side, paying little attention to Finn. Shoulder length dark hair framed her face, the edges layered and flipped out. “Wolf told me all about you—the
non
-princess.” Heart Girl grinned, eying the closeness between Finn and I. “He’s right. You are daring.”

“No more daring than drinking whatever this is.” I tipped my cup over to show the empty contents. “Speaking of which, where can I get more?”

“This way,” Heart said, winking at Finn before dragging me away. I didn’t look back to see his expression, I only moved forward, filling my cup with whatever was in the round barrel she brought me to. “I’m Desiree. You dance?”

I nodded and chugged half of the contents of my drink down. The cool liquid coated my throat. The stress and worry melted away as Desiree and I maneuvered to the makeshift dance floor, which was really only a circle of dirt and dead grass.

While Finn chatted with a guy dressed in a long cape, his eyes kept coming back to mine. A crooked smile washed over his lips. My heart fluttered as I hurried through the crowd—I didn’t trip,
go me!
—and toward him. I latched onto his wrists and started laughing.

“How much have you had to drink?”

I shrugged. “Juss a few. Come dance with me.”

“I don’t dance.”

“That’s such a cop-out,” I said. “Please, pretty, pretty please.” I batted my eyelashes and pouted my bottom lip. Still he didn’t cave. Without thinking, I tossed my arms around his neck and pushed up on my tip toes, our lips colliding together. It was a simple kiss, yet when I pulled away his jade eyes glittered back at me.

“Now will you dance with me?”

“I’ll, um, grab a drink and meet you there.”

F
inn never came to the dance floor, but that didn’t stop me.

The music thrummed along my skin, so did a nice layer of sweat, but I didn’t mind. A new song came on, one I knew. Throwing my hands in the air I sang along, lost in my own world of music and dancing and freedom. God, I felt so free. So carefree, after months and months of stressing over April and Dad, and then this school. Nothing mattered now. Nothing at all.

Somebody bumped into me and I toppled forward, knocking into Desiree, at least, I thought it was Desiree. Who knew anymore.

“Keep steady, little princess.”
Is it possible to love and hate a nickname at the same time?
A thick arm laced around my waist, but I didn’t push him away. Wolf took my hand, his mouth close to my ear as he brought my hand up and waved it in the air. Dazzling pink lights trailed along my fingertips like sparklers. I gasped, mesmerized by the beauty.

“How?”

“Magic. It’s a side effect of the drink. Watch.”

Together we drew in the night sky, spelling out his name then mine. As we danced, his hips pressed against me, our bodies so tight I wondered if there was any place better in the entire world. God, he smelled so good, like pine and fire. A scent so intoxicating I couldn’t help but sink into him.

His strong hands slid up and down my sides, bunching the material of my dress between his fingers. Fingers I wanted all over me. The warmth of his breath trailed over my damp skin, and I shivered in his arms, wanting more and more of him. Draping one arm over his neck, I traced the lines of his face, feeling the scratchiness of his stubble against my fingertips. I needed to see him, to know he was real and not a dream. That this was real.

I swirled into him, face-to-face, our bodies wrapped together in a way that would have embarrassed me if I wasn’t so out of it. I touched his face again, my hands crawling over it, memorizing the lines, the eased tension in his brows, the smoothness of his big nose and how fiery red his eyes were, with just a touch of gold.

Those full lips of his were eye level. All I wanted was to feel them, to kiss them, to have them all over me. And a second later, they were. Everyone washed away the moment Wolf’s hot lips pressed against my neck. I gasped, looping my fingers around his belt. His tongue slid over my skin, sucking on one spot until I quivered under his touch, pleading for more. And then we stopped and I almost collapsed in the dirt.

His fingers laced in mine, we wandered through the crowd. I wasn’t sure how the hell I danced let alone walked over tree roots and branches. Somehow I still held onto the cup, the magic liquid sloshed over the edge, wetting my dress. I frowned, staggering forward, bumping into people, muttering apologies until we reached the trees leading to the forest.

Wolf stopped, the music behind us, as was the laughter of our schoolmates. His mouth slammed into mine, pressing me back against a tree. Without complaint, I sank into his strong arms. There was nothing but hot breath, exploring tongues, and the fiery sensation of him touching me. I wanted him to touch me in places that hadn’t been touched. He lifted me and my legs reflexively wrapped around his hips, balancing between him and the tree. We fit together like two pieces of a puzzle.

His fingers dug into my thighs, running up and down my bare skin. I imagined Wolf kissed a lot of girls, but at the same time, he kissed me as if I was the only girl he ever wanted to kiss. As if our lips were meant to always touch.

“You want me.”

I nodded, kissing him hard to tell him yes, yes I wanted him. God, I wanted him more than I ever wanted a guy in my life. He growled low, pinning me harder, kissing me harder than he had all night.

Breaking my lips from his, I noticed his shirt was unbuttoned, exposing an unusual slash-like scar on his chest. Cupping my face, he brought us back together again. When Wolf kissed me I wasn’t in some weird school with storybook characters. I wasn’t a lousy sister or someone’s second best. For those minutes I was desired, lusted for. It didn’t matter that I barely knew him, because he wanted me and I wanted to be wanted. So, so badly.

His lips trailed down my neck and onto my chest. His hands toyed with the hem of my underwear and then his hands were gone and I was on the ground.

“What the hell are you doing?” Finn’s voice penetrated my clouded mind. He sounded so far away.

“Fuck off.”

“Out of all girls you had to go after her?”

Wolf let out a heavy laugh. “I didn’t realize she was off limits, considering you already have a girl.”

I wished I could see their faces instead of blurred images. I blinked several times and tried to stand, but tripped over my feet and landed in the dirt. Twigs scratched my palms, though I barely felt a thing.