Once Upon a Twist Read Free

know who you are .
    Not yet she didn’t. But soon she would.
    She opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. “Not alive? How could you fight them if they’re not alive?”
    “Ella, please, try not to be frightened. We have had reports in recent days that they are gaining in numbers and closing in on our land. The King is insisting the Ball go ahead before announcing it to the people.”
    “Forget the Ball – I want you to tell me about the people who are killing people but are not actually alive themselves.” Moving her hand away from the nape of his neck, Ella straightened her spine and stared pointedly at him.
    “We have time,” he said soothingly, reaching for the same small hand she had just moved away from his skin, and enfolding it into the protection of his own, much larger hands. “Our intelligence tells us they will not reach our land for another twelve days.”
    “Right now I couldn’t care less what your intelligence is telling you – tell me about these undead people.” The softness of her eyes hardened as she glared at him. “Well? Are you going to tell me or am I supposed to wait inside my stupid enchanted barrier, completely defenseless while they come for me?”
    James had imagined telling Ella the barest of facts, had imagined that, like his mother and all the other women in the land, her delicate constitution would not be able to handle the truth. Yet now, looking into those glaring eyes, he had the feeling she would kneecap him if she thought he was holding back.
    Even so, he tried to soften it for her. When all was said and done, Ella was but a maiden, a member of the fairer sex. It was a well-known fact that women were ill-equipped to deal with matters of importance, had nervous dispositions and were liable to swoon at the sight of blood. It was a man’s duty to protect his womenfolk from the horror that life could throw.
    “We do not know how these creatures came about but we have known for a number of years that they are growing in numbers.” He spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully. “We know that if they bite a human whilst the human is alive, then that human becomes one of them. Even if the bitten human dies, he or she will rise to become one of them. They become the living dead with no purpose other than to feed and kill.”
    His heart raced as he waited for Ella’s reaction, bracing himself to catch her when she collapsed in a dead faint.
    “What do they feed on?”
    “Uncooked meat.” He didn’t add that human brains were a particular favourite.
    “Human meat?”
    He nodded, carefully searching her face for signs of blood loss. “But they will eat any form of animal, not necessarily humans.”
    “And do the other creatures they feed on become undead too?”
    “No. Only humans.”
    For long moments Ella was silent. “So these undead creatures are coming to our land? How do we fight them?”
    “With everything we have at our disposal. After the Ball, all women and children will be evacuated to a place of safety. We will travel in daylight which is when the creatures sleep. I had planned on you being part of the evacuation party.”
    “That sounds clever,” she said, a faint whiff of sarcasm lacing her voice. “Are you going to give us anything to defend ourselves with while all our menfolk are being slaughtered? And what if the undead find us?”
    James patted her knee. “We will ensure your safety.”
    “You can’t actually ensure my safety though, can you? Christell’s barrier is only designed to trap me in its confines. It doesn’t prevent you or anyone else including, presumably, the undead from breaching it.”
    His stomach cramped at the implications. Ella had been in his life for such a short time, yet imagining being without her…
    Capturing her chin, he forced her to look at him. “I will do everything in my power to get the enchantment broken.”
    She snorted. “Unless my fairy godmother makes an appearance, the only way to break