Once Upon a Twist Read Free Page A

the enchantment is to get Christell to rewind the spell. Believe me, that is not going to happen.”
    “I can be very persuasive,” he said, speaking through gritted teeth to mask the fury burning through his blood. How anyone could treat another human in such a manner, especially one as sweet as Ella, was beyond him. He’d thought such treatment towards stepchildren belonged in the realms of books.
    Still, the last thing he wanted was to scare Ella with his rage. Thinking of ways in which he would ‘persuade’ the woman who called herself a stepmother to break the enchantment quelled his anger a touch.
    “And she can be very cunning. Christell’s is a very powerful magic.”
    Rubbing his nose against hers, inhaling the sweetness of her breath, he said, “Ella, I swear on everything I hold dear, I will keep you safe.” And he would. There were enough Knights and ordinary soldiers left to protect the palace. Merlin had been summoned and was en route to the Kingdom, already working on enchantments to prevent the undead from breaching the palace walls. Merlin was the most powerful sorcerer in the Kingdom. He stood the best chance of breaking the spell. “Please, try not to be frightened, I am certain that...”
    She broke away from his hold and folded her arms across her small chest. “Do I look frightened?”
    Actually, now she mentioned it… she looked, if anything, angry.
    “I can’t believe the King is still planning to go ahead with this stupid Ball,” she fumed. “And the Prince? James, you’ve been fighting with him and in his name – why the hell is he wasting time trying to find a wife? He should be doing everything in his power to ensure his subjects are as well prepared as possible for when the undead arrive.”
    Internally, he winced. “The few of us who survived the war knew further fighting would be suicide. We returned to regroup and increase our numbers. We never dreamt the undead would follow us.”
    “But why a Ball? And why now? What kind of ego-trip is that Prince on?” 
    “The Queen is very ill,” he said, interjecting quickly before she could draw breath. This was not the way he had planned to tell her. “She wants to see her son marry before she dies. This Ball is the only thing that is keeping her alive.”
    Tell her.
    “Are you going to be attending the ball?” She made it sound like an accusation.
    “I have to.” Tell her . “Ella, there is something I…”
    Before he could get the words out, three owls hooted simultaneously. Ella jumped to her feet. “It is time for me to return to my prison.”
    “Before you go, I need to tell you something. It is very important.”
    But again, he was unable to say the words as dozens and dozens of forest animals of all shapes and sizes converged on their small clearing, each carrying twigs and branches with them.
    He watched in fascination as a racoon expertly opened Ella’s sack. In less than a minute the animals had filled it.
    “Thank you, my darlings,” Ella said, crouching down to their level. “I need you all to do something for me – I need you to tell your families, your friends and your enemies that dangerous people are coming to our beautiful land. They are human only in the loosest of terms and they kill indiscriminately. Be prepared to flee.”
    Immediately the creatures began talking amongst themselves and firing questions at Ella, all in a strange animal language James did not understand.
    She held up a hand. “I have to go home now, but James here will tell you everything he has just told me.” Glaring at him pointedly, she added, “Won’t you, James?”
    Nonplussed at being given a direct order by anyone , let alone a member of the fairer sex, he nodded. “Of course.”
    “Good.” She visibly relaxed. Leaning into him, she stood on tiptoe so her mouth was against his ear. “It’s a real shame.”
    Inhaling her scent, which for a woman who was rarely able to bathe was surprisingly light, he resisted the