Savage Cinderella Read Free Page A

blankets. The smell of smoke and
the crackling of a fire drew his attention as he peered around the
dimly lit space. His head throbbed with the effort.
    Soft firelight cast shadows around him. A
blaze of lightning, followed by a crack of thunder, illuminated
what appeared to be a one-room shack. A table and chairs were
tucked into one corner, and a row of cabinets stood along the wall
next to a sideboard with drawers. Hanging on wooden pegs were an
ancient pair of snowshoes and a dark fur cloak. Stacks of books
rose from floor to head height in every corner of the room as if
the ramshackle cabin were a public library turned on its side.
Across the room, a figure sat perched on an old sea trunk, bright
eyes peering at him in the gloom, her knees drawn up under a worn
woolen blanket.
    "What happened? How did I get here?" Justin
demanded, his dry throat catching painfully.
    He moved to touch the spot on his head that
felt like it was on fire and flinched, unable to reach his target.
His hands were tied to the bedposts, tight leather straps allowing
for only a few inches of movement in any direction. His foot was
splinted and wrapped in a sheet that was secured to the iron posts
and fashioned as a sling, elevating the throbbing limb. Panicked by
his confinement, he struggled, only to fall back in agonizing pain.
A bolt of hot lightning seared in a line straight from his head to
his right ankle.
    "What do you think you're doing? You can't
tie me up like this! Who are you?" Fear and pain held him strung
tight with anger. Nothing in his twenty-three years had prepared
him for this.
    The girl stiffened but didn't answer his
questions. He took in a deep breath and released it slowly. I have
to clear my mind, he reasoned against the haze that closed in on
him again and threatened to pull him under. A few more deep breaths
calmed his nerves and eased the dizzying nausea. If she wanted him
dead, she would have left him out in the woods.
    The fall...yes, that was it...he fell. Taking
stock of his injuries, he grimaced. Worse still, under all the
blankets, he was naked. "What have you done with my clothes?" he
asked calmly, forcing the annoyance out of his tone.
    After a moment's silence, a soft voice spoke
from the shadows. "They were wet. You could freeze to death
sleeping in wet clothes."
    Her voice was soft and sweet but the vacant
tone and the odd accent left him hollow. Who was this girl and
where had she come from?
    "Why did you tie me up? I won't hurt you. I
give you my word." When she didn’t respond and he could think of
nothing more to plead his case, Justin remained silent. He stared
up at the decaying rafters while he struggled to stay focused. It
took all his effort to control the shock and bone-deep chill that
had his limbs trembling painfully.
    The small voice, sharp and angry, broke the
darkness. "Like the men of our government gave their word to the
native Indians? Or maybe it’s like the serpent’s promise to Eve in
the garden.” Her tirade halted as she looked away. “I’m
sorry...I...“
    “ If you feel that way, why
did you help me?” Justin interrupted, pain and frustration igniting
his annoyance.
    She stared at him for a long moment and then
looked toward the fire again, her eyes distant. “If I can stop one
heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain.”
    Justin lifted his head slowly in surprise. He
considered her with new interest. He recognized the familiar words.
“If I can ease one life the aching, or cool the pain...”
    The girl peered intently at him in the dim
light. She added the next line, anticipation growing in her voice,
“Or help one fainting robin unto his nest again...”
    “ I shall not live in vain.”
Justin finished the poem, detecting a hint of amusement in the
curve of her lips.
    “ You know Miss Emily
Dickinson.” Her face turned stony again. “I would not have imagined
a man would read her writings.” After a moment she added, “But just
because you recite poetry doesn’t