Cursed Beauty (A Fairy Retelling #1) by Dorian Tsukioka Page A

Those shoes were for her. She slumped to the floor.
    It was some time before she could stand again. Being stalked by a witch put a vice grip on her heart. Adelaide found, though, that her fear was giving way to something stronger. Anger.
    She wrapped the glass slippers in a cloth, tied the ends tight, and carried the bundle outside. She tossed the pack on top of an old tree stump, and picked up her father’s maul. It was heavy, used only for splitting wood, but it would probably work fine for crushing glass slippers into sand.
    Pulling deep from the anger inside her, she lifted the maul above her head, roared a deep cry of pain and brought the maul slamming down on the bundle. Again and again, she chopped at the slippers, yelling and cursing as the maul slammed against the chopping block.
    The exertion of shattering the slippers into tiny shards finally took its toll. Beads of sweat rolled down her brow, and into her eyes. She wiped them away, dropped the maul to the ground, and began to carefully untie the cloth. The last thing she wanted was to cut her hands on a splinter of magical glass.
    It loosened, and she opened the bundle. Inside were two, magical glass slippers, completely unharmed and intact.
     
    * * * * *
     
    Though the noon bells were ringing, Julian did not feel the slightest bit hungry for lunch. His thoughts were still centered on Adelaide and Merelyn. He couldn’t help but wonder if he could have saved the girl. If he had moved faster - left Adelaide at the castle and borrowed a steed to get to Merelyn - perhaps she would still be...
    “Pardon, Your Highness,” his footman said, walking into the prince’s chambers. “A young girl is here to see you. I believe she is the late court physician’s daughter.”
    “Thank you, James. I’ll be right down.”
    The prince walked down to the foyer. Adelaide was waiting for him, pacing back and forth, biting ferociously on a lone, unfortunate fingernail as she muttered to herself. Julian had expected her to be morose, crying perhaps. Instead, the girl was a bundle of energy, clipping along the length of the foyer before whipping around and tracing her steps again. She never was quite what he expected. He liked it.
    Adelaide noticed the prince walking slowly down the stairs, stopped her pacing, and met him at the foot of the staircase. “Your Majesty,” she said, curtseying low.
    “Miss Adelaide,” Julian said, bowing.
    “I’m so sorry…”
    “I need your…”
    Both began speaking at once.
    “Please, Your Highness,” Adelaide started again, “after you.”
    Julian paused, gathering his thoughts before he spoke again.
    “Miss Adelaide, I am so very sorry for what happened last night,” he began.
    “Your Lordship, if I may,” Adelaide interrupted. Again, she surprised him.
    “I know you’re sorry. I’m sorry. Even Celeste is sorry, I think, as much as her condition will allow her to be. But I need to put that aside for now. There is a more pressing matter at hand, and I need your help,” she said.
    “Certainly, Adelaide,” he said, and blushed at speaking to her so informally. He pulled her hand into both of his own. “Whatever you need, it’s yours.”
    “Good,” she replied, “because I need you to help me catch a witch.” She smiled. “I have a plan.”

CHAPTER 10
     
     
    “What do you know about witches?” Adelaide asked.
    He considered her question for a moment. “Not much,” he answered, “but I know someone who might.”
    “Who?”
    “My brother.”
    The Elder Prince’s face showed his surprise to see Adelaide, but this time, his shock did not give way to repulsion, and he began to apologize.
    “My lady, please forgive my behavior last night. It was irreproachable, and I am truly ashamed at how rudely I behaved. Please accept my sincerest apology.”
    “My Lord Prince,” Adelaide began, “I will be happy to forgive you, if you’ll but help us with a brief, educational lesson.”
    “Certainly, what is it you would