Once Upon a Twist by Michelle Smart, Aimee Duffy Page A

passed.
    Reaching out a hand to palm his cheek, she said, “I really do appreciate it but I didn’t come all this way to be side-lined. And if you don’t understand that part of me by now, when will you ever learn it?”
    James shook his head in a mixture of exasperation and amusement. “Is this what married life is going to be like?” he asked, only half joking. “You questioning every one of my judgments?”
    “Only if I think your judgment is pants.” Her lips curved slightly before a frown creased her forehead. “But if you think you can browbeat me into submission, I don’t think there is much point in us marrying at all.”
    “As I am learning, I don’t think anyone could browbeat you into anything,” he said dryly. No wonder all the women he had met before her had bored him to tears. Marriage to Ella might be a headache but at least it would never be boring. “But we can argue the finer points of our marriage later – let’s go find Ana before she finds us first. I propose we split up…”
    “If we stick together we have a much better chance of fighting her off and any other creature that might be here.”
    He tried to think of a flaw in that logic. “Right. That makes sense.” He opened his mouth to suggest searching upstairs but instead he said, “Where do you think we should look first?”
    “Outside,” she said immediately. “If she was in the house and had become one of the undead I am certain we would have heard her – they’re hardly the most light-footed of creatures. There is one way to find out.” Cupping a hand around her mouth, she shouted, “Ana, are you in here?”
    “What are you doing?”
    She shrugged. “Seeing if Ana’s in the house. If there are any undead in here they’ll come flying out to eat us whether it’s Ana or not.”
    They paused for a moment.
    Silence.
    “Shall we go outside now?”
    “Yes,” he said, wondering if instead of marrying her he should utilize her in his army. She would make a fantastic commanding officer. “Gustave and Phillipe can take the lead. I want you to stay behind me.”
    Gustave and Phillipe took their positions at the front; Jonas and Sebastien protecting the rear.
    It came as no surprise when Ella disregarded his instruction. What did surprise him was the pinch on his bottom as she sidled past. “You never learn do you?” she snorted, hurrying to reach the front soldiers.
    “I’m starting to see why Christell locked you under an enchantment,” James muttered with a shake of his head.
    “I heard that.”
    “You were supposed to.”
    Outside in the moonlit garden, the silence was all consuming. Not a single rustle could be heard.
    For long moments they stood there, six pairs of eyes darting around in all directions.
    “Hellooo!”
    Ella’s shout made them all jump.
    “Hellooo! Any undead out here?”
    James grabbed hold of her shoulder. “What are you doing?”
    She spun round and faced him. “Flushing them out. Once all the undead within the barriers are killed we will know we’re safe. Now brace yourself.”

Chapter Ten
     
     
    Ella’s words were sound. From deep within the wood came a crackle of trodden-on leaves followed by heavy footsteps.
    “Here they come,” James said, positioning himself in front of her. He didn’t care how badly she wanted to fight, his first – his only – priority was keeping her safe.
    Unfortunately his fiancée didn’t want to be kept safe. Indeed, she jostled next to him in such a manner he had the distinct feeling she was trying to keep him safe.
    There were two of them. One, a teenage boy with an ear missing, his body covered in scratches and cuts, had a slightly dazed expression on his face. The other creature was Ana. If the situation hadn’t been so horrendous he would have laughed at the sight of her. Somewhere along the line Ana had lost her ball-gown. Her plump frame was revealed in all its glory, her mountainous bosoms covered in a bra that resembled a hammock while a