Cinderella and fae charm.., p.1
Cinderella and Fae Charming, page 1
Cinderella and Fae Charming
Amelia Shaw
Published by Tamsin Baker, 2021.
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
CINDERELLA AND FAE CHARMING
First edition. September 30, 2021.
Copyright © 2021 Amelia Shaw.
ISBN: 979-8201181468
Written by Amelia Shaw.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
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Chapter 1
SHAWNA HID BEHIND THE apple cart, pressed hard against the wooden panels, hoping the shop keeper wouldn’t see her.
She moved forward slowly, just far enough to see Mr. Ward. Hopefully he would leave his cart soon. She’d already pocketed two apples from the cart, but that wasn’t going to last long. She needed something more substantial. Mr. Ward manned his stall like the best of them, his eagle eye sweeping the market again and again, looking back and forth.
His prices were close to ridiculous, but everyone bought from him because his meats and baked goods were to die for.
Almost literally, in her case. If she was caught stealing again.
Shawna stayed hidden because Mr. Ward was watching for people like her—vagabonds who were going to pilfer from him. She hated that eating came to this but had to do something to get food in her stomach.
As if in response, her belly growled. It had been two days since her last meal, and she was starting to get desperate.
The smell of the baked goods from Mr. Ward’s shop wafted towards her on the wind, making her giddy. Damn it, what was taking him so long? She’d seen him drink a pitcher of water. The sun was hot, beating down from above. When was he going to go to the bathroom?
Usually, Mr. Ward’s stall had a red tarp as a cover that blocked out the sun and made his stall stand out for the buyers to see. But this morning, a freak wind had ripped it off and torn it in half.
Okay, so maybe that freak wind hadn’t come from Mother Nature. Maybe it had actually been Shawna’s dwindling Fae magic that played a part. But she needed him leave his stall and getting rid of his shade was the only way she could think of to get her hands on some food.
She hadn’t meant to tear the tarp, only to blow it away. It had been an accident. But when it came down to her survival...
Finally, he turned around.
“Billy!” he called his assistant, who stood on the corner with two rolls in his hand, telling passers-by about the food Mr. Ward offered. “Watch the stall.”
Billy hurried over and nodded.
“And for God’s sake, keep an eye out for thieves. You cost me more than I make sometimes because you’re asleep on your feet.”
Billy nodded again. He was unable to speak. It was the only reason he was still working for the bald-headed man with the pot belly. Mr. Ward had fired more than a dozen assistants because he said they gave him too much attitude. Mr. Ward was an older Fae and once upon a time used Old Magic, but he didn’t anymore. No one knew why. He was just a humble merchant, now.
As soon as Mr. Ward disappeared, Shawna made her move. She lifted her hands and summoned the tiny bit of power she still had left after this morning’s stunt. If she didn’t have food in her belly, her ability to use her magic was completely depleted. And her magic had become what she relied on now to survive.
The apple cart started to tremble, and then it started to dance from side to side. The wheels had been locked, but the cart rumbled and the apples started to fall off, one by one. And then in a bigger avalanche.
Billy opened his mouth in a silent cry and leapt toward the cart. Fae magic ran much stronger through his veins, so the cart responded to his touch and quickly started to steady.
Shawna took her chance, knowing she had to work fast. She ran from behind the cart, darting past Billy on the other side so he wouldn’t see her, and yanked her bag from her back. She opened it and grabbed the first things that fell into her hands, not paying attention to what they were.
When she looked over her shoulder, Billy had the cart stabilized and he turned to face her. He froze when they locked eyes, her hand still on a block of cheese.
Billy started toward Shawna, his face a mask of anger. She yanked the cheese from the board, turned around and made a break for it. She stuffed the cheese into her bag as she ran, scurrying through the market stalls.
She took a left, a right and another right, and turned left again, winding her way through the market so that Billy wouldn’t catch her.
Twice, she looked over her shoulder and didn’t see him, but she didn’t stop until she was on the far side of the marketplace, where she knew he couldn’t follow. He wouldn’t leave the stall unattended for too long because if Mr. Ward discovered his absence when he’d told Billy to watch it, he would be in a world of trouble.
He already would be for what she’d stolen, but hopefully Mr. Ward wouldn’t notice. Or at least, not all of it.
A pang of guilt shot into Shawna’s chest. She wondered what her father would say if he saw her now. Billy was going to take the fall for her theft and her father wouldn’t approve.
But today it came down to either Billy’s job or her possibly starving, and she had to choose herself. Surely her father would understand that.
She started walking through the narrow streets of Vanbourne, one of the larger cities in the Boreal Court, which was known for its plantations. The area fed the mouths of thousands.
The Fae that lived in the city were well-known for their Earth magic and the incredible produce they could grow with it. Merchants from far and wide came to buy supplies here and transport them back to villages like Chrodale and Blackwallow, where their magic was focused on other things.
Shawna kept to the back alleys and put her head down. She wore a tattered hooded sweater so that her red hair wouldn’t draw attention, and didn’t make eye contact, even with those she knew. She was truly ashamed that she had to turn to thievery to eat.
The back alleys were for those with no class and no money. The noblemen and merchants used the wide streets for their luxurious vehicles.
It didn’t take long for her to reach the crude shelter she’d created for herself. She climbed the ladder she’d built almost a year ago, hopping onto the roof and following the thick wall to the far end where another building—one with three stories, met the one she stood on. The buildings created a corner and she’d added a few beams and a brown tarp to keep out the sun and rain. A weather spell had allowed her to waterproof the shelter, and it was perfect to stay in.
Well, maybe perfect wasn’t the right word for it. It was makeshift and ugly and far from luxurious. But it was home, and it was hers.
She crawled in through the opening between the tarps and sat down, unpacking her bag to see what she’d gotten. A hunk of meat, a round bread that smelled so good her mouth watered, and the block of cheese. She’d nearly lost that one, but she hadn’t wanted to give it up for the sake of getting away sooner. Cheese had fat in it, and she needed the energy. This meal alone would keep her going for a few days, then she’d need to find the next target.
Shawna lifted the bread and took a huge bite, moaning in pleasure as she chewed. She could feel her strength returning with every morsel. Magic danced in her veins and shivered along her skin. She put down the bread carefully and picked up the smoked meat with one hand. She took a big bite, loving the juiciness of the piece, while holding her other hand palm up. She pushed magic into shape so that it danced on her palm like a blue light, and smiled, relishing in the feeling of her power returning.
She shouldn’t wait so long before eating again because it made her dangerously weak.
Suddenly, as if something had yanked at the power, her magic shot from her palm onto the wad of blankets and rags she slept on, and they caught fire.
“Shit!” she cried out, and grabbed for her lumpy pillow, swinging it and pressing down on the blankets to tamp out the fire.
When the flames were finally gone, Shawna coughed and spluttered, her eyes watering from the smoke. She took some deep breaths, trying to calm down after the shock. What on earth had happened?
It was the second time in the same day she’d lost control of her magic. Earlier, she’d used weather magic to summon the wind, and although she only meant to create a small gust, the wind had ripped the tarp down the middle instead.
Something was wrong. Her magic had never been unreliable like this before. It was critical to work out what was wrong with it. But first, she had to go to sleep. A suddenly full belly after being hungry so long was making her drowsy, and she needed to recover her strength before she headed into the city again.
Shawna lay back on the blankets and rags, trying to avoid the spot of cinders where the flames had eaten her bed, and closed her eyes.
I’ll have to scavenge some more materials to replace that blanket now.
Suddenly, she sa
Inside, the silver locket that had belonged to her mother was safe, unscathed by the fire.
“Thank the heavens.”
She let out a sigh of relief and closed the box again, tucking it back under the blankets. At least the locket was safe.
She closed her eyes and this time, it was easy to fall asleep.
“Shawna!” her father called. “Where are you? Where’s my little girl?”
She covered her mouth with her hands and tried to suppress a giggle that would give away the hiding spot behind the living room curtains. Her father was walking through the house, looking for her, and so far, he hadn’t found her.
“Where’s my little munchkin hiding?” he asked again.
He was in the room now, and a thrill traveled through her. He was so close. So close...
She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to will herself invisible. Her magic wasn’t very strong yet— but she would learn. Her father said he would teach her.
Wind ruffled her hair and lifted the curtains she hid behind and she squealed. Her father stood in front of her, a grin on her face.
“I found you,” he said and scooped her into his arms.
“I couldn’t hide,” she said, pushing her hands into his beard. “I couldn’t make myself invisible.”
“You’ll figure it out, sweet pea,” her father said and ruffled her red hair. “You’ll be just as powerful as anyone in the Twill family. I’ll show you.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and breathed in her dad’s scent.
Shawna sat up and looked around. It was late—much later than she would have liked—but the sun hadn’t set yet. She took a deep breath and could almost smell her dad’s scent on her clothes.
But that was a long time ago. It had been many years since he’d passed away, and even longer since he’d married Valorie and brought her two awful daughters into the house.
It had been a long time since Shawna had known anything like the real happiness she’d experienced as a child.
Unable to stay quietly in her shelter now, the dream settling uncomfortably in her chest, she left and climbed back down to street level. She would go and see the only real friend she had in the city.
When her feet hit the cobbled alleyway, she started walking in the direction she went almost every day. Her feet knew the way, and they carried her through the city that was starting to pack up and get ready for the night.
The tailor’s shop was in the middle of town, squashed between a shoemaker and a milliner. She’d always thought it was funny that anyone could be dressed from head to toe between those three shops, but Blaze never saw the humor in it.
When she pushed open the door, the cool shop interior offered relief from the heat outside. Then Blaze turned from a stack of fabric rolls and smiled at her.
Chapter 2
“WELL, IF IT ISN’T CINDERELLA,” he said, his forest-green eyes twinkling in amusement and his shaggy black hair hanging around his pointed ears.
Shawna rolled her eyes and walked to the stool in the corner, sitting down. “Don’t call me that. I don’t sleep in front of the fire anymore.”
Which was exactly where her stepmother had made her sleep for years before she’d had the guts to get up and leave.
Blaze chuckled. “Your living quarters right now aren’t much better.”
She ignored his quip. It was true, her shelter was crude and dirty. But it was free of her evil stepmother and two self-absorbed stepsisters. She didn’t have to answer to anyone anymore or work her fingers to the bone, and that counted for something.
“So,” Blaze continued, stacking the rolls of material expertly. “Word around town says that someone stole from Mr. Ward.”
Shawna shrugged. “There are a lot of thieves around here.”
“Yeah, but you’re the only one who picks on Billy because he can’t say anything to rat you out, and his magic is strong enough to replace most of what you took.”
She didn’t respond, though he was right. She was the only one who targeted Billy. But what else was she supposed to do? No one would give her a job, and she would literally starve to death if she didn’t steal the small amount of food she got her hands on.
“I’m going to have a different life one day,” she said suddenly. “And then none of this will matter, and it won’t happen anymore.”
“How?” Blaze asked. “You’re at the bottom of the food chain right now, and people like you don’t make it in a city like Vanbourne.”
He was right, of course.
“I’m willing to take my chances,” Shawna said.
“You were better off when you lived with Valorie.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “And then what? Concede to be her slave for the rest of my life?”
Blaze shook his head. “People like Valorie don’t live forever.”
Shawna knew what he was saying—that her evil stepmother would eventually grow old and die. But he’d obviously forgotten that she had two horrible daughters that she doted on and would make sure they inherited everything and she got nothing.
She hadn’t even been able to fall back on the fact that she was the daughter of a nobleman. Valorie had hidden her birth certificate and anything else that proved she was anything other than a servant girl. So, instead of living the life of a lowly slave, she’d left to make her own way.
Unfortunately, she didn’t manage all too well on her own. She was well aware of her precarious existence. Her life wasn’t improved when it came to her class and station within the city. Vanbourne had a social structure that was strictly based on money and bloodlines.
But she was determined to find a better life one day. Even if she wasn’t quite sure how she was going to do it.
“I’m going to work it out,” she said to Blaze, grinning at him cheekily. “Who knows, one day I could be the wife of a baron or a duke or something. Maybe end up in the palace.”
Yeah... and pigs would learn to fly.
Blaze snorted. “You? In the palace?” He burst out laughing. “You’re not cut out for palace life.”
She looked at him with fake indignation. “Why not? I could be a princess, you know.”
“And what... let someone wait on you hand and foot every day? You’re far too independent for that.”
She shrugged her shoulders and swung her feet on the stool. Blaze was right, to an extent. She was independent and did like doing her own thing. Her late father had always said how wild she was, and how she would often choose to do something for herself, even when there were servants paid to perform those same tasks.
It was another reason she’d hated working as a servant for Valorie. After her father passed away, Valorie had kicked her out of her room and forced her to sleep in the kitchen and scrub the floors as if she wasn’t the lady of the house.
Living in the palace was a far-off dream, of course. She wasn’t a fool. The chances of that happening were zero. But it was nice to dream of a life that wasn’t so difficult that she had to fight for survival every single day.
“I just think the royalty in the palace can make a difference to their people,” she said to Blaze. “Their lives are easier. And they can make decisions that have far-reaching effects.”
“They’re not saints, Shawna,” Blaze said. “They’re just really rich. They live in their palace, removed from reality, and they don’t care about people like us.”
She wasn’t sure she agreed. She knew that the king and queen had to make sure that Vanbourne was taken care of, and they had to keep the peace with other cities in the Fae realm. But they were capable of doing more.
“What do you know?” she teased.
“I dressed the Fae prince, remember?” Blaze said.
Right... she remembered something like that. Blaze’s boss, Edmond, had been summoned to create an entire wardrobe for the royal family, and Blaze was a new assistant at the time. The other assistant had been sick and unable to come to work, so Blaze had been the lucky one to go along.
“What was he like?” Shawna asked.
