Her smile only got wider. “Oh, but I can. We have lights out there. You won’t come in this house until you’ve finished your job.”

  My jaw dropped. “You have got to be kidding me.” I grumbled and went into the garage to get a wagon for the boards. By the time I was finished loading them up and putting them by the driveway, it was past midnight. Sometimes it was seriously annoying to have such a large yard.

  When I was satisfied that the yard was just like it had been before—except for the holes where the posts had been put in for the stage—I trudged back up to the house and into my bedroom. I grabbed my clothes and heard a click from the other side—she’d just locked me in again. I groaned inwardly. So much for a shower. I could have just gone through the window again, but Phil had warned me not to ruffle any feathers.

  I flopped onto my bed and willed sleep to come. If I knew my stepmom, she would have plenty for me to do tomorrow.

  I refused to run the stairs. I had been a slave to Julie since she moved in and Dad went off on his business trips, and I was sure she’d never worked me as hard as she had that day. True, the magic had worn me far past this, but it was a different kind of exhaustion.

  I imagined myself a pillow and blanket and made myself comfortable in the corner of the landing. I had almost dozed off when I saw a pair of combat boots right in front of me.

  “You’re breaking the rules, you know.” Nick looked down at me, arms folded.

  “I don’t care.” I turned so I could look up at him better.

  “You will if my grandma gets a hold of you. You’re supposed to be paying this thing off.” He leaned against the wall.

  “Could you sit down so I don’t have to look up at you? It’s hurting my neck,” I said.

  He grunted and sat, crossing his legs. “You’ve done this for years and never had a problem with it. Why are you breaking rules all of a sudden?”

  “I didn’t know I had a choice. Besides, my dreams started changing a few weeks ago—I don’t know why. Then I realized I could play with them.” I sat up. “I want out, Nick. I don’t want to be here anymore. I can’t imagine you do, either.”

  Nick watched me for a minute before looking down at his hands. “No. I’m tired.”

  “Where do you go when you’re awake?” I had learned his last name, but I didn’t know anything else about him.

  “I just kinda live wherever I can find a place. My mom disappeared a while after I was sent to watch over you.”

  I tried to push away my sympathy for him. He’d been my captor. My guard. He’d been rude to me and the other campers. But if he’d had all his freedom taken from him, did he have much of a choice? Well, of course he did. I wasn’t exactly free to do what I wanted and I was nice . . . wasn’t I? Thoughts flickered past, making me want to invite him to my party, but I ignored them. I had enough of him at night.

  He stood up. “You really should get going.”

  “Why don’t you just stay here and make sure I don’t leave? Then you’d be doing your job, right?” I asked.

  “Er, not really. You’re supposed to be running. But I guess as long as I know where you are . . .”

  “Right. Just don’t let your grandma or anyone else near me.” I rolled over and closed my eyes, hoping the rest I got here would help when I woke up in the morning.

  I had nearly fallen asleep when I heard Nick swear under his breath, followed by approaching footsteps.

  I scrambled to stand and ran away from whoever was coming. When I had gone up a few stories, I stopped to listen. I could hear Nick talking with his grandma. Emotions warred inside me. I wanted to get far away from her, but I was dying to hear what they were saying.

  Curiosity won out and I crept down to where I could hear them better, but they still couldn’t see me. I closed my eyes and strained to listen, bracing myself in case I had to start running again.

  “She failed to get the stage set up for the full moon. Cinderella’s father was able to resist her magic this time. This will hinder our plans, but it is no matter. We can still make it happen.”

  “What do you mean?” Nick’s voice echoed off the walls.

  “Now that her father is out of the picture, things can happen more quickly. At the stroke of midnight, she will be stuck here forever, never to be freed. The only way to break the curse is to be kissed as the bell tolls, and Sarah has taken care of that.” Her menacing laugh made me shiver. I couldn’t be stuck here! I leaned forward.

  “But . . . why?” he asked.

  “I need her magic, and I can’t have it unless she remains alive. Her magic possesses an imprint I need, but I cannot have it if she is dead. Trapping her here will keep her alive forever.”

  I gasped. Luke was right—I had to destroy this place. But how was I supposed to do that? I’d made small things happen. This was tearing down walls. And if I pulled the staircase down, I could go with it. Of course, if I didn’t stop her, my life would essentially be over anyway.

  I turned and ran up the stairs, trying to clear my head. Listening was dangerous when Nick’s grandma was on the loose, especially if she knew I had the answer to getting out of here. I needed Luke’s help, but would he kiss me? Maybe. He had before. I blushed at the thought of his lips on mine. There was a huge problem with this plan—he was Sarah’s date. Messing with her was not something I wanted to do, but I didn’t see any way around it.

  I woke the next morning, my mind a jumble of thoughts about what I would have to do to free myself. I’d been looking forward to this day for a very long time. It was my birthday, and yet I didn’t feel like celebrating. There was too much to get done, so instead of being excited for a new year, there was a weight on my shoulders.

  Except that I had a glimmer of hope. I could make this happen if I did it just right. I grabbed my phone off my lamp table and texted Luke a little of what I’d learned last night. I kept the kiss from him because I didn’t want him acting different around Sarah at the ball—it could mess things up. Instead, I just told him I would need his help and left it at that.

  I then texted Phil to see if my dad was okay. It was agony waiting to get answers back, but I was relieved when I did. Luke promised to do whatever was needed, and Phil let me know that Dad was out of his coma and demanding to go home to his little girl. The healers who had come during the night had apparently done a great job with him.

  I climbed out of bed, hoping for a hot shower before starting the day, but the door was still locked. When I tried the window, it was stuck. The metal almost looked like it had been melted shut. Someone in this house did have powers Dad hadn’t known about. I went back to the door and pounded on it.

  A key turned in the lock, but it was only to allow Sarah to shove a bowl of cereal at me. Before I could ask anything, she’d slammed the door again and locked it. I sat down on my bed to eat, trying to figure out a way to escape. Using my magic on the doorknob would only work if I knew for sure they were out of the house. I didn’t want any of them to know I had magic too.

  By the time they let me out of my room, I’d painted my nails, planned out the night, read a book, and color-coordinated everything in my closet. A glance at the clock told me we only had a couple of hours until the dance, and I still needed a shower.

  “Sydney, I want my hair up in a bun, with curls around it.” Sarah sat down in front of the mirror in the bathroom.

  “But I still need to get ready.”

  She glared. “Mom! Sydney’s not helping me!”

  Julie poked her head out of her bedroom. Her hair was up in curlers and she was wearing a face mask. “Sydney, get Sarah’s hair done. Now.”

  “But—” I stopped at the look on her face and growled. “Fine. I’ll do this, but then I’m going to get ready.” I pulled her hair up and put clips all over in it to keep anything from falling out. The curls were done quickly, and I turned to go.

  “Uh-uh. You haven’t done my hair yet.” Kaylee popped her gum and sat down next to Sarah. “I need mine straightened. It makes me look taller.”

  I raised an eyebrow and chose to say nothing. Her hair was soon straight and smooth. I added a diamond-encrusted clip and then stepped back. “Okay, now can I go?”

  Sarah studied Kaylee’s hair for a second. “No, I think I want what she has instead. I really do need to look a little taller for Luke’s sake.” The batting of her eyelashes sent my annoyance through the roof.

  “Your hair is fine how it is. And whoever said that straight hair makes you taller?”

  Sarah reached up and pulled the pins out of her hair. “I want what Kaylee has—now. Or I’ll show all your embarrassing pictures to Luke.”

  I didn’t have a clue what pictures she was talking about, but I didn’t want to find out. “All right. Straight it is.” Once I was done, I turned to leave, but Kaylee grabbed my arm.

  “Where do you think you’re going? I’m not about to go to the ball looking like Sarah. I want my hair up.”

  “If I do it, will you two promise you’ll let me get ready after that?”

  “Fine. I have to go get dressed anyway.” Sarah stood and went to her room.

  “Whatever.” Kaylee filed her nails while I pulled her hair up and did it the same way I’d done Sarah’s just minutes before. She popped her gum and went to her room without thanking me.

  While they argued over necklaces and what to wear, I jumped into the shower. Once I was done, I hurried past their room to change. I was so excited about how the pink dress looked on me. I readjusted the bow on the waistline until it looked right. Now I just needed to get my hair dried and pulled back with bobby pins, so I left my room to find the blow dryer.

  Kaylee stopped putting on mascara and dropped the wand. “Where did you get that? It’s gorge—hideous. I can’t believe you’d wear that anywhere.”

  “Yeah, it’s terrible. I mean, look at that bow.” Sarah sneered and reached forward, pulling it off.

  I gasped. “What did you do that for?” I stared down in horror at the gaping hole she’d left behind.

  “She had good reason. It was awful. And the lace on the bodice? Ick. So last year.” Kaylee laughed as she ripped off the lace, taking a layer of taffeta with it.

  “And you’d better watch your step. You wouldn’t want the skirt to tear.” Sarah grabbed and yanked, filling the air with a loud rip.

  Tears poured down my face as they continued to pull my dress to bits. When Julie came out to see what was going on, she simply sniffed and walked into the kitchen. I ran for my room, my dress in pieces. I sobbed as I heard the girls get picked up by their dates. They were loud and giggly just outside my door. Julie left soon after, with a laugh that chilled me. They had been cruel before, but nothing compared to what they had just done.

  I pulled off the remains of my dress and put on my robe until I could figure out something else to wear. My phone buzzed, and I picked it up to see that Jade had texted me. I wiped my eyes so I could see the words through my tears.

  Hey, we got here early. Coming?

  I let out a sob and typed the reply.

  Not sure if I’m going to make it. Stepsisters ruined my dress.

  Suddenly I was receiving angry texts from the other girls, demanding to know what was going on. They wanted to come over and save me, but I wasn’t about to let them ruin their dates.

  Remembering what I’d done with the blue dress before, I went to my closet to find a dress to work on. The dress they’d torn to shreds was so bad, there wasn’t anything I could do with it except throw it out, so I had to using something else. My dresses were gone—every one of them. But how did they get in? I checked the lock that Dad had changed, only to find that it had been broken. Someone in the house really didn’t want me to look good for my own ball. I tried to make a dress out of a couple of my shirts, but they were way shorter than I would ever wear. I sat down on my bed in defeat. There was the robe I was wearing, but I didn’t know if I could make it work.

  The knock at my bedroom door made me jump. Everyone should have been at the dance. I froze, not knowing what to do.

  The knock came again. “Sydney? Open up, princess.”

  Dad! I ran over and threw open the door. “What are you doing home?” I stopped, seeing his black eye and the cut on his forehead. “Oh, Daddy. What did they do to you?”

  “I’m fine. Just don’t hug me or you might hurt my ribs.” He smiled. “You didn’t think I’d miss my girl’s birthday, did you?”

  “Well . . .” I laughed, but then started crying. “I can’t go to my own party, Dad. They ruined my dress.” I pointed over at the mess that was once my gown.

  “Wow, they really did a number on it, didn’t they?” He chuckled. “Good thing I’m here to save the day.” He nodded at the entryway, and Phil stepped inside holding a blue gown that made it hard for me to breathe. The dress from my dreams. “What do you think?” he asked.

  “It’s beautiful.” I couldn’t move to take it from Phil. I didn’t want to wear it, but Dad looked so happy with himself, I didn’t have the heart to tell him this dress brought back nightmares.

  “Go ahead, sweetie. Try it on.” He took the dress and handed it to me, beaming.

  I smiled weakly and closed the door. What was I supposed to do? I could change the color or the style, but it would give away the fact that I didn’t like it. I finally pulled it on and zipped it up. It felt like it was made for me. It fit every curve and flared out where it should. I felt just like the princess my dad had always insisted I was. I opened the door, and my dad stared for a second before pulling me into a hug. I was careful when I wrapped my arms around him, but still heard a sharp intake of breath. “Oh, sorry.”

  “When did you grow up to be such a beautiful young woman?” he asked, wiping his eyes.

  “Oh, stop.” I hurried over to the mirror to figure out what to do with my hair. I needed something more than what I’d been planning.

  Phil stepped forward and gestured for me to sit. “Allow me.” He pulled my hair up and into a twist in the back of my head.

  “Where did you learn to do that?” I asked.

  “I have a few daughters of my own. I had to learn quickly.” He winked and stepped aside.

  Dad came forward. “Don’t forget the accessories. Every girl needs a tiara.” He set a delicate tiara with crystals on my head and nestled it among my dark curls. He also handed me some gloves and a mask. “Let’s surprise everyone at the party.” He held out his arm. “Are you ready?”

  The girl looking back at me was happy and content. “I’ve never been more ready.”

  “Then you’ll need these.” He held out a pair of glass heels. They reflected in the light, sending rainbows everywhere.

  “They’re gorgeous. But how am I supposed to dance or even walk in these?”

  “Just try them. They were your mom’s. I’ve been saving them for the perfect moment.”

  I took them, afraid I would drop one and shatter it. They fit perfectly and were surprisingly comfortable. “Thank you. Let’s go.”

  “Your carriage awaits, m’lady.” He gestured toward the door with a bow. It was only slightly marred by his gasp of pain.

  I took the mask and gloves from Dad and walked beside him out to the limo he must have ordered for the night—his car had been totaled, after all.

  On the drive to the country club, Dad told me what had happened. He’d left for the office and noticed about halfway there that a car was following him and coming up fast. He tried to move out of the way, but the car managed to knock him off the road. He didn’t remember anything after that.

  “What are we going to do about Julie?” I asked, trying to control the anger coursing through me.

  “We don’t have a lot of proof yet that it was her. We’ll just have to keep things quiet until we can do something.”

  “But you’ll get hurt again,” I argued.

  “I have faith that you’ll have it taken care of long before I need to worry about that.” He patted my knee. “Ah, we’re here. Now keep that mask on. I don’t want Julie knowing where you are.”

  “Won’t it look strange, me being the only one with a mask?”

  He looked at me in surprise. “Didn’t you know it would be a masquerade? We’re all wearing them, which is great since that means I can hide this black eye of mine.”

  Phil helped Dad out of the car and then took my hand. He bowed slightly. “Knock ’em dead.” Phil then spoke into a walkie-talkie, and four men came over and stood on each side of Dad. Apparently they weren’t taking any chances.

  I took a deep breath. I could do this. It was just a simple dance, after all. Dad took my arm and we headed into the country club together. The music blasted as we walked toward the ballroom.

  We came down the stairs, and the room seemed to hush. Okay, so it didn’t really—but it would have added to our dramatic entrance. Dad was right—there were masks everywhere. I relaxed and nodded to him before walking around, trying to find my friends.

  I noticed a group of five girls giggling and talking to each other while their dates stood around, looking uncomfortable. That was them, all right.

  “Hey,” I said as I walked up.

  Jade squealed from behind her peacock mask. Her dress was royal blue with green swirls that matched her mask perfectly. “You made it. We were about to send out a rescue team.”

  “My dad came to save me.”

  “He did? Julie announced that he was in the hospital.” Heidi was wearing a cat mask to accent her sleek black dress. Blake couldn’t seem to keep his eyes off her.

  “Yes, well, he’s doing much better than my stepmom hoped.” I filled them on everything that had happened.

  Katy shook her head. “That’s just plain wrong. So what are you going to do?”

  “I’m supposed to kiss someone at midnight.” I tried to find Luke, but it was impossible in this place. Everyone was dancing and moving.

 

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