Cinderella Spell - Laurie Lee Page 0,64
highway from the inn toward Anglesworth, the largest city in the southern region of the kingdom. The king’s carriage rode well, so there was little to do but sway with the motion of the wheels. The trees were in the distance and open fields passed in a blur. Marissa leaned her head against the side of the carriage. She couldn’t quite let herself fade to sleep. Memories of the old man and the beat of large black wings hovered too close to the surface. What is Robert doing? Is he with Cinderella? Her mind turned to the final dance when Robert had twirled her in his arms. To where she’d stood with him in an alcove. Where his lips moved against hers. What if I stayed instead of ran? Would Cinderella have lured him anyway?
“It’s no use wondering. A witch has her way. She’s laid a foundation, years in the making.”
“How do you know she’s a witch?”
“I am a Guardian. It is my place to know such things.”
“You said Father hired you.”
Mrs. Boyde smiled. “He called for me. There is a difference. Your father was a merchant, an honest man. When he refused to bow, threats came against the family. Against you, though you were but babe-in-arms. I was sent to protect you.”
“When the threat ended, why did you remain with us?”
“A Guardian makes a lifetime commitment. I cannot protect you from all ills, but I will give my life to save you from the worst.”
“Can you banish Cinderella?”
“It would take more than one of us to defeat her. If we can find the source of her spell…” Mrs. Boyde tightened her lips as she looked out the window.
Marissa turned to look. “It’s Captain Standish. You don’t like him?” The captain noticed their attention and gave a tight salute before pushing his horse ahead of the carriage, out of sight. “He carries the sword I found in the attic.”
“It belongs to him.”
“How could he get a fine blade—oh, right. He’s a Guardian as well.”
Mrs. Boyde sat straighter. “His story is not mine to tell. Keep watch,” she nodded at the window. “They say Anglesworth appears at the rise of a hill. The entire city has been built across a valley.”
Marissa looked. There were hills, and deep gray along the horizon. “Will we reach the mountains tomorrow?”
“They will consult the Crestor in the morning. If no storms are forewarned, we should take the mountain pass and reach the village of Havenswold.”
They reached the top of the hill, and Marissa leaned closer to the window. Mid-afternoon sun lit the pitched roofs piled one on another. Chimney stacks rose to varying heights, and bits of color showed through gaps in the roofs. Like a sea, the village spread across the valley.
Entering Anglesworth was not as pleasant as viewing it from afar. The close houses meant people, lots of people, carts, carriages, and wagons crowding the streets. Unpleasant smells wafted through the open windows.
Marissa wrinkled her nose. “I hope we don’t have to stay longer than tonight.”
“A good rain will clear the air. You saw the clouds moving up the valley. There will be rain tonight.”
Mrs. Boyde’s prediction proved true. The splatter of rain could be heard outside the window. The sun set in colors of gold and crimson as lightning flared in the bank of clouds further south. The black silhouettes of tree trunks stood out in the last vestiges of light, then a shadow moved. A tall, slender figure slipped closer to the inn. Marissa moved to the side of the window, hoping the shutter would hide her from view. Her heart thudded in her chest. Was this going to happen everywhere? Was the slinking shadow brought on by the presence of soldiers and the king’s carriage? Or was it something altogether different?
Mrs. Boyde’s arrival less than an hour later did not help the unsettled feeling in her chest. “What happened?” Marissa looked up from the thin book she’d been trying to read.
“A man from a neighboring village, seems he wanted a souvenir.” Mrs. Boyde sat in the wicker rocking chair across from Marissa.
“Why risk foolishness? Is there need here?”
“What did you notice when we came through town?”
“Fire through the markets. Would make selling and buying of goods a challenge. Have they appealed to the king for help?”
Mrs. Boyde shrugged. “Not an easy task.”
Marissa took to her feet. “If Robert were smart, he’d set a center of rule somewhere further north, easier to reach for our subjects. There could even be a