Except you won’t actually be killed. Well, probably not anyway.”

“Probably?” I sputtered.

Her wings closed. “I have no control over what happens after you make your wish. Giants, kings, and pirates tend to kidnap things that can produce gold. And Rumpelstiltskin is ruthless. You know what they say, ‘An ex-fairy is a vengeful fairy.’ ” 179/356

This didn’t make me feel better. “How would I know that anyone says that?”

“Oh. Well, they do.” Chrissy checked her watch. “My break’s about over.”

I held out my hands, trying to keep her from leaving, trying to make her understand. “You can’t make me go through with this. I didn’t know any of this would happen when I made my wish.” She looked at me benevolently. “Well, that puts you on par with the rest of humanity, doesn’t it? Wishes are powerful things. You can’t expect them to change the world without changing you too.” Her eyes didn’t leave mine and she let out a sigh.

I thought she’d taken pity on me and would help me somehow.

Instead, she pulled her wand from her purse and swished it in my direction. “Really, with your fair complexion, you shouldn’t go without lipstick.” She gave me a satisfied smile, and then the light around her drew in on itself, shrinking into a pinpoint until she disappeared.

I was alone and still chained up, but now I was wearing lipstick.

Stupid fairy.

I tried to walk over and kick the stool, but the chain held me back and I was only able to kick uselessly at some stray strands of straw.

After this brief and pointless flare of temper, I sank down to the floor and glared at the walls. No wonder Chrissy needed extra credit.

Her fairy godmother skills were woefully lacking. Which meant I couldn’t count on her. I was on my own, grappling with a fate I didn’t want. Again.

No, I wasn’t completely on my own. Hudson was here. He was trying to help me. I looked to the door, hoping he would come in.

It was easy to conjure up images of Hudson, easy to picture his dark brown eyes and square jaw. Too easy. I made a quick, panicked inventory of my feelings.

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Hudson and I were in the same situation, and it had created a bond between us. It was the only reason I wanted to see him so badly right now. It didn’t have anything to do with the fact that he was tall and handsome, or that he had an air of confidence about him, a sturdy competence … that he was the type of person who could be dropped into a completely different world and still find a way to survive, to get what he needed.

The girls at school had said he was sullen and didn’t date anymore, didn’t socialize. He clearly didn’t want a girlfriend, so he was the last guy I should start getting romantic ideas about.

I forced myself to turn away from the door. I had no guarantee that Hudson would help me get home. He might just use my help to get the Gilead and then go home without me. I couldn’t let myself fall for him. Bo had said he loved me, and it hadn’t been real. My parents had said they loved each other, and that hadn’t been real either. Romantic love was as unreliable and dangerous as fairy magic and should be avoided at all costs.

I wrapped my arms around my knees and let my chin sink into the silky material of my dress. Despite the warning to myself, I still wanted to see Hudson. I watched the closed door and felt downright needy. I didn’t know how to make the emotion stop. How did you take away a longing that lay deep inside—a longing to love someone else?

Would he come in if I called him? Why wasn’t he coming on his own?

“Hudson …,” I whispered. But I didn’t call his name. And he didn’t open the door. A single tear rolled down my cheek. The next moment, I was staring at a pair of pointed leather boots in front of me.

Rumpelstiltskin had come back.

Chapter 13

I gulped and looked up at Rumpelstiltskin. He bent down and wiped the tear from my cheek, shaking his head slowly. “What a wicked man to treat you thus.”

“What?” For a moment I thought he’d peered into my mind and read my thoughts about Hudson. Could fairies do that?

“Giving King John a taste of gold has been akin to giving a wild dog a taste of blood. He won’t let go of a fine morsel like you.” His sor-rowful tone didn’t match the glint of pleasure in his eyes. He had wanted King John to make more demands of me.

Rumpelstiltskin’s hand was still on my cheek. I stood up so I could step away from him.

He gazed around the room at the towering stacks of straw and tsk-tsked. “He’ll have no straw for bedding if he keeps this up. No doubt about it. Does he plan to make you spin every night? What did he tell you?”

“He said I had to get the ability to turn the straw into gold myself, or he would execute me and my family. If I do spin the straw into gold, he’ll marry me. I consider the second fate only a little better than the first.”

Rumpelstiltskin laughed, but I wasn’t joking.

He walked around me with what I imagine was supposed to look like a thoughtful expression on his face. His motion reminded me of the way a shark circled its prey. “Has King John taken your family?”

“No, but he asked Haverton to find them.” Rumpelstiltskin stopped in front of me and pulled a small hand mirror out of his breast pocket. It sat in a decorative frame with such 182/356

lifelike gold leaves entwined around it that I knew it had to be magic.

“I can show you your family, if you’d like.” He placed the mirror in my hand. It felt light and warm as though it had been lying in the sun. I looked into it, but instead of seeing my reflection, I only saw smooth blackness.

Rumpelstiltskin leaned over my shoulder. “Say their names, and the glass will show you where they are.” I hesitated. It seemed dangerous to take gifts from Rumpelstiltskin, but I wanted to see my father and Nick and Sandra so badly—to know they were okay. I gripped the warm mirror and said, “Frank Miller.” Wherever he was, the others would be too.

The glass fogged with blurry shapes and colors flitting across it; then the picture cleared, grew sharp. And there was my father, his face painted a camouflage green, standing in front of Nick. My father still had the paintbrush in his hand and was painting Nick’s face too. A fire must have been going nearby because there was enough light not only to see them, but to see the trees around them.

I hadn’t noticed the words that appeared on the bottom of the glass until Rumpelstiltskin read them. “River Bend. That’s not far from here. I wonder why they’ve come so close to the castle.”

“Why are they painting their faces?” I asked.

Rumpelstiltskin frowned as though it were of no consequence.

“Mortals do such odd things. They’re hard to understand, aren’t they?” He took the mirror from my hands, and it clouded, then went blank.

I had to fight the urge to snatch it back. I wanted to see my father and Nick again, to try to figure out what they were doing.

“The important thing,” Rumpelstiltskin went on, “is that they’re alive and safe. Now we must worry about your safety.” He leaned so close his breath brushed against my cheek. It smelled of fires and au-tumn leaves. “I can give you the enchantment that turns things into 183/356

gold, and then King John will not only spare your life, he’ll elevate you to queen. As his wife, you’ll be protected and cherished.” Protected and cherished? Rumpelstiltskin had either never met King John, or didn’t think I had.

“As fond as I am of you,” Rumpelstiltskin went on, “I would hate to part with such a powerful enchantment. I’m not certain what I’d ask for it.” He made a show of looking me over. “You have no other jewelry, but after you marry the king, he’ll give you many things. You’ll have so many treasures, you won’t miss one. So, in exchange for giving you my gold enchantment now, I’ll come back in a year, and you must consent to give me whatever I choose.” He smiled and it sent chills down my spine. “Do we have an agreement?” That’s how it happened then. Rumpelstiltskin had saved the miller’s daughter’s life twice and asked for trinkets in return. Why wouldn’t she have trusted him? Why would she have expected him to ask for her child? I had always thought she cared more about her own life than her baby’s. But perhaps selling away your children didn’t happen all at once. Perhaps selling your children, your future, just happened one bad decision at a time.