Page 17 of Once Upon a Midnight Clear

BONG.

Nine and she was at the gates, her heart a furious beat. Her legs pumped madly as she made her way out of the gates.

BONG.

Ten and she was outside where she met Noella.

She stole a glance behind her to see Nicholas pause at the bottom of the stairs to search for her. When he found her, he bolted into a run.

BONG.

Eleven. Gasping, she stuck the slipper back on her foot, then hurried up the dirt road in her ball gown. As she did so, something began to happen. A warm tingling sensation spiraled through her. The world spun around and around and around like it had when she put on the shoes.

BONG.

Twelve.

And then suddenly she was floating, floating, floating, and falling, falling, falling, into a dreamy world of green and red. She flailed her arms as she fell through darkness and shadow. The snowy ground came up quickly and then suddenly everything went black.

Nicholas ran through the gates as a flash of fairy dust exploded in gold and white sparkles, leaving behind a puffy cloud of magic. He pitched forward, his hands on his knees as his breath see-sawed in and out. He was too late. Ella had disappeared and he had a good idea who was responsible.

“Well, that was exciting,” a familiar voice said in the darkness.

She appeared in a puff of magic next to him, her cheeks rosy and her blue eyes bright.

“Mother, what did you do to her?” he demanded on a pant.

“I did nothing,” Noella said, looking abashed. “Except give her what she wanted. A night at the Christmas ball.”

“She had on glass slippers, Mother.Theglass slippers.” He stood straight, glaring at his meddlesome mother.

“Yes, well…I had to dosomethingto keep them out Malvina’s hands.”

Frustration edged through him as he spun on his mother. He took her by the shoulders. “I saw the puff of magic in the air. Where did she go, Mother?”

“Whatever do you mean? The spell was broken at midnight and—” She gasped, putting her hands to her mouth as disbelief registered on her face. “Oh, dearest me. I think I made an error.”

He huffed, his breath silver in the air.

“I forgot to remove the teleportation spell. I had thought she would remove the shoes before the last stroke of midnight. Then everything would be as it was before and the shoes would be returned to their proper place. Now, we’re in a bit of a predicament.”

“What does that mean? What do you mean proper place?” he demanded.

“It means, my dear son, you have to rescue her before Malvina finds her and steals those shoes.” She clucked her tongue. “And I worked so hard to get them away from her. Ah, well. Nothing to do now but get the girl and the slippers back.” She raised her arms, ready to do magic.

“Wait. You mean, Ella was sent to Rovenheim?”

She nodded. “Yes, dear. Quite by mistake.”

“Mother,” he said on an exasperated breath.

She ignored his irritation. “We haven’t much time. First, you need to change.”

She did an exaggerated wave of her arms around him and changed his clothes from formalwear into something more befitting. He was dressed in a thick tunic, pants, boots, with a sword at his waist on one side, a dagger on the other, and a heavy hooded cloak. She tapped her finger against her chin.

“Ah, yes, and you’ll need a disguise. It won’t do for you to go traipsing around looking like, well,you.”

She started to wave her arm again, but Nicholas caught her wrist. “How will Ella recognize me if you disguise me?”

---