Page 31 of Once Upon a Midnight Clear

She opened her eyes and met his blue gaze. Firelight danced in the depths. Finally, he dropped his arms to his side.

“Well, it was worth a try anyway.” He gave her a weak smile as he plopped down on the cushion.

She lowered herself down and pulled off the slippers, placing them on the floor in front of her. She pulled on her thick socks, but left her boots off.

“What did you think was going to happen?” she asked.

“I was hoping it would send you—us—home.”

“Is that why you took me by the arms?”

“Yes. I thought it would help.”

The firelight danced in his chestnut hair, making some of the strands appear gold. “Why does Malvina want the slippers?”

“Because they are powerful,” Nicholas said.

Ella snorted uncertainty. “Are they?”

A ghost of a smile flickered over his face. “They are. For someone who knows how to use the magic inside them.”

She eyed them, wondering what sort of magic they truly had. Why wasn’t she able to use the magic inside them to go home? Because she, herself, did not have magic?

“And I don’t know how to use the magic inside them,” she said.

He pressed his lips together in a thin line and shook his head.

“So, how are we going to get back?” she asked.

Absently, he poked the fire. He looked thoughtful, working on how to answer her.

“You don’t know, do you?” she said.

He shook his head. “Not yet. I’m working on a plan.”

She thought of her fairy godmother, Noella. If she could call her, get in contact with her somehow, then perhaps she would be able to help them.

“What about Noella?”

His head snapped up. He stiffened and went still as he peered at her. “What about her?”

“She said she was my fairy godmother.” She clamped her mouth shut then, pressing her lips together. She’d said too much.

He tipped his head to one side, question flickering across his face. “Your fairy godmother.”

She emitted a nervous laugh. “I know it sounds silly but…she…I think she had something to do with me coming here.”

And the ball, but she didn’t want to talk about that. She didn’t want to tell him the woman had used some sort of magic to dress her and get her there. And even though she didn’t want to admit the same magic brought her to Rovenheim, there was no denying that it did and the slippers had something to do with it.

“I don’t think your fairy godmother can help us,” he said. “I have a feeling we’re on our own.”

Her previous idea of handing over the slippers to Malvina in exchange for the girl still seemed like an option. She dragged her lower lip through her teeth.

“What about the girl Malvina kidnapped?” she asked.

“What about her?”

“Well, don’t you think we should do something about that?”

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