Page 60 of Once Upon a Midnight Clear

“I can’t. You know why. The two of you will be fine. Follow the staircase up. At the top, turn left and then take that hallway back to the door. That will lead you outside to the walkway. Then you know the rest of the way,” she said.

“But the slippers—” Ella began.

Noella shook her head. “Those are lost to us, now, dear. She has them. She won’t give them up. Now go.” She shooed them down the hallway.

Nicholas stepped closer, dropping his voice and said something to her Ella was unable to hear. Noella gave him a smile, then kissed his cheek.

“I’ll be fine,” she said, her eyes sparkling with something Ella couldn’t read.

Nicholas turned back to Ella and Ingrid. “Let’s go then.”

They started down the corridor, back the way they came not long ago. Ella stole a glance over her shoulder, but Noella was gone. The only thing that remained was a puff of glitter in the air, as if she had disappeared into it.

Nicholas took the lead. Ella kept her arm around Ingrid as they hurried behind him, but the girl shivered against her.

“Just a moment,” she said, coming to a halt.

Nicholas paused, turning to chastise her to hurry when he realized what she was doing. Ella pulled off her gloves and handed them to the girl. Relief went over Ingrid’s face as she pulled on the gloves.

“And this,” he said, moving toward them.

He pulled off his cloak and wrapped it around the girl, closing the clasp at her throat. It was much too long for her and dragged the ground but it would keep her warm.

“There now. Better?” he asked.

Ingrid nodded.

“Thank you,” Ella said.

“Now come. We have to hurry,” he said.

They hurried to the stone staircase and started to ascend. It wound up, up, up to the top, leaving them all breathless. Ella’s legs burned and she thought she couldn’t take one more step as they reached the top.

Nicholas paused long enough to catch his breath. She took several deep breaths trying to slow her erratic heart. Ingrid clung to her waist, her breath see-sawing in and out. He gave Ella a questioning glance. She nodded to keep going.

He started down the hallway, pulling his dagger from the sheath at his waist. She and Ingrid followed. She kept the girl close to her.

As they rounded a corner, a deep rumbling started somewhere in the fortress. Nicholas came to an abrupt halt. Ella almost ran into the back of him. The rumble sounded again.

“That can’t be good,” he said.

“What is it?” Ella whispered. Her voice shook with the nerves that suddenly erupted.

“Not sure but we should keep going.”

He started again. They took several steps when the rumbling happened again.

Malvina appeared at the end of the corridor in a puff of purple smoke. In her hands, she carried the glass slippers as she stormed toward them.

“Not good at all,” Nicholas muttered.

He held his dagger at the ready. She and Ingrid remained behind him, waiting and watching as the dark queen approached. Fury was etched on her face.

“You…” Her narrowed, terrible eyes fixed on Ella, then cut to Nicholas and the girl. “How did you get out of your cell?”

“I don’t think that matters now,” Nicholas said.

She cut a glance to his dagger. “Do you think that little weapon of yours will stop me?” She shook her head. “The girl and I have unfinished business.”

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