Page 65 of Once Upon a Midnight Clear

“Unless what?” he asked.

“Unless your mother bends the knee, pledges allegiance to me, and steps down from her throne.” She held her hands open at her side, as though ready to fling more deadly magic at him.

“She willneverdo that,” Nicholas said.

“So be it.”

She raised her arms, purple flames dancing in her palms. Nicholas shoved Ella behind him to protect her. But she was more worried about him. She grabbed him by the hand and started tugging him backward toward the exit.

Ingrid scurried behind them, heading away from Malvina and her wrath. The dark queen released her purple flames.

As Ella watched the wave ripple toward them, something strange happened. Suddenly, a blinding white light emerged between them and the dark magic. And then, Noella appeared before them, blocking Malvina’s malevolence.

“That will be quite enough,sister.”

Chapter 22

Sister? Noella Fairchild, her fairy godmother, was Malvina’s sister?

Ella sucked in a sharp breath as she looked from Noella to Malvina. Ingrid halted her sprint and instead moved to stand next to Ella. She wrapped an arm around the girl’s shoulders, pulling her close. Nicholas stood in front of them both like a shield.

Noella’s silvery hair hung in loose waves down her back. Instead of her normal festive gowns, she wore trousers, boots, a thick tunic and a cloak fastened at her neck with a star pin. She held her wand in her hand, the point of it lit brightly in white light.

“Get out of my way, Noella.” She held her hands ready to release more dark magic.

“I will not,” she said, defiant. She lifted her chin. “Nor will the throne be relinquished to you.”

Malvina growled with her frustration. “You stole those slippers from me. I want them back.”

“You and I both know you have nothing but ill intentions for those slippers. And besides,” she paused, gave Ella a quick glance, “they’re with their rightful owner now.”

“The girl isnothingand doesn’t deserve them!”

“Oh, she’s not nothing and shedoesdeserve them,” Noella countered.

A warmth spread through Ella’s chest at her fairy godmother’s words. For the first time in a long while, she was finally worthy to someone.

In Malvina’s anger, she threw another ball of dark magic toward Noella. She countered it with her white magic, using her wand to turn it into nothing but harmless snowflakes. She spun back to face Nicholas, shooing him toward the exit.

“Go. Your pirate captain and Gustav are waiting for you at the gates.”

Nicholas opened his mouth to ask more questions, but Noella shooed him away. She spun back around to face Malvina who was still intent on attacking.

So intent, in fact, she turned herself into a crow. She dive-bombed Ella, crashing into her back and pecking the back of her head. Ella cried out, flailing her arms to try to get Malvina away from her. Behind her, Ingrid screamed—the first sound she’d made since leaving the cell.

“Do something!” Nicholas shouted to Noella.

A flash of light and then the crow made a strangled sound and flapped higher up toward the ceiling. Nicholas caught Ella in his arms, pulling her close and holding her.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

She nodded. Sweat trickled down the side of her face and her cheeks were damp with tears. She reached up and touched the back of her head, probing the place Malvina pecked with a gentle touch.

“I’m fine,” she croaked.

Noella wasn’t finished with Malvina, though. She charged past them and followed as the bird flapped its way back inside the bedchamber, cawing at the top of her lungs the entire time.

“Run!” Noella ordered.

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