Page 68 of Once Upon a Midnight Clear

The gate was too far away for her to hobble to it, especially in the slippers.

“I don’t think I can make it,” she added.

“You have to make it,” Ingrid said as tears pooled in her eyes.

“I’m not leaving you here.” Nicholas tossed the sword to the ground. He removed the dagger sheath from around his waist. “Ingrid, grab that dagger. We may need it yet.”

She bent to pick up the dagger Ella discarded when she fell. He handed her the sheath. She stuck it inside as though she were a natural at such things, then tied it around her waist. Nicholas wasted no more time as he scooped her up into his arms, holding her close to his chest. Ingrid’s face broke into a bright smile.

“You’re going to carry her?” she asked.

Nicholas met Ella’s gaze and her pulse throbbed wildly. “I am. Lead the way, Miss Ingrid.”

The girl took off at a sprint. Ella wrapped her arms around his neck and held on as he started for the gate. Not at a run like Ingrid, but at a brisk pace that jostled her against him.

She didn’t mind.

His body was warm and solid next to hers.

“When we get back…” he panted, “I’ll have my healer look you over.”

She opened her mouth to protest.

“I’ll not take no for an answer.” He gave her a wry smile.

Ingrid was out the gate and spun to face them, waving them on with desperation to hurry. Finally, Nicholas and Ella made it out of the walls of Malvina’s fortress. He paused to catch his breath, lowering her slowly to the ground. He kept an arm wrapped around her waist to steady her and keep the weight off her injured foot.

Ahead, she saw Captain Bart, Gustav, and a few of the sailors crouched behind a line of trees firing off arrows toward the guards on the wall.

“Look!” Ingrid pointed, seeing them, too.

“Captain Bart really was here to save us,” Nicholas said, as though he were surprised.

“You didn’t believe Noella?”

He chuckled. “She surprises me sometimes, so I should have. She must have helped them here. Can you walk?”

“If you help me,” Ella said. “I think I can manage.”

“Hopefully that concealment spell is still working,” Nicholas said.

Ingrid took off at a run toward the group, clearly ready to be done with Malvina’s fortress and all her guards. Ella stifled a chuckle. Nicholas’s arm tightened around her waist as he helped her limp toward them. Thankfully, they made it behind the tree line without anyone noticing them. The concealment spell must still be intact.

As they approached, she heard the distinct whinny of a horse.

It seemed her fairy godmother thought of everything.

Suddenly, the firing arrows stopped and everything went silent. Ella, still clutched by Nicholas, glanced back toward the fortress. The guards were no longer along the wall. As if they had merely disappeared.

Noella appeared, her long silvery hair billowing in the late morning breeze.

“Well, now. That was fun, wasn’t it?” She flashed a bright smile.

“What happened to them?” Gustav asked, glancing from her to the fortress and back again.

“No need to worry about that, captain. Just know Malvina, Queen of Darkness and Shadow,” she snorted at the title, “will be of no more bother to the rest of us. Now…where is my son?”

“Here, Mother.” Nicholas cleared his throat.

---