Reign (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale 4)

“I guess not.” Mina smiled wanly, but she kept her eyes on the clock because what she knew was coming next. She’d been on high alert as soon as she heard the girls’ names. Steppes and Ziester? How close could the Story get to “stepsister”?

The slight tingling began, indicating the Story was near. Mina couldn’t take her eyes off of the clock, watching as Brody hung the key up and closed the glass door. As soon as it clicked shut, the clock continued its haunting chime.

Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve.

And this time, when the clock struck twelve, the bay windows blew open, and the curtains flew horizontally into the room.

Lara and Daphne shrieked as the pages in the open magazine on the table began to flip.

Brody rushed across the room and tackled the opened windows. Once he got them shut, the wind died down. The magazine settled on a two-page spread of Brody wearing a white mask with the caption in bold Times New Roman:

Brody Carmichael—A real, live Prince Charming.

Mina launched to her feet, knocking her knee into the corner of the coffee table. “Ouch! Excuse me, but I have to go.”

“Where are you off to so early?” Daphne called out. “Is your coach going to turn into a pumpkin?”

“Don’t be silly, Daphne. She probably just has to catch a bus.”

“Girls, enough.” Brody said heatedly.

Both Daphne and Lara turned pouty looks toward him.

Brody leapt after her. “Mina, are you feeling okay?”

She waved him off. “I’d like to go home.”

Brody disappeared to tell his mom where he was going.

Mina could hear the two girls whispering. One of them—sounded like Lara—said it was all an act. That Brody couldn’t possibly like her. She was only there to make them jealous.

Mina’s anger got the better of her and she spun. “No wonder you’re so excited about wearing masks at a ball. Who knows, if you don’t say a word, you may be able to disguise your hideous personalities.”

Lara’s and Daphne’s mouths dropped open. They looked like drowning fish as they tried to come up with a retort.

Mina didn’t stay to listen or battle with words. She needed to get home and get help, because Teague had just set up her next quest. As innocent as the Cinderella story sounded, Mina knew there would be a deadly twist to this fairy tale.

The whole way home, she was tense and on edge. Brody asked if she was okay.

“No, I’m not okay.” She blew out a long breath.

“Is it something I did?”

“Not intentionally. It seems like we’re both in for another round of fairy-tale madness.”

“You mean you’re getting your intuition?”

Mina laughed softly. “Yeah, I guess you could say that. I think we are about to go head to head with the Cinderella tale.”

Brody pulled the car up her driveway and put the car into park. She listened to the hum of the engine as he unbuckled his seatbelt and turned toward her.

“And you think we’re both caught up in this tale?”

“Yeah, unfortunately I do.”

“Okay and what part do you think I’m going to play in this quest?”

“I think you’re Prince Charming,” Mina said, feeling awkward at voicing her assumption out loud.