Page 23 of Of Curses and Beauty

As her reflection appeared on the silvered surface, she forced out the breath she’d been holding, still unsure if it was disappointment or relief that caused her shoulders to drop. Her face glowed in the soft sunlight, the same face she’d known most of her life, still as pretty and perfect as it had been the night before.

She sighed again and slumped into the seat in front of her.

She was being ridiculous. There were far more important things to worry about than the restoration of her beauty, like the unsettling appearance of the witch, or the looming debt that she’d inadvertently saddled on her family, or the words spoken between her and Daric last night.

Of the three, the last was the least concerning, but it was the one that sat at the forefront of her mind, refusing to be pushed aside until she’d examined it from all angles.

Was he falling for her? Wasshefalling forhim?

The idea both confused and excited her. She’d never imagined there could be room for love in her life. A marriage to a man she tolerated, who found her tolerable in return—that was all she had dared to hope for.

Daric was far more than tolerable. He’d been kind and funny and, most importantly, hesawher. She never felt more herself than when she was with him. It was the oddest feeling of completion, as though they were two halves of a whole, split apart by time and distance, only to be brought together by mere coincidence. Or was it?

Her lips tipped up at the corners as she thought about a life with him, a simple life in the forest with her days spent immersed in books and her nights before the fire with Daric.

“Would you like me to change it back?”

Alaine jolted as she spotted the withered, old hag in her looking glass. She whirled, searching every shadow and crevasse, but there was no sign of the witch in her room. However, when she turned back to the mirror, the hag remained.

“How—how are you doing this?” Alaine forced the words past her shock.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” The witch bared her broken, yellow teeth. “I can take your beauty away again, if you’d like. I’m sure it must be such a burden.”

“Since when do you care what I’d like? If you’re so interested in helping me, set me free.” She was through playing games for this witch’s entertainment. “I’m not even sure why you gave me back my beauty. It does nothing to further your end.”

“And what would you know of my end?” A wicked gleam entered the witch’s eye and Alaine held her tongue, knowing that speaking would create more questions than answers.

The witch clicked her tongue. “You do amuse me, dearie, but have you considered Daric’s opinion of your beauty?”

The question startled Alaine. Of course she hadn’t considered his opinion, no opinion mattered but her own. She told the witch as much and frowned at the resultant cackle.

“He’s falling for you, yes? Has he told you that much? Surely, you have seen the evidence of it with your own eyes?”

Alaine whipped her head to the door, hoping Daric wasn’t near enough to overhear their conversation. Though she’d already begun to suspect as much, her cheeks burned at the witch’s frank words.

Apparently, her body language was answer enough for the witch.

“And did you notice this happening before or after I returned your face?”

“That’s not—” Alaine began, but the witch clicked her tongue again.

“I didn’t ask ifyouhad feelings for him before, but ifhehad feelings for you.”

The days blurred together and Alaine suddenly found herself unable to distinguish when his feelings had become apparent. It couldn’t have only been the night before. Surely, she had seen some inkling of his affection before then. Unless she had been the one to initiate each of those moments. Perhaps she was reading into his actions too much. He hadn’t kissed her, hadn’t professed any feelings for her beyond liking her. That was hardly a declaration of love.

He’d been kind to her and while that put him far above any other man she’d known, it didn’t mean he loved her. He was a good man—but also a lonely man. And he hadn’t loved her. At least, not until he’d seen her face.

“Men are all the same,” the witch crooned. “He might claim to love your soul, but love isn’t blind. What was it he called you when I first delivered you?”

“Homely,” Alaine whispered. That word had been the one source of doubt that picked at her resolve. It echoed in her mind like the taunts of school children.

“Ah, yes! Homely.” The witch clapped her hands gleefully, at odds with her ancient exterior. “As Prince Daric mentioned, he has certain standards to uphold. He might have appreciated your character when you were plain, but he didn’t really consider you worthy of love until he saw therealyou.”

The room plunged into semi-darkness as the sun retreated behind the clouds. Alaine clutched the table to keep from swaying as the reality sunk in. She’d been foolish. Daric was charming, but he was just another man blinded by beauty. His words were nothing more than empty platitudes. As she pondered this, her mind registered the rest of what the witch said.

“Did you say Daric is a prince?”

“Oops. Did I say that?” The witch looked anything but apologetic as she shrugged. “Oh well. I suppose you would have found out eventually. How very convenient that he holds a position powerful enough to see your family freed from its debts.”

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