Page 101 of Charmless
“No, but I should have. I should have never persuaded you to steal it in the first place.” Mal’s lips twisted bitterly. “But I fancied myself becoming this great hero, the savior of this entire kingdom. What a joke! There’s no magic in that orb and no hero in me. I have failed everyone and most of all you.”
“No, you haven’t! Withypole told me that the legends about the lost prince are all true. I believe in it now and I believe in you.”
“You shouldn’t. I’m not worth it,” Mal said wearily. Then he tensed, sitting upright. “Frap, Ella! I think one of the guards is coming. Put your shoes on now!”
The heavy tread of footsteps carried to my ears as well. While Mal struggled to reach his chains to attach them, I scrambled to find my glass slippers. But it was already too late to turn invisible, too late to even close the cell door that I had left ajar.
I whirled, bracing myself to confront the guard, only to go numb with shock at the sight of the man looming in the doorway.
“Horatio!”
Twenty-One
Earlier tonight when Horatio had ridden past me in the lane, not knowing I was there, I had watched him go with a heavy heart, fearing I would never see him again. I would have given anything to be with him just one more time,to share one last kiss. Now he was so close, I only had to take a few steps to be able to cast myself into his arms. But I found myself wishing for him far away from here.
From the grim expression on Horatio’s face, I imagined that he was wishing the same thing about me. Recovered from his first shock, he demanded, “Ella, what in thunder are you doing here?”
“I am rescuing Mal.” Daunted as I was by Horatio’s unexpected arrival, I squared my shoulders in a posture of defiance. But I could not keep a note of pleading from my voice as I said, “I am sorry, Horatio, but I cannot allow anyone to stop me, not even you.”
“No! Ignore her,” Mal said. He struggled to get to his feet, only to sink down with a hiss of pain. “She doesn’t know what she is saying. She has been bewitched. You can’t arrest her. She’s completely out of her mind.”
“I can easily believe that. Calm down, Hawkridge. I have no intentions of placing Ella under lock and key.” Horatio pulled a wry face. “Although I find it disconcerting how often that seems like a good idea.”
He cast me a look that was both exasperated and tender. “Nor do I intend to prevent you from freeing your friend. I am here on the same errand.”
I had been marshalling all manner of pleas and arguments to convince Horatio, but his calm statement left me so dumbfounded, all I could do was falter, “You - you are?”
Mal snorted in disbelief. “Why would you ever help me?”
“I wouldn’t. I am doing this forher.”
Horatio closed the distance between us. After a moment’s hesitation, he gathered my hands into his. The warm, calloused strength of his fingers was so reassuring, I clung to him, despite being conscious of Mal’s gaze upon us, my friend’s eyes filled with jealous misery. “I discovered that the reason Prince Florian had Hawkridge arrested was to force you to marry him,” Horatio said. “Is it true that you have agreed?”
I gave an unhappy nod. “I had no choice. It was the only way Florian would promise to spare Mal.”
“Ella! What by all the cursed fairies were you thinking?” Mal exclaimed. “You should have known I’d rather die before I let you wed that royal idiot. Were you foolish enough to believe his promise?”
“No, I wasn’t, Mal,” I said. “Why did you think I am so desperate to get you out of here?”
“I can free Hawkridge if he will follow my orders, although your being here certainly complicates matters, Ella.” Horatio heaved a deep sigh. “I should have guessed you would attempt something drastic. I just wish that for once you would have trusted me enough to come to me when you were in trouble.”
“Idotrust you. But if you free Mal, everyone will know it was you. You’ll be ruined. You will lose everything, your reputation, your position, perhaps even your life.” I pulled away from Horatio. “That is why you need to go.”
“And what will happen to you if I just turn and walk away?” Horatio demanded. “Look at the condition Hawkridge is in. You’ll never get him out of here without my help.”
I realized Horatio was right, but I fretted my lower lip, trying to resist the temptation to leap at his offer of assistance, an offer that could only result in bringing Horatio’s entire world crashing down upon his head.
The decision threatened to be taken out of my hands by Mal’s obstinacy. He compressed his lips and leaned his head against the wall. “I don’t want your help, Crushington. Or Ella’s. Whatever happens to me, I deserve it.”
“You certainly do after the way you have endangered Ella,” Horatio said harshly. But something in his face softened as he studied Mal’s battered and swollen features.
“No,” Horatio said in a quieter tone. “No one deserves to be beaten and tortured this way.”
“I don’t need your pity, either,” Mal replied. “Just take Ella and go. And make sure you protect her from that rotten prince.”
“Mal, please,” I said.
But Mal closed his eyes, blocking out both me and Horatio.
