Cinderella Complex (20 page)

My gut twisted as if someone had plunged a knife into it. We wheeled her into the hall, and I went still. Mr. Kramer stood, waving to us. Behind him an orderly mopped the floor, sloshing water all over the tiles. The orderly turned to look at us. Oh no. It was a Grimm. Shadows slithered from his pores like tar snakes. Wings black as oblivion flared out from its back. Coal eyes burned, a sneer twisted its lips. It raised one clawed hand and grabbed ahold of the elderly man.

Anne screamed, throwing herself to the floor. Her body convulsed. Her gaze glued to the entity, she frothed at the mouth.

I reached forward. “No. Let him go.”

“Maggie!” Kat cried. I glanced over my shoulder to see her crouched on the floor, trying to calm her mom. But Anne thrashed on the floor as if she were being tortured.

This wasn't happening. I turned back to the Grimm. In one swift motion, the Grimm's nails plunged into Mr. Kramer's neck. Blood sprayed across the floor, his eyes wide.
Help me
. He mouthed the words as he collapsed in a heap. The Grimm smiled, wagging its finger at me.

Mr. Kramer was dead. Because of me. Nurses raced down the hall, rushing right past the creature. They never saw it.

“Anne?” Mr. Melville ran toward us. He dropped to his knees, trying to keep her still. A doctor and a few others came to help restrain her. What a nightmare.

The doctor stuck a syringe into her arm, and I turned away.

“Butterfly girl, make it stop,” she whimpered, as she was lifted onto a gurney.

“Katrina, you and Maggie grab some money from my coat and hop on the first bus home.” Mr. Melville called over his shoulder as he followed the doctor into the room.

Kat disappeared into her mother's room, returning a few moments later, clutching some wadded-up bills.

I searched up and down the hall, looking for the Grimm. Didn't find it, but I did see Mr. Kramer's dead body being carried away. The orderlies talked of a brain aneurism. They never saw the blood.

My cell phone vibrated. With trembling fingers, I pulled it out of my pocket. “Grandma?”

“Maggie. It's here. The darkness. It's entered our world.”

I stiffened. “What are you talking about?”

“It's coming.” Her voice sounded high-pitched, on the verge of hysteria.

Did she mean more Grimms, or something worse?

“Grandma, listen to me. I tried to grant a wish and it didn't work.”

She took a deep breath as if to compose herself. “What kind of wish?”

“To heal Kat's mom.”

“There are some things we can't do, Maggie. We can't raise the dead, nor can we heal people.”

“But I healed a child in the other world.”

“The child would have healed on her own. You simply sped up the process. But if a person is meant to be deathly ill, then their life will play out. We can't undo what is already in the making. The lives of the people in this world are bound by the laws of the fates. If they are meant to die, we cannot stop it. If they are injured, we can't undo the injury.”

“Then what good are we? If we can't stop bad things from happening?”

Grandma clicked her tongue. “But we are doing things. We give people happy endings. We ensure their dreams. We can't change the amount of time they have, but we can make the time worthwhile.”

The fighter in me didn't like this answer. It wasn't right for us to possess these powers if we couldn't save people.

I said goodbye to Grandma. Kat joined me. We walked out of the nursing home in silence. A shroud of death hung over my head. Life sucked.

 

“Maggie. Why did the Grimm kill Mr. Kramer?” Kat and I sat in the back of the bus, shaken.

I swallowed past the lump. “I don't know. But I think the Grimm meant it as a warning.”

She buried her head in her hands. “Is my mom in danger?”

The truth? I didn't know. “If they'd meant her harm, I think they would've done it already. Because she can see the Grimms. Plus she saw them before she ever met me.”

“It doesn't make sense.” She dropped her hands to her lap, twining them together.

Silence fell between us.

“Why didn't you tell me what happened to your mom?”

“Because I didn't want people to feel sorry for me, okay?” She leaned her head against the window. A fresh trail of tears trickled down her cheeks.

“You look just like her.”

She wiped her eyes. “I know. I think it's hardest on Dad. He'll watch me doing something, then get emotional. I'm, like, his daily reminder of her condition.”

I reached over and hugged her tight. “Shhh, it's okay.”

“It's not okay. My mom got into that accident because of me.”

My throat tightened. “Your dad said she fell asleep at the wheel.”

“Because of me.” Her body shook as she clung to me. “The night before, I had nightmares, really scary nightmares, and I kept waking her up. I thought I saw monsters in my room. She barely slept. Dad told her to take the day off, but she insisted on going into work.”

“Kat, this isn't your fault. Your mom could've stayed home. She was the adult.”

“Every time I see her, I feel so guilty. That's why I don't talk about her.” She hiccupped and I continued to rock her.

I couldn't imagine living with this kind of guilt, this kind of pain. Kat Melville had to be the most misunderstood person I'd ever met. No wonder she avoided everyone. She didn't want them to see this side of her. To see her broken.

“She made choices, Katrina. It's time you realized that.”

She pulled back from me. She took a tissue from her jacket and dabbed her eyes. “It's just hard.”

“I know. But you've tortured yourself enough. She loves you. I see it in her eyes. The admiration—the joy.”

The airbrakes hissed as the bus slowed to a stop. Kat's stop. I stood up and walked down the center aisle. Kat followed close behind. The doors opened with a groan and we clunked down the stairs.

Black clouds flittered across the sky like birds of prey, blotting out what little daylight remained. The chilly air snaked beneath my coat collar. I wrapped my arms tighter against me to ward off the cold. But it did nothing to help.

Kat cast me a quick glance. “You don't have to walk me home.”

I snorted. “Like I'm going to let you wander around by yourself.”

She tilted her head back and stared at the sky. “It's not safe out here for you, or at least that's what Jack said the other night.”

“I'm your Godmother. I'm making sure you get home. No arguments.”

Gravel crunched beneath our feet as the lamplights flickered on, bathing the sidewalk in buttery light. When we reached Kat's house, she unlocked the door and let me in. She turned on a few lights and tossed her stuff onto a chair.

“Listen, I know I was a real jerk to you. But I'm grateful to you for sticking it out. You've been a great friend.” She pulled her hands inside her sleeves. “In fact, you've been my only friend.”

“It's no big deal.” I shrugged.

She shifted her gaze. “It is to me. I've never had anyone want to get to know me before. I mean, the real me.”

“Well, I admit, it wasn't easy at first. But I'm glad you finally opened up. It's been a lot of fun hanging out.”

She smiled. “Yeah, it has. So when this Godmother thing is all over, will you still come around?”

“As long as you want me to.”

“I—I'd like that.” Her voice cracked.

I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Instead, I hugged her. Katrina Melville was a good person. And soon, I hoped, everyone else would agree with me, too.

“You're going to be okay,” I whispered into her ear. The clock chimed seven. “Crap. I was supposed to meet the guys two hours ago at the movies.” Maybe Taylor, Seth, and Jack decided to wait for me, or at least I hoped they did. “You want to go?”

Kat quirked an eyebrow, a look of surprise on her face. “No. I better stay home and wait for my dad.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. Go on. Don't keep your boyfriend waiting.” She laughed, waving me toward the door.

“I'll see you Monday?”

“Sure.” I hurried to Seth's, praying under my breath. “Please let them be here.” I rang the doorbell.

Ms. Charmaigne opened the door. She looked pale, her shirt rumpled. Her sunken features and droopy eyes made me uneasy. “Maggie, what are you doing here?”

“Hey Ms. C. Are Seth and the others still here?”

“No, they left a long time ago for the movies. They went to see Cut Man, or something like that.”

“Okay, I'll see if I can catch them.” As I turned to go, she caught my arm.

“Maggie, can I ask you a favor?”

I shrugged. “Sure, what's up?”

“It's Seth. I think he might be considering the idea of living with his dad.” She sniffled. “His dad isn't always such a good person. He's not good for Seth. I just—well, can you please find a way to help me keep him here?”

I stepped back. No way would Seth leave. Besides, he didn't really like his dad that much. “He didn't say anything to me, but if he does, I'll talk to him.”

“Thanks. You've always been such a good friend to him.” She stared at something beyond me and her eyes widened. “You should go now.”

She stepped into the house and slammed the door shut. My stomach somersaulted. Nerves frayed, I spun around to check behind me. But all I saw were parked cars and trees.

What the heck got her so jumpy? I shoved my hands into my pockets and walked toward town.

By the time I got to the movie theater, people were pouring out. I'd missed the movie. Taylor and Seth ambled to the parking lot.

I jogged over to them. “I'm so sorry. I got back later than I expected.”

Taylor snorted. “At least we know who your real friends are.”

“C'mon, don't be like that. I said I'm sorry. I stopped at Seth's to see if you guys were still there.” My gazed darted to the cinema. “Wait, where's Jack?”

“He didn't show, either.” Seth moved around me and jerked his truck door open.

“You guys, please!”

“We get it. We're not important to you anymore. But if you shove your head any further up Kat's butt, you'll decapitate yourself.” Taylor climbed into the passenger seat.

My hands fisted at my sides. “So, I can't be friends with anybody else?”

“Don't you dare throw this back on me.”

“Right, because I'm the one harassing you all the time. Fine. Be a jerk. See if I flipping care!” I screamed. My heart raced out of control, thundering in my ears. I couldn't deal with this. Not after the day I'd just gone through. Raw emotion clung to me.

“This is about more than just a movie,” Seth seethed. “You've been ditching us left and right.” He refused to look at me as he hopped into the truck. “Listen, I need to get Taylor home.” He shut his door.

My stomach rolled. He was supposed to be mine. We'd kissed. And he said it meant something.
Then why is he giving Taylor a ride home and not me
?
He started the vehicle, and I stepped back.

I caught my lip between my teeth, trying not to cry.
Defeated
didn't begin to describe how I felt. The headlights glared off the side of the building as Seth backed out of the parking spot.

Then the brake lights flashed. Seth rolled down the window.

“What are you doing?” Taylor asked.

Seth gazed at me. “I might be ticked, but I'm not leaving you alone out here without a ride. Get in.”

I shook my head no. After they accused me of being a bad friend, I didn't want to be subjected to more ridicule on the way home. I had too much on my mind already. “I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself.”

“Maggie.” Seth's jaw clenched. “Get in the truck.”

“No. I'm the crappy friend, remember?” Okay, so maybe I acted immature, but I was sick of everyone thinking I'd purposely tried to hurt them. They didn't understand the things I'd given up to take over this job.

“See, she doesn't even want to be anywhere near us,” Taylor said.

Seth watched me for several moments, but when he realized I wasn't budging, he peeled out of the parking lot and drove away.
I don't need them anyway
. In fact, it'd probably be better if I stayed away. At least then, the Grimms wouldn't go after them. My gut clenched at the thought of not being with Seth. But protecting him was more important.

I dug out my cell and dialed Jack's number. It went straight to voice mail. “Hey, just want to make sure you're okay. Seth and Taylor are mad because we didn't show for the movie. So we're kind of on their crap list. For now, at least. Well, I'm heading home, so call if you need me.”

I hung up, slipped the phone back inside my jacket, and trudged down the street. Gloom swathed the red-brick buildings. The dirty windows watched me like large, ominous eyes. Trash skittered across the sidewalk as the wind picked up.

Crunch-crunch.

The sound of footsteps reverberated around me. My pulse hammered in my ears. The bleakness absorbed the light like a sponge. The trees swayed back and forth, leaves shaking like angry fists. I quickened my pace.

Crunch-crunch-crunch
.

Great. Don't panic. Just look straight ahead and keep moving. My arms swung faster, my legs stretched to take bigger steps.

A figured slipped out of the shadows. A hand clamped down on my arm.

I screamed.

“Maggie, it's me, Connor.” He lowered the hood of his black sweatshirt.

“You scared the heck out of me.”

“Sorry, I thought you saw me. I called your name.” He gave me a lopsided grin.

“What are you doing out here by the alley?” Uneasiness settled in.

“I wanted to talk to you about Katrina. And when I saw you at the theater, I thought it'd be a perfect chance.”

I relaxed. “What do you want to know?”

“How come Kat won't invite me over to her house? She asks me to drop her off in weird places.”

“She's embarrassed. Her family's poor.”

“Are you serious? Because she's always going on about different countries she's visited, and these really expensive shopping trips.” He shifted his stance, jamming his hands into his sweatshirt pockets.

I sighed, knowing he should be hearing this from her, not me. “She made it up to fit in.”

“By lying to me?”

This so wasn't going well. “Listen, she likes you a lot, okay. She wanted to impress you, and she thought if you knew the truth, you wouldn't want to date her.”

“She thinks I'm shallow?”

“No,” I groaned. “Connor, you've got to understand. Your family's money and status can be kind of intimidating to someone who's not used to it.”

“It still doesn't make it okay for her to lie.”

“I know.”

“There are enough girls who are fake around me. I thought she'd be different.”

No
.
Please don't screw this up now
. “Talk to her. Tell her you know she doesn't live in Marley Estates. Tell her you want the truth.”

He sighed. “Fine, I'll give her another shot. But only because you asked.”

The breeze picked up, grabbing tendrils of my hair. It snapped like whips around my head. I shoved my hair back into place, my gaze focused on a piece of paper blowing past. A black feather brushed over Connor's shoe and stopped at my foot.

Panic rushed through my veins. My heart pounding relentlessly against my chest. This couldn't be happening.

“Listen, do you want me to give you a lift home? I'm parked on the other side of the alley.”

I backed away from him. “No, thanks. I'm meeting my brother around the corner.”

“Are you sure? It'll only take a second to get to my car.”

“Yeah. I'm fine.” My mouth tasted dry. “See ya!” I turned and raced down the sidewalk, fighting to keep the panic at bay.

I heard a car coming down the road. Fear prickled at the back of my neck, its fingers trailed down my spine.

Connor honked, then waved, before turning down Regal Street. I stopped, my hands resting on my knees as I fought to catch my breath. Nice. I totally freaked out for no reason. He probably thought I was nuts. I giggled maniacally. “I'm losing it.”

When I got home, I went straight to my room, only to find Jack stepping out of my closet. He wore a full suit of armor, sweat glistening on his brow. With a wave of his hand, the chainmail disappeared and was replaced with jeans and a t-shirt.

“Where have you been?” I tossed my handbag onto the floor.

“Marcus called me into Fairy tonight. Some of the knights tracked dark magic through a portal into the human world.”

I quirked an eyebrow. “What does this mean?”

Jack ran a hand through his disheveled hair. “They think the Grimm King might've come through to our world. Battalions of the Grimm armies have already retreated from outlying villages. They're massing at the Grimm King's Castle.”

“Are they going to attack?” My legs trembled beneath me, and I sat on the edge of my bed.

“I don't know. Right now, Marcus and the others are trying to locate the king. For all we know, maybe it's just a fluke.”

A fluke? I could only hope.

“So what are we supposed to do?” I asked.