Charming rose up on his hind legs, rubbing his paws mournfully. “One, uh, them, please.”
Seemed easy enough.
But Ambrose frowned. “Whythattree?”
Imelda elbowed him in the ribs.
Charming looked abashed. “It’s not for me. It’s for my wife, you see. She’s been having some serious cravings for that golden apple. I gotta bring it back to her. Will you help me or not?”
Ambrose’s eyes narrowed. “What about the road?”
“It’s just past the orchard, down the hill. I promise! Would I lie to you?”
He smiled, revealing his needle teeth.
I don’t like him, whispered the horse cloak.
Imelda rolled her eyes.
“For goodness’ sake, I’ll go and get it.”
Charming darted in front of her.
“My lady! I couldn’t possibly ask you to do such a thing. What with your fair princess complexion and all that. Besides, you vouched for me! I would’ve taken you to the road no matter what. But I gotta sense of honor, ya know? I can’t take that clown to the same road unless he does something for me. It’s just simply reciprocity. Quid pro quo, you know how it is.”
Imelda turned back to Ambrose, and he met her gaze stonily.
“Fine. Come with me, beast.”
Imelda looked around the beautiful ruins of the palace, wanting to make her way slowly, but there was no time. Biting back a sigh, she made as if to go with them, when Charming shook his head.
“There’s no need for that, fair princess.”
Imelda opened her mouth to correct him that she wasn’t actually a princess, but she didn’t feel like explaining the whole thing right now. The moment they left, she took to climbing over the ruins, plucking plums, and tracing the letters etched into stone. Alone, she perched atop a boulder and touched her ankle… It was bare. Free of any silver chain.
She could run if she wanted…
So she did.
And it was only when she returned, breathless and grinning, that she saw Ambrose making his way back to her from the orchard. Imelda paused, waiting for her breath to slow down in her lungs.
Ambrose walked toward her with that same regal purpose that made him look like a king no matter what he wore. The sunlight caught on his dark hair, and his gray eyes snapped to hers. Imelda felt something leap deep inside her chest.
Ambrose moved closer. Now he was less than five feet away, and yet he still hadn’t said anything to her. When she looked at him, a sly grin curved his mouth. It made him look handsome, but somewhat cruel. It didn’t suit him.
“What happened to Charming?”
“Forgettaboutit.”
Only then did she notice that his horse cloak was gone too.
“You left your cloak behind! You know how sensitive it gets—”
Ambrose moved closer. Something around his neck caught the light. A strange amulet that she could’ve sworn he hadn’t been wearing earlier.His voice, thought Imelda.It sounded different.
“Are you well?” she asked.
He smiled with all his teeth. He was standing close. Close enough that she could count his eyelashes. Her pulse stammered a bit when his eyes lowered to her lips.
