Instead of round heads and button noses, they have horns and tiny demon grins.
Which pretty much sums up my life.
Today’s agenda: Drop off demon cookies to my aunt. Lean in to her sweet tooth, and then, hopefully and against all odds, convince her to cancel the ball tomorrow night.
The one in my honor.
The one to marry me off.
The one she’s planned for two months—two very long months that have had my stomach in knots on and off every day.
“Good morning, Mrs. Buttercup!” I wave to the old woman crossing the street with her ten cats following.
Is it ten?
Might be twenty. “How are you and the kittens today?”
“I’m well, dear. How are you?”
Helena Buttercup has a scrunched-up face, a bit of a hump on her back from osteoporosis and the sweetest smile you’ve ever seen.
Though when she smiles, her eyes don't quite match—they stay sharp, watchful, like she's cataloging everything I do. But I'm probably imagining it. She's just a harmless old woman who loves cats.
Just looking at her warms my heart andalmostmakes me almost forget that my future hangs in the balance.
Almost.
She stops in front of me, her cats coming to a halt and sitting, tongues licking paws for a quick face wash.
“What have you got in that basket?” she asks.
“I’m not Little Red Riding Hood, if that’s what you’re asking,” I joke.
She chuckles kindly. “No, dear. Of course not. Just an old woman’s curiosity.”
I lift the lid off the container and present my gingerbread demons. “They may not look like much, but they taste delicious.”
“Oh?” She wiggles her fingers over the lot of them. “May I have one or two for me and the cats?”
“Of course. Take what you’d like.”
Her hand dips in once, twice, three times, until finally I stop counting. “Are you excited about tomorrow night? It’s been ages since we’ve had a Thornrose ball. I can’t wait to get all gussied up. Maybe I’ll meet the man of my dreams there.”
“Better you than me,” I mutter.
She doesn’t hear me and goes on, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “You know, dear, I heard the Nightmare King himself might attend. Wouldn't that be something? Letting the darkness into Castleview?” She leans closer. “Though I suppose some people go looking for it.” She pats my hand. “But don’t you worry, you’re safe from monsters.”
My jaw tightens. “No monsters, thank you. But if I find someone I think you’d like, I’ll introduce you.”
She giggles. “I’ll feel like a schoolgirl again.”
At least one of us will.
“See you tomorrow night. Thank you for the cookies.”
She walks off, her guard of furry cats following. I look down at the basket and blink. There’s only one cookie left.
My shoulders slump. No! I needed all the bribery I could get to convince Ovie to cancel the ball.
