Cinderella vs. the Fairy Godmother (sequel)

Chapter 22

            “Valerie no!”

            She turned her burning gaze on Darren, making him flinch. The time she’d spent lost and looking for Satinka’s room hadn’t cooled her rage. “Stay out of my way Darren. She brought this on herself.”

            “Brought what? What’s going on?”

            “You can stay if you want but if you try to stop me…”

            He winced at the flatness of her voice. He could hear her anger roiling underneath that apparent calm. Nothing he said now would get through to her. He was glad the Deepharbour boy had found him but he wasn’t sure he was going to be able to stop her.

            Valerie shot her arm out and yanked the lily door open. She ignored Satinka’s gasp of outrage just like she ignored the fact that the room that had been white last time was now a lavender colour. She stalked up to the godmother and glared straight into her eyes. “You knew. Explain or I will kill you,” she hissed.

            Darren stayed just behind her right shoulder and winced again at her tone. “Please don’t do anything you’ll regret,” he said, not touching her for fear she’d snap at him.

            “What did I know?” Satinka asked. She held Valerie’s gaze, her voice a blank mask.

            Her voice came out like a rattlesnake’s hiss. “Not what I should be? Darren leaves six months early but I arrive six months late? You knew. You knew about the Jaloam!”

            Darren choked. “What?”

            The fairy godmother’s reply of “I did not know,” was calm.

            “The hell you didn’t! If you didn’t then why did you say I was six months late!”

            A tiny sigh escaped her lips. “I did not know it would be Jaloam. I only knew that some event would bring you to our world at that approximate time.”

            Her fists were rapidly opening and closing at her sides. “So you knew I would be dragged here somehow and it never occurred to you to warn me? Maybe stop it from happening?”

            “I could not.”

            “Could not? Could not?” Val’s grabbed the front of Satinka’s dress and dragged her closer. Their faces only inches apart, her whisper was like the snapping of flames. “What do you mean you could not? You’re a fairy godmother!”

            Her eyes widened. She stared into Valerie’s eyes as if checking the depth of her anger. The colour slowly drained from her face. “You do not understand.”

            “Then explain it to me so I do. Otherwise I’m going to start lopping off bits of you.”

            “I am a godmother. I watch. I guide. I rarely intervene. I was told some event would bring you to our world. I was told that would be the time to send Darren on his quest. I was not told what the event would be.”

            Her glare hadn’t softened. “You were told? By who?”

            Satinka hesitated until she heard the soft hiss coming from Valerie’s throat. “The Assemblage.”

            “And what the hell is that?”

            “It’s…We are not the same as you, those of us who are Fae. We do not live and die in the same way. When one of us who acts as a godmother feels her end approach, she sends her mind and spirit from her body to join the Assemblage. With the collective wisdom and experience of all who have gone before, the Assemblage keeps our world in harmony.”

            Valerie’s voice came out from gritted teeth. “So you’re telling me that a bunch of dead fairies sent Jaloam after me?”

            “No! The Assemblage would never do something of that nature. They merely guide things along the established paths. If it had not been the Jaloam I am certain some other event would have brought you here.”

            “I’m sorry,” she said, her harsh sarcasm making Darren flinch. He knew her enough now to know this wasn’t going to end well. “A bunch of dead, interfering, faceless fairies decided that I should marry Darren and then went around fucking with my life to make that happen.”

            The godmother’s eyes dropped. She couldn’t take the fury blazing in Valerie’s eyes any longer. “The decisions are made with all due deliberation and care very early in the pair’s lives.”

            Val froze. Then she began trembling. Darren laid a hand on her shoulder which she ignored. She gripped the handful of dress she held tighter. Her eyes were so light a brown as to be almost gold as they burned into Satinka’s. “I’m going to ask you this once, and only once. If you lie to me, I will not only kill you, but find this Assemblage and chop them into tiny pieces.”

            Satinka choked. “No one would tell you where the tree is.”

            “Did the Assemblage kill my father?”

            Her mouth slid halfway open for a moment before shutting with a snap. “Never! The Assemblage does not murder! Furthermore their power will not work in your world. It is too far and too old.”

            “Good,” she said, releasing the godmother. The fairy collapsed and had to scramble back to her feet. “I want you to send a message to your Assemblage. It’s a very short and simple one. Do. Not. Fuck. With. Me. If I find they are interfering with my life without my permission, I will hurt them. I will not be lead around like a child. Tell them that.”

            Without waiting for Satinka’s assent, Valerie stalked from the room. Darren bowed to his grandmother then hurried after her. For the safety of others, he couldn’t let her out of his sight. Not when she was in that kind of mood.