Not My Fairytale

Chapter 20

 ** only lightly edited. lmk if you see any mistakes <3 **

A Blind Trust

He has to know that this is a terrible idea. He can't be that stupid.

My thoughts did nothing to halt the bizarre course of events.

Perhaps he could be that stupid.

Or maybe this all really was just a nightmare; my brain's latest attempt at emotional manipulation now that the dreams of Angelo being tortured beneath the castle weren't hitting quite so hard. I closed my eyes and pinched my arm, but when my eyes reopened I was still standing in the same city square, the pink light of the sunset reflecting off the shop windows along the walkway. And Angelo was still standing beside me, grinning like a child in a sweets shop. As my mother turned her back on us and began walking away, I shot him a vulgar gesture, not waiting for his response before hurrying after my mother and Lance, sidling up beside her. I wouldn't put it past Angelo to weasel his way into the spot somehow if given the chance.

As the buildings on either side of the street grew more sparse, replaced by the thick woods that surrounded the capital city, my feet began to drag, weighed down by dread. Angelo sauntered up beside me, matching my pace, and tilting his head to try to catch a glimpse of the expression I was attempting to shield behind the curtain of my hair. He reached out to lightly grasp my elbow, forcing my body to tilt more in his direction. "You okay?" he asked, and the genuine concern in his tone– and general lack of amusement– set butterflies dancing in my belly, despite the fact that he was the cause of my unease to begin with. I couldn't let him know that he had that effect on me though, as much as I could help it at least.

"Fine," I snapped, pulling my arm from his grasp. I wasn't fine. This was a disaster. I was leading a Blood Fang member straight to some of the most important humans in my life. It felt like a betrayal, but what choice did I have? My mother had invited him and he had said yes. There wasn't much else I could do. I had already tried to make up an excuse for why he couldn't come, but he was more wily than I initially thought. Now, I couldn't argue again without raising suspicion, and couldn't tell my mother the truth without my nightmares of his torture beneath the castle becoming a reality. I was stuck having to blindly trust that he was telling the truth about not harming my family.

I stepped through the little gate, the forest so overgrown around it that it was nearly invisible from the road. I could hear the sounds of Angelo's footsteps close behind mine as I made my way down the stone pathway. Up ahead, my mother knocked on the front door. As Angelo and I neared the vine covered cottage, the door swung open, and a rather disappointed voice said, "Just the two of you?"

"Great to see you too, Ash," My mother replied wryly, without missing a beat, before her voice turned wary, "Giules and a friend are right behind us." Then her form disappeared into the doorway, followed by Lance.

When I stepped over the threshold myself, I had only a split second to react as a projectile flew right for my face. I snatched it from the air, searching the room for the culprit as Angelo slammed to a sudden stop behind me in surprise, his body so close to mine for a moment that I could feel the heat from it radiating against my back.

My mother turned sharply on her brother, "What have I told you about throwing things at my daughter?"

Uncle Ash shrugged, laughter dancing in his grey eyes, "I don't see what the big deal is, Rosie, I've never actually hit her."

She narrowed her eyes at her twin, crossing her arms, "Just because you haven't yet, doesn't mean you wont one day."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Ash said with a mock bow, before turning to me and shaking his head dramatically. He pointed at her, "No faith with this one."