Slay

OK, look, the woman was an absolute witch. I slaved away doing every-bloody-thing while she and her precious brats sat on their flabby arses.

It was always, Oh, Cindy, could you just... Just do this. Just do that. Just. Just. Just. It drove me mad.

Drizella smirked in front of my ruined dress, hiding something behind her back.

I've always had beef with Drizella because she's so snooty and she thinks she's so much better than me.

I yanked on her arm, and there it was: the knife she hacked up my mother's beautiful dress with. I snatched it from her, and swivelled it to point it at her. Just to scare her, you know? To see the look on her gormless face.

The feeling that swelled up in me, though... filling me up to my scalp and my fingertips... such a rush. She was crying and wailing, and that rush took over and it was like my hand darted out of its own accord. Slash! Whoops! A spray of blood across me and the once-lovely dress.

Anastasia burst in right at that moment, probably 'cuz of all the screaming, and started making a noise of her own. Oh, she was wailing and shrieking like you wouldn't believe. So annoying. So I did her, too.

This was fire, even better than when I cut the tail off that mangey cat. I could feel the blood pumping and tingling all over. I was dizzy with it.

The witch came in to find out what all the yelling had been about, and she found out alright. The look on her face, when she saw those slags she loved so much, just lying there on the floor like rubbish someone dropped... and all that blood... She went white, really white. Her mouth dropped open, and she staggered like she was going to fall over.

Even better, how her eyes looked right before they went flat and glazed over. Literally. Like glass... That was satisfying.

That's when the Blood Fairy appeared.

Her hair was bright red, like a tomato, and so was her dress, and her lipstick, and the rope-like veins in her see-through, insect-y wings.

"Make a wish, kid," she said. "Make it good. There's a lot of magic here, but we have to act fast, while it's warm and fresh."

I think I stood gawping at her for a good few seconds. She magicked a black business card from her cleavage, or that's how it looked, and handed it to me. I stared down at it. I must have looked stupid. Her name was printed on it in red: Carmine.

"Chop, chop kid," she said. "Not that you need any encouragement in that area. What do you want? Name it."

"Honestly," I told her, twisting the bit of card between my fingers, "I just want to go to the ball."

She lifted one eyebrow. (I wish I could do that.)

"Really? Is that all?"

"Oh, yes," I said.

The Ball sounded like it would be the party to be at this year. A real hoot and a half. Everyone said the Prince had the biggest balls. Even if it was lame, though, I still wanted to go.

They had tried to stop me, you see. All three of them. First they pretended my invitation hadn't come. After that, they said I had nothing to wear, which is true, I had nothing fancy enough for that kind of event. They wouldn't lend me anything either. So I went through Mother's old things, and guess what I found? A gorgeous gown that fit me perfectly.

They softened after that, even including me when they talked about how what a great party it was going to be. I really thought they'd given up on being such spiteful hags. More fool me.

Of course, they waited until tonight to ruin it. If they'd done it sooner I might have been able to sort something else out, see? They must have realised I'm clever and resourceful, or maybe they just wanted to be as cruel as they could possibly be. Letting me really look forward to it, get even more excited about it... Letting me believe I would actually be going.

So you see, it doesn't matter that I could have travelled anywhere. I could have had money, treasure, or a mansion, anything I asked for. Up to and including the handsome Prince on my arm and hopelessly in love with me in fifteen seconds flat.

I wanted what Drizella and Anastasia were so keen to stop me having. I admit it, it's petty, but they've always been super spiteful to me. I'm only matching that energy.

The Fairy wore a slightly lopsided smile while she worked. First she sorted out my limo, which was so long it was almost ridiculous. I'm not a gearhead, so I don't know what make it was. Red, of course.

Then she put together my entourage. I had bodyguards, a stylist, a personal assistant, an agent, a PR bod, and a driver. I was impressed with how good looking they were, since she made them from toads. Of course, they weren't too good looking. None of them outshone me. Maybe nobody could. Not that night.

Carmine made me a dress. Really, Drizella did me a solid, ruining the other one. This one is loads better, and I'd never have had it if it weren't for her. It's a deep blood red (my favourite colour and the Fairy's speciality).

My shoes, though. The shoes were, if possible, even better than the dress. They were striking. They looked like they were made of broken glass and covered in red flecks. In fact, I was a bit leery of sliding my feet into them. I needn't have worried. The innards were crimson, (obviously) and satiny smooth and soft.

I tilted my feet this way and that, admiring the effect. The jagged pieces with scarlet spatter gave the illusion my feet had been sliced up. This effect was enhanced by the fact some of the pieces were mirrors. My feet looked like a ghastly jigsaw.

When Carmine was finished, all that blood from Drizella, Anastasia and the dried up old baggage who passed for their mother was congealing on the floor. There were tiny beads of pink sweat at Carmine's temples and along her upper lip. It really seemed to take it out of her, all that magicking when the blood had gone cold.

Get this! Then she said, and I'm dead serious, right, she said, "You have to leave before midnight, that's very important. Do you understand? Midnight!" She was gasping a bit, panting like she'd run a long way. I laughed.

"Who even does that? Who leaves a party before midnight?! It's just getting started, then!"

She scowled at me, and lifted her wand. It looked like a threat.

"Okay, okay!" I said, "No need to be hasty. I promise, alright? I promise I'll leave by midnight."

I suppose I thought, I only have to leave the Ball by midnight, right? It's not an actual curfew. She hasn't said what time I should be home. Theres always the after-party.

Then I pushed these thoughts out of my mind, determined to enjoy the evening.


***

Having a proper entourage was way better than going with that pair of ugly backstabbing wretches. The group hung on my every word, laughed at my jokes. They were attentive. Topping up my champagne, arranging my dress.

When we arrived, they leapt into action to open the door, help me out of the car, and arrange me and my dress in the best possible manner to withstand the storm of flashes and clicking from the long and hungry snouts of waiting cameras.

My smile was dazzling.

***

The Ball was every bit as magical as I knew it would be. There were loads of celebrities there. Singers, movie stars, famous athletes... and all of them wanted to talk with me, dance with me.

I pretended not to notice that the Prince barely took his eyes off me all night. He could hardly get near me.

At last, I could extricate myself from the clutches of another smitten A-lister, and claim that I really must speak with His Highness. After all, he was the host.

It was almost eleven already. When I hinted that I'd be leaving soon, he wouldn't accept it. He laughed.

"You're not serious?" he said. "Why do you have to leave so early?"

I tried to talk about the after party, and he laughed again. "Babe, no one leaves one of my events. This is where it's at."

We danced, we flirted, and I was nearly as spellbound by him as he was by me. I could feel Time running out, though, like sand through an hourglass. I felt mounting pressure to seal the deal

It was going to be so hard to keep my promise to Carmine. Everywhere I looked, a clock stood, reminding me it was nearly midnight.

Every stolen second absorbing the heat of him felt precious. I could have swooped in and kissed him, but I was stubborn. I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted to be kissed by a Prince.

Any moment now, he's going to do it, I know he is...

I was bursting with anticipation.

The chimes began.

Great. Clock-blocked.

Still, I didn't pull away. Our faces were so close, our lips almost touched. I had until the twelfth gong didn't I?

The air seemed to be charged with tension. Our skin and the scant space between us tingled and crackled with mutual attraction.

No, the air really was crackling, vivid purple and white sparks flew. The prince had a look of surprise on his face, an expression which was oddly fixed.

It took me a moment to realise this was because a portal had opened, but unfortunately, he'd been standing right in its path. His blood soaked the front of my dress. It felt unpleasantly sticky, but at least it hardly showed. I pushed him aside. He toppled, his face unchanging, and the top half of him coming away completely from his legs. The air shivered in the aftermath of the final donggggg. The strong metallic smell of his blood flooded my nostrils.

She's coming.

Would Carmine be mad that I hadn't left before midnight? What would she do? What price or punishment might she insist on? I rushed forward through the portal, and fled, one of my shoes coming off as I ran.