After her shift that night at the Slippered Tabby, Ella followed Winnie’s directions and headed further into the Slumps toward the notorious Glass Pumpkin. She prayed Rosalind and the twins weren’t waiting up for her, though seeing as it was nearly three in the morning that wasn’t likely.
Despite the late hour, the streets that made up the Slumps were packed full of people. Rowdy men stumbled out of bars, or were thrown out in some cases, and tightly packed groups of twos and threes whispered in the shadows. A woman’s high pitched cackle made the soft baby hairs on the back of Ella's neck stand at attention. She crossed her arms tightly around herself and powered on, trying not to make eye contact with anyone.
Passing a building with groups of scantily dressed women, she felt their eyes on her and heard the hum of their whispers as she hurried down the street. Glancing up at the sign posted outside the building, Ella felt herself ignite with heat as she discovered the building was a brothel.
“Half off for the first hour tonight, sweetie,” one of the women called to her. Ella quickened her pace, trying to ignore the chorus of laughter that followed her.
This is a bad idea. This is a bad idea. This is a bad idea.
The thought repeated in her head over and over again, but still she forced herself to walk even when all she wanted to do was turn and run for the safety of home.
As she continued through the streets, the establishments seemed to grow more and more grimy and in disrepair. Windows were smashed in leaving jagged points of glass hanging in the frames like the teeth of a vicious beast. Paint peeled from wooden shutters like furled leaves. Several doors looked like even Ella could kick them in, barely hanging on by their rusty hinges.
There were cracks in the old stone walls and the ground was uneven in places, causing Ella to stumble frequently. Oddly, there seemed to be an increase in people even though the world around them looked as if it had been abandoned.
Around the next corner was where Winnie had said the Glass Pumpkin would be and Ella braced herself for whatever ramshackled mess of stone and wood waited for her.
As she turned, Ella stopped dead in tracks, her mouth falling open in surprise. There was no mistaking which of the buildings that lined the street was her destination.
The Glass Pumpkin was a shining beacon in a world of shadows. The front of the building was made entirely of glass and designed to look like a pumpkin. As Ella stepped out from the shadows, she noted that this street was significantly cleaner then the ones she had just traveled. Music lofted through the night, and groups of people came and went from the glass structure, laughing as they went.
Ella recognized a few individuals from both the bakery and the Slippered Tabby as she approached. When she was just feet from the door she noticed vines of ivy that seemed to grow from the stem on the roof, and even stranger still the ivy seemed to move, twisting and writhing over itself like a pit of snakes.
The curves in the glass panels were alight with small golden orbs, which Ella at first thought were candles but when she was right in front of the building she couldn’t spot any flames.
“Fairy lights.” Ella turned and looked at a large man with a close shaven head and muscles bigger than Ella’s entire body who was standing just outside the open door.
“Sorry?” Ella asked, cocking her head in confusion.
“The lights,” the man said, jerking his head towards the lights. “They’re called fairy lights. They surprise everyone when they first see them.”
That probably played into the rumor that Lady Nyx was a fairy.
“Where do they come from? How do they work?” Ella asked, looking back up at them in amazement. She had the strongest urge to reach out and pluck one down. She flexed her fingertips to steady herself. Breaking off a piece of Lady Nyx’s building probably wasn’t a good way of introduction.
The man shrugged and turned away from her. “No idea, I just work here. Are you going in? You’re blocking the door.”
Ella blinked and realized she was standing in a very inconvenient spot. “Sorry,” she murmured, walking past the man and inside.
The interior of the Glass Pumpkin was just as magical as the exterior. The first few feet were still inside the glass structure, and it looked a bit like a greenhouse with rows of potted plants, many of which Ella couldn’t identify. A glass bridge was placed over a pond, and a small waterfall poured out from a formation of rocks.
Once crossed the bridge, the Glass Pumpkin became the most luxurious looking bar Ella had ever seen. The walls were painted a deep, green with gold paneling running down them. Oval tables draped with white, linen clothes and glass bell lamps were placed at the center. Small settees large enough to hold two people were placed on either side of the tables and were upholstered in a deep amber color. From the ceiling dozens of light fixtures hung down the center of the room, each filled with a glowing fairy light. At the far end of the room, a bar had been set up, with shelves upon shelves of jewel colored bottles, the contents of which could likely pay Ella’s rent for a year.
A pretty woman around Ella’s age with sleek black hair done in soft waves approached her. The woman wore a black, silk dress with a low off-the-shoulder neckline, gathered bodice and a high slit at the hem. Ella suddenly felt very self conscious of her own clothes, with her tattered deep blue skirt and beer-stained blouse.
With a quick glance around, she noticed she wasn’t the only one wearing old, threadbare clothing.
“I’m sorry,” the woman began with a small smile. “But I’m afraid we don’t have any open tables at the moment. Unless of course you’re meeting someone?”
Ella played with the cuff of her sleeve. “Oh, no. I’m not here for a drink.” When the woman gave her an odd look, she continued, “I’m here to see Lady Nyx… Izar said to mention him.”
The woman’s friendly smile dropped from her face. “I see,” she said, sounding annoyed. “You should have used the back entrance.”
Ella felt her face grow hot. “Sorry,” she sputtered out. “He never mentioned it.”
“Nevermind,” the woman said, rolling her eyes and turning on her heel. “Come this way. Keep up.”
The woman made her way through the room, Ella scrambling to catch up with her. How she was able to move so quickly in those heels, Ella would never know.
The woman led her towards a door that was guarded by another man in black clothing, though his wasn’t as elegant as the woman’s.
“Friend of Izar’s,” the woman said, jerking her head back to where Ella stood awkwardly behind her.
The man, who was just as big as the bouncer at the front door, looked her over with amusement. He had blond hair that was pulled back into a bun at the top of his head.
“Not Izar’s usual type,” the man said, staring Ella down. The woman brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
“I don’t care, I have work to do,” she said, brushing past Ella without a second glance.
The man rolled his eyes after her before thumping on the door in two beats and then three more. It creaked open just a sliver and the guard whispered something to whoever was on the other side. Then the door swung open and revealed another woman.
Unlike the first, this woman was dressed in tight trousers and a sleeveless top which revealed finely toned muscles. Both arms were covered in tattoos, and the woman had several piercings going up the curve of her ears. She had a square face and string light brown hair that had been braided back.
“Lady Nyx?” Ella said with uncertainty. The guard burst out laughing while the woman rolled her eyes.
“Don’t let her hear you say that,” the woman said before waving Ella inside.
Ella hurried inside, finding herself in a small rectangular room. On either side of the room were crates of alcohol. On the opposite side of the room was another door.
“This way,” the woman said, heading towards it. The door led to a set of stairs that led downward, the walls strung with fairy lights again, though these were considerably dimmer. Ella could barely make out the design on the faded wallpaper plastered to the walls.
“If there’s a next time, go around the back,” the woman was saying as Ella followed her down into the dark. “Boss doesn’t want hires mingling with the customers.”
“Right,” was all Ella could think to say.
“Where did Izar find you anyways?” the woman asked as they approached the bottom of the stairs, which led into another room. This one had a small wooden table with large gashes in the top as if someone had taken a blade to it a hundred times. A group of men were gathered around it drinking. They openly stared at Ella as she passed.
“The Slippered Tabby,” Ella mumbled as she crossed her arms tightly over her stomach.
The woman looked back at her in surprise. “Really? You look way too shiny to be in that shithole.”
Ella just shrugged.
The woman led her into another room, this one slightly nicer than the last. Fairy lights were displayed in gas lamps and little jars. An aged rose printed wallpaper in tongues of gold, beige and pink lined the walls. A woman was lounging on a leather couch, one leg propped up on a small table. She was holding an apple, carving off pieces of it was a knife and popping them into her mouth.
“Who’s that?” the woman on the couch asked, pointing to Ella with the blade of her knife. She had darker skin then both Ella and her guide, and thick black hair in tight braids. Like the guide, she wore tight pants and a sleeveless top. The lace-up leather boot that was propped up on the table had what looked to be dirt and blood encrusted into the sole.
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“Friend of Izar’s from the Slippered Tabby, apparently,” the first woman said. “Looking for a word with the boss. She available?”
The seated woman shook her head and refocused on her apple. “Nah, she’s in with some lord’s wife. Shouldn’t be much longer though.”
The first woman went and sat next to her companion on the couch, bouncing slightly as she dropped down. “Have a seat.”
Ella sank into an armchair opposite of them, looking about the room awkwardly. There weren’t any decorations on the walls, save for the wallpaper. Past the couch was a hallway lined with three doors on either side and then one at the far end. There was a door on the left side of the room that looked as if it led outside.
“I’m Jolie by the way,” the first woman said, and then pointed to her friend. “This is Tamsin.”
“Pleasure,” Tamsin said boredly without looking up from her apple.
“Ella.”
“You sure you know what you’re getting into, Ella?” Jolie asked, a smirk forming on her lips. The answer was not really, but Ella didn’t want to admit that, so she just shrugged.
“Not too late to turn back,” Tamsin said as she cut off a slice of her apple and slipped its flesh into her mouth, a dribble of juice running down her chin. “No offense but you really don’t belong here.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t have any other option,” Ella said.
“Two,” Tamsin said simply to Jolie.
“One,” Jolie replied.
Ella blinked and looked between them. “What are you talking about?”
“Nevermind,” Jolie said innocently while Tamsin grinned beside her.
It was then that the door at the far end of the hall swung open and a middle-aged woman wearing a fashionable coat of sky blue over a matching dress emerged. Ella noticed her slip a small vial into the pocket of her coat. What the indigo colored liquid inside was, she couldn’t guess. The woman didn’t stop in the room, but rather headed straight for the door outside, opening it and slamming it without a word.
If either Jolie or Tamsin were offended by the woman’s abrupt exit, they didn’t show it.
“Just a minute,” Tamsin said, letting her propped up leg fall to the dusty wooden floor with a loud thud. She rose and headed for the room at the end of the hall, disappearing inside.
The door to the outside opened again and this time Izar followed by Braken. They were laughing loudly and then stopped short when they noticed Ella sitting across from Jolie. A malicious grin spread across Izar’s face, making Ella’s stomach twist apprehensively.
“Well, well,” Izar said softly, running his beady eyes over her. “I never thought you’d actually come, Cinders.”
“Oh this is Cinders?” Jolie snorted, looking back at Ella.
Ella ignored her and shrugged. “Neither did I.”
“Did you finish getting the collections?” Jolie cut in.
“Old man Gregor was conveniently not in tonight,” Izar said with a shrug. “Told his second that if he’s not in tomorrow with his payment then Braken will take a different kind of payment.”
Braken mirrored Izar’s sickening grin and pounded his fist into his palm. Ella didn’t have to think very hard on what that alternative payment would entail.
The door at the end of the hall creaked open again and Tamsin stood in the frame.
“Hey blondie,” she called down the hall. “Boss will see you now.”
Izar and Braken laughed and headed up the stairs. Jolie leaned back on the couch, crossing her legs and letting the top one swing back and forth leisurely.
“Still time to run, Cinders,” she said softly.
Pushing down every instinct in her to take Jolie’s offer, Ella sucked in a deep breath, inhaling the sickly sweet scent of flowers she hadn't noticed before and made her way down the hall. She walked past Tasmin, who moved aside for her and stepped into Lady Nyx’s office.
The room was painted in a shade that was somewhere between dark purple and deep blue, like the last moments before night overtook twilight. Fairy lights strung from the ceiling like little stars in tiny glass prisons. Around the room were shelves stacked with an array of books, plants and odd little objects like crystals and animal skulls.
Ella didn’t look down, but she could feel a plush rug beneath her feet.
There were no windows in the room, making it feel incredibly cramped despite the large size. A large, mahogany desk was placed at one side of the room, with a large, upholster chair in midnight blue velvet. Scattered on the desk were tapered candles and several scrolls all tied together with black ribbons.
“So, you’re Izar’s friend,” a voice like a melody said to her right, and Ella jumped. She turned to find a velvet settee the same color as the chair at the desk and on it the most terrifying and breathtaking creature she had ever seen.
The rumors of Lady Nyx being a fairy were entirely correct. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, around Ella’s own age, but there was an ancient depthness about her that made the latter believe the fairy was much older. She had straight black hair that fell far past her breasts, a heart-shaped face with high cheekbones and plumped lips.Her eyes were violet and rimmed with gold and the tops of her ears were pointed like sharpened blades, sticking out from the hair that framed her face.
Lady Nyx wore a silk dress that matched the color of her eyes, and it seemed to shimmer in the dim light. The dress was sleeveless and the top seemed to be made of two pieces of fabric that wrapped around her chest, leaving her stomach bare. The skirt lay low on her hips and her crossed legs revealed a high slit.
When she smiled she revealed sharp canines that glimmered white.
Ella felt her mouth go dry looking at her. She was equal parts beauty and beasts. The character of a story that was supposed to be feared yet was longed for.
“You’re staring,” Lady Nyx said after a moment of Ella gaping at her.
“Sorry,” Ella said, blinking and looking down at the floor uncomfortably. Lady Nyx gave a soft laugh that reminded Ella of wind chimes.
“Don’t be,” she said, her voice soft and low, like every word she spoke was a secret not meant to be shared. “I have that effect on people.” Lady Nyx patted the settee she sat on twice. “Please, sit.”
Apprehensively, Ella moved around the small glass table that separated them and sat at the far end of the settee and faced her. “So, you’re Lady Nyx.”
The fairy grinned, once again revealing the points of her teeth. “The one and only.” She bent forward and picked up a teapot Ella hadn’t noticed before. There were two dainty porcelain cups on the table in front of her, each with little flower designs, and Lady Nyx poured into each. She handed Ella one of the cups and said, “tea?”
Ella took it, feeling as if she couldn’t refuse. Knowing that Lady Nyx’s gang, the Nightshades, often killed their enemies with poison, Ella felt herself pale as she looked down into the cup. Whatever kind of tea it was, the liquid had a pinkish brown tint to it and smelled strongly of fruit and roses.
Glancing up, she watched as Lady Nyx took a sip from her own cup before allowing herself to drink. Hints of strawberries, apples and something floral washed over her tongue in sweet bursts. As she swallowed, Ella instantly felt herself grow warmer, her cheeks flushing pleasantly.
“That’s very good,” she said, taking another sip.
“My own special blend,” Lady Nyx said softly, setting her own cup down. “Now, friend of Izar, what can I do for you?”
“I’m not really his friend,” Ella said sheepishly, though she wasn’t sure why. “I work at the Slippered Tabby and -”
“I know who you are, Eleanor,” Lady Nyx cut in, looking bored as she tapped her crossed leg against the leg of her glass table. “What is it that you want?”
Ella felt herself flush. No one ever called her by her full name. She wasn’t sure how Lady Nyx came to know it, but she decided she didn’t want to find out.
“Izar said that I could come to you if I ever needed extra work,” Ella said, swirling her teacup around awkwardly. “And well, I need extra work. Really badly.”
Lady Nyx tutted three times. “What is this city coming to? Working two jobs and still unable to pay the rent… or mommy dearest’s medical bills.”
All the warmth Ella had felt suddenly faded away, leaving her skin tickled with goosebumps.
“How did you know about that?”
“Like I said Eleanor, I know exactly who you are.” Lady Nyx leaned back against the settee, an amused smile spilling over her lips. She assessed Ella, looking her up and down in a way that made the human girl feel as if she were looking into her soul. “Luckily for you, I always have need of pretty girls.”
Somehow, Ella grew colder.
“I’m not selling myself,” she said quickly, placing her teacup on the table before she dropped it.
Lady Nyx laughed. “We all sell ourselves, Eleanor. One way or another.”
“You know what I mean.”
With a hum, Lady Nyx said, “yes, I know what you mean. Lucky for you again, I didn’t mean in that way.”
Lady Nyx rose from her seat in a graceful movement that a wave moving over the shoreline, quick and fluid. Ella felt herself stiffen, but the fairy paid her no mind.
“Everyone always thinks I only deal with thugs and riff raff,” Lady Nyx said, moving towards one of her shelves. She waved a hand over a row of plants and the stems began to grow rapidly, some even sprouting little flowers. “But some jobs require a softer, less conspicuous approach.”
Lady Nyx turned back to Ella. “I have a job coming up in a few weeks that I think you’ll be perfect for. If you can pull it off, let’s just say you’ll earn more than enough to quit at least one of your jobs. Preferably that disgusting excuse for a bar.”
Ella felt herself straighten.
“Oh?” she said. “What’s the job.”
Lady Nyx’s smile grew. “Before I tell you that, I need to make sure you’re made of the right stuff for this line of work. Too many people from the nicer side of town think they can work for me until they need to get their hands dirty, and well that just ruins the whole operation.”
“How dirty do I need to get my hands?” Ella asked.
“Don’t you worry,” Lady Nyx said. “I’ll start you off small.”
She turned back to her shelf and plucked a few small, droopy blue flowers from a plant. Pulling a small, clear vial from the shelf, Lady Nyx stuffed the flowers inside before returning to where Ella sat and picked the teapot up, pouring a small amount of tea into the vial. Corking it, she gave the vial a few rapid shakes and whispered something that Ella couldn’t make out. When she finished, she held out her hand and revealed a blue liquid.
“Now, that little bakery you work in,” Lady Nyx said, twirling the little vial in between her fingers. “There’s a customer that regularly comes in. A Mr. Theodore Lepore…” Lady Nyx’s voice trailed off as she allowed Ella to absorb her words.
She of course knew who Mr. Lepore was. He had been in the bakery earlier that day for his weekly loaf, ranting and raving about Lady Nyx being behind Princess Neve’s poisoning.
“I know him,” Ella said slowly, the beats of her heart increasing.
“I know you do,” Lady Nyx replied, rolling her eyes. “Add this,” she held up the vial again for Ella to see, “into his next weekly loaf and we’ll see about you working that very important job for me. Plus I’ll pay you twenty gelds.”
Ella’s mouth grew dry again. Her eyes focused on the little blue vial when she asked, “what will that do to him.”
“Kill him,” Lady Nyx said as if it were obvious. Ella supposed it probably was. Her mind reeled as her situation played out in front of her. Twenty gelds was more than she made in a week at either of her jobs, but could she really kill an innocent man for money?
Swallowing hard, she said, “there has to be something else I can do for you.”
Lady Nyx tutted again. “If you can’t do something as easy as this, there’s no hope for you doing other jobs for me.”
“Why do you even want him dead?” Ella asked, panic starting to take over her. She should have run when Tamsin and Jolie told her to. There was no way Lady Nyx was going to let her out of this building alive now that she knew the former wanted a man dead.
“He’s been saying some very mean things about me,” Lady Nyx said with a pout. “I’d like it very much if he’d stop.”
“Why not just ask him to stop then?”
Lady Nyx gave her an incredulous look. “Oh Eleanor, you really are an innocent one, aren’t you?”
Choosing not to answer, Ella stared at the bottle in Lady Nyx’s hand. “How fast will it kill him?”
The fairy godmother shrugged. “Depends how much he consumes right away.”
“Will it be painful?”
“Does it matter?” Lady Nyx scoffed. “He’s going to die either way.” Ella bit her lip and said nothing, which apparently annoyed Lady Nyx. “I’m growing tired of this. Either take it and do as you're told or get out.”
Ella thought of Rosalind and her step-siblings, of the cost of rent and how she could barely afford to put food on the table. There was no way they could go on the way they were, not without the twins quitting school and getting jobs. They only had a few months left. If Ella could push aside the voices in her head screaming at her to get out of that room and never look back, they could make it until then.
Hand shaking and heart pounding, Ella stood up and reached for the vial.