The silent kiss, p.1
The Silent Kiss, page 1
The Silent Kiss
Chronicles of the Enchanted
Arianna Courson
Published by Arianna Courson, 2023.
While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
THE SILENT KISS
First edition. January 4, 2023.
Copyright © 2023 Arianna Courson.
ISBN: 979-8215699935
Written by Arianna Courson.
Also by Arianna Courson
Chronicles of the Enchanted
The Silent Kiss
Standalone
Silence Me
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Also By Arianna Courson
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Epilogue
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Further Reading: Silence Me
Also By Arianna Courson
About the Author
To Meaghan, my sister and best friend.
Prologue
Once upon a time, there was a young girl who loved to read and enjoyed every animal that lived in the forest that surrounded her cottage.
Every morning, Ella would open her curtains and sing to the woodpeckers and the squirrels. She knew they would never sing back or understand her hums, but she did it anyway.
Ella was twelve years old. She loved writing at the desk that laid in the corner of her room.
Every morning, when Ella woke up, she sang then sat at her desk. She wrote stories that were made in fairy tales. One about a girl who wore a red hood and ran about the woods. One about a girl that pricked her finger on a spin wheel, falling into a deep sleep where she would never wake. And one about a girl who ate a poisoned apple, falling into a world of death until the magical boy brought her back with a single kiss.
Ella just wrote what came to her mind. She didn’t really understand what she wrote or how she came up with it. It was like her quill had a mind of its own.
Suddenly, the bell rang at the top of Ella’s door. “Isabella!” her father called. “Breakfast!”
“Coming!” Ella yelled back. She finished the last sentence of her story, and ran to her door. Her little feet padded down the halls as she dashed. Sliding down the staircase, she landed on the hardwood floors and walked into the dining room.
Jack, Ella’s father, sat at the dining table. There were three other girls who Ella didn’t know. An older one who had dark brown hair and shining gold eyes. Ella could see her wrinkles slightly form on her cheeks. There was a second girl with the same brown hair and similar gold eyes. The third girl was different, though. Her hair had shimmering golden locks and bright blue irises. The second and the third girl were both Ella’s age.
“Oh! Ella!” Jack exclaimed. “There you are!” He smiled sweetly. “You’re probably wondering who these wonderful girls are.” He pointed to the older lady with brown hair tied into a tight bun. “This is Ivy. My new wife.”
Shock smacked Ella in the face. “You’re MARRIED?” she almost screamed. She wasn’t shocked that Jack wanted to marry again. Her mother died three years earlier. She was shocked because he didn’t tell her. Jack never kept secrets like that.
“Yes. I’m married.” He gave Ella a “please don’t freak out” look.
Ella saw Jack’s look and stepped back. For some reason, she didn’t want him to look at her like that. “Are those my sisters?” she wondered.
Her father smiled. “Yes.” He held his hand to the blonde girl. “That’s Ava.” Ava smiled softly and waved at Ella. “And that’s Olivia.” The girl with dark brown locks completely ignored Ella. She stared at her food. A look of annoyance pasted on her face. Did she not want to be here?
After she greeted all three of them with a bow, Ella sat in her designated chair to eat her breakfast. The maids settled poached eggs, hash browns, and apples in front of each of them. The scent of the sugar from the apples and the savory smell of the salt from the potatoes made her stomach grumble. She almost picked up her fork when a thump echoed through the room.
Ella looked up from her plate to find Jack’s head down onto the table.
“Dad?” she said. “Dad?”
Ivy looked up from her plate as well. She saw Jack’s face down onto the table. “Jack!”
Three maids came in the room. They saw Jack’s position and panicked voices echoed through the house. One of them ran over to him, picking up her skirts. She lifted his head up to find blood trailing from his eyes and nose, and foam bubbling at his mouth. She immediately dropped his head.
“He was poisoned...” Ella whispered.
Chapter One
Four Years Later
Ella stood at the market, Gobhald, grabbing a basket full of apples, beef, and pork. She was to prepare dinner. It was her job now. That and washing clothes, dishes, and towels.
Ever since her father died, Ella felt that she was cursed. An eternal suffering that lasted a lifetime. Though, she didn’t know what she did to deserve this. She had been searching for the answer for ages.
After setting a couple sticks of soft butter into the basket, she started feeling a dizzy spell cast over her, blurring her vision.
No, no, no, she thought. Not again!
She pressed her hand to one of the shelves, trying to steady her breathing as her panic set in.
Why did this have to happen in public? This was horrible.
Ella choked on the air, trying to gasp, but it seemed as if oxygen wasn’t getting to her lungs.
The shelf she was holding onto snapped, and her legs collapsed from under her. Ella bit back a cry as she hit the cement floor.
All the food she gathered scattered across the ground in a mess.
Hoping no one was watching her, she took a couple deep breaths while lying on the ground. After the panic calmed and her breathing steadied, she pushed her hands on the tile, sitting up when a voice entered her ears:
“Whoa... You okay?”
It sounded like a boy, young, maybe in his teens. Ella cast a look above her to see a tall boy with coal black hair and bright green eyes gaze softly at her.
He tilted his head at her stare. “You... okay...?” he repeated.
Ella looked away. “Oh, yes. Yes, I’m alright.”
“Need help?” The man offered his hand.
She stared at it for a brief moment before resisting and she stood on her own. He put his hand down, defeated. Ella’s legs wobbled, threatening to buckle again, but she forced herself to steady them.
“What happened?” the black haired boy said. “Were you sleeping on the floor or something?”
“No. I just tripped,” she lied. No need to tell a strange boy that she fell constantly, and her stomach twisted and turned, forcing her to starve. Those were the main two reasons Ella kept on collapsing.
“What’s your name, Princess?” the boy wondered.
Did... he... just call her... “Princess”?
Was she supposed to cringe when he said that? She didn’t. In fact, she found it rather soothing to be called that. Mainly because she was treated horribly. But... there was something about how this boy said it... How his tone was... It made Ella feel a rush of warmth consume her.
“I’m Ella,” she said. “And I’m not a Princess....”
“Is that short for something?” he asked, ignoring her comment.
“It’s short for Isabella.”
The boy smiled, sending tingles through Ella’s skin. “I’m Blake.”
She froze, breathing shallowly. “Wait...” she whispered, “Prince Blake?”
A nod. “But just call me Blake. I don’t like all the royalty stuff.”
Ella looked around in a panic, hoping no one was watching this encounter. She was trembling slightly, half in fear, the other half because she was starving.
It seemed as if Blake noticed this. “Are you okay, Princess? Why are you looking around like that?”
Ella stared back at him, heart pounding. “I have to go.” And she started walking, but Blake grabbed her arm, tugging lightly so she faced him.
“You look famished,” he stated.
He was right. Ella was quite pale and skinny. Her bright red hair made her skin look white. Like a blank sheet of paper. The only thing that wasn’t white were the brown freckles that scattered across her cheekbones.
“Please... let go of my arm....”
“I saw you fall, Princess,” he continued, making her heart drop with guilt. “You didn’t trip. You grabbed this shelf.” He held out his free hand to the broken wood. It left large spikes poking out of the edges. “It snapped. And you fell. I saw it.”
Ella felt her stomach drop down to her feet, she started panting slightly.
She just lied to the Prince... And he knew it... Was he going to punish her...?
Blake watched her gaze for a moment, and his eyes darkened. “Ella, you’re not in trouble,” he promised as if he read her thoughts. “I jus
Her lips parted as she studied him. “Why?”
“Because you’re clearly sick,” he answered. “And I want to help.”
Ella stared at him for a moment, seeing her reflection in Blake’s soft green eyes. She started getting lost, her emotions heightening to the tip and she wanted to cry.
Oh, God... her energy was dissolving inside her and her emotions were getting out of control.
“Why me?” she whispered, trying to stop her knees from buckling again.
“Because you’re one of my people,” Blake responded. “I take care of my people. I am their Prince. And,” he added, “you’re very pretty.”
Ella was too overwhelmed with exhaustion to feel her heart flutter at his response. Her vision started blurring again, her head wanted to float while her body became heavy.
“Ella?” Blake’s voice came from a distance. It was as if he were miles away and she was falling though the floor.
“Can you hear me?” Blake questioned, panic rising in his tone.
Ella was too dizzy to respond. The world was spinning as if she were in the center of a tornado. She needed to eat something. Her stomach was consuming her entire body and her head felt like it was in the clouds.
“I’m going to pick you up,” Blake warned.
No... she thought. Please... I don’t want help...
She wasn’t sure if she responded or not, but if she did, he didn’t listen.
Barely, Ella felt Blake’s arm under her knees, the other supporting her back as he scooped her up in his arms.
She felt light in Blake’s hold, like she was flying.
Ella couldn’t resist closing her eyes. She tried to force them to stay open, but she was too deprived of energy to stay awake.
Please...
She hoped Blake wouldn’t try to kill or take advantage of her. There was something else, as well... Something Ella was afraid of... She couldn’t think of it at the moment.
Ella faded into darkness as Blake carried her out of the shop. A loud whooshing sound entered her ears, and she heard a flutter of wings. Like an Angel. But no... Angels couldn’t exist, right?
Chapter Two
Blake sat on a chair next to Ella, who lay on one of the cots in the infirmary. One of the nurses, Lia, was feeding Ella some herbs and medication for her illness.
But Ella lay still, unmoving, like a corpse.
“Lia,” Blake whispered, “is she going to be alright?”
The nurse looked down at the girl that lay on the bed. “I’m not sure, Prince. She’s really ill.”
Blake raked his fingers through his black hair, letting out a frustrated groan. After calming the anger that started swelling up, he managed to look down at Ella, noticing her relaxed expression, but also seeing her cheeks and nose flushed due to a high fever.
“God...” Blake grumbled, covering his face in his hands, “why did it have to be her?”
“You know why,” Lia stated. “You just don’t want to admit it.”
“Yes.” Blake rubbed his eyes, trying to cover the rage in his expression. “Yes, I know why....”
“This girl,” the nurse stared down at Ella, “is so fragile.”
“I know,” Blake admitted somberly. “It’s just all that she’s gone through is horrible. She doesn’t deserve it.”
“Have you found out who cursed her yet?” Lia wondered.
A slight shake of the head was his response. The word curse sounding so unfamiliar in his ears.
But the nurse was right. Ella was sick because of a curse someone placed on her. Clearly it was a witch, but Blake was unsure if the witch was forced, hired, or if she was the villain.
“Do you have any ideas?”
“I....” He bit his lip. “Her stepmother treats her horribly, but I see no signs of magic or necromancy in her presence. She’s cruel, yes. Abusive also. But... I don’t see any kind of witch magic placed on the house.”
“Is she the only person who treats Ella horribly?”
Blake shook his head. “One of her stepsisters also, but she has the same presence as her mother. I don’t see magic in either of their rooms, but... I also haven’t been inside to look in hidden places, so... I’m still unsure....”
“Can you think of anyone else who might hold a grudge against her?”
A soft shake of the head. “Whoever they are, they’re doing really well by staying in the shadows.” He looked down at the precious girl, resting silently, but breathing shallowly.
“Prince Blake,” the nurse said. He looked up due to her stern tone. “This girl needs help. I can’t help her.”
Blake’s heart froze. “What do you mean you can’t help her?!”
“Prince,” the nurse calmed her tone, “I can’t help her. All I have are herbs and medicine... But I can’t cure this curse with human medication. Only healing magic can.”
“I don’t know anyone with that kind of power,” Blake explained angrily. “She needs to be alive. I— We need her.”
The nurse didn’t seem phased at him catching himself. Maybe she didn’t notice. “Prince, you do know someone.”
“What?” He watched Lia stare at him, her grey eyes shimmering with his reflection like a lake on a cloudy day. It only took moments before he realized what she was saying, and he shook his head in disbelief.
“No, no, no,” he said sternly, green eyes hard in fear. “Me?”
The nurses blank expression answered him.
“I... I can’t...” he stammered. “I can’t heal her... I’m not who I used to be.”
“Your powers are still inside you, Prince,” the nurse stated. “Therefore, it doesn’t matter whether you are who you used to be or not.”
“I haven’t used them since I fell,” he explained silently.
“Prince, you need to start using them again. So you can get used to it. If you want to protect Ella for what’s yet to come, then you have to learn them to help her find her power as well.”
Blake exhaled angrily, rubbing his eyes. He then looked down to the girl that rested peacefully in front of him.
He took in all of her as if he had never seen her before, her wavy red hair that sprawled across the pillow, her pale white skin that reminded him of the light of the full moon, and her light brown freckles that rested on top of her cheeks—her cheeks that were dusted with a light red.
He didn’t notice that the nurse was examining him.
“Prince,” she said.
Blake didn’t look away from Ella. “Hmm?”
“How long have you been watching this girl? I know you were tasked to keep an eye on her. Her interactions, things she buys, and anything that looks remotely suspicious that leads to her.”
Still, he didn’t look up. “Three years.”
When he finally looked up, he saw a smile tugging at her lips.
“What?”
“I see why you’re so protective over this girl now,” Lia said.
“Well, yeah.” Blake’s brows drew together. “I’m supposed to keep her safe. It was the task my father gave me.”
“Yes,” the nurse agreed. “But there’s something else,” she tilted her head to the side as his eyes widened a bit, “isn’t there?”
“What are you talking about?” Blake questioned defensively.
“You’re getting attached to her, aren’t you?”
He blinked, eyes growing brighter as his cheeks burned slightly.
“You’ve been watching over this one girl, Prince. For three years. You were her protector. You watched over her. And you saw who she really was compared to how she acted towards others. You watched her cry, laugh, sleep.” Her smile widened a small bit. “You fell in love with her, didn’t you?”
Blake tried to look angry, but it came off as embarrassed. “Stop reading my mind, Lia. It’s very irritating.”
“Prince,” she said, “admit it.”
“I’m not going to because it’s not true.”
But it was true.
“You just lied,” she noticed.
There were so many things he wanted to say, but none of them denied the feeling he had. “Fine.” Blake rubbed his face with his hand. “Yes, I... I got attached to her.”
