A Safe Place

“Hey. Get your hands off her!”

Copper and I jumped apart, startled by this newcomer. A man with long black hair and sickly pale skin strode forcefully across the operations room floor and stopped right in front of us.

Copper reached for his gun. The stranger broke into a grin. It was a smile I knew well, even on the face of a stranger.

“Cynder?”

“The one and only.” He scooped me up and spun me around.

“Wait. What’s going on?” asked Copper looking perplexed. “Who is this?”

Cynder waved his wand over his face making his features rearrange themselves back into the face I knew and loved.

“Woah!” exclaimed Copper in surprise.

“I see what you mean about recognizing you after using that spell now,” I said, grinning back at him. “You looked nothing like you, but once I saw that smile, I knew it couldn’t be anyone else.”

Copper clapped him on the back. “Well, you had me fooled. How did you get back here? Luca has got half his men out looking for you, and I’m pretty sure he’ll have closed the northeast roadblock after yesterday.”

“I came in from the south. It’s a long story,” he said, his expression sober.

I looked at him in confusion. “But how did you know I was here?”

If he figured it out, it made sense that Luca or his men would sooner rather than later.

“I didn’t figure it out at all. I’ve been hiding out in the capital for a few days searching for you. I’ve been casing Luca’s house trying to find a way past all those guards. I’d almost given up when I happened to meet a young police officer, Officer Julep. I helped her get out of town. Before she left, I told her who I was, and she told me that you were here.”

“She’s safe?” Copper interjected. “She got out ok?” I could tell he thought a great deal of her. I suspected it was just the way he was with all his officers rather than something more. He really was the papa bear in the office.

“Yes. She said she was heading to Ling. She got out safely.”

I saw Copper’s expression soften. I felt better too. I’d asked her to put herself in danger by going down south and getting a message to Cynder. Now she wouldn’t have to as she’d already done it. She was free to go straight home to Ling. Luca had no jurisdiction there.

“I’m glad you are here,” Copper said, looking straight at Cynder. I need to get a bed brought up here from the basement. We just had a shipment of new beds for the cells. I know they aren’t the most comfortable of beds, but they are brand new, never been slept in.”

The two men left me alone in the filing room returning ten minutes later with a small metal bed with a new mattress. It was placed in the cupboard.

Copper spoke. “Listen, I’m going to have to leave you both here. I got no sleep last night, and I’m beat.” He looked tired too. Black circles under his eyes testified to that. “I’d prefer it if you stayed close to the cold case room just in case Luca drops by unexpectedly. “I’ll be back at eight tomorrow morning.”

He shook Cynder’s hand and kissed my cheek.

“It looks like we are alone,” Cynder noticed.

And we were. For the first time in forever, we were finally alone.

I‘d never been more tired in my whole life, but at that moment, my exhaustion wasn’t enough to stop me from falling into his arms. He kissed me as a mother would a long lost child, peppering me with kisses all over my face until he reached my lips where his kisses turned into something more.

“I thought I’d lost you,” he said, pulling back slightly. “I’m so sorry!” I saw tears in his eyes now that matched the ones that were falling down my cheeks.

I responded by kissing him again, taking away his apologies and words that weren’t needed. The exhilaration of not being caught at any second made that kiss a desperate need to connect filled with all the words we hadn’t said to each other and a passion I’d not known before. I’d never felt so completely consumed with the moment, knowing it might end and yet not caring at the same time. This moment was the only thing that had kept me going through the time at Luca’s mansion and the only thing that mattered. When it was over, I stared into tear-filled eyes. The eyes of a man defeated.

“I shouldn’t have left without you,” Cynder said. “I tried to come back, but it was impossible. I’ve been doing everything to find a way back to you.”

I placed my finger over his lips.

“I’m here, and I’m with you. That’s all that matters.”

The smile he gave me didn’t extend to his eyes, but it was a smile, nonetheless.

“I have a plan to get us out of this. I need to show the world I’m still alive and then we need to start to fight back.”

Cynder sat down on the nearest desk nearly knocking the plate of food that Copper had brought to me on the floor. I nodded my head to say that he could have it. I’d already eaten half. He picked up the fork. “What’s the plan because I’ve been thinking of a way to stop all this for days and I’m drawing a blank.”

He speared a piece of broccoli and popped it into his mouth.

I told him the same thing I’d mentioned to Copper earlier.

“Jason said he’d help me find some smaller television agencies or newspapers—ones that would go out of their way to help me.”

“Isn’t that a bit dangerous?” remarked Cynder, putting down the fork. “We can’t trust anyone. You know that.”

I trust Jason, and I trust his judgment. There must be a news agency out there somewhere that isn’t in Pittser’s pocket.”

Cynder shook his head, his brow furrowing. “I’m sure most of the news agencies are on your side, but that doesn’t mean they’ll help you. I’m guessing that Luca is using both bribery and fear tactics to keep the propaganda going. The smaller newspapers and TV stations would be fools to go up against him. He’ll have them shut down or worse within days.”

“Ok, it’s a stupid idea,” I concluded, “But we have to do something. We can’t fight him; he’s too powerful.”

Cynder finished the meal. I took the plate from him and took it into the cold case cupboard. Leaving it out would mean people would know we were here. Cynder followed. I locked the door behind us.

“Welcome home,” I said outstretching my arms.

Cynder grinned.

“I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Cynder?” I whispered.

“Hmm?”

I hesitated before speaking. What exactly was it I wanted to say to him? To tell him I missed him seemed pathetic, and yet what else was it I needed him to know? I turned to face him. It was so dark in the room, I couldn’t see him, but I could feel his breath on my neck. In that instant, I knew words weren’t enough. I kissed him lightly on his lips. It had been way too long since we’d kissed.

“Charm...I...” he said, pulling back. I followed him and kissed him again. This time he responded, kissing me back. Months of pent-up desire left me breathless as he teased my lips with his tongue before slowly kissing down to my neck, giving me goosebumps. I wanted him so desperately that I barely controlled myself as he delicately moved his lips down to the top of my dress. I nuzzled closer to him, taking the back of his head in my hands and running my fingers through his hair.

I moved my leg, running it up and down his. He pulled his shirt off, exposing his bare chest. It felt warm to my touch, bringing sensations I’d only dreamed about. How could touching someone provoke such an amazing feeling? I’d touched him before, held his hand, ran my fingers over his face, but this was something else, something much more intimate, and I wanted more.

“Charm!” Cynder breathed heavily as my hand found its way to the waistband of his trousers. “Stop!”

“Stop? Why?” I whispered. I’d waited so long for this, and I knew he had too. Why was he stopping me now? An image of another woman came to me. Was he about to tell me that all the time he’d been gone, he’d been with someone else? Dread descended on me. I pulled right back and turned the small bedside lamp on. If he was going to end things with me, I wanted to see his face while he did it.

He sat up on the bed and took my hand. “I want you, Charm. I can’t even begin to tell you just how hard it was to stop you just then.”

“So why did you?” I asked, genuinely confused. This didn’t sound like a breakup or a confession, so what exactly was it?

“You are a queen.”

“Yes? So?”

“Your first time can’t be in this small room. I can’t be with you this way because we are fighting for our lives. I want your first time to be special.”

“But...”

“Remember when we went on that date? The worst date in the world?”

“I loved every second of it,” I replied. Of course, I remembered it. The thought of that night had kept me going for months after Cynder left.

“I know you did because that’s who you are. You don’t need fancy things despite being brought up in a palace. You are happy with whatever you have, no matter how little.”

“I’m happy with you. I don’t care where I am.”

“No, but you should care. You deserve much more than I can give you.”

“In case it’s escaped your notice, none of us have anything at the moment. I’m wearing a maid’s uniform. I don’t own anything. Everything that belonged to me went up in that explosion. You are the only thing I have, and you are the only thing I need. Why can’t you get that into your thick head?”

“I can’t give you anything, Charm. I’m not a prince or a duke. I’m just me.”

“Look at the last prince I dated. He ended up trying to kill me. Why are you comparing yourself to people like Luca?”

He lowered his head. My heart went out to him. The happy-go-lucky Cynder I knew was absent. He didn’t think he was good enough.

“Look at me,” I said forcefully. He turned to face me. In the absence of light, I could only just make out his features.

“I neither want nor deserve anything but you. You are all I want, all I’ve ever wanted. If you don’t want me, you should leave this room, but if you do want me, show me.”

I saw a hint of indecision on his face. Was I going to lose him now? I could feel my heart hammering beneath the cotton uniform.

He brought his hand to my face and looked right at me. I could see into his very soul through his eyes. When he moved forward to kiss me, I let him. Instead of the frenzy of passion I was expecting, we took it slowly. Each touch and kiss was savored, each moment remembered, and when it was over, we fell asleep curled up in each other on the tiny bed.