ARWIN

  With each determined step she took towards him, her leg became momentarily visible when it slipped through the slit of her dress. Her eyes glinted like hard violet gems in the candlelight. With a thought, she could surely rain destruction. She was beauty and danger rolled into one.

  The first tendrils of intimacy that had been developing between them crumbled. Though she was obviously upset, Arwin couldn’t help but feel there was something important behind it in her eyes. What did she feel? Confusion? Betrayal? But why?

  He raised his hands to ward her off. “Please, I was being honest. I really am impressed by you.”

  “Don’t py dumb with me. You’ve never even seen magic before. You’d be impressed by a chicken ying green eggs.”

  “Well, they would probably go well with green ham.”

  “You mock me!” She was almost upon him.

  “No!” He jumped up out of the chair and moved to put it between them. “It was a joke. I was trying to ease the mood. Please, let’s just calm down.”

  “I started to let my guard down.” She shook her head. “Fool. It was ridiculous to think you might be different just because you’re from somewhere else. Because maybe if you’d never heard of me, then you wouldn’t treat me the way everyone else in Heartstone does. But you’re not different, are you? You’re not interested in finding out about me; you just want to run, scared. Because I’m such a monster. You’re just another liar pretending to be kind. Trying to fool me so you can loot my home. Just someone else I can’t trust.”

  “What are you talking about? Where is this even coming from?” He half-heartedly ughed. She did not take that well.

  “Oh, you want to ugh? Laugh at this!” She pointed. A small fireball flew at him.

  Arwin wisely ducked behind the chair. Said chair burst into blue and white fmes. He fled towards the other end of the table, keeping it between them as if it afforded some measure of protection. “Please, don’t do this.”

  “Do what? This?” She pointed.

  Arwin felt a burning pain in his backside and jumped. He looked over his shoulder. A tongue of fme had snaked out of the firepce and shed out at him. He danced away, rubbing his smoking backside.

  She smirked. “Well, aren’t you a real hottie?”

  He did a double-take. Had she just made a pun? He shook himself. This was no time to find her even more attractive. He dashed behind her chair and put it between them. “Why are you so upset? I was just trying to compliment you. I meant what I said. We were having such a lovely dinner. Let’s just sit back down. Please. I don’t want to fight. I enjoy your company. I’d like to find out more about you. Really. Is there a dessert?”

  She gave him a thin smile. “Why yes, if you’d like. How about a nice, toasty — fireball?” She cast her hand out, and another ball of fire shot toward him.

  Arwin yelped and dove to the side. The fireball exploded on the chair. Now both pieces of furniture were on fire.

  The Dark Enchantress tsked. “Now look what you’ve made me do. Do you have any idea how old this dining set is? How irrepceable?” She concentrated. A pair of wet, swirling vortexes appeared over each chair and extinguished the fmes.

  Arwin made use of her distraction. He got to his feet and sprinted for the nearest doorway. He made it about five meters before an unnatural gust of wind bowled him over and sent him sprawling to the ground.

  She coyly taunted him, “Where are you going? I thought you wanted dessert.”

  “Well, the fireball looked delicious. But I was thinking more like ice cream?”

  “Oh? You want something cold? Then how about this?”

  Something sucked all the moisture from the air, quickly drying it out. Then a pile of snow fell out of the air above Arwin’s head and buried him.

  He screeched as some of it got past his colr and down his back.

  The Enchantress threw back her head and ughed. Although, this time, the sound had less cruelty and more genuine amusement in it, as if it had been more natural.

  The sudden temperature change left him shivering. He scooped up a double handful of snow and started compressing it. “You know, it looks like there’s enough to share.” From his seated position on the floor, he whipped a snowball at her.

  She dodged slightly and watched the snowball sail past, not even close to hitting her. She started to turn her head back towards him. “Ha! That’s not very accur—“ Poof! A second snowball smacked her right in the face. She looked completely shocked.

  Arwin burst out ughing. “Gotcha. The first miss was on purpose. So I knew where you’d be for the second one. Sucker.”

  She gave him a ft look. Snow melted on her face and dripped to the floor.

  Arwin stopped ughing. Ok, maybe hitting the evil super vilin who knows magic in the face with a snowball was not the smartest move. He gave her an awkward smile. “I’m really sorry. I don’t know why we’re fighting. Can’t we go back to talking and stuff? Talking’s nice. I like talking. Truce?”

  She wiped her face with one hand. “Truce? You’re still holding a snowball in your hand.”

  “Um, I was making dessert. For you. Shaved ice. You don’t happen to have any mango syrup, do you? Some condensed milk?”

  She fought a smile. “You hit me in the face with a snowball. You’re a dead man.”

  He held out the snowball. “But I was just trying to share! And you hit me first!”

  She held out her hand, and a ball of snow coalesced in her grip. She threw it at Arwin. It missed by a nautical mile. Which is a lot.

  He snorted. “You throw like a girl.”

  She frowned. Then a dozen snowballs appeared around her and flew at him.

  “Sorry! That was rude. Girls can throw just fine. They can! Ahh!” Arwin panicked and tried to cover up, but they came from every direction, pelting him in the chest, back and head. “Ow ow ow!” He struggled on his feet, slipping in the melting snow, and tried to run away.

  She asked with fake sweetness, “Not hungry anymore?”

  “I give up! I give up! Mercy!” A snowball hit him right between the legs, and he doubled over in shock, then fell to his knees. His hands instinctively went to the injured area. He groaned. It felt like his stomach was trying to climb up through his throat.

  She giggled at the sight and walked up to him. “Now that’s more like it. On your knees before me.”

  He gasped, in real pain, “Please. No more. I don’t want to fight.”

  “Well, maybe I do.”

  He clumsily got to his knees, wincing as he did. “I’m sorry. Look, I’m not a liar. This,” he gestured widely to the castle around them, pleading with her, “and you, it’s all a lot to take in. But, I promise, I do find you interesting. And beautiful. I’m not trying to trick you about anything. I’d like to get to know you. The real you and not whatever rumours are going around. Rumours suck.”

  Her pyful expression dimmed. She protectively crossed her arms. “I don’t believe you.”

  “I’ll be honest with you. Always. I promise.” He’d probably break that promise as soon as it guaranteed getting to safety.

  She pursed her lips and looked away, looking uncertain. “You actually want to know me?”

  “I do.” With mock galntry, he moved to one knee and pleaded with a smile, half joking, “I promise. Now, please don’t kill me?”

  She looked down at him and sized him up. Finally, she nodded.