Shatter Like Glass-Cinderella Retold

Part Twenty-One

She left the room quietly and headed down to the galley. It had been a while since mealtime. Surely it would be empty now. At the bottom of the stairs to the lowest deck, she began to smell the food—potatoes, maybe? She began to get excited. Quickening her pace, she practically ran down the corridor. When she burst into the ship's kitchen, she found she wasn't alone. She scowled.

"Oh, it's you," Veran said bitterly. Ashen approached the table cautiously. The two of them were the only ones in the room. She needed to get her meal, then get out; she could eat in her own cabin, or Smiegal's.

Grabbing a plate, Ashen began piling food onto it. She tried not to look at Veran, but when she did, she found him watching her closely. She gritted her teeth and glanced away from his face. Her gaze slid downward. She noticed his pin was gone. Ashen smirked. Nikolai really had demoted him. Good. Finally, her stepfather did something decent.

"What are you smirking at?" Veran demanded. Ashen shrugged.

"Just admiring your new uniform," she said. That had changed, too. Instead of a sapphire-colored waistcoat, he wore a much lighter shade of blue fitting his lower rank. Veran's eyes narrowed.

"You think it's funny?" he asked. "I lost my position because of you."

"You lost your position because you tortured my friend," Ashen replied.

"You broke my nose."

"You deserved it."

Veran stood slowly. Ashen took one hand off her plate and moved it to her sword hilt. Veran didn't seem to notice. He looked furious. Then, an odd expression came over his face. There was something about it that unnerved her. He had a glint in his eyes that she recognized, the same one he'd had the day her mother died. All she had been able to see were his eyes, but they had been enough to tell her that he meant his threats. He would have killed Markael if her mother hadn't given herself up. He might have killed him anyway, if Arrow hadn't sliced open his face.

"You know," he said, stepping around the table, "as the heir, you could reappoint me."

"Why would I do that?" Ashen asked, gripping her hilt tighter.

"If you tell your father to reinstate me, I will let you see Captain George."

"No."

He frowned. "What do you mean, no?"

"There's no way I would do anything for you after everything you've done. I don't care what you would give me."

She almost didn't see his fist coming. Almost. She ducked. His blow missed. He swung at her again, aiming lower this time. Ashen felt a sigh of relief. She slammed her fist against the side of his face. He recovered quickly, shoving her back towards the door. Ashen kicked his legs out from under him. She knelt over him and grabbed him by his hand. He howled in pain as she pulled. Yanking him up, she spun him around and forced him onto his knees. She leaned over his shoulder, her mouth less than an inch away from his ear.

Quietly, she said, "I know what you did. You held my little brother just like this." She twisted her fingers, ripping out several strands of hair. He howled in pain. Ashen knew she shouldn't do it; she shouldn't let him know that she knew. But the pounding of her heart told her otherwise. Waves of fury rolled over her. She wanted to kill him for what he had done.