Read Snow's Lament for Free Online Page B

and
thunked
myself down beside Belle. “You two need to get a grip. We don’t have time to deal with this bullshit right now, but as soon as we have some free time, I’m taking your weapons and locking you two in a room so you can get your crap straightened out.”
    Belle sat up straighter. “You wouldn’t.” But from the look on her face, she knew I would. Robin didn’t move, but he did grin at me. He knew I would, and I didn’t think he’d mind getting shut in a room with her.
    “I’m game,” he said.
    “You’re an ass.” Belle sighed and crossed her arms, her posture closed to any further conversation.
    “As you keep telling me,” Robin said dryly. “Snow, everyone ready?”
    As far as I knew. Rumple was still in the kitchen, but he came with little, so I didn’t think he had much to pack. Plus, he probably had some kind of magical apparatus for packing no mere mortal could understand. Us puny humans were limited to carrying our own duffle bags. I shrugged. “Think so. Just waiting on Rumple.”
    Speak of the devil, the man himself came into the room, immediately taking all the oxygen with him.
    “Ready?” he asked in an abrupt tone. “If not, get that way. We don’t have much time to waste.”
    He was looking more like the Rumple I knew this morning. Dressed in buckskin and leathers, he looked decidedly wild. If he walked outside, he’d get picked up by the police. In his hand, he held a small, green, dyed leather pouch. Ignoring our mumbles about being ready to go, he busied himself by placing what appeared to be crystals around the area of my living room. I was dying to ask him what they were for, but I knew better than to interrupt someone when they were working. Plus, he threatened death way too often for me to ask.
    It was different watching a master work. When Belle performed technomancy, a sheer look of concentration and a brow furrow would steal over her face. She looked like she was working and trying to keep up so she didn’t lose control over the magic. But Rumple, he looked like he was born to be a sorcerer. His face relaxed, he moved with grace and ease around the room as he set up his circle. Each sharp click of the stone he set down caused me to blink. My heart rate sped up just a little bit more each time because every stone he put down meant we were one step closer to going back.
    And one step closer to Max.
    I forced myself to breathe calmly and watched Rumple with a close eye. Not that I would know if he was trying to screw us over. I didn’t know much about magic. I’d been on Earth for so long, I’d gotten used to life without it. Belle didn’t use hers much that I could tell, unless she was working, and Cyndi’s magic was so secretive, I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen her use it.
    Rumple looked out of place in my house, wild and supernatural. His buckskin leathers clung to his powerful thighs and with each move of his body, they stretched and outlined his lithe frame. He was something to look at, that’s for sure. I just didn’t think he could be trusted.
    Cyndi watched him with rapt attention, a hunger in her eyes I’d never seen before. I hoped she knew what she was doing because there was a good chance I wouldn’t be able to get her out of this deal. Rumple was no fool and was renowned through the Enchanted Forest for his ability to screw you over with one of his hard-to-resist deals.
    The atmosphere changed as soon as Rumple set the last stone down. It popped into place with an audible click and lit the room with a soft green glow.
    The portal would soon be opened.
    Rumple turned to us. “Be sure you have provisions for at least the next five days. I’m dropping you close to the village where Simeon’s paramour was last seen.”
    Something wasn’t right with his statement. I held up a hand. “Wait. Dropping us?”
    He nodded.
    “What about you?”
    One imperious eyebrow rose. “What about me?”
    “Are you getting ‘dropped’ too?” I was apprehensive