Fairy Trouble: Modern Fairytales, #1

By Andrea R. Cooper

What can a fairy godmother-in-training do when Cinderella refuses to go to the ball?

 

Why, disguise herself as Cindy and go in her place of course!

 

Given the chance to prove Esmeralda's ready for a promotion, she's determined to get Cindy to fall in love with the prince. If Esmeralda can pull this off, she can finally become an official fairy godmother.

 

Except, the plan does not include the strong-willed Cindy snubbing the chance to meet her true love, and Esmeralda crushing hard on the prince's brother. Nor was Esmeralda becoming human, spending time with Ryan, and dreaming of her own happily ever after.

 

But at the strike of midnight, all the deception will come to a heart-pounding ending—and not the happy kind, either. Now Esmeralda stands to lose everything, even her wings. More importantly, the only man she's ever loved…

 

The first book in the Modern FairyTales series is FAIRY TROUBLE, a Cinderella retelling filled with humor, heart, and clean romance. All of the stories take place in the same world and can be read together or as stand-alone novels.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Andrea R. Cooper
• Release date: Jun 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386421993

Andrea R. Cooper

Andrea R. Cooper is an author of fantasy, paranormal romance, and historical romance with a touch of magic. Her Legends of Oblivion series won the Up Author Approved Award and Moonrise's Best Fantasy Romance. Andrea lives with her husband and three kids in Texas where she casts fictional characters into mystical worlds. She practices fighting with plastic swords with her son and daughter or conjuring up dinner with her wizard husband who is the love of her life. She believes in the power of change and counting each moment as a blessing. But most importantly, she believes in love. Sign up for her newsletter for new releases, contests, and more: http://eepurl.com/brJAl5 Follow her on Twitter:  "https://twitter.com/AndreaRCooper Like her Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/1QpGDfU www.andreaRcooper.com

Book preview

Chapter

One

ESMERALDA

Esmeralda took her place in line and breathed in deep. The sweet aroma of fairy dust and wildflowers swirled around her. Finally. Her chance to become a permanent fairy godmother instead of a substitute had arrived.

Esmerelda had to help her charge fall in love. Her clenched hands crinkled the periwinkle skirt and she drifted closer to the front of the line.

If Esmeralda didn’t botch this trial run, like the last one she did two hundred years ago, her promotion would be set. Otherwise, she’d go back to cleaning dew off blades of grass, which was dull, dull, dull. She couldn’t even think about failing.

Esmeralda straightened her shoulders, her wings beating faster than her heartbeat.

Win this, and I can mingle among humans, even smell their delicious food.

Her mouth watered at the thought of sweet icing and flaky baked goods. She’d work her wand off to get this job. Besides, Fanny, the retiring fairy godmother, had been the original one to the Cinderella in the fable and it was time for new wings. Esmeralda stepped up as the fairy in front of her gave a squeal of delight and vanished behind a rose bush.

New fairies were here for job assignments or to qualify for a transfer like Esmeralda hoped she’d be lucky to have. Autumn leaves danced with the wind fairies as they chased each other through the fairy glade of rolling grass, year-long flowers, and rainbows.

Because of their delicate wings, magic kept winter at bay until spring arrived in fairyland. Bees and many birds vacationed here instead of hibernating or flying south. An enchanted dome kept the fairy kingdom from the prying eyes of the humans and even their fancy gizmos couldn’t penetrate the protection.

Next, Fanny called.

Esmeralda straightened her shoulders and marched up to the ancient fairy whose once white-blond hair was mostly gray. Her gossamer wings were lightly frayed on the ends and her silver gown pulled across her stomach.

Fanny waved with the sealed scroll at her, gesturing her forward. This assignment might be tough, but I think you will persevere.

Unease coiled tight in her belly. She couldn’t fail, not again, but she couldn’t make herself reach out and take the scroll either. Just what was this assignment that Fanny was worried about her taking it? Or was it Esmeralda’s past screw-ups that had Fanny cautioning her?

Fanny’s violet eyes brightened with mischief. I want to enjoy my retirement flapping around the Mediterranean and chasing half-naked men, not waiting for you.

Esmeralda hesitated. Was this a test on fairy rules? But mingling directly with humans, who are not our charges, is forbidden.

One day, when you’re as old as I am, you’ll learn that rules are made to be broken, or at least bent.

That wasn’t what the rule books said. And Esmeralda had memorized all seventy-three of them. Before she could protest, Fanny put the scroll into Esmeralda’s open hand. The parchment warmed in her palm. All the details of her assignment absorbed into her skin and the scroll vanished.

Don’t forget to get Cinderella’s descendant ready for the ball tomorrow night. Fanny’s wrinkled hand patted Esmeralda’s cheek.

Right, the ball. So Cindy could meet her prince. Many times, Esmeralda wished she could use her fairy magic and make two stubborn humans fall in love with each other. Then she would be able to claim the fairy godmother badge and never have to worry about sneaking out to enviously watch the humans again. It would be part of her job to observe humans. The sooner she got her new charge to meet the prince, the better.

I won’t forget. She brushed a blue strand of hair from her eyes. Her heart beat way too fast. Another chance to get this right and to be able to oversee her charge and their descendants, which would grant her close access to humans and their various, delicious food she would be able to smell and ogle any time she wanted.

Just be careful. Fanny’s gray wings fluttered with only a trail of lime-green glitter as she flew away, then called out over her shoulder. Don’t make me regret giving you this second chance.

I won’t let you or the elders down.

With laughter bubbling up inside her, Esmeralda shielded herself from human eyes with her magic wand and flew toward Cindy’s home. For generations, humans had been drawn to the Allegheny Mountains, never realizing the reason the area was so appealing was that it was the hidden home to Fairyland.

Dawn colored the clouds and birds chirped and sang their morning songs.

Chimney smoke mixed with the pollution from Pittsburgh several miles away didn’t help her see through the thick smog. A high-pitched whistle sounded in a fellow fairy greeting. She banked right, nodding to the air fairies who were blowing back the smog with their magic. Unless the air fairies chose to or were severely distracted, none of the humans would ever see them.

Esmeralda cloaked herself with her magic and weaved over the streets sprinkled with the sleeping homeless and crowded with cars and brick homes. Even though she’d been to many cities in the North—Chicago, New York, Pittsburgh, and even once down to Washington—she still liked Bethany, this quaint town near the Allegheny Mountains where she was born best. The people were friendly and not as hurried as elsewhere it seemed. And the view from the town was breathtakingly beautiful.

She caught a whiff of cinnamon and baking bread and sighed longingly. Food was one of the things she envied about humans. So many choices and such wonderful aromas. A few times, she’d tried to deviate from her diet of honey and flower nectars, then regretted it, retching for days afterward. Outside a bakery with its doors propped open, she paused from the delicious smells wafting from inside made her place a hand over her stomach.

She closed her eyes briefly, indulging in the mouthwatering scents. Would just a nibble or a lick of icing make her bemoan it later? She had her invisibility defense up when a solid weight smacked into her back, and she fell backward, landing on her backside. Her shield shattered.

"Oooaf. Sorry about that, a man in a baker’s apron said. I didn’t see you there. A tray full of cinnamon rolls and muffins had spilled out onto the street. Are you okay?" The man offered her a hand.

Y-you can see me? she asked, her voice squeaking.

Well, now I can. Icing and other stains were smeared across the front of his white chef’s jacket and down one leg of his jeans. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing carved muscles on his exposed arms. He had chestnut hair trimmed short and he towered over her, but for some reason, he didn’t scare her.

Sorry. I can fix this. Where was her wand? She found the tip had pierced into the top of a muffin.

A little early for a costume party. He bent down and returned the salvageable muffins—the ones that hadn’t landed face down on the sidewalk—to the tray.

Pardon?

Your costume. You’d be a hit at the Renaissance Fair. He grinned. Are the wings battery-operated?

His smile made her heart flutter faster than her wings. There was a kindness and mystery about him that drew her like a flower to the sun. Something she’d never experienced before.

Great craftsmanship on the whole outfit. Did you make it yourself? The blue in his eyes was brighter than a summer day.

Oh…no. She glanced down at herself. Her dress sewn from iris petals was now smeared with icing, blueberries, and chocolate. Would the stains come out?

An elderly woman with a shopping cart packed with what looked like empty cans and boxes shuffled closer and grabbed a muffin. Several more people of various sizes and ages, all with the same haunting look in their eyes Esmeralda couldn’t place gathered around them. Some had no shoes on their feet while others had mismatched shoes or ones that had more holes than a honeycomb. The elderly woman lifted the muffin and inhaled deeply.

Don’t eat those. The aproned stranger stepped forward. They’re dirty now. I’ll make more.

Snatching up her wand, Esmeralda jerked back as the small crowd smashed pastries into their mouths.

What are they doing?

There’s plenty here, and we’ll make more. The baker lifted the tray slightly in emphasis. His gaze shifted to her. Every morning we open early and give out food to those in need. And at closing, we give away any extras we didn’t sell that day. He handed a thin child a plump cinnamon roll loaded with icing, nuts, and raisins.

All of his baked goods had smelled so good, she wished she could eat human food more than ever.

I’m Ryan. Hey, I know it’s late notice and we don’t know each other, but are you going to the ball tomorrow? It’s a costume one, and you can even wear a mask if you want. He cocked his head to the side and tucked the empty tray under his arm. And your fairy costume and indigo hair might win you the grand prize.

He thought she was pretty enough to win a contest? What’s the reward? She twirled her wand, dropped it, then scrambled after it.

A dance with the prince.

Excuse me? Her ears perked up. Did this guy know Cindy’s prince? If she could dress up her charge enough to win the prize, the prince was certain to notice Cindy even if all else failed.

Well, he’s not a real prince—her shoulders slumped—but he’s richer than any prince. Ryan’s eyes narrowed slightly as if judging her. The billionaire heir of Murphy Enterprises?

He seemed to be looking for some kind of recognition. She placed a hand on her hip. Am I supposed to know who that is?

For a moment, he stared at her. You really don’t know, do you?

She shook her head. Humans were so difficult. Fairies always spoke what was on their minds. No, I don’t know this Murphy or his enterprises.

A taxi honked as it swerved around a slow bus. There were more people on the streets now, and she wanted to poof away and find Cindy, but she couldn’t with this human standing before her. And for some reason, Esmeralda liked the idea of him thinking she was a human, too. He had a nice voice and was kind, not like many of the humans who practically ran over her.

If she disappeared before his eyes, he’d think he was losing his mind. Humans didn’t know fairies existed—unless they were one of the lucky ones who had a fairy godmother and even those few who did know—often didn’t believe. Anyone who did spot a fairy and believe, she’d do a quick memory wipe and they’d forget her instantly. Often mumbling things like, what was I doing? Or Why did I come in here again? Humans chalked it off to forgetfulness or what they called zoning out.

Ryan laughed, drawing her out of her thoughts. Never heard of Bruce Murphy?

Sorry, I don’t know either of them. She squeezed her wand in both hands.

Why don’t you come inside for a spell as my grandmother used to say? He gestured to the bakery’s front door with a gentle smile that made what felt like butterfly wings brush against the inside of her stomach.

Esmeralda took a step toward him, then shook her head as his words echoed in