Clean Air (The Grid #3)

Prologue

“Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess with hair spun of the brightest gold.”

I look down when she gasps and her bright blue eyes widen. “I love Rapunzel,” she whispers, excitement evident in her dancing shoulders.

Chuckling under my breath, I shift into a more comfortable position on the too small of a bed when her flailing elbow lands in my ribs.

Tucking a wave of dark hair behind her ear, I boop my finger on her nose. “I’m sorry, my little rainbow. This isn’t a story about her, but I promise you will love this one just as much.”

Humming with an adorable skeptical scowl, she whips her hand out from under her fluffy pink duvet and holds it up between us. “Pinky promise?”

With a smirk, I wrap my finger around her much smaller one, both of our pink nails glimmering in the low light of her room. “I pinky promise.”

With a nod of acceptance, she tucks herself into my side and drags her teddy close to her chest. I lean my head back against the plush headboard and clear my throat. “Okay. Now. Where was I again?”

“The princess with gold hair, who is not Rapunzel.”

I stifle my laugh and look down at her with a raised eyebrow. “Oh, that’s right.” Her squeals bring a smile to my lips when I lightly tickle her sides.

When I see she’s about to bolt from the bed, I stop my teasing and wrap my arms around her small frame. Her breathing slows down, but the wide grin doesn’t falter.

“Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess with hair spun of the brightest shade of gold. And her name was Sunshine.”

She giggles and I look down at her. “That’s not a real name, silly.”

“It is too a name.”

“Nuh-uh.”

My eyebrows lift. “Okay, little miss. Do you want your bedtime story or would you rather go to sleep without—”

“Wait! No. No, I want to hear the story. I promise I won’t say one more word.” She mimes zipping up her lips and takes my hand, shoving the imaginary key into it.

I lean over her and pretend to set it on the nightside table.

When I move back, I shuffle farther into the mountain of pillows propped up behind me.

“Princess Sunshine lived in an enchanting castle in the heart of her parents’ colorful kingdom.

” She mumbles something and I smirk, reaching over for the imaginary key and unlocking her lips.

“Yes miss ‘I promise I won’t say one more word?’”

“So her mummy and daddy are the king and queen?” I nod. “Were there any other princesses?”

“No, but there was a prince. Her older brother.”

“And was their kingdom magical?”

“Very.” I startle when she suddenly gasps, her small hand slapping down on my forearm.

“Did they sing?”

“Uh, yeah. Yes. Of course they did. It wouldn’t be a magical and happy kingdom if they didn’t break out into song at the most random of times now would it?”

Spoiler alert, there was no singing.

Okay, there was, but it was more along the lines of off-key car karaoke than it was a full on choreographed number with props.

But am I going to tell this sweet tiny six year old that most definitely has me wrapped around her little finger? No. No I am not.

So if she wants a story where they sing, then they are singing their hearts out in this version just for her, damnit.

She sighs dreamily and I shake my head with a small tilt to my lips.

“For years, the kingdom lived in peace. The princess would go on grand adventures in their garden, running through fields overflowing with flowers. She would spend the afternoons sitting on the edge of a small creek. A special creek.”

“Why was it a special creek?”

“Because the princess believed it had magic.”

Her eyes widen. “Magic?”

I nod, humming. “She believed the creek could grant wishes.”

“What did she wish for?”

“Many things. But above all, she would wish for love.”

Her face twists and she sticks out her tongue. “Bleh. Boys are gross. Kat says they all have cooties and we have to make sure not to catch them.”

“Well Katarina is exactly right. You keep thinking that and stay away from those boys.” Because if I have it my way, there won’t be any for you until you’re at least thirty.

She crosses her arms and nods her little head, dark curls bouncing. Chuckling, I pull her tighter against my side and drape my arm around behind her. “The princess, though, wanted a love story as magical and grand as her parents.”

“Did her wish come true?”

“Well, you will have to listen to the rest of the story to find out, now won’t you?”

Groaning, she flops her arms out to her sides and looks up at me with pleading eyes. Always with the dramatics. I wonder where she gets that from.

“Can I have a tiny little hint?”

“Nope.”

My lips twitch when a little growl rumbles through her pinched lips. No doubt where that one comes from either.

“I promise, the whole story is worth it.”

“Okay,” she sighs.

“The princess would spend hours at the creek, skipping rocks and picking wildflowers to bring home. It was her favorite place.” I look down at her and lower my voice.

“But one day, when she slipped through the branches that hid her secret spot, there was a dark figure on the creek’s pebbled shores. ”

She scoots impossibly closer, her hand shooting out to grip my T-shirt. I tighten my arm around her in comfort and trace my finger down her button nose. “On quiet feet, she walked closer until she saw that hidden within the darkness wasn’t some evil being, but a young boy. A dark prince.”

“A dark prince? Was he bad?”

“The princess didn’t think so. She saw what no one else, even himself, could see.”

“What did she see?”

“She saw the good in him, no matter how much those shadows tried to snuff it out.”

“So he was a good prince?”

“He was good because of her.” My gaze drifts to the picture frame gleaming under the string lights hanging around her room. “This story isn’t like the others I’ve told you before, sweetheart. Because in this story, it’s the princess who saves the prince.”