Goddess of Magic: A Snow White retelling (Kingdom of Fairytales Snow White Book 4)

tell. Despite having known him my entire life, I couldn't get a read on the way he felt about her.
"Decently," I said. "I want to get a top-up of cider, though." I used that as an excuse to slip out from under Jake's arm.
"You look good in color," he said as I moved, not seeming at all disappointed about my move. "It matches your eyes."
"Thanks," I muttered, though I didn't completely mean it. I didn't like people telling me what to do, especially when it came to my clothing and how I expressed myself. "I'll be right back."
"Mind if I come with you?" Topher asked. "I could use a drink."
"Of course, the company would be good." Unlike with Jake, I actually meant what I was saying when it came to him.
The two of us walked over in the direction of the stand in comfortable silence. No doubt, he was soaking in the atmosphere just like I was.
"Jake is right, you do look good," he said eventually.
"Thank you. You do too. I love the green." I reached over and touched the lapel of his jacket on a whim. We matched perfectly, almost as though it was planned.
He froze, and I did too. What was I doing?
I pulled my hand away, not wanting to prolong the awkwardness between us.
"Two ciders, please," I asked the vendor.
"Coming up," he responded cheerfully. He clearly didn't care who I was. Or perhaps, he didn't know.
Ultimately, it didn't matter which of the two was the truth. Some of the people who didn't spend much of their time at the palace might not know. But the press and the nobles did. I was perfectly safe. No one was going to try anything, especially while I was wearing a wand. People would take that to mean I could fight back. And I supposed that now, it was true.
I paid for the cider and handed one of them to Topher. My fingers brushed against his as he took it from me, and a tiny thrill went through me at the simple touch.
He coughed, then stepped away.
"Are you ready for the spell casting competition tomorrow?" he asked.
My eyes widened. "I'd completely forgotten."
"Understandable. There's so much going on at the moment," he assured me.
"I shouldn't have let it slip, though. It's important, and we worked so hard to get me a place in it." Horror was welling up within me at the thought of wasting the opportunity to show off what I'd learned.
"Kelis," Topher said, his use of my name shocking me from my thoughts. "You'll be fine. You're talented and know what you're doing. All you have to do tomorrow is trust yourself. And we'll be there, cheering you on."
"Except for Jake and Adam," I countered.
He chuckled. "Adam will still cheer you on."
We started walking back to the others, though, I couldn't help but notice how slowly we went. There was no rush to get back for either of us.
"So no pretense that Jake would ever want me to win," I muttered.
"He doesn't want anyone to win except himself. He's not a very good loser."
"I noticed," I agreed. "But I also don't care." I was surprised the words came out of my mouth and even more surprised that I meant them. I wanted to beat Jake at the competition for no other reason than I wanted to, and that he needed a lesson in humility.
Before Topher could respond, we reached the others. Rhi and Adam were in conversation, though, it didn't seem to be a particularly deep one. Even so, it was a good sign.
We spent the next few hours drinking, eating, and watching the shows as they came into the square while we waited for the dancing to start. Most years, I went home before it began. I hadn't had time to make many friends, and when Adam and Jake had been visiting, I hadn't worked up the courage to stay with them. Even to me, it sounded a little ridiculous. I was a princess, I should have been more confident than that.
But things were different this year. I was different. And I'd made friends with both Rhi and Topher of my own accord. Though that did nothing to explain the weird tension between Jake and me. It was best if I didn't dwell on that too much. Fright Festival wasn't the place to work out what my feelings for Jake were.
The square cleared as the night wore on, and some of the vendors returned home. Others would stay open the entire time. An orchestra set up in the corner opposite us and started to tune-up. After that, the dancing would start.
And I was hoping Topher would ask me. All I knew was that I wanted it, and if I had to be the one to make it happen, then that's what I would do.
The music started to play, more in tune than it had been earlier. It was almost as if this portion of the day was more organized than the early evening. I liked it. I should have stayed the other years, too. I missed out. At least, I'd figured it out at eighteen and not later in life when I'd already missed out on decades of these things.
I set down my empty cup on one of the many trays that had been set up for just that. They'd be cleared away by some of the workers once we stepped away.
"Let's dance, Kelis," Jake announced loudly, not giving me a chance to ask Topher.
I looked over Jake's shoulder, wondering how I could get out of this and manage to dance with the person I wanted to spend time with?
Before I could come up with anything, Jake was tugging me onto the floor. I kept my eyes trained on Topher even as he pulled me away. The look on his face made me feel sick. He looked as if he'd been kicked while he was down. In a way, it was reassuring. Perhaps, he felt the same way