Cinderella and The Boss were waiting outside of the shop Nathaniel went in. The Boss was nervous but stood her ground. They were crouching behind a low wall. Just when Cinderella wanted to shift her uncomfortable position, she heard the door opening and closing and heard someone coming out of the shop. By the looks of it, The Boss had heard it as well.
'Stay here.' She ordered.
Cinderella nodded and put her head just above the wall to keep her eye on The Boss.
The Boss stood up from behind the wall and approached Nathaniel. At first, he didn't see her. Nathaniel looked jumpy but forgot to check all of the directions someone could come up to him. When The Boss greeted him, he almost jumped a foot in the air.
'Who is it?!' He held his bag in front of his face and looked all defensive.
Cinderella couldn't place his reaction. The Boss had been so nervous earlier, but why? Looking at him, Cinderella didn't doubt she could take him with ease. He was smaller than she expected and thinner as well. It was dark, so Cinderella couldn't see much else. But the question remained: why was The Boss so nervous?
'Relax.' The Boss's voice rang calm through the darkness. 'If you lower your bag, you can see who it is.'
Nathaniel did, and even in the bad lighting, Cinderella could see the surprise, immediately followed by the shock on his face. 'Wow! What a surprise!'
'Shut up. I don't want to hear any bullshit from you.'
Nathaniel shut his mouth immediately. It almost looked like he was the one who was afraid.
'I came here to warn you.' The Boss continued in a low voice. 'The deal is off. My debt is gone. And if you're smart, you tell the others and don't show your face to me again.'
'Except, the debt is still there.' In a blink of an eye, the roles switched. Nathaniel no longer looked afraid, but with how quickly he turned the conversation around, Cinderella wondered if he even has been afraid. Maybe she had seen it wrong.
'The deal is still going, and you still need to pay for the debt. Remember your own words? You said you would steal the crown, sell it, and with that money, you would be able to pay it off.' He walked towards The Boss. and Cinderella now noticed how tall he was. Yes, he looked skinny, but he didn't look weak.
It had taken some time for her to understand that those can exist together. Cinderella was a living example, and Nathaniel was the same.
'I think you need to be reminded of your position.' He pointed his finger in The Boss's direction. 'Remember how you begged us to take you in? Remember the times we gave you training, food, water, and a high position that came with a lot of responsibilities? We gave you everything, and what did you give us in return?'
Nathaniel literally looked down on The Boss. Cinderella had to hold herself back because she promised she would stay holding. But her blood was boiling, and all she wanted to do was kick this Nathaniel-guy in his face.
'You destroyed us. You wounded our leader, your leader. You said you were sorry, but then you walked away. You hid from us for years. You even called yourself "The Boss".' He laughed mockingly. 'You're no boss to me. To me, you're just the silly little girl who couldn't control her powers.'
Cinderella's heartbeat quickened, and she wanted to speak up, being irritated as she was.
'I think that's enough.' It wasn't Cinderella who said that. Although she wanted to, The Boss was a second earlier. 'I didn't want to talk to you, simply to reminisce about the good old days. You clearly remember who I was, but you don't know who I am.'
Nathaniel didn't look impressed. 'Don't tell me you're gonna talk about your tragic past and how many horrible things you have done. I know. We all do. Just because our leader told you he wouldn't tell anyone doesn't mean he really wouldn't.'
'I'm not talking about that. Besides, I had a hunch already. The word of a criminal is never to be trusted. You said that to me, remember that?'
Finally, Nathaniel took a step back and looked off into the distance. 'Fine. Tell me then, what did you want to talk about?'
'I wasn't kidding when I said the deal is off.'
'You know you can't just cut a deal off.'
'I know. But there is one way it can be accomplished.'
Nathaniel looked confused. 'And what is that way, then?'
She paused for a second and rubbed her hands together, which resulted in a little blue light. Maybe Cinderella imagined it... 'The deal will be cut when one of the parties is no longer around.'
Cinderella immediately understood what The Boss was saying. 'She wouldn't, would she...?' She whispered underneath her breath.
Nathaniel wasn't that quick. 'What do you mean; when one of the parties is no longer-,' Then he got it. His eyes widened, and he took another step back. 'You mean you would kill?' His voice raised at the end, and he kept on stepping back.
'You know I can. I have done it before.' The Boss, on the other hand, looked calm. Calmer than normal. A little wave of electricity filled the air, and Cinderella felt her hair become static. It felt like a lightning bolt would strike any second. She wasn't imagining this.
Nathaniel looked up at the sky, expecting lightning to strike. 'You wouldn't...' But he wasn't sure of it himself. 'Why would you go to that extend? You never were like this...'
The Boss smiled. It wasn't a smile Cinderella now got used to. It was alarming and a clear warning. 'Like, I said: you know the old me. I have changed. I see you haven't.'
Nathaniel wasn't listening anymore and kept looking up at the sky. 'Get away from me. Don't come closer!'
'Or what? You keep on hunting me down? No.' She smiled again. 'I want this to be done and over with.' Static crackled through the air, and The Boss's hands started to flicker with blue electricity. She walked closer and closer to Nathaniel until he was back against a wall.
Cinderella felt The Boss was losing it. She remembered the times at the market, the ball, and the big blast of energy she felt when she wanted to rescue her. It felt different. It felt powerful, warm, and overall in control. It never scared her because she knew The Boss had control. She realized why The Boss had been so persistent in not letting Cinderella help her. It's because her magic was about to take over.
And then it finally dawned on her why The Boss was so nervous; he was her trigger. Cinderella cursed at herself and came out of her hiding place. She walked up to Nathaniel and The Boss.
'Please don't!' Her voice barely made it above the crackling static, but it didn't look like The Boss heard it at all. 'You promised you wouldn't. Trust me; he isn't worthy.'
The Boss had raised her hand already, and the blue light distorted the light on her facial structures. 'This is the only way. When he is gone, I can relax for a while.' Her voice was all over the place, and it sounded like she was about to cry.
Cinderella's voice was calmer than she felt, and she said: 'When he is gone, you will get everyone else on your back. And then you will not be able to relax at all.' She paused herself to calm down because the panic was about to kick in. 'Please. Stop.'
The Boss's hand was still up. The static, still crackling. Nathaniel was no longer looking as scared. 'Is that what this is all about? Are you trying to protect her? Did you found someone to live for?'
'Shut up!' It was the first time Cinderella heard The Boss raise her voice. The Boss let her hand go down, and the static went down, although it didn't go away completely. Like it was giving off a warning: don't mess with me.
The Boss finally took a step back and sighed. 'Cinderella is right. You're not worth it.'
Nathaniel looked unsteady on his legs, and The Boss smirked. 'As I said: the deal is off. Don't show your face to me or Cinderella again. If you do, well, take this encounter as an example.' She turned to Cinderella and took her hand. 'Let's go.'
Her hand felt warm but no longer dangerous. Cinderella could feel her hand shaking in hers, but she was no longer out of control. She squeezed The Boss's hand, and they walked off. Or at least they tried.
Nathaniel's voice was weak when he said: 'So this is it? This is the end of everything we have gone through?'
The Boss stopped abruptly and looked over her shoulder at Nathaniel. 'Stop talking. The reason you're alive is Cinderella.' She squeezed Cinderella's hand back. 'I can finish this, not if I want to, but because I want to. Don't press your luck.' The electricity came back, but not as intense and chaotic as before. Now it was more slow, beautiful even. It was not meant as a threat but as a mere warning. 'You mean nothing to me anymore. I cherish the memories we have together. Let's keep it that way.'
Nathaniel looked like he was about to faint and seemed to finally have grasped a sense of reality. He sunk to the ground. Defeated and tired.
With that result, Cinderella and The Boss were satisfied. They could finally walk off, and Cinderella felt relieved for the first time in a very long time.