Cinderella Dressed in Ashes ( Book #2 in the Grimm Diaries ) by Cameron Jace Read Free Book Online Page A

this Art Cerené was talking about was what this dream was really about. She doubted Loki was coming to kill her at all.
    “First, I have to warn you that every Art has its price. But don’t worry. I’m going to perform it. You could be my assistant if you like.”
    “I am so curious,” Shew said. “Please tell me what I have to do.”
    “We need to collect the elements needed to accomplish the Art,” Cerené answered.
    “Alright. Where could we get those elements?”
    “It’s going to be a long journey,” Cerené said. “But we’ll end up in a very special place that very few people have ever laid eyes on.”
    “Does this place have a name?” Snow White asked.
    “Ever heard about a place called Rainbow’s End?”
     

5
    The Heart of the Art
     
    Shew followed Cerené into the Black Forest to collect the elements needed to create what she called the Forbidden Art.
    Under normal circumstances, Shew would have opted out of entering the Black Forest, particularly in a dream like this where the imminent dangers were obviously lurking somewhere between the ears of the Dreamer—she couldn’t forget the fact that she was staked by the boy she loved in the Waking World. Cerené’s story was a great distraction.
    Watching the ash-smeared girl, who reminded her of the young girl in Le Miserable’s, run away with that kind of happiness was irresistible.
    Cerené climbed a small hill on all fours as if she were an ape. Shew followed the tiny blonde-haired girl with the fiery aura.
    “Every magic in this world has rules,” Cerené explained, panting.
    “Rules? I thought the whole point about magic was that it broke all the rules. It’s magic !” Shew said, trying to keep up with Cerené’s pace.
    “They aren’t strict rules,” Cerené said. “They’re more like guidelines. Whoever has the gift can enhance or add their own flavor to the Art.”
    “Why do you insist calling your magic the Art?”
    “I feel it’s more of an art. Art can’t be judged. It’s pure. It is what it is. It’s the artist’s—thus the magician’s— creation. It flows like blood through the pores of our souls then manifests itself out onto the world. Think of a painting, a song, or a poem. There is no right or wrong in art, but there are a few rules. Do you understand?” She stopped atop of the hill with her hands on her waist, acting as if she’d won a race.
    “I do,” Shew nodded, catching her breath. She didn’t quite understand what Cerené had just said, but she was curious about her and the Art so she decided to comply with every word unless she needed essential clarifications. “So why are we here in the middle of the forest?”
    “To create my Art, I need to obtain three elements.”
    “Like fire, earth, water, and air?”
    “Those were used in the old way to create magic,” Cerené said. “The elements I need are three types of ingredients, two kinds of tools, and one talent. Think of it as a recipe for a special meal,” she counted on her fingers. “We call them Heart, Brain, and Soul respectively.”
    “We?”
    “I meant ‘I’,” Cerené lied. She wasn’t going to tell Shew who the ‘we’ were. “The Heart is the material the magic is made of.”
    “I am listening.”
    “The Brain is the tool that mixes and influences the Heart,” Cerené said. “That’s rather easy to explain. If we don’t consult our brains, the heart will lose its way.”
    “And the soul?”
    “The soul,” Cerené closed her eyes and inhaled the crisp autumn air. “Oh, boy. The soul is the part that can’t be explained, nor can it be described in words. It’s the part that you know exists while there’s no evidence it does. The only way to prove it is when you see the results of the Art with your own eyes. Am I confusing you?”
    “Not really,” Shew said. “But I thought you were going to show me magic. The Rainbow’s End, remember?”
    “I will get to that, but first, look!” Cerené pointed at a tower