Witchy Cinderella: A Dark Fairytale Romance with Enemies to Lovers

“Get the fuck out of my house, imbecile!” A deep and booming voice echoed down the endless hallways of the Galleon manor, making the walls rattle, and the high-ceiling windows shake. The clicking of heels on dark marble floors resounded before the mahogany double doors of the mansion burst open, and the red-haired vampire woman took off in a flight. Her face screamed fear, and her cries could be heard in the distance as she left the island.

Heavy footsteps resounded from inside the antique manor before a pair of black, tuxedo Oxfords appeared in the doorway. Black slacks hugged a pair of long and muscular legs. The man’s torso was clad in a royal blue button-up with a black tie around his neck. The cuffs of the dress shirt were rolled up to expose thick forearms decorated with intricate Polynesian tribal designs, making his light grey skin appear ethereal.

The man was massive, not only in body shape but in height too, reaching almost 7′5, but the most distinctive feature was his face. He had inky black hair in an undercut hairstyle and was very messy on the top. His eyes were as sharp as icy stalactites, and the pupils were a glowing scarlet shade. The prime feature was his slithering tentacles. He didn’t have a nose, and his mouth was hidden behind the veil of the sticky octopus-like appendages that went down to his collarbones. They moved as if they had a mind of their own. A pair of rudimentary wings protruded from his back, folded but twitching in annoyance.

His eyes narrowed as he watched the female vampire leave his residence, and a low growl came from behind the twitching tentacles of his mouth.

Another maid is departing. This was the fourth of the month. They lasted little more than a week. None of them could live up to Morgan Galleon’s expectations, but this didn’t surprise him. The manor was massive, like a never-ending castle with countless rooms and corridors. Everything was more than a century old, and keeping it clean was difficult. Morgan’s red eyes glance to the sides, seeing the vegetation all withered. It had been like this ever since he was a teenager, and none had managed to bring back the green to life. He didn’t remember if he ever saw a flower bloom on his lands.

Everything on his island was repulsive, including himself. Hissing under his breath, he turned around, walked back inside, and slammed the door shut behind him. He walked further into his mansion, which was his sanctuary. When he passed a mirror, he couldn’t help but stop and gaze at his reflection. His eyes took in his appendages, slimy and shining.

Absolutely hideous.

That’s how everyone viewed him, although not many dared to say it aloud because they were aware of how much power the Cthulhu descendant harbored — political, social, and physical. His hands were created for crushing skulls. Only a few who knew him for years on a more personal matter dared to comment on his appearance. The others? They made up excuses, like the hookers he hired to release pent-up sexual energy.

He was a man, after all. His testosterone level paired with his bad temper would always make him a ticking bomb. The sea creature gave up on hookers after too many times them finding excuses to refuse their services to him. That ugly they saw him. Even orcs had more luck with the ladies than him. The only good card in his pocket was his endless wealth and high status, but the repulsive looks always erased these other pros. During the last few years, he isolated himself from society, only attending mandatory events.

Dating? He gave up on that prospect a long time ago. Morgan was aware he was destined for a lonely life. No woman would ever consider him as a potential partner, husband, or lover. He sometimes wondered how his father had managed to pull his mother, who was human and a beauty.

“Sir. The maid had left... again.” The voice of his assistant, Fang, a lizardman, spoke as he approached the tentacled creature.

Morgan rolled his eyes, huffing. “Tell me something I don’t know.” He snorted, and Fang had to suppress a chuckle, as this was a weekly discussion.

“Nothing, Sir. Just making sure if I should add again the announcement for maid hiring.”

Morgan sighed and rubbed the wrinkle between his eyebrows, closing his eyes as a headache formed. “Please, do... and upgrade the payment.” He added, and Fang nodded before running off to work.

Morgan could only hope the generous payment would bring someone more competent to take care of his home, but he doubted that anyone could clean this endless maze, not to mention the lands and garden surrounding this castle.

~Somewhere in the middle of the big city~

“What do you mean the payment is due tomorrow?!” a feminine voice with a sharp edge resounded through the apartment building.

The owner of the voice was a witch in her middle twenties with long light ash blonde hair and sparkling azure blue eyes full of life. She was a petite young woman. Her ivory skin looked flawless, and the natural rosy tint to her cheeks made her appear even more innocent. A stark contrast to her fierce personality. She was arguing with the landlord of the building, a minotaur in his late fifties, who rubbed his forehead in exasperation at the young woman’s shouting.

“You are already three months due to the rent. You have tomorrow until I evacuate you, witch.” The minotaur, whose name was Francis, told Willow, who huffed in exasperation.

“But how am I supposed to get the money?! Please... Give me at least one more week.”

“Are you insane, girl!?” Francis shouted, his nostrils flaring. “If I let you go like that, everyone here will expect the same treatment. It cannot happen.” The young witch pursed her lips and started to panic.

“Three more days? Please?” She begged, not knowing where she was supposed to go if the landlord kicked her on the streets.

Francis glared down at her until he rolled his eyes and sighed. “Fine,” the witch grinned in victory.

“But it’s your last chance. Three days. If I don’t see the money, you know what happens.” The Minotaur left no room for arguing.

“Don’t worry! You will see the money.” Willow exclaimed, relieved to catch three more days.

“Yeah, yeah.” The minotaur waved it off. “I don’t believe it until I see it.” With that said, Willow was left alone in the hallway of the building.

The young witch entered her apartment and rested her back against the door with a long sigh. She had managed to get three days, but the question was how can she get the money for three months of unpaid rent, not to mention the stack of bills on the kitchen counter. Her rosy lips pressed into a tight line. All her hopes to attend the prestigious yearly gala this year vanished.

Willow stepped away from the door and walked around her apartment with a million thoughts racing through her head. She didn’t expect her life to be like this in her middle twenties. Just last year, she had finished college and hoped to enter some high-status companies, but the black dot of not coming from a royal family always was torn in her side. Her family had been a lower class, and even attending college had been a challenge.

Her current job at a restaurant didn’t bring her enough money to live off in the big city. Willow lost count of how many job interviews she had attended. The reply was each time the same.

We will give you a call.

The blonde witch jumped on the worn-out grey couch and opened her laptop, doing what she had done for the past month: searching for job positions. One hour passed as she looked over each job position announcement until one, in particular, caught her attention. A job position for a maid. Willow arched an eyebrow as she read over the details of this job. It would require the maid to work on a private island, cleaning and maintaining a mansion, plus the garden and lands around the estate. Her eyes widened as she read over how huge the manor was, plus the lands around it. For most creatures, it would be a challenge, but not for Willow.

As a witch, she had unlimited spells and magic at her disposal, making cleaning a piece of cake. Pure shock hit her when she saw the payment. It was more than she could ask for. An absolute jackpot if they hire her.

Looking over the advertisement again, she read all the details of this position of employment, making sure she didn’t miss anything. It was too good to be true. There must be a catch, right? Willow pondered it she should give it a try or not, but the prospect of being kicked out on the streets made her write an email to the employer.

There wasn’t even half an hour before she got a response. Delight filled her when she read the email, letting her know that before the official hiring, there would be probation to see if she met the requirements of the job position. This was better than anything else she had received before. The little witch could feel a gate of hope opening up for her. A chance to get out of a life of sleeping on a broken couch. Tomorrow was the so-called probation. Willow was surprised they had arranged the interview so quickly, but they explained they were requiring a maid as soon as possible. For her, it was perfect, since she was on thin ice and each hour was important.

The next day came quickly, and Willow was on her way to the island, following the instructions in the email to get there. It was early morning, and as she flew on her magic broom over the wild ocean below her, she couldn’t help but bask in the fresh and salty breeze. Her long hair flew behind her like a silky curtain. When the island appeared in the distance, she couldn’t help but let her mouth agape, eyes widening at the sight.

She couldn’t believe it. A private island with an ancient manor close to the ocean. It was a majestic sight, but as she flew closer, she noticed how everything was almost dead. Azure eyes took in the trees. The branches looked like skeleton arms without a single leaf. The vegetation was dead. As she got close to the manor, she saw someone waiting for her. Jumping off the broom, she landed with grace on her feet.

“Ahhh! You must be Willow!” The man spoke in a joyful voice, and Willow took in the sight of the man. He was a lizardman with scaly green skin and yellow eyes. A polite smile was plastered on his reptilian face as he greeted her.

Willow smiled back and nodded. “That’s me! Here for the main position.” She told him, and the lizardman chuckled.

“Obviously. My name is Fang, and I am the assistant of the owner of this island.” He informed her, and Willow nodded in understanding, but also a hint of curiosity sparked inside her. If he wasn’t the owner... Who was? Someone extremely wealthy but with a lack of neatness. The outside walls of the manor had cracks, and some windows were broken. The rose bushes surrounding the building must have been dead for years. There was a single sight of life on this island.

“So, as we discussed over the emails... If you want this job position as a maid, you will have to take care of the entire place... Cleaning, gardening, washing clothes and dishes, dusting and mopping.” Fang explained to the witch, who nodded in understanding.

“Doesn’t sound that hard.” She said, and the lizardman arched an eyebrow.

“Are you sure?” He questioned her, to which she nodded, extremely optimistic. His reptilian eyes looked at her with sympathy.

“I shouldn’t tell you this, but seeing how optimistic and light-hearted you are, I cannot help but warn you.”

Willows’s smile dropped. “Warn me about what?”

“About the owner of the island. Your boss... that is if you manage to pass the test.” If Willow was curious before, now she was utterly intrigued.

“What? He isn’t going to eat me or something, right?” She joked with a small chuckle, and Fang laughed, shaking his head.

“Oh, no, no... Nothing like that. He is just very... pretentious. All the other maids before you were fired. They didn’t manage to keep up for more than a week.” Fang sighed, pulling off his glasses and wiping them with a smooth napkin, before adjusting them back on his nose.

“My point is that even if you pass the test, the job will be extremely tiring. Mermaids, fairies, even vampires couldn’t keep up.” The blonde woman’s optimism started to melt like butter in a frying pan.

Despite the warning, Willow was dead-set to get this job. Either this or sleeping on a bench outside after she gets kicked out.

“I do love a challenge... and about the payment?”

Fang tilted his head to the side. “What about it?”

The witch nibbled on the inside of her cheek, knowing what she would ask for was a little too much, maybe to the point of absurd, but she was willing to risk it.

“Could I be paid in advance this first month?” Fang’s eyes widened, and he pursed his lips.

“That won’t be possible. I am sorry.”

Desperation filled her like sticky silmy, coating her nerves in anxiety. “Please... I am due with the rent for three months... Not to mention the bills. I am desperate.” At this point she was begging, but what else could she do?

Fang’s yellow eyes filled with sadness and understanding. “I understand your issue, but it’s not me to decide this. Mr. Galleon has the final word here. I am merely his assistant.”

So that was the owner’s surname. It was a start, and Willow yearned to meet this man and request a payment advance to save herself all the debt she carried over her shoulders.

“I understand.” She whispered, adjusting the straps of her backpack.

“Anyway... I should show you around the manor before you make the final decision.” Fang motioned for her to follow him inside, and she skipped after him, up the old and cracked marble stairs to the front door.

When they entered the mansion, her eyes widened, and she felt like sneezing as dust hit her nose. There were cobwebs everywhere and thick dust covering the antique furniture. Long velvet curtains hung to each window, all ripped and eaten by moths. She noticed how stained the carpet was in the living room, and the floorboards looked like they hadn’t gotten a proper mopping in years. The wallpaper on the walls was peeled off. Willow grimaced at the damp and musty smell.

She couldn’t believe that before her, there were other maids. This place looked like it had been abandoned for a century. She swore she saw moss growing in the fireplace.

“Not a pretty sight, huh?” Fang inquired, smirking as he noticed the frown on Willow’s face.

“Are you sure you had hired other maids? I doubt someone even lives here.” She commented, and Fang chuckled.

“As I said. Most give up after a few days... or are simply fired because they cannot finish their work matters.”

“I see...” She whispered, already preparing herself for a ton of cleaning spells for this trash yard.

“Still want to work here?”

She looked up at Fang with a determined expression.

“Nothing a mop and some cleaning products cannot do.” Fang grinned at her words, full of positive energy. He didn’t recall the last time he met someone with so much life and good vibes.

“That’s a good work attitude, but take in my warning...” Fang’s playful expression turned serious. “The reason the manor is in this current state is also because of the owner of it.” The lizardman took a deep breath. “He isn’t the most jovial man. His bitter and gloomy attitude had demolished this place.”

Willow took in his words, putting them together and the realization hit her. “Oh! So... His demeanor is connected to the manor and island, somehow!”

“Exactly. You can say that... No matter how much the other maids tried to bring some light here... They all failed.”

“Well,” Willow shifted on her feet, before keeping her chin high. “I am willing to do my best... and bring a change to this place.”

“I am glad you are willing to put up with this...”

The witch tilted her head to the side. “How so?”

A dark expression cast over Fang’s face. “Because you are the only one who dared to try for this job position.”

Do you like it so far? Read the entire novella on Kindle Unlimited. Witchy Cinderella: A Dark Fairytale Romance with Enemies to Lovers by C.B. Blackburn