Ashes to Ashes

by M. J. Padgett

  He handed the canvas to Jack whose face grew even more shocked than before. He turned it around to face Cecily and me, and sure enough, there he was standing behind us. Cecily and I were seated on an extravagantly embroidered sofa while Jack, in full uniform, stood behind us tall and proud.

  “What the...” Cecily said, then, “Why wouldn’t anyone remember him?”

  “Because I’m not him!” Jack yelled, completely freaked out. “Yeah, it’s freaky that we look exactly the same, even down to the freckle pattern on our noses, but I’m not adopted, and I have never, ever turned into a wolf!”

  Ravenna stepped forward, Fiona close behind her. “Is it possible he wasn’t cursed, but somehow teleported or... or maybe leaped into the future somehow?”

  Fiona pursed her lips, assessing the situation. “I’m not sure, but magic is unpredictable. I suppose anything is possible, but... King Agustus, when was Julian killed? Did you recover a body?”

  “Just days after the Salien children went missing. Our General found his body on that mountain,” he said pointing to a large peak to the north of Schwarzwald. “We assumed he was killed by a bear or a wolf by the markings on his torso and neck.”

  “Oh dear,” Ravenna said, then paused to think. “I have a few thoughts on the matter, but I’ll need to consult my texts.”

  “I’ll help you,” Fiona said, staring at Jack.

  “If it helps in your research, after the disappearance of the Salien royal family, neighboring kingdoms began finding bodies everywhere, all ripped to pieces by a mysterious creature. Everyone pointed fingers. No kingdom was safe from the accusation of foul play. It’s one of the reasons I forced Saskia to wed Prince Ulrich. She needed protection since many had threatened the lives of our family.”

  “Why?” Ravenna asked.

  He seemed surprised she didn’t know. “It was thought I had your entire family murdered, beginning with King Heinrich, but that was obviously a lie. It wasn’t until Saskia and Corrina disappeared that people began looking at other explanations for the missing Saliens.”

  “This is all so confusing,” the girl I presumed to be Calla, said. “Why don’t we take a breather and let these poor people settle in, then we’ll discuss everything when Marcus and Ava have returned from the town council meeting?”

  My brain was near-exploding, and I was grateful someone had the presence of mind to put a lid on all the insanity long enough for us to breathe.

  “Yes, of course,” my father said. “Get some rest, then we’ll figure this all out.”

  “Are you sure you’ve never shifted?” a dark-haired man asked Jack. All eyes went to him, he who didn’t pay attention to anything and ignored Calla’s suggestion.

  “Jay, they’re tired. Leave them be for now,” Wil said.

  “Sorry, my mind was wandering away from me. My apologies, Jack,” Jay said.

  “No worries, but to answer your question, no I have never shifted. Pretty sure I’d remember something like that,” Jack replied. “That said, I am really sorry that I look like your deceased son, Mister... King? What should I call you?”

  “Agustus would be fine, Jack. Now, go with my girls and get some rest.” He turned toward Ely and said, “You as well. We have much to discuss later.”

  Ely swallowed hard and nodded once, then averted his gaze to the floor. Ravenna chuckled, then joined Heidi, Fiona, and Jemma in discussing the issue of Jack being the doppelgänger to Prince Julian. Everything keeps getting weirder.

  “Welcome to the land of controlled chaos,” Calla said beside me. “I’m Princess Katharine, but please call me Calla. And I am so very sorry that you’ve already met Wil. I should never let him leave the castle without me.”

  I laughed, feeling immense relief and gratitude.

  Wil rolled his eyes, then said, “I do apologize. I was a bit rusty with, well... this.” He motioned around at the group, and I suddenly understood him on another level. I was overwhelmed by everything, but I couldn’t imagine how it would feel for constant fear and worry to become commonplace.

  “We’ll introduce you to everyone later, but I promise once Marcus—that’s my twin, the king—once he arrives things will take on a much better order. This is all so overwhelming. I remember well.” She chuckled, then turned to face me as we walked. “Imagine discovering you’re married to a fifteen-hundred-year-old man.”

  “Oh dear,” I said, laughing at Wil’s expense.

  “You think that’s funny, let me tell you about the time your boyfriend choked to death on a potato,” Wil retorted.

  “That has yet to be proven!” Ely yelled.

  I glanced over my shoulder at him, so at ease with his family. He looked better, not as scared and definitely happier among them. “And yet, I find it difficult not to believe,” I said.

  He smirked at me, then took my hand as Calla led us down a long corridor.

  “Mom has you set up in my old room. Careful of the fireplace, it has a trap door,” she said.

  “A what?” I asked, astounded.

  “Kidding. We fixed that years ago.” I couldn’t tell if it was a joke or not, but I did wish I could remember her. She seemed nice, down-to-earth in an out-of-this-world situation. “There’s room for everyone, but I can easily make up a separate room for you if you wish, Jack.”

  “No, he’s good with us,” Cecily said, reminding me that she was probably overwhelmed as well.

  “Alright then. Get some rest, and we’ll have the food sent up soon. Ely will let you know when the king and queen arrive,” she said, then paused. “By king and queen, I mean my brother, Marcus, and my best friend, Ava. There are too many royals in this town.” She giggled and disappeared with her husband down the long corridor.

  Ely watched them go with a happy look on his face. When he turned back to me, he was grinning. “You’re safe here, I promise. I think you three could use some time alone, but if you need anything... well... I’m afraid your phone won’t work well here, but if you follow the corridor back down to the courtyard and yell a bit, someone is bound to hear you,” he said with a chuckle.

  “Noted, now skedaddle because I need to talk to my girls,” Jack said, then pushed Ely away and closed the door in his face. He turned abruptly to address us.

  “I’m freaking out.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “What are you freaking out about?” Cecily asked as if she hadn’t been present for the entire exchange between Jack and our father, King Agustus.

  “I do hope you’re joking right now, Cec,” he said, then fell backward on to the bed as he would on my bed back in Philadelphia. He sank in a seemingly bottomless sinkhole of silk and satin bedding which he fought tirelessly until finally giving in and falling to the bottom. I giggled at the void in the bedding, not hide nor hair of my best friend showing above the pile.

  “Shut up, Sierra, or I’ll start throwing pillows at you,” he mumbled.

  “Okay, let’s get serious for a minute. There is no way the man in the painting is you, we know that much. Is it a freaky coincidence you look like our brother? Yes, of course, but that doesn’t mean you should freak out, Jack.”

  He struggled a bit more and managed to free himself enough to sit straight again. “I would agree with you but for one minor detail. I don’t just look like him, I’m identical to the boy in the painting, Si. The freckle pattern, the mole on my cheek, every little detail was there.”

  “He does have a point. However, you said yourself, you’re not adopted, and you don’t shift, so maybe you were reborn repeatedly like us, but you weren’t cursed with the wolf... thing.

  “That does nothing to reduce my level of freaking out, but thanks for the effort,” Jack replied. “Also, thanks for talking non-stop to Felix the whole flight. I’m so tired this whole situation is beginning to feel normal.”

  I glanced around the room, noting there were two beds. Two of us would have to share or take another room as Calla had offered. I was much more inclined to share with him than have hi
m in another room or suffer through Cecily’s constant kicking in her sleep, so I shoved him over and climbed into the mess of bed linens. Cecily got the idea and took the other bed, falling asleep soon after her head hit the pillow.

  I draped my arm over Jack, who had reached a point of mental exhaustion that sleep would not come quickly. I knew his pain well, but I didn’t want him to worry so much about things he not only couldn’t change but would never wrap his mind around either. I urged him to roll on his side, which he did and began scratching his back. It was a trick I picked up when Cecily had nightmares and couldn’t sleep when we were children.

  His body slowly eased, but his breaths were still shallow. A few more minutes passed before he rolled over to face me, his warm, brown eyes hazy and tired.

  “Did I ever tell you why I tried to make sure you and Cecily were always taken care of?” he whispered.

  I shook my head, my own eyes growing heavy.

  He sighed, then said, “It’s because I love you. I’ve always loved you.” My shock was apparent and caused him to chuckle. “Not like that doofus. I meant I love you like a brother would love his sister. All this time I always assumed that’s just how best friends felt about each other, but now... now I’m not sure of anything, and I’m absolutely terrified that my entire life has been a huge lie.”

  I chuckled then, knowing all too well what that felt like as well. “Tell me about it,” I said, then, “Wait, don’t actually tell me. It’s an—”

  “Expression, yeah, yeah. I’m sorry I’m adding to the stress of this for you. I’m sure what you’re dealing with is far worse than my confusion about how I feel toward my two closest friends. Not to mention that whole thing with... with Dannie,” he said, a look of guilt on his face.

  “I know. I’m still processing that, too.” I didn’t mention that I was struggling with immense guilt because that wasn’t what Jack needed to hear just then. What he needed was affirmation. “What’s important is that you know, for better or worse, you’re my brother regardless of biology.”

  He smiled and nestled his hands under his cheek, ready to drift to sleep. I was so close to sleep I could feel it sucking me in when someone knocked on the door. Cecily, who I’d thought was asleep, groaned and rose. She pulled open the heavy oak door to reveal a man I hadn’t met, but he bore the insignia of the Salien Royal Guard on his uniform, the word General embroidered beneath it.

  “I apologize for interrupting your rest, but there has been a development and Queen Ravenna and King Agustus request your presence in the dining hall,” he said, a bit formal but it didn’t matter how he said it, it was horrible news. Nothing good ever came from the words there has been a development.

  Cecily hung her head, then glanced toward me. I was already standing, and Jack was rolling out of bed—rather, fighting his way out of the bed. When his feet finally hit the floor, he ripped the covers from the bed and piled them in the corner. I’d have to remake the bed before we could sleep, but at least the action seemed to ease his nerves a bit. Nothing like taking your frustrations out on the laundry, I always said.

  The general led us down the long corridor and through the open courtyard again. He paused momentarily to speak to another guard, then turned back to us.

  “Just this way. I’m Henry, by the way. I didn’t have the chance to introduce myself before. Princess Susanna is my wife, but she’ll insist you call her Seline.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, and I hope we’ll get to meet her soon,” I said, trying to be polite. It wasn’t Henry’s fault we were being dragged from our beds for what I was sure would be another tense meeting.

  “Knowing her, she’ll find a way to meet you soon. Here we are,” he said, then opened another solid oak door that revealed an actual dining hall, just like the ones I’d seen in medieval-themed movies.

  The long table in the center of the room could comfortably seat fifty, and I recognized most of the faces who were already there. The men stood when we entered, and Ely came to my side. He was much more chivalrous in his home, but I suspected his mother would have his head if he were anything but a gentleman in her presence.

  He pulled out a chair for me and scooted me in, which made me feel a bit like a child, but also a bit like a princess at the same time. Henry did the same for Cecily though I did catch Felix’s intent gaze on her as she sat. At the head of the table was a man about my age, and to his right was a woman I assumed to be his wife since her hand was placed lovingly over his.

  The man stood with a heaviness and shared a look with his wife, then said, “Sierra, Cecily, Jack... I wish your welcome to Schwarzwald had been under better circumstances, but we are still happy to have you here. If there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask anyone, even me. I may be the king, but I’m not the sort of king who waves my crown around like a mad dictator. I want you to feel comfortable here, so please call me Marcus. This is my wife, Ava, and she’ll be happy to give you a tour of the castle. Our castle is open to you, our family.”

  He nodded toward Ravenna, who stood at the other end of the long table.

  “Well, there’s no sense beating around the bush, so I’ll get right to it. Earlier today, Ella sent a group of men to murder several of our villagers just south of the border we share with Goldene Stadt. She then had their small community burned to the ground. Our guardsmen are working to put out the flames, but we fear there are no survivors.”

  My hand flew to my mouth to cover the involuntary gasp that escaped. Ella’s power—it was my fault she had enough strength to keep her kingdom under her curse, performing evil deeds at her command. Those lives were on me.

  “It’s not your fault, Sierra,” Ravenna said. “Ella has been planning to invade Schwarzwald for some time. This was only her first attempt to test our strength. With or without power, her will would have been done.”

  Ely squeezed my hand under the table, but his reassurance did little for me, nor did Ravenna’s words. Even if what she said was true, there was much more to come, and her power boost was all thanks to me.

  “But thanks to me, her power is greater. The devastation...” I suddenly remembered the woman who had helped Ella at my childhood home. I’d been dealing with so much, including my grief over losing Dannie, I’d pushed the events of that night to the far recesses of my mind. “There was another woman... I think... She helped Ella, and Ella referred to her as your Grace, or maybe her name is Grace.”

  “Yes,” Fiona added. “I’ve been researching and have found no one in the texts referred to as Grace, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a code name. Unfortunately, identifying the person you described will have to be a long-term goal. The more pressing matters are closer to home.”

  I found it unusual I was the only one who thought the shadowy person posed as significant a threat as Ella did, but the people surrounding me had far more experience dealing with evil and crazy princesses and queens than I did, so I didn’t question Fiona.

  Marcus dropped his hands to the table, frustrated.

  “This is no one’s fault but my own. I should have ordered more guards at the border,” Marcus said, then, “That said, Henry will be reinforcing our northern borders with additional guards who will rotate on a six-hour shift to remain alert and vigilant. The remainder of the guards will secure their usual posts except for Felix who will stay with the Monroe sisters and Jack as their personal guard. Felix, will you require an additional guard?”

  Felix rose to address his king. “No, King Marcellus. I can manage,” he said, then sat back down. I hoped his confidence in himself was not misplaced because if anything happened to Cecily, he would face wrath unlike anything he’d ever seen.

  Henry stood next. “King, I have devised a series of reconnaissance missions I feel would be greatly beneficial not only for the protection of our kingdom but also for the battle to come.”

  “The battle?” I asked, forgetting to stand. I shot up after I spoke, but Marcus smiled and motioned for me to sit.

/>   “I hate it when they all stand, but it’s what they’re used to. Please, relax and don’t worry about the customs or traditions,” Marcus said, then motioned for Henry to continue.

  “The battle with Ella will be difficult. She’s much stronger than Snow was, and with wolf blood in her veins, we will need to find another weakness to use against her,” Henry said.

  Guilt washed over me again, but I pushed it away to focus on what I could change—Ella’s rule.

  “Do you have any ideas?” I glanced toward Fiona who sat practically on top of Jemma. She looked frazzled, but I supposed living for centuries and devising plans to kill evil queens was tiresome and daunting, not to mention the other, unnamed people that kept popping up to muddy the situation further. “Did you find anything in the books we brought?”

  Fiona slumped in her chair a bit. “Unfortunately, there was nothing the wand could find that would be of any use in ending Ella. The only thing it alerted to was the Song of the Lost, but we’ve been over that hundreds of times.”

  “The Song of the Lost?” Cecily asked.

  “Yes, dear. It’s a song our people sang to keep their spirits up, a tune of hope to remind them the Salien children would return one day to free them,” Heidi said.

  I was quite good at puzzles, and I wondered if the song could offer any additional clues a fresh set of eyes might spot. “Could I see the song? I’m curious to know if—”

  “Mutter?”

  The voice of a small boy interrupted me from behind, so I turned around to see the child. He was adorable, about eight or nine, with dark hair and dark eyes. Another smaller boy stood peeking out from behind him.

  “Little Wil! Hans! You two get back here right now, or Auntie Elizabeth will have to put you in a time... oh... oh dear,” she said, noting the room was filled with people. Her eyes locked with Ely’s, a strange look between them I didn’t understand.

  “Mama? Mama, it’s me, Hans!” the boy shouted, then flung himself at me, wrapping his slender arms around me. “Mama, I missed you, but I did as you told me. I ran and ran until I saw the castle, just like you said I would!”