Chris, Ross, and Jordan split off with Petra and Alorna to retrieve supplies and find lodging, while the rest of us did the impossible—went in search of our missing friends and Jemma’s mother. Nikola assured me Alorna and Petra were more than capable of protecting the others if the need arose, so I reluctantly accompanied the rest of the search party through the city.
“Any idea where we should look first?” I asked. “We could spend an entire day just searching a park. We need some leads.”
“Petra’s last tracking showed the subway, but she wasn’t sure who got on the train.”
Jemma and I exchanged a look, but she was the one to speak. “You realize New York City has hundreds of miles of subway track, right? That doesn’t narrow anything—”
“Here, it was this one,” Nikola said, pointing at the entrance roughly ten yards from where we stood.
“It’s really freaky how she just knows stuff, right?” I asked, but Thaddeus was still lost somewhere in the post-kiss haze even hours later. He only shrugged and followed her like a lost puppy.
We jogged down the stairs underground and took in the sights. It was a standard subway station—maps on the wall, people milling around everywhere, musicians playing for money in the corner, a few hellhounds rotting in the—wait...
“Guys,” I began, “we have a little problem, and by little, I mean it’s a huge problem.”
“I see them. Prepare yourselves for battle!” Henry called, but only Thaddeus moved into position. I had no clue how to prepare for battle, but when the people in the subway station began changing into the horrific creatures, I shifted. At that moment, I did not care who saw me. Jemma followed and shifted to her wolf form. Nikola’s fingers began to glow as she held her hands out in front of her.
Suddenly, I felt quite tired. Oh no... I began to stumble, then fell on my side as the hounds descended. My eyelids grew too heavy to keep open. I knew Rose was somewhere close, not that the hounds weren’t already a good indication that was the case. The subway smelled of rotting flesh, but even that couldn’t keep me alert.
“Oh, for Heaven’s sake!” Henry shouted. “He’s like my father’s fainting goats!”
“Your father has fainting goats?” Thaddeus asked.
“Indeed. A little startle and out they go,” Henry said, then my eyes fell closed.
I felt something warm coursing through my veins and an instant later my eyelids snapped open again. Nikola kneeled over me with her hands firmly planted on my chest. I moved under her hands, and she opened her eyes.
“There. Her influence shouldn’t affect you again,” she said.
I wanted to thank her, but I couldn’t speak in chimera form. I hoped my nod was taken as appreciation. I stood stronger, ready to fight. People, the real ones, flooded from the subway like a raging river. Those who were hounds disguised as people began attacking us. Jemma bit one hard on the leg, and it wailed. The noise was deafening, but it seemed to do the trick. Once it fell, she latched onto its throat. Within a second, it turned to dust. It surprised her, but she recovered quickly and moved to her next opponent.
Henry swung a dagger at one, but it dodged his advance. Thaddeus whacked it in the head with a heavy weapon I could not identify. Meanwhile, Nikola used her magic to slow their advances. I didn’t know what to do, but I had to help. A hound bore down on Jemma, but she didn’t see it. I bolted toward her and jumped, taking the hound to the ground under my front paws. It managed to twist in my grip and sink its teeth into the tender part of my belly. I let out a wail, but something different happened. Instead of the high-pitched scream of a big cat, fire exploded from my mouth. Well, that’s new.
I nearly singed Jemma who managed to appear shocked even in wolf form. We continued to fight side-by-side, but the stream of hounds was never-ending. When the next train pulled into the station, the people inside began screaming at the sight of us. Their screams distracted some hellhounds, who pried the doors open and began attacking passengers. Those who were bitten changed. I, however, remained in my animal form. I prayed it would keep me safe from the change, and kept fighting.
“We have to figure something out fast,” Henry yelled over the screams of passengers and the sounds of fighting.
I roared and let the fire take down a few, but there was no way I could take them all out before more people were harmed. I didn’t know what to do. The others kept fighting while I thought, but in my wildest imagination, I could never have concocted the event that played out.
A brilliant light filled the subway, blinding everyone inside, including the hounds. I squinted in a futile attempt to see what caused the explosion of light. I saw nothing, but I did hear fighting. Slowly the light began to fade, and the sounds of dying hellhounds invaded my ears. The screeching was awful, something akin to a big cat crossed with an air horn.
When the light disappeared, I was finally able to see what—or who—had caused it. A woman with long dark hair and a flowing blue robe stood on the platform, her arms outstretched with her palms facing out. The light seemed to absorb back into her body in a swirling maze of color at her palms. She was beautiful and had, I thought, single-handedly saved us all. However, I soon spied two others behind her.
A dainty wolf stood panting heavily beside another woman. The other woman was dressed in black pants and wore a fitted t-shirt, Ophelia’s signature style. I held my breath and took a few steps toward the group. When her eyes connected with mine, I saw that it was, in fact, Ophelia. She stood strong with a dagger in hand, blood splattered on her clothing and face. She was beautiful.
She dropped the dagger and ran to me.
“Parker. I thought you were dead. Where is Jordan?” I tried to speak, then remembered I was not human.
She buried her hands in the thick fur on my neck and stared into my eyes. How I had never seen the truth in those oceanic blue eyes, I would never know, but I did then. Whatever doubt I might have had about my feelings for her dissolved that very second. I wrapped my wings around her, enveloping her in our own little space. Her arms wrapped tightly around my neck, and she buried her face in my shoulder. I wanted so badly to tell her everything, that I loved her, and I was sent to protect her, but moving even a centimeter would destroy the perfect moment we shared.
Still, our moment was cut short by something else entirely. Jemma had shifted at some point, and she was in the middle of a reunion.
“Mother?” she whispered.
“Yes, my love. I’m here for you,” the woman, our saving grace, said. She opened her arms for her daughter.
Jemma fell into her and began to sob. It was the most heart-wrenching display of reunited love I had ever seen. Henry held Seline tightly as Thaddeus adoringly watched the woman he loved cry in her mother’s embrace. It seemed if only for a moment, all was well.
Chapter Seven
You are so beautiful. I wanted so badly to tell Ophelia that even with her blood-splattered clothing and tangled mess of hair, she was the most welcome sight my poor eyes could ask to see, but she clutched so tightly to my neck I was afraid to shift. The best I could do was nuzzle her neck with my furry face.
I could hear Jemma and her mother reconnecting after so many centuries apart, but I was too comfortable inside my little cocoon with the woman I loved to focus on anything else. However, Thaddeus went and ruined the moment.
“I hear the sirens of incoming law enforcers. We should leave the area while we can,” he said.
Ophelia released me reluctantly, her lips parted as if she were about to speak. Something flashed in her eyes. I couldn’t quite read it, but whatever the emotion was, it caused her to clam up. She stood and backed away so I could shift. I did so and grabbed her hand to run with the rest. Fortunately, all-out calamity tends to distract people, so we were able to escape the subway without anyone noticing.
The police arrived and swarmed the area, but none of them seemed concerned by our small group running from the madness. Once we were far enough away from the scene, Henry paused to call the ot
hers, namely Chris. While he spoke to Chris, Nikola bent over heaving.
“This is more exercise than I’ve had in years. Let’s not do that thing with the gross dogs again,” she said. Ophelia laughed, but she was still stressed. We all were, and we needed food and sleep desperately.
Henry ended his call and stuffed his phone into his pocket. “The hotel does not appear to be far from here. We can walk, but I suggest we hurry.” Seline linked her arm with his, and they walked quickly down the block. Thaddeus followed closely behind Jemma and her mother while Nikola and I flanked Ophelia.
“I’m sorry we haven’t had a moment to make introductions. I’m Nikola, a descendant of the Fairies of Weisserwald and a distant cousin to Parker.”
“Oh... um, it’s nice to meet you,” Ophelia said, offering Nikola her hand. “Sorry about the dramatic entrance. Clara said she wanted to make it memorable.”
“What else did Clara tell you?” Nikola asked as we hustled along a busy sidewalk.
“Well, she didn’t have much time to fill us in with all the fighting and whatnot, but I know she’s Jemma’s mom and has been looking for her for a long time,” Ophelia said, her eyes fixed ahead.
“It’s just up here,” Henry called over his shoulder, interrupting our conversation. We picked up the pace and followed him into a huge hotel. I glanced up at the sign as we walked in.
“Geez, how are we supposed to pay for this place on a detective’s salary?” I wondered aloud.
“Nonsense,” Seline said. “This is on the Salien tab. Enjoy your stay while you can. Rest and eat as much as you like, for the road ahead will be a bit bumpy.”
“What do you call that thing in the subway?” I asked.
“A smooth ride compared to what might come,” Seline replied with a forced smile.
We clammed up on the elevator considering other guests surrounded us. Discussing things like wolf curses, evil princesses, and hellhounds would surely get us kicked out of the ridiculously expensive hotel. Once off the elevator, we followed a long hallway nearly to the end, then Henry knocked on a door.
“It is us,” he declared, and it opened slowly.
Chris pulled the door wide for all of us to enter, but I assumed there were more rooms reserved since there was only one large bed in the room. Jordan sat, staring out the window but turned when he heard us enter. Ophelia ran to him and nearly knocked the kid to the ground.
“Oh, I was so worried about you,” she said.
“Me? You’re the one who was kidnapped. Are you okay?” Jordan stood and pried his sister off, gently urging her to sit on the bed instead.
“I’m fine. Jemma’s mother saved us. It’s a fascinating story if you’d like to hear it?” Ophelia offered.
“We all would,” Henry said, glancing around the room at all the faces staring at Clara. I, on the other hand, couldn’t stop staring at Ophelia. There were many faces to stare at in that room, but hers was the only one my eyes could settle on. She smiled at me, then turned her attention to Clara, who had removed her blue cloak and wore normal, comfortable clothing underneath.
“Well, I dare say I got quite a shock when I arrived here after being told York of New was a small fishing town. If this city is small, I’d be astonished to see a large city in this country!” Clara exclaimed.
“About that,” Jemma said, “Nearly fifteen centuries have passed since your curse, Mother. A lot has changed.”
“Don’t I know it! Imagine stepping off a ship and getting smacked in the face with fifteen hundred years of modernization! And cars, my goodness how zippy those little things are!” We chuckled, and I soon realized that was her goal. Clara smiled and relaxed once the room seemed to settle, and our tensions eased. “Well, I suppose I should tell you how I got here. I have been searching for Jemma and my nieces, unaware they had already been found until this nice young lady, Ophelia, informed me. I’ve watched the news and listened to the rumors on the street for anything that seemed unusual, and I dare say the incident with the train was unusual! After what happened to Aline and me—oh! My sister, how is she?”
“She’s fine, Mother. So are King Agustus and the girls. Also... um, I’m not sure how to say this so I’ll just spit it out. Julian is alive. He’s doing so well, and he’s even married.”
Clara gasped and reached for something to sit on. Chris pulled up a chair for the exhausted woman. She fell into it, clutching the fabric of her shirt just over her heart. “Julian? Our sweet Julian is alive?”
“Yes, he goes by Jack now. Also, Ella is dead. There’s nothing more to fear for the people of Goldene Stadt,” Jemma said. I tried not to think about how much information they were dumping on the poor woman, and that they did so in such a straightforward manner.
“Oh, but there is, darling. Rose fully intends to build an army of witches turned by the evil magic. She’ll stop at nothing to get her hands on the most powerful of us.”
“How do you know this?” Chris asked.
“She told Seline and Ophelia, Mr.—I’m sorry, I do not know everyone here,” Clara replied.
“You can call me Chris. I’m friends with Parker,” he said, then asked, “You say she told them?”
“Yes. She was awfully chatty on that train,” Seline complained. “It was all ‘take over the Black Forest this, take over the world that.’ It was dreadfully boring if you ask me.”
“It was terrifying,” Ophelia added. “But it is true. She plans to gather as many witches as possible to join her side. The woman helping her, she’s... I’m not sure that thing even has a soul, to be honest.”
“The woman who wore the cape?” Jemma asked. Ophelia nodded.
“Yes, she’s the same woman Sierra and Hayden saw. We must identify her as soon as possible. I believe she may be the one we’ve been after all along, the ringleader so to speak,” Seline added.
“That doesn’t tell us how you saved them, though. How did you know Seline and Ophelia were in danger?” Ross asked. He did well to absorb everything as it came, but he wasn’t like Chris or me. He spent his time behind a computer writing code, while we spent our time wallowing in the misery of the human condition, rubbing elbows with some truly bad guys. I wondered if Ross would break.
“When I heard about the train derailing, I went as fast as I could. There were reports of wolves and giant flying cats, so I assumed—”
“Hold on, how did you get there, rescue them, then return to New York to rescue us so fast?” I asked, ignoring the part about news reports because I was not prepared to deal with fantasy meeting reality just yet.
“Oh, that’s the fun part,” Seline said. “She can, what did you call it again?”
“Bilocation, but I believe you might know it as portaling though it really isn’t. I simply think of a place I’d like to be, open a gateway to it, and I’m there. Well, I’m there while my spirit form stays behind. The body always wants to be with the spirit, so once I have completed my mission, I simply think of where I was, and then I return as one.
“Now that is a more efficient way to travel,” Jordan said. Petra only rolled her eyes and gave her attention back to Clara. “But, how did my sister and Jemma return with you?”
“Those with me... Well, the science is a bit difficult to explain and involves the dissolution and rejoining of particles and—”
“Wait, what?” Jordan asked, then looked at Petra who shrugged.
Clara sighed. “I will let you study the books on magic when we return to the forest. When I saw Princess Susanna in trouble, I knew I must act. Really, all I did in the most basic sense was snatch them up and return here to the city with them. This angered Rose, clearly. She sent her little pets after you, but those things reek so badly that all I had to do was perform a scent tracking spell,” Clara explained.
“A scent tracking spell? Man, wouldn’t those be nice to have at work?” Chris asked, and I marveled at how well my non-magical human friends managed. I also wondered if it would suddenly hit them all at once and blow up i
n my face, but I wouldn't worry about the what-ifs. I had to focus on what came next.
“I don’t really care how you rescued them. They’re here, and now we should focus on what’s next,” I said but was interrupted by Jordan before I could go on.
“Um, there is that other thing we need to talk about first. You know, the wolf and missing royals thing?” Jordan said, urging me to tell Ophelia before anyone else did.
“Uh... yeah. Here’s the thing,” I said, hardly able to look at Ophelia though I couldn’t stop staring at her before. “While you were gone, we discovered some exciting things. We met three fairies who told us more about my mother and why I’m here. Evidently, I was sent to protect the rightful heir to the throne in Weisserwald. I’m not clear on every detail just yet, but it appears the royals were cursed and sent away. My mother somehow managed to send me into the future and cloak the curse in the Royals, giving them a somewhat normal life, which I suppose was meant to keep them safe, but in hindsight it sure does—”
“Parker, you’re rambling. What are you trying to say?” Ophelia asked.
“Um... I... I was sent to protect you. You and Jordan. You’re the rightful heir to the throne, Ophelia.”
Ophelia began laughing, then said, “That’s preposterous! I was born in Florida, and I have never, not once shifted into anything. Come on, Parker. Isn’t that sort of—”
“It’s true, Ophie.” Jordan stood and took several steps away from us.
“Wait, no, Jordan! Not in the hotel room!” Jemma tried to stop Jordan, but it did no good. He shifted right in front of Ophelia, eliciting an ear-piercing scream. He knocked over a table, sending a crystal vase filled with flowers across the room. Luckily, Ross caught the vase before it could crash against the wall. The table, however, snapped in half under Jordan’s weight.
“What the... How... What did you do to my brother?” Ophelia yelled.
“Perhaps if you let me, I can help you?” Alorna said, stepping up to Ophelia.
She swatted Alorna’s hands. “Get away from me. This is just—it’s too much. Why did you let them do that? I thought you’d take care of him!” Ophelia yelled at me.
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