Ashes to Ashes

by M. J. Padgett

  I remembered he was not alone when I first met him. “Those people with you this morning, were they—” I started, but he interrupted.

  “Heavens no. Felix is a Royal Guardsmen the Royal Guard General forced to accompany us. Heidi and Brody are friends of the family. Heidi is a Grimm, perhaps you’ve heard the name?” He arched an eyebrow, awaiting my response with his sly smirk. Gone was the boyish look, and in its place was the mischievous face of a man who had many secrets and couldn’t wait to spill them.

  “As in the Brothers Grimm? The fairy tale writers?”

  “I’m not sure why they always exclude Heidi in the history, but yes. Jacob and Wilhelm, they have a sister. You met her this morning. And her boneheaded husband, I’m afraid.” He scoffed at the name, but I could see in his eyes that he admired him despite his comment to the contrary. His eyes betrayed him in many ways, but I ignored the way they took me in and refocused my thoughts on the things that were important, like how he shifted so quickly.

  Cecily rolled down the window, a few questions of her own to ask.

  “You expect us to believe that dead storytellers, seven wolves, a guard, and one bonehead want to help us... what? Take over the world?” she snapped.

  Ely didn’t miss a beat, unfazed by my sister’s attitude. “No, no, don’t be silly. It’s one wolf, one witch, one Royal Guardsman, and a bonehead. And no one said anything about taking over the world. We simply want you to reclaim your kingdom and release your mother and aunt from Cinderella’s birdcage. Oh yeah, and reunite with your father who was cursed to be her husband for all eternity. Though I have to say, now that you mention it, world domination sounds like loads of fun,” he replied.

  “Okay then, you have a nice day crazy, crazy man,” I said and got into the car with my sister as fast as I could. This time my instincts were way off, and I should have followed Cecily’s lead.

  I backed onto the road as quickly as possible, then shifted into drive and floored the gas pedal until we reached the guard gate. We were lucky. The ranger was still on rounds, and the gate was unattended. Cecily opened her car door and glanced around, no doubt making sure Ely hadn’t followed us. When she was sure the coast was clear, she jogged to the gate and opened it. I drove through and waited for her. After she secured the entrance, she fell back into the car.

  “Get out of here before he catches us,” she said, but I needed no further encouragement.

  Free our mother from Cinderella’s curse, indeed. Who does he think he is? Clearly, Ely Manchester was a nut job who happened to have the same condition Cecily, and I shared, but he did give me hope. Maybe, if we were lucky, we could find others like us. Maybe there were other people just as lost and confused as we were, longing to belong.

  The drive to our apartment was quiet. I could only assume Cecily was thinking about the same things that kept running through my own mind. Who is Ely Manchester? And why, even though I thought him insane, did I still feel an inexplicable pull to him? My curiosity was killing me, but I had my sister to think about.

  I glanced at her as she stared out the front window. “So, we never speak of this again?”

  “Nope,” she agreed.

  Unfortunately, pretending the bizarre exchange didn’t happen was out of the question. We agreed to forget, but not five minutes later it forced its way back into our lives again, only this time there was no escaping the insanity. In the days to come, we would face obstacles greater than anything we’d ever experienced, and the nutjob, the Grimm, the bonehead, and their militaristic friend would be the perpetrators of not one, but two of the largest heists in American history.

  Neither my sister nor I wanted to believe what Ely told us was true, but there was just something about him that made it difficult not to listen. And once he dug his claws in my brain, I found it nearly impossible to get him out again. That could be the only explanation for the events that followed our fateful encounter with Ely Manchester on the last normal full moon of our lives.

  Chapter Two

  Dannie was busy making herself breakfast when Cecily and I entered through the front door. She craned her neck to see over the kitchen divider, then disappeared back into the kitchen.

  “You guys are back early. How was your aunt?”

  “Our aunt?” Cecily asked, and I mentally kicked myself for forgetting to tell her my cover story.

  “Yes, our aunt, she’s great. We had to get back early so Cecily could study for a test she forgot about,” I lied, and Cecily took up the reins.

  “Yes, the test. Better get to it then.” Cecily’s eyes were wide, a telltale sign she was lying, but luckily Dannie was bent over the stove making scrambled eggs, so she didn’t notice.

  “Since you’re back,” Dannie began, “I was wondering if it would be too much trouble to switch shifts with me today? I was going to ask Tanya, but you know how whiny she gets about switching.”

  I was beyond exhausted, but Dannie had adjusted her schedule more than once to accommodate me, so it was only fair I return the favor. “What time is it?”

  She turned around with a guilty grin on her face. “In an hour?”

  I hid my disappointment with a weak smile and a nod. “Sure, just let me shower, and I’ll do it.”

  “Want some eggs first?” She didn’t bother to wait for a response, just slid the plate across the counter to me.

  It was odd, a thing like scrambled eggs should taste the same regardless of who made them, but for some reason, hers were always better. I took the plate and sat at the kitchen table. The chairs were rickety, and the table had a book under one leg, a tad short after Jack insisted he could fix the wobble with a little sanding, which turned into a little sawing, then a lopsided table with a book under one leg. In all, it did turn out okay. The table was no longer wobbly.

  “These are so good. What are you up to today?”

  She flicked her wrist, waving off my question as no big deal. “Oh, you know, just errands and stuff that can’t wait until this afternoon. Mostly getting everything squared away for the move and stuff like that. Sorry it’s so last minute, but I completely forgot I actually need a moving van to move. Any luck with a roommate yet?”

  I knew Dannie would be the best doctor the world had ever seen, but she was the most scattered person on the planet. How she managed to keep it together with her life spread everywhere astonished me. I craved organization and neatness, but Dannie thrived in chaos—probably why she wanted to be a trauma surgeon.

  “No, not really. The last two people I interviewed were so...” I paused. Strange had a whole new perspective after meeting Ely and his friends, but I couldn’t think of another word to describe a woman with a talking cat who needed his own bedroom, or the man who worked as a mime and insisted he stay in character twenty-four-seven.

  “What about Jack?”

  “Haven’t really broached the subject just yet, only dropped a few hints that we were desperate.”

  “You’d think he’d jump at the opportunity to live with two gorgeous girls instead four smelly, rambunctious boys,” Dannie said with a tinge of annoyance in her voice—one of those smelly, rambunctious boys was her ex-boyfriend. I would never forget the late nights I pulled listening to her curse the ground Joel, her ex, walked on, plotting his imaginary death, and eating ice cream straight out of the tub until she could finish a sentence without crying.

  “I’m sure he will do it once I ask. You know Jack, always a bit slow on the uptake, bless his heart,” I said. It was true, but I felt terrible for saying it out loud all the same.

  She chuckled, then checked the time. “You better get ready if we’re swapping. I’ll make you a coffee to go. Thanks again. I’m so sorry to spring this on you, but I’m happy to take a shift next week if you need me to.”

  “That’s okay. I can always use the extra money.”

  I grumbled to myself, cursing the wolf inside, but got up and got ready for a long and boring day at the diner. Long and boring... it would have been nice if it ha
d been, but I barely clocked in and tied my apron around my waist before I was assaulted by Ely again.

  I turned around and there he was not two inches from my face. I jumped, startled not only by his presence but his very close proximity. I gasped. “Ely, you scared me half to... what are you doing here? Are you stalking me, now?”

  He recoiled in feigned shock. “Do I look like the type of man who must stalk a woman for attention?”

  “Truth or lie?”

  “Isn’t the game truth or dare?” he asked.

  “You’re infuriating. What do you want?”

  He slid onto one of the stools at the counter and placed both hands on the surface, palms down as if he were waiting for a lecture. He gazed at me expectantly.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Let it all out. Tell me what you think of me, so we can get past it and focus on the important information you need to hear,” he replied, dead serious. He waited, purposely arching his eyebrows slightly, a slight pout on his lips.

  “Are you seriously trying to puppy dog eye me right now? You followed my sister and me into the...” I glanced around, realizing people were watching our interaction. I took a few steps closer and leaned toward him, so my whispers could be heard. “You followed us to the restaurant, then into the forest with your nonsense. Now you show up here again to bother me. Tell me what it is you want, then leave before I call the police.”

  “Please don’t do that.”

  “Well, it’s what a sane woman does when she’s being stalked by a weirdo who thinks he’s a prince descended from a fairy tale queen,” I whispered, but it was getting increasingly difficult to control my frustration.

  “That’s not what I meant. Call the police if you must, just don’t... just please don’t look at me like that.”

  “Like what?”

  Instantly his puppy dog face morphed into something altogether different. He was so sad, so utterly defeated I almost felt sorry for him. Whatever was going on in his head was hurting him, and I hoped he would get the psychological help he desperately needed.

  “Stop looking at me like I’m crazy. I’m not, Sierra. I know I sound crazy, but a lot of things sound crazy that aren’t.”

  I released a heavy, frustrated sigh. I did not have the time or the energy to deal with him, not when customers were coming in by the truckload for breakfast. A guilty look spread across his face. He knew I was barely keeping it together, so he decided to get straight to the point.

  “I’m sorry, Sierra. I know this is all so frustrating. Normally I would take it slow, try to be your friend and ease you into it, but I’m afraid time is a bit of an issue here. There are... factors, other people who... you regaining your memory is important to someone who is important to me. Please try to understand, I mean you no harm. I only want a chance to explain that’s all.”

  I studied him, really looked at the whole picture and not just those stupid eyes that seemed to hypnotize me if I stared too long. He was well put together, not a sloppy dresser, but not necessarily ripped from a famous label catalog. He’d taken the time to comb his hair and shave, an improvement over the previous day. I took a breath and prepared my argument.

  “I loathe mystery. I’ve had to lie about who I really am since I was seven-years-old, so I want everything else in my life to be as clear and simple as possible. It’s what I need to function with this... this thing inside me. When someone like you comes along and messes up the happy balance, it makes me a very cranky person. So, what I am about to say, please understand it is reluctantly and most definitely against my better judgment, am I understood?”

  “Yes,” he said, succinct and firm.

  “Fine. Come to my apartment in eight hours. That’s four sharp. You may tell me your story, then I want you to disappear back to whatever crazy house you came from and leave my sister and me alone.”

  “Your apartment? I don’t know where—”

  “Don’t lie to me.”

  He grinned, caught already. “Sorry, I didn’t want to appear the stalker you believe I am. I’ll be there, four sharp with bells on.”

  “That’s just the kind of annoying thing I’d expect from you,” I said.

  He grinned and tapped the countertop with his knuckles, then started to rise from the stool. I stopped him. A little time to observe him couldn’t hurt, and judging from the way his stomach rumbled, I’d say he probably needed a bit of that elk he helped us capture. He paused, gawking at me as if I’d just done something incredible. I suppose not throwing him out on his butt or calling the police was incredible, considering every fiber of my being told me I was an idiot for giving him even a sliver of a chance.

  I almost forgot why I stopped him, but when the front door opened, and a customer sat at the counter, it reminded me I was at the diner. We serve food at the diner... yes, food, that’s what I was going to offer, I thought.

  “Do you always say what you’re thinking out loud?” Ely asked, but I ignored him and shoved a menu in front of his face.

  “Sometimes. It’s a bad habit. Pick something horrible to eat, and I’ll be back in a minute,” I said, then rushed to the bathroom, suddenly ill.

  My head swirled, and my skin prickled. I soon noticed I was sweating profusely. What on earth? I splashed water on my face to ease the heat that bubbled under my skin. I pulled a paper towel from the dispenser to dry my face, but it spontaneously combusted in my hands before I had the chance.

  “Oh!” I cried and dropped the flaming paper onto the ceramic tile floor. I stomped on it several times, glad I didn’t trigger the sprinkler system. It was the most peculiar thing I’d ever witnessed, aside from turning into a wolf. I wiped my hands on my apron, deposited the ash into the wastebasket and took a deep, cleansing breath. When I placed my hand on the door handle, I somehow knew it was no coincidence. Something strange was happening, and though I thought Ely was off his rocker, I was beginning to think we might be riding the same rocking chair.

  It wasn’t as if I’d never read about other supernatural entities, but I always assumed my own condition was a genetic anomaly. I never considered other things may exist, but something in my gut told me I’d better open my mind a little—or a lot considering a paper towel had just burned to ash in my hands. I tried not to freak out, which was practically impossible, spackled on a smile and opened the door.

  “Sierra?” Ely asked when I was in his sight again. The concern on his face might have been attractive if I weren’t freaking out over the fire.

  “I’m okay,” I said. “I um... I think I need to hear that story. The sooner, the better. I’ll make an excuse to get off early. Can you meet me in an hour?”

  “No, I’ll wait for you. We’ll go together,” he insisted. The way he said it made me believe it would take a front-loader to remove him from his seat. Still, I didn’t need him hanging around making my supervisor suspicious.

  “My boss will think I want to leave just to run off with you, and he won’t let me go. Just meet me in an hour, Ely.”

  “In fairness, you do want off work just to run off with me,” he said with a little snicker, but rose from his seat and headed toward the door without another word. He glanced over his shoulder before he went out the door, worry on his face again.

  By the time my supervisor arrived, I really was sick. I couldn’t stop the chills from coursing through my body, yet my forehead dripped sweat. The paper towel incident happened once more, and I knew, beyond doubt, that whatever was happening to me was not only abnormal but somehow the fault of my new stalker. After proclaiming to have the flu, my supervisor practically shoved me out the door. I checked my watch and realized Cecily would be home sleeping when Ely arrived. Hopefully, I’d get there before him, or else I couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t have him carted off to jail.

  I’m sure I violated several traffic laws on my way home, but I was worried about so many things, not the least of which was my newfound concern that anything I touched would burst into flames. I whipped my litt
le car into the apartment complex and followed the winding road to the rear where my building stood nestled in the trees. Its seclusion was one of the reasons I loved it.

  “Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” I said aloud when I pulled into my assigned parking space. Ely brought his friends, and they stood right in front of my building.

  I got out and slammed my door closed. I felt betrayed, but I couldn’t say why. I expected Ely to show up alone, give me his undivided attention while I spilled the details of my new, fun talent, then I’d listen to him as he explained what it was he needed to tell me so badly. I had not anticipated four people ganging up on me.

  I walked with purpose, a scowl on my face as my irritation grew. Ely pulled his hands from his pockets and tensed as I approached him.

  “I didn’t intend for you to bring them, Ely,” I spat.

  He drew his hands up in defense. “Trust me, I didn’t want to, but they wouldn’t let me come alone. They’re afraid I’ll say something stupid,” he defended.

  “I can’t imagine why,” Felix commented flippantly.

  Paper towels combusting in my hands felt like serious business to me, and I didn’t care for the passive way he leaned against the front door of the building, as if he owned it. Heidi and Brody said nothing, only looked at me expectantly. I found myself still wanting to know what it was they had to say but feeling far too betrayed by Ely to rationalize that it wasn’t that big a deal, and I should let it go.

  “Forget it. I changed my mind. Leave before I call the cops,” I said, then strode toward the door.

  “You can’t escape, Sierra,” Ely said in a sing-song voice that made me want to scream. “It doesn’t matter how far you run, this is your destiny.”

  I spun around to face him just as my sister opened the front door, causing Felix to stumble and fall at her feet. She glanced down at him sprawled on the ground, then up to me. “What’s going on out here? I could hear you yelling from inside.”

  Felix scuttled away from Cecily and sprang to his feet, embarrassed that he’d fallen in front of us all. My sister was cautious, scanning the faces until her eyes landed on Ely. Fear crossed her face, and it was all the convincing I needed that the entire situation had gone on long enough. I had her to think of, and the four of them were nothing but trouble.