Ashes to Ashes

by M. J. Padgett

  Heidi scanned the forest, listening. “There’s an army coming. At least a hundred men, maybe more.” I heard the same. Like the rumbling of a wave to the shore, the echoes of marching rolled through the forest. I whined, the only way I could communicate with her.

  “I feel certain she’s sending them to Schwarzwald. My nephew is there, and your son. My husband, my brothers—everyone. I will not let that army anywhere near my home. Are you prepared to fight beside me, Princess Saskia of Golden Stadt?”

  Fueled by anger and naivety, I bowed my head in agreement. Everything that had happened until that point didn’t matter. All that mattered was here and now. My fear was gone. My doubts about Heidi’s ability to destroy Ella—gone. My son was in Schwarzwald, and I’d die a thousand deaths protecting him. My perspective shifted that quickly, and I was ready to fight however ill-prepared I was.

  As we waited, the army slowly began to emerge from the trees ahead. I felt the ground rumble again, a small vibration that slowly built into an earthquake. Ella’s soldiers broke formation and scattered like ants in the rain, dodging falling trees and boulders rolling down the steep terrain.

  I dug my paws into the soft soil, steadying myself as Heidi shook the very foundation of the earth. I slid a few feet from her, unable to maintain my position while she ripped crevasses around the army. They were surrounded by the deep holes, nowhere to go but down.

  Heidi slowly raised her hands, and the atmospheric pressure around us grew heavier. It was difficult to breathe. My ears ached. My entire body screamed. I had no idea what she was doing, but I prayed she wouldn’t kill me in the process. When she’d gathered enough energy, and her hands were high above her head, she thrust them forward, palms toward the army. I expected them to be pushed back toward the border of the kingdom, but never, never, did I expect half the forest to go with them.

  The witch single-handedly felled thousands of trees, tossing them like nothing more than toothpicks, clearing a path directly to Ella’s castle. I could clearly see the castle in the distance, and Heidi was headed straight for it on her new path.

  With the first wave of soldiers no longer a concern, I repositioned the dagger, ensuring a tight grip before jogging behind her. She pushed on another hundred yards or so, then paused. As she raised her hands, the air grew heavy again. I held on for dear life, as much as a wolf can hold to dirt, but rather than destroy the other half of the forest, Heidi concentrated her magic on the castle walls. Still miles away, she forced her hands forward again. The moat surrounding the castle disappeared, the water rushing from it in one massive wave that crashed against the hill behind the castle before settling in the open fields surrounding it.

  Heidi raised her hands a third time, and the pressure built again. My head throbbed under the change in heaviness, making me nauseous and a little clumsy. Still, I dug in as hard as I could and waited to see what Heidi would do next. Again, she thrust forward, but this time with a mighty scream that nearly burst my eardrums. From her hands, a white-hot ball of fire flew ahead, closing the distance between us and the castle quickly. It was a bomb of sorts, quickly destroying the stone wall that surrounded the castle.

  People—villagers—poured from the center square of the castle grounds. I feared they were unwilling participants in Ella’s treachery and did not want to see them killed during our mission to rid the world of the queen once and for all. I tugged at Heidi’s pants, which was difficult with a dagger in my mouth.

  She didn’t take her eyes from the scene ahead, but she did nod her understanding. She pressed onward, each step causing the earth to shudder under her power. I was a bit afraid of her, but I reminded myself she was on my side—our side.

  The dagger began to cut into my lips, but I didn’t lessen my grip. I could have given it to Heidi, but I felt it was my responsibility to guard it with my life. Felix gave the precious item to me, and it suddenly became as much a part of me as the wolf inside. The dagger was the only thing that could ensure Ella would never harm my family, which had grown significantly in the past days, and I took it as my personal duty to plunge it deep into her chest, slicing her wicked heart in two.

  Ahead I could see more soldiers, twice as many charging ahead without fear. I hesitated, unsure if Heidi could manage so many after exerting herself thrice already. When we arrived in Schwarzwald, merely opening the kingdom gate was a task that wore her down to nothing. Now, she seemed filled with energy, but how long would it last?

  It appeared her energy had no limit as she lowered her hands this time, then pushed forward until the path cracked in two. It spread apart like a sheet of paper ripped down the center, opening wide enough to swallow a car. She raised her hands quickly and the forest on either side of the path engulfed in flames. I cried out, fearing she’d burn the entire wood down if she didn’t stop—Schwarzwald included.

  She paid me no mind and surged forward. The second wave of soldiers had very little room to move, but they managed to maneuver around the crack, between it and the line of fire that led straight to the castle entrance.

  Heidi spun on her heels and screamed, then swooped her arms out wide. I hadn’t heard the dozens of trolls closing in behind us, but she had, and they flew everywhere. Hundreds of feet in the air, they snarled and screamed, but nothing they did could save them from their fate. Heidi turned again, then flung the airborne trolls toward the soldiers. The giant creatures bulldozed the crowd of soldiers like bowling balls. Once the trolls recovered—how, I had no idea—they began cutting through the soldiers, evidently uncaring which side they were on.

  I felt like I was watching a movie and at any moment it would shift to a commercial break. Only it wasn’t a movie, and I wasn’t that lucky. There would be no pause in the horror show that unfolded in front of me. I was so distracted by it, I barely heard what Heidi said to me.

  “They’re coming,” she stated, but who was coming and where from, I couldn’t figure out.

  At least, not until I heard the howling.

  With the newly carved landscape surrounding us, their howls seemed to echo from everywhere in the forest. Within seconds, six wolves joined our ranks. My sister, who had torn herself from Felix, took my right flank. I didn’t recognize Jemma’s wolf form, but I knew it was her standing on my sister’s right. The only other wolf I recognized was Calla, who came to my left and looked me in the eyes. There was a determination in her that mirrored my own. We were fighting for our children, and Heaven help anyone that got in our way.

  Our special telepathic bond kicked in, despite the fact we were not technically pack mates.

  The boys are safe under Ravenna, Fiona, and Julianna’s care. They’ll die before anyone can come close to our sons. Calla’s thoughts were solid, a final statement that Ella would not survive the day.

  Behind us stood a black wolf and a grey wolf, standing closely. Just behind them was a petite red wolf I remembered seeing back in the castle. I realized if I looked closely enough, I could tell who they were by their eyes. Marcus, Caleb, and Seline. Even the King of Schwarzwald was willing to put his life on the line to end the war with Ella here and now. Elizabeth was nowhere to be found, but that was reasonable considering she was pregnant.

  “Ready?” Heidi asked, and amid a song of howls, she moved onward.

  Our army is coming. Hold fast and don’t give an inch. They’ll take care of the rest. Marcus projected his thoughts, commanding his own small army of wolves. He needn’t have bothered trying to convince me to hold my position. I had no intention of backing down or letting Ella have anything that was mine—not again.

  By now, most of the soldiers in the second wave were either dead by Heidi, or by the trolls. Some managed to regroup, and reinforcements flooded from behind what was left of the castle wall. The third wave of soldiers was larger, more muscular from what I could see, but I had no doubt Heidi could manage. She even chuckled before she raised her hands, then paused a moment. I’d like to think she was deciding what fun thing to do next, but it was
not the time to ask, nor could I as a wolf.

  Calla tensed beside me, observing the fires on either side of the path. Heidi managed to control them, concentrate them to one area, but I feared she may soon lose control and everything she’d done would only make the fighting more difficult. My fears were quickly set to rest when a mighty crack of thunder startled us. Overhead, a storm took shape, darkening the sky with a sickly grey-green color. The clouds rolled, stumbling over one another in their race toward Ella’s fortress. The army paused, but only for a moment. They weren’t going to let a little rain stop them. A tidal wave, now that was another situation altogether.

  The clouds opened, and sheets of rain poured down, dousing the fires and pushing the soldiers to the ground. They flopped around like fish, clinging to anything they could get their hands on, but it was no use. Heidi flushed them down the rift in the path. Man after man swept away, never to be seen again.

  Behind us, the sounds of marching and hoofbeats grew closer. Heidi was unfazed by the sound, and neither were my companions, so I decided it must be the army Marcus declared was coming. Marcus lifted his head to the sky and let out a long howl, calling his army closer.

  They fell in line behind their king, hundreds prepared to fight to the death to protect what they had built in five short years. I noticed a man on horseback closing in on us. As he grew nearer, I saw that he was my father. His face was set like carved stone, hard and unwavering, determination etched in his features.

  He waited patiently for Marcus’ order.

  Heidi glanced at me, still holding tightly to the dagger. I ducked my head, an unbreakable bond formed between us. Heidi raised her hands, and Marcus howled again, signaling to King Agustus it was time.

  “By order of King Marcellus, I command you onward!” Father yelled.

  Heidi sealed the rift in the path with a short wave of her hand, more powerful than ever. I shuddered to think what Ella might be capable of if dear, sweet Heidi could cause so much damage. The army marched ahead of us, closing the distance quickly. When the fourth wave of Ella’s soldiers appeared, flanked by trolls on either side, our military was ready. They surged onward, clashing with them in front of the castle. More of our men stormed the fortress, clearing the way for Heidi and her pack of wolves.

  High above the castle, in the tallest tower, Ella stood watch over the scene below. Heidi saw her just as I did and tensed slightly beside me. I could not control the growl that slipped from my mouth. I wanted to storm the castle myself, run through the halls until I sniffed her out, then jab the dagger right in her heart. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be that easy. Ella was prepared. She still had a few tricks up her sleeve, but I had something she didn’t—something worth fighting for.

  Heidi’s smoldering eyes settled on Ella as the battle raged on around us. Her words of warning gave me chills.

  “Run and hide, Cinderella. I’m coming for you.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  If I hadn’t been present for everything that had happened until that point, I wouldn’t have believed Heidi capable of such acts. However, I understood what she was doing despite it being risky and a little insane. I supported and trusted her as she pressed on as did the others. We followed her through what was once the front gate to the castle in Goldene Stadt.

  I briefly wondered what the others thought about the unplanned fight, the rest of our family back in Schwarzwald. I hoped I didn’t die, so what I told Hans wasn’t a lie. If I died, I’d not only be gone, but his father would never wake leaving him an orphan—like me. A thought of Felix passed through my mind then, praying he found comfort in being with his sister, Scarlett, again.

  The sound battle rang around us, but no soldier or troll could get close enough to Heidi’s pack to disrupt our journey toward our goal. A few tried, but Heidi made quick work of anyone who got in her way. A woman sprang in front of Heidi, crying out, she fell to her knees sobbing. Heidi stopped in her tracks and gazed upon the woman.

  “Please... I beg of you, spare my family.”

  Two small children, roughly five and seven years, huddled behind her, clutching their mother’s dress. Heidi snatched the woman up by her neck and tossed her aside. She’s gone too far. Stop her! The thought no sooner went through my mind, and the woman rose again cackling. I knew that laugh, but Heidi was a step ahead of me again. She saw through the woman right away while I was too busy feeling sorry for her. She fooled me with the children, but those quickly turned into trolls—smaller trolls, which made me believe they had once been children.

  “Do not kill the children,” Heidi ordered, her voice calm and even as if she were conversing over a cup of tea.

  A group of Royal Guardsman captured the small trolls and managed to maneuver them away from the standoff in front of us. The woman shed her drab clothing, and her blonde hair fell around her shoulders.

  “Cinderella,” Heidi said. “How kind of you to make this simple for me.”

  I tensed. Every wolf in the pack froze, waiting to see what would happen next. We’d forgotten we were wolves, forgotten we should attack her while we could—we were too captivated by the confrontation between two equal opponents. I would never have thought Heidi to be Cinderella’s equal, but watching them stare at each other, I honestly had no idea which was stronger.

  “Grimm, you are a foolish child. I must say though, I am quite impressed with your power. I’d suck it right out of you if that weren’t begging me to take it right from the mangy mutt’s mouth.”

  Ella pointed at me, and I remembered the dagger. I took a few steps back, and Calla and Marcus closed the gap to ensure a line of safety between us. Ella snickered, then poof, she was gone. I should have been prepared for it considering she stabbed Ely and disappeared in a fog before anyone could comprehend what had happened, let alone capture her. She didn’t fight fair. I knew that much from losing my magical ability the first time, but I wouldn’t let her fool me again.

  As a wolf, I was invincible but unable to stab a loaf of bread let alone a wicked queen with the dagger as Felix had instructed. So, against my better judgment, I shifted. I stood tall beside Heidi, who didn’t seem the least bit surprised by anything.

  “Where did she go?” I asked, clutching the dagger tightly in my hand.

  “I’m not sure but let’s have some fun, shall we?” Heidi scared the bejesus out of me. Her calm, cool temperament after unleashing a virtual Hell upon earth was unsettling in many ways, but I reminded myself of our mission. I’d worry about fixing Heidi Grimm after Ella was dead.

  Heidi’s idea of fun was picking the castle apart stone by stone, tossing each rock here and there like a child throwing wooden blocks. I grew impatient, and I was a bit tired of the chase. I’d reached the point where the kill was more important than the hunt, much like when I was hunting as a wolf. I found my target, so there was no sense in dragging out the inevitable.

  “Can you get on with it? You may be having fun, but this is serious to me, so—”

  Heidi spread her arms wide, and the castles split in half before my eyes.

  “Is that better?” she asked but didn’t bother waiting for an answer. She moved to the castle and began searching the halls and rooms. I followed her, and the others surrounded us as we explored my childhood home, now practically leveled thanks to Heidi.

  “There!” I shouted, catching a glimpse of Ella in a mirror as she passed through a long corridor.

  I ran toward the room foolishly, and Ella shoved me aside the second I entered the room. The dagger fell from my hands and slid across the floor until it settled against the wall. Marcus grabbed it, but Ella tossed him away from it with a flick of her hand. He landed hard on his side and whimpered. Invincible doesn’t mean it can’t hurt. I thought about all the times I’d been injured hunting but suppressed those thoughts because they did me no good then.

  Calla ran to her brother’s side and urged him up while Caleb and Seline advanced on Ella. Before they reached her, she disappeared and reappeared on th
e other side of the room. Heidi raised her hands, and the pressure changed. The others felt it, too, but it was decidedly worse in human form. I fell to my knees and clutched my hands over my ears fearing my head would explode. My head did not, but the room blew out on three sides, revealing nothing but open air behind Ella. She almost lost her balance but caught herself and disappeared.

  Marcus had the dagger, but the queen was gone.

  “Arhh! Why won’t she just stand still and let this be over?” Heidi yelled, then ran back down the long hallway toward the main entrance again. I followed as Marcus and the others brought up the rear. It was becoming a tiring, frustrating game of chase.

  When I reached the end of the hall and exited the hole in the castle, I found Heidi standing stock still in the middle of the courtyard, face-to-face with a man I didn’t recognize. He was older, old enough to be my father, or maybe even Heidi’s—it’s a trick! Heidi raised her hand to his face and was just about to touch him, to test his reality when I shifted and lunged for her. I shoved her to the ground, and the man changed to his real version, Ella herself.

  Heidi popped up from the ground with a new resolve.

  “Tricky. I fell for it, but not again.” Heidi reached for Ella, but again she disappeared into thin air. “I swear when I catch that woman, I’ll rip her apart!”

  We darted around, searching for any sign of her. That sign came via a long sword directly through my sister’s gut. She howled in pain as Ella slid the sword from her and aimed at Marcus. Calla lunged at her, taking the injury for her brother. Neither would die, but the pain was immense. Both cried and whimpered, then Marcus howled. It was a call to arms, but who he was calling in the middle of a battle I surely didn’t know. Elizabeth was pregnant, and Julianna was protecting the children. Ely was out for the count. There was only us.