by Jenni James
“We need magic. It will be the only way.”
“Aye, I was thinking the same,” she muttered as she brushed past him. “Where could we even begin to look for such a thing? Who do we know with access to it? Without magic, we will by no means be able to reach that kingdom. Even though I have never heard of a giant living in the clouds, there must be someone who has.”
“Yes, I believe so too. This cannot be the only time he has made his way to our land.”
“So where do we go to find a person who could help us?”
“Perhaps they will come forward, now that word is out that Miss Rachel is missing.”
“No!” Jill spun on her heel and turned toward him. Her face held an expression as if she had remembered something. “No! That is not the answer. We do not wait for the person to find us—we must go to the place where the magic was created. The only place we know where true enchantment lies.”
Jack’s gaze met hers. “You do not mean …”
Her smile beamed. “Of course I do! Where else would all the answers we seek be buried but in the Larkein kingdom?”
“Mother’s castle.”
“Precisely. It is the perfect place to begin looking.”
“Jill?”
“Hmm?”
“You are brilliant!”
“I know.” She laughed. “So are you coming or not?”
CHAPTER THREE
BY THE TIME THE two had packed their belongings and gathered up the maps and necessary food to make the trip, their parents were walking in the door.
“Pa!” Jack exclaimed. “I am so glad to see you. Jill was about to go find you both to let you know what we are planning to do, but you made it home.”
“And what is this?” Gretel asked as she took off her blue knit shawl, hanging it in the front closet. “Are you two off to find this giant, then?”
Jack nodded. “Aye. We hope to—I must do something.”
Hansel shared a look with Gretel before saying, “I want you to be careful.”
“I know it would be useless to tell you no when it is Miss Rachel Staheli involved,” his mother said, “but for your own sakes, be safe.”
“Where are you planning to go? Do you have an idea about how to reach the giant’s kingdom?” his father asked.
Jill smiled. “Well, we have heard of your adventure often enough. Jack and I have figured our best chances of finding anything at all of the giant’s home and how to reach it will come from your kingdom, Mother.”
“Mine?” Gretel gasped. “You mean to go to Larkein?” She stepped forward and clutched Jill’s hand. “Children, you do not know what evil magic resides in such a place. The castle has been dismantled and overrun for a reason. I do not wholly trust the village, either, even though it is still standing.”
“But with great evil will also come the answers we seek,” Jill replied.
Jack spoke up. “Mother, we have no choice. I will not allow Rachel’s fate to be determined by our fears. We must go and find what we can.”
“Whatever you do, do not tell them you carry the Larkein bloodline, children. Do you understand me? It has still not been long enough for people to forget all that kingdom did, and I will not have you harmed because of the folly of your heritage. Nor would I like to hear of any malicious person coming after you because of it. We are simple farmers, not heirs to any throne. Do you understand?”
Hansel took a deep breath. However, when Jack glanced over, his father remained silent.
Jill wrapped her mother up in a big hug. “It will be well. We promise not to let anyone know who we are, and we will be vigilant and we will not be attacked by any evil.”
Gretel chuckled and hugged her in return. “The falsehoods you children tell just to appease your mama! I would not be surprised if your nose grew as long as Pinocchio’s!”
Jill laughed. “Well, perhaps not mine. But Jack’s may grow that long.”
“Ha!” He smirked before turning to his father. “Pa, do you mind if I take my cow with me? She is the only thing of value I have to trade, should I need to.”
Hansel nodded. “It may be wise to do so. She is not part of our herd, so will not be overly missed if you should sell her.”
“Those were my thoughts exactly. Thank you.”
“You must take the horse and cart and tie her to the back. There is no reason for you to attempt to walk the whole way there.”
“Will you not miss them?” Jack frowned. “How will you do the work here without them?”
“Do not worry yourself over me. Miss Rachel needs you more than I need the silly horse and cart. All shall be fine—you will see.”
“Well!” Jill was all smiles. “Shall we go and have our adventure, then?”
Hansel reached out and mussed up her fiery red curls. “Be careful what you wish for, little one. Always remember—adventure will find you, but it comes at a price. For it is when we least expect it that we must stand up for what we believe in and love most.”
“Your father is right, children. Be brave. Be strong. But remember, this is not done on a lark, little Jill. This is done because you must—because it is right,” Gretel added.
“When you find out what you must in Larkein, come back and I will see if I am able to make the trek with you to the giant’s kingdom,” Hansel said.
Gretel frowned. “I worry about your back. You were not as young as you once were.”
“Enough, woman.” He waved his hand. “I am fine. Now, let us hurry and say goodbye to these rascals so we may have them returned to us quicker.”
“Do you have a tent?” Gretel stepped forward. “And enough food? Blankets? You will most likely be sleeping in the cart on the edge of the road. Find safe clearings, and remember to follow the signs. Keep off darkened paths as well.”
“Mother!” Jack chuckled as he leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “We shall be fine. We have been many places and always returned to you. We are not as little as you would like us to be anymore.”
“I know, I know.”
Pa wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek too. “She will always fret. She is your mother, after all.”
“Go, before I change my mind.”
Jack smiled. “Mother, you could change your mind a hundred times and it would not alter the fact that I will be going—I must go.”
“Yes, you do.” She sighed. “I love you.”
Jill added, “Do not worry, Ma. I promise to take good care of him.”
“Aye, take care to drive me nutty.”
The whole group laughed and gave a final farewell of hugs.
Just before they left, Hansel slipped a few silver pieces into Jack’s pocket and grasped his forearms for a moment. They exchange a long look before his father nodded. “You are ready. Bring her back.”
Jack’s heart swelled, the confidence in his father’s eyes doing more for his sudden rush of nerves than anything ever had. “Thank you. I will.”
CHAPTER FOUR
IT TOOK TWO DAYS for Jack and Jill to make their way to the Larkein village that housed the ruins of the castle. Using the silver coins his father had given him, Jack paid for a room for a night at the local inn and a few meals for their stay. After supper, when they made their way up the creaking stairs, they were pleasantly surprised to find two clean beds with a folded cloth screen separating them.
Jill had been so exhausted after a nearly sleepless night on the road that she lay upon her pillow and fell promptly to sleep. Jack, on the other hand, had noticed a group of men down in the inn’s tavern and wondered if they would be a good source to ferret out some information about the enchantments in the area and, more importantly, to learn if any one of them had heard of a giant kingdom in the sky.
He tossed his bags near the small end table by his bed and changed out of his dusty outerwear into more suitable shirt and trousers for the tavern life below. As quickly as possible, he made his way down to the other men. They were a bright, cheerful group who beckoned
him to sit with them as they dwindled away their hours before heading home to their womenfolk later that evening.
Jack ordered a pint of ale, though he was not sure of the brew or how strong it would be in these parts. He only pretended to sip the thing. It was about a good half hour into his chat with one of the men—Charlie, a bearded fellow looking to be in his early forties, with a bellowing voice—when an opening came up for Jack to ask about the giant. Charlie’s Larkein brogue was thick and it had taken several minutes before Jack could follow the conversation enough to find the opening he needed.
“Me missus and I like to go a’walkin’ out in them woods every now and then, but you gotta be keepin yer eyes on the lookout because you never know what you’s bound to find in them woods. Can clean scare the hair right off yer moustache, them woods do.”
Jack raised his brows. “And you took your wife out there?”
“Oh, goodness, no!” The man laughed and pounded the thick wooden table. “Nay. Me wife took me, she did! She likes to scare herself silly and takes me along only ‘cuz it makes her laugh to see me catch fright too.”
“She sounds like a brave woman indeed.”
“Aye. She can outride and outshoot any man, and she’s got a temper to match! She’s a mean ‘un!”
Jack could not imagine his sweet Rachel doing any such thing. His brows rose even more. “My word.”
“Aye, she be a fine woman indeed. A very fine woman.” Charlie leaned over and nudged Jack with his elbow. The smell of ale on his warmth breath assaulted Jack’s nostrils. “But don’t you go a lookin’ at her and wantin’ her for yerself! With yer pretty looks and bright gold hair, you’d be catchin her eye right quick. But she’s mine there. Mine, I say.”
Jack coughed, positive by the worn features of the man that his wife no doubt looked to be every bit her age. “You have nothing to worry about, sir. I am engaged to a beautiful maiden. I would not look elsewhere if a world of beauties came flocking to my door.”
“A pretty speech for a pretty face, but I tells you—when you see her, you be lookin’ away right quick, if you knows what’s good fer ya.”
Jack chuckled. “I promise, I will!”
“Good.” The man grinned into his ale as he took another swig. “Anyways, as I was sayin’ afore I got so sidetracked by my lovely Mary, I was a gonna tell you—since you are new to these parts—don’tcha go down any of these wooden lanes without one of us to take ya. There are a right scary bunch of fears and jumbles of nightmares in them woods. You keep yerself along the marked and well-used paths or you never know what may come and getcha.”
The man had just given Jack the perfect opening to ask about the giant. Nodding, he said, “Thank you for that advice. I will surely take it.” He leaned closer to the man, this time ignoring the reek of warm ale. “Have you ever heard of giant men roaming about these parts?”
“Giants?” The man pulled back and looked around the group. When he saw that no one was watching them, he hissed, “Did you say giants?”
“Yes. Have you seen one?” Jack whispered.
“Have I? My great fright!” The man slapped his hand upon the table again. “Yes, I have. And I barely escaped to tell the tale.”
“Really?” Eagerly, Jack asked, “What was he doing here?”
Charlie glanced around then and fidgeted. “Aye. I probably look somethin’ odd to you about now, don’t I? But ye see, I can’t shake this feeling that the witch is what sent him to us. And I am always uneasy at the thought of her around us and maybe hearin’ right what we says.”
“The witch?” Jack’s stomach dropped. “You have a witch nearby? One who lives here in Larkein?”
The man threw his head back and guffawed a long while before exclaiming, “You means to tell me you came to Larkein and you had no’s notion of a witch abein’ here? Are you daft? Everyone knows we’s gots ourselves a witch. A downright nasty one, too!”
“Charlie, hush!” One of the men reached over and whacked him on the back of the head. “You’ve had too much ale tonight. Best be goin’ on home afore you cause trouble fer us all.”
Jack looked around the room. It was silent, eerily so. All twelve men were staring right at him. How had he not noticed the room becoming so still? The tension was as thick as butter. “I beg your pardon.” Jack swallowed. “He was just answering a few questions I had.”
Behind him, a distinct female voice answered, “I am surprised you thought to ask a simpering village fool about me when I am quite amenable to all questions. I am willing to answer them, if you but ask me personally. I am not a fan of hearsay, you see.”
CHAPTER FIVE
JACK SLOWLY TURNED IN his chair to see a beautiful woman standing just within the doorway of the inn. Her long black locks curled temptingly to the waist of her green velvet gown and she looked to be no older than him. He met her striking emerald gaze; it was hooded by thick, dark lashes. Certainly, she was one of the most stunning women he had ever beheld.
Jack cleared his throat. “Forgive my manners—I did not mean to offend when I asked about you of this good man here. I had not known you existed.”
She grinned, her full lips teasing him with the tilt of her smile. “Boy, you will soon learn that I do exist—very much so. In fact,” she took a step toward him, “I exist so well that I even know your name and your quest, Jack Waithwrite.” She raised a brow and placed a graceful hand on her hip.
He tried to hide his gulp as best as he could, but from the looks of the humored witch, it was obvious he did not succeed. “I—Well, hello,” he attempted.
She smirked. “Hello yourself, boy.”
“H—how do you know my name?”
As she laughed, Jack glanced at the men around him. No one would meet his eye. Indeed, not one of them would even look in his direction. She had the face of an angel, but from their reactions, she must be more wicked than he could imagine.
“Come with me, Jack. I have something I wish to show you.” She held out her hand and beckoned him. “We shall go for a walk, you and I.”
“Just around the stable yard?” he asked, worried to travel too far from the inn with Jill asleep upstairs.
She seemed to find his request amusing. Actually, she seemed to find every single thing about him amusing. It was a bit disconcerting.
“If you wish, I will not take you far from your fragile security.” She beckoned again. “Now come.”
Jack glanced back at Charlie, who briefly met his eyes with a slight shake of his head before staring into his empty mug of ale again.
Jack cleared his throat and stood up. Turning around, he met her bright emerald gaze. “Forgive me for changing my mind. I thank you for the offer, but it is getting quite late and I am tired.”
A flash of irritation went across her features as she asked, “I beg your pardon? What did you say?”
“I—I was merely—”
“I know what you said, boy!” she snapped, her pretty features distorting into an ugly snarl. “I am not used to being turned down. And I certainly hope that yet another Waithwrite is not attempting to do just that.” She folded her arms in front of her. “This is not up for negotiation. It was a command, Jack. You will follow me now, or you will be sorry.”
How exactly did she know who he was? A cold feeling of fear went through his body. She could not possibly be Cora Childress, not after all these years. His parents killed her, did they not? His gaze traveled the length of her intricate green velvet gown. She honestly did not look a day over twenty, and she would have to be at least twice that age. When his eyes met her impatient look, he simply said, “Yes, ma’am,” and followed her. What else was he to do?
“Smartly played, boy,” she whispered as they walked out into the dark night.
The inn was situated next to a narrow road. To the right of the tavern were the stables and large coach house, where weary travelers could exchanges horses or rest theirs up for the night. It faced a few brick cottages nestled together across the st
reet in front of a large wooded area. The dwindling smoke from their chimneys showed that the families had more than likely gone to bed awhile ago.
The witch did not cross the road, but stayed in the wide stable yard as she had promised. She looked intently at the moon for several moments before Jack asked, “What did you wish to show me?”
His overcoat was upstairs, and his thin jacket did not hide the chill of the night breeze. He had expected to hear her speak immediately, and found that the longer he stood next to her in silence, the more frustrated he became. “Is there something you wished to say to me, perhaps?”
She brought one hand up to halt him, her gaze still focused upwards.
After a few more moments, he tried again. “Ma’am, if there is—”
“Shh!”
Jack folded his arms and tucked the jacket closer around his frame. He could feel the beginnings of a slight shiver coming on. It would not do to catch cold just because some silly witch had decided to demand nonsense of him. He shrugged his shoulders and began to return to the inn.
“I suggest you stay put another few minutes or you will never see your dear Rachel Staheli again.”
His whole body tensed before he whipped around. “Who are you?” he demanded.
She lowered her gaze and looked at him, her smirk challenging him to react badly. “Do you honestly want to know the answer to that question?”
He walked up to her. “Yes! You seem to be familiar with quite a lot about me—and I would like to know something about you. Who are you?”
Chuckling, she shook her head. “Aww… Little Jack, you should watch your temper around me. It is not wise to upset one with power.” All at once, her features twisted as one long arm snaked out and clutched the lapel of his jacket. “Remember this,” she hissed. “I am your worst enemy. I will always be the one who threatens your life and everything you hold dear! I nearly killed your father and mother, and I will not hesitate to destroy you.”
He found himself becoming more angry the longer she spoke. “What do you want, Cora Childress?”
