by Neo Edmund
Ethan repeatedly swung his axe at Wolfgang, time and again missing by only a hair. Wolfgang unleashed counterstrikes, but Ethan was too big and powerful for him to stop.
Red knew that if one of Ethan’s strikes connected, it would be over for Wolfgang. She had no idea how to stop the fight, or if she even should.
“What has his family done that’s so bad?” Red asked.
“Where to begin?” Ash said. “How about a total disregard for every law ever written? Stealing. Lying. Cheating. Backstabbing anybody who ever trusted them. Oh, and they started a riot that ended with them burning down half of Wayward Village.”
“That is true,” Dote said. “But most of that happened a long time ago, before Wolfgang was even born.”
Ethan swung his axe at Wolfgang’s head. Wolfgang dodged and countered with a furious slash of his claws across Ethan’s wrist. Ethan grunted and lost his grip on his axe.
“So most of the stuff people hold against Wolfgang wasn’t even his fault?” Red asked.
“He’s a Helheim. Everybody knows they’re all major defects,” Ash said.
Ethan swung a fist and pummeled Wolfgang in the jaw. Wolfgang was so dazed that he couldn’t defend himself when Ethan followed up with a series of brutal punches. He ended the brawl with a massive uppercut that sent Wolfgang soaring. Red winced as she watched.
“The worst part is that the Helheims had an alliance with Ragnarok when he was on Earth,” Dote said. “They were granted powers that they used to terrorize the people of Wayward.”
“And they were mortal enemies of the first Red Riding,” Ash said.
Wolfgang tried to claw to his feet, but he was much too dizzy.
Ethan picked up his axe. “Your path of tyranny ends here, Wolfgang of the Helheim Clan.”
Red watched in terror as Ethan strutted over to Wolfgang. “But all that stuff was done by his family. What has Wolfgang actually done that’s so bad?”
“Want me to make a list?” Ash said. “How about he’s a major jerk who rides around on his motorcycle acting all cool and treating everybody like total crap.”
Dote covered her eyes, unable to watch what was happening. “As far as I know, he’s never done anything truly terrible.”
Ethan raised his axe to strike. Wolfgang looked up at him with dreadful fear in his eyes.
“This feels wrong,” Red said.
As Ethan thrust his axe downward, Red dashed forward and took her werewolf form. She grabbed Ethan’s arm and stopped his attack an inch short of Wolfgang’s head.
“That’s far enough, woodsman,” Red said.
Ethan quickly pulled away and lowered his weapon. “Red, have you gone mad? You could have been killed.”
Wolfgang looked at Red in disbelief. “You saved me.”
Red gave Ethan a stone cold stare. “I’m not going to let you kill him unless you can give me a good reason for it.”
“His clan has committed unspeakable crimes,” Ethan said.
“What crimes has he committed?” Red asked. “Tell me what he deserves to die for.”
Ethan’s face twitched with hatred. “He’s a Helheim. That’s more than enough reason for me.”
“If that’s all you’ve got, then you’ll have to go through me to do it,” Red said, stiffening as she took up a ready stance, prepared to defend the biker.
“Red, you must understand,” Ethan said.
“My mind is made up. Stand down or attack.”
Ethan stared at Red in such disbelief he was unable to speak.
Wolfgang stumbled to his feet. “Red, you don’t have to do this for me.”
“I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it because it’s right. If I’m really this high protector you all keep talking about, I figure it’s my right to make that decision.”
“Okay, time out.” Ash rushed over and stepped right in between Red and Ethan. “This has gotten way out of control here. We’re all supposed to be on the same side.”
“Ash, stay out of this,” Red said.
“No. No way. Not a chance,” Ash said. “This is the last thing we need right now. Ice and her cronies could show up at any time and attack us.”
Ethan tightened his grip on his axe. “Why is Ice of the Seether Clan hunting you?”
“She’s a major power hungry psycho, and I’ve got something she wants,” Red said.
“I’m betting you mean the Alpha Power,” Ethan said.
“Why am I not surprised you know that?” Red muttered.
“Ash is right,” Dote said. “It would be good if we all got inside. Standing out here in the open is dangerous.”
Red looked Ethan in the eyes. “We’re going inside. I’m taking Wolfgang with me. Are you going to try and stop me or step aside?”
“You’re making a dangerous mistake,” Ethan said. “But you are the Alpha, so it’s your mistake to make.”
“You’re welcome to come inside with us,” Red said. “I could use your help right about now.”
“I’m not stepping foot inside that house.” Ethan turned and walked away toward the woods. “Just call my name if you need me.”
Wolfgang approached Red, his eyes softening. “I don’t know what to say. Nobody has ever done anything like that for me.”
“Just don’t make me regret it, Wolf Boy.” Red turned her back on him and entered the house.
“Granny, are you here?” Red called out as she stepped into the living room, followed by Wolfgang, Ash, and Dote. With the protection spellcraft active, it looked dusty and abandoned, just as Red had expected.
“I love what Grenda’s done with the place,” Wolfgang said.
What Red didn’t expect to find was Prince floating inside a mystical bubble, frozen and lifeless like a statue. “What happened to him?”
“Looks like granny got herself a cool new knickknack,” Ash said.
Dote pushed her way past the others and approached Prince. Red and Ash exchanged grins when they noticed how she was swooning at the sight of him.
“Even trapped in enchanted limbo, he’s still the prettiest man I’ve ever seen,” Dote said.
“Cut it out before you make me hurl,” Wolfgang said.
“I think it’s cute,” Red said.
“Our little Dote is in l-o-v-e,” Ash said.
“I am not in l-o-v-e!” Dote shouted.
Wolfgang slammed the door. The room changed into its true clean and cozy form with a warm fire crackling in the fireplace. In the same instant, Prince vanished from sight.
“Don’t close the door, you dummy,” Dote said. “We have to get him out of there.”
Wolfgang grumbled and opened the door. Prince reappeared, and the room returned to its dusty and deserted state. Intrigued by the phenomenon, Wolfgang opened and closed the door several times, causing the room to shift back and forth. A strange humming rang out, making the walls and windows rattle. It was as if he was causing the protection spellcraft to overload.
“Cut it out, already.” Dote said. “You keep that up, you’ll blow the house to bits and all of us with it.”
Wolfgang finally stopped, leaving the door slightly cracked open. “My bad.”
Dote put her hands against the bubble holding Prince. A spark of mystical energy forced her to step away in haste. “Granny sure knows how to cast an enchanted prison. There’s no way I can get him out without knowing which spellcraft she used.”
“Sucks to be him right now,” Wolfgang said.
Ash grinned. “I’d rather be stuck in an enchanted bubble than you on your best day.”
Wolfgang gave Ash a hard glare. “Keep talking like that, I might forget that Red is making me play nice with you.”
“I just might forget, too,” Red said. “Give it a rest, Ash.”
Ash grumbled in frustration. “Fine. So what do we do about Dote’s boyfriend there?”
Dote snarled. “He’s not my boyfriend, and I’m not in l-o-v-e with him.”
“Not much, you’re not,” Ash said.
White energy ignited in Dote’s eyes. “Dorkus Ashley, so help me, if you don’t cut that out this instant …”
Red stepped in between Ash and Dote. “You both cut it out. I think Prince is going to have to stay there until we find Granny.”
Wolfgang pushed the door shut, causing Prince to vanish and the room to shift again. Dote whimpered like a sad kitty cat.
Red then headed upstairs. When she reached the top, she stopped cold, feeling quite perplexed. There were now three doors in a hallway that she distinctly recalled having had four. The doors leading into her bedroom, her parents’ bedroom, and the bathroom still remained, but the fourth door that Red assumed led to Granny’s bedroom was gone. In its place hung a full-length mirror in a glossy black metallic frame. Each step she took toward the mirror came with an unsettling feeling that somebody was watching her. When she finally stood before the hazy glass, the sight was quite startling. The reflection that stared back was not exactly her own. Her mirrored version wore a short skirt, a tight tank top, and knee-high leather boots, which were all as black as her hair. If not for the eyes being entirely void of color, Red might have liked this alternative image of herself.
A careful examination of her hair assured her that it was still red, and a quick glance down confirmed she still wore her mother’s tattered blue ball gown. She waved a hand around and saw that the reflection matched her moves, just as one would expect. To be certain, she lifted a foot, spun in a circle, and jumped around in random directions. Her reflected self precisely matched each movement.
As Red looked away, the reflection snarled at her. It was so quick that she wasn’t entirely sure it actually happened. There was no doubt that it would be most sensible to stay clear of the mirror, but it was far too intriguing to resist. Her hand trembled a bit as she placed it on the glass. The surface felt oddly warm. A strange static barrier made Red’s skin tingle. She looked into the eyes of her reflection and made a snarky expression.
In response, her reflection gave a sinister glare. It then reached a hand right through the glass and locked onto Red’s wrist. “Declare yourself.”
Chapter 19
Red was overcome with a paralyzing rush of fear as her arm was pulled through the black mirror by her own reflection. With her face pressed against the glass, she couldn’t call for help. Her desperate attempt to pull away proved to be a futile effort. She could only watch as the reflection closely inspected her palm. A disturbing tingling sensation rushed through her body. It felt as if her reflection’s black eyes were peering right into her soul.
“Your linage has been confirmed, granddaughter of Grenda Stalk,” Red’s reflected self said.
The mirror vanished from sight, leaving Red standing with her arm awkwardly extended. The missing door then appeared. Red stood frozen, trying to calm her shaken nerves. The ordeal was so strange that she had to fight the urge to dash down the stairs and right out the front door.
“What’s got you so rattled?” Grenda said from behind Red.
Deathly startled, Red spun around just as Grenda stepped out of the bathroom door. She wore a fuzzy bathrobe and had a towel wrapped around her head.
“Granny, you gotta stop startling me like that.”
“You gotta stop startling me by staying out all night.” Grenda opened her bedroom door and stepped inside. “Now get in here and tell me what happened this time.”
The door swung shut with a slam right after Red stepped through it, leaving her friends waiting out in the hallway. Grenda began rummaging through a dresser drawer, carelessly tossing clothes aside.
Her Granny’s bedroom wasn’t at all what Red expected. Unlike the rest of the house, it was a cluttered mess with piles of dirty laundry. The shelves were overflowing with random trinkets, strange knickknacks, and disorganized stacks of books.
“So, out with it, Red. From the look of you, it must have been one thrill of a night,” Grenda said.
“Things got out of control at the ball.” Red frowned as she looked at her tattered dress. “Ice Seether tried to force me to give her the Alpha Power.”
“Ha! I had a feeling that girl was up to mischief,” Grenda said.
“You knew that could have happen and let me go anyway?”
“Well, you’re not going to learn how to deal with these sorts of things if I go coddling you all the time.”
Red gasped. “Granny, we barely escaped with our lives.”
“Don’t mean to sound harsh, Red. It’s just that you’d best get used to things like that if you’re going to take up this Alpha calling. Now turn around, unless you want to see a mighty frightful sight.”
Red spun around just as she heard Grenda drop her robe to the floor. “Could Ice have taken the powers from me?”
“Not on her own, she couldn’t have. That girl uses what us real witches call borrowed power. It comes from mystical jewels and other trinkets she probably bought or stole.”
Red recalled how Ice was dominating the battle until she lost her jeweled scepter. “What if I had willingly agreed? Then could she have taken it?”
“It’s possible, if she really had the resources to pull off such a thing. It would take a mighty powerful spellcraft that would send you straight to your maker. It’s a good thing you would never do something so foolish.”
Red sat on the edge of Grenda’s bed. “I ask because I’m afraid she could use my friends against me. I don’t know if I could overcome that sort of thing.”
Now wearing a loose-fitting flowered dress, Grenda sat down next to Red. “That’s always going to be a risk. Not just with somebody trying to force you to give up your powers. Every time you lead folks into a fight, you’re putting their lives in danger.”
Red wiped a tear from her eye. “How can I ask my friends to do that? It’s not right that they should have to risk so much for my sake.”
“This isn’t about you, Red Riding. It’s about all the people and creatures of Wayward that will suffer if you don’t do what has to be done. If your friends don’t understand that, you have to make it good and clear. If they still decide to follow you, all you can do is be the best leader you can be for them.”
“What if I fail, Granny?”
“Then we all go down fighting together.”
Red looked to Grenda, a little surprised. “All of us?”
“That’s right, Red. You’re the Alpha. That makes you our leader. Even I must abide by your decisions.” Grenda put a comforting arm around Red. “It’s okay to be afraid. When the time is right, you’ll know what to do, and you will do it courageously. Never forget that the blood and the spirit of the one who faced this before lives inside you. She will not abandon you, even in the darkest hours. And neither will I.”
“Thank you, Granny. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too, my dear.”
Red recalled the things Ice had told her during their battle. The one that stuck out above all was Ice’s claim that the lunar deities decide who gets the Alpha Power, and that it isn’t passed down through her family line. “Granny, there’s something important I need to ask you about.”
Grenda stood up. “You’ll have to ask later. I need to get dinner on the stove.”
“But it will only take a minute.”
The door swung open as Grenda approached. “There’s no such thing as important questions that only take a minute.”
“I suppose not.”
“Don’t fret, Red. All things will be revealed in their proper time.” Grenda stepped out into the hallway. “And the next time you come across a strange mirror, it would be best not to go touching it.”
The door slammed shut.
For the next few minutes, Red sat alone, thinking about all the things her Granny had said. It was scary enough to think that the fate of Wayward was in her hands. The idea that something bad could happen to her friends was more than she could endure.
It occurred to Red that she might never have a better chance to snoop around her Granny
’s room. The prospect was quite intriguing, but it felt best to venture down that road another time. After the strange encounter with the mirror, she wasn’t sure her nerves could deal with anything bizarre that would surely be found.
As Red stepped into the hallway, the door slammed itself shut and locked with a click. It was a startling thrill to see, as it was likely the result of a spellcraft. For all of Red’s life, magic existed only in her dreams and fantasies. On many occasions, she had tried without success to move things with her mind.
Red heard the muffled laughs of Ash and Dote coming from behind her bedroom door. They were joking about a time when the three of them had gotten into Granny’s potion cabinet and unleashed some serious mischief.
As much as Red wanted to listen to all the wonderful memories, the idea of getting some rest was a bit more appealing at the moment. She figured there would be plenty of time to hear all the funny stories of her childhood when things finally settled down.
With Wolfgang still hanging around downstairs, there was only one place to avoid being disturbed. Taking a nervous breath, she nudged open the door of her parents’ bedroom and stepped inside. It felt a little odd being in their room because in many ways they were strangers to her. She hoped that surrounding herself with their worldly possessions would bring back memories of their time together.
Every object in the room told Red many things about her parents. She first deduced that her mother was most fond of the color green. It was also quite clear that she preferred to wear dresses and skirts over pants and shorts.
Judging by the size of her father’s clothes, he was a large man. Red figured he must have been the rugged type because his pants and shirts were all mended and patched in numerous places.
Red began to create stories of how her parents came to possess the various trinkets around the room. She picked up a pearl necklace and decided that her father had made it himself, after diving deep into the sea to collect oysters. It was a special gift that he had given to her mother on perhaps a birthday or anniversary.
Under the bed, Red found a wooden box filled with an odd assortment of colorful rocks. She decided that her parents had collected them during long hikes in the woods. Each was from a different place where they had stopped to rest.
