Now, as I sat in the chilly courtyard, I wondered if my dreams were dreams at all or if they were visions of the future.
April and Danielle pranced by me, plastic replicas of each other. April’s auburn hair was straightened and adorned with a thick, sparkly bubblegum pink headband. They both wore lace dresses, Danielle’s blue, April’s pink. April looked more like a runway model than a self-destructive once suicidal fifteen-year-old.
They sat at their usual table and the same blonde boy squatted beside my sister. They’d sat together every day this week. April gazed at him as he spoke, her eyes wide and glossy as if he were a god come to life.
“Who’s the boy with April?”
Kate and Desiree glanced over their shoulders. Kate sneered and instantly turned her eyes to her food. Desiree didn’t seem as intense, but irritated, because she gripped her spoon so tight, I thought she was trying to break it.
“Gale Corner.” Desiree said.
“He’s a fuckin’ loser.” Wolf appeared at my side. I smiled, despite myself, at Wolf’s attendance. I bit on my bottom lip, the smile gone in an instant when I thought back to Koyte.
“A loser who’s been in love with Danielle forever,” Kate muttered.
“Don’t read too much into it. The kid is harmless,” Desiree said.
“He’d better be.”
Kate’s silence on the matter bothered me. She knew more. Kate gathered her books up and said a pathetic good-bye before hurrying inside.
On my tray was a shiny red apple. I rarely ate during lunch, but my stomach twisted so badly, I knew I had to eat something. Desiree snatched it from my hand and tossed it backward.
“Never eat red apples!” Desiree cried. “Haven’t you learned anything?”
“Sorry.” Freak out much?
Beside me Wolf’s tray was packed with one of everything. I almost gagged at the smell of the fish tacos. Why anyone thought putting fish in a burrito was a good idea, I’d never understand.
The table grew a little too quiet as I stared into the textbook for my Creating A Minion Following class. Another class I was failing. Big surprise there.
When I peeked up from my book, I noticed the look in Desiree’s—now gray and blue—eyes. Her eyebrows wiggled up and down as if she spoke telepathically to Wolf. Her thin, red lips pursed into a straight line.
Wolf’s hand clenched and unclenched around the water bottle on the table. Before I questioned, Desiree pounced up like a jack-in-a-box. “Gotta run. See you two sluts later!”
Desiree winked at me before sauntering off to a different table, where she plopped down and instantly joined in whatever conversation they had.
“So.” I thumbed the pages of the book, not willing myself to look at him and his honeycomb eyes. “How have you been?”
“Fine.” He chugged the contents of his water down.
Silence. Utter and complete silence. Something that only happened when our mouths were locked together.
“Aw, look at you two. Is the schools most dysfunctional couple back at it again?” Claire strolled through the courtyard in a pale green dress and matching pumps, her hair in a signature bun. “At least you found where you belong, but FYI, freak is last season, kind of like Norah’s face.”
Beside me, Wolf let out a loud laugh, his mouth full of food. “Wanna try again, sweet cheeks? Or did you forget last year’s night o’fun?” Claire’s cheeks burned red. Ohmigosh, he really did get with all the fairy girls. “Yeah, I didn’t think so. Walk away, pixie bitch, before my dick breaks you.” A few particles dusted the plate as he muttered ‘bitch’ and inhaled a taco.
Wolf’s “bang list” was probably higher than most of the guys at the school. If it wasn’t for some strange stroke of chivalric luck, I would’ve been another notch on his long belt. I flinched at the thought. Despite the hallway fairy incident, I still wanted to be near him. To console him or whatever. Damn, it would have been much easier if I hated him.
“Thanks,” I said once Claire cleared the courtyard. “I really hate her.”
“Yeah, well, pixies are either bitches or saints. They’re too tiny to hold more than one emotion.” One of his many plates was almost empty, but he still had a lot of food to kill.
“I know, but I feel like you’re always rescuing me. I wish I could return the favor.”
“Don’t,” was the last thing he said before he stood up. “I’ll see you around.”
The smile faded from my lips as Dad stepped out of the carriage and onto the cobblestone grounds outside the castle. The auburn strands which usually curled over my father’s forehead were slicked to the side with gel. There was a moment of hesitation when our eyes met, his lies tangled with a mixture of emotions. The excitement I thought I’d feel upon seeing him was replaced with frustration.
The wool coat he wore hugged his long frame, which was thinner than the last time I saw him. A crimson and gold plaid scarf hung from his neck, he tightened it and gave me a grim smile.
“I’m sorry.” His shoulders were tense, his words full of worry and fear. What did he have to fear though, that I’d hate him? Lies aside, hatred for my father was next to impossible. Anger, yes.
We were still far apart when the carriage hobbled back down the bridge, no doubt picking up someone else’s parent who hadn’t lied to them about their entire life.
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. The cold bit at my cheeks and my teeth chattered.
“Sorry for what, exactly?”
His brows tugged inward. Never had there been hesitation between us. We’d always been close. Laughter and happiness. Not uncertainty. But now, as I stared into those eyes, I didn’t find the same comfort.
“For not telling you how special you are.”
My eyes shut and I sucked in a breath as a warm tear squeezed its way out and trickled down into my mouth. “No.” I shook my head, still aching to deny it all. “It can’t be true. I’m not…fictional.” My voice was so hushed, I was surprised he heard me at all.
The second he stepped out of the carriage a part of me knew the truth, yet I hoped to deny it, like I hoped to deny how Dad had lied to me for seventeen years. A bitter taste turned in my mouth. It wasn’t like he lied to me about what BMW stood for or where babies came from. He lied to me about who I was, who he was, our lineage and worst of all, he left me here clueless. Who did that to the person they loved?
Dad closed the space between us and wiped the tear from my cheek. “You, my daughter, are too real to ever be a work of fiction.” His callused hands cupped my cheeks. Watery brown eyes stared back at me, begging for my forgiveness. “I was trying to protect you.”
Putting space between us, I dragged my hand over my face, wiping the moisture away and sniffled. “From what?”
The Adam’s apple in his throat bobbed and his attention flickered to the castle behind us. The roof was covered in a thin layer of crisp, white snow, a picture of perfection to those who didn’t know the evil lurking inside.
“Them.”
Setting my coat on the back of the chair, I sat at a table in the library. Across from me, Dad sipped on a cup of piping hot black coffee. With his coat off, I could admire the argyle vest and pale yellow tie. His knuckles were dry and cracked, his eczema had flared up again.
The temperatures had dropped significantly since last night, so sitting outside wasn’t an option. The library was empty, even the librarian was out for the day. Most people hung out in the courtyard or the cafeteria, but I needed to be alone with Dad, and since dorms were off limits, the library it was.
I traced a circle on the table, nerves built inside, making it hard to get my mind in check. How could I think when a nightmare played out in front of me? My stomach coiled with nausea, like a vicious snake hell bent on destroying me.
“First, you need to realize everything you thought you knew about yourself, about me, is a lie. My real name is Jonathan Grimm.” He stared into his coffee, breathing it in as if it gave him courage
, before piercing his dark eyes into mine. “I am a descendent of the Grimm Brothers. Using a different last name made it harder for the council to track me down when I left. It also made it impossible for them to know who you were when you arrived.”
I swallowed hard, my hands wound together in my lap. My father was related to the men who were famous for creating fairy tales and folklore. A part of me found it fascinating, the other part remembered what happened to Koyte when he tried to run away. “I thought hiding from the council was unheard of.”
A grin twitched the edge of his lips. “Artists and writers can work from anywhere. We’re on the low end of the totem pole, especially now. The council rarely cares what we do.”
“You’re a Grimm, right? Isn’t that kind of a big deal?”
“We were. My father was on the council. I was next in line when he passed. We were quite powerful.”
“Were?”
“I’m getting ahead of myself. So you know about me, who I am, but you need to know about your mother too.” He bit on his bottom lip before taking a sip of coffee. “Natalia Petrovich, a princess.” So I was a princess. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, but I didn’t stop him. Instead, I drank in his words. “I’m surprised no one has linked you two together yet. I swear, Norah, you are a walking replica of her. Anyway, we met at summer camp when we were seventeen. Anyone was allowed to go no matter your ranking. The moment I saw her I knew she was the one.”
Dad smiled, the fear from earlier was almost nonexistent. A part of me wanted to stop him. I was on information overload already and we’d barely scratched the surface. If I was going to embrace this fairy tale shit, I had to know it all, beginning to end, nothing left to the imagination.
“She was beautiful, like a Russian goddess. Power flowed through her veins and people flocked to her side. I was no different than the others. She enchanted me. We fell in love that summer and seventeen years later, I can honestly say, she was my first and last. Forbidden love has power unlike no other.”
My throat tightened. “Forbidden, why?”
He glanced around the library, reassuring himself that we were alone. “There are certain rules here, pre-destinies and all. At the end of the summer, when Natalia turned eighteen, she’d be forced to marry. Her life had been written long before she’d ever existed. Instead of chasing after her, I ran away and consumed myself in the mortal world.”
A breath caught in my throat. I was the product of forbidden love. Dad never struck me as the kind of man who fought for what he believed in. Sure, he had passions, but he was flaky. No wonder he never fought to stay with someone he loved. Then again, he was a teenager. But so was I. Yet, I felt so different about love.
“A year and a half later she left you at my door with a letter. The council put a bounty out for your life, giving a hefty reward to whoever brought them the heart of the hybrid baby. Your mother faked your death and the council believed you were dead. That’s why we moved so much, we had to be hard to find. After that, the council deemed us traitors and had our family removed from the council and replaced with another.”
A breath caught in my throat as I stared at the man who guarded my life. I was supposed to be dead. The council wanted my heart. A chill ran down my spine. I had a hard time believing my existence was so important.
“Why?” was all I could force out through my tight lips.
“Because you, my daughter, are a Hybrid. The mark behind your ear proves it. All hybrids have the same birthmark. Some smaller or larger than others and in different places, no matter where, the infinity-like symbol tells the world you have impure blood.”
Impure. The word made my skin tingle. I touched the skin behind my ear where the birthmark was. It had held no importance until now. “Why are Hybrids a threat to the council?”
“One hundred years ago, before the council was at their full power, there was a rebellion. People from different rankings and breeds defied the laws and married whomever they wanted. There was an outbreak of hybrid children. Children without stories. Hybrids couldn’t be classified. Whether they belong in a preexisting story or not, the quill held no power.”
My jaw dropped. “The quill couldn’t classify me.” It all made sense. The quill, the blank results. My blood wasn’t traceable. Ohmigosh.
A smile twisted his lips. “Fascinating.” He let out a breath and scratched his jaw. “You hear the stories, but to know it’s true…I always wondered.” Dad stared beyond me, his soft eyes worried and yet full of wonder and curiosity. I didn’t find it fascinating. Not at all. Freaky and weird was more like it.
“It hurt like hell too, all for nothing.”
“I bet. Madrina probably put two and two together right then. She knew your mother and I. Wasn’t too fond of Natalia though.” Dad sighed. “Anyways, since Hybrids can’t be classified, they have free reign—more or less—to create whatever destiny they’d like. That kind of free will is not something the council approves of. They thrive off their ability to control and manipulate everyone.”
My head fell into my hands as the information piled. First, I learned of my parents forbidden love, then to find out I was a Hybrid. And the council disliked Hybrids so much, they killed them all. Fantastic. I wished my dad was a lame accountant.
“Why did you let me come here? Would it have been so terrible if I lived forever without knowing the truth? Wouldn’t that have been safer?” I tugged my hands out of my hair.
His lean shoulders slumped inward, a frown twisting his lips. “Being here is your birthright. Your mother knew prophets who believed you were brought into the world for a purpose. To do something wonderful. We wanted you to have a normal life as long as possible.”
My eyes shut and I took several long breathes. This was a full blown nightmare. I didn’t want to do great things. I wanted to be normal. Take art classes in Paris, apply to go to NYU, for what? I wasn’t sure, journalism perhaps, but having the option would have been nice. There was so much I hadn’t done yet. But going to college and getting my masters or traveling the globe the rest of my life wouldn’t have changed who I was.
“I know this is a lot to take in, Norah. When people see us together, they will know the truth about who you really are. Everyone knew your mother, they knew me by association. Nevertheless, you are a Petrovich, one of the strongest and oldest of the royal bloodlines. People will know you by your face, especially council members and those from my generation. Don’t let them sense fear or they’ll tear you apart.” A few minutes of silence passed between us then Dad pushed back from the table and grabbed his coat. “Let’s get some food. All this seriousness is making me hungry.”
I swallowed hard, a lump building in my throat, and stood up to join him. Food was the last thing I wanted, but I was in no place to argue, not now. My head was ready to explode.
Dad and I walked down the main hall toward the cafeteria. I stared up at the chandeliers hanging every twenty feet or so. Above our heads were murals of the heavens with angels and harps, like something you’d find in an old church. Dad squeezed my shoulders, drawing my attention back to him.
“April decided to ditch today?”
I rolled my eyes, a familiar irritation returned. “I guess shopping with Cinderella is more important.” Then it dawned on me. “Is April mixed too? And who is her mom?”
Dad chuckled. “No, she’s not a Hybrid. April’s mom is an artist. Artists and writers are one and the same here. Her name’s Amelia. We were supposed to marry but after our family was shamed, they called off the wedding. When April was born, they gave me custody of her.”
A few heads turned, cocking to one side as they saw my father. Others showed no signs of recognizing him. At least until we entered the lunch room. Between the rumors and the shit with Danielle, I was so over people watching me.
“She won’t be here much longer.” Dad frowned and faced me. “There is a separate school for the arts. That’s where she belongs, where she’ll thrive the most and fit in. Madrina kno
ws April doesn’t belong here, yet she’s keeping her, which doesn’t make sense. I can’t do a damn thing about it either. Once you stepped through those doors my rights were stripped away.” Dad’s hands balled into a fist at his side and he sucked in a deep, weighted breath.
“I’ll find out what they are up to.”
His eyes flashed to mine, big and wide and…unhappy? “No, you will not, Norah. Don’t fall into the trap. One mistake and the council could get involved. You do not want that. Lay low.”
My brows furrowed. “You want me to be invisible?” As the words came out, we both knew that was impossible. Dad wasn’t up to speed on life here, but he knew me. Invisible was next to impossible, especially when I was determined.
“I guess not. You are your mother’s daughter.”
“No,” I grabbed his wrist and smiled. “I’m my father’s daughter.”
He squeezed my hands and let out a short laugh. “Either way you’re stubborn and bullheaded.”
“Jonathan Grimm?” a southern voice rang from behind, interrupting what was a nice father-daughter moment.
Dad and I turned to find a bright red-headed woman with creamy skin and haunting deep-set eyes staring back at him. Her lips were a dark burgundy—a shade that did not go with her hair. “I’d remember your face from anywhere. You haven’t aged a bit.”
“I’m sure that isn’t true, but thank you anyway,” Dad said.
Her hand grazed Dad’s arm. A gesture I’d seen woman do before, yet I’d never felt hostile till now. The urge to slap her arm away rose within. I needed to get this short, red-headed southern belle away from us.
While they talked, I scanned the cafeteria. Parents stared at my father with recognition. Some nodded, others waved, but Dad did neither. He stood tall and proud with me at his side. Did the people who knew both of my parents put two and two together? I was the secret love child of Jonathan Grimm and Natalia Petrovich. If Dad was intimidated, he didn’t show it. Perhaps I got my strength from my father.
The Forgotten Fairytales Page 15
