Castle Heights: Crown of Glass

by Sasha McDaniels

  “I don’t understand,” I said.

  “It’s a lot to take in. But once upon a time, Anansi came to me. We fell in love, he made me a promise and we had a child, you.

  “As a gift, Anansi cast our stories into you, so that you would be a physical manifestation of me and Jennifer’s greatest creation. Then we found out Anansi’s plan to make the world only of story, meaning he would destroy all who lived, every human who was not a part of the stories which Anansi kept. With the help of the others in this town, we were able to evade Anansi, casting a field of protection around the town so that he could not see it. Your aunt and I were supposed to raise you until she shacked up with Dracula. Dracula made a side deal with Anansi, and I ran away with you, in order to foil their plans. I’ve grown weaker from casting the protection spells to keep Anansi away. Tonight, my magic failed completely. That’s why he was able to find us. He will be back.”

  “What can we do to stop him?”

  “We tried once. We had no better idea than to run from him and pitch our tent here. Perhaps we will run again.”

  “We won’t be running,” my Aunt Jennifer said. “This is our home. We will never leave it.”

  “Then what do you propose? My magic is all used up. It will take a year of not using magic to replenish my reserves,” my mother said.

  “The witch, maybe she will help us,” my Aunt Jennifer suggested.

  “You know she will not. Our mother has not forgiven us for what we did to her.”

  “Casting her aside and keeping her safe in a protected realm is hardly a bad thing,” my Aunt Jennifer said. “The magic that keeps her there could be used to protect this city.”

  “So then there is only one thing left to do,” my Aunt Jennifer said.

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “Bring her back.”

  My mother grabbed her hair, pulled it, and screamed.

  “Your grandmother really isn’t all that bad,” my Aunt Jennifer said over breakfast.

  “The hell she isn’t,” my mother said.

  The doorbell rang, over and over again, frantically.

  Ben sat looking very disappointed about something. He didn’t say a word. He didn’t even seem perturbed by the fact that Anansi, the god of story, had shown his face in this house.

  I too was devoid of energy, so I left Ben alone. Taking in that my father was a hideous spider man-god was all too much.

  It was my Aunt Jennifer who hurried away from the table and answered the door.

  She came back to the table followed by the three sons of Dracul.

  “What happened here last night?” Alexi asked.

  My eyes traveled up to Alexi’s face. I had almost forgotten how handsome he was. Dimitri hung behind him. Nikolai stood hulking behind Dimitri. Nikolai’s chest was heaving up and down from what I could see, but his hair hung so that I couldn’t see his eyes.

  “Our father is missing,” Dimitri said. “And only one person could have released him from the bind we placed him in.”

  “Must be Anansi’s doing,” my Aunt Jennifer said as she twisted a cloth napkin tightly. “We must prepare ourselves for the worst.”

  “They will come back for you,” my Aunt Jennifer said.

  “Hello,” I heard a voice say.

  My Aunt Jennifer stood in place. Her eyes widened. “Mother.”

  “And who are these strapping handsome boys?” My Aunt Jennifer’s mother asked.

  The woman was tall and regal. She wore a peach pants suit and was dripping in jewels. Her blond hair glowed.

  “These are Dracula’s sons,” my Aunt Jennifer answered.

  “Really, isn’t that interesting? Were they made before or after the two of you had that little fling?”

  “Mother, you know they were made before.”

  “Forgive me for saying boys, but that father of yours is a charlatan. Would you believe he threw himself at little old me?” My Aunt Jennifer’s mother patted her hair.

  My Aunt Jennifer reclaimed her seat at the table. “If I remember correctly, you threw yourself at him, and he told you that you were too shriveled for his liking.”

  “Speaking of shriveled, where’s Allen?”

  “At his office.”

  “So he says,” the woman said with a grin. “And who is this darling child?”

  “She’s my daughter,” I heard my mother say.

  “Your daughter with Anansi?”

  “Yes, mother.”

  “Oh, Dear,” the woman said. “Come here and give your grandmother a hug.”

  I remained in my seat. I was in no mood for hugging.

  My mother glanced at me. I could tell that she was surprised that I did not stand up to greet the woman.

  “Oh, yes, right,” she said. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Orphelia Grace.”

  “We’re one big happy family now,” my Aunt Jennifer said.

  “I’m going to be late for school,” I grumbled.

  “Me too,” Ben said.

  Once we were out of the dining room, Dimitri caught up with us as we were strapping on our book bags. “I can take you to school,” he said to me.

  I looked at Ben. He threw up a hand to wave goodbye.

  “No, wait, Ben,” I said. “I’m riding with you if that’s okay.”

  Ben’s shoulders lowered a little. “Fine with me,” he said.

  “Reagan,” Dimitri said, “can you at least speak to me for a minute?”

  “I’m going to be late,” I repeated.

  “Okay then, catch you later,” he said.

  I walked out of the house mad as hell. All these secrets, and for what, to stave off the inevitable. What a miserable waste of time.

  My watched buzzed. It was a message from my aunt. She was reminding me that we were still going dress shopping after school. I didn’t understand how she could be concerned about shopping for a dress when people were being murdered. Also, there was the issue of my father to be concerned about.

  I climbed into the passenger seat of Ben’s car. “Well, one mystery solved, many more to go,” I said.

  “I know who to ask to help me solve the other mystery. I’m surprised the police haven’t sought her out yet.”

  “Oh, yeah, who’s that?”

  “Emily Holmes.”

  “Let me guess, she’s related to Sherlock Holmes.”

  “That’s his daughter. His only one.”

  “She attends Caste Heights High?”

  “Yep, the only problem is she hates my guts.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Because of the prank I pulled on her in middle school. She still hasn’t forgiven me. Whenever she sees me, it’s like she’s wishing I would die.”

  “Maybe I could talk to her,” I offered.

  “Maybe. But I have to warn you, she’s not easy to get along with.”

  “I’ll take my chances,” I said.

  “Suit yourself,” Ben said.

  The school was half empty that day. The word around school was that the parents of Castle Heights were keeping their kids home from school because of the murders.

  “How long can they hold out?” Ben asked. “It’s senior year. Kids have grades to get. It’s how the system works. Graduate, get a job, maybe earn a permit to leave.”

  “A permit to leave?” I asked.

  “All those who leave Castle Heights have to get a permit. They also have a caseworker who checks up on them from time to time and keeps track of them, to ensure that they don’t wreak havoc on the regular human population.”

  “Interesting,” I said.

  “So how do you feel, being a manifestation of all of the Grimms’ stories.”

  “Strange,” I said. “I haven’t even read all of them.”

  “I suggest you download all of them asap. Might help you understand yourself a little bit better.”

  “I don’t understand,” I said.

  “The way things work is so unpredictable. It’s like we live part of our immor
talized stories, and then other parts are different. Take me for instance, I’m not Van Helsing himself. I am his son. So what does that mean for me? Not much. Only that my life is a wildcard. I mean, there’s a legacy there, sure, but not much more. I’ve searched everywhere for my father, and I have no idea where he is.”

  “Maybe he’ll show up someday. Doesn’t he have a caseworker?”

  “Nope. He disappeared. Left me on Jennifer’s doorstep. He didn’t leave town going through the proper channels.”

  “Maybe I can help you find him,” I said.

  “Look, that’s Emily Holmes,” Ben said, pointing.

  A short girl, with mousy brown hair, wearing glasses, stood in front of her locker. She was pounding on it. I decided that it might be a good time to approach her on Ben’s behalf. But on the way to her, I realized that I should have asked Ben what the prank was that he pulled on her.

  “Um, excuse me,” I said.

  The girl turned to me. She appraised me before she slammed her forehead into her locker.

  “What do you want? Did you come to mock me? Emily Holmes is so smart she can’t figure out how to open her own locker.”

  “No, that’s not why I’m here. You need help opening your locker. Let me help,” I said.

  Emily turned her head to face me. “You’re new here aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I said.”

  “You’re a senior, right? You’re Reagan?”

  “How do you know so much about me?”

  “Rumors, girlfriend. They travel all over this school.”

  “Are they bad rumors?”

  “Most of them, yes. Most of the students here don’t like you much, but I assume you’ve been too busy to notice.”

  I hadn’t really gotten that vibe, but I’d only been back to school two days.

  “I’ll help you get in your locker. Then you can tell me about the rumors going around about me.”

  “Deal. Here’s my combination,” she said. She rattled off some numbers.

  I put in the combination. The locker popped open on my pull.

  “I don’t understand why I have such a hard time with this stupid locker. It’s like it hates me.”

  “So, tell me about the rumors,” I said.

  “Right,” Emily said. She pushed her glasses up and fiddled around in her locker.

  “First rumor is that you’re shacking up with the Dracul brothers.”

  “Okay, well that’s not true. I’m staying at the Thompson mansion.”

  “With Ben Van Helsing?”

  Oh boy, I thought. Maybe I should have made that known from the start. If my plan was going to backfire, this is where it was going to go wrong.

  “Yes, he’s the son of my mother’s sister,” I said.

  “So doesn’t that make him your cousin?”

  “No, not really. We’re not related by blood.”

  “Right. I knew that. Everyone knows that.”

  “What else do they know?”

  “That they are not to tell you a thing about your family history, who you are or anything like that, or all the members of their families will be hung.”

  “Really?” I asked. “That’s what they’re threatening?”

  “Harsh enough, if you ask me. The edict was signed by the royal family before you arrived.”

  “Speaking of the royal family, what do you think about this upcoming ball?”

  “Crap,” Emily said. “I’ve been invited, but I’m not going. I’m not going to go and pretend like everything is fine.”

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “I’m sure Ben already told you. My father is gone. Missing just like his own.”

  “I was told that your father was living somewhere else, just fine, solving mysteries.”

  “Yeah, that’s the PR lie of the century. Someone has been sending me letters on his behalf, but I’m a Holmes. You think I don’t know my own father’s writing?”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, Emily,” I said.

  “So, what is it? You come here to pick my brain on Jennifer Grimm’s behalf or something?”

  “Actually Ben’s,” I admitted.

  Emily slammed her locker shut. Ben was down the hall, but I watched him jump.

  “What does that asshole want?”

  “Well, first he wants to apologize for the prank he pulled on you.”

  “Apology not accepted. I will never forgive him.”

  “He also wants to know if you’d be willing to help him figure out who’s killing women around Castle Heights.”

  “Right. That. And he doesn’t think the police can handle it?” Emily quirked up her eyebrows.

  “No, well, it’s not that. It’s just that Jennifer says that the police have no leads.”

  “Of course they don’t. Corrupt buggers.”

  “Corrupt?”

  “Look, Reagan, I’ve got to get to class.”

  “Can I walk you?” I asked. “Pick your brain?”

  “How about at lunch?” Emily asked. “Usually, I eat alone in one of the classrooms, but I could come to lunch today to chat with you about the murders.”

  “And Ben?”

  “Tell him that if he allows me to punch him in the face, I’d be willing to sit down with him.”

  “I’ll tell him,” I said. “See you at lunch.”

  I walked back over to Ben. “What did you do to her?” I asked him.

  “I’d rather not say. I’m ashamed of it,” he said.

  “Well, whatever it is, she’s still pissed about it.”

  “I told you,” Ben said.

  “She says that she’ll have lunch with us to discuss the murders,” I told him. “But only under one condition?”

  “What’s that? I apologize? I’ve apologized like one hundred times already,” Ben said.

  “Nope. Not an apology. She wants to punch you in the face. She says that if you’ll allow her to punch you in the face, she’ll sit down with you.”

  “Maybe you ought to have lunch with her by yourself.”

  “No,” I said, trying not to laugh. “I wouldn’t know what questions to ask.”

  “I can write them down for you.”

  “Come on, we’re going to be late to class.”

  During Honors English, my favorite class, my mind wandered, so that during an intense discussion about the Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, I had nothing to add to it.

  When the bell rang, I dragged Ben to the lunch room.

  Emily wound her fist up while a couple of students guarded the cafeteria door. The lunch monitor must have hated Ben because she was all too eager to allow Emily Holmes to get her revenge.

  Her punched landed right in Ben’s eye. At least he took it like a champ. The entire cafeteria applauded. Emily, though smug, bowed a little.

  “So, should we have lunch then?” Ben asked.

  “Yes, please,” Emily said. “But don’t think I’ve completely forgiven you.”

  “What do I need to do?” Ben asked.

  “Maybe let me stab you in the heart,” Emily said.

  “Okay, okay,” I said. “I can’t take it anymore. I have to know what this prank was.”

  “Ben stood me up at a dance that’s what. He asked me. Then he didn’t show up.”

  “Ben? You did that to her? Why?” I asked him.

  Ben shrugged. “Peer pressure. Trying to be cool. When in a world of supes, being a Van Helsing isn’t all that big of a deal. I was trying to gain friends.”

  “Seems like you have plenty of friends,” Emily said.

  “Emily, you get your food first,” I said.

  She stood in front of Ben and me in the lunch line. That day’s lunch was lamb chops and garlic mashed potatoes. The lunchroom smelled divine, but I didn’t have much of an appetite.

  Emily, Ben, and I got our food, and we sat down at a lunch table. Ben looked depressed. Maybe because he got punched by Emily Holmes in front of everyone.

  Zoe, Victoria, Jace, and Cassidy, all joined u
s at the lunch table. Unlike the other students, their parents had allowed them to come to school.

  I wanted to meet their parents. Especially Dr. Frankenstein. Oh, and maybe Mr. Gray.

  “What’s she doing here?” Jace asked.

  “Hey,” I said. “Don’t be a jerk.”

  “Announcement,” Ben said. “Reagan knows everything now so you don’t have to tiptoe around her anymore.”

  “Wait,” Zoe said. “Why does she know?”

  “Anansi showed up at the house last night,” Ben said.

  “Did you see him?” Zoe asked.

  “No,” I said. “Jennifer cast a spell over me. I slept like a baby through all of it.”

  “I wish I had seen him,” Cassidy said. “What form was he in?”

  “He was half-man, half-spider,” I said.

  “Ew,” Zoe said. “My mother says that when he’s in the form of a man, he’s very good looking.”

  Emily cleared her throat. “So, who do you think is committing the murders?” she asked Ben.

  “Oh, I see,” Jace said. “You invited super sleuthy to help you figure out who’s killing the girls. Hey, far be it for me to tell you what to do, Ben, but may I suggest that you stay out of the murder business? Your father went into it. Maybe he didn’t fare so well.”

  “Shut up, Jace,” Zoe said. She punched Jace in his arm.

  “Sorry, you know I can’t control what I say,” Jace said. “It’s a disease.”

  Ben scowled. I really didn’t see why Ben and Jace were friends.

  “I think the killer is someone from a story, living out their nature. Maybe they resisted the urge for a long time, but couldn’t resist any longer.”

  “Is it a supe?” Ben asked.

  “No, but I think I know who it is. I will not say his name here in the lunch room to all of you. Also, it’s just a theory.”

  After lunch, Ben cornered Emily. He invited her to have dinner at the house.

  6

  After school, Aunt Jennifer insisted on dragging me to shop for a dress. We ended up at the Castle Heights mall, which I’ll admit was an exciting place to be because I had never been to a mall before. We stood inside of a formal dress shop in between aisles and aisles of ball gowns.