Autumn Awakens

by M. J. Padgett

  She spun on her heel and shoved the book into Henry’s hands. We all stared after her as she began pacing like a caged tiger, mumbling to herself.

  “What on earth is wrong with you?” Henry asked.

  Jemma paused her pacing. “I know what they did. I get it! We were all here in the United States, alive at the same time, and so far, each family has lived in the same town!” Jemma waited for us to catch up, but we didn’t. “Don’t you get it? It never happened this way before now. Just ask the Grimm brothers! They scoured the ends of the earth to find the Saliens and never, never found them all together in any life before this one. The Saliens were all together in Maine, the Vogels and I were in Philadelphia, the Bastian’s were in Greenville, and now—”

  “Holy crap,” Henry said, then glanced at Jordan. “Holy crap,” he said again, running his hands through his hair where they rested as he stared at my youngest foster brother in amazement.

  “What?” Jordan yelled, gaining Ross and Chris’ attention. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

  I suddenly went weak in the knees. I felt the same adrenaline rush through my body that I felt when I realized I was in love with Ophelia. I pulled out a chair and sat before I passed out or shifted accidentally, deciding I did not like feeling overwhelmed one bit.

  “Why is everyone acting crazy?” Jordan shouted again, his eyes darting from one person to another.

  “Because now we know why Rose wanted Ophelia so badly,” Thaddeus said, sitting across from me with the same astonished look on his face. “Dare I make the leap to assume—”

  “She’s Autumn,” I whispered. Jemma’s nod confirmed my worst fears. We were right in the middle of the nightmare all along, and we never even knew.

  Chapter Six

  “Maybe I’m a little behind here, but are you trying to say Ophelia and Jordan are missing royals from a fairy tale kingdom?” Chris questioned.

  “I think so,” Jemma said.

  “Uh... So, I have a question,” Ross said with his hand raised. “If the missing royals all ended up together in some mystical twist of fate, does that mean... Dude, please tell me I’m not—”

  “No, no. I... Well, I guess I can’t be sure, but I think it’s probably coincidence you ended up with them. Maybe?” Jemma said.

  “But you can’t be sure?”

  Jemma shook her head. “No, but for now, let’s work with what we do know. Ophelia and Jordan check off all the boxes, but there is one glaring box left unchecked. They are not afflicted with the wolf curse. Unless...” Jemma looked at Jordan who had no idea what she was getting at. Everyone looked at the poor kid, and all he did was stare back at us.

  “They don’t shift,” I said. “If they did, they would have told us.”

  “Oh!” Jordan exclaimed, finally understanding what all the staring was about. “I’m not a wolf thing like Jemma. I think you’re all crazy, that’s what I think. I was born in Florida, raised by a bunch of different people, and—”

  “Where exactly were you born, Jordan?” Henry asked.

  Jordan shrugged. “I’m not sure, really. Ophelia told me a long time ago we were found together in the woods behind a church or something. I wasn’t paying attention because I didn’t care.”

  The others shared a look, but it was Nikola who spoke.

  “There is a possible reason for this,” she said. “If Thirteen somehow shielded the siblings from the curse, it’s conceivable the full effect did not manifest.”

  “That actually does make sense. Ravenna was able to amend the wolf curse on her children. They only shifted on a blue moon while the rest of us shifted every full moon. Is there a way to test the theory?” Jemma asked.

  “I’m not letting you test anything!” Jordan was getting worked up, but I didn’t blame him. “I am not a lab rat!”

  Nikola took pity on him and spoke directly to him rather than the group. “I understand how you must feel. There is a way to test, and I promise it is completely painless.” She held her hand over her heart. “Honestly, I wouldn’t lie to you about something so important.”

  “But you would lie to us, right? You just said about something so important. Which means you would lie about something less important, right?” Jordan asked, picking up on a twist of phrase the rest of us missed.

  “I would, yes. I did at first, but you must understand it was only to protect myself and my family. Everything I have said to you since I brought you to this room has been the truth as far as I know it,” Nikola admitted.

  Jordan observed her for a moment, then nodded. “Fine, tell me what you’re going to do first.”

  “It’s a simple test for the magic, sort of like a scan. Think of it as reading your body for magical influence. My cousin can do it. I’ll just retrieve her.” Nikola darted back down the aisles while the rest of us waited. I didn’t think anyone was comfortable with the situation, but there were also very few options at that point. Within a few minutes, Nikola returned with another woman. She looked like Nikola, but her eyes were pale blue rather than brown, and her blonde hair was shorter and a bit brighter.

  “This is my cousin, Alorna. She is the descendant of Seven, and the only one among us to inherit the fairies’ ability to detect latent magic.”

  “It won’t hurt a bit,” Alorna said to Jordan. “I promise, and then we’ll find your sister.”

  Jordan hesitated for a moment, but he eventually moved toward the woman. Alorna placed her hands on either side of Jordan’s head and closed her eyes. Her hands illuminated, but they were pastel green rather than the pink glow Nikola emitted. Alorna’s forehead scrunched as she seemed to search for something.

  “Oh!” she said. “There’s definitely something. Hang on.” Her hands glowed brighter as Jordan’s eyes grew wider. He began to shake a little and made direct eye contact with me. He was scared.

  “Stop! That’s enough,” I said, and Alorna stopped immediately.

  “I feel... strange,” Jordan said. “I’m all tingly and... and my heart is racing.”

  “Tingly all over, or just in your fingers and toes?” Jemma asked.

  “Fingers and toes, but it’s spreading,” Jordan replied. “What’s happening?”

  “Um, I think everyone should stand back!” Jemma yelled.

  Chris and Ross darted away from Jordan, who was more terrified than ever. The others moved a few steps away, but I stood and went to him. I took his face in my hands and made him focus on me.

  “It’s okay, Jordan. Just breathe and relax. I think this is supposed to happen, right?” I asked, glancing at Alorna.

  “Indeed. I lifted the suppression spell,” Alorna said.

  “You what?” Nikola asked, surprised. “I wanted you to tell us if he had suppressed magic, not lift the spell!” She was angry with her cousin, but Alorna did not seem the least bit fazed.

  “He can protect himself better this way. There’s no chance for a normal life for any of us, so he may as well be able to defend himself.”

  Nikola sighed. “That was not for you to decide, Alorna.”

  Jordan continued to breathe deeply, and Jemma stepped beside me.

  “Listen to me, Jordan. It’s all going to be okay. I’m right here with you, and I’ll help you through the shift. Just relax and let the tingle spread. You’ll be fine, I promise. I’m going to shift now. When you shift, just listen, and you’ll hear my thoughts to you, okay?” Jemma asked.

  Jordan nodded his head frantically. “O-okay. I’m scared.”

  “I know. I was scared the first time, too. But it’s a great feeling when you’re finally free, okay? Just breathe and let it happen.” Jemma stepped back a little and nodded. “I promise. You’re okay.” She shifted with ease and sat on her haunches.

  I released Jordan’s face, and he stepped further back. He kept constant eye contact with me, so I tried not to blink. I didn’t want him to lose what little confidence he had gained. He inhaled deeply, then let it out slowly. I could see his fingers twitch. In
an instant, a large, grey wolf stood before us. He looked over his body and whined, then looked back to Jemma. He cocked his head to the side, then twitched his ears. Jemma whined, then Jordan nodded slightly. They were communicating. When Jordan began wagging his tail, I relaxed. Jemma shifted human again, then Jordan—with one major problem.

  “Oh, crap!” Jordan cried when he realized he was naked. He leaped behind Chris to shield himself from the women.

  “Oops,” Alorna said, then waved her hands around and materialized some clothing. “I can fix that if you want?” she asked Jordan who nodded frantically again from behind Chris who couldn’t control his laughter.

  “It’s not funny!” Jordan yelled in Chris’ ear.

  “But it was pretty cool,” Ross added. “Hey, can you make us all do that?”

  “Shift into a wolf?” Alorna asked, then shrugged and said, “I mean, I could—”

  “No!” Nikola scolded. “What are you doing, Alorna? We can’t just go around messing with the natural order of things, turning everyone we meet into shape-shifting animals. We’ll lose our powers, you know that!” Alorna rolled her eyes at her cousin.

  “But you can scan us, too, right? I can’t tell you how freaked out I am that I’m connected to this disaster,” Ross said. He shifted his gaze to me. “S-sorry, Park. That came out all wrong. I meant—”

  “Totally fine. I get it, but it would be good to know how Chris and Ross fit into this scenario. Would you mind?” I asked.

  Alorna shrugged then repeated her scan on both Ross and Chris. She bit her lip when she completed Ross’ scan, then said, “See, here’s the thing. Some people have gifts that appear as latent magic when I do the scan. I’m not saying you’re connected to this in some way, but—”

  “What?” Ross’ eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

  Alorna chuckled. “I’m just kidding. You have zero magic whatsoever. You’re both plain old mortals.”

  Nikola rolled her eyes just as another girl, younger and with very similar facial features to mine, entered the common area of the library. I couldn’t stop staring at her. If I hadn’t learned I was distantly related to Nikola and Alorna, I might have freaked out a little over the uncanny resemblance. When the girl set eyes on me, her mouth fell slightly. I briefly wondered if she was a bit closer in relation than a distant cousin, but Nikola cleared up my question immediately.

  “This is our youngest cousin, Petra. She’s the descendant of Twelve, the twin sister of Thirteen. Now that I look, the two of you look a lot alike, don’t you?” Nikola asked.

  “I’ll say,” Petra commented, leaning closer toward me to observe my face. After a moment of mutual staring, she shook her head to refocus. “I came to tell you I have a lead. It’s not as strong as I’d like, but I know they were there at some point. Maybe we can pick up some clues if we go there?”

  “Where?” I asked.

  “They spent a considerable amount of time at a small airport about an hour from here. It looks like they purchased tickets to New York.” Petra scanned the room, her eyes landing on each of us for a moment before moving to the next. I felt like I was being cataloged in her mind, then I noticed Jordan. He was ogling her the same way I ogled chocolate cake. Chris noticed, too, and elbowed Jordan in the gut.

  “You saw them?” Henry asked.

  “I did, yes. It’s how my location magic works, sort of like watching a television show. Unfortunately, I did not see your friends, only Rose purchasing the tickets.”

  My heart sank, thinking of what condition Ophelia and Seline might be in, or if they were even alive. Henry’s shoulders drooped. I had been incredibly selfish in worrying only about Ophelia while Henry silently missed his wife. Henry and the others came to help me, and all I could focus on was getting Ophelia back. I’d also blamed them for what happened. The truth was, it wasn’t their fault or mine. It was all Rose.

  “You said, New York? Oh, no. Could they be after my mother?” Jemma queried, another thing I had forgotten entirely. We were supposed to find Jemma’s mother.

  “Why would they want your mother?” Jordan asked.

  “She and my aunt are siphon witches. They can draw magical energy from just about anything, including other witches. My mother is powerful, and if she were...” Jemma faded with a look of shock on her face. “We have to go.”

  “Yes, we should move as quickly as possible. We must find Clara before Rose does,” Henry added.

  “Why?” I asked, understanding we needed to find Clara, but not clear on the sudden urgency.

  “Because if Rose and the mysterious woman find Clara, they can turn her against us. It’s happened before, with Hayden. If my mother is infected with this evil, then Heaven help us all,” Jemma said frantically. “That brings another question to mind. How is Rose magical, but Autumn is not? Or is she?”

  Nikola raised her hand slightly. “That I do have an answer for. Princess Autumn was... is not magical. Rose is not... Well, they do not share the same mother. King Reichenbach was not the noblest of men. Rose is the daughter of the queen’s lady-in-waiting but held no position in the line for the throne. I suppose that angered Rose.”

  “What a jerk,” Jordan said. “Wait... That jerk was my father! I hate him already.”

  Petra smiled when Jordan denounced his father’s actions, then said, “We’ll come with you. You’ll need help.”

  “We can’t bring everyone here on this trip. There’s no room,” Henry stated, but hesitantly.

  Petra chuckled. “There’s only us. No other descendants of the Thirteen Fairies of Weisserwald exist in this generation. We’re a dying breed you could say. Oh, our dog!”

  “The neighbor can watch him,” Alorna stated simply.

  “Does anyone else find it odd that we can move from discussing intense supernatural crap to random, normal daily things in the blink of an eye?” Ross asked.

  “Buddy, I stopped trying to rationalize anything the second Jemma turned into a wolf,” Chris said.

  “This is our life, take it or leave it,” Thaddeus said, but his tone indicated he wished Chris would leave it and go back home thereby eliminating one man from the competition for Jemma’s affections.

  Jemma rolled her eyes and turned to face Thaddeus. “I really don’t have time for this. I need to find my mother, so can you put the jealous streak away and act like a grown-up?”

  “Wha... I... I’m... I don’t know what you mean,” Thaddeus defended as he stood and pushed in his chair.

  “You’re such an idiot,” Jemma said, then stood on her toes and kissed him. When she proved her point, she asked, “Now, can we please go get my ridiculously strong, magical mother before the evilest evil that ever lived invades her, and she destroys the world?”

  “Sure?” Thaddeus responded, his fingers grazing his lips. “I... Yes? Huh? Wh-what just happened?”

  Jemma chuckled and took his hand. “Come on. We’re gonna need two vehicles.”

  The three new members of our entourage followed Jemma and Thaddeus toward the exit, the ancient book written by my mother tucked safely under Jemma’s arm. I felt like I needed a moment to breathe and decipher the new information thrown at me, but we had already spent way too much time figuring out what to do next. Any further delay would only give Rose an immeasurable head start.

  “We’re driving?” Chris asked. “That’ll take forever.”

  “No way I’m getting on another train,” Jordan declared.

  “Relax. There is a better way,” Nikola said.

  “Really? Like teleporting or something?” Jordan asked excitedly.

  “Um, no. Like flying,” Petra said.

  “You can fly?” Jordan asked.

  “In a plane. Seriously, you need to stop watching stupid movies and television shows.” Petra laughed, but she and Jordan seemed to hit it off well. I was glad. He needed someone close to his own age to help him navigate the craziness to come. However, I was not thrilled to have three new bodies to worry about.

 
“Parker?” Chris asked. “You’ve got that look in your eye. It’s the one you get right before we break a case and you’re afraid the whole thing is gonna blow up in our face.”

  “Sometimes it does,” I reminded him. “And now we have an amateur shape-shifting wolf and three fairies to worry about.”

  “We had to worry about him before. His ability doesn’t change anything. I will say this, I’m glad you finally realized your feelings for Ophelia. We’ve all been wondering when it would finally hit you,” Chris teased.

  “You knew?”

  “It’s kinda obvious to everyone but you and Ophelia. Even Jordan suspected something between you, and he’s a doofus.”

  “Yeah, and now she’s gone. I’m so stupid,” I admitted.

  “She’s gonna be fine. You know her. She’s probably already got Rose trembling in her shoes.”

  Chris wasn’t wrong. I had to stop thinking about the issue as if Ophelia and Seline were just sitting around waiting to be saved like helpless damsels in distress. I knew Ophelia was a capable, intelligent person, and I assumed Seline probably was as well. Seline’s knowledge of fighting evil princesses and her ability to shift combined with Ophelia’s cunning and feistiness was sure to keep them safe.

  I had expected the flight to New York to feel long and drawn out, filled with many conversations about things I wasn’t prepared to talk about, my mother and the circumstances of our disappearance being number one on the list. Instead, it was quiet. Jemma read my mother’s book while our three new friends chatted quietly. Jordan knocked out the second his head hit the headrest, and the rest of us minded our own business until the plane touched down and we got off.

  Henry had formulated a plan while on the plane, which included finding a place to stay and purchasing food, clothing, and supplies since ours were still on the train we’d exited in a hurry. I wasn’t thrilled about his plan, but he was the General in charge for a reason. My guess was he knew better than anyone how to prepare to fight evil.