Autumn Awakens

by M. J. Padgett

  “I did, Ophie! This is what he is. It was only blocked by my mother’s spell, but he’s safer like this. He can protect himself and... and...” I was at a loss, but Henry picked up for me.

  “They are invincible as wolves, Ophelia. Now that the spell blocking the Canis Lupus curse has been lifted, he will heal at a supernatural rate. He will not die while in wolf form. For what we are prepared to do, this is a benefit to him and to you if you choose to accept it.”

  “I’m like him?” Ophelia asked. “I can do that, too?”

  “That is what I would like to find out,” Alorna said. “May I?”

  Ophelia watched Alorna intently, then asked, “What will you do to me?”

  I hated that we always worried something would go wrong, always planned for the worst-case scenario, never trusted anyone but each other. It was a testament to our younger years and the way the foster system influenced us. Before Rebecca, we were lost.

  “It won’t hurt a bit, just ask—well, I suppose you cannot ask Jordan, but when you shift you will hear him as clearly as if he were speaking beside you,” Alorna said.

  Ophelia glanced at me, and I nodded. “Okay. Just get it over with,” she said.

  Alorna repeated her glowing magic detection spell, and when she smiled, I knew she’d found the same thing in Ophelia that she had found in Jordan. Ophelia was, without a doubt, Autumn Reichenbach. When Alorna finished, she stepped back. Ophelia raised her hands and watched her fingers twitch.

  “Back away, everyone. I’ll help her,” Seline said. “We grew quite close as co-hostages captured by a crazy person.” Seline stepped up to Ophelia and gained her attention. “It doesn’t hurt a bit. Just relax, breathe, and let go of everything. Imagine being free and happy, running through the forest without a care in the world, the wind whipping past as you hear the sound of your loved ones calling.”

  Ophelia closed her eyes, and a moment later they popped open just as she shifted. It was smooth and effortless. She merely exchanged one form for another like changing clothes. She was gorgeous. A silvery grey that glistened in the light, a color I only imagined was more beautiful under the moonlight. Her blue eyes deepened to a near navy color, and the contrast with the silver fur coat was mesmerizing to me. She observed her body, then looked over her shoulder at her brother. She looked back to me, and I saw it again—hope.

  “All you need to do to shift back is think of being human, the sights and sounds of it,” Seline said.

  “Wait, she’ll need clothes or a blanket or—” I began.

  “Oh no, I’ve accounted for that this time. Don’t worry,” Alorna said.

  Ophelia shifted human just as easily as she did into wolf form. Chris and Ross stood dumbfounded against the wall while the rest of us reveled in the knowledge that we had already achieved a large portion of our goal. We found Clara and the missing Reichenbach royals.

  “Am I really a princess or something?” Ophelia asked.

  “Indeed, you are,” Clara said. “The beautiful Princess Autumn Olivia Reichenbach of Weisserwald, soon to be queen before your disappearance.”

  “Queen? I think I’m gonna be sick,” Ophelia said, then sat on the bed again. Jordan shifted and sat beside her.

  “Wow, you are one bada—”

  “Ah, ah, ah!” Nikola said, covering Petra’s ears. “Nice language around the gentle ladies.”

  Petra shoved her cousin’s hands away. “I’m sixteen, Nikola. I’ve said the word a—”

  “Ah, ah, ah!” Ophelia said, covering Jordan’s ears. “No bad language around the easily influenced brats.” Jordan and Petra both rolled their eyes, but the silly exchange did serve to lighten the mood again.

  “Well, now that’s settled we must move on to the next step. We know what Rose has planned, but we have no idea how to get into Weisserwald. She’s enacted her own protection spell,” Henry said, then added, “At least, that is what Heidi believes.”

  “Heidi?” I asked.

  “Sister to the Grimm brothers. Long story, but we must find a way to breach Rose’s protective barrier around the kingdom if we wish to attack there rather than letting her come to us.” Henry looked at Thaddeus. “We must return to Schwarzwald as quickly as possible.”

  “Wait, we promised Kylie we would bring her mother,” Seline reminded.

  “Drat,” Henry said, then, “I suppose we could split up again.”

  “No, I don’t want anyone splitting up,” Seline declared, which seemed an order though I could have sworn her husband was the General. I assumed her title trumped his even in matters of war. “Let’s eat and get some rest, then we’ll plan with clear heads.”

  I wanted nothing more than to drag Ophelia away from the group and declare my undying love for her, but it was the wrong time. She had already been kidnapped, fought hellhounds, turned into a wolf, and informed she was the future queen of a fairy tale land in under a day. I was almost certain telling her I loved her would push her over the edge, not to mention that other thing—I had no idea how she felt about me. The mere thought of pouring my heart out to her terrified me more than interrogating hardened gang members.

  “So, we have six rooms. Divide up how you are most comfortable,” Seline said. There was a pause while people looked around, but eventually, everyone began moving about.

  Jordan started toward the door without Ophelia. “Where are you going?” she asked.

  “I planned to room with Chris. That okay with you?” he questioned. It was little too snarky given Ophelia’s concern was warranted.

  “I got him,” Chris said, trying to ease Ophelia’s concern, but it did no good.

  “I almost died today. He’s not getting out of my sight again. Besides, we have a lot to talk about, Jordan,” she said, reminding him that they were not just along for the ride anymore. They were in as deep as I was, maybe more.

  Jordan sighed but relented as everyone else left the room. It was down to the three of us, and I knew I should go find somewhere to sleep, but I couldn’t walk away from her.

  “Uh... I think the couch is a pull out if you want to stay with us,” Ophelia said, pointing to a sofa I was sure was not a pullout, but I would happily sleep on it if she let me stay.

  “Do you want me to stay? I’m sure you’re safe here, but if you think I should—”

  “Please, yes. A fire-breathing whatever you are in the room would help me sleep better,” she admitted.

  “Yeah, what was up with that?” I asked, feeling a little more at ease. “That has never happened before.”

  “What? You breathe fire now? That’s so cool! Show me!” Jordan said.

  “Not in the hotel room, doofus. What do they teach you in school about fire indoors?” I asked, smooshing his face with my palm. He swatted me.

  “I’m getting a shower. You two should catch up,” he said, giving me a pointed glare. There was no way I was telling Ophelia my feelings, not yet. Jordan disappeared into the bathroom while Ophelia wiped the dried blood from her neck with a damp rag.

  “I’m gross. I need a shower, too.”

  “How do you feel about everything that’s happened?”

  She sighed deeply and dropped the rag onto the table. “Honestly, I’m so overwhelmed right now I’m not even sure it’s real. This could all be a dream. Like, one of those long dreams you can’t wake from even though you know it’s not real?” I chuckled, not the response she was searching for, but I wasn’t certain I was fully awake either. I felt the exact same way. “Hey, what happened to you on the train? You freaked out and ran off, then things went crazy.”

  My heart seized at the very thought of telling her that was the moment everything changed. It was the exact second that everything stopped being about me and my place in the world and shifted to her. She was the thing that gave me a reason to fight, to get up every morning and push on, to breathe. I could feel my chest constricting as it did on the train, holding tight to the immense feelings I had for her. Not yet.

  “Uh, I guess it
was just everything hitting me at once.”

  “Oh yeah, I can see that. It’s so much to take in over such a short time. I can hardly believe any of it, let alone the part that includes me. I only wish I remembered something, then maybe it wouldn’t be so scary.”

  “Don’t be scared, Ophie. That’s a crazy thing to say after what you just went through, but please don’t be scared.” My voice wavered. I hoped she didn’t notice, but she was nothing if not observant.

  “You’re scared, too. I can hear it in your voice.”

  She didn’t know I was scared for a different reason. It had nothing to do with curses, evil princesses, hellhounds, or any number of magical catastrophes yet to come. I was terrified she didn’t feel the same intense feelings for me that I felt for her. It was paralyzing to even think of losing her again. I didn’t care what happened to me if she and her brother were safe. It was my duty, my honor, the only thing I vowed to focus on from that point forward—just as I had been tasked to do from the beginning.

  “Maybe I am a little scared,” I admitted, “but now that I know what I’m up against, I think I’m mostly angry.”

  “I get that, too. If I were any match for that Rose woman, I’d have thrown her off the train myself,” she said with a chuckle.

  Jordan came out of the bathroom with new clothes. “Hey, I almost forgot, new clothes are in the bags on the sofa.”

  My eyes darted to the bags I hadn’t noticed before. While the others were traipsing around buying clothes, Ophelia and I were in a fight for our lives. It occurred to me that the others were right. We needed to get the fight away from New York as quickly as possible, preferably back to the Black Forrest where it belonged before more innocent people were hurt or killed. I shivered at the thought of what the hounds did to the people on the train. Ophelia’s movement toward the sofa distracted me from thinking about the horrifying moment.

  She smiled at me and went into the bathroom with a pile of clothing. Once the door was closed and the water was running, Jordan addressed me.

  “So, when are you going to tell my sister you’re in love with her?” Jordan asked.

  I felt a little taken by surprise since I had thought he was about to ask me about the details of our fight. Video games and action movies were more up his alley than romance, especially when it involved his sister.

  “Um...”

  He waited patiently, but when I didn’t give a straight answer, he said, “Just don’t run out on her, okay? Now that we know who we are, she’s gonna need you.”

  “I think she’ll need her brother more,” I said, ensuring he knew his place was also valued.

  “Your mother sent you to protect her for a reason, Parker. The thing is, I’m pretty sure she didn’t intend for you to fall in love with her.” The way he said it made me wonder if he was angry that my feelings for his sister were more than sibling love.

  “Are you mad at me?” I asked, trying to play it down by rummaging through the bags of clothing. I found something that would fit and turned around to face Jordan, who was much closer than I had anticipated.

  “Are you going to hurt her? Will,you just fulfill your duties as her protector and disappear, or will you stick around while she figures out what she wants?”

  “I don’t think I understand what you mean,” I said.

  “You love being a cop. Are you gonna stay in this crazy place we’re going to, or will you run off when the work is done?” he asked, his face reddening by the minute.

  I dropped the clothes on the bed and faced him fully. “Have I ever run off? Have I ever left you to fend for yourself? Who was the one who begged Rebecca to take you in?”

  “No, it was you but you also left Sierra and Cecily,” he said plainly without any hesitation or thought to how it might affect me.

  My mouth fell open. It was a low blow, and he knew it. I wanted the sisters to come with us, but they were afraid to leave the only city they had ever known. Fear of the unknown was more paralyzing to them than struggling in the system.

  “That’s not fair, Jordan.”

  He immediately appeared remorseful. “I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry. I’m just... I’m afraid you won’t want to stick around after... Look, I know how much your career meant to you, and I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to go back, but I wish—”

  “You and Ophelia mean more to me than a job, Jordan. I’m worried about what the future holds even if we do manage to defeat Rose, but I can say with absolute certainty that I will not leave you or Ophelia.”

  He hesitated, then asked, “Even if Chris and Ross do?”

  That question hit me hard. Chris, Ross, and I had been through a lot together and living without them in my life would be hard. I hadn’t considered the idea that they would want to return to America. Thinking that far ahead was useless in our situation, so I didn’t. Even so, I knew there would come a time when I’d be forced to choose between them and my destiny.

  “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know I love her and won’t leave her.” I hoped that was enough for him, especially since I heard the water turn off, and I had no desire to explain my feelings for her in front of Jordan. He clammed up, but he didn’t seem convinced. I hated that I couldn’t make him feel better, but he brought up ideas I had not even considered before that moment.

  When Ophelia exited the bathroom, I all but ran into it after her.

  “What’s his deal?” I heard her ask as I shut the door.

  “Nothing. He’s just being Parker,” Jordan responded, the standard answer when I did something no one could explain.

  Standing under the scalding hot water brought a lot of memories forward. Sierra and Cecily were not the only ones who suffered in our old foster home. The scars on my back from the glass coffee table were a constant reminder that I was once a useless kid, nothing more than a nuisance to the people who took us in. Before that family was another, equally evil one. Before that was a group home where I was constantly bullied. Before that... I sighed, choosing to let the memories fade into the background.

  Ophelia and Jordan had their own painful stories, so did Ross and Chris. They all suffered. Even those who found nice, adoptive families had suffered before getting there—even Jemma. Considering Sierra and Cecily went by Monroe just before they got married, I assumed they had also found a home with people who truly cared about them. I finally had that with Rebecca. The woman was a true angel on earth.

  I vowed to stay in the shower until it ran cold, if for no other reason than to avoid discussing feelings with Jordan again. However, I’d forgotten we were staying in a high-end hotel, and the water would probably never run cold. Instead, I let my mind wander considering my future. If we beat Rose, then Ophelia and Jordan would be expected to stay in Weisserwald to lead their kingdom, but what if their memories never returned? What if I never remembered my mother? Where would I stay—Weisserwald or Schwarzwald? Somewhere else? Perhaps with my former foster sisters in Goldene Stadt?

  What would Chris and Ross decide? And the fairies? What of them? There were too many things to consider, and it ended up messing with my brain more than I liked. It was a jumbled mess, but one thing was clear through all the chaos—losing to Rose was not an option. Losing meant living my life without Ophelia, and that was no life at all.

  I turned the water off, dried and dressed quickly, then quietly opened the bathroom door. As I had suspected, Ophelia and Jordan were asleep. She was tucked comfortably under the covers while Jordan was sprawled over three-quarters of the bed, his blanket already kicked to the floor. I saw the sofa was already covered with sheets for me, but I was hardly sleepy. My body begged for rest, but my mind would not allow it.

  I decided I needed a moment to myself, one where I could exist in the real world with real people in a normal hotel in New York City. I grabbed a key card from the desk and headed to the hotel restaurant. It was late, so most people were already settled in for the night, but when I approached the restaurant, I saw a familiar fa
ce. Thaddeus sat at a table in the corner staring out the window. It was snowing, a bit early for the year but beautiful all the same.

  I cleared my throat when I approached. He tensed, but relaxed when he saw it was me.

  “Parker,” he said with a nod. “Can’t sleep?”

  I shook my head. “No. Who can?”

  He chuckled. “Everyone else, apparently. It’s a sad thing when you have become so accustomed to this kind of life that sleep comes easily.”

  “I think Ophelia and Jordan are too exhausted to even consider that at this point. They were asleep before I got out of the shower.”

  “Indeed, Princess Gen—I mean, Jemma, she was out like a light the second her head hit the pillow.”

  “Must get confusing with all the names,” I said. “I’m not sure I’ll ever answer to Tristan.”

  “You might be surprised. When your memories return, you’ll feel like two people in one, at least that is what Jemma has said,” Thaddeus stated, much more comfortable speaking about Jemma than before.

  “If I get the memories back. I’m not a hundred percent clear on that topic, but it’s not like we’ve had abundant time to discuss the details.”

  “I’m not certain anyone is clear on the details if I’m honest. It’s been a bit different for everyone,” he said. “I’ve wanted to thank you for putting up with my petty jealousy. It’s been a long time since I first fell for Jemma. I know that is not a proper excuse for my behavior, but it’s all I have.”

  I laughed at that. “I get it. Looks like everything turned out alright though.”

  He smiled so big I thought he’d crack his face in half. “Indeed. That was quite shocking.”

  His eyes darted to something behind me. I turned to see what had caught his attention and saw Seline at the bar ordering tea. She turned her head and saw us sitting near the window. Thaddeus motioned for her to join us. The bartender handed her a steaming mug, then she wandered over to our table.

  “Gentleman,” she said, then sat in the chair Thaddeus had pulled out for her. Her tea smelled nice, but I doubted anything would calm me at that point. My anxiety was too deep. “I’ve been staring at the ceiling for an hour. After seeing those hounds, I’m not sure I’ll ever sleep again.”