Autumn Awakens

by M. J. Padgett

  “Oh, what fun!” Jack said, then asked, “Has Jeanine made any—”

  “Yes, Jack, there’s cake. There is always cake. Just... Just go,” Wil said with a sigh. Jack was out of his seat and down the hall before Wil could finish his breath, Sutton shook her head.

  “How he is a future king, I will never know. Anyway, I’ll relay this information to my family. You’ll keep me posted of any developments with Ethan and what you discover in Goldene Stadt?”

  “Indeed. Thank you, Princess.” Wil nodded and stood aside so she could leave. “As for the rest of us, smaller groups are easier to guard on trips. Heidi is working hard with Ravenna, Aline, and Clara to improve our protection spell, but it will take time. They must first discover the source of the breach. I know you are all afraid to split up, but it really is best if we reduce the group for travel.” It was a really nice way of saying there was no way he would be responsible for all of us.

  “Where he goes, we go,” Chris said, relaying our promise to each other.

  I was honored, but I wanted them to be safe. “Chris, it’s okay. I’m coming back. It’ll be fine.”

  He hesitated but agreed with a reluctant nod of his head. “Fine, I’ll stay and watch the brat.”

  Jordan scowled at him, shoved his chair back, and left the room. No doubt, he was either going to see what Petra was doing or following Jack for cake. Ophelia rubbed her temples with her thumbs and groaned.

  “That boy, I swear. I’m sorry, Wil,” she said.

  “No need. I raised two teenage boys. I remember well how it is.” Wil sat, and his eyes filled with sympathy. “If it is any consolation, it is normal behavior.”

  “I swear the kid attended a class on how to be a broody, annoying pain in my butt. But I love him, and if anything happens to him while I’m gone that dragon will be the least of your concerns. You got me?” Ophelia said firmly.

  “We’ll be with him,” Chris said. “Ross and I will take care of it, don’t worry.” They went after Jordan, and it seemed the decision was made. Ophelia and I would accompany Wil to Goldene Stadt.

  “I’ll fetch Jeanine and the three fairies. Henry, we could use you as well. Are you up for it?” Wil asked.

  Henry agreed. “Sierra and Cecily are undoubtedly helping plan the ball, so perhaps Felix would like to return home with us?”

  “I agree. Parker, Ophelia, ready yourselves to leave in thirty minutes.” With that, Wil Grimm left the building, and it hit me—I was talking to a fifteen-hundred-year-old man who I read about in high school. Funny, he was much younger in the history books. There was probably some long, drawn out reason for his lengthened lifespan as well, but I did not care. All I could think about after that was being alone in the room with Ophelia. The last time we were alone together, a dragon attacked us. The very idea put me on edge.

  She was so tired, but she kept going because I needed her. We all needed sleep, but since it was broad daylight in Schwarzwald, I doubted anyone had even considered that fact. We were running on fumes and ready to drop at any moment, but our trip to gather information was critical. If nothing else, I’d let her sleep on my shoulder on the way. Maybe I’d catch a few winks myself.

  I watched her stand in silence and walk over to the window. She pulled back the heavy drapes and peered out cautiously, probably expecting to see a dragon or other mythical creature on the other side of the glass. She began humming, something she did when she was scared. It hit me hard. So hard, in fact, I said something stupid and completely random.

  “I love you, Ophelia.”

  She dropped the drapery and smiled. “I love you, too, Parker. Is everything okay? You sound terrified,” she said, thinking I meant I loved her as a sister. I’d said it before, so it was unclear to her that I meant it in any other way. I could have backed out then and there, walked away, and she wouldn’t have thought anything of it, but that was the coward’s way. She was a rock for me, she deserved more than a coward in her life.

  I desperately wanted to tell her the truth, but we only had thirty minutes. That wasn’t nearly enough time to explain what she meant to me and try to figure out if she even remotely cared for me the same way. I was so conflicted I said another stupid thing.

  “No, no not really. I’m not okay. See, there’s this girl I have feelings for, and I was hoping you could help me?”

  She shifted her gaze from me to the floor. “Sure. I could help you. I mean, it’s probably bad timing but... Is she here or back home?”

  “She’s here. Uh... It’s a kind of new thing, actually.”

  “Oh, right. I guess Nikola is really sweet and pretty, isn’t she?”

  I couldn’t figure out what Nikola had to do with anything, and because I was a moron, I continued to say idiotic things. “I was trying to think of a way to tell her how I feel. She’s been this rock-solid person since we met, and I’m not sure she has a clue that I can’t live without her. Like, I’m not even sure I could breathe anymore if she left me.”

  Ophelia’s eyes went wide. “Don’t you think it’s a bit fast for feelings that strong?” she asked.

  “No, I don’t think so. I mean, I only realized I had those feelings a day ago, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t real, right?”

  She swallowed and sucked all her feelings inside. I was a fool who never saw it before, but I could see it then. She tensed with every word, working hard to control her own emotions so she could selflessly help me. I couldn’t be a hundred percent sure, but I thought I saw jealousy flash through those gorgeous blue eyes.

  “I was thinking,” I continued. “What if I just walked right up to her and kissed her? Would that be a crazy thing to do?”

  She looked at me like I had a watermelon head.

  “Do you want to get smacked?” she asked, still trying to hold it together. “Do you even know how she feels about you? I don’t want you to profess your undying love to someone who doesn’t deserve it, Park. You deserve someone who likes everything about you, even that stupid noise you make every time you win a board game. Or how you never, ever remember to put your muddy shoes on the shoe rack in the garage. She’s not going to like that weird cheesy chicken thing you make, but she should pretend she does anyway. You’re a great guy, so any girl you fall in love with should be willing to eat weird cheesy chicken. And she should be okay with all of us hanging around because we’re family no matter what. Does she even know you’re the smartest person in the world and that...”

  She kept rambling, and I saw no end in sight, so I walked closer and took her hands. It was awkward since she was waving them around as she spoke, but she let me squeeze them and stopped speaking mid-sentence. Her eyes searched mine for an explanation. I wanted to kiss her so badly I couldn’t stand it, but I also had no desire to make a total fool of myself if I had misjudged her moment of jealousy. I settled my forehead on hers, and her eyelids fluttered closed. The only sound in the room was the soft inhale and exhale of her breathing, and of course, the sound of my own heart beating wildly.

  I licked my lips. “It’s you, Ophelia. I don’t know why I said all those stupid things. It’s you. I love you, and I really want to kiss you.”

  She moved forward and pressed her lips against mine, freeing the chains that kept me from making a move. I took her head in my hands and kissed her back, forgetting everything else but her. I could feel her fingers rest on my chest, and her soft whimper told me I had better explain myself. I released her and wrapped her in my arms.

  “Wow,” I said. “I wasn’t expecting to have that conversation with you right now, but I do love you, Ophelia. I love you so much.”

  She pulled away to look directly in my face. “M-me?” she asked, pointing to herself. “You... you love me?”

  I nodded. “Yes, and I wanted you to know that before things get even crazier. You’re the most beautiful, unselfish person I’ve ever met. And if you don’t feel the same way about me, then I’ll find a way to deal with that. But if you do, if you love me too, then I pr
omise I’ll love you forever, Ophelia.”

  Her mouth opened, but no sound escaped. She closed it again and pursed her lips. I started to freak out a little inside but waited patiently all the same. She slipped her hands into mine, interlacing our fingers tightly.

  “You just want to be a king, that’s all,” she teased.

  I let out a huff of air, relieved. “Does that mean... I mean, do you like me?”

  She chuckled. “I more than like you, Parker. I’ve been waiting for years for you to notice me as more than your foster sister. Took you long enough.”

  “You what? How did I not know that?”

  “Because for a detective, you’re not very observant. I’ve left you hints, but you never showed interest, so I just assumed you didn’t feel the same way.”

  “I did. I do, I just think I was so wrapped up in figuring out who I am and where I fit in the world, I forgot to pay attention to the one person who basically makes up my entire world. I love you, Ophie. Whatever comes next, that won’t change.”

  She smiled and stood on her tip-toes to kiss me again. I was swimming, intoxicated with the very idea of Ophelia. There was a very real possibility I had fallen into the rabbit hole, and I would never be satisfied with being her boyfriend alone. I knew, right then and there, Ophelia Constance was my end game. Maybe, just maybe, my birth mother knew that all along.

  Chapter Eleven

  Ophelia giggled, and an awkward silence ensued after our second kiss. Her cheeks were rosy, probably like mine. I hadn’t thought much past admitting my feelings. I hadn’t even thought that out, but after I did, I was at a loss for words. I didn’t want to assume sharing our feelings meant we were together, a thing as Jordan would call it. I wanted to ask her what we were at that point, but the others returned.

  She smiled and released me but not before Wil noticed. His sly smile was a heavy indicator he saw more than I realized, but he took mercy on me and said nothing.

  “All set?” he asked.

  “Uh... Yeah, I think so. Are the fairies ready?” Ophelia asked.

  “We’re here!” Nikola called when she entered the room. “Sorry, we ran all the way from the... Whatever, a room on the other side of the castle.” She smiled at Ophelia, who squeezed my hand, and it finally dawned on me. Ophelia thought I had feelings for Nikola! Of course, the fairy was beautiful, but she wasn’t the woman I loved. I bent down and kissed Ophelia’s cheek and took her hand.

  “We’re ready, too,” I said.

  “Perfect. Jeanine is waiting at the car and Gerald will meet us there,” Wil said. “When we return, we’ll stuff you full of dinner and send you off to bed.”

  Ophelia sighed. “Oh man, that sounds perfect. I’m so tired.”

  “You can nap on my shoulder,” I said. “I love you.”

  Nikola and Alorna turned their attention to us, Alorna noticing our entwined fingers. “Aw, look Nik. Aren’t they just adorable?” She squealed, surprising me. Alorna didn’t seem the type to squeal over anything considering her devil-may-care attitude.

  Nikola rolled her eyes. “Sorry, best friends turned true love are her Achilles heel. Also, I just lost twenty bucks. You couldn’t have waited one more day? My money was on Golden Boy, admitting his feelings after a good night’s sleep.”

  Ophelia giggled again and tried to hide her face in my shoulder.

  “I do appreciate a good love story, but we should be going. The road to Goldene Stadt is much faster than riding a horse through the forest, but it’s still a bit far,” Wil said.

  We followed him without question to the courtyard where an SUV awaited. Jeanine was already in the passenger seat waiting patiently, the same look of guilt on her face she wore earlier. Wil slid into the driver’s seat while Nikola and Alorna took the middle row. I squeezed in the rear with Ophelia, wondering where Henry and Felix would sit when a smaller car pulled up beside us. I chuckled, remembering how I met Henry. It felt like ages ago.

  Ophelia was asleep in seconds, snuggled against my chest. The fairies were also out, leaving me awake with Wil and Jeanine. I wanted to sleep, but I was too concerned about the guilty glances Jeanine kept shooting over her shoulder at me. If she was anything like her twin, then she was a wonderful person. She had already shown she was kind and caring, so I felt comfortable enough to speak my mind.

  “Jeanine, what is bothering you?” I asked quietly.

  Wil glanced at his mother-in-law. She smiled at him, then shifted in her seat to look at me.

  “I just can’t shake the feeling that I failed you. I’m so sorry Tristan, I just—I mean, Parker. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to call you... Oh, you must think I’m a horrible person,” she said. Wil reached across the center console and settled his hand on her forearm.

  “You are not a horrible person, Jeanine,” he insisted.

  “I agree. I think you did everything you could to protect us from Rose. It’s not your fault things didn’t go as planned,” I said, wishing we could just move past it and find the answers we needed to protect Ophelia and Jordan from Rose.

  “I feel so guilty. How does a mother forget her son?” she asked, her eyes filled with tears.

  “How does a son forget his mother?” I offered in return.

  “Oh, it’s not the same,” she argued, wiping her tears.

  “Everyone has forgotten things, Jeanine. Our minds cannot override powerful spells,” Wil reasoned.

  She chuckled. “Part of that is my fault. Don’t you see? It isn’t just my spell to protect Autumn and Joel that went wrong. I also caused my sisters so much pain and... and if I had been honest with them from the beginning, perhaps it wouldn’t have taken fifteen centuries to—”

  “Stop. Just... just stop,” Wil said firmly. “I will not watch a woman I love as dearly as my own mother rip herself to shreds over something so trivial.”

  “It’s hardly trivial, Wilhelm!” Jeanine argued.

  “It is when you consider how much good you have done. You raised my wife and cared for her better than any mother before her. She loves you as much as she loves Ravenna, and I dare say there’s more of you in her than of her biological mother. Parker is a big boy, and I am quite sure he can see to reason. This was no fault of yours. It was... We need a name for the hooded woman who caused it all, this thing that invades our homes.” His voice drifted. I imagined what life must have been like for him if he truly spent fifteen centuries chasing the woman he loved. I felt there must be an epic story between him and Calla.

  “I’m sorry, Wil. I simply cannot walk away from all responsibility just because you say I should,” Jeanine countered.

  “Then do it because I say you should. I want you to absolve yourself and help me. Help me now. I love her, and I will die if anything happens to her. So, take all that guilt and pain and focus it on keeping Ophelia and her brother alive. Do that, and we’re square,” I said.

  Jeanine looked back to me again. Her lips were firmly pressed together, an attempt to stop the tears from falling. She nodded and glanced at Ophelia. “She is quite beautiful, isn’t she?” she asked.

  “She can hear you,” Ophelia said, opening her eyes to gaze into mine. “And she agrees with Parker. Jordan and I would be dead right now if you hadn’t protected us centuries ago. Keep my brother alive and safe, and whatever mishaps occurred before are forgiven.”

  Jeanine’s worry didn’t subside, but she did smile. “I promise you I will do everything in my power to keep you all safe.”

  Wil slowed the SUV to a stop. I peered out the window and was surprised to find we were already there. The castle before us was smaller than the Salien castle, but still gargantuan and boasted a mote and drawbridge. I couldn’t help thinking it was nicer than the one we’d left, if only because it was closer to what I imagined when I thought of castles. Wil slowly drove over a narrow bridge, then up to the castle. Once parked, we spilled out of the vehicle and waited for the guards to lower the drawbridge.

  Ophelia kept a firm grip on my hand, forci
ng thoughts of defining our relationship back to the forefront of my mind. There were other things that should be there, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get past that one little detail to focus on what we’d come to Goldene Stadt to do. I bent slightly to whisper in her ear while we waited for the bridge to lower.

  “What are we?” I asked.

  “Huh?” Ophelia replied with a confused look on her face. “Do you mean literally, or... Are you having a crisis of some kind?”

  I chuckled. “No, I know what we are literally, sort of. I meant you and me. What are we now?” She fought hard to hide the smile that tugged at the corners of her lips, but she couldn’t. She let it spread wide then bit her bottom lip. “What?” I asked, amused.

  “I dunno. What do you want us to be?” she asked curiously, but I could hear the nervous energy in her voice.

  I glanced at the drawbridge. It was all the way down, and Felix was speaking with one of the guards. I doubted we had time to get into a long conversation about the future, but at the same time, I felt Ophelia deserved more than a hurried explanation. I thought for a moment, then tried to convey as much emotion as possible in twenty seconds.

  “I love you so much. Much more than I ever thought I could love anyone. I know that feeling will never, ever change. I never want you not to be in my life. Right now, all I can think about is growing old with you, having a bunch of little kids, and giving them the most amazing family. I don’t know what our future holds, but I know that much is true. I want that, Ophie, and I want it with you. This is the absolute worst possible time to be distracted by such things, but I am. I can’t help it. I just wanted you to know that.”

  Her mouth opened a bit farther with each sentence. When I stopped spewing words at her, she wrapped her arms around my neck.

  “I love you, too,” she mumbled “and ditto.”