“What is happening?” Ravenna cried. “Someone tell me who is screaming!”
“It’s Calla!” Marcus yelled from the balcony, pointing toward his sister. Wil tried to comfort her but it did no good.
“Here!” Jay yelled from somewhere in the crowd. He had picked his wife up from the ground. Elizabeth screamed into his shoulder, then bit down on his collar. “I don’t know what’s happening to them! Their memories returned long ago!”
“No!” Snow managed to choke through her own pain. “Not memories. The mark!” With that, Snow passed out.
“The mark? Where is it?” Ravenna asked, searching Snow’s face and finding nothing.
I felt a burning sensation on my back, then I heard more people yelling. Ethan, who was approximately ten feet away from me, yelped and grabbed his shoulder. An instant later, he screamed and fell to his knees, clawing at his back. My own back began to burn hotter, so I reached for the painful spot. In an instant, it seared into my skin, causing agonizing, inconceivable amounts of pain. It was worse than the memories.
More screams, more pain, then darkness.
Chapter Twenty-One
Once again, I woke in the middle of something with no clue what happened. My eyelids felt heavy, but unlike the haze during the memory recall, I was able to keep them open. I was in the infirmary. People moved around like bees buzzing here and there. From my peripheral, I saw Ophelia standing over someone else. She moved to the side to pick up a bag of IV fluids, and I saw Ethan’s face. What happened?
I groaned and sat slowly, taking in the rest of the room. Kylie directed people from one patient to another. My arm stung at the elbow when I bent it, so I glanced down. I was also a patient. I suddenly remembered the burning pain on my back and reached behind me, my fingers softly grazing the tender skin. At the nape of my neck, just over my spine, I felt a raised bump, much smaller than I expected.
“Welcome back, groupie,” I heard a voice whisper behind me. I turned to find Snow reclined in the bed beside me, her own bag of fluids dripping steadily. “Welcome to the Seven Sworn club.”
I sat straighter. “What?”
She smiled weakly, then said, “You’re one of them, the Seven Sworn. Here, I’ll show you.” She started to stand, but the IV pole held her back. “Can someone help me, please?”
A nurse rushed over and removed the IV line cautiously. Her small fingers trembled, and she never took her eyes from Snow’s face. Years had passed, and though prophecy told them Snow was good, they still didn’t trust her. I didn’t necessarily blame them. I couldn’t say how I would react if Rose had been the one to return, but I was also ready to move into the next phase. I wanted to know what happened to me and the others, and I needed to know what it meant. Other villagers milled around, helping Kylie. I wondered how long I was out if the villagers had already returned and some semblance of normalcy settled in the kingdom.
Snow rose from the bed and motioned for me to do the same. I grabbed the IV pole and dragged it along with me, unsure what was in the IV bag or why I needed it, but not willing to doubt Kylie’s expertise. First, Snow approached Calla. Calla had calmed significantly but still regarded Snow with the eyes of a feral cat.
“May I?” Snow asked. Calla stood and raised her shirt. Smack over her spine between her shoulder blades was a crescent shape. Instinctively, my fingers brushed over the black shape. Calla flinched.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s okay, Park,” Calla said. “It’s still a bit tender, that’s all.”
“What is it?” I asked, not quite putting it together.
“It’s a waxing crescent moon. Not so bad as far as branded tattoos go, is it?” Calla dropped her shirt and pointed to Elizabeth who was staring out the window lost in thought, probably thoughts of her lost mother. “Lizzie?”
“Hmm?” Elizabeth mumbled, slowly glancing at Calla.
“May we show Parker?”
“Oh, sure.” Elizabeth slowly lifted her shirt, and in the same place was a small black quarter moon.
“The first quarter moon,” Snow said. “The first and second members of The Seven Sworn. Sierra, Sutton? Darlings, would you mind?”
Sierra and Sutton begrudgingly got up and wandered to where we stood. I noted some of the other faces in the room—Wil and Jay, Fiona, the fairies Nikola and Alorna, Gerald and Jeanine, Heidi and Brody, Marcus and Ava, Ravenna holding a man’s hand I had not yet met, and a random smattering of other family members, including Hayden who held Annabell tightly as she slept. Jack stood beside them, staring out another window, lost in thought.
When the others stopped beside me, they lifted their shirts to show me their own brands. It seemed as if they’d done this process before, probably for each other. Snow pointed to Sierra. “The waxing gibbous, the third of the Seven. And Sutton, the full moon, the fourth of the Seven. You, Parker, have the image of a waning gibbous, and Ethan bears the third quarter moon.”
I glanced over my shoulder at the sleeping boy who had already been through so much. “That’s six, but there are Seven Sworn and eight moon phases. The math doesn’t add up to me,” I said.
“Indeed. The Seventh has not yet arrived, but he has been branded. He sent word this morning,” Snow said, and I caught a fleeting wince cross Sierra’s face.
“Ulrich?” I asked. Snow nodded. “But what about the new moon? Are we suddenly eliminating that phase entirely in our weird cult-like club here?”
Snow chuckled and turned, lifting her own shirt. I saw nothing at first, but as I leaned closer, I saw a full, round circle on her back in the same place the rest of us were branded. It was white. The new moon.
“I am your leader, like it or not. I represent the new phase, what our kingdoms will be after the fight,” Snow said, glancing at Calla.
“What about Annabell?” I asked, again looking over my shoulder at her and her small family. Dominic was now in Jack’s arms, tightly clinging to his neck while Little Wil stood with his hands in his pockets.
“Come,” Snow said. “You must see to believe.”
I shuffled over behind her, but Hayden stood. “No, I will not allow you to use my daughter this way. She’s just a child, Snow!”
“I’m sorry, Hayden. I truly am, but this is her destiny. You cannot stop it, just as I could not change or stop mine. This is the way it will be, like it or not.” Snow’s voice was calm, soft, comforting, but it did nothing to help the family.
“Hay, we knew this was her duty when we adopted her. We have to let her do it, or there will be no future for her or any of the children,” Jack said, but his heart wasn’t in it. Annabell stirred on her mother’s lap and looked up at her.
“Mommy, I will be fine. I know I will,” Annabell said, then wiggled free of her mother’s embrace. The little girl walked to me and lifted her shirt. I winced when I saw she had the same black burning mark I did, only it was an intricately designed star. Annabell looked over her shoulder.
“Isn’t it pretty, Uncle Parker?” I felt a tear escape my eye and roll down my cheek. I didn’t fear for my own life or future. I would do what I must to ensure the people I loved survived, but Annabell? What had the child done to deserve such a destiny? Why did she have to be so young? “Don’t cry, Uncle Parker. I’m a lot older than you think I am,” Annabell said.
“We know, baby. We know you came back in time to save us,” Jack said.
Annabell shook her head. “Yes, from when I was a teenager, but before that, I was up there,” she said, pointing to the sky. “I came down to help other people, and in return, they helped me by sending me back.”
Adults surrounded us, clamoring to hear what the child had to say.
“What people, sweet pea?” Jack asked.
“People from later, a long while from now. When the Seven Sworn failed, the demons from Das Unbekannte escaped into the rest of the world. The people had to fight them, but they were losing. I was sent to help, but to help, I had to go back. I did it once,
but I didn’t do it in time to fix the future, so I had to do it again. That’s when I saved Mommy with Dominic.” Annabell was merely five, but she spoke with the wisdom of an adult with many decades of life under her belt.
“Dominic came with you the last time when you saved me?” Hayden asked.
“Yes. I told him he shouldn’t, but he wanted to see castles.”
“I guess that explains why he didn’t have records when we went to the shelter,” Hayden said wistfully. “But where did you come from before that?”
“Up there. I told you, Mommy. And before I went up there, I was a person. When I died, I went up there,” she replied.
“Who were you before you died?” Jack asked.
Annabell shook her head. “I can’t tell. It’s not safe if I tell you.”
“Why?” Hayden asked.
“Because if the evil finds out who I am, then it will come to get me. All I can say is I came from a long time ago. When the evil dies, I can say who I used to be,” she said.
Ravenna sighed. “Okay, I guess we understand. Can you tell us where up there is? Exactly,” Ravenna asked.
“Way up there, where I used to live. I lived up there for a long, long time after I died.” Annabell pointed up. It was clear we weren’t getting a straight answer, at least not from Annabell, but darned if the kids didn’t figure it out long before the stuffy, unimaginative adults did.
“She’s a star, Mommy!” Little Wil screamed at Calla. “She’s a bright, shiny star!”
Annabell giggled, then said, “It’s fun playing people. I forgot what it was like to be a person. I like it here. I think when we win, I will stay forever if I’m allowed.”
Jack’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. Hayden’s shocked, wide eyes wandered the room. “She... She’s a star?” Hayden asked.
Snow smiled. “That she is. And she’s the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.”
Wil stepped forward, releasing Calla’s hand. “Wait, are we really saying this small child is a... a star?”
“I am Uncle Wil. I am a star. I used to be a person, but I died and went to be a star. And now Miss Caroline is, too. I told her she would die if she helped me, but she decided to help anyway. She was very brave, so I made her a star.”
“You made our mother a star? After she sacrificed herself for our cause, you made her a star?” Seline asked a bit of hope sparked in her voice.
Annabell nodded furiously. Her sweet, happy face quickly turned solemn again, then she looked toward Sierra. “Miss Dannie is a star, too. I’m sorry she died. That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
Sierra gasped, her small hand covering her mouth. Jack placed Dominic on the floor, his mouth hanging open. I didn’t know Dannie but assumed she was another casualty in the war against evil, a good friend to my foster sister and her family.
“Dear Heavens,” Wil whispered.
“And the star on her back...” Hayden began.
“Our guiding light in the deepest darkness,” Snow said. “Little Annabell will save us all.”
As if it were a call to reveal her true self, Annabell began to glow with an ethereal light. Soft and warm, comforting in many ways, safe and secure. I instinctively reached for her, and her tiny fingers met mine halfway. Our fingers touched, and I was transported.
I floated gently on a warm current—up, up, up. Through the clouds, above the atmosphere, higher and higher until I was surrounded by stars twinkling brightly. A comet whizzed by as I floated. Planets... more stars... a haze of beautiful colors... Annabell was showing me her home, where she came from.
Tristan...
I heard my old friend, Pieter’s voice. “Pieter?” I asked.
Tristan... Your fight is nearly over, my friend. I will see you again. Soon... Prepare, train hard.
I searched for him, thrashing around in open space, but I could not see his face. A bright star caught my attention, twinkling close to me. “Pieter? Is that you? Are you a star?”
Follow her... Let her guide you... The light will prevail.
I had so many questions, but they wouldn’t escape my lips. I turned closer to the star, but before I could reach it, I began to fall back through space... clouds... open air around the castle... then I opened my eyes. When my eyes connected with Annabell’s, she smiled.
“Pieter died being brave, too.” It was all she said, but it was enough for me to know my friend, the man who selflessly tried to help me rescue Ophelia and Jordan, was in a much better place.
“Thank you, Annabell,” I said, then dropped my hand.
Ravenna stepped forward, releasing the man’s hand. He went to Hayden and Jack, placing a gentle hand on Hayden’s shoulder. Hayden let her head settle against his arm, and I realized he must be her father. “Annabell,” Ravenna said, offering her hand to the child, “May I see, too?”
Annabell nodded, and Ravenna closed her eyes. After a moment, her eyes popped open again. “We better prepare,” she said, then stood. “Snow, I suppose we need to discuss those magical items the dragons are meant to protect. Let’s prepare a room for you.”
Snow nodded, but my mind was too full to follow. For the moment, I just wanted to revel in the togetherness of our family. Ophelia’s fingers slipped between mine. I felt Jeanine’s arm settle around my shoulders. Gerald stood guard over us, his entire family, while Annabell showed the triplets where their mother had gone. It was beautiful in many ways, knowing those we loved had not truly died but moved on to greater things. The fight ahead would be filled with darkness and despair, but with Annabell by our side, guiding us with her beautiful light, I felt we would not fail.
Epilogue
One week later...
I had finally learned the lay of the land in Schwarzwald and could navigate the castle with ease, which was a good thing since it seemed I’d be staying there for a long time. Frankly, I wasn’t exactly sure where home was considering Ophelia was the rightful heir to the demon-infested land of Weisserwald. I assumed if we won the war against evil, then we would also retake her kingdom and rebuild, or perhaps she would relinquish the kingdom to one of the more established ones already running well. She had considered both options, but until we made headway toward our long-term goal, there was no point in considering either option.
Ethan’s sisters, Kirsten and Isla, decided to stay in Schwarzwald with him since he was one of the reluctant Seven Sworn. Snow helped them regain control of their dragon side while they learned about the fate of their kingdom and family. Ethan and Kirsten still had no memory, which made life difficult for Isla. Ulrich planned to contact their third sister, Larkin, soon but she had not regained her memories, we assumed, which made the task daunting—I remembered all too well how my introduction to the fantasy went.
At least once a day, the siblings questioned keeping themselves secret from Larkin. In the end, though, they decided picking up the phone to tell their sister where they were would only make Ulrich’s mission more difficult. For now, they chose to wait patiently for him to bring their sister to them.
Regaining memory of my past was a strange thing, and even after the initial onslaught, I found new memories slid into place each day. Little things settled there as if they had only been searching for the right file in the cabinet. Once settled, I felt even more secure in my position in the kingdoms.
Jeanine and Gerald reconnected on another level giving us all marriage goals that far surpassed anything we had ever seen before. I spent time bonding with Calla and the others, but I found a close friendship with an unlikely ally—Briard, a member of the Salien Royal Guard. He’d seen just about everything from the moment the Salien’s arrived in The Black Forest to release them from Snow’s grip. His loyalty earned him Thaddeus’ place next to Henry, one of the most trusted advisors to King Marcellus. For some reason, we just clicked, and Briard fell into the fold with my brothers and me, though Ophelia wished he’d keep his muddy boots off her new coffee table.
Rebecca, her appearance went over like a ton of brick
s. After killing Rose, she disappeared into the hidden library where she stayed for two days. Finally, Fiona and I convinced her she needed to emerge and face whatever might come. I was sick of lying to my mother, so Rebecca eventually relented. Everyone had questions, and much like Snow’s interrogation, a lot of bitter feelings surfaced, and regretful statements were made. Still, Rebecca did what she thought was best, and I understood that, especially given the circumstances.
I thought about her and what might happen next as I followed the long corridor to the dining hall. There was a family meeting, which meant it would be overflowing. The original vote to supply a representative for each kingdom lasted for exactly two meetings, then morphed back into every possible royal, witch, advisor, recordkeeper, and more stuffed into a room that was meant for eating.
I pushed the door open and was immediately accosted by dozens of conversations happening simultaneously. Lucky for me, Marcus followed me in and called for order.
“First order of business, we need a new meeting area. All those in favor of building a meeting house, say—forget it, I’ll pay for it myself. Second order, soon Ulrich and the others will need help releasing Liliental from its curse. Since Larkin has not recalled her past, Ulrich has been reluctant to approach her. Considering her siblings are here, we have decided it best to approach her anyway. We cannot allow her to continue worrying about their well-being. Ulrich plans to do so and contact us within days.”
“I would like to search for Jeanine’s book. Is it possible for us to return and help Ulrich? Perhaps if we took on of her siblings along, it would ease the transition.” Nikola said.
“What?” Petra asked, tightly gripping Jordan’s hand. “No, I want to stay here.”
“Petra, we have duties. We must—”
“I’ll accompany you,” Rebecca said, shooting a quick glance toward Jeanine. “Let Petra stay, and I will take her place. I have discussed the trip at length with my twin, and we believe my magic would be beneficial if such need arose.”
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