by Kat Zaccard
“He can’t give up; there’s still hope,” I insisted.
We agreed it was worth trying again over the summer.
“Nolan had been a premature baby, so maybe he just needs a few more months to access his wolf?” Nadia speculated.
Shea backed up the biological theory, agreeing that was totally plausible. We both wanted to take away her pain. We were interrupted by another knock at the door. I was surprised to find Jillian standing on the other side of it.
“Jillian. Hi. Please, come in.”
Jillian entered the room, looking nervous. She held some papers to her chest. Glancing around, she asked, “Can we speak in private, Alice?”
“Anything you have to say to me, you can say to them.” I started to cross my arms, but hesitated. Jillian looked very unsure of herself. Perhaps Jillian needed my help? “That is, unless this is a delicate matter?” I asked diplomatically.
Jillian sighed. “It’s definitely that, but maybe you’ll want your friends here for support anyway.”
“What are you talking about Jillian?” Shea demanded.
I asked more gently, “What’s this about?”
“I finally got my inheritance, Alice. I… I wanted to show you something Grammy left me. It involves your family too.”
“What does Lady Barbara have to do with the Luna Clan, Jillian?” Nadia asked.
“Give her a chance, guys.” I waited.
“The Cold Moon is December’s full moon, so Grammy wrote this just a few days before she died. It can’t be a coincidence.” Jillian handed me the letter, still clutching a small book to her chest. I recognized the slim leather volume.
Shea gasped, recognizing the journal too.
“Alice, I don’t know what to say. I’m so sorry.” Jillian looked to be on the verge of tears. “Please, read Grammy’s letter first. I hope you can forgive her.”
I took the letter from her outstretched hand. Mine were already shaking.
My Dearest Jillian,
I hope this letter finds you late in life, with grandchildren of your own. I hope I live long enough to know your true mate, to see your twining day, and to kiss my first great-grandbaby. Even as I write this fantasy, I fear you may get this letter sooner than either of us would like. Know that you are ready. I’ve been grooming you to take our family seat on the High Council since you were born. The first time I held you in my arms, I whispered to you that this day would come. I know you are sad, but this is the first day of your destiny. I believe in you.
First, know how much I love you. You are my pride and joy. With you, the Noble Clan of Reynolds will continue to grow and flourish. There is so much I wish to say to you, but Edwin is rushing me to be brief. Remember the time we spent together. Remember my lessons. Our trips to London were some of my happiest memories. No matter what, I will always be with you.
My dear, I hope you have read this far before perusing the box of papers before you. How can I explain what I’ve handed you? These are the deepest and dirtiest secrets of our family clan. This box could be the downfall of our family or its salvation. It all depends on how you use it.
Traditionally, the matriarch of the family held these secrets and no one else would know of them until they were passed on to the next generation. Your mother suspects that these documents exist, but has never seen them. Do not share these with her. I love my daughter, but I fear that I may love her too much. Things have gotten so out of hand.
I always knew Christina was ambitious, and I supported her rise to the throne despite my concerns about her methods. Frederick had always been an odd duck, even before he was found to be a runt. I disapproved of their union, so soon after your father’s death, and she pregnant with you. But she was determined to further the Reynold’s Clan the only way she knew how. As I write this, I must confess my shame. Where did I go wrong? I strove for the best and demanded the highest standards, but I never thought I missed the mark on morality.
I know, I know, Grammy doesn’t ramble. I apologize, my dear Jilly, but confessions are hard. I didn’t know what your mother was planning at the time. I suspected, but it wasn’t until I found proof that I shed the illusion Christina could be innocent. You will read for yourself in the journal I’ve left on top. This is not an easy thing to hear, Jilly. Your mother plotted regicide and succeeded. She and Frederick are guilty of the most heinous crimes. They used me too, though I was unaware. A royal guard owed me a life debt. I won’t go into the details here, but you can read the letters in this box. As I said, all the Reynolds’ secrets are here. Christina called in that life-debt without my permission. They forced him to commit treason by threatening his family. On Christina’s orders, he killed Queen Marguerite, her son, and later, King Regent Harold as well. I didn’t know until it was already done.
I am ashamed that I kept their secret this long. I respected Queen Marguerite. She was a just and noble ruler. Like everyone else, I’d believed her death was a tragic accident. But then Frederick died and Harold, then Christina was made Queen Regent. My suspicions grew, but what could I do?
Being a woman of position and power has its advantages and disadvantages, as you will soon come to see first-hand. Knowledge is the key, and secrets hold power. You must educate yourself, and be extremely cautious whom you trust. Some jobs you must do yourself. I tracked down the midwife present at Queen Marguerite’s death. I deceived her into thinking I already knew Christina’s part in it. I intimated that Cordelia was the proof we needed to keep quiet. It was only a hunch, my dear, but I do know my daughter all too well. Cordelia told me everything, including that she did indeed have proof of your mother’s crimes. I took the damning evidence and demanded her silence. It was easy enough since Christina had already threatened her child. I was ashamed by my daughter’s cruelty. I later convinced Christina that the threat had been dealt with and Cordelia was allowed to return to school to finish her medical degree. I’ve tried to clean up Christina’s messes when I could.
When I learned of what Christina had done, I was horrified. But I also feared for the rest of the Great Pack. We had no other queen. The last Luna was missing, presumed dead. And I feared for you, my dear. I worried that you’d grow up under a sullied name worse than a Winterstone. I couldn’t do that to you. I couldn’t do that to the generations that built our family name or to the generations that will come after. So I kept your mother’s secret like I’ve kept all our family secrets. And now you are their keeper.
I am giving you the choice, Jilly. It is up to you if we should follow your mother into the unknown or retake the reins of our clan. When your mother first sought power, I thought it was for the good of our family. But now I fear she may be risking the safety of the Great Pack, and your safety. It pains me to admit she may not be well. I love my daughter, but she only feels the need for more power, more control. My last conversation with her ended badly. I can’t believe I’m even writing these words. But, Jilly, if something unexpected has happened to me, there is a very good chance your mother is responsible. I’m so sorry, my dear girl. I wish I could spare you this pain. I would, except that ignorance can be fatal. I once thought that while my daughter could be cruel, she would never harm her family. I now doubt that to be true. I wouldn’t tell you this if I didn’t also fear for your safety. Be on guard.
Jillian, I have reason to believe your mother is in league with the upyr. I know this is hard to hear, but you must be aware of the danger. Be careful whom you trust at the palace. Edwin is my most trusted advisor, but he is cautious and secretive by nature. Heed his advice, but always make up your own mind. He may caution silence in the matter for a time, but again, I fear for your safety and the fate of our line. Pierre Grennier is a valet you can trust. Be warned; he is a coward. Well, I suppose I’m being harsh. He is brave enough to spy on the Queen and tail her agents. He has seen members of her personal guard carry messages out into the woods. He’s seen these messages get placed in a tin box and retrieved hours later by an upyr. I’ve asked him to intercept a message, but h
e’s disappeared. I’m afraid I might be caught this time. I’ve no solid proof, but I know in my heart that we are all in grave danger.
I always tell you: Family First. I believe this to my core. But blindly following a creed can lead you off a cliff. If my daughter is truly conspiring with the upyr, then she must be stopped. Our duty to our family includes our future generations and our place in our larger family, the Great Pack.
Once I thought you might become Queen of the Great Pack. That was before the Lost Luna returned and before I knew the extent of your mother’s treachery. Should you align with her, you may one day become Queen. But at what cost to the Great Pack? A truly great queen will always put the pack first, no matter what. I believe you have the potential to be a truly great leader, Jilly. For you, I believe that means not taking the throne, but serving the Great Pack from the Reynolds’ seat as generations of Reynolds’ wolves have done before you. But you must make this decision for yourself. This is likely the first of many challenging choices to come.
Remember, I believe in you.
Love always,
Grammy Babs
Signed: Lady Barbara of the Noble Clan Reynolds
Witnessed by: Edwin of Clan Coldridge on a Cold Moon
I read the letter quickly, then again more slowly. I felt numb as I glanced around the room. Finally, I handed the letter to Shea and held out my hand for the journal.
“You might not want to read it, Alice.” Jillian had tears in her eyes, but I would not be swayed. I had to know. She must have seen the resolve in my eyes, for she handed over the leather volume without further protest. I started to skim the first few pages.
“Just tell us the important part!” insisted Shea, grabbing the book out of my hand and handing Lady Barbara’s letter off to Nadia, unread.
“Hey!” I protested while Nadia quickly scanned the letter.
Shea stopped thumbing through the book as hers eyes alighted on the appropriate passage. “I think I found it.”
I reached for the book then stopped. Suddenly, I didn’t want to know. It was the last thing I wanted to read despite searching for months for this missing volume. “Read it to me,” I whispered.
Shea glanced at Nadia, who nodded. Jillian insisted we all sit down. We arranged ourselves on the sofas and Shea began, “The first few chapters discuss the early stages of your mother’s labor, when she lost her mucus plug, then a trickle of her water breaking…”
“Okay, Dr. Shea, you can skip ahead a little.”
“Okay, wait, here’s something,” Shea read the passage:
“The first baby was born after twelve hours labor and an hour pushing. She arrived head first, posterior facing, but didn’t not require turning. She arrived with full lungs, clear of mucus. The baby was placed to mother’s breast, but it was soon apparent her twin was ready to meet the world. Father took baby to be bathed and warmed, for it was a cool September night. Second baby was well on the way and mother was performing admirably despite her growing exhaustion. I anticipated a knock on the door but was surprised when a guard entered the room and barred the door. I demanded he leave at once, but he threw me against the wall. From behind a tapestry, he revealed a hidden door to the Queen’s chambers where she was laboring. Frederick of the Royal Clan Luna and Christina of Clan Reynolds, the first child’s godparents, were waiting for the guard to admit her.
“She looked nothing like the smiling beauty I remembered from before her true mate died. I think the loss hardened her heart. She’d married Frederick Luna for his title despite his runt status. I assumed she wanted to provide the best life she could for her daughter as every mother does. But her next act was beyond redemption. The guard held me to the wall with a large knife pressed to my throat. Christina and Frederick approached with their demands. They threatened the life of my only child, Trinity, just nine years old. I know it’s little excuse for what I did, trading one child’s life for my own. I will never live down the shame. They said this could happen one of two ways: we all die or I keep my life and my daughter and lie for them. Never, for as long as I live, will I be able to make up for what happened next. Through my tears and pleading, I watched as the guard took his knife to our Queen. His next act is too despicable to describe, but I must for my own purge of conscience and to protect my daughter. If the Queen Regent ever comes for me or my baby, I will trade this and my life for hers. But ever since that day, I am too ashamed to act as a midwife. I feel tremendous guilt for the Queen and the Prince I failed. The mother and the baby I failed. It’s only my cowardice and love for my daughter that keeps me alive and my story secret.
“The guard…” Here, Shea stopped. Her eyes widened and tears sprang from them, falling on her cheeks.
“Go on, Shea, I have to know,”
“I… can’t.”
“From there, it says that the guard used his knife to kill your mother,” Jillian answered.
“Tell me how.”
“It’s gruesome.” Jillian hesitated, tears streaming down her cheeks. “He had to make it look like an accident of giving birth. He inserted the knife to kill your brother and sever an artery of the groin to kill your mom.” She said it quickly, like ripping off a bandage.
I screamed. It was instinct. Diego and Sir Henry burst through the door to assess the threat. Nadia jumped up to explain to Sir Henry while Diego gathered me into his arms. I sobbed uncontrollably for I don’t know how long. Diego rocked me back and forth, making soothing sounds. Through my mental fog, I noticed Jack and Becky enter the room. Nadia quietly explained the course of events all over again.
I pressed my hands to my ears hard, trying to block out Nadia’s voice and the horrible mental images that sprang to my mind. My mother and my brother deserved so much better than that. After a while, I regained control of myself, at least enough to feel embarrassed by my outburst. Shea assured me I had nothing to be embarrassed about. Diego released me, suddenly looking rather self-conscious himself.
Reclaiming my composure, I asked Nadia what we should do with this new information. Nadia and Jack were both agreed that we needed to keep the secret.
“But why? We have proof Christina and Frederick killed my mom!” I’d never referred to my birth mother as my mom before and felt a twinge of guilt for my real mom who’d raised me.
“It’s still safer this way, Alice,” reasoned Jack. “Christina has numerous allies in the palace and within the Great Pack. While this is damning evidence, it’s a written record. A firsthand account, sure, but the author of this journal is dead and can’t be questioned. And we have to protect Tryna too.”
“Tryna?” I spat the word. I had little sympathy for the Copes at the moment.
“Yes, Tryna, a member of the Great Pack and your subject.”
I bit back my bitter retort. They were right. I was already poised to take the throne. We could sit on this evidence in case we needed it. For now, I had to get through the summer and claim my throne after my eighteenth birthday. Then I could arrest Christina Reynolds and put her on trial before the High Council. We decided to put forth the naming petition to throw the Queen Regent off our trail. We needed to keep her distracted enough to garner more support for me and more evidence against her.
Jack and Becky were stationed outside my door while Diego and Sir Henry escorted Shea back to her suite. Lynn, the palace butler, had insisted the rooms next to mine couldn’t be spared and had set up Shea on the floor above me. Nadia promised to make sure her rooms were respectable before retiring to her own suite. She kept Cordelia’s journal. Jillian had almost reached for it, but I told her there was no way she was getting it back. Still, I couldn’t bear to keep it myself and was grateful when Nadia promised to keep it safe.
Finally alone, I tried to comprehend what I’d just learned. Christina had orchestrated my birth family’s death. Having our suspicions confirmed was a bitter pill to swallow. Here we had proof that the Queen Regent had committed treason and regicide to claim the throne. On one hand, we were gathering
evidence to take Christina down. On the other, it was like learning my family was dead all over again. Maybe I would feel better after Christina was brought to justice? For now, I just felt numb.
I tried to focus on the other news. Pierre had discovered how Christina was communicating with the upyr. I had to tell Sloane to look for that tin box. But first, I had to find Pierre. I was nervous he might indeed be in trouble. Plus, I had to know what his connection to Barbara Reynolds had been. I told Jack to search for him, starting with the dungeons. I could only hope that Pierre would be found. He was the living witness we needed.
The council meeting was to be held the next day. I couldn’t wait to get it over with and get out of here. The summer session was usually in July and I wondered why the Queen Regent had called the council together early. I worried what new threat she might have planned against me. I hadn’t been able to talk to Nadia much since I’d left her estate a few weeks ago and sorely missed my favorite source of political gossip. I had to content myself with the Royal Herald, which had proved rather useless. Needless to say, I had a restless night’s sleep.
Chapter 31
The next day dawned, and I carefully prepared for the council meeting. I chose a somber outfit that projected strength. Under a tailored blue jacket, I wore a leather bustier that felt like armor and a high-waist skirt. I refused the high heels Monica set out and slipped on my black ballet flats instead. I wanted to add the Luna diadem or my silver moonstone necklace, but neither was appropriate for this occasion and both were locked safely in a vault. Besides, silver was on the banned substance list, as Headmaster Giovanni had made me well aware. Monica offered to plait my hair, but I preferred to leave it down.
