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“What are you freaking out about?” Cecily asked as if she hadn’t been present for the entire exchange between Jack and our father, King Agustus.
“I do hope you’re joking right now, Cec,” he said, then fell backward on to the bed as he would on my bed back in Philadelphia. He sank in a seemingly bottomless sinkhole of silk and satin bedding which he fought tirelessly until finally giving in and falling to the bottom. I giggled at the void in the bedding, not hide nor hair of my best friend showing above the pile.
“Shut up, Sierra, or I’ll start throwing pillows at you,” he mumbled.
“Okay, let’s get serious for a minute. There is no way the man in the painting is you, we know that much. Is it a freaky coincidence you look like our brother? Yes, of course, but that doesn’t mean you should freak out, Jack.”
He struggled a bit more and managed to free himself enough to sit straight again. “I would agree with you but for one minor detail. I don’t just look like him, I’m identical to the boy in the painting, Si. The freckle pattern, the mole on my cheek, every little detail was there.”
“He does have a point. However, you said yourself, you’re not adopted, and you don’t shift, so maybe you were reborn repeatedly like us, but you weren’t cursed with the wolf... thing.
“That does nothing to reduce my level of freaking out, but thanks for the effort,” Jack replied. “Also, thanks for talking non-stop to Felix the whole flight. I’m so tired this whole situation is beginning to feel normal.”
I glanced around the room, noting there were two beds. Two of us would have to share or take another room as Calla had offered. I was much more inclined to share with him than have him in another room or suffer through Cecily’s constant kicking in her sleep, so I shoved him over and climbed into the mess of bed linens. Cecily got the idea and took the other bed, falling asleep soon after her head hit the pillow.
I draped my arm over Jack, who had reached a point of mental exhaustion that sleep would not come quickly. I knew his pain well, but I didn’t want him to worry so much about things he not only couldn’t change but would never wrap his mind around either. I urged him to roll on his side, which he did and began scratching his back. It was a trick I picked up when Cecily had nightmares and couldn’t sleep when we were children.
His body slowly eased, but his breaths were still shallow. A few more minutes passed before he rolled over to face me, his warm, brown eyes hazy and tired.
“Did I ever tell you why I tried to make sure you and Cecily were always taken care of?” he whispered.
I shook my head, my own eyes growing heavy.
He sighed, then said, “It’s because I love you. I’ve always loved you.” My shock was apparent and caused him to chuckle. “Not like that doofus. I meant I love you like a brother would love his sister. All this time I always assumed that’s just how best friends felt about each other, but now... now I’m not sure of anything, and I’m absolutely terrified that my entire life has been a huge lie.”
I chuckled then, knowing all too well what that felt like as well. “Tell me about it,” I said, then, “Wait, don’t actually tell me. It’s an—”
“Expression, yeah, yeah. I’m sorry I’m adding to the stress of this for you. I’m sure what you’re dealing with is far worse than my confusion about how I feel toward my two closest friends. Not to mention that whole thing with... with Dannie,” he said, a look of guilt on his face.
“I know. I’m still processing that, too.” I didn’t mention that I was struggling with immense guilt because that wasn’t what Jack needed to hear just then. What he needed was affirmation. “What’s important is that you know, for better or worse, you’re my brother regardless of biology.”
He smiled and nestled his hands under his cheek, ready to drift to sleep. I was so close to sleep I could feel it sucking me in when someone knocked on the door. Cecily, who I’d thought was asleep, groaned and rose. She pulled open the heavy oak door to reveal a man I hadn’t met, but he bore the insignia of the Salien Royal Guard on his uniform, the word General embroidered beneath it.
“I apologize for interrupting your rest, but there has been a development and Queen Ravenna and King Agustus request your presence in the dining hall,” he said, a bit formal but it didn’t matter how he said it, it was horrible news. Nothing good ever came from the words there has been a development.
Cecily hung her head, then glanced toward me. I was already standing, and Jack was rolling out of bed—rather, fighting his way out of the bed. When his feet finally hit the floor, he ripped the covers from the bed and piled them in the corner. I’d have to remake the bed before we could sleep, but at least the action seemed to ease his nerves a bit. Nothing like taking your frustrations out on the laundry, I always said.
The general led us down the long corridor and through the open courtyard again. He paused momentarily to speak to another guard, then turned back to us.
“Just this way. I’m Henry, by the way. I didn’t have the chance to introduce myself before. Princess Susanna is my wife, but she’ll insist you call her Seline.”
“It’s nice to meet you, and I hope we’ll get to meet her soon,” I said, trying to be polite. It wasn’t Henry’s fault we were being dragged from our beds for what I was sure would be another tense meeting.
“Knowing her, she’ll find a way to meet you soon. Here we are,” he said, then opened another solid oak door that revealed an actual dining hall, just like the ones I’d seen in medieval-themed movies.
The long table in the center of the room could comfortably seat fifty, and I recognized most of the faces who were already there. The men stood when we entered, and Ely came to my side. He was much more chivalrous in his home, but I suspected his mother would have his head if he were anything but a gentleman in her presence.
He pulled out a chair for me and scooted me in, which made me feel a bit like a child, but also a bit like a princess at the same time. Henry did the same for Cecily though I did catch Felix’s intent gaze on her as she sat. At the head of the table was a man about my age, and to his right was a woman I assumed to be his wife since her hand was placed lovingly over his.
The man stood with a heaviness and shared a look with his wife, then said, “Sierra, Cecily, Jack... I wish your welcome to Schwarzwald had been under better circumstances, but we are still happy to have you here. If there is anything you need, please do not hesitate to ask anyone, even me. I may be the king, but I’m not the sort of king who waves my crown around like a mad dictator. I want you to feel comfortable here, so please call me Marcus. This is my wife, Ava, and she’ll be happy to give you a tour of the castle. Our castle is open to you, our family.”
He nodded toward Ravenna, who stood at the other end of the long table.
“Well, there’s no sense beating around the bush, so I’ll get right to it. Earlier today, Ella sent a group of men to murder several of our villagers just south of the border we share with Goldene Stadt. She then had their small community burned to the ground. Our guardsmen are working to put out the flames, but we fear there are no survivors.”
My hand flew to my mouth to cover the involuntary gasp that escaped. Ella’s power—it was my fault she had enough strength to keep her kingdom under her curse, performing evil deeds at her command. Those lives were on me.
“It’s not your fault, Sierra,” Ravenna said. “Ella has been planning to invade Schwarzwald for some time. This was only her first attempt to test our strength. With or without power, her will would have been done.”
Ely squeezed my hand under the table, but his reassurance did little for me, nor did Ravenna’s words. Even if what she said was true, there was much more to come, and her power boost was all thanks to me.
“But thanks to me, her power is greater. The devastation...” I suddenly remembered the woman who had helped Ella at my childhood home. I’d been dealing with so much, including my grief over losing Dannie, I’d pushed the events of that night to the far recesses of my mind. “There was another woman... I think... She helped Ella, and Ella referred to her as your Grace, or maybe her name is Grace.”
“Yes,” Fiona added. “I’ve been researching and have found no one in the texts referred to as Grace, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a code name. Unfortunately, identifying the person you described will have to be a long-term goal. The more pressing matters are closer to home.”
I found it unusual I was the only one who thought the shadowy person posed as significant a threat as Ella did, but the people surrounding me had far more experience dealing with evil and crazy princesses and queens than I did, so I didn’t question Fiona.
Marcus dropped his hands to the table, frustrated.
“This is no one’s fault but my own. I should have ordered more guards at the border,” Marcus said, then, “That said, Henry will be reinforcing our northern borders with additional guards who will rotate on a six-hour shift to remain alert and vigilant. The remainder of the guards will secure their usual posts except for Felix who will stay with the Monroe sisters and Jack as their personal guard. Felix, will you require an additional guard?”
Felix rose to address his king. “No, King Marcellus. I can manage,” he said, then sat back down. I hoped his confidence in himself was not misplaced because if anything happened to Cecily, he would face wrath unlike anything he’d ever seen.
Henry stood next. “King, I have devised a series of reconnaissance missions I feel would be greatly beneficial not only for the protection of our kingdom but also for the battle to come.”
“The battle?” I asked, forgetting to stand. I shot up after I spoke, but Marcus smiled and motioned for me to sit.
“I hate it when they all stand, but it’s what they’re used to. Please, relax and don’t worry about the customs or traditions,” Marcus said, then motioned for Henry to continue.
“The battle with Ella will be difficult. She’s much stronger than Snow was, and with wolf blood in her veins, we will need to find another weakness to use against her,” Henry said.
Guilt washed over me again, but I pushed it away to focus on what I could change—Ella’s rule.
“Do you have any ideas?” I glanced toward Fiona who sat practically on top of Jemma. She looked frazzled, but I supposed living for centuries and devising plans to kill evil queens was tiresome and daunting, not to mention the other, unnamed people that kept popping up to muddy the situation further. “Did you find anything in the books we brought?”
Fiona slumped in her chair a bit. “Unfortunately, there was nothing the wand could find that would be of any use in ending Ella. The only thing it alerted to was the Song of the Lost, but we’ve been over that hundreds of times.”
“The Song of the Lost?” Cecily asked.
“Yes, dear. It’s a song our people sang to keep their spirits up, a tune of hope to remind them the Salien children would return one day to free them,” Heidi said.
I was quite good at puzzles, and I wondered if the song could offer any additional clues a fresh set of eyes might spot. “Could I see the song? I’m curious to know if—”
“Mutter?”
The voice of a small boy interrupted me from behind, so I turned around to see the child. He was adorable, about eight or nine, with dark hair and dark eyes. Another smaller boy stood peeking out from behind him.
“Little Wil! Hans! You two get back here right now, or Auntie Elizabeth will have to put you in a time... oh... oh dear,” she said, noting the room was filled with people. Her eyes locked with Ely’s, a strange look between them I didn’t understand.
“Mama? Mama, it’s me, Hans!” the boy shouted, then flung himself at me, wrapping his slender arms around me. “Mama, I missed you, but I did as you told me. I ran and ran until I saw the castle, just like you said I would!”
“Um... th-there, there,” I said. “It’s okay, Hans.”
Ely stood and walked around the back of my chair to reach the boy. He knelt beside him and placed his hand gently on his back to soothe him. Cecily and Jack watched, awestruck, but it was the look on my father’s face that made me take pause. Sadness, but not for the boy—for me.
I lowered my gaze to the child and took him in again. Dark hair and eyes the same mahogany color of Ely’s. The more I looked, the more I saw the uncanny resemblance between them. Ely’s look of shame was the final assurance that Hans was his son—and mine.
“H-he’s... he’s mine?” I whispered so as not to further dismay the child.
“Um... Hans, why don’t you let Auntie Elizabeth take you for ice cream? As much as you want, eat it all for all I care,” Ely said, which made Hans lessen his grip on me slightly.
“Will you come soon, Mama?” he asked, so sure he’d gotten his mother back.
I nodded. “Sure, I’ll come soon. Go on now, take your... take...” I hesitated, not sure who the other child was.
“Wil, go with Hans for some ice cream and be good for Mommy, okay?” Calla said, but she never took her eyes off me.
The boys took off across the room where they took Elizabeth’s hand. She gave Ely one last sympathetic glance, then took the boys from the room. My gaze followed them, and my heart practically leaped from my chest to go after Hans. It was an instinctual feeling I’d never felt before, and it told me all I needed to know.
“I can explain,” Ely said.
“I’d like to hear this myself after all these years,” my father said, but much more lighthearted than expected.
Ely tensed but kept his focus on me. “Okay, well... so... yeah, so it’s exactly what it looks like. We married in secret, which you already know, then planned to run away together when we discovered you were pregnant, but... well, it didn’t go according to plan. We were found, and you were taken back to Goldene Stadt. Soon after that, my father was murdered. The night of his funeral, I had planned to come for you again, but...”
“The curse,” Calla said. “I remember thinking you were acting strangely, more so than was expected.”
“I wasn’t planning on returning until King Agustus approved our marriage, but then, well, we all know what happened at that dinner with Snow,” Ely said, sitting beside me again.
“Actually, not all of us do,” Jack said. Brody whispered in his ear, and Jack nodded. “Okay, I’m all up to speed.”
Ely rolled his eyes, and I wondered how he managed to maintain any composure at all. There were dozens of eyes on him, all waiting with anticipation.
“I wanted to tell you, but the right time never came. It’s not an easy thing to say to someone, not to mention I never want to do anything that would hurt Hans,” he admitted.
His concern for our child warmed my heart. Our child, holy cow. What else are these people hiding from me?
Judging from the looks on everyone’s faces, I assumed I said my thought aloud.
“You’ve always had that troublesome habit, darling,” my father said, then, “I was once so angry with Prince Eliot, I wanted him thrown in our dungeon, but five minutes alone with Hans and I can’t imagine my life without him. He’s a dear boy, Saskia, and he misses his mother desperately.”
Ely’s tension eased, but only slightly. He still wasn’t sure what I was thinking or how I would respond to the sudden revelation that I was a mother. I wasn’t even sure what I was thinking, but it was hardly the child’s fault we were in a predicament. I focused on my heart and what it told me. I felt a deep affection for Hans already, not unlike how I felt with Cecily. I had once loved him enough to send him away, I assumed for his safety. He was my son, I believed it. I knew it. I felt it... I wanted it.
“Okay,” I said.
“Okay? Is this shock, or are you fine with suddenly having a child?” Ely asked.
“It’s probably a little shock, but this isn’t his fault. It isn’t anyone’s fault. No good will come from denying the truth. We can’t hurt Hans, so I’ll do what I can until my memories return.”
“Really?”
“Of course, dimwit. He’s my nephew, so he’s going to be spoiled rotten by the end of the week,” Cecily said.
I chuckled at my sister’s excitement, then said, “I have a question though, he’s eight or so, right?”
“Nine, to be exact. He was four when he showed up in the forest just behind the castle walls. We assumed he began aging again when he entered Schwarzwald since our curse had been broken,” Ely replied, all eye still on us. I felt it was probably a conversation we should have in private, but it didn’t seem anyone else agreed.
“So, for at least four years he grew in Goldene Stadt?”
“Yes, darling. When you and Corrina disappeared, so did Hans. Now I know he was here all this time. One can only assume you sent him here to find safety,” King Agustus said.
“So, if I understand this, you were cursed by Snow, then four years later I was cursed by Ella. Somehow Hans escaped Ella and fled here, but you only discovered him when you defeated Snow roughly five years ago? I mean, the math is a little suspect, but if I’m doing it right, then Hans spent over fourteen-hundred years from the time I was cursed until you freed Schwarzwald from Snow’s curse. Was he hiding out somewhere in Schwarzwald? And who was he with?”
“I’m afraid that’s one question we don’t have an answer for,” Ravenna said. “We have tried asking him, but he gets too upset.”
“I can imagine so, the poor kid. But I wonder...” I paused to think, perhaps a moment too long.
“You wonder?” Ely asked.
“I was just wondering if that’s the key. Maybe if we lure Ella out, her power would weaken? She obviously couldn’t find Hans once he left the border, so maybe she’s weaker outside the walls of her kingdom?”
Henry seemed to debate my rationale, then said, “It’s possible, but we can’t be sure without testing the theory, and I’m not keen on testing her in any way.”
I had to agree. The last time I interacted with the woman she single-handedly eviscerated my friend, stole my power, nearly killed Jack, and blew up a house—and she was happy. I couldn’t imagine what she would do if crossed. There was a collective sigh that demonstrated the frustration of everyone at the table, but Henry pushed on with his planning.
“There is something I have kept from you all for a long time, for your protection, of course. I believe now may be the time to bring the truth to light.” He placed a leather satchel on the table, worn and ragged from the centuries, but still useful for holding whatever his secret was. It made a thudding sound on the solid table, gaining everyone’s attention.
“I once thought this was the tool to killing Snow, but it seemed other means were just as effective. Still, I’ve kept this item safe and hidden away in case its use ever became necessary.”
Henry lifted the worn satchel, and a dagger slid from inside. A bit tarnished and dirty, but beautifully crafted with ornate detail on the hilt. At the bottom of the handle was a blood-red ruby. Henry lifted the dagger carefully and displayed it in his palms for all to see.
“This is—”
“Der Siphon-Dolch...” Ravenna whispered. “I thought it was a legend or a whimsical tale of hope at least.”
“I found it amongst Snow’s possessions just before the final Salien child arrived. I believe Snow used it to kill King Heinrich,” Henry said, glancing around the table, no doubt bringing up painful memories for many seated around me.
“I’m sorry, what is a Der Snickerdoodle?” Jack asked. I wanted to know myself but was too afraid to interrupt what seemed to be a critical conversation.
“The Siphon Dagger. It’s said to possess the magic of thousands of witches, anything magical really. Its purpose is to remove magic from its victim, rendering them mortal—if it doesn’t kill them, of course,” Heidi informed, ignoring my best friend’s butchering of her language. She gave her attention back to Henry. “Is this what you took from the castle on our last mission?”
“Yes, I’m sorry I didn’t inform you or Felix, but I thought it best only my life be at risk. The two of you were needed for the cause, so I was only trying to ensure our longevity.”
“It’s fine, I was only wondering when you found it. There have been reports of a similar dagger showing up all over the world; could there be more than one?” Heidi questioned.
“Oh, no. This is the true dagger. I would know,” Fiona said.
“How, pray-tell, would you know?” King Agustus asked, his crystalline blue eyes bearing down on the woman who showed no intimidation under his gaze.
“I saw it once before, in the land of Weisserwald while on consultation with the Twelve Fairies,” she stated plainly as if we all knew who the Twelve Fairies were. She was astute enough to take note of the blank stares and elaborated. “They were experiencing a string of disappearances, including that of their thirteenth sister. The dagger was there at the time, but evidently, it has been in your possession for at least five or so years, yes?”
“Indeed. Heidi, Felix, and I were on another information gathering mission here in Schwarzwald when it was still under Snow’s rule. I’d received word the dagger may have been used to kill King Heinrich, so I made a small tweak to my plan—which nearly got us all killed, I’ll add—but it was worth it. Do you think it can kill Ella? Or remove her powers so she can be killed?” Henry asked.
“It may be our only way,” Fiona agreed. “I think we should gather more information about the curse in Goldene Stadt, specifically how it differs from the one Snow used on Schwarzwald. Ella is on an entirely different level than Snow, and we already know she amended the curse to suit herself in many ways.”
“I agree,” Henry said. “I suppose Heidi and Felix could join me as usual.”
“Wonderful, another mission,” Heidi said. “How many of those have we went on as a trio?”
“I lost count after a thousand,” Felix said, then, “Who will guard the Royals while I am gone?”
“Whoa, whoa, hold your horses there,” I said, feeling tired of being babysat and bounced around like an inanimate object. “I’m going with you. I need to see this... this... village you say was mine. I need this to be real in my head, to see what I’m fighting for, and more importantly, to figure out how to kill the woman who took my child from me.”
“Sierra—”
“Ely, I may not remember the boy, but a mother knows her child. She took him from me. I never got to watch him grow. I couldn’t comfort him when he needed me, and worse, she took every memory I have of him. I cannot let that stand.”
“Saskia, you are a princess. You’re not meant to—” Our father was abruptly cut off by my sister standing strong beside me, literally. She rose and smacked her hand on the table, exerting whatever dominance her opinion had in the room.
“I will not let anyone in this room tell my sister what she can and cannot do. She was the only mother, aside from Mrs. Monroe, who took care of me. You have no idea what this woman is capable of when she puts her mind to it. You’re all fools if you try to put her in a corner because of some stupid idea that princesses can’t kick—”
“Cecily, I think they get the point,” I said before she went off on a spree I’d never get under control.
“She’s not wrong,” Ely added. “I mean, she’s a bit lacking in the following instructions department, but she is strong. She’s a fighter, and this is her fight as much as Snow was ours.”
Instinctively, Ely’s gaze went to Calla’s. She nodded, which sparked a series of nods from the rest of the Salien family, including King Marcellus—Marcus.
“It’s settled then. Thaddeus will stay with Cecily and Jack—” Henry began.
Jack stood beside Cecily, interrupting poor Henry again. “Um, I think what you meant to say is, Jack and Cecily will accompany Thaddeus.”
“Accompany?” Marcus asked.
“Yes, on the information gathering mission. I didn’t come here to sit on my butt while my girls did all the work,” Jack said.
“You understand, the more people we take, the less covert it becomes,” Henry said. “I appreciate the enthusiasm, honestly, but I believe my usual partners along with Ely and Sierra are plenty for this particular mission. I would, however, appreciate a little behind-the-scenes work.”
“Such as?” Marcus asked.
“I would suggest the Grimm brothers search their tales for anything that may indicate the source of the darkness. Brody and Jack can easily help them with that. Meanwhile, Ravenna, Fiona, and Jemma can search their texts for information about the dagger. Cecily, it would be a good time for you to catch up with your father. Some discussion may trigger a memory that can help us.”
Henry was good at making decisions for the group and had no qualms about telling royals what to do, a bonus of being married to one, I assumed. Nonetheless, they all appeared to value his opinion without question. If they all trusted him, then I would as well.
Marcus considered what he said and made his final decision.
“I agree with the plan. Are there any questions?”
No one spoke, except for Calla. She leaned over to whisper to him, his face falling when she completed her statement. He grumbled a bit, then stood and said, “I had forgotten, we need to discuss the unfortunate situation that both Calla and I are two of the Seven Sworn Fiona spoke of earlier today.”
“No,” Wil said, vehemently opposed to any discussion about the evilest evil that ever lived lurking somewhere in the world or his wife’s role in defeating it.
“Wil, I have no choice. We talked about this,” Calla argued. Evidently, there had been a lot of talking going on I was not aware of and judging from the look on half the faces in the room, I’d guess we weren’t the only ones left out of the loop.
“I will find another way. We can find another way, we must. I just got you back, and we have a son, Katharine. Would you subject him to a life without his mother?”
“Of course not,” she began, “but I also won’t subject him to a world where evil lurks around every corner. We aren’t even sure what the Seven Sworn are supposed to do, so let’s just do the research and try to stay calm until we know the truth.”
With that, Wil relented. I, however, could not let his statement go. Would you subject him to a life without his mother? His words flooded my mind until I could think of nothing else. What had happened to my son during those lost years? Had he suffered as Cecily and I had? Was he treated cruelly? Thoughts of what might have happened to him tore at my mind until I couldn’t take it any longer.
“Sierra, are you okay?” Ely whispered beside me.
“Take me to my son, Ely. I need to see him again.”
“Okay, but you understand it’s a fragile situation?”
“I’m his mother, Ely. I won’t do anything to cause him distress. Can you trust me, please?” I begged, feeling strongly that I may be able to trigger a memory, a feeling, anything if I could only hold him in my arms again.
He rose from his chair and offered his hand, disregarding the discussion going around the table. “Alright, darling, let’s go see our son.”