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“Your Highness, your father would like a word with you.” Gelda, my dear lady-in-waiting spoke softly from the entryway. My wide smile was not lost on her, and she added, “My, you look like the cat who swallowed the canary.”
“Today. I’ll tell him today, Gelda. I feel it’s time, and I’m quite sure he feels the same about me,” I admitted, seeking her approval. The woman was a second mother to me, and I loved her as dearly as my own.
She entered my room and stood beside me in front of the mirror, quite beautiful at her age, but never married. She took my brush and glided it through my hair gently. Her kind eyes and whimsical face always soothed me, and on the day I was to tell Eliot I loved him it was much needed.
“Your father wishes to see you, Saskia. We should go,” she murmured.
I turned on my bench and took her hand, but she averted her eyes. “What is it that bothers you?”
“It’s nothing, dear. We mustn’t keep your father waiting. Come along, we’ll discuss Prince Eliot after you meet with the king.”
She stepped aside so I could rise, then fell in behind me as we made the long walk to the throne room where Father took all his meetings, even those with his children. Once I reached the room, I was surprised to see Julian and Mother with him.
“Father?” I asked, then stopped in front of him while Gelda went to her position at the rear of the room, along with my mother’s lady.
“Saskia, I have news for you. Please, come closer darling.”
I took a step closer, but rather than feel comforted in my family’s presence, I felt afraid. I shuddered, not certain what the feeling was that had settled in the pit of my stomach. Julian was happy, so I tried to focus on his smiling face rather than my father’s stern one.
“Yes, Papa?”
“Your thick-headed brother has made a decision. I cannot say I am pleased with his choice, but it was his to make. He has chosen to apprentice General Schuler, abdicating his position to you, darling.”
They paused, waiting for my reply.
“Abdicate to me? Can he not be king after he completes his duties in the military?” I asked.
“Don’t be daft, Saskia. You know that is not how things are done in Goldene Stadt. Julian will take over the position as General once his training is complete. As I have no other sons, you are the rightful heir. Congratulations, my darling, you are to be a queen.”
The air whooshed from my lungs. To be a queen, I would be expected to marry a man chosen for me by my father. Prince Eliot wouldn’t be anywhere near that list, let alone on it.
“Darling, what is the matter? We thought you would be thrilled,” Mother asked kindly.
Tears filled my eyes, but I blinked rapidly to hold them in.
“Perhaps she is only nervous? You needn’t be, Saskia. You will marry Prince Ulrich, a fine young man who is more than equipped to support you.”
“Prince Ulrich? But I... what if...”
“He adores you, Saskia. He is happy to take you as his wife. Now, run along and spread the news.”
I was dismissed with a wave of his hand, an order I must obey whether I had something to say on the matter or not. Gelda followed closely behind, but I also heard the distinct sound of my brother’s footfalls behind her.
“Gelda, may I have a moment with my sister?”
“Of course, your—”
“Ugh, please, would you call me Julian? I hate all this prince stuff.”
“Sir, you know I cannot,” she said, then slipped into a darkened corner of the hall so my brother and I could speak.
Before he could open his mouth, I turned and ran away as fast as I could. Once in the comfort of my own quarters, I slammed the door and threw myself on my bed. I allowed the tears I’d held in to fall freely onto my bedding, wishing I could drown to death in them. I’d rather drown than marry someone I didn’t love, especially when there was another man who already had my heart.
My door opened, and Julian entered, then closed it quietly behind him. He sat on the edge of my bed and placed his hand on my shoulder.
“Sister, please tell me what I did wrong so that I can make it right,” he begged.
I tried to speak, but the choking sobs cut off every word. He pulled me up from the bed and tucked my head against his chest.
“You do not wish to be a queen, is that it?”
I sucked in a breath, and said, “N-no.”
“I see. Does it have to do with ruling a kingdom, or marrying Prince Ulrich?”
“M-marrying him.”
“Mmm, would I be correct in assuming there is another man you’d prefer to marry?”
I nodded slowly, and he let out a heavy breath. “Saskia, I’m sorry. I didn’t know, or I never would have taken the position. I thought about it for so long... you know how I hate being a royal. It’s all pomp and circumstance, and it’s all so mind-numbingly boring to me. But if it will make you happy, love, I will rescind my abdication—”
“You cannot, and I wouldn’t let you if you could, Julian.” I sniffled and sat up straight. “By law, once you abdicate your position you cannot reclaim it, even if I were to die.”
“See, that’s the problem there! So many ridiculous rules and don’t get me started on the—”
“Julian, it’s not your fault. You’re allowed to want something for your life that is not what you were born to do,” I said. “I will figure something out. Perhaps Corrina would like to be a queen?”
Julian laughed, then said, “I’m sure Papa would love that. Corinna can’t manage to butter her own bread, and you think she can rule a kingdom? You’d do better to convince Father to let you marry another man.”
I snickered, sure that would never happen. Father and King Heinrich were close friends, but Father was not fond of Eliot. Marcellus, yes, even Christian, but not Eliot. Why did he have to be so mischievous?
“Saskia?”
“Hmm?”
“Who is this man? The one you love?”
“Oh, Julian, what difference does it make? Father has chosen Ulrich, and Ulrich it will be unless I run—”
Julian eyed me with a suspicious gaze. “You cannot run away, Saskia. Father will surely hate this man if you do. Tell me, is it your friend? Is it Prince Eliot, or have you found your senses and fallen in love with another man?”
My guilty face was all the confirmation he needed. He ran his hands through his dark hair and released a frustrated groan. “Well, you’d better tell your Prince to start minding his manners. I’ll see what I can do about Ulrich, but I make no promises. If Eliot can learn to manage his penchant for getting into trouble, perhaps Father can be swayed?”
“You’d do that for me? Try to convince Father?”
“Of course, I would. I love you, sister.”
“Sierra? Are you in there?” Cecily’s light knocking and frantic whispers under the crack of the door woke me along with Ely. I cleared the remnants of the dream fog from my mind, but not the dream itself. I doubted it was one I could forget even if I wanted to.
I’d eaten so much the night before, I woke with a little indigestion. Shortly after eating, Ely and I tucked Hans in, read a dozen stories, then fell asleep beside him. It was the best sleep I’d had in years, but there was work to be done.
Ely eased himself from the bed, careful not to wake Hans. “Is that Cecily?”
“I think so.” I stood and made my way to the door swiftly, then pulled it open quickly to avoid the long creaking sound it made when opened slowly.
Cecily gasped and scrambled to her feet. “I’m sorry. Did I wake Hans?”
I yawned, inciting a yawn from her. “No, but we should talk in the hall, so we don’t.”
I motioned for Ely to join us, which he reluctantly did once he made sure our son wouldn’t wake up when he moved. In the hall, Ely took my hand, and we followed Cecily into the central courtyard. Once there, Felix joined us.
“Good morning. I hope you had a restful sleep because today will be very hectic.”
“How so?” Ely asked. “Why have you dragged us from our bed so early?”
“We have good news, and perhaps a little bad news, but the good does outweigh the bad,” Felix said, teasing though he didn’t mean to. “We believe we’ve found a cure for Henry but obtaining it will be a bit tricky.”
Felix pulled open the door of the dining hall and let us enter first. Many were already in the room, including Gerald and Calla who barely glanced from their work to nod at us. Fiona and Jemma were discussing something at the other end of the table while Ravenna and Heidi listened intently. Several others were patiently waiting around the table along with my father.
“What on earth is going on?” Ely asked.
It appeared we were the only ones to have slept a wink, but soon after the door closed behind us, more people entered. They were as rested as we were, except Seline who would probably never sleep another day in her life. Elizabeth and Jeanine flanked her, offering her words of comfort. Jeanine seemed improved, but I was still a little concerned. I’d never seen jet-lag make a person double over in pain before. Jeanine caught me staring and smiled sweetly.
Caleb and Julianna, as well as two people I had yet to meet, followed shortly after. Brody brought up the rear with Jack, filling the room with so many people no one could hear a thing over all the noise. Marcus glanced at his wife, who shrugged and whispered something to him. He then stood and whistled as loudly as he could.
Instantly, the room fell silent. I moved to a chair because I thought it best, but Ely remained standing. I still had so much to learn about what to do and what not to do, but that was a worry for another time.
Marcus went to the end of the table beside his mother, Ravenna, and all eyes followed him.
“Many of you have already heard, but we believe we have found a cure for Henry’s troll bite. Thanks to Mr. Ortega, we’ve been able to decipher much of the text written about the creatures.”
I glanced toward the man sitting beside Julianna, finally putting two and two together. The faces I didn’t recognize were Julianna’s adoptive parents. I was pleased to see at least some parents supported their children as they’d promised when adopting them.
“These trolls have many lethal weapons, but we already knew that. A single bite leads to sepsis in a matter of minutes, which is why we’ve had very little luck with treatments. Antibiotics don’t work... nothing does. But according to the text, the troll’s blood is the antidote to its venom.”
“Of course, it is,” Wil said, he and his brother hiding in the shadows as usual, “because nothing can ever be easy, can it?”
“Wil, darling,” Calla began.
“I’m sorry, darling, but this is becoming more than I can bear. First Snow, then the possibility of losing you all over again, and now this? Troll blood? How do you propose we obtain this blood without shedding more of our own?”
“It can be done,” Felix said, then, “The trolls are fearful of the wolves, at least of Sierra. If we can corner one of them, wounding it enough that it will leave a trail of blood, then maybe—”
“A trail of... are you bonkers? Why don’t we just kill the thing and store the blood to use for future attacks?” Ely asked.
Marcus sat, exhausted. “That’s part of the problem. The trolls, they aren’t inherently monsters. They are people, Ely. They’re people turned into those things. We can’t kill them, not until we are certain there is no hope for them.”
“Let me make sure I understand,” Jay said. “You want us to wound it to retrieve blood, then let it go until we can find a cure for the troll curse as well, all while fighting Ella and a darker evil somewhere out there?”
“Basically,” Marcus replied.
“It can’t be done, Marcus. Several of us have children to think of, and I’m...” Jay paused, looking to his wife who nodded. “Elizabeth is pregnant, and I did hope I could meet my child before running off to certain death.”
Judging by the shocked faces around the room, I’d say very few people knew Elizabeth was pregnant, but Jay wasn’t wrong. I’d just promised Hans I would never leave him again, a foolish thing to say when Ella could kill me at any time.
“I’ll go,” Jack said, standing from his chair.
“What? No, we can’t ask you to risk your safety. You’re our guest here under our protection, but I do appreciate your bravery, Jack,” Marcus said with a tone of finality.
“I will go with a small team,” Felix said, then looked to me. “I believe it best we take you since the troll exhibited fear of you. We can keep you safe at all times, Highness.”
I nodded, knowing I’d be safe if I stayed in wolf form the entire time. “Yes, I’ll do it. I want to help Henry.”
“If she’s going, so am I,” Ely said, then looked to his sister. “Calla?”
“Always. I’ll keep Hans safe while you’re gone.”
“You’ll need a witch just in case. I’ll go along,” Heidi stated.
“It’s settled then. Felix, take no less than a dozen armored guardsmen along with Ely, Sierra, and Heidi.”
“And Cecily. I’m not leaving my sister’s side. We’ve always hunted together, and this time won’t be any different,” Cecily argued.
Marcus nodded his approval. He stood again and began tackling a different issue. “Now, Carlos has also helped us decipher some other volumes, and we think Sierra was right about Ella. Fiona, would you like to discuss this?”
“Of course. When Sierra’s power was taken, it got me thinking about a type of witch I’d heard about as a small child. The stories of Siphon Witches were almost as fantastic as those about the Siphon-Dolch, but I could see no other explanation for what Ella did to Sierra. In my research, I found a family line said to have descended from the original Siphon Witch, the Velte family.”
“That’s Aline’s family!” my father shouted in shock. “How can that be? Ella isn’t their blood-related sister. She’s their step-sister.”
“Indeed, it is the family line of your wife and her siblings. I never said Ella was part of that lineage. I believe Ella’s family came from another, less powerful line. Which leads me to believe Ella kept your wife and sister-in-law locked away, so she could routinely drain their magic, making her more powerful.”
“But, she needed me for her boost this time. If she has them why would she need me?” I asked.
Fiona’s facial expression saddened, and I realized what she was trying to say.
“Oh... you think... you believe they are dead, and that’s why Ella is seeking power elsewhere?”
“We know Ella is a megalomaniac hellbent on becoming the most powerful witch in existence. I worry that may mean she’s drained your family completely,” Fiona admitted. “Perhaps it’s a jump to assume, but the bottom line is Ella will continue to seek power. The eldest in each generation is said to possess the greatest power, but also the most draining as it’s used. She requires a massive influx from a magical creature or item, such as Sierra or my wand... or this,” she slid a book on the table for us to see an illustration.
“The dagger,” I said. “She was after the dagger in the forest.”
“In the forest? What are you talking about, Si?” Cecily asked.
“It can’t have been a coincidence Henry was attacked. Somehow, she knew Henry found the dagger. She wants it so she can siphon the energy from... holy cow, imagine how much power she’ll have if she gets her hands on it.”
“I made that leap as well. It was the only thing that made sense to me as there had been no attacks that close to the castle before. If Ella got her hands on it, her power would be immeasurable,” Fiona added.
“So, the trolls, they aren’t just people, but people controlled by Ella?” I asked.
“Ella, maybe someone else. I’m not sure. I do know this, if they have attacks in other kingdoms, then the epidemic is spreading. Someone is making an army of trolls, and one can only assume it’s to take over the entire Black Forest.”
“Wait, slow down. We’re making a lot of assumptions here,” Wil said. “How can we be sure we’re on the right track?”
“Frankly, it doesn’t matter if we are or not. Whatever Ella’s intent, I still think the dagger is our best chance at ending her,” Fiona stated confidently.
“How are we supposed to draw her out of Goldene Stadt?” I asked, assuming that was part of the plan. Force her out of her kingdom where she was weaker, then attack her.
“We can’t. Her power drains drastically once she leaves the land of her ancestors.”
“This is some pesky magic she has. She needs frequent boosts, and she can’t leave her home without draining herself? It seems she should be easy to kill,” I said sarcastically.
“It seems, but do not let her fool you. She’s powerful and manipulative,” Fiona reminded as if I hadn’t already experienced Ella’s brand of manipulation.
“Ella won’t risk leaving her kingdom again. We’ll have to go to her.” Fiona winced in preparation for the onslaught of comments she expected after dropping that jewel of information. Instead, a collective gasp filled the room. It was sheer lunacy to invade Ella’s castle to face her, a literal death sentence for anyone who attempted it. Invincible as a wolf or not, I thought sure Ella would find a way to have my head. There had to be another way because I didn’t see anyone in the room, save Felix, who was brave enough to pull that stunt.
Marcus took the silence as shock rather than contemplation of where Fiona’s mind had gone and continued. “We’ll move forward with our plan to revive Henry first, and once he is at full strength, we’ll move on Ella. Felix, choose your soldiers and prepare the others. We’ll continue to make plans for our attack on Goldene Stadt in your absence.”
“Yes, King Marcellus.” Felix exited the room to gather our guards.
“He’s serious. He means to send our family to slaughter,” Wil said to his brother, Jay, with an edge to his tone that mirrored the way I felt. There had to be another way.
“Are you certain there is no other way? Surely, her castle is surrounded by guards, perhaps trolls even, not to mention her strength alone... there’s just no way I see that we can beat her on her home court. We have to get her away from the castle,” I argued, finding back-up in the least likely place.
“I agree with Princess Saskia. This is the most absurd plan in the history of plan-making, and I’ve made my fair share of idiotic plans!” Wil was beyond angry with Marcus for allowing such nonsense, and he made it clear. “I’d think you of all people would understand how difficult it is to sneak into a castle. In fact, it wasn’t even you who went after Snow. It was Katharine, Anneliese, and Susanna who risked their lives confronting her!”
I took a wild stab and assumed Anneliese and Susanna were Elizabeth and Seline since they were the two who turned their heads at the mention of their names, but all the second names were getting so confusing.
Everyone here should wear name tags, I swear.
Everyone looked at me, the newbie who couldn’t keep her thoughts to herself.
I raised my hands and said, “Well, everyone has two names, not to mention there are more kings and queens around here than in a deck of cards. How am I supposed to keep up?”
Jack tried to control his laugh, but it spilled out. It was what everyone needed to take a step back and reevaluate before jumping into an argument. I took advantage of the light-hearted moment and stepped in. I was a future queen after all.
“Let’s take a moment to remember we are all on the same side. Bickering amongst ourselves won’t solve a thing, and I feel confident we can come up with a plan that is not a suicide mission if we just put our heads together. Why don’t we focus on saving Henry first, then see what input he has? He’s had the dagger for years, so I’m betting he also had a plan for killing Snow. That plan could work on Ella.”
“That’s a good point,” Marcus said, “but what if Henry doesn’t remember?”
“We’ll tackle that if and when the time comes,” I said. “There is never a good reason to run into something blind, I learned that the hard way only days ago.” Ely offered me a small smile I could only assume meant he was pleased I’d learned my lesson. “I’m the one she tricked into handing over her power, and she did it with ease and skill. We can’t be sure she hasn’t planned for an attack such as this and taken measures to prepare herself.”
Marcus fell into his chair, groaning as he did. “She’s a much better ruler than I am, and she hasn’t even ascended to the throne.”
Ava pursed her lips and placed her hand on his arm. “It’s been five years, Marcus. Sierra has had a little more experience managing heavy stuff than we have. Remember, this is the first time we’ve been tested since you took the throne.”
“She’s right, darling,” Ravenna said. “You will gain wisdom with each new challenge, then you will apply that wisdom to your obstacle.”
Felix entered the hall again, finding sad faces all around. He didn’t seem affected by it in the least but approached Marcus with his news.
“The guards are prepared. We can leave on your word,” he said, almost anticipating the adventure. I, contrarily, wanted nothing more than to climb back into bed with my child and pretend we were living in a crummy apartment in Philadelphia rather than discussing tactic in an ancient castle.
“The sooner, the better. You are dismissed,” Marcus said, then stood with Ava and exited a door opposite where I sat. I hadn’t noticed the door before, but then I was usually distracted when in the room.
Ely and Heidi joined Felix, so I glanced at my sister.
“Ready?” I asked.
“If you’re asking if I’m prepared to go hunt a troll, then no, but if you’re asking if it’s time to go, then yes.” She looked like she may vomit her breakfast any moment but joined the others with me all the same.
We followed Felix into the central courtyard where the guards stood in three lines awaiting orders. I was surprised to see a few women among the ranks, exhibiting just how far the kingdom had developed under Marcus’ rule.
Ely shifted, reminding me that we were not using horses to travel this time. I was grateful because Cinnamon and I were not on speaking terms after she ran off and left me for the trolls. Cecily and I shifted after him and followed the guards toward the gate. Thaddeus lowered the metal plate that covered the main gate, then rolled it back so we could exit. Once we were all outside the walls of the town square, the gate closed behind us, and the plate creaked back into place.
A thought occurred to me that hadn’t before. The remote parts of the kingdom were unprotected, leaving the villagers at risk of troll attacks. I felt sure Marcus would not allow his people to live in fear of such things but also had no thoughts on what he might do to protect them. There wasn’t much time to consider it unless I wanted to be left behind, so I put it in the back of my mind to discuss with him later.
I trotted forward, catching up with the group quickly. Cecily took my right while Ely held the rear. Felix led the group of guards into the forest, and with each step, our task felt more foreboding. Miles passed, and I discovered we were heading back to the burned community where we’d encountered the trolls before, close to the border. I felt uneasy, a little thrown off.
When we were kids, I always got a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach when something was about to go wrong. Back then, it usually meant one of our foster parents would come home drunk and use me as a punching bag, or that we’d go without dinner as a punishment for some imagined slight. Now, I didn’t know what to make of the feeling, but I’d always trusted my instinct—except that one time with Ella. Ella. She knew where to hit me to throw me off. This feels wrong, Si. It’s probably...
IT’S A TRAP!
I barely got the thought out before we were surrounded by trolls, snarling and closing in fast. Their oozing pustules gagged the guards, but it did not sway their steadfastness. They assumed a fighting position, but the trolls never attacked. Instead, they waited. What are they waiting for?
Ely dipped his head and sniffed the ground. He caught a scent he recognized, and his head jerked up, toward Cecily and me.
She’s here!
We were wrong. Ella was more than willing to leave the safety of her kingdom to watch us get ripped to shreds by trolls. Felix and the guards could see the trolls surrounding us, but they couldn’t see what we smelled—hundreds more of the monsters closing in. They would slaughter every one of the guards, including the man my sister loved. They also didn’t know Ella lurked in the shadows, a threat to all of us.
They can’t see them! What do we do? I directed my thoughts to Ely, who could think of only one thing to do.
He shifted to his human form and yelled. “There are hundreds! We must retreat before—”
His words were cut short, abruptly so, and it baffled me. He lurched forward a bit and stumbled, clutching his chest. Blood poured through his fingers as a sword made its final thrust through his chest, then retreated as he fell. Ella stood behind him, cackling before she disappeared in a fog.
Ely fell face-first onto the ground as the trolls descended. I couldn’t control my fear, and it caused me to shift repeatedly—human, wolf, human, wolf—until Cecily’s scream brought me back to reality. She fell beside Ely, her blood-curdling screams piercing through the sounds of battle all around us. The putrid smell of trolls invaded my human nostrils, mixing with nausea that was already there. I turned and vomited everywhere, everything I’d eaten purged from my body in violent heaves.
Heidi screamed, and I caught sight of her rushing toward us. I’d all but forgotten her, then realized the guards had been surrounding her, protecting her since she was a valuable witch who was not invincible.
Ella had tricked me again. She waited patiently, knowing Ely would risk his own life rather than allow me or Cecily to shift and give warning. She was cunning and patient, two things I quickly discovered I was not.
Another scream brought me back to reality. Ely reached for me, his hands covered with blood. Trickles of the thick red liquid poured from his mouth, sputtering everywhere when he coughed.
“What can we do?” Cecily cried.
“I’m trying! My powers... they’re not working! I can’t heal him!” Heidi screamed.
Surrounding us, a dozen guards and Felix fought to protect us, but they were losing. Trolls fell dead against Marcus’ wishes, but I didn’t care. The shock was blocking my ability to care about anything, but I was soon snapped out of my daze for good.
“Saskia... tell Hans...” Ely’s voice was weak, and the full weight of what happened fell on me, crushing me until I could hardly breathe.
“Shh... You’ll tell him yourself. Heidi will—”
“I can’t! Whatever she stabbed him with is blocking my healing powers. I can’t fix this!” Heidi was coming undone.
Ely squeezed my hand, regaining my full attention.
“I love you, and I know...” He sucked in a breath, then tried to continue. “I know... you will protect...”
“No, don’t you dare die, you infuriating man!” I yelled at him. “Not now! You can’t just bulldoze into my life and make me fall in love with you, then leave like they did! You can’t!”
Cecily sobbed beside me, and a flood of memories came over me. I remembered every painful moment of learning our adoptive parents had died, but as painful as that was it dulled in comparison to the agony losing Ely would inflict on me.
Cecily had a moment of clarity and stopped her crying long enough to grab Heidi’s hands.
“What about the sleeping spell? The one Ravenna used on Wil and Jay?” she asked.
“No, no... I don’t want that. It’s too much for Heidi,” Ely said, using what energy he had left to pull me closer. “She needs her strength to protect you.”
“I can do it. It’s difficult, yes, but... but I can’t let you die, Ely. You’re a brother to me. I’ll have enough to protect them still,” Heidi argued.
“You can’t, Heidi!” Ely cried. “Just let me die and keep them safe!”
“She’s not going to let you die, so shut up!” Cecily scolded, never one to be a good nurse.
Ely groaned and shifted his weight to a more comfortable position though I assumed there was no comfortable position when you had a hole through and through. His mahogany eyes caught mine again, pleading.
“What if you don’t regain your memory, Sierra? I’d rather die than lie asleep waiting for you to remember how true our love once was, don’t you understand?”
I didn’t remember him, not entirely. I wasn’t sure I ever would, but that didn’t change the way I felt about him. I took his hand and placed it over my heart, silly, but it felt right.
“Trust this, Ely. Trust that the heart I have now is true. I love you, more than I would have thought possible a week ago. I was born for this mission, and I will not let you die while I carry it out. Trust in us. Trust me.”
Heidi had already begun the spell as I distracted him, not that it was by design, but I didn’t care. I bent over him to give one last kiss before sleep took him away from me. Just as my lips grazed his, the lights went out, and my brain exploded, transporting me to another time and place.