Red Wolfe (18 page)

“
Oui
, I’ve been using him to keep an eye on you.”

“
An eye on me? Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. “You know John, don’t you?” It wasn’t a question. Ellena knew that she did. The hood was proof.

“Did you find what you were looking for at the bookshop?”

“I found something, but I refuse to believe it,” Ellena fiercely said. “John cannot be the same John from the book. It’s madness! That would make him—”

“It is true, my dear, just as true as the fact that I am his mother.”

The old woman’s face and hands began to softly sparkle, a gentle cascade of pointed lights that settled on the old woman like snowflakes, but then a soft breeze blew, carrying the twinkling diamonds away.

“Do you believe now?” The woman’s violet dress flowed around her feet, her dark brown hair falling to her shoulders and framing her kind face. Ellena plopped into the bench, staring into a familiar pair of chestnut eyes.

“I guess I have no choice but to,” she breathed.

“I’ve been
waiting for your arrival for some time,” the woman smiled.

“Waiting for me? But I
’ve been searching for you this whole time.”

“That’s not what I mean,”
Madame
Danielle replied. “I’ve been waiting for you to come to this village. The moment I saw you I knew you’d be the one to help my son.”

“He is the prince from the story, isn’t he?”

“The story is just as John told you. When that deceiving girl broke his heart he fled to the local witch to find a cure, but what he did not tell you was the witch, in fact, happened to be my sister.”

“Is she the woman from
the painting?”

The older woman nodded.
“He wanted a potion to once again gain Janelle’s affection, by any means necessary.  He didn’t care if he had to change, to use magic to become the very thing that he hated. If it won Janelle back, he would have completely destroyed himself.”

“How am I supposed to help him?” Ellena frantically asked.

“You love him, do you not?”

There was no reason to deny it now. “I do,” she admitted. It was her first time acknowledging her love out loud, but it felt oddly right and normal, as if it was fate. The soundness of this truth settled deep within her bones.

She loved him.

“After he we
nt to my sister, she came to me worried of what my son was bringing upon himself. We then decided to give him a spell, but not quite the one that he wanted. A spell was placed on his entire household and on him, a spell to slow time until his true love could appear and break the incantation. Only Gregor knew of our plan and has been helping us this whole time.”

“That rascal!” Ellena whispered. “I knew he was up to something.
So the spell kept him from aging and trapped his servants inside all those paintings?”

“Yes and no. You see, magic is never truly controlled. It’s wild and unpredictable, often doing as it pleases. Even the slightest change can have the biggest consequence. Many years passed and John fell into a deeper despair and the magic, of its own accord, began to respo
nd and grant his darkest wishes. Firstly, he rebuked all company, finding solace in no one and not even bearing to see his servants. He wished for complete solitude and so that is what the magic granted him and one by one the people of his house began to disappear. By the time you came along, dear Gregor was all that was left and even I had to flee to the village to keep from being trapped myself.”

“Did he realize what was happening?”

“I’m afraid not at first and by the time he did, John was too far gone.”

“His emotions were that strong? Even to bend the spell to his desires?”

“Oh yes, intense jealousy, hate, sadness, they can all be just as powerful and potent as any magic. They make people act against their will, do the most foolish things, and act out in the cruelest fashion. Just like magic, they can be just another way to control others.”

“So if any feeling is strong enough it can bend magic to its will? Is that why love is
so often used to break spells because it is the most powerful of all?”

“Indeed,” Danielle
laughed. “If you want to cast a real spell on someone, just make them fall in love with you!”

“Why did his looks change?” Ellena asked.

“He blamed himself for Janelle’s deceit and believed that if he had been someone else, someone more like Prince—”

“Ives?”

Danielle was delightfully surprised. “Why yes. I see you discovered more than I thought.”

“So he wished to be more like Prince Ives and the spell obeyed. That is why his appearance and demeanor changed, but Janelle never returned to break the enchantment.”

“She couldn’t even if she had returned.”

“But I thought you said…”

“The spell can only be broken by true love. Janelle was not his true love, Ellena. You are. That is why and only why the spell began to reverse.”

“He loves me too?”

“Only love can heal someone’s heart the way you healed John’s.”

They had healed each other, Ellena realized. The loneliness she had felt for so long, the betrayal and haunting memories from her past that plagued her for so many years had slowly begun to fade and John was the reason. The past didn’t matter anymore, her past or his. The magic didn’t matter, the unknown didn’t matter. This was their fate, to be together. She suddenly was no longer afraid.

“I have to go back.” Ellena jumped to her feet.

“Be careful,”
Danielle solemnly advised. The look in her eyes spoke of troubles ahead. “Returning will be much harder than before.”

“I’m going back to John,” she declared. “After all, I’ve never been one to run away from a challenge.”

       Chapter Fifteen

The forest had changed.  There was no mistaking it. To the regular eye it would have appeared the same, but Ellena quickly noticed the difference. The air was thick in a way that can old be described a magic. Night had fallen, but the darkness blanketing the forest seemed too dense, too impenetrable, like the first shield of defense to a guarded castle. It was as if the forest was trying to keep her out.

Her steps soon turned into a mad dash as she darted among the trees, avoiding the branches and prickly briars that seemed to reach to grab her. They would merely slow her down, not stop her. Nothing would st
op her, but it was obvious that her courage would soon be tested.

The path began to change, appearing and disappearing in scattered fragments in all directions, but something inside of her was telling her to ignore it, that this was an illusion to steer her away. The forest shifted again and Ellena suffered a b
low to her head as she collided into a low baring branch, knocking her from her feet. She struggled to sit up as her head spun. A light trail of blood trickled down her face and she fiercely wiped it away.

That’s
when she heard it, a fierce howl penetrate the silence. She wasted no time and set off running again. The great gate just beyond his lands came into view. All she had to do was get to that gate. The howl sounded again, but much closer this time. Too close.

She reached out to grasp the metal lock but before her fingers could make contact, jagged teeth ripped into her flesh.  A choked cry escaped her lips as she tumbled into a pile of leaves and twigs, trying to beat back the beast with the only weapon she had— her fist.

But the wolf would not concede defeat. Over and over she struck him, blow after blow, but the fangs only drove deeper into her thigh. Determined green eyes met yellow. The wolf was unwavering in his task and she had no doubt that this was all the spell’s doing. This beast had been sent here to find her, just like before.

“You wi
ll not stop me,” Ellena growled before digging her fingers into the moist mud beneath her leg and flinging it at her target. The wolf released some sort of guttural noise and released his jaws, stumbling back and trying to shake the dirt from his face. Then, with all the force she could muster, she reared back and kicked him, the mangling cry breaking through the silence again. Ellena made her escape. Ignoring the pain, she ran through the gate’s door and slammed it shut.

The wolf vanished.

She sank to the ground to rest her hot skin against the cold metal bar as sweat trickled down her burning face. All she needed was to catch her breath, just a moment for her thrashing heart to rest.

The house was waiting for her as she made the agonizing trek across the estate. No wolves, no distractions, no diversions met her this time. It was merely a long walk alone across the
empty field. She stumbled up the stairs as best she could and entered.

“John!” she bellowed, limping inside, but something was wrong. The same penetrating darkness had filled the house and settled like a dense fog. Not even the candles were lit which were done every night by Gregor without fail.

“The spell,” she frantically whispered. How she prayed that she was wrong, but as she hurried inside her suppositions were only confirmed. The pictures frames along the wall were no longer empty. There was Sir Philip standing with his regal stance, brightly smiling and then Louisa sitting in the kitchen cutting vegetables. Even Gregor had been finally trapped within a painted pose with a silver tray in his hand.

The enchantment was returning.

John had vanished. The dining room was empty, as was his study and the gardens. Right outside of her bedroom she crumpled into a chair and examined the bloody gashes slashed across her leg. They had already gotten worse, much worse.

“Where could that fool be?” she angrily asked the painting of Roma and Rimi on the wall. They were in a room, a bedroom on top a gigantic bed with red sheets. It was a room she had never seen, but strangely enough she knew exactly where to find it. She also now had a hunch of where to find John.

Ellena arrived at the passageway that led to his bedroom and slowly began to tiptoe into what seemed to be a silver mist. She noticed a soft light beaming like a beacon through the darkness just a little ways down the path and she hurried towards the table where one lone candle shone. Just beyond the table was a door. She turned the knob and pushed it opened.

“John!” She could barely stand anymore and grasped the door to steady herself. “I know you’re here.”

Something stirred in the darkness. The candle’s glow streaked inside, creating a slice of light that cut along the floor and onto the crimson covered bed. He emerged from the shadows, looking at her with cold icy, blue eyes. Ellena gave him no time to protest as she marched up to the man and slapped him.

“You idiot!” she hissed. “Did you think I wasn’t coming back? That I had left forever?” Tears sprung to her eyes as she tou
ched his face. He was too stunned to say anything. “I love you, John. I want the real you and no one else.” Her lips found his in a soft kiss and, with eyes closed and body trembling, she relished in the warmth of his touch. “Why are you always so difficult?” she smiled, opening her eyes to see brown chestnut sprinkled with amber. He clutched her tighter.

“If I get a kiss
for each time I am being difficult I will certainly make sure to be completely unbearable,” he whispered. With that said, he kissed her again.

“Oh my!” Louisa’s wailed beyond the door. “It is way past dinner! Gregor!”

Voices once again filled the mansion and the mist dissolved.

The
enchantment was broken.

“Much has changed. Many years have passed since the spell was cast,” Ellena carefully explained. “You have a lot to learn.”

“I know,” was his reply. “You will teach me?”

“You will take lessons from such a lowly peasant?” she teased and
John released a hearty laugh. “There’s just one thing I don’t understand. What happened to all the young women of the village that went missing?”

“They left.”

“They left?” she repeated.

“
Oui
, every time I appeared in the village they would follow me back here, but once they realized I would never marry them they left. One eloped with my head guard, an axe man, and another stole one of my horses to travel to a town nearby. Only one remained behind as a kitchen help because she fell in love with my stables boy. Eventually, I just stopped going into town altogether.”

Now Ellena was l
aughing as she threw her arms around his neck. She couldn’t help but believe that the spell had perhaps played a role in his irresistible allure to women.