Ashes to Ashes
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“This book takes you on an exciting ride with old favorites from Snow Kissed and new fun characters! These books will make you rethink every fairytale you’ve ever heard.” –Nina Lafornara
“Continuing their journey to subvert the princesses we think we know, Padgett once again injects some fun sociopathy into her take on the Brothers Grimm’s tales. More characters with unshakeable familial bonds and a knack for mischief join the cast we love in this sequel full of mystery, romance, and thrills.” –N. J. Kharme
© 2018 Melissa Padgett (M. J. Padgett)
Copyright registered with the US Copyright Office November 2018
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. This work may not be translated except by permission of the author.
This is a work of fiction. The names, occupations, events, incidents, and businesses are products of the author’s imagination. Certain cities, states, countries, and institutions are mentioned, but the characters involved are wholly imaginary. Any resemblance to actual persons or events is purely coincidental. Certain creative liberties have been taken with regard to procedure and function of some occupations, agencies, locations, and events to suit the purpose of this work of fiction. None are intended to represent actual agencies, agency procedures, persons, or events, and any factuality is purely coincidental.
First Edition 2018
Printed in the United States of America
Cover Design by MJ Padgett
Shutterstock #582061594 (ax image) shanrood (standard license)
Shutterstock #586108676 (background) Paniti Alapon
Font Design by Set Sail Studios (November Starlight, Distinctive Style)
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Ashes to Ashes
M. J. Padgett
The Immortal Grimm Brothers’
Guide to Sociopathic Princesses
Volume Two
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
The Series
For my parents...
Mom, you taught me how to be strong and brave.
Dad, there’s a monster at the end of this book, too...
Ashes to Ashes
Song of The Lost
Beware the painted lips of Red
Whose kiss will surely render dead
For a heart as cold as death doth reign
Deep in forests filled with pain
Hear the cries of suffering souls
From beast to man upon the knoll
She bestowed a curse of miserable life
Upon the hands that toil and strife
Rise against the broken way
Steadfast my love, do not give sway
For evil lurks among the shadows
Be not tempted my darling White rose
You alone hold the key
Our daughter dear, set us free
Align with you, the seven sworn
Who not in death, we still do mourn
From the poison, they shall rise
Forever cursed, Canis lupus inside
Break the moon once of blue
The howl we seek is strong and true
Beware the painted lips of Red
Whose kiss will surely render dead
Save the wolf who’ll have her head
Our ever beloved Salien bred
Prologue
Once upon a time, in a kingdom not far from here, there lived a beautiful young girl who was kind and sweet, honest and caring. She was the love of her mother’s heart, and her father’s pride and joy. Her hair was the color of wheat, her eyes the color of the seas, and her voice was that of an angel’s sweetly singing all day long. The girl never met a stranger and even befriended the little woodland creatures that lived in the forest surrounding her home. All who knew her loved her and reveled in her presence.
One day, her mother grew ill and passed in the night. Distraught and weary, and desiring a mother to care for his daughter, the girl’s father married again. Her step-mother was strict, yet fair, and her step-siblings were as close as real sisters. A few years passed, and the young girl grew into a young woman. Her beauty far surpassed that of her step-sisters—the spoiled young women who’d begun to dislike her.
Again, disaster struck. The young lady’s father passed away, leaving her alone with her step-family. Immediately, her step-mother grew strict beyond reason and forced the young woman into a life of servitude. She was locked away in the attic, fed scraps, and forced to cook and clean from sunrise to sunset. Her step-sisters were so jealous of her beauty, they pulled her hair and scratched at her face, teased and taunted her until she wept, and forced her to wear worn and tattered clothing.
One day, the King announced throughout the land that there would be a festival to celebrate his son’s return from battle. All eligible maidens were to attend by strict command. The young woman’s step-mother promised she could join if her chores were completed, but her list was long and burdensome. However, she persevered and finished her work, only to have her dress ruined by her horrid step-sisters. The birds and animals in the forest had not forgotten the girl’s kindness toward them. They wove a fabric of the most delicate gold and silk and dropped it on their friend, making a beautiful gown. Her shoes were cast of gold and silver, threaded with silk.
She attended the festival and met the handsome prince who immediately fell in love with her. When the hour grew late, she knew she must go home before her family discovered she was missing. When she ran from the prince, he called out for her, but she did not turn back. He followed her, but she escaped, leaving behind one golden slipper.
The prince was distraught and ordered his footmen to find the maiden whose foot fit the slipper, and when she was discovered, they were to bring her to him so that he could marry her. The footmen roamed the village, door to door until they arrived at the young woman’s cottage. Her step-mother locked her in the attic so that she would not be found.
When the slipper did not fit the elder sister’s foot, she cut off her own toe to force it on. As the slipper filled with blood, the footman was horrified and knew the woman was not the owner of the delicate shoe. When the slipper did not fit the younger step-sister, she cut off a piece of her heel. Again, the footman knew she was not the owner of the slipper, as it again filled with blood. Just when the footman had given up hope, the poor servant woman escaped from the attic and ran down the stairs to stop his retreat.
When the young woman’s old wooden shoe was removed, the golden slipper was placed upon her foot. It was a perfect fit, and the prince sang with joy for he had found his true bride. The woman married her prince, and her pigeon friends pecked
out the eyes of her step-sisters, cursing them with blindness for their wickedness toward their beloved friend—their Cinderella.
Calla Benson closed the tattered book of fairy tales with a heavy heart. She knew well how the Monroe sisters suffered, but now there was hope for them.
“I suppose we should make arrangements and be on our way to Philadelphia,” Ely said, looking to Calla.
“I’ll care for Hans. I’ll protect him as if he were my own, Ely. You know I will,” she replied to her brother’s questioning gaze.
A weight lifted from Ely’s chest. He knew his sister would lay down her own life for his son, and it eased the pain of leaving Hans behind. Ely had no memory of the girls, Sierra and Cecily Monroe, but one of them could be the mother of his child. It baffled him how that was possible. Every one of his siblings had regained their memory, but his had gaps and blurry spaces he’d yet to decipher. He knew he once loved a woman, but who she was and where she’d gone he had no clue. In fairness, none of them remembered the Monroe sisters, but for Ely, it was more than a simple forgotten acquaintance. The empty spaces that the mother of his child should have occupied, melded with other memories, fading them until he wasn’t sure what was real and what he’d imagined.
“Felix will go along,” Henry said, offering his cousin’s guidance on the long journey.
“That won’t be necessary,” Heidi said, her tone a bit cautious. Ely sensed the tension in her words. He didn’t like it. Anything that could interfere with finding the sisters was out of the question.
“I agree. We fared well enough against Snow. I don’t think we need a babysitter to find two sisters in Philadelphia,” Ely protested.
Henry’s eyes narrowed as he zeroed in on his frustrating brother-in-law, always testing the boundaries of authority—in this case, Henry’s authority over The Royal Guard.
“You did nothing. It was Princess Katharine and her bravery that forced Snow out of the tunnels and directly into the jaws of the courageous Princess Anneliese. Do not mistake their bravery for your own, Prince Eliot. Felix will accompany you to the States. Like it or don’t, it is your reality.”
If Henry weren’t Seline’s husband, Ely would have been beyond annoyed, but he was, and it was Henry’s duty to protect the Saliens at all cost. Ely stood with a frustrated grumble.
“I’m going to tell Hans goodbye, then pack a bag. Let me know when you’re all ready to leave.”
Heidi and Felix shared a look, a strained one that didn’t settle well with Ely but there wasn’t anything he could do about it. Brody appeared cool as a cucumber, but Ely doubted the Grimm’s husband knew anything of her past with Felix. He shook his head and left the room to hug his child before going, hopefully, to return with his mother.
Chapter One
The steady flow of vehicles past the diner held my attention for a long time. It was a quiet morning, much quieter than usual, and my mind wandered easily. It often did on these days, the anniversary of my parents’ death, but when the day fell on a full moon, it made the reality of my life circumstances more difficult to bear.
“Snap out of it, Sierra,” I said to myself, earning a strange look from our cook. Stop talking out loud to yourself, Si, I scolded, momentarily wondering if I’d also voiced that thought when he glanced at me again. I’d worked at the diner for so long, my random outbursts had become accepted as normal behavior, but that didn’t stop people from giving me strange looks on occasion.
I averted my gaze from the cook and back to the window. At least I had my sister, the one thing other than our curse that I could count on without fail. As if hearing my call to her, Cecily appeared on the sidewalk just outside the glass door. She pulled it open and removed her cap, then shook out the flakes of snow that had accumulated on the pink monstrosity. I smiled as she made her way to the counter. A flurry of snowflakes followed her in, along with a draft I could have done without.
“It’s going to be a bitterly cold night,” she said, removing her coat even as she shivered. “A cup of coffee and the breakfast special please.”
“You’ll be home in time, correct?” I asked, reminding her that tonight was our night no matter how cold it got.
“Yes. My last class is over at three, so that’s plenty of time to eat dinner and head out,” she responded, then sipped her coffee. “Ah, horrible as ever.”
“Hey, I made that,” Dannie said from the other end of the counter.
“Well, congratulations. It tops yesterday’s, and I nearly had to chew that.” Cecily pushed the mug toward me with a bitter look on her face, about as bitter as the morning’s coffee.
“I just follow the directions on the coffee maker, and it does the rest. Totally not my fault this place is too cheap to get a new one,” Dannie defended, all in good fun.
“So,” Cecily began, and I knew by the tone of her voice exactly what she was asking next. “When will you follow in Dannie’s footsteps and start college? You’re already twenty-three, Sierra.”
Dannie chuckled behind me, then nudged me with her hip. “Yeah, what she said.”
My best friend was nearly as reliable as my sister, but when she left for med school in a few weeks, we would be left without a roommate. For months, I’d been stressing about the increase in rent without her but never mentioned it to my sister. I was working on Jack, wearing down my other best friend in hopes he would leave the cramped apartment he shared with three other men to save us from becoming homeless by the end of the year.
I sighed, annoyed with them. “When you finish college in two years like I’ve said a million times. I don’t want you working while you’re in school. When you graduate, I’ll start. Until then, shut up and focus on your studies,” I scolded, serving her a lukewarm breakfast of runny eggs and burned toast.
“I wish you’d at least let me work part-time. I’m twenty-years-old, Si. I can manage to work and study,” she argued.
“I’m sure you can, but why should we both be tired and stressed? Just study hard, and you can repay the favor in two years.” I poured her another cup of coffee to go and sat it on the counter beside her.
“You take such good care of me,” she said with a mouth full of gooey egg.
“Chew your food, Cecily. That’s gross,” I reprimanded.
“Says she who eats like a savage every... I mean... you know what I mean,” she stumbled.
I sighed again, my signature reaction to almost everything that came from my sister’s mouth. I loved her, but she was a lot of work. I lifted the counter entrance and let it fall behind me, then got to work cleaning the tables recently vacated by our two regular diners.
Cecily sucked down the rest of her breakfast in silence while Dannie and I completed our work. Finally, she took the to-go coffee and wandered up to me.
“Sorry, don’t be mad at me. I just want you to take care of yourself, too,” she said meekly.
“I’m not mad, silly. Now get out of here before you announce our issue to the world.” I flicked her butt with my towel and shooed her out the door.
As she exited, she held the door open for four new customers. I’d never seen them before, which was strange considering the little diner survived on dedicated regular patrons who didn’t care the food tasted awful. We rarely saw a new face, but I grabbed a few menus and headed toward the back booth where they were whispering amongst themselves.
A pretty blonde woman made eye contact with me. Her smile was a bright, lovely light in the dull, snowy day. I plastered on my own smile though I felt it paled in comparison to hers. As I approached, her smile grew wider. Wonderful, crazy happy people. The last thing I wanted to do was entertain overly happy people, but I mustered as much happiness as I could find buried deep in my soul and spewed it out in a mundane greeting.
“Good morning, what can I get for you today?” I asked. So much for mustering a happy greeting.
“I’ll have the eggs benedict and orange juice, thank you, Sierra,” the woman responded, freaking me out momentarily, the
n I remembered I was wearing a name tag.
“I’ll have the same, but chocolate milk instead of orange juice,” the man beside her said. His own grin was adorable but judging by the ring on his finger I assumed he was taken by the blonde woman who wouldn’t stop smiling at me. It made me feel like a little bacterium stuck under a microscope, so I avoided eye contact with her at all cost.
“So, eggs benedict and chocolate milk? Anything else for you two?” I asked.
“That’s disgusting. What are you, a child?” the man across from them barked, clearly annoyed to be sharing the morning with them.
The fourth person, another man who seemed equally annoyed, said, “Ely, would you calm down? He can eat whatever he wants.”
“Felix, if you don’t stop telling me what to do, I swear I will put you back on a plane to Schwar—”
“He’ll have the same, thanks,” the woman said over the bickering men.
“I will not,” Ely said. “And stop holding hands everywhere we go. It’s both embarrassing and vomit-inducing.”
I had to agree with him on that point. The woman and her husband were clearly in love, exhibited by the hand-holding, the seven times she kissed his cheek since they arrived, and googly-eyed smiles they exchanged whenever they thought no one was watching. It was sweet, but also nauseating for someone so far from love it may as well not exist at all.
“I’ll have black coffee and toast, thanks,” Ely said, finally raising his eyes to meet mine.
They were a pretty shade of brown. Not an ordinary, dull brown but a mahogany tone that reflected the light beautifully. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and his mood changed immensely. “And maybe the breakfast special, if you don’t mind.”
“Um... sure,” I said, suddenly feeling like the earth was shifting around me. I couldn’t stop staring at him, and it was fast-approaching inappropriate. I shook my head slightly, reorienting myself.