Cinderella's Secret Witch Diaries Box Set: Lost, Stolen, Found

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling. At first, I did not recognize my surroundings, but felt the cold stone on my back and I saw that the cracks in the one corner of the room remained. I turned to my left and saw Jeremiah still unconscious. I held his hand with my left and the yellow caked on paint that the natives had slathered on my arm appeared cracked and chipped. I sat up and used my old writing desk to pull me to my feet. My belongings were no longer here, but a child had left her toys. Two dolls rested on the spot where I used to write.

Jeremiah began to stir and before he could fully awake, I scraped off as much of the yellow paint from my left arm as I could. Blood flowed back into the arm, slowly, but I suspected time would be needed to undo the effect the Shawnee had put on me. Jeremiah tried to sit up and coughed hard into his hand and then sat up slowly.

“Are you well?” I did not help him up, thinking it best that I rest myself for I felt ill at ease.

“Well would not be the word I would use.” He stifled a cough again and rubbed his temples. “But I am here at least. Where are we?”

“It appears we are now in England in the royal castle.” I glanced to the window and wondered. “And it is dark outside. How is this all possible?”

“The dreamline.” He pulled himself and went to the window. “We traveled through the dreamline to get here.”

“Why did we simply not do this before instead of spending weeks on the trail?” I continued to scrape the yellow paint from my arm.

“Would you honestly have left your daughter and Renée to come away with me? I thought it best to save the journey for when it was needed most. Was I wrong?”

I ignored his question because he had guessed well. “Did you see him?”

“Yes, I did.” Jeremiah took one of the chairs and sat down beside me. “I looked into my own face before we left and he seemed to know me.”

“And you? Did you know him? Is he your twin?” I held him in my gaze and read his body as Renée had taught me.

“I have no twin.” He faced me and came close to me so I could see right into his eyes. “I do not know who he is or what he might want of me, but I am now afraid. Why the likes of me is walking the earth, hunting after you disturbs me.”

“But he was with Renée. She was with him. Surely, that must mean that he had come to help us?” I said no more and my heart turned dark.

“I do not know. I sensed that la petite Reine was coming and thought it best to run.”

I cast off the remaining pieces of caked on yellow clay from my arm and raised my hand up high over my head. Nothing. I could feel the magic with me, but the reservoir could not yet be tapped. “I have abandoned my daughter. I have to go back.”

“I could not take us back so quickly for my powers are spent. Yet there is something else.” He paused a moment and closed his eyes and strained in concentration. “I cannot clearly sense those we left. They are clouded from me.”

He leaned close to me and with gentleness put his hand on my elbow. “I am sorry that I asked you to go with me. I sensed great danger …” He realized what he began to say and stopped talking.

I walked over to the window and looked out at the sky, watching the stars. Across the ocean my daughter would be with the other children, waiting to hear of me and I had left her without a word of farewell. And if la petite Reine were close, what had I done? I did not turn around but said, “For ten long years, I have done my best to raise Bebe, teach her and to help her be good and true. But today, I chose the path best for me. I have abandoned her.”

“She will be fine with the Radleys and Renée.”

“I feel guilty.” I could see the moonlight out on the fields below and said no more.

“Then, that is good.” Jeremiah did not approach me but kept his distance. “If you did not feel, then you would not be human.”

I could not disagree with that. But the ache in my heart remained and guilt was not all that I felt.

“But that is not what hurts you most. You are ashamed of yourself.” He came next to me and he looked out over the castle’s grounds. “In that moment, I saw your face. You forgot her and chose to protect yourself first.”

“No more.” I clenched my left hand and willed my magic to awaken. None came.

“I am not a parent, but I would say that it is not possible to always think of one’s children and do what is best for them. Do not let yourself be pulled down into the mire of doubt and fear.”

“But my daughter is thousands of miles away and la petite Reine might be close to her.”

“You listened to your heart and crossed the dreamline with me. You wanted to come back here because that is where your heart took us. We are back to your home.”

“This was never my home.”

“No, it was not. But it was your sanctuary. At that desk, you wrote in your journal and dreamed of places yet to be. You hoped and yearned for a better life.”

I turned to him. “How do you know all this?”

“I am a witch hunter and have done my research.”

“No, there is more. There is much more, is there not?” I could feel my magic rise within but I could not free it. I was a witch still without power and needed to be cautious.

“With certainty, yes, there is much more.” He shrugged. “But I think now is not the time to discuss.”

“When would be the right time? We have traveled thousands of miles away from my daughter and you have won. You, the great witch hunter, have brought me back to England to help the queen. I have come willingly as you had hoped and I, being the fool, can do nothing but worry.”

“Calm yourself. I am not here to harm you, for if I wanted to, I could.”

“Do you threaten me?” I clenched my fist and prepared to fight. Renée had taught me how to best protect myself. I would go first for his eyes.

He sighed and backed away. “We are both tired and are not speaking much with sense. We should rest and in the morn we will be ourselves.”

I lowered my arm and unclenched my fist. “Tell me one thing first.”

“I will.” He waited.

I asked the question I most wanted an answer to. “How do you know about my writing and the importance of this room?”

“Because she told me.” Jeremiah kept his gaze steady and did not turn away.

“She?” I asked aloud.

“Yes, la petite Reine told me before I left her.”

I wanted to ask more, but the door suddenly opened and a young girl ran inside. She ran to the table to gather her dolls and then saw us. “Who are you?”

No words came to mind and Jeremiah smiled, “Tell your mother and father that their old friend Cinderella has come home.”

And then I saw her face in the moonlight and there was no mistaking who her parents were. “Mommy, Cinderella has come home!”

From the hallway, a woman stood in the doorway and looked in. I saw her and it had been too long. We ran to each other and embraced. I held her close and began to cry.

“Clarissa, my dear, dear friend.” I hugged her and would not let go. And then I saw him in the hall. He walked into the room just as handsome and strong as I remember. Henri stood back and said, “Welcome home, Cinderella. Welcome home.”

***

Renée saw Cinderella and a man fade from sight. She rushed through the opening to the tepee and reached out to her, but she had already vanished. She turned on Jeremiah and asked, “Who was that man with her?”

Tenskwatawa rushed forward and touched Jeremiah’s shoulder, squeezing it to test to see if he were real. “You wear his body. How?”

“Both of you stop talking. I need to concentrate so that I can pick up the threads and follow them back on the dreamline.”

Renée pulled away from Jeremiah and stood beside Tenskwatawa. “No, I will not play this game any longer. Tell us who he is.”

Jeremiah ignored them for another instant and then he opened his eyes. “He learned from me well and has closed the path behind him. I cannot follow.” He sat down in the tepee and several Shawnee rushed in taking places by their chief. Tenskwatawa clicked his tongue and then commanded his brethren back outside.

“I have seen dreams and visions of the double man, but I did not expect this to pass so soon.” Tenskwatawa paced around Jeremiah and then sat in front. “What do you want from us?”

“Finally, someone who knows a better question to ask. First, I would like something to drink. It’s been challenging to keep this body in line.” He looked at Tenskwatawa and said, “Can we have some water?”

Tenskwatawa rose again and gathered two bowls that he poured water into. He handed them to Jeremiah and Renée and sat back down. Jeremiah went to drink the water and then poured it out. He threw the bowl into the corner of the room and said, “Your magic will not contain me.” He reached out and grabbed Tenskwatawa’s arm, twisting it in an odd angle. “Cinderella might fall for such tricks, but I am the Queen of Faeries and am not so trusting.”

Renée watched as Tenskwatawa fell to his knees and grimaced in pain. “Please, I mean you no harm. Release him.”

Jeremiah ignored her. “Try to poison me with the salts of the earth. What if I poured the salts into your mouth and let you suffocate on it? Would you like that?”

Tenskwatawa shook his head and could not break from Jeremiah’s grasp. “Stop. Please.”

“Let me tell you a little something. I have not traveled all this way to be stopped by you—a holy man who wants to burn witches. Try that again on me and I’ll kill all the men in your tribe.” He let Tenskwatawa go and smiled. “Do you understand what I say?”

Tenskwatawa rubbed at his arm. All color had faded from it and he could not move it well. “Yes, I hear your words. Forgive me.”

Jeremiah sat back and sighed. “Jeremiah has fled back to England with Cinderella. And now I’m stuck here with you two. Wonderful.”

Renée edged closer and then sat down. She glanced over at Tenskwatawa to ensure he was uninjured. “If you could help me understand, I could assist you. I also want to find Cinderella.”

“I have foreseen that the white men will extinguish all of the natives in these parts. War is coming and coming fast. I cannot stop his progress. And back home, Napoleon rules much of Europe, using the spirit of War there as well to expand his vast kingdom. Men grow and destroy, ruining the old ways and embracing the new. Soon I will fade and be passed by and remembered only in the faerie tales that mothers tell their little children.”

Renée listened and took in all his words. “I find it passing strange to hear the words of the resplendent Queen of Faeries from a man. Our world is changing, yes, but there are some of us who still believe in the old ways.”

“It won’t be enough.” Jeremiah went to flick his hair and laughed. “Funny how I forget my own body sometimes. But his is the best I could do. He is strong and I know him intimately well.”

“If I ask again, will you tell me who was that second Jeremiah?” Renée kept her hands crossed in her lap and waited.

“You just did ask again.” Jeremiah closed his eyes. “I’ll tell you because we’ll need to work together to get back home and we’ll need his help as well. But first, can I please have an untainted drink of water with no poison in it?”

Tenskwatawa nodded and went to fetch more water. His right arm hung limp but he did not complain. He handed another bowl of water to Jeremiah who accepted and drank it all. “Tasty with lots of minerals. Thank you.”

Tenskwatawa sat back down, massaged the blood back into his arm, and kept quiet.

Jeremiah put the bowl down and then sighed. “All you need to know is that I created this body. The Jeremiah you saw leaving with Cinderella is the original.”

Renée lurched back in fear. “You have broken the natural order?” Tenskwatawa moved away as well.

“I did what needed to be done and will not be judged by the likes of you.” Jeremiah looked down at his hands. “I created this copy of him as a companion to stay with me as I was lonely. I do not admit that it was right, but it is what I did.”

Renée chanced a question. “But why did you …”

“Be quiet!” Jeremiah banged his hand against his leg. “We have a great way to go and I’ll need time to rest and regain my strength before I can go back through the dreamline. And you will come with me.”

A Shawnee appeared in the entranceway and looked for Tenskwatawa. Jeremiah pointed at the native and commanded, “Leave us.”

Seeing him distracted for a moment, Renée rushed forward and grabbed at Jeremiah’s throat. Tenskwatawa ran to Renée’s side and helped her. He grabbed at Jeremiah’s arms and held them behind his back while Renée strangled him. But Jeremiah slipped from Tenskwatawa’s grasp and pulled away Renée’s arms. He pushed her back and then unleashed the magic within him, but nothing happened. He glanced down and a yellow paste dripped heavy from his left arm that Tenskwatawa had smeared on him. Confused, Jeremiah tried to scrape the paste off, but he only spread it further across his arm. Already the light in his left hand had faded and Tenskwatawa hollered in his native tongue and grabbed his arms again. Renée grabbed at a knife in Tenskwatawa’s belt and then stabbed Jeremiah deep in the chest.

A look of surprise crossed Jeremiah’s face and then he let out a wail of pain. He struggled, but could not break free of Tenskwatawa’s grasp a second time. Blood flowed down his chest freely. “No, please, I cannot die this way. You don’t understand yet. He is coming for you all. You all will die without my help.”

Renée held tightly onto the end of the knife and allowed the blood to flow over her hand. “You will die as you killed my family. And I will watch you.”

Jeremiah gave a cry and then collapsed to the ground. Renée followed him to the ground and then pulled the knife out and wiped her hand on his clothing. More blood flowed and she knew soon it all would be over. Tenskwatawa released Jeremiah and then stood deathly still with his eyes clouding over. Renée saw the last bit of life fade from Jeremiah and then turned on Tenskwatawa. “Do not move.” She held the bloody knife in her hand and pointed it at him. “Are you well?”

He swayed in place and called out loudly, causing two Shawnee warriors to rush in. He spoke quickly to them and they paused and then he yelled at them to obey. The one Shawnee held his arms behind his back and the other ripped off his shirt. Tenskwatawa began to struggle and he turned to Renée. “Hurry, I cannot hold her within me. Use the paste to trap her.”

Renée grabbed the bowl and spread the thick yellow paste all over his body while one of the other natives lit a pipe and chanted in a deep voice blowing smoke over Tenskwatawa. He had ceased to fight them and Renée quickly finished spreading the remaining paste on Tenskwatawa. He stood covered in the paste and spoke firmly to his men. They glanced at Renée and he pointed at her. “They will listen to you and obey your commands. I must be tied down and imprisoned. Do you know a way to draw her spirit out and then capture her?”

“I can try, but she is devious and has much power.” She put her hand on his forehead and whispered some words. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and shook her head. “She has latched herself to you. I cannot draw her out.”

Tenskwatawa turned to one of the Shawnee in the room and gave him a command. He looked to disobey but Tenskwatawa shouted louder and the man ran out of the tepee. Turning to Renée, he said, “I have asked Flying Cloud to bring the witch’s daughter and her friends to you. They can help you.” He stopped talking and clenched his jaw, resisting a powerful convulsion that shook his body. “Hurry, you must tie me down. She fights me.”

Two Shawnee entered the tent carrying rope. They tied up Tenskwatawa tightly and he spoke to them in their language. “They must take me away now and I must be kept alone so that I can harm no one. Will you help us?”

Renée said, “I do not know how.”

Tenskwatawa struggled against himself and replied, “My people need you. Try to help them.”

With sudden force, his body began to convulse and Tenskwatawa turned toward the body of Jeremiah that lay face down on the ground and in a strained voice said, “Serves you right for leaving me.” He tried to kick at the dead body but the Shawnee held him tightly. He struggled and tried to break free, but one of the Shawnee warriors came up to him and tied a thin strip of cloth over his mouth so that he could not speak. And then he was carried away.

Renée stood alone in the tent, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, focusing on relaxation and resting. She did not know for how long she stood that way, but sensed a familiar presence approaching. When she opened her eyes, she noticed that someone had taken Jeremiah’s body from the tepee. Deep in her trance, she had not heard a sound and no sign of a struggle remained. A twinge of guilt crossed through her, but in matters of war and of the heart she knew she had to act. Mab’s spirit needed to remain trapped and now she feared killing Tenskwatawa not knowing who the faerie queen would try to possess next. Her line of thinking became broken when Flying Cloud entered the tepee with a man, a woman who stood close to him, and Phoebe.

When she saw Renée, Phoebe ran forward and hugged her. “Auntie, where is Mama?”

Renée quieted her and then kissed her, putting her arms around her in a protective stance. She would not let her out of her sight again.

Mr. Radley stayed close to his wife and asked, “Are our children in good health?”

Another Shawnee stepped forward and motioned for them all to sit down. “I am Bird’s Eye. Your children are being fed and are playing with our children. Do not worry. Their spirits are being healed. You will be brought to them soon.” He turned to Renée and asked, “Will you stay with us on the journey?”

Renée chose her words with care. “We need to head back to England and I will take Phoebe with me. And, if you would, Tenskwatawa as well. The spirit inside him must not be left here. Your people could be harmed.”

“Your England is far away. You have no food or water. What would you do?” Bird’s Eye pointed outside. “Our tribe will take you in and feed you. In return, you could help us avoid the white men’s armies that press us to the land of the setting sun.”

Mr. Radley spoke up. “Can my family and I go? We only wish to return to our home in peace.”

“Your home is no more. The Miami tribe has burned it and now you are homeless as well. Free to go you are, but where to?”

Mrs. Radley pulled her husband close to her and whispered to him. He listened and then remained silent for a moment, struggling with the words. Finally, he spoke up and said, “It looks as though our fate is tied to you. We will go with you from here. We ask for your help to protect our family.”

Bird’s Eye folded his arms across his chest and nodded. “Your wife speaks wise words. Our children are our future. We will leave tomorrow from this place and head away from the Miami tribe. We welcome you all.” He looked at Renée and asked, “What do you choose?”

Renée pulled Phoebe close, thought a moment, and then said, “We will stay as well.”

Bebe spoke up in concern. “But Aunt Renée, we have to go find my mother. We cannot stay here.”

“I know what your heart desires, but sometimes the long way about becomes the shortest.”

“But we need to leave now and go after her.”

“I cannot do that. Even with my magic, I cannot carry you and Tenskwatawa the many, many miles we would need to travel. And I have no food and water. We would not survive.”

“Are you giving up that easily?” Bebe knew she should have remained quiet, but she was her mother’s daughter.

“Of course not. You should know me better than that. What I do is for you and for what is best for your mother.” She held Phoebe close and kissed her. She turned back to Bird’s Eye. “Thank you for your help. We will stay, but in the morning I want to talk with la petite Reine again. We will need her help as well.”

Bird’s Eye nodded and led them out to go to their own tepees to rest. Renée followed and hoped that her luck would hold. Looking down at her hand, she could still see dried blood there. They would need more than luck and she hoped her decision to stay would be for the best. Soon she would know.