Chapter 21

Rhett

After spending the night wrapped around Jakob, I felt a new sense of hope. The true reality of our situation was at odds with the bright, shining sun and birds happily chirping, but it did put things into perspective. Brunhilde and Helga were cruel, horrible people, but one of them was dead. The other wasn't going to make any more decisions for me, ever again.

Hansel slept better than I expected, waking after Jakob and I did, but his sidelong glances told me we may not have been as quiet as I'd hoped. Still, the teasing smirks meant he didn't look as haunted as he had on our retreat from the witch's house. His knowing looks and shoulder nudges were embarrassing, but they told me my brother was getting back to his old playful self, and I was overjoyed to see his carefree personality return.

On our walk to Jakob's car and the drive home to Kleinholz, we filled Jakob in on Helga's deception. He let us know about Helga selling her car to get a fancy new one and her shopping spree.

It was clear, Helga had sold us to Brunhilde and was spending the money like we were never returning.

When we finally reached the cabins, we saw two police officers standing outside. A defiant Helga had both hands on her hips, and her expression of defiance morphed to one of shock when Hansel and I stepped out of Jakob's truck.

"Ma'am, if you're not going to cooperate–" the older officer of the two started, but stopped when Helga interrupted.

"How in the he–"

"Hello, stepmother." That time, it was me who interrupted.

Helga gaped her mouth like a fish, opening and closing it repeatedly while glancing between us and the cops, until Hansel spoke.

"Not expecting to see us again?"

The second officer, who was a stern-looking brunette woman, turned to us with confusion. "Are you the missing boys, Hansel and Rhett Hinder?"

"We were missing, until Jakob came to find us."

"See!" Helga had finally recovered from her shock and pointed to us with a red, pointy nail to match her flaming cheeks. Helga was angry and grasping at straws. "They're not missing. No reason for a police report."

"Are you Mr. Braun?" the portly older cop with an official-sounding voice asked Jakob, who nodded. "You were the one who filed the report, but Mrs. Hinder here wasn't cooperating."

"It would be hard for her to cooperate on finding them…" Jakob scratched at his beard. "Seeing as she's the one who sold them to a stranger and then left them in the woods while she went and spent the money."

His words hung in the air for a few heavy moments. No one breathed or spoke.

Finally, the younger officer stepped forward until she was facing me and Hansel instead of Helga. "Is this true?"

"No–" Helga tried to shriek over me but I ignored her.

"Yes, it's all true."

Hansel stepped up beside me. "And I'm pretty sure she drugged us to try and lose Rhett and I in the woods a few weeks ago."

"For all we know, she drugged her late husband as well," Jakob interjected with something I hadn't even wanted to contemplate. "His health declined rapidly after they married, and he recently died."

"I–I did no such thing," Helga scoffed, but I saw she was looking back and forth between the officers and her car like she wanted to escape. "Are you going to believe these delusional children over me? Do you even know about–"

"I'm not a child." I interrupted her again, not willing to listen to any more of her vitriol.

Helga gave me a dirty look before turning to the male cop. "I'm sure I could work something out with you…"

She reached out a manicured hand to touch the older man in some sort of attempt at seduction, but he was not amused by the unsolicited touch or her informal speech.

"Put your hands behind your back." The male officer pulled out cuffs. "Helga Hinder, you are being brought in for questioning on the kidnapping and possible human trafficking of Hansel and Rhett Hinder."

Helga tried to turn away but was stopped by the other officer, who pushed my stepmother roughly against the cabin. She whined and complained, stating horrible things about me and even making things up. I had to hope that one would believe her.

In the end, it was incredibly satisfying to see the woman—who was more a bully to me than any kind of mother—taken away in handcuffs.

The next hour passed in a rush of officials turning up to question us and collect evidence, including a man from town who said I could be left in charge of Hansel. He was under eighteen and had to have a legal guardian, but I knew my brother was more focused on school when he excused himself to go study after everyone had left.

There was one thing we hadn't told the officers, and I hadn't even explained it to Jakob. The chest and book of magic.

"Hey, I left something in your truck," I told him as we watched the last official vehicle leave down the dusty drive. "And we should really bring it inside."

"I wasn't going to ask…" Jakob chuckled, reaching into the passenger side to pull it from the floor. "But I am curious."

"Can I take it to your place?"

"You and your stuff—as well as Hansel, of course—can stay with me from here on out, as far as I'm concerned."

Jakob kept walking toward his cabin without looking back. Like his words didn't make me trip over my feet as my heart beat impossibly fast.

"You can't just say something like that," I stammered as I followed him inside, closing the door behind me.

Jakob set the heavy trunk on his small dining table and cocked his head at me. "Why not?"

"Because you'll make me want to stay forever." I bit my lip and stepped up beside him, placing one hand on the lock. "And you don't know the whole story."

"No matter what happened, or what's inside this thing, I want you to stay." Jakob swallowed hard and I watched the movement as he cupped my face in his big, rough hands. "You asked me to make you mine. Do you still want that?"

"I did. I do, but…"

Jakob cut me off with the softest of kisses, and I melted into him, resting my head on his warm flannel shirt and listening to his heart beating as fast as mine.

"I'm here, Rhett. I'll take care of you and Hansel, if you let me. I'm all in."

Reaching one hand out to touch the heavy metal lock, I whispered the words I'd learned only the day before. "Non Cincinno."

The lock came undone with a thunk, and I noted how easily the spell came to me. I leaned back enough to watch Jakob lift the lid as he pulled the book out and set it aside, stopping all motion when he saw what was underneath.

"We found this at Brunhilde's," I explained, using the name we'd told the police. I left out a few key details. "She was a witch."

"Was?"

"I may have set her on fire and killed her."

Jakob coughed a laugh. "May have, hmm?"

"I wanted you to know everything." I grabbed a handful of coins and jewels and let them sift through my fingers to fall back onto the pile. "And that you don't have to take care of us on your own."

"God, I love you." Jakob smiled and shook his head.

My own smile burst across my face. "Even if I'm a little witchy?"

"Maybe even more." Jakob pulled me into his arms and I wrapped myself around him. He kissed my nose. "I love you, Rhett Hinder."

His words had me pulling in a shuddery breath. I never wanted anyone else. "I love you, Jakob Braun."

We had the freedom and the riches to live out our very own happily ever after, and that is exactly what we did.