Read Online A Grimm Legacy (Grimm Tales) by Janna Jennings - Free Book Online
Authors: Janna Jennings
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mansion had set certain expectations for Mr. Jackson’s appearance. Andi pictured a railroad tycoon, complete with top hat, eyeglasses, and a Teddy Roosevelt-type mustache.
Instead, Mr. Jackson was only ten or fifteen years older than his visitors, and his appearance felt a little off, much like the strange garden surrounding the house. Tall with a slight build, his dark hair and green eyes were set off by old-fashioned sideburns. A fedora twisted in his hands. He sported a white vest over a black turtleneck and pinstripe pants with too much flared to be from this century. Mr. Jackson dressed like two time periods had fought an epic battle and neither had won.
Harland and Cob made several trips to and from the kitchen. First with hot towels for Andi, Quinn, and Fredrick’s sap and mud covered hands. Then bringing small trays piled with tiny sandwiches, mushroom caps, dainty cakes, and other food they couldn't identify. Andi ate like she might never see food again, Dylan keeping pace with her. Quinn and Fredrick were either not hungry or had some reservations about their host and his food.
"I know you’re more than ready for explanations," Mr. Jackson began in an accent similar to Cob’s, staccato with a bit of hiss at the end. "Ask your questions and if I can answer them, I will,” Mr. Jackson continued.
"Where are we?" Four voices rocketed the question at him in unison.
"No longer in your world,” Mr. Jackson said calmly, settling his fedora firmly back on his head.
The group stilled as one. Several heavy, silent seconds passed. Quinn raised her eyebrows at the incredulity of the statement.
“Sure we are,” Andi said in a calm, placating manner.
Mr. Jackson smiled patiently at them. “You’ve been brought here by someone I work for, the master of these lands. He’s selected the four of you,” he met Andi’s eyes briefly, his gaze skipping from one person to the next, “to do a job.”
Fredrick sat quietly, studying their host’s face intently .
“A job?” Quinn repeated in disbelief.
Andi started to panic and searched the porch for a place to run. She’d been kidnapped by child traffickers!
“Yes. A specific position, one that can’t be filled by just anyone.”
“To do what, exactly?” Fredrick asked shortly.
Mr. Jackson shook his head regretfully, “I know you have questions and you’ll need convincing, but I’ve been forbidden to speak of certain things, and the nature of the position is one of them.”
“We aren’t in another world,” Andi scoffed, trying not to shake with fear, anger, whatever was coursing through her right now. “You think you can take advantage of us just because we’re young? That we’d believe…” Andi stuttered to a stop as Harland’s short stature and pointed ears pass through the arched doorway. Oh. Right. An elf.
She stood, leaving the others in a wake of shocked silence, and at the edge of the balcony gave a sharp, shrill whistle. Out of the dark, a tiny ruby-throated hummingbird materialized, zipped around her head, and settled on a lamppost. It cocked its head to one side, gave sharp, short chirp, and buzzed away.
Keeping her back to the others, Andi looked out into the garden after the hummingbird. There was no way Mr. Jackson could manufacture that.
“What did it say?” Quinn asked, and Andi knew she was thinking back to how they found Fredrick earlier that day.
“It was pretty irritated with me,” Andi said with a humorless laugh. “It had already found a place to sleep for the night.”
Dylan shook his head at Andi. “Now you’re trying to tell me you talk to birds?”
“It’s how we found Fredrick,” Quinn told Dylan firmly.
He leaned back in his chair and gripped the armrests like they might anchor him to reality.
Clutching the shoes to her chest, Andi said, “I can understand them, but I don’t know why.” She turned to Mr. Jackson. “Where are we?”
“This realm is known as Elorium,” Mr. Jackson said
Instead, Mr. Jackson was only ten or fifteen years older than his visitors, and his appearance felt a little off, much like the strange garden surrounding the house. Tall with a slight build, his dark hair and green eyes were set off by old-fashioned sideburns. A fedora twisted in his hands. He sported a white vest over a black turtleneck and pinstripe pants with too much flared to be from this century. Mr. Jackson dressed like two time periods had fought an epic battle and neither had won.
Harland and Cob made several trips to and from the kitchen. First with hot towels for Andi, Quinn, and Fredrick’s sap and mud covered hands. Then bringing small trays piled with tiny sandwiches, mushroom caps, dainty cakes, and other food they couldn't identify. Andi ate like she might never see food again, Dylan keeping pace with her. Quinn and Fredrick were either not hungry or had some reservations about their host and his food.
"I know you’re more than ready for explanations," Mr. Jackson began in an accent similar to Cob’s, staccato with a bit of hiss at the end. "Ask your questions and if I can answer them, I will,” Mr. Jackson continued.
"Where are we?" Four voices rocketed the question at him in unison.
"No longer in your world,” Mr. Jackson said calmly, settling his fedora firmly back on his head.
The group stilled as one. Several heavy, silent seconds passed. Quinn raised her eyebrows at the incredulity of the statement.
“Sure we are,” Andi said in a calm, placating manner.
Mr. Jackson smiled patiently at them. “You’ve been brought here by someone I work for, the master of these lands. He’s selected the four of you,” he met Andi’s eyes briefly, his gaze skipping from one person to the next, “to do a job.”
Fredrick sat quietly, studying their host’s face intently .
“A job?” Quinn repeated in disbelief.
Andi started to panic and searched the porch for a place to run. She’d been kidnapped by child traffickers!
“Yes. A specific position, one that can’t be filled by just anyone.”
“To do what, exactly?” Fredrick asked shortly.
Mr. Jackson shook his head regretfully, “I know you have questions and you’ll need convincing, but I’ve been forbidden to speak of certain things, and the nature of the position is one of them.”
“We aren’t in another world,” Andi scoffed, trying not to shake with fear, anger, whatever was coursing through her right now. “You think you can take advantage of us just because we’re young? That we’d believe…” Andi stuttered to a stop as Harland’s short stature and pointed ears pass through the arched doorway. Oh. Right. An elf.
She stood, leaving the others in a wake of shocked silence, and at the edge of the balcony gave a sharp, shrill whistle. Out of the dark, a tiny ruby-throated hummingbird materialized, zipped around her head, and settled on a lamppost. It cocked its head to one side, gave sharp, short chirp, and buzzed away.
Keeping her back to the others, Andi looked out into the garden after the hummingbird. There was no way Mr. Jackson could manufacture that.
“What did it say?” Quinn asked, and Andi knew she was thinking back to how they found Fredrick earlier that day.
“It was pretty irritated with me,” Andi said with a humorless laugh. “It had already found a place to sleep for the night.”
Dylan shook his head at Andi. “Now you’re trying to tell me you talk to birds?”
“It’s how we found Fredrick,” Quinn told Dylan firmly.
He leaned back in his chair and gripped the armrests like they might anchor him to reality.
Clutching the shoes to her chest, Andi said, “I can understand them, but I don’t know why.” She turned to Mr. Jackson. “Where are we?”
“This realm is known as Elorium,” Mr. Jackson said
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