It was absurd and unexplainable. Fable sat paralyzed for a few minutes with the car humming. She tried to talk to Carmen again, but all the car did was stop. No more kicks brought Carmen back to life.
Fable found herself pulling the door open and running away, back into Candy House. She was confused, and felt an illogical scare in the pit of her heart. How was she capable of igniting Carmen when only Loki could? She began wishing this weird day would end so she could start a normal day tomorrow.
***
Back in the house, Shew had changed into a dress from Fable's wardrobe. It was a bit too tight, but the Princess didn't complain. Actually, Fable felt honored she wore her dress.
"Nice outfit," Shew commented on Fable's clothes, as if she had only had enough peace of mind to notice it now.
"She looks like a boy," Axel teased.
"She looks badass," Shew said, winking at Fable, who blushed momentarily.
"Whatever," Axel said.
"So, tell us about how to resurrect Loki," Fable said.
"Before I do, I have to explain to you why Loki's our only hope," Axel began. "Let's begin with the fact that although all of this is complex and confusing, our main mission is to find the Lost Seven before the Queen, so she can't tear out their hearts and eat Shew's, like she always wanted to."
"I agree," Fable said. "The more I think about all the many confusing things happening, I come back to this. Carmilla wants Shew's heart, and to get it she needs to find the Lost Seven. The Andersen Mirror and other riddles are subsidiary to the main problem."
"Well, then she succeeded by knowing that Cerené is the clue to controlling the mirror," Shew said. "At least now she is sure of one of the Lost Seven."
"It's the same to us," Fable said. "We also know the first of the Lost Seven, and we have clues through the J.G. diary with Axel about the other six."
"I know," Shew said. "Axel showed it to me. The problem is I don't remember any of them. All I remember is Loki was the Huntsman. I've known this since I was trapped in the Schloss."
"Which is somehow confusing," Axel interrupted, having managed to persuade Pickwick to sit on his shoulder. "I mean, if you don't remember any of the Lost Seven, how do you remember Loki?"
"It's all about the timeline," Fable offered. "Most of the things that happened before she split her heart, Shew can remember. She must have met the Lost Seven after that. Right, Shew?"
Before Shew could answer, Axel said, "Then how didn't Shew remember Cerené?"
Shew looked puzzled. She seemed to try to squeeze her memory for explanations, but she looked like she had none. Fable wondered if Shew felt the same mild split of personality she had experienced today. "I'm not sure," Shew said, looking embarrassed that she was of no help with the matter. "Some things I do know, and some things I don't know. I have no idea how."
"Know or remember?" Axel grimaced.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Fable was annoyed with Axel again.
"He is right," Shew told Fable. "There are things I only know and don't remember."
"What?" Fable didn't understand this.
"For instance, I remember vividly some scene with Loki being the Huntsman," Shew explained. "But I don't remember how we fell in love."
"Now, that's not helping at all." Axel's grimace was still fixed. Fable saw that he didn't like this statement at all. So far, Axel's research and theories had been mostly accurate. "Then how do you know you love him?" he said, asking the same question on Fable's mind.
Shew lowered her head for a moment and laced her fingers. She knew the answer, Fable was sure of that. She was just embarrassed to say it. "I just know," she finally said.
7
"You just know?" Axel's shoulders tensed. Pickwick fluttered away.
"Why is that important, Axel?" Fable said, knowing Shew could falter under the pressure right now. "He did send her a 'save me' message, didn't he? And she met him in the World Between Dreams, where they were lovers sitting in the poppy fields."
"That's not the point," Axel said. "Do you know how many missed details we don't know about when she doesn't remember? Can you imagine how crucial it is to know how the cold-blooded Huntsman fell in love with Shew?" Axel clenched a fist and bit on it with his teeth.
"You're overreacting," Fable said. "Besides, what does all of this have to do with what you were about to tell us?"
Axel closed his eyes and took in a lot of air as he released his fist. He opened them again and said, "Okay. I was overreacting. Now, here is what I know…"
"Make it short."
"I will," he said, looking at his phone again. Fable wondered where he needed to go so badly. It wasn't like he had a girlfriend or something. "So here it is, as brief as I can: Charmwill's True Name is of no use at the moment. Although I'm dying to know how he is Wilhelm Grimm, we don't know where Charmwill's body is, nor do we know of a spell to bring him back."