"Brakes!" Sabrina shouted, and Daphne obliged. The car slid to a stop inches from the monster's scaly leg.
Red Riding Hood skipped over to the car and tried to open the door, but Sabrina reached over just in time to lock it. The little girl scowled and pointed to the door. Her pet stepped over and tore it off its hinges.
"I know you are trying to ruin my game," Red Riding Hood said. "But I won't let you."
Sabrina slammed the car into reverse and steered it into the street. Then she put it in drive and made a hard right at the next intersection. Unfortunately, when she checked her rearview mirror, the Jabberwocky was still behind them, with Red Riding Hood on its shoulders.
Sabrina made a left and then a quick right. But no matter how fast the cab went or how many turns she made, the monster and its mistress were gaining ground. They raced along the road that lined the Hudson River until Sabrina saw the school. Red, white, and blue banners were everywhere, encouraging people to vote for mayor of Ferryport Landing. A small crowd of people stood outside in the parking lot, and a few others shuffled out of the school's wide-open main doors.
"There it is! Brake!" Sabrina said, as she made a rough turn, hit a patch of ice, and sailed across the parking lot like a runaway train. "Brake again!"
Daphne did as she was told, but the old cab's bald tires had no traction, and the vehicle slid right through the main doors and down the main hallway of the school. Voters screamed and leaped out of the way, narrowly escaping as the big car careened past them. The old jalopy crashed through the gymnasium's double doors and came to a stop.
A crowd gathered around as the girls climbed out. Many of them were outraged and demanding answers. Sabrina tried to warn them about the monsters chasing them, but no one would listen. Granny and Mr. Canis pushed through the mob and stood between it and the girls. The throngs of people quickly grew quiet. Sabrina wondered why, then noticed Mr. Canis staring everyone down. He sniffed the air wildly, then raised an alarmed eyebrow.
"Relda, the monster is coming. We have to get the humans to safety," he growled.
"A monster?" one woman cried. "Is he serious?"
"He's right," Sabrina said. "We don't have time to explain, but he's not kidding. A real live monster is headed this way."
"Relda, what is going on here?" Charming demanded.
"Later, Billy," Sabrina snapped. "We need to get these people out of here. There's a Jabberwocky coming."
"Mr. Seven! Pull that fire alarm!" the mayor commanded. Mr. Seven rushed to the alarm and yanked it down hard. A siren wailed, drawing everyone's attention.
"There is a fire in the boiler room, people," Charming shouted. "Please evacuate to the parking lot."
"Thanks, Mayor," Granny Relda said. "Now, girls, tell us what is going on."
"We know who the Blue Fairy is," Daphne said. She reached into the car and snatched the bag that contained the broken sword and handed it to her grandmother. "She's a waitress at the Blue Plate Special. Her name is Farrah."
"Who in the blazes is Farrah?" the mayor cried.
From the evacuating crowd stepped the waitress. She still had on her work uniform with its little nametag. She looked bewildered and vulnerable. "I am."
"I'm sorry to do this to you," Granny said, handing her the sack. "I know how important your privacy is, but we are in the middle of a dire emergency."
"Of course," Farrah said, then looked at the pieces of the magical sword. She removed the bubble gum from her mouth, stuffed it into a wad of paper, and closed her eyes. Suddenly, a sky-blue light began to seep out of her clothing. It engulfed her body and grew so bright that it made her impossible to look at. When the light dimmed, Farrah the waitress was gone. In her place was a tall, beautiful woman with light blue hair and skin like milk. Her eyes were twinkling stars, and she had two pink-streaked wings on her back that fluttered softly.
"It's the Blue Fairy," someone said from the crowd. Many of the Everafters crowded around to get a good look at the legendary figure.
The Blue Fairy held out her hand, and a little ball of blue light appeared. It crackled with electricity. The ball zipped out of her hand and flew into the sack that held the sword pieces, filling it with magical light. After a moment, the light dimmed, and the Blue Fairy reached inside. When she removed her hand, she was holding the Vorpal blade, perfect and whole.
Granny took it eagerly from the woman and thanked her.
"Relda, give me the sword," Mr. Canis said. "You can't handle the monster and the child."
"You are in no condition, old friend. Don't worry; I've had to fight a lot of monsters in my day. I suspect there will be plenty more," she said, then turned to the crowd. "Folks, I recommend that you find somewhere safe to hide. Something wicked this way comes."
As if on cue, the Jabberwocky, with Red Riding Hood on its shoulders, stepped into the room. The monster set the little girl on the ground and sized up the crowd as if deciding whom to eat and in what order.
"Grandma! Doggy!" Red Riding Hood cried, as she rushed toward Granny Relda and Mr. Canis. "I have my family back. Now we can play house."
Granny lifted the sword threateningly.
"My, what a big sword you have, Grandma," Red Riding Hood continued.
"Child, I am not your grandmother," Granny said. "The two people you have kidnapped are not your mother and father. Your family is dead. They died hundreds of years ago. Pretending to have a family is not the same as having one."
"But we can play house," the little girl said.
"Playtime is over, little one. Where are Henry and Veronica Grimm?"
Sabrina thought she saw a glimmer of understanding in the little girl's face.
As she stared up at Granny Relda, Red Riding Hood seemed to have a million terrible questions to ask. Maybe it was all too overwhelming for her, because she shook her head violently, and her face contorted back into its insane expression.
"Kitty! Let's take Grandma and doggy home with us," she shouted.
Granny raised the Vorpal blade to defend herself, but the monster was on top of her in a flash. It grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off the ground. The old woman dropped the sword, and it clanged loudly on the gymnasium floor.
"Granny!" the girls shouted.
Mr. Canis leaped at the beast, but a flick of its tail sent the old man sailing across the room and into the crowd.
"I'll go for the sword," Sabrina told her sister. She dashed across the floor, but before she could reach it, the monster slammed its foot down on top of it. Sabrina tried to pull it out from under the beast, but she wasn't strong enough.
Just then, Sheriff Hamstead rushed through the crowd. He had his billy club held high. "Put her down!" he shouted. The monster turned toward the pudgy policeman and swatted the cop across the gym with one of its fearsome paws. Hamstead landed painfully at the foot of the podium. Snow White tried to rush to his side, but Charming grabbed her arm and held her back.
"I have to help them," Snow White cried.
"You'll get yourself killed," he said. "There's nothing anyone in this room can do to stop that thing."
"Billy, what happened to you?" Snow White asked. "When did you get so cowardly?"
Sabrina tugged at the sword once more, but she still couldn't free it. When the monster turned all of its attention on her, Daphne took advantage of its distraction. Sabrina watched helplessly as her sister rushed to the monster's side.
"First you bow to your opponent," Daphne said, then bowed to the monster that was now hovering over her.
"Daphne, no!" Sabrina cried.
"Don't worry. Ms. White taught my class that these moves will stop an attacker much bigger than me." She turned back to the beast. "Move into an offensive stance."
Daphne shifted her body into her attack position with fists clenched.
"Present your warrior face! Argggghhhh!"
The beast looked down at her and roared so loudly that Daphne's hair flew back. Unfazed by the monster's scream, the little girl rushed forward.
"Deliver attack!" She kicked the Jabberwocky in the leg, but her assault was like a mosquito biting an elephant. The beast reached down and picked Daphne up off the floor with its free hand. Now it had both Sabrina's grandmother and her sister in its deadly claws.
Sabrina searched the crowd of Everafters for help. Ms. White looked as if she wanted to, but she was held fast by Charming. Mr. Canis and Sheriff Hamstead were still recovering from the Jabberwocky's attack. The Queen of Hearts stood off to the side with a wicked smile. Most everyone else was cowering in fear. There were no heroes to save them.
Suddenly, Mayor Charming leaped onto the Jabberwocky's back. He wrapped his arms around its neck and pummeled it in the ear. Moments later, Charming was flung to the floor, but his sudden attack had surprised the creature, and it dropped Granny Relda and Daphne.
The monster roared in frustration and took a step toward the family. It was all Sabrina needed. She snatched the blade off the ground and held it over her head. One swift slice would bring her family home. It would get Puck to safety. Suddenly, there was a pop! She turned and saw Uncle Jake.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, ladies," Uncle Jake said, helping his mother and Daphne to their feet. He tapped the Nome King's belt wrapped around his waist and shrugged. "Do you know how hard it is to find thirty size D batteries?"
"The Jabberwocky's impossible to stop," Sabrina said.
"'Brina, this belongs to me," Jake said, as he took the sword away from her.
Sabrina looked into his face and saw a broken heart finally getting its revenge. This monster had killed Uncle Jake's father. It had decimated his family, forcing his mother to erase his existence. It had helped kidnap his brother and sister-in-law. It had brought tragedy to three generations of Grimms. She stepped aside, letting Uncle Jake walk calmly over to the Jabberwocky. He was as tall and confident as if he had been preparing for this moment his whole life. He glanced over at Red Riding Hood as if to say, It's over, and then plunged the sword into the beast's chest, right where the monster's heart might have been. The blade sank deep into its flesh.
The Jabberwocky's death cry was oddly faint and pathetic. There was a moment of calm on the beast's face, and then it fell over as if it had been pushed. The crash caused the gymnasium's shiny new hardwood floor to buckle. The monster's little leathery wings flapped for a few moments, then grew still.
"You killed the kitty!" Red Riding Hood raged. "You ruined the game!"
Daphne stepped over to the girl, bowed, presented her warrior face, and then punched Red Riding Hood in the face. Red Riding Hood fell over unconscious.
"Crazy talk," Daphne said to the crumpled girl.
Uncle Jake yanked the blade from the monster and held it in his hands. He looked as if he wanted to kill it all over again.
"It's over, Jake," Granny said.
"Is it?" he asked, as several Everafters approached: Snow White, Sheriff Hamstead, the Queen of Hearts, Sheriff Nottingham, and a collection of talking animals, Munchkins, and trolls. The Blue Fairy was at their center.
"This is an outrage!" the Queen of Hearts screamed. "This was a deliberate act by Mayor Charming and his cronies, the Grimm family, to disrupt this election. I wouldn't be surprised if this was an attempt to sway voters into believing the family has value in this community. Well, it won't work!"
"If you don't shut your mouth right now, I'm going to shut it for you," Snow White said.
"You insolent cow," Nottingham said. "You may be the mayor's trollop, but your demands mean little to me." He pulled his sword from his waist and stalked toward the Grimms. "Even if we don't win this election, things are going to change right now."
Suddenly, an arrow zipped through the air and impaled Nottingham's hand. His sword fell to the ground, and he cried out in agony.
"You won't lay a hand on the Grimms as long as I live," a voice bellowed. Sabrina turned and nearly fell over in shock. Mayor Charming stood on the stage, with a bow in his hand and another arrow set to fly. A man in a green suit stood next to him. He had bright red hair and a bushy goatee.
"Is that Robin Hood?" Daphne cried. She was biting her palm before her grandmother could confirm his identity.
"I told you Charming was in league with the Grimms," the queen cried.
"Think what you want," Charming said. "But they're going home today, safe and sound. Right after they vote for me, of course. And, Nottingham-the next time you call the woman I love a trollop, you'll find an arrow in your throat."
Nottingham scowled and stormed out of the room. Charming handed the bow and arrow back to his friend. "Thank you, Robin," he said.
"He saved us," Sabrina said, somewhat bewildered.
"Ending his career in politics in the process, I fear," Granny Relda replied. "Look at the crowd. He just lost this election."
"Why would he do that?" Daphne asked.
Granny pointed at the mayor. He and Snow White were kissing passionately, as if they were the only two people on the planet.
"Love can make a hero out of anyone," Granny replied.
"I knew he was one of the good guys," Daphne said.
"Good people of Ferryport Landing, don't let these cheap distractions stop you from casting your ballots," the queen said. "This is exactly the kind of nonsense that needs to change."
"You want change?" Uncle Jake shouted. "I'll give you change!" He spun around, grabbed the Blue Fairy around the neck, and held the Vorpal blade to her throat.
"Jake, what are you doing?" Granny cried.
"There's more to fix!" Uncle Jake shouted. "And the Blue Fairy is going to help me."
"What do you want?" the Blue Fairy asked softly.
"Is it true that if I wish for something you have to fulfill it?"
The radiant fairy nodded.
"Then I want a wish," Uncle Jake said.
"Uncle Jake!" Sabrina cried. "What are you thinking? She helped us."
"Say your wish, Jacob Grimm," the fairy said.
"I wish I had all of your power!" Uncle Jake said.
The Blue Fairy smiled and nodded as if what he was asking for was simple. A swirl of light and mist encircled her, then turned into a pulsating orb as big as a baseball. It flew at Uncle Jake, hitting him hard in the chest with a tremendous explosion that knocked everyone off their feet. When Sabrina stood up again, she saw Farrah the waitress lying on the floor nearby. Her magic was gone.
"Hey, 'Brina," Uncle Jake said behind her. She spun around to face him. Two pink-streaked wings suddenly popped out of his back, and he turned his head to admire them. They flapped and lifted him off the ground, allowing him to hover above the crowd. He laughed like a child on Christmas morning. "You wouldn't believe the power. I can do almost anything I want. Anything!"
Granny Relda was full of despair. "Jake, what have you done?"
"It's not what I've done, Mom," he said as he floated back down to the ground and kissed her on the cheek. "It's what I'm going to do. And to make it happen, I'm going to need even more magic!"
He looked out over the crowd of Everafters and his face grew serious. His hands rose in the air, and a bright blue ball appeared in them. It shot electrical charges through the crowd, hitting every Everafter squarely in the chest. Mr. Canis fell to his knees. Snow White collapsed on Charming, who fell himself. The White Rabbit tumbled to the ground and was squished by Beauty and her beastly husband. Ogres, cyclopses, trolls, witches, and even fairy godmothers fell to the floor.
"What are you doing to them?" Sabrina asked.
"I'm taking the magic that makes them immortal. I need it!" he shouted as the energy surged through him. His eyes disappeared and were replaced with a fiery light. Cracks appeared all over his body as if it were just a useless shell, and then a light flashed through the gymnasium that was so bright Sabrina had to close her eyes. Uncle Jake rocketed off the ground, through the roof, and into the sky. Rubble and debris fell from the ceiling. Sabrina grabbed her grandmother and sister and pulled them to safety.
"What's he doing?" Daphne asked, but Granny didn't answer. She stared at the hole in the roof. Sabrina had her eyes elsewhere. The Everafters scattered around the gym were growing older at an alarming rate. Prince Charming's youthful, handsome face began to sag. His eyes took on a slightly yellow tint, and his hair started falling out. He was becoming an old man right before her eyes. He reached out for her with a bony, frail hand.
Mr. Canis morphed into the Wolf, but the beast wasn't intimidating or deadly. He struggled with age as his dark brown coat turned white and his eyes grew cloudy with blindness.
"Look!" Daphne said as she pointed to the ceiling. Uncle Jake was back.
He descended like an angel enveloped in a light so bright the girls had to look away. When he landed on the ground, he smiled at his family, and the light faded. The Uncle Jake that Sabrina knew was gone, replaced with someone completely new who seemed to be made of diamonds. The only familiar thing left, she noticed, was his quirky, mischievous grin. He stepped forward to hug the two sisters, but they stepped back in fear.
"What have you done?" Sabrina asked.
"I'm granting myself a wish," he replied. "I wanted to be powerful enough to make the people I love happy. I've been miserable, Sabrina. Happy is better. You can be happy, too. Wish for something. Anything. I can make it happen."
"But look at the cost!" Granny Relda said as she hovered over Mayor Charming's elderly body. Snow White lay next to him, reaching for his hand with her bony, arthritic fingers. "The price is too high."
"Don't cry for them," Uncle Jake said. "The Everafters have had their day in the sun, and it was a long, long day. With their power, I can re-create this world as a paradise where 'happily ever after' isn't just for a bunch of bedtime stories come to life. It's time for all of our dreams to come true! And I'm starting with you."
Suddenly, the pulsating blue orb reappeared in his hand. It twisted and turned until it divided itself in two, creating an identical twin. He tossed the second orb to the ground at Granny Relda's feet, and once it was at rest it grew in size, morphing and bending. When the transformation was complete, an old man stood in its place. He had broad shoulders, blond-streaked gray hair, a beard, and a familiar toothy smile. Sabrina had seen him many times in photographs hanging throughout the house, but that was the only place the old man still existed. He was Basil Grimm, the girls' grandfather and Granny Relda's husband.
"Relda?" the old man asked, looking slightly confused.
Granny Relda burst into tears and buried her face in her hands. The old man rushed to her side and embraced her, but she pulled away.
"It's not right," the old woman said. "Send him back."
"No!" Uncle Jake cried. Discouraged, he turned to Daphne and smiled. "I know something you want." The blue orb divided again, and the man tossed its duplicate at the little girl's feet. Once again, the orb grew and morphed-but this time, instead of creating another person, it became a door, standing in space, and someone was knocking on the other side.
"Open it," the man said. "It's for you."
Daphne backed away from the door and shook her head. Uncle Jake seemed disappointed, but he raised his hand and the door swung open on its own. Behind the door were Henry and Veronica Grimm. They rushed through the doorway and swept the little girl up in their arms, kissing her over and over dozens of times. Henry and Veronica raced to Sabrina and embraced her as well.
"It's like a dream," Sabrina said.
"OK, 'Brina, what'll it be?" Uncle Jake said. "Make a wish. But I already know what you want. You want power, and not like that crummy wand you had to surrender. I'm talking real power-the kind that moves mountains and boils rivers. Your family would never die. You would always be happy. No more monsters. No more fairy tales. You could change everything."
Sabrina's heart raced with possibilities. Just standing near Uncle Jake was an incredible feeling, more intense than holding Merlin's wand, more like being the wand itself. With the kind of power Uncle Jake offered, she could erase the last year and a half like it had never happened: no orphanage, no giants, no monsters, no bad guys. She could heal Puck. There were no limits to the possibilities. Her imagination washed over her, showing her millions of options for a happy life.
"Sabrina," Granny said, "how much are you willing to pay?"
Sabrina glanced around the room at the Everafters. Some of them were pulling in their final breaths. Was her happiness worth their lives?
"I know what I want, Uncle Jake," Sabrina said.
Uncle Jake smiled and gave her a wink. "Make it count!"
"Uncle Jake, you're smart, you've got a great family, and you're a Grimm," Sabrina said. "I wish that deep down you had always known how much power that gave you."
Uncle Jake looked strange. His eyes welled with tears, and the world started to rumble. A flood of memories rolled through Sabrina's mind, new memories that had never existed before. She saw how she'd met her Uncle Jake and how he'd taught her to use the wand. She watched Granny Relda catch them in the Hall of Wonders, and their battle with the Jabberwocky at the diner. She even saw the dramatic return of Mr. Canis. It all happened the same way, except for one shocking difference. When Uncle Jake killed the Jabberwocky, the fight was over. He didn't attack the Blue Fairy. He never stole the life force out of the Everafters. He was content with how the battle ended, and he hugged his mother.
Sabrina opened her eyes. Her grandfather was gone and so were her parents. The Everafters were alive and well and gathered around her. The Queen of Hearts was still filling the air with her angry tirade, and the Jabberwocky was still dead at their feet. The Blue Fairy stood next to her, smiling. "Thank you, Sabrina," she said, and then she transformed into a glowing orb and zipped away, out the double doors, and out of sight.
Uncle Jake stepped over to Red Riding Hood, snatched the magical ring off the unconscious girl's finger, and tucked it into his pants pocket. Granny frowned, but Uncle Jake just laughed. "Don't worry, Mom. It's going straight into the Hall of Wonders for safekeeping."
"Hello, Grandma," Red Riding Hood said, waking up and climbing to her feet. "My kitty is dead."
"Child, I am not your-"
"Play along," Sabrina suggested.
Granny looked unsure, but nodded. "We don't need the kitty to play games. We can play without him."
Red Riding Hood looked to the ceiling as if debating what the old woman was saying. A smile crossed her face, and she clapped her hands. "Okeydokey!"
"But before we play games, we need our whole family together, right?"
The little girl nodded.
"So we need to find the mommy and the daddy and the baby brother, and then we'll all go and get the puppy, and then we can play house. Does that sound fun?"
"Yes, I want to play house," the child repeated. "But the Master will be mad if I tell."
"The Master?" Sabrina asked.
"Yes, he will be very mad. He wants to keep the mommy and the daddy and the baby brother. He wants me to paint the red hands everywhere I go. I try to be good. The master can get angry."
"She's not the leader of the Scarlet Hand," Daphne said to her sister.
"Well, I don't think the Master would mind if we all played, would he?" Granny asked.
"I guess not," the little girl said.
Once Red revealed their whereabouts, Sheriff Hamstead had Henry and Veronica's sleeping bodies transported to Granny's house in an ambulance. Now they would rest on a queen-sized bed inside the room that also housed the magic mirror.
"Are they sick?" Daphne asked as she held her mother's hand.
"No, liebling. Just sleeping," Granny Relda said.
Sabrina put her head on her father's chest and heard his heart beating. Then she sat up and kissed him on the forehead. "Did they find the baby?" she asked.
"No sign of him," Sheriff Hamstead said. "Just an empty bassinet."
"Who do you think he belongs to?" Daphne wondered.
"It's hard to say, but I feel terrible for his parents. They must be so distraught," Granny said.
"Why won't Mom and Dad wake up?" Sabrina asked.
"It's a sleeping spell," Granny explained.
"And a strong one at that," Mirror said as his face appeared in the reflection. "We don't have anything in the Hall of Wonders that can break it."
"Then what can we do?" Sabrina asked.
"These sleeping spells…some of them are fairly normal potions, sometimes poisoned flowers or apples, but overwhelmingly they are cast by someone with a vendetta against the victim," Uncle Jake said. "Luckily, even bad magic has a backup plan, and in nearly every case I've ever heard, the spell can be broken with a kiss."
Elvis hopped up on his back paws and licked Veronica on the face.
"Sorry, Elvis. It has to be a romantic kiss from someone who truly loves them," Granny Relda explained.
"If one of them was awake, then this would be no problem," Mr. Canis said.
"Wait, if that's how you break the spell, how are we going to wake them?" Sabrina asked. "My parents love each other. They're the only ones who could wake each other up."
When no one answered, Sabrina thought she might cry.
"We'll find a way," Granny said, as she took Sabrina into her arms.
"In the meantime, we should address the problem with Puck," Mr. Canis said. "He is growing weaker. If we can use the Vorpal blade to cut a big enough hole in the barrier, I'd like to take the car and get the boy to his people."
"I'll go with you," Hamstead said. "I happen to be between jobs at the moment."
"The Queen of Hearts won the election?" Daphne asked.
"By a landslide," Hamstead grumbled.
"Oh, dear," Granny said.
Sabrina stared down at her parents. She knew they would understand. "I'll go, too. Puck would never have been hurt if he weren't trying to help us find Mom and Dad. I owe it to him."
"Me, too!" Daphne said.
"Jacob, can I trust you in the house all alone?" Granny asked her son.
Uncle Jake smiled. "Probably not, but I'll keep the place safe."
Mr. Canis helped Granny Relda place Puck in the front seat of the car, then helped her into her seat. When everyone was squeezed into the jalopy, Uncle Jake waved and wished them all the luck in the world.
"You be careful among the fairy folk," Uncle Jake said. "If you think this town is full of nuts, you haven't seen anything yet."
"We'll be careful," Sabrina said.
"Take care of my Elvis," Daphne said. The big dog leaped up to her window and gave her a farewell lick on the face.
Mr. Canis started the car and backed it out of the driveway.
"We're an odd group of people for an adventure, don't you think?" Hamstead squealed.
Granny smiled. "Pig and Wolf and Grandma. Who would have thought it?"
Even Mr. Canis laughed. Sabrina hoped he would never do it again. It was an obnoxious, snorty sound.
Daphne hugged her sister. "This isn't exactly how I pictured our first Christmas in Ferryport Landing."
Sabrina gazed out the window as the car rolled down the road. Would they be able to save Puck? Would they find a way to wake their parents? And would the Grimm family ever get its happily ever after?
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