The Fairy-Tale Detectives (The Sisters Grimm, Book 1) Page 14

"Charming's ball is going to be filled to the rafters with Everafters," Jack said. "You're going to go in as one of them."

  Daphne smiled. "I know what I want to be! I want to be the Tin Woodsman!"

  "Are you sure, honey?" the little man in the mirror asked. "Tin is so last season."

  Daphne nodded enthusiastically.

  "Very well, it's your fashion funeral," he said. "Sabrina, just say 'Tin Woodsman,' make three small circles with the wand, and then tap her on the head."

  "OK," Sabrina said. "Tin Woodsman!" She made three awkward circles in the air and then smacked her sister on the head with the wand. Daphne squealed in pain and rubbed the spot, but as she was rubbing, a miraculous change began to occur. Her skin took on a silvery tone. She grew several feet taller and her clothes faded, only to be replaced by gears and joints. Her hair retreated into her scalp and a shiny funnel took its place. Sabrina blinked her eyes to be sure they weren't playing tricks on her, but she knew they weren't. Her sister had become the Tin Woodsman.

  "That hurt," Daphne cried as her hand scraped against her new metallic head. Hearing the screech of metal in her ears, she looked at her hand and squealed in delight. She walked around the hall, squeaking with every step. "Look at me!"

  "Spitting image," Jack said.

  Daphne took the wand from her sister. "OK, who do you want to be?"

  Sabrina was stumped. She realized she had to choose wisely. She needed to be inconspicuous at the ball, someone small and unnoticeable, and someone who could be very, very sneaky.

  "OK, I was thinking ..."

  "I know, Momma Bear!" the little girl interrupted and before Sabrina could stop her, she had performed the circles and was cracking her big sister on the head.

  Sabrina felt the transformation immediately, as if her body was being inflated. Her clothes disappeared and were replaced with a bright, pink-and-white polka-dotted dress that ended well above her knee. She looked down at her humongous arms and groaned as hair exploded from every pore. Fangs burst from the top of her mouth and razor-sharp claws sprang from her fingernails and toenails. She could feel them scratching at the insides of the ruby slippers, which had expanded to fit her new size-twenty-six feet. When the transformation was complete, Daphne giggled.

  "You did that on purpose!" Sabrina growled.

  "You are so cute!" Daphne cried as she threw her metal arms around her sister and gave her a big hug. "I could just eat you!"

  "Well, no one's going to see the two of you coming," Jack moaned, though it was obvious he found the whole thing funny.

  "Girls, you realize there's a timer with this magic. When the clock strikes nine o'clock, you're going to change back. Do you understand?" Mirror lectured.

  "Nine o'clock? I thought it was midnight. Cinderella had until midnight," Sabrina argued.

  "Cinderella was seventeen years old. You are eleven. There's no way your grandmother would approve of you staying out until the wee hours of the morning."

  "We're trying to save her life," Sabrina pointed out.

  "Still, children should not be allowed out that late, thus, your magic wears off at nine," Mirror said.

  "That doesn't give us much time, it's seven o'clock right now," Jack said, eyeing his wristwatch.

  Mirror took the wand from Daphne and put it back into the pot. He led the group out of the room, closed the door, and, when Sabrina couldn't manage, locked it with Granny's keys.

  "One last thing," Jack said. "You don't happen to have any walkie-talkies in this place, do you?"

  Chapter 9

  hen the group stepped back through the mirror, Sabrina suddenly felt her massive size. Being a seven-foot-tall, twelve-hundred-pound grizzly bear made the regular-sized room feel much smaller.

  "I'll never get through the doorway," Sabrina worried.

  "You won't have to," Jack said as he stepped through the reflection. "Just click those heels together and you'll go anywhere you want. But before you do, you'll need these."

  Jack held three walkie-talkies. He opened Sabrina's handbag and stuffed one inside, then slid open a panel in Daphne's tin frame and popped in the other. He kept the third for himself.

  "These will help you keep in touch with me."

  "You're not going in with us?" Sabrina asked.

  "Are you kidding?" Jack cried. "I'm on Ferryport Landing's 'Most Wanted' list by now. Even if I disguised myself, Charming is sure to have security that can sniff me out. I can't take the chance. I'm going to stand outside the mansion and direct you. When you find the map of Charming's next target, we'll go save your grandmother and Canis."

  "OK," Sabrina said, looking down at the slippers on her huge, furry feet. "I just click them together?" she asked, feeling ridiculous.

  "Three times," Daphne cheerfully reminded her.

  "There's no place like Charming's mansion?"

  Jack nodded in agreement. Daphne put her hand on Sabrina's arm and held on tightly. Jack reached over and did the same.

  "There's no place like Charming's mansion. There's no place like Charming's mansion. There's no place like Charming's mansion."

  The last thing Sabrina saw was Elvis trotting into the room. In his mouth he had the piece of fabric Granny claimed was from a giant's pants, as well as a big scrap of Jack's pants. He spit them out on the floor and whined for attention, but suddenly there was a pop and the lights went out. Sabrina's ears filled with a squeaky sound, like someone was slowly releasing the air from a balloon, and when the lights came back on, the three of them were standing in front of Charming's estate.

  It was the biggest house Sabrina had ever seen, with several stories and marble columns like the ones on the White House framing a golden front door. A coat of arms depicting a lion fighting a snake decorated the front of the house. The lawn was immaculately trimmed and bordered by stone paths and clipped shrubbery. A statue of Prince Charming surrounded by admiring woodland animals rose out of a fountain in the middle of the lawn. Several hulking attendants with green skin and oversized muscles—parking valets—waited by the circular driveway, opening car doors, taking keys, and driving the cars away.

  A car pulled up in front of the house and a blond woman in a blue bonnet and puffy dress got out. She reached into the backseat for a long white staff with a curled end. Before the attendant could close the door for her, half a dozen lambs tumbled out and eagerly followed the woman inside.

  "Little Bo Peep," Daphne cried. "Can you believe it?"

  "OK, girls, I'm going to stay out here and let you know if the cops show up. Keep your radios on and try to stay inconspicuous," Jack said.

  "I'm a grizzly bear in a dress," Sabrina muttered.

  "Charming's office is on the second floor," Jack continued. "I'd mingle with the guests for a while, work the crowd, and find your way up there without attracting attention."

  "Oh, is it that easy?" Sabrina said.

  "Once you find the map, pop yourselves back down here and we'll go find your giant," Jack finished. He gave them a thumbs-up sign and disappeared into some nearby trees.

  "He makes it sound so simple," Sabrina grumbled to Daphne.

  A line had formed as guests waited to be announced, so the girls walked to the back of it. In front of them were a large man and his wife, having some kind of argument.

  "Isn't there a line for the rich people?" the woman groaned.

  "Maybe if we had gotten here earlier we'd be inside already," the man grunted. His voice was slurred and Sabrina thought he might be drunk.

  "I wanted to look nice for the ball," the woman said defensively.

  "You wanted to look nice for the prince," he muttered.

  "Are you going to harp on that, again?" The woman sighed.

  She turned and noticed Sabrina and Daphne. Her cheeks flushed red and she forced a sheepish smile to her face. Even in her embarrassment, the woman was radiant. Her beautiful amber hair cascaded in curls down her neck and her bright-green eyes sparkled in the light, competing for brilliance with her pearly whi
te smile.

  "Good evening," she said politely.

  Her husband turned to see who she was speaking to, and the agony of his face was revealed. His features were pushed flat, giving him a cat-like appearance, accentuated by the mane of hair that framed his face. Long fangs crept out of his mouth and hung down nearly to his chin. But his most horrible feature was his eyes, bright-yellow slits that blinked at them fiercely. Sabrina knew exactly who they were—Beauty and the Beast.

  "Good evening," the Beast grunted. "Nice to see you, Woodsman. How on Earth did you and Momma Bear come to be acquainted?"

  The girls weren't prepared for questions and stood dumbfounded.

  "You're such a gossip," Beauty scolded. "What Poppa Bear doesn't know won't hurt him."

  Several more guests joined the line. Sabrina turned around to see a small white rabbit in a vest clutching an old-fashioned chain watch in his paw. He looked at the time and stuffed the watch back into his vest pocket.

  "For once, we are not late." The White Rabbit sighed with relief. His companions were three mice wearing black sunglasses and carrying canes.

  "Always the worrywart," one of the mice said as he tapped his cane against the ground.

  "I told you we would make it," the second added.

  "Someday I'd like to smash that watch of yours. All that worrying about time is going to give you a heart attack," the third mouse concluded.

  "I believe in being punctual," the White Rabbit said defensively.

  "Have you heard the news?" the second mouse squeaked to the crowd.

  "No, I want to tell. I heard it first," the first mouse cried. "Relda Grimm has been carried off by a giant!"

  The folks in line gasped in surprise and turned their attention to the little mouse.

  "Are you sure?" the Beast asked.

  "Maybe you'd prefer an eyewitness," the first mouse cried. "I may be blind, but my hearing is just fine."

  The Beast rolled his eyes.

  "A giant? That's impossible," Beauty exclaimed.

  "I didn't believe it, either, but it's true," the White Rabbit replied. "The giant has been stomping around all over town scaring the humans to death. The Three are working overtime, showering the town in forgetful dust. Be prepared to dig deep, my friends. The damage is extensive and forgetful dust costs a pretty penny. You all know Charming's going to ask us to foot the bill."

  Sabrina hung on every word.

  "If she's dead, we might actually be able to leave Ferryport Landing!" Beauty cried, unable to hide her excitement. "Has anyone tried?"

  "The barrier is still intact," said the third mouse, almost stumbling over a pebble as he stepped forward with the moving line. "We tried it this morning."

  "Well, I wouldn't get your hopes up about Relda meeting an untimely demise," the White Rabbit said. "I'm sure Canis will save her. He always does."

  "Oh, that's not going to be a problem this time," the third mouse chirped. "The giant carried him away, too!"

  "Two birds with one very big stone," the second mouse sang with glee.

  "So, it's just a matter of time," the Beast said.

  "Maybe not," the second mouse said. "I hear they've found the granddaughters."

  Everyone groaned.

  "I thought they had died!" Beauty said.

  "No, just missing. Apparently, whatever carried off their parents didn't get them," the White Rabbit said.

  "I'm sorry," Sabrina interrupted. "But did you say the girls' parents had been carried away?"

  "The family thinks they abandoned them, but I've heard whispers that Henry and his wife were kidnapped," the Beast answered.

  Sabrina and Daphne shared a stunned look.

  "But it's not all bad news," the first mouse said.

  "Indeed?" Beauty asked.

  "I hear they're already trying to rescue their grandmother. Can you believe it?" said the White Rabbit. "Two kids taking on a giant! The whole family will be pushing up daisies by morning."

  "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard, and when it comes to the Grimms, that's saying something," the Beast said.

  The crowd laughed.

  "Momma Bear, you must be so excited," Beauty said, taking Sabrina's heavy paws into her delicate hands. "Soon, you'll be reunited with your family. Are they still hiding out in that Romanian zoo?"

  "Uh . . . yes, that will be wonderful," Sabrina muttered, doing her best not to swat Beauty across the yard and then stomp the rest of them into paste. The talk of her parents had caught her attention.

  "Do you know who kidnapped the parents?" said Sabrina.

  "Who cares?" the White Rabbit replied.

  "You people are horrible," a voice said from behind them. Sabrina turned around and saw a beautiful, dark-skinned woman with dazzling green eyes. She wore a diamond tiara and a beautiful evening gown. She looked at the group in front of her with disgust.

  "Briar Rose," Beauty said nervously. "I think you may have stepped into the middle of a conversation and misheard something."

  "I heard all I need to hear," Briar Rose said.

  The crowd shifted uncomfortably and turned away from her accusing stare while Sabrina's mind filled with possibilities. Could it be true? Their parents hadn't abandoned them? Could someone have kidnapped them?

  Soon, Sabrina and Daphne were almost at the front of the line. Mr. Seven stood at the door, this time without his pointy "idiot" hat. He announced Beauty and the Beast and the couple disappeared into the chattering party inside.

  "Good evening," Mr. Seven said as he opened the door for them. He cupped his hands together and yelled, "Momma Bear, escorted this evening by the Tin Woodsman," as the girls entered the room.

  The mansion was a spectacular display of wealth and taste. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling and a beautiful red-carpeted staircase led up to a large landing, where four men played violins. The room was already crowded with people, animals, and monsters of all shapes and sizes—Everafters as far as the eye could see. They wandered around, talking and drinking champagne. Some laughed at jokes while others argued politics. A very ugly couple of trolls dressed in evening wear danced to the music, and several hulking waiters hurried around the room, extending trays of appetizers to guests. No one seemed to be bothered that there were ogres and winged people hobnobbing with talking animals, so Sabrina's worries that people would notice a man made of metal and a bear in a polka-dotted dress quickly dissolved.

  "Sabrina, all of the Everafters wish we were dead," Daphne said.

  Sabrina looked around the room. Every fairy-tale creature she had ever read about seemed to be here: Cinderella and her fairy godmother, the Mad Hatter, Mowgli and Baloo. Even Gepetto was off in a corner chatting with Ali Baba. And Sabrina knew they all hated the Grimms. As unsettling as it was, Sabrina could understand why. Even though Ms. Smirt had dumped the girls into some awful foster homes, Sabrina and Daphne knew they could always run away. For the Everafters there was no escape, and it had been that way for almost two hundred years. It must be torment for them, she thought.

  "Where should we start?" Daphne asked.

  They needed to get into the mayor's office, but they also needed to know where Charming was while they were doing it. Sabrina looked around the room, but he wasn't present.

  "Let's just stay out of the way and keep our ears open. Once we know where he is, we'll make our way upstairs. For now, let's mingle."

  The two walked awkwardly around the main room, gawking at the various literary celebrities and capturing bits of conversations.

  "So she's not coming?" a dwarf said to a huge black panther. The panther licked its paw and hungrily eyed Sabrina.

  "She never comes," the panther said. "If I left him at the altar, the last place I'd want to go is the man's house. I think it's very respectful of Snow White not to show her face here."

  "But it was almost four hundred years ago. The man has been married at least half a dozen times since," the dwarf said. "Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Rapunzel are all
here. If they can move on, then Snow White surely can. This community is important."

  "Ladies and gentlemen, we're pleased that you could attend the Ferryport Landing one hundredth annual community ball," Mr. Seven shouted from the top of the red staircase. The musicians laid down their instruments and everyone turned their attention to the mayor's assistant. "Allow me to introduce your host for this evening. Your mayor, his majesty, Prince Charming."

  The violinists immediately broke into a stately song as a pair of double doors at the top of the stairs swung open. The crowd burst into applause as Charming waved and descended the staircase.

  He was all smiles, shaking hands with everyone he met, kissing women on the hands, even if they were ugly witches or even uglier stepsisters, and calling everyone by name as he glided around the room. Mr. Seven followed closely behind him, handing out business cards.

  "What do you say, Woodsman?" Charming asked, taking Daphne's hand and shaking it vigorously.

  "Hello," Daphne seethed, unable to hide her contempt.

  Charming reached over, took Sabrina's massive hairy paw, and placed a kiss on it.

  "Momma Bear, as lovely as ever," he said with a wink. "I hope the two of you are having a wonderful time."

  "We are, thank you," Sabrina said sharply. Maybe she had acquired some of the bear's aggressiveness along with its body, because for the second time that night she thought she might like to swat someone with her paw. One quick swipe and she could probably take Charming's head clean off his shoulders. Instead, she smiled and did her best to curtsy, imagining how ridiculous this move looked from a twelve-hundred-pound bear.

  "Please eat, drink, have a wonderful time. This celebration is for us," Charming said as he swept on to the center of the room.

  "Friends, I am so happy that you could all attend the annual ball," he continued. "Each year we gather together as a community to toast our hard work and, most importantly, our patience."

  Charming's words sent a frustrated rumble through the crowd.

  "But once again, your support is needed to continue to build our community," he said. "There is still work to be done and we need your help to maintain services, to fund our fine police force, and various other community endeavors. So, I ask you, when you contribute tonight, give deeply. In fact, give until it hurts, or I'll put you all in jail!"