Once Upon a Crime (The Sisters Grimm, Book 4) Read online

  Her brain told her to let go, in fact it was begging her to, but she refused, even as she soared higher and higher into the air. She knew what she was doing was insane. She might die, but the alternative was worse. She couldn't live knowing she'd let her parents' kidnapper get away.

  "Let go, you foolish child!" Oz shouted from above. Sabrina could see he was struggling to untie the rope she was holding onto, but he was having no success.

  "How do I wake them up?" Sabrina cried, pulling herself hand over hand up the rope. "How do I wake up my parents?"

  "This is all pointless, Sabrina. You can't fight the master or me. The future is coming. Now let go."

  "No!" Sabrina had reached the basket. She grabbed onto the side.

  The Wizard's face filled with sorrow. "Then I'm sorry, Sabrina." He pushed her hard and she lost her grip. She snatched at his hand but grabbed something small and silver instead. The remote control. Wind filled her ears like a lion's roar and she could feel gravity pulling her toward the ground.

  Chapter 10

  Sabrina!"

  She heard someone shouting her name over the wind. "Sabrina. I've got you!" And then, she wasn't falling anymore. She rubbed the coldness out of her eyes. Puck had her in his arms and was grinning at her as he flew them back up to the top of the building. The robot witch was there, now practically on top of Relda and Daphne. Panicked, Sabrina pointed the little silver controller at the monster and pushed at the dozen buttons. Just as the robot was about to squash her family, it froze.

  Puck touched down next to Granny and Daphne. The little girl was in hysterics and hugged Sabrina tighter than she ever had. Granny joined the hug.

  "Come on, people!" Puck said. "Did you really think I was going to let you die?"

  Daphne pulled away from Sabrina for a moment. She sniffled and then held out something to her sister. "This fell out of the balloon." It was their mother's journal. Sabrina took it and opened it. In the back was the yellowing paper. Veronica's speech was still inside.

  By the light of the witch's still glowing eye, Granny Relda took the speech and quickly read it to herself. A proud smile spread across her face. She handed it back to Sabrina. "I think the Everafters should hear this."

  "I could give it to Puck. He could read it to them."

  "Liebling, these are your mother's words."

  Sabrina met her grandmother's gaze, lifted her chin, and nodded. "OK. We need to get everyone together. Puck, how do we turn this building bright purple?"

  Daphne looked at the witch. "Granny, we're going to need an awful lot of forgetful dust," the little girl said.

  * * *

  Sabrina sat in a back room at the Golden Egg. Daphne sat behind her with a brush combing her long blond hair while Sabrina studied her mother's writing. She fretted over every syllable and comma, hoping that she could somehow do the s

  peech justice. She was not one for speeches, especially in front of Everafters.

  "Don't be afraid," Daphne said. "I'll be standing right next to you.

  "Good," Sabrina answered. "You can deflect the pies and rotten tomatoes they toss at me."

  "I think that only happens in cartoons," Daphne replied. "Still, I'll keep an eye out for them."

  The door opened and Mustardseed appeared. He smiled and gave the girls a wink. "They are ready for you."

  "We're coming," Daphne said, and Mustardseed gestured that he'd wait in the hall.

  "Do I really have to do this?" Sabrina said. "What if I screw it up? What if I ruin what Mom was trying to do?"

  "You won't," Daphne said as she pulled her sister to her feet. "And even if you do, your hair looks fabulous."

  "Thanks."

  "For a jerkazoid," Daphne added with a smile.

  They joined Mustardseed in the hallway. He led them into the restaurant, where they found Puck, addressing the crowd. He was wearing a jeweled crown, an oversized purple robe, and carrying an enormous scepter. He strolled back and forth trying to seem dignified while struggling with his outfit.

  "Attention!" he shouted. "There has been a great upheaval in the last few days. My father, your leader, lies dead. I have returned to the kingdom to rule."

  "Get on with it, Puck!" one of the dwarfs shouted. "We lost patience with you nearly half an hour ago."

  Puck sneered and gestured to Sabrina and Daphne. The girls stepped onto the stage and stared at the crowd.

  "Now, I know they are terribly ugly and difficult to look at," Puck said, causing Sabrina to growl. "But these girls have got something to say. When they are done, you fools can go back to fighting if you want."

  He turned to Sabrina and frowned. "Good luck," he said. "They're a disrespectful bunch."

  Sabrina looked down at the speech. "This was written by my mother," she said.

  "We can't hear you!" someone shouted.

  "Speak up!"

  Sabrina looked to her sister for help.

  "You may not talk a lot but you've never had a problem with volume," Daphne said.

  Sabrina cleared her throat and started again. "This was written by my mother on the eve of her disappearance almost two years ago."

  Suddenly, the crowd was silent. "I'm afraid that I will probably never be the speaker my mother was but I will read it word for word. It outlines her ideas for you. I hope it helps."

  Sabrina looked at her mother's writing, studying the curves of her letters, trying to understand the mind that wrote the words.

  "I will not stand here and claim to know your hearts. You have had difficult lives. You've seen dreams ripped apart. You've watched as suffering came to you like floodwaters. I am human. I am blessed. I live in a world that believes in me. Your very existence defies what humanity can accept. You are supposed to be bedtime stories--not flesh and blood. Thus, you have had to live in the shadows, accepting the table scraps you could find and yearning for the life humans take for granted.

  "It doesn't have to be like this. You are few, but together you are many. Combining your talents, working for one another's benefit, lifting one another up when you fall--this is the path to your happiness. If you could work together as a community, you could build empires with your small numbers, but instead you have chosen to squabble and divide. Well, I say it's time to put hatred aside and hold your brothers' and sisters' hands. You don't need humanity to believe in you. You only need to believe in each other."

  Sabrina continued reading. She did her best to make eye contact with those in the crowd and she held Daphne's hand for support. She could feel her mother's thoughts inside her, how Veronica felt about every word she had put in the speech. Veronica described a world that Everafters could embrace, a world where they could work together, for the benefit of one another. It was a simple plan based on common sense and a common purpose. She described a government where majority ruled the day but a passionate minority could not be trampled. She recommended that leaders be elected rather than born. She talked of schools and hospitals. She spoke of science and technologies helping them keep pace with the modern world, but mostly she spoke of finding common ground.

  "You are all Everafters," Sabrina concluded. "Your neighbor's needs are your needs. His passions are your passions, and his heartbreak is your sorrow as well. If you can treat his struggles as your own, you will celebrate your successes together. It doesn't matter that he may be feathered or furry. It makes no difference if he is on two legs or twenty. Don't waste time finding differences. When you talk to your neighbors, close your eyes and you will truly see them."

  After she spoke the last words, she thanked them and stood back, wondering if they would choose her mother's ideals over their own isolation and squabbling. For a long moment there was silence. Sabrina looked to Puck and Daphne and Granny Relda, but they were as trapped in the moment as she.

  And then Mother Goose stood up. "Thank you, Sabrina Grimm, daughter of Veronica. You have served your family well," she said, and she began to clap. Others joined her, and soon the entire audience was on its feet cl
apping: Yahoos, dwarfs, pirates, fairies, and goblins alike. Moments later, a familiar chant began.

  "Grimm! Grimm! Grimm!"

  Tears ran down Sabrina's cheeks. They weren't tears of sadness but of great pride. Their mother had tried to build something important. For Sabrina, it was the first time since discovering her family history that she truly understood it. Being a Grimm wasn't just being a fairy-tale detective. It was being the person who helps when no one else will lend a hand. Being a Grimm was something to be proud of, not something to run from.

  Granny Relda pulled the girls close to her.

  "I'm ready to be part of this family," Sabrina said.

  "I never had any doubts, child," the old woman said as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I never had any doubts."

  Daphne hugged her sister tightly. "I'm glad you're back. I can't do this without you."

  * * *

  The family found their car parked under three feet of snow. Mustardseed blasted it with a little fire and it was clean and clear in no time. Mr. Canis got in awkwardly. He was still seven f

  eet tall and found it difficult to get behind the wheel. He started the car's engine and allowed it to warm up.

  Hamstead stood nearby. He hadn't spoken to anyone since Mr. Canis had found him sitting in his darkened hotel room. Now he shuffled his feet and looked down at the pavement. Sabrina understood. His broken heart had crushed his spirit. Sabrina was brokenhearted, too, though she was working hard to hide it. Not only was Puck not coming back to Ferryport Landing with them, he hadn't come to say good-bye.

  "You've given us some hope for the future," Mustardseed said to her.

  "Good luck," Sabrina said. "And don't let your brother ruin everything. If he has his way he'll turn the city into a junkyard he can play in all day."

  "Yes, I remember him suggesting just that," Mustardseed said. "Don't worry. The Trickster King has other plans."

  "Well, we better get home and find out how to wake up your mom and dad," Granny said to the girls. "And the two of you need to start your training."

  "Training? What have we been doing all this time?" Sabrina asked.

  "Following me around and getting in trouble," the old woman said. "Now that you both are ready and willing, we're going to explore what's inside the Hall of Wonders. You girls are going to learn to be proper fairy-tale detectives."

  Granny Relda and the girls got into the car. Hamstead followed, and they all rolled down their windows and waved goodbye to Mustardseed. Mr. Canis pulled away from the curb to a symphony of backfires and rattles, and pointed the car in the direction of Ferryport Landing. Sabrina watched out the window as the city rolled by. She spotted her father's favorite movie theater and the place her mother loved to buy secondhand books. Someday she'd come back here, but there was no hurry. She had a new place to call home.

  Suddenly, there was a rapping sound on the roof of the car. Sabrina craned her neck but couldn't see anything. Another pounding occurred and then a fiery blast raced past the car. The fire streaked high into the air and then came down in front of the automobile. Canis slammed on the brakes. Sabrina watched it all, slowly realizing that the blast was attached to a person, a woman in fact, who came down from the sky wearing what appeared to be a rocket pack strapped on her back.

  "Bess!" Mr. Hamstead cried.

  "Ernie!"

  Mr. Hamstead looked bewildered. He leaped out of the car and everyone followed.

  "Don't go, Ernie!" Bess cried. "Bess, what are you doing here?"

  "I came to stop you. I love you. I don't care about your secret. It doesn't matter to me that you're a pig," the woman cried, rushing to Mr. Hamstead and taking his hand.

  "Bess, I don't know what to say," the man said, fumbling for words.

  "Say you love me, too."

  "I do love you," Mr. Hamstead said. "But we're too different. It would never work."

  "Not so fast," Bess said. She took a step back and suddenly her body went through an amazing transformation. It was an incredible sight, not unlike the one that Hamstead went through each time he became a pig; only Bess became something quite different. She was a cow.

  "So you're one of the Three Little Pigs, huh?" Bess said. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm the Cow That Jumped Over the Moon."

  Daphne's hand quickly went into her mouth as Bess lifted off the ground.

  Hamstead grinned from ear to ear and clapped wildly. "I love you, baby!" he cried. Bess drifted down to the pavement and morphed back into h

  er human form. She rushed to Hamstead's side. "Stay with me," she begged.

  Hamstead turned to Granny Relda with hopeful eyes. "I'll miss you, Relda," he said, hugging the old woman. "But I love her. I can't leave."

  "I couldn't be happier for you," Granny said. "Ferryport Landing won't be the same without you, Ernest."

  "So where are you crazy kids going on your honeymoon?" Daphne said, wrapping her arms around Hamstead's generous middle.

  Everyone laughed.

  "I'm thinking Hawaii," Bess said, causing Hamstead's face to spontaneously morph into his pig form.

  "Or Paris," he oinked, then pulled himself together. "There's a lot to see and I've got a bit of cabin fever, if you know what I mean."

  He turned to Mr. Canis. "Take care of yourself, Wolf." Canis nodded and shook Hamstead's hand. "It has been an honor, Pig."

  As the group celebrated, Hamstead pulled Sabrina and Daphne aside. "Girls, I fear that things are not going well with our old friend Canis."

  Sabrina nodded. "I thought I was the only one who noticed."

  "Your grandmother has always had a lot of faith in his ability to keep the Wolf at bay, but I don't believe that is always going to be the case," he said as he removed a chain from around his neck. There was a small silver key attached to it. He slipped it over Daphne's head and urged her to hide it under her shirt.

  "What's this?" the little girl asked.

  "It's your plan B. It opens a safety deposit box. You'll find a weapon inside… something so powerful it can stop even the Wolf. Mr. Boarman and Mr. Swineheart can help you use it if things get bad. Don't let it fall into the wrong hands and don't tell anyone you have it. It would be devastating."

  "I'll give this to Granny," Daphne said, patting the key.

  "No," Hamstead whispered. "Don't tell her anything."

  "But--"

  "Just trust me."

  Sabrina, Daphne, Granny Relda, and Mr. Canis said their good-byes to Mr. Hamstead and Bess. They got into the car, gave a farewell honk, and then drove away.

  Sabrina settled into her seat and realized she was feeling depressed. When they'd heard that thump on the roof of the car, she'd thought for a moment it was Puck.

  Daphne looked at her sister and seemed to read her mind. "You know, I really can't believe Puck. What a jerkazoid," she said. "So what if he's a king. He's going to be lousy at it! He should have come back to Ferryport Landing."

  "What do I care," Sabrina said, trying to hide her feelings. "I say, 'good riddance.'"

  Daphne turned and gazed out the back window then let out a startled laugh. She nudged Sabrina to take a look as well. Sabrina turned in her seat and was shocked by what she saw. Following not far behind them was the six-story mechanical Wicked Witch of the West. Perched on the top of its hat was Puck. He had pink insect wings coming out of his back and he held the little silver remote in his hands.

  "What's that stuff he spray-painted on the robot?" Daphne said.

  Sabrina smiled. "It says, 'Ferryport Landing or Bust!'"

  "Is he following us home?" Daphne cried.

  Granny turned in her seat and smiled. "I believe he is, liebling."

  "And he's bringing his toy with him," Mr. Canis grumbled.

  "I think we're going to need an awful lot of forgetful dust," Sabrina said.

  To be continued in

  The Sisters Grimm

  BOOK FIVE

  MAGIC AND OTHER MISDEMEANORS

  About the author

&
nbsp; Michael Buckley is the New York Times bestselling author of the Sisters Grimm series. He has also written and developed television shows for many networks.

  The Mole People and The New Sideshow can be seen regularly on the Discovery Channel. Michael lives in New York City.

  This book was designed by Jay Colvin and art-directed by Chad W. Beckerman. It is set in Adobe Garamond, a typeface based on those created in the sixteenth century by Claude Garamond. Garamond modeled his typefaces on those created by Venetian printers at the end of the fifteenth century. The modern version used in this book was designed by Robert Slimbach, who studied Garamond's historic typefaces at the Plantin-Moretus Museum in Antwerp, Belgium.

  The capital letters at the beginning of each Chapter 11 are set in Daylilies, designed by Judith Sutcliffe. She created the typeface by decorating Goudy Old Style capitals with lilies.

  Enjoy this sneak peek at

  MAGIC AND OTHER MISDEMEANORS

  BOOK FIVE IN THE SISTERS GRIMM SERIES

  "Puck booby-trapped the path," Daphne said, shivering. "We should head for the forest."

  Sabrina peered at a bank of fir trees several yards off the path. They were thick and would make good cover, but Sabrina was sick of hiding. Puck always caught them in the woods. He could fly over and see where they were. It wasn't fair.

  "He's expecting us to run into the woods. We do it every time."

  "Hiding is good," Daphne said. "I'm a big fan of hiding."

  "I bet that first explosion is the only one on the path. Why would he booby-trap the rest of it if he assumes we're going to hide in the forest?"

  "Then what should we do?"

  Sabrina furrowed her brow and thought, searching through her mental filing cabinet from her year and a half in foster care. Puck wasn't the only clever one in the Grimm household. Sabrina could get in and out of a house undetected, pick a few simple locks, and run like the wind before anyone knew she was gone. Puck might have called himself the Trickster King, but Sabrina had a name for herself--the Queen of the Sneaks.