The Fairy-Tale Detectives Page 21

  Sabrina shook her head. There was no more faking it.

  “Where are you, Sabrina?”

  Sabrina peered over a ridge. Her grandmother was below, hovering midair on a cone of wind. “I’m done with this. I’ve held back until now.”

  “We’re not going to let you destroy the world!” Sabrina shouted over the roaring wind. Puck fought the unearthly forces battling his wings but eventually joined the girls.

  “I’m not going to destroy the world, kiddo. Where would I live? No, I’m just going to put it back the way it was meant to be. Everafters ruling everything. We’re stronger and smarter than humans. You think I’m arrogant. But shouldn’t the most powerful be in charge? Would you stay silent if you woke up one day to find dogs controlled the world?”

  “Is this the part where the villain tries to explain his stupid way of thinking?” Daphne shouted.

  “That’s a rookie move,” Puck said.

  “Then let me explain something that you can relate to,” Mirror said as he floated up to the peak and set himself down before them. “Anger. Betrayal. Abandonment. These are things you know. These are things that have made you want to strike out and smash and destroy.”

  “I don’t know them,” Daphne said.

  “Because she protected you from them, but your sister knows them all too well,” Mirror said, turning to Sabrina. “You know what it’s like to have people you care about turn their backs on you.”

  “I’m not angry anymore,” Sabrina said shakily.

  “Then let me remind you what it’s like,” he said, and with a wave of his hand, Daphne was sent sailing into the air over the edge of the cliff.

  “Daphne!” Sabrina cried.

  “I’m on it,” Puck said, sprinting to the cliff’s edge and leaping off the side.

  “Now you know what it’s like to be alone,” he said.

  Sabrina stared into her grandmother’s eyes, knowing that it was not Granny looking back at her. What she saw was hundreds of years of pain and uncertainty. The look reminded her of the day she arrived at Granny Relda’s house. She had looked into a mirror and seen that same expression on her own face, and she remembered what it was like to wonder if she would ever feel loved again. But in the months that followed she had felt love: from her sister, from her grandmother, from her uncle, and from Puck. She felt it when her parents were found and from the dozens of new friends that had become part of her family. It had saved her and she knew that her father had given her excellent advice some days before. Look for your enemy’s weaknesses.

  She grabbed Mirror around the shoulders and hugged him. “I’m done fighting you, Mirror. I understand how you feel and I’m sorry that you didn’t get the love that I did. But I am not like you. Let me show you.”

  She placed her hands on her grandmother’s face and let loose all of her magic, but it wasn’t an attack or an act of destruction and hostility. It was love—the love she had been given—and it was pure and brilliant and strong. She sent him every moment of kindness and concern she had ever received. She gave him her memories with her friends. She gave him the feelings she had for Mr. Canis and Red and her uncle. She gave him her father reading a bedtime story and her mother giving her a wink. She gave him her grandmother’s hugs and the tiny, almost imperceptible smiles Mr. Canis sent her that let her know he cared. She gave him the softness of her baby brother’s cheek nuzzling into her shoulder. She gave him Elvis’s happy kisses. She gave him the love that she had once felt for him—all of it opening like an overstuffed jewelry box into his heart—and then she gave him the surprise of Puck’s first kiss, and then her want for another, and the odd, fluttering feeling inside her whenever he talked about their future together, even when he was teasing. And then she gave him Daphne—sweet, loving, hilarious Daphne. She gave him her sister’s warm hand in her own and the joy she felt when Daphne laughed. She gave him their nights asleep together, their many escapes and daring rescues. She gave him every meal with Daphne stuffing her face. She gave him her sister’s frustrating and yet miraculous sense of right and wrong, and how the little girl could see the good in everyone. She gave him every day that her sister made Sabrina feel stronger, braver, and happier. She gave him an hour of Daphne brushing her hair. She gave him their secrets and inside jokes and silly giggles. She gave him every single new word Daphne ever invented. She gave him what had saved her own life—her sister’s love. She wrapped it all up and slipped it into whatever Mirror called a heart.

  And then the mountain was sinking back into the earth, twisting back into the land it once was. The mirror men dripped back into the soil and the wind disappeared. With the last of her magic, Sabrina created a cushion of air that caught her friends before they collided with the ground.

  When it was over, Sabrina was still hugging Mirror, and he was hugging her back.

  Mirror looked down into her face. Granny was more present, just beneath the surface. He was letting her go. “I didn’t know it was like that.”

  Mirror and Sabrina stood silently for a long moment.

  Bunny approached, and Mirror’s eyes lit up with happiness. “Hello, Mother,” he said, without scorn and rage.

  Bunny flashed Sabrina an uncomfortable look, but Sabrina just nodded.

  “Meet your son,” Sabrina said.

  Bunny hugged him tightly. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s time to give me back my grandmother. I love her very much,” Sabrina said.

  Mirror nodded. “Sabrina, would you do me a favor? I know that you have no reason to, but . . .”

  “What would you like?”

  Mirror reached out his hand. “Before I go, will you tell me that I’m your friend?”

  Sabrina took his hand and held it tightly. “Mirror, I am your friend.”

  He smiled and sighed and winked at her. Then Granny Relda’s mouth opened and the black spirit of Mirror slipped out and fell to the ground. Granny Relda collapsed. Bunny helped the old woman revive while Sabrina watched the dark mass flopping about like a fish unable to return to the sea. Sabrina caressed him and told him that everything would be OK. Then Mirror melted into a puddle of glistening silver. His remains leaked into the soil and were gone.

  There was the sound of fluttering wings. Puck landed at her feet. He had Daphne with him, safe and sound.

  “You know, as many times as you two get tossed off of tall things, you would think you’d start wearing parachutes,” he said.

  Sabrina swept her sister up into a hug.

  “How are you feeling?” Daphne asked.

  “It’s gone,” Sabrina said. “The magic is gone.”

  Granny stirred, and Sabrina helped her to sit up just as Uncle Jake, Daphne, Henry, Veronica, Basil, and Elvis rushed to join them. The old woman blinked and looked around.

  “Welcome back, liebling,” Sabrina said.

  Granny Relda smiled and gave her a hug. “Have you girls been up to shenanigans?”

  “Hey, that’s my word!” Daphne cried, and hugged her so tight Sabrina worried the old woman might break. Elvis pushed his way in to shower her with happy licks.

  Henry and Jake helped their mother to her feet. She wobbled a bit but finally found her balance.

  “How do you feel, Relda?” Veronica said, embracing the woman.

  “I suppose I should be tired, but I’m actually very hungry,” Relda said with a laugh. “Oh, dear, I’ve lost my hat.”

  “We’ll buy you another hat, Mom.” Uncle Jake laughed.

  Basil squirmed in Veronica’s arms. “Who is this, Mommy?”

  Veronica smiled as a tear escaped her happy eyes. “Honey, this is your grandmother. She’s part of your family.”

  “Do you have a boo-boo?” he asked.

  Granny wrapped him up in her arms. “I do! But I bet a kiss would make it feel better.”

  Basil gave her a big kiss on the cheek.

  “You look just like your opa,” Granny cooed.

  Puck stepped forward and the old woman nodded at him. “
Just so you know, I pretty much saved the whole world,” he said.

  “Oh, I have no doubts.”

  “Mom, look,” Henry said, pointing to the Everafters who were all bravely stepping on ground they hadn’t been able to reach in hundreds of years. “The barrier is down.”

  “Oh dear,” Granny said.

  “It’s going to be OK, Granny,” Daphne said.

  And then they walked to the edge of town with the rest of the Everafters following behind them. Sabrina could see their faces, uncertain if their greatest wish also frightened them.

  Sabrina turned to them and smiled. “You’re free.”

  Charming, Snow White, the Cowardly Lion, Baba Yaga, Red, Mr. Canis, Boarman and Swineheart, Pinocchio—so many faces. They all took a step forward and stood with the family on the other side.

  Everyone stood silently until Snow White spoke. “It’s too big.”

  “What?” Sabrina asked.

  “The possibilities,” the beautiful teacher said.

  Red helped Mr. Canis forward. He leaned against his cane and gaped at the horizon. Beauty and Natalie joined them, as well as Mr. Boarman and Mr. Swineheart. The Pied Piper’s eyes filled with tears while his son stood grinning. The Frog Prince held his daughter in his arms. The Scarecrow’s burlap face displayed a wide, painted smile.

  And then Puck pushed through the crowd. He rubbed his hands eagerly and grinned.

  “Have I got plans for you!” he crowed, flying into the air with his wooden sword in hand.

  • • •

  A week later, many of the Everafters were gone. The Frog Prince and his daughter left, as did the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, all of King Arthur’s remaining knights, and Little John. Daphne and the coven worked with some of the talking animals in hopes of creating disguises that would allow them to look human. Veronica held a seminar on the basics of modern life, including how to use a computer, apply for a job, and get an apartment. She was very surprised to find that nearly everyone in town came to hear her. It looked as if Ferryport Landing would be all but abandoned soon.

  But not everyone was ready to give up on the town. Sabrina marveled at those who decided to stay. Boarman and Swine-heart hung up their deputy caps for good and reopened their construction business. They were convinced they would soon be the richest Everafters in town. The former sheriff Mr. Hamstead and his wife, Bess, showed up not long after. It was good to see their friends’ happy faces. He and his wife were over the moon with happiness, as they were expecting their first child.

  Charming held an emergency election for mayor but lost to his girlfriend, Snow, who was surprised to find herself a write-in candidate. Charming graciously conceded. Mayor White said her first order of business was to finally rebuild the school. She also hired Goldilocks to be the new city planner, after the woman argued that much of the town’s troubles were a result of bad energies and flow. She promised the new Ferryport Landing would be designed with feng shui in mind and would prove to be the most balanced and serene little town in New York.

  Despite Henry’s hourly begging, Granny Relda decided to stay and rebuild. She couldn’t bear to leave the town that had been her home for so many years, though she did promise to come to the city for frequent visits with her grandchildren. As always, Mr. Canis stood by her side, now with Red. He and Granny would raise her, and they offered the same to Pinocchio. The kindness overwhelmed him and he sobbed into Granny Relda’s dress. Later he would discover that he had grown a half an inch for the first time in a hundred years.

  As the founders of the new Ferryport Landing made their plans, Goldi took Veronica aside. Sabrina couldn’t help but listen in.

  “I know it has been very hard having me around,” she said. Veronica shook her head, though Sabrina wasn’t convinced of her sincerity. “You were a big help.”

  “I just wanted to say that you’re good for him. Better than I would have been,” Goldi said. “You make Henry happy . . . which is hard to watch. I still—”

  “I know you do,” Veronica said. “He’s kind of awesome, but I think that if you open yourself up, and take a chance, you might find that you will love someone else.”

  The women hugged and parted as friends.

  One night, with nothing left for them to do, Sabrina, Daphne, Puck, and Red walked down the road toward the marina. The dock, surprisingly, was not damaged, so they took off their shoes and dipped their feet into the chilly Hudson River. They sat for a long time contemplating all that had happened and guessing at what lay ahead. Finally, Puck broke the silence.

  “Your uncle is leaving town,” Puck said. “He says there’s magic all over the world that needs to be wrangled. He asked me to go with him.”

  Sabrina felt a lump in her throat. “What did you say?”

  “I’m probably going to go. This is no place for the master of mischief. There’s nothing left to break in this town.”

  “You could come with us to New York City,” Sabrina said hopefully. “I’m sure your mom would like to see you around the kingdom.”

  He seemed to understand what Sabrina was thinking. “Don’t worry, I’ll swing by and harass you all the time.”

  Sabrina smiled. She knew this boy would be in her life always. Then she laughed. Whether I like it or not.

  “Wait, what is that?” Puck said, looking down the river. Sabrina squinted and made out a boat sailing toward the marina. It was the kind of ship that could have drifted from the pages of a pirate novel. Its huge masts snapped in the wind and a fluttering flag smeared with a skull’s grin flapped in the air. The children watched as it drifted down to them and then dropped anchor. Moments later a boy in green pants and shirt climbed onto the rail of the ship and leaped off into midair. A moment later, he was flying toward them. Sabrina looked over to Daphne. The little girl was biting her palm with excitement.

  “It can’t be,” Sabrina said.

  “It is,” Daphne said.

  “Who is it?” Red said.

  Puck huffed and scowled. “I’ll handle this.”

  The flying boy in green stopped short of the dock and hovered in midair. He had a wooden sword much like Puck’s shoved into his belt and a little green hat. “Hey, you!” he cried. “Sorry to spook you with the ship. My lost boys and I sort of borrowed it from a few scurvy pirates back where we come from. The place is overrun with them, so we’ve decided to start someplace new. We’re looking for a town called Ferryport Landing. We heard it’s a place for folks like us.”

  Sabrina eyed Puck closely.

  “Never heard of it,” he said.

  The flying boy frowned. “It’s got to be around here somewhere. I hear it’s filled with magic and fun.”

  “I think someone gave you some bad information, kid,” Puck said. “This town is as boring as it gets.”

  The flying boy shrugged. “All right, well, thanks.” Then he flew back to his boat.

  “That wasn’t very nice,” Sabrina said.

  Puck stuck his tongue out at her. “I hate that kid.”

  Sabrina looked up the road at what was left of Ferryport Landing, the once-sleepy river town nestled on the banks of the Hudson River. There was hardly anything left of it. Sabrina felt like she was mourning the loss of another dear relative. But maybe one day it would live again.

  “Is that it?” Daphne said. “Is that the end?”

  Sabrina nodded and took her sister’s hand. “Yes, and it’s about time.”

  The children sat on the dock for a long time, looking out at the rolling waves as they moved on to the sea.

  “Wait. If we’re Everafters now, does that mean we’re going to live forever?” Daphne exclaimed.

  Puck eyed Sabrina. She could almost see his mind working on the millions of pranks he would subject her to now that he had all the time in the world. She felt sick to her stomach when he giggled mischievously.

  “Shenanigans,” he said.

  DAPHNE ZIPPED UP the back of Sabrina’s gown while she studied herself in a full-lengt
h mirror.

  “Well, that makes it official,” Sabrina said. “I’m getting married.”

  “The wedding dress is a big tip-off,” her mother said, adjusting the train. “You look like a princess.”

  “Which one?”

  Daphne laughed. “I don’t know. I could go out into the church and bring a few back to compare.”

  “No Everafters in the changing room,” Sabrina said. She looked at herself in the mirror one more time. The ivory dress seemed to glow in the light. If she didn’t know better, she would suspect it was enchanted. “I hope everyone is wearing their disguises. Bradley is still not super-comfortable with them, and his folks don’t have a clue about the family business.”

  “Everyone looks like a human,” Daphne said. “Except Hamstead’s boys. They brought their rocket packs.”

  Sabrina sighed. “All I need is a bunch of teenage pigs and cows flying around the Church of St. Paul’s.”

  “Nothing is going to ruin this, Sabrina,” Red said from the doorway. Looking at Red, now a lovely young woman, as close to Sabrina as her own sister, no one would ever know she had a monster living inside her. Apparently, the yoga and meditation were working as well as ever. “I hope the ‘no Everafters in the dressing room’ rule doesn’t apply to me.”

  “Get in here and help me,” Sabrina said.

  “Are all the guests here?” Daphne asked as she took a brush and started combing her sister’s hair.

  “Baba Yaga is here,” Red said as she eyed the bouquet of white roses. “She’s wearing a fur coat. At least I think it’s a coat. I could have sworn I heard it hiss at me.”

  “Wow,” Veronica said. “Uncle Jake made it. Goldi’s here with her fiancé, too. Snow and Billy are there with the kids, Wendell and his girlfriend, Bunny—you know, the regular bunch—oh, Pinocchio.”

  “Pinocchio! He came? We haven’t seen him in a million years,” Red said.

  “I saw him. He grew up very nice,” Veronica said.

  “He’s hot,” Daphne said.

  Everyone looked at her in disbelief.

  “What?” she cried defensively. “He is!”