Fable: An Unfortunate Fairy Tale Book 3 (16 page)

Chapter 16

“
No, no way. Do you see
what he did to me!” She pointed to her golden stripe of hair. “And
this was when I was sleeping. Uh-uh. Not happening.”

“
That is exactly why you
have to kill him. You are the only one who can. You’ve already
started connecting to the Fae plane,” Constance said.

“
I have?”

“
You did, in your sleep.
The Fae plane is somewhere between the physical plane and the
spiritual one. Jacob and Wilhelm were the only Grimms to
successfully go there of their own free will. No other human has
done it since. But you can. Temple didn’t come to you in your
sleep. You went to him, or at least connected with him in a dream,
and the power that continues to grow around you helped make it
real.”

“
So how do I do it
again?”

Both of the women looked at each other and
shrugged. “We don’t know.”

“
Jared brought me here
promising that you would help me,” she cried out.

“
We want to help you, but
this is a gift we know very little about,” Mei said.

“But if you can get there once, you can get
there again. You may have to wait until you solve more quests. It’s
not just the Story who is growing stronger and more powerful the
more quests you complete. You are as well. So maybe in time you
will have more control over this ability. But at the moment we
don’t know what else to do.”

“
Is there no other option?
That can’t be the only way for a human to cross over. What about
all of those tales about the Fae stealing children?”

“
Children are smaller and
take less energy, but it takes a very strong and powerful Fae to
cross over with an adult human. Most are barely strong enough to
come by themselves. I assume you asked Jared.” Constance looked at
Mina carefully, already knowing the answer.

“
Of course, he won’t go to
the Fae plane. I don’t understand why.”

“
It’s because it is more
dangerous for him to cross over than it would be for you. Jared’s
been banished, and if he goes back, he risks losing his
life.”

“
I wish he would tell me
these things,” Mina fumed.

Mei kept chewing her lip in thought. “Maybe
if you had a seam ripper?”

“
Is that a small silver
tube thing?” Mina asked, feeling her heart race with
excitement.

“
Why, yes, a wizard gave
one to each of the Fates. Do you think you know where one is?”
Constance asked.

“
I think I know someone
who has one.”

When Mei took Mina back to the library
again, Mina was completely discouraged. She had more questions than
answers. The Godmothers said they would try their European contacts
and find out what they could about jumping. That’s what they were
calling it. Jared was sleeping in the armchair by the fireplace and
didn’t stir at the sound of their entrance.

Mei held Mina’s hand and whispered
encouragement to her.

“
Mina, I truly believe you
will be the one to break the curse. You have something that none of
the other Grimms had.” She looked toward the sleeping
Jared.

“
Jared?”

“
Never before has the
Grimoire shown its human side. There’s something special about you,
Mina. Something that I saw years ago, something that our young
prince saw. Trust in that.”

Mina turned to stare at the sleeping Jared
and felt consumed with conflicting emotions and questions. The
first day she found the Grimoire and was attacked by Grey Tail,
Jared could have just stayed within the book, but he interfered. He
showed his true self to her, and on numerous times before. Yes, he
wasn’t always truthful, but he was protecting himself and his
family. Wouldn’t she do the same if she was in his shoes?

A soft click of the door told her that Mei
had left the library, but it was followed by the soft clicking
noise of nails on the floor. Mina grinned, knowing what was running
toward her. But the Baldander didn’t jump onto her; instead, the
invisible fur ball jumped onto a sleeping Jared, who jumped up and
hollered in alarm.

“
Holy mother of fate, what
is that!” He flung his arms wide, and a knife instantly appeared in
his hands, ready to attack.

The Baldander chirped loudly and became
visible in its squirrel form. It jumped in front of Mina
protectively and shifted into a large cat.

Mina laughed at the two squaring off against
each other.

Jared tried to shoo the cat, but it didn’t
budge. In challenge, Jared, who because he had royal blood could
shift at will, did just that. He shifted into a large dog and
growled at the cat.

The cat morphed into a snarling wolf. Jared
morphed into an even bigger wolf. The Baldander shifted into a
tiger. Jared shifted into a lion. Back and forth they went,
challenging each other, until the library was filled with a giant
dragon and large troll.

“
Enough! Down, boys,
you’re both very powerful. I get it.”

Jared was the first to morph back into his
human form, and he seemed slightly embarrassed to have let the
small Fae get the better of him.

“
Sorry, but what is that?”
He pointed in disgust at the dragon, which had morphed down to be
pocket-sized and was flapping its wings as if it had won the
rumble.

“
It’s a
Baldander.”

“
No way! I thought they
were extinct.”

The little dragon turned and blew what
looked like a fiery raspberry at the Fae prince.

“
I guess they’re not, and
I don’t think it cares one lick that you’re a prince.” She giggled.
The dragon flew up and settled in the crook of Mina’s hood, and
quickly became invisible again.

“
I don’t trust that
thing,” Jared shot back.

“
Relax, I find him quite
cute. Isn’t that right, Ander?” She held up a finger and felt the
invisible dragon rub its face against her.

“
Great, you’ve named it,
now you’re gonna want to keep it. But I’m telling you that thing
better be house-trained.” He turned to the bookshelf and began to
pull open the book to open the hidden exit door.

Mina felt Ander leave her shoulder but
didn’t let Jared know he was missing. She saw Constance’s teacup
float mysteriously above Jared’s head. She clapped her hand over
her mouth to contain the laughter. A second later the cup turned
over, spilling lukewarm tea on Jared’s unsuspecting head.

“
Oh, it better not have
just peed on me!” he screamed.

The teacup clattered to the ground as Ander
released it. Jared saw the cup and glared at the dragon. An instant
later he turned and jumped into the air. Morphing into a hawk, he
took off chasing the miniature dragon around the room.

Mina pushed the door open and headed out the
cellar doors, knowing that Ander would be just fine against a
quick-tempered Jared. She hoped that Jared would come out with his
ego still intact.

It had grown dark since they entered the
recycling plant, and the night air was chilly on her bare arms. She
walked over to Jared’s bike, sat on the seat, and surveyed the
surroundings. The river lined the east side of the building, and
the road and the parking lot were overrun with weeds and old
containers. On the west side was the edge of a forest, the
evergreens that lined the edge of the forest looking like sentinels
guarding the Fae Godmothers. So much had happened in such a short
time, and she was just as confused as ever.

An intense prickling feeling ran up her back
and tickled her fingers, followed by a familiar sound that pierced
the night. Mina jumped off the bike, wary and alert. She scanned
the dark forest, knowing that was where the sound came from—a very
unique sound that she knew belonged to Stiltskin’s bird. She
watched the forest and at first saw nothing, but then a glow
emanated from the darkness and grew brighter and brighter.

Mina pulled out the Grimoire, and it
immediately turned into a bow and arrow. She notched the arrow and
pulled back the string, and sighted on her target. The bird flew
between the trees, alighting on one branch and then flying to
another one a little closer. It continued the same pattern, as if
trying to not startle her. Something felt different this time; she
didn’t feel any aggression from the bird. The giant golden bird
stopped at the edge of the forest on a branch of the nearest
evergreen. His long golden feathered tail almost touched the branch
underneath him. Fire trickled from under his wings, as if the bird
was made of fire and the feathers were holding the inferno in
check.

The fire bird shifted back and forth on the
branch, and she spun around, checking behind her for a hidden
attack. Nothing. They were the only ones in the forest.

“
Why are you
here?”

The bird tilted his head as only a bird
could and became more agitated.

She held up the arrow again and threatened
the bird. “You do anything, ignite a single spark, and I’m having
Kentucky Fried Chicken for dinner.”

The bird screeched, and her body erupted in
shivers, its call going through her bones. It really was a chilling
sound. The bird bent its glorious head and began to peck at his
tail feathers until he had pulled the longest feather off and held
it in his beak. The bird opened his wings slowly and glided off the
branch toward Mina; he dropped the feather on the ground before her
and circled back.

The firebird emitted one more piercing
screech, and then it shot into the night, leaving a blazing trail
of fire behind him. She watched the firebird and looked back at the
gift it had left in parting. The feather was mysteriously still
burning brightly. She waited to see if it would eventually burn
out, but it didn’t. Feeling brave, she picked up the gold feather
and ran her fingers over the top, and felt its softness. Apparently
being made of gold didn’t change the texture of the bird’s feather.
The after-feather, or soft downy part of the feather, still
flickered with fire, and even after she gave it a good shake, it
continued to burn. She held her fingers as close as she could and
didn’t feel any heat. Finally, her curiosity getting the better of
her, she touched the flame itself and felt nothing but
coldness.

Why? What purpose did the firebird have in
giving her a feather when it was obviously Stiltskin’s pet?
Stiltskin! Did he follow her here? Did he now know that this was
the Godmothers’ headquarters?

Gripping the feather, she ran back toward
the cellar and was greeted by a perturbed Jared on his way up.

“
Stupid hamster.” He
turned on his heels and yelled back into the darkness, “I hope you
get rabies, you brat.”

It didn’t take a genius to figure out which
Fae had won the challenge.

“
Jared? I think the
Stiltskin was here.”

“
What do you
mean?”

“
I mean, look at this.”
She held out the feather, and Jared studied the burning phenomenon
and reached out to touch it experimentally.

“
Huh? Cool,” he
intoned.

Mina wasn’t taking it as laid-back as Jared.
“His pet firebird appeared out here and gave this to me. Do you
think he could be here as well? Did I lead the Stiltskin to the
Godmothers?”

Jared stepped away from her and lifted his
head to the night. Closing his eyes, he turned in each direction
before turning back. “No, there are no other Fae beside the bird.
Mina, I think he was trying to help you. I don’t think it’s a
trap—I think it’s a gift.”

“
Yeah, but what does it
do?”

“
I don’t know. It’s a
phoenix feather. History has all kinds of rumors about them. Some
say they can bring back the dead, regenerate, give you infinite
riches like a philosopher’s stone. But I can understand why this
Stiltskin would want one. If he is obsessed with gold and has a
golden phoenix, that would make him even more powerful.”

“
And this may be my only
clue.”

“
Or a peace
offering.”

“
Jared, I’m running out of
time. Do you think the Stiltskin figured out I’m reneging on my
deal? How long before he comes to collect me?”

“
I don’t know, but he
won’t get you without a fight. That you can count on.”

“
So you’ve decided to help
me save Charlie?”

“
No, I told you. You have
to forget him and worry about yourself. I was hoping the Godmothers
would help you find a way to break the deal you made with the
Stiltskin.” He reached for her hand and grabbed it, holding it
firmly. His hand felt warm and strong, and sent shivers up her arm.
“Mina, I’m doing things for you that I’ve never done for any other
Grimm in history, and I don’t know why. It worries me, the choices
I keep making, and Ever’s right. Maybe I am getting too involved,
too close.”

Her body went cold at his words, and she
ripped her hand out of his. “What do you mean, you’re getting too
involved?”

He shrugged. “Look at us. The more I think
about it, the more I realize I made a mistake.”

“
You’re my Grimoire, for
goodness’ sakes. You are supposed to help me finish the quests! I
realize that you’re at odds with your family on this, but are you
backing out now because of Ever? I realize that you have
obligations and you can’t always tell me what’s going on, but I
thought we’d gotten past that.”

“
What you’re doing is
committing suicide. You’ll be unprotected in a land of Fae. Who
knows where you’ll appear there? It’s too dangerous. I won’t let
you go there, even for Charlie.”