[Half/Time 01] Half Upon a Time (30 page)

Finally, the three of them burst through the door at the end of the hallway, into the room with three doors. There, they skidded to an immediate halt.

There was nowhere to go. The entire ceiling had fallen in, blocking the way out to the courtyard.

Fortunately, some of the crumbled rock had actually formed a makeshift ramp to the roof. After a shrug between them, Jack and Phillip carried their princess up the ramp and out of the castle.

From the outside, the palace’s destruction was almost awe inspiring. Most of the towers had completely tumbled down, crushing the castle below, while the beautiful spirals of ice had crumbled in several places, parts of them whipping through the air, carried by the biting wind. Only one of the palace’s
towers still stood, and even that one looked to be on the edge of collapse.

“We do not have time to watch!” Phillip screamed over the wind at Jack, then began moving on, forcing Jack to keep up. The ramp they were climbing sloped up to one of the ramparts, which they quickly carried May along, desperately looking for a way back down to the courtyard.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t one … at least, none that was still standing. They found a few crumbled stairways, but nothing that even came close to the rampart. Jack threw one look over the outer wall, only to shake his head. The rampart had to be at least fifty feet up. There was no way they could jump.

“What do we do?!” Jack yelled in frustration. Phillip just stared at him helplessly, knowing as well as Jack did that there was no way out. Jack whipped his head around, desperately searching for something, anything, that would save them, but the only way out was to go back down into the palace, suicide even if the way was still open.

Already Jack’s hands and feet were going numb. Soon they’d all freeze to death if the collapsing palace didn’t kill them first. “It can’t
end
like this!” he screamed into the wind.

“It won’t,” said a voice from behind him.

Jack spun around—only, there was no one there. “Who said that!” he shouted.

Two hands appeared out of nowhere. They reached up and pulled back on something invisible—a hood. Behind it was a woman’s face, her black hair dashed white with snow and red with blood.

“I bet you never saw
this
coming,” said the Red Hood.

Jack glanced at the picture of Rose Red revealing herself to the three of them, and once again, he was impressed. The Story Book’s magic really was amazing.

“So I take it she didn’t kill you,” Jack’s grandfather said to him.

“Good guess,” Jack replied as he settled back in his chair, staring at the fire. For some reason, his cottage seemed different now, smaller than before they had left.

“So what happened?” Jack’s grandfather asked him, puffing on a new pipe made of solid gold. Apparently, the old man had found time for an adventure during Jack’s absence.

“Even after all we did to her,” Jack said, “the Red Hood …
sorry, Rose Red … tracked us down to make sure we made it out of the palace. She cast a travel spell that let us escape, even healed my shoulder. Thanks to her and Rapunzel, everyone made it out of the palace all right.”

Jack’s grandfather shook his head. “I still can’t believe you mistook the Wicked Queen for Snow White! I mean, what were you thinking?!” He paged back through the Story Book—which was even now recording everything Jack said—to May’s story of the original kidnapping. “I mean, look at her! How did you not recognize the Wicked Queen?! I knew who she was instantly!”

Jack sighed. “It’s not like I’d seen her picture before. All I knew from the legends was that the Huntsman tried to kill Snow White. Who knew he couldn’t do it, so he switched sides?”

Jack’s grandfather puffed on his pipe for a few moments, then leaned in close. “What does May think of all this?” he asked. “Knowing about her grandmother now, I mean?”

“I’m not sure she knows
what
to think, really,” Jack said. “I doubt any of us could handle what she just went through. Rose offered to send her home, back to wherever it is that she’s from, but May refused. She wants to stay here and figure out where she came from, how she ended up with the Wicked Queen … maybe even find her real family, if they’re alive. The only clue we
have is that Merriweather, the fairy queen, said she owed May something. So that’s the first step: Find Merriweather, and find out exactly how she knows May.”

“Are you going with her?”

Jack shook his head. “Are you kidding?” he asked. “After the way this all turned out? We set free the worst evil our world has ever known, and it was
my
fault, Grandpa. I can’t keep doing this. I’m no hero. I’m just done.”

“Really,” his grandfather said, raising an eyebrow. “I see you’re not done with that sword you found. Keeping that, are you?”

Jack looked almost embarrassed. “I told Rose Red how I found it,” he said, “how I spoke to the knight in the giant’s mouth. I offered to give it back to her, since it
was
her brother-in-law’s. But she got all strange and said I should keep it, that he wanted me to have it. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what the Wicked Queen said too, so who knows?”

“And the dreams?” Jack’s grandfather asked quietly.

“I, um, didn’t mention those to Rose,” Jack replied.

“Maybe for the best, for now. So what are you going to do with it?”

Jack shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, everyone says that the swords of the Eyes are cursed, but it’s only been a help so far. Still, I don’t
know about the dreams. Is Snow White’s dead husband really talking to me? And how did Snow White even end up married to one of the Wicked Queen’s Eyes?”

“You’ve got my sense of curiosity in you,” his grandfather said with a smile. “That might just get you into some trouble someday.”

“
Some
day?”

This time, his grandfather laughed. “Either way, you’ve got a heck of a story to tell. I’m glad you saw it through to the end, even if it goes no further from here.”

Jack nodded, then frowned. He couldn’t put it off anymore. “Grandpa?” he said. “One last thing … I lost your bag. Well, not lost so much—I know where it is: buried somewhere underneath the Palace of the Snow Queen.”

His grandfather froze, his face turning the color of summer raspberries. “What was that, my boy?” he asked, his voice shaking badly. “I must have misheard you. I thought you said that you
lost
my bag?”

A moment later Jack burst out of the cottage, a large pot barely missing his head as he ran. He quickly slammed the door behind him, his grandfather’s curses still clearly audible as he escaped.

The old man had calmed down by the time May knocked on the door and came inside. She forced a smile.

“I heard screaming,” she said. “If it was directed at Jack, believe me, I understand.”

“Princess,” Jack’s grandfather said by way of greeting, his face now a much healthier color. “It’s always directed at Jack, and he’ll pay for it, one way or another. I see you still have my little friend?” He pointed at the ever-present fairy in May’s hair.

May smiled without any real warmth. “Yup, she’s stubborn. Never seems to want to leave, for some reason. Is that unusual?”

Jack’s grandfather puffed on his pipe. “Well, in my experience … yes. How are you holding up through all of this?”

She sat down in the same chair Jack had used, then dropped her chin into her hands. “Not real great, to be honest,” she said. “I basically have no idea who I am, and the one woman I counted on as my family turns out to be some kind of horrible witch.” She frowned. “I’m sure there’s a metaphor in there somewhere.”

The old man laughed. “That almost sounded sarcastic.”

She smiled briefly at that. “Nah, I wish. I’m working on it, though … maybe I can relearn it someday. Let’s hope. I’m kinda useless without it.”

“That’s not what I’ve heard,” Jack’s grandfather said, patting his Story Book. “So what are your plans now?”

May shrugged. “I’d like to find out if my family—my
real
family—is still alive, or if there’s any hope of learning about where I come from. It’s not like I have anything left back home.”

“And your grandmother?”

May’s face clouded. “I don’t want to talk about her.”

The old man sighed. “I think we all hoped never to talk about her again. Unfortunately, it sounds as if we don’t have much choice. Rumor has it she’s retaken her throne, and her armies are mobilizing again.”

May glared at him, then stood up. “If that’s it …?”

“Actually, there were a couple more things,” the old man said, lighting up his pipe again. May waited with her arms crossed while he puffed a few times, then looked her in the eye. “First, my grandson’s operating under the delusion that he won’t be coming with you on the next journey.”

May’s right eyebrow shot up. “Is that a joke?” she asked. “Of
course
he’s coming. I need his help!”

“Sounds like you should go talk to him.”

“He’s such an idiot,” she said, and turned to walk out.

The old man’s eyes narrowed. “One more thing: The Queen
said that either Jack or Phillip would betray you, and the other would die. Do you think she was lying to you?”

May looked back at him for a moment in silence, then dropped her gaze to the floor.

“No, I don’t think so either,” Jack’s grandfather said sadly.

“So I guess this is good-bye,” Jack said, sticking his hand out to Phillip, who had been waiting with the horses and supplies Phillip’s mother had graciously given them upon their return.

The prince looked at his hand for a moment, then smiled, took it, and shook it roughly. “I apologize for challenging you to a duel before, Jack,” he said, “back beneath Malevolent’s castle.”

“That’s all right,” Jack replied. “I’ve wanted to punch you a bunch of times. We wouldn’t live long enough to apologize for them all.”

Phillip laughed. “Fairly put. Have you said your farewells to the princess?”

Jack shook his head. “I sent her in to calm my grandfather down first.”

“Apparently she has done so, as here she is now,” Phillip said, looking over Jack’s head. “I shall give the two of you a moment alone to say good-bye.”

“Right,” Jack said again, then turned to face May.

“Well,” the princess said as she walked up to him. “I’m not sure what to say.”

“Good-byes aren’t easy,” Jack said, holding his arms out for a hug.

She stopped and gave him an annoyed look. “No, I’m not sure what to say because there are only so many ways to call you stupid. You’re coming. And you know why?”

Jack sighed. “Why?”

May glared at him a moment longer, then stepped in and hugged him hard. “Because I need you to, okay?” she said. “Because together … we made a horrible mistake. Well, you mostly, but I helped. A little. And maybe together we can help fix it.
Help
me fix it, Jack, okay?”

May released him and stepped back, waiting for his answer. Jack’s heart began beating at a normal speed again, and he tried covering his deeply red face. “I, uh …,” he said smartly.

She rolled her eyes. “Okay, right. It’s just going to have to be the hard way, isn’t it.” She abruptly leaned forward and pushed Jack hard toward the horses.
“Get on your horse, Jack,”
she yelled. “We’re going, and you’re coming. That’s all there is to it.”

With that, she walked to her horse, mounted it, and rode over to wait beside Phillip.

It took a few minutes, but Jack eventually mounted up and made it over to the other two. Though May seemed satisfied, Phillip didn’t look particularly happy about his new traveling companion. “Jack,” he said, by way of greeting. “I didn’t realize you were coming.”

“Neither did I,” Jack said. “But the princess asked me nicely.”

“As if I could ask any other way,” May said, batting her eyes. “Everyone ready?”

“I am,” Phillip said.

“Apparently I am too,” Jack said, shaking his head.

“That’s what I like to hear,” May said. “Let’s go find out who I am, then.”

First, no matter how grumpy I got, my family always put up with me, so thank you to my parents, Michael and Nancy, and Sarah, Paul, Anjie, Shawn, and Thaphne. This book wouldn’t be here without your support. Kate, Will, and Jack, I hope you like it.

Thanks to Irene Kraas, my own agent of hope and change, without whom none of this would be possible. The same holds true for my editors at Aladdin, Liesa Abrams and Kate Angelella. The word “perfect” might get overused, but in this case it’s just what the doc ordered.

Cari DiMargo, Valaer Murray, Leah Kim, Emily Brown, and Kori Hill … your feedback kept the story exciting, never letting it turn into some boring, sleepy little tale.

Paul Nadjmabadi. Meghan Jolly. Angie Ottinger. Clay Dilks. Stacey Jackson. Laura Watson. Kim Millard. You all mean more than the world to me, and your support over the years has been so …
sorry, there must be some dust in the air or something: My eyes are watering. I’m surprised I’m not getting sneezy. There must be so much dust….

Maarten de Boer, not only did you keep me from jumping off the eleventh elevator, you shared your talent of photography and made me look good, which isn’t easy. You’re a true friend. Don’t get bashful, it’s all true.

Finally, most people probably haven’t heard of this guy, but I want to thank an artist from the last century by the name of Walt Disney. It’s easy to overlook the man for the company now, but the sheer imaginative power of Walt Disney was easily the single greatest creative influence on me as I grew up. I know, I know, that sounds kinda dopey, but it’s true.

Thank you so much to all of you. And yes, the dwarf thing made me way too happy.