London Harmony: The Pike (17 page)

The others straightened a little.  I chuckled.  They were like a bunch of kids.  They enjoyed me reading them the journals that the Grimm Brothers had accidentally left behind the last time we saw them.

They were the stories of the Avatars of days gone past in their own words.  They were always fascinating, and all had information that we have been able to use in our fight against the Trickster.  I glanced at Raz and Eve fondly.  They were also what had given us two more family members.

I sighed in mock resignation and pulled out the thick leather satchel that I sort of view as mine now, and I thumbed through the leather-bound journals as I sat on the bed, Ella-Marie behind me, running her fingers through my hair and acting as my pillow.  I looked up at Rapunzel then back at Ella, “Goldilocks perhaps?”

Raz shut off my cell and turned to me, and the others found comfortable places to sit and gave me their full attention in the overcrowded room.

I pulled out the ancient book and opened the creaking leather cover to the parchment pages bound into it.  Faded, rusted brown ink colored the pages in a elegant loopy script.  It was in old English like the brothers Grimm insisted all of the Avatars use, but I had lots of experience reading that now and substituting the proper words.

I looked around the silent room then back down at the book, grinning, and started the way I always did, being surrounded by all of these fairytale princesses like I was, “Once upon a time...”