The Council of Mirrors (8 page)

“Give it a second,” Bunny said. “They need to reboot.”

After a moment, the red handprints appeared in all the newly mended mirrors and just as quickly faded.

“Mirrors, I require your presence,” Bunny said sternly, and in the blink of an eye twenty-four different heads floated in twenty-four silver pools. Many looked as normal as any human being, but other guardians seemed more beastlike. One had a pointy nose as long as a yardstick, and another had eyes and lips as big as a trout. There were faces that were clearly human and a few that seemed as if they came from outer space. One was a huge iguana-like thing and another had the face of a beautiful woman
with the antlers of a deer. One had the eyes of a crocodile and a smile to match. Sabrina was happy to see that Reggie, Fanny, Titan, and Donovan were amongst them, but she was especially overjoyed to see a familiar face—Harry, who had been the guardian of Prince Charming’s mirror, the Hotel of Wonders.

“Hello, Mother,” they said with great respect.

“Please, stop calling me that. Arden, I come seeking a prophecy,” Bunny said.

“Ask what you will,” the antler-woman said, and her reflection rippled and shimmied. The other mirrors followed suit until each guardian was now barely visible behind their churning silver. Daphne slipped her hand into Sabrina’s and squeezed. After a long, unsettling moment, the mirrors stilled and each guardian’s eyes glowed with the power of a full moon.

“WE SEE ALL. EVERY DAY THAT HAS PASSED. EVERY DAY TO COME. THERE ARE A MYRIAD OF POSSIBILITIES. MANY PATHS THAT CAN BE TAKEN, MANY POSSIBLE OUTCOMES.”

“Mirrors, mirrors, our future is cursed. Tell me how to defeat the First,” the queen said.

“YOU CANNOT,” they replied as one.

“You are mistaken,” the witch said.

“THE FUTURE IS WOVEN LIKE A SPIDER’S WEB,
WITH MILLIONS OF STRANDS LEADING TOWARD THE CONFLICT YOU SEEK. IF YOU CHOOSE THIS QUEST FOR YOURSELF YOU WILL FAIL. IN ALL POSSIBLE FUTURES THE ONE YOU CALL MIRROR WILL DEFEAT YOU. HE WILL DESTROY WILHELM’S BARRIER. HE WILL UNLEASH HIS POWER ON MANKIND. NATIONS WILL KNEEL BEFORE HIM. MOTHER, YOU CANNOT STOP OUR BROTHER.”

“Nonsense!” the queen cried. “I created Mirror! I very well should be able to destroy him.”

“THE FUTURE SAYS OTHERWISE.”

Bunny shook her head. “Then you’re saying there is no hope.”

“NONE ALONG THIS PATH.”

The witch turned to the crowd. “I’m sorry. I was mistaken. My suggestion to you all is to run and hide. I wish you luck.”

Sabrina was stunned. The mirrors had to be wrong. She stepped forward so she blocked Bunny’s way. “You’re just going to give up?”

The Wicked Queen’s lip curled. “The mirrors don’t lie, child.”

“Well, then your mirrors are stupid,” Daphne said.

“This is all your fault,” Sabrina said. “You made Mirror, then abandoned him. You sold him like he was an old chair, and he wound up with owners that were twisted and cruel. It’s no
wonder he’s gone crazy and taken my grandmother. So, you fix this. You find a way!”

The Wicked Queen’s eyes were bright with anger. Sabrina could feel dark magic building in the air around her. Everyone was afraid of this woman, even her own daughter, and it appeared Sabrina was going to find out why.

“Mirrors, the child did not hear what you said,” Bunny said through clenched teeth.

“LISTEN TO OUR WORDS. THE QUEEN CAN DO NOTHING TO STOP THE FIRST.”

“Fine! Bunny can’t do it. But someone else might have a chance,” Sabrina argued.

“THE FATE OF THIS WORLD FALLS IN THE HANDS OF THE SISTERS.”

“Huh?” the witch said.

“The sisters?” Daphne asked.

“WE SEE MANY WHO WOULD STAND BEFORE THE FIRST: HEROES, WITCHES, FAIRY FOLK. BUT IN ALL THESE OUTCOMES ONLY TWO MEET YOUR GOAL SUCCESSFULLY, AND ONLY TOGETHER. IN ALL THE WORLD AND OTHER REALMS, THERE ARE ONLY TWO WHO CAN STOP MIRROR: SABRINA AND DAPHNE GRIMM.”

“What?” Sabrina cried.

“Um, I didn’t hear you say my name,” Puck said.

Henry and Veronica pushed to the front of the crowd. “This has to be a mistake,” Henry said.

“They’re just little girls,” Veronica added.

“YOUR CHILDREN HOLD THE KEYS TO THE FUTURE. EACH MUST USE HER OWN STRENGTHS, BUT WHEN THE TIME IS AT HAND IT IS THEIR BOND THAT DEFEATS THE FIRST.”

“Wait! What strengths?” Sabrina cried.

“DAPHNE CREATES THE COVEN,” the mirrors said. “A CRONE, A TEMPTRESS, AN INNOCENT THREE.”

“What’s a coven?” Daphne asked.

“Shhh!” Bunny snapped.

“SABRINA LEADS THE ARMY INTO BATTLE,” the mirrors continued.

“I’m twelve years old!” Sabrina said. “I can’t lead an army.”

“ACT IN HASTE. THE FIRST IS COMING FOR YOU. BLOOD WILL SPILL. HEARTBREAK WILL COME. BUT THE SISTERS ARE YOUR ONLY HOPE.”

“But how do we do it?” Daphne said. “We need details, people!”

“THE STRANDS ARE COMPLEX AND UNEXPLAINABLE.
THE TWO OF YOU WILL SAVE THE WORLD, BUT MANY THINGS WILL HAPPEN OUTSIDE OF YOUR CONTROL TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE. NOTHING WE CAN SHARE WILL LEAD YOU TO SUCCESS. BUILD YOUR COVEN. WAGE YOUR WAR.”

Then the mirrors shimmered again and returned to normal, with the guardians in their places. Each looked tired and disoriented, but the faces that concerned Sabrina the most were those of Charming’s army. They looked at her and Daphne with fear and shock.

“We’re going to save the world,” Daphne said, raising her hand to her sister so she could deliver a high five. Sabrina, however, stood dumbfounded, unable to speak.

Puck laughed. “We are so screwed.”

he commotion in the mirror room made it hard to think. People were shouting and arguing, and the crowd was entirely too close. Sabrina suddenly felt wobbly and short of breath.

“Wait, what?” Sabrina said. Never in her life had she felt so off-kilter. Had she really heard the mirror’s prophecy correctly? Was she really essential to saving her grandmother and the world, too? She wanted to shout that they were wrong. She wanted to know if they were joking—or, worse, insane.

And then her father was there, taking her by the arm and pulling her out of the room, out of the loud, hot chaos. Her mother followed with Daphne and Basil in tow, and soon they were through the portal door and marching across the courtyard.

“Head for the train station and get on the next one to Grand
Central,” Henry said. “I have to stay and rescue my mother, but I’ll meet you there as soon as I can.”

“Henry, we should stay together,” Veronica said.

“Dad—”

“This isn’t up for discussion, Daphne,” Henry barked. “I should have sent you away the second I had a chance. I won’t make that mistake again.”

“But you heard them, Dad. If we don’t stop Mirror, he will take over the world. That’s like really bad,” Daphne said.

“The world will have to worry about itself.”

Daphne wouldn’t let it go. “Mom, can you—”

“Henry, I think Daphne has a point,” Veronica said.

Sabrina only caught snippets of the conversation around her. Her mind was back in the room, watching the Wicked Queen’s face as the mirrors predicted the future. Like the others, she’d been shocked, but there was something else in her eyes—acceptance of what the mirrors were saying and even—hope? Sabrina couldn’t be sure, but it didn’t matter now. None of it mattered. Mirror was going to have his way. Soon, her world would go through another upheaval. She needed to prepare for a life on the run.

They were almost to the drawbridge when the Wicked Queen came charging after them. “You can’t leave.”

Henry turned on her. “Watch us.”

“The girls are the keys to everything, Henry,” she said.

“Your mirrors are busted,” Henry said.

“I know all there is to know about wanting to save a child from tragedy and danger. But this is their destiny. The Council of Mirrors sees all possibilities and they have led us on our only path. I don’t like it any more than you do, but if they don’t carry this burden, then we will all suffer. Running is futile, Henry. When Mirror breaks through that barrier, he will unleash massive power on a world that believes magic only exists in children’s books. Their guns and bombs will be useless against him. Every person on this planet will suffer at his hand and he will hunt his enemies down one by one. There will be nowhere you can hide, and instead of standing up and fighting when you had the chance, you will doom us all. Do you understand me? Forget the world, Henry. Be practical. Think of your daughters first. The only way to save them is to let them fulfill their destiny.”

“No one can know that!” Henry cried.

Bunny snatched his arm before he could step away. “I wouldn’t be talking to you if that were true.”

Henry pulled away as if the queen’s hand were the jaws of a venomous serpent and continued for the gate.

“What about our stuff?” Daphne asked as they stormed past log cabins and half-built ramparts.

“We’ll buy new things in New York City,” Henry said.

“What is going on?” Red cried as she rushed to catch up with the family.

Suddenly, Puck dropped down from the sky and blocked their way.

“I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Ignore him,” Henry muttered.

“I guess you folks are chicken,” Puck said, spinning on his heels and morphing into a red rooster. He squawked obnoxiously and pecked at Henry’s shoes. “Forget saving the world. Are you really going to just give up on the old lady? After all that she’s done for you? The cooking, the cleaning, the bedtime stories, how she hosed you down at night.”

“She didn’t hose us down at night,” Sabrina said. “Just you.”

“And I’m not giving up. I’m getting my family to safety and then helping Mom,” Henry said.

The rooster spun around and Puck returned to normal. “The old lady would never run. Are you sure you’re actually related to her? I’d like to see some paperwork.”

“I have to protect my family.”

“If Sabrina and Daphne leave, no one will be safe,” Puck said.

But Henry ignored him and continued to march the family toward the stronghold’s iron gate despite the small crowd encircling them.

“You can’t just walk away!” Puck shouted.

“What do you want me to do? Let my kids die?”

“Your kids did just fine while you and Veronica were sound asleep,” Beauty said.

“Henry, let’s just stop and talk about this,” Veronica said.

“Now you want to argue with me, too?” he said, turning to face his wife.

Mr. Canis hobbled forward. “They will have all of us at their side.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t put my faith in an army of children, talking animals, and the elderly,” Henry said. He led his family across the fallen drawbridge and into the woods, leaving the castle and their friends behind. As the girls glanced back, the castle magically disappeared from view.

Henry marched with determination, seemingly undeterred by the lack of a path. The girls and their mother, carrying Basil, did their best to keep up with him. Puck followed from the air.

“Once you get into Grand Central,” Henry said, “head for Brooklyn. Dana and Steven will take you in.”

“Henry, they probably think we’re dead after all the time we’ve
been missing, and what are we supposed to do for money? Do you have any for train tickets?”

Henry sighed but his pace didn’t slow. “Yeah, money. I’ve got ten dollars in my wallet. I’m sure our credit cards have been canceled. Just get on the train. They may kick you off, but not before you’re out of the town. Once you’re on the other side of the barrier you’ll be safe. Call your sister in Australia.”

“Henry, I haven’t spoken to her in a decade,” Veronica said.

“Tell her we’ll pay her back whatever she can lend. Our money is still in the bank . . . somewhere.”

Veronica threw up her hands in exasperation but still urged the girls forward. Sabrina stared back at Puck from over her shoulder. He looked defeated and confused, and then it hit her. She would never see him again. He was trapped in Ferryport Landing like all the rest of the Everafters. He would never be able to follow her to the city. This was it.

“The train station is a disaster,” Puck shouted just before he disappeared from Sabrina’s sight. “When we were spying on the old lady, I flew overhead. The Scarlet Hand ripped up the tracks.”