The Council of Mirrors (24 page)

“You’ll never find her,” Beast said.

“You’re wrong about that,” Sabrina said. “The mirrors will show us.”

The Beast growled “Beauty, why won’t you be reasonable? These people you have befriended have brought us nothing but misery. What happened to the woman who would do anything for our freedom?”

“That woman realized that she was also someone’s mother,” Beauty said. “One of us has to teach her right from wrong.”

The Beast snarled. “So you’re finished with me, then?”

“I will never be finished with you, James. I’m always going to love you, but right now you don’t deserve me.”

Beauty walked with Beast as he was taken into the Hall of Mirrors and locked inside his room. She herself turned the key, then looked through the barred window at her husband. “Figure out how to be the man I loved,” she said to him.

In the morning, they set up a new camp and found another twenty-five prisoners to lock safely away. These villains suffered through animal bites, toxic waste, angry bruises, and a few depantsings. In between runs to check on traps, Sabrina and Daphne went to the mirror room to give the guardians an update.

“At this rate we’ll have every bad guy under lock and key in no time at all,” Daphne told the mirrors.

“You should be very proud of yourselves,” the strange beaver guardian commended. His name was Shi’arsted. Sabrina was slowly learning everyone’s names during her daily visits to check the maps for new campsites.

“Thank you,” Sabrina said. “Unfortunately, our two biggest targets are still out there.”

“I don’t think you’ll see Atticus and the First in these woods,” Titan said. “They are too smart to fight you on your turf. You’re going to have to go to them.”

Sabrina nodded, feeling deflated. “I know. I can feel that battle coming at me like a train. I want to get off the tracks, but I can’t. We just don’t have a clue what to do when it happens. I was hoping you might have some ideas.”

“Between Atticus and the First, your best bet is the First. He is locked inside the feeble body of an old woman. If you kill her, you kill him,” one of the mirrors said.

“Shut your mouth!” Fanny cried. “That old woman is the kids’ grandmother.”

“I’m only speaking logically,” the mirror said defensively.

“As long as Atticus wears his armor he’s going to be unstoppable. No mortal man can kill him. You’ve got to find a way to get it off of him,” Titan said.

Suddenly, the mirrors began to shake, and the guardian’s
reflections turned into rough seas. A terrible electrical storm sparked out of each one, which made Sabrina take a step back—but the mirrors surrounded her.

“What’s happening?” Daphne cried.

“Run!” Harry cried.

“He’s coming, Sabrina!” Fanny warned.

And then, every face vanished, replaced by the mocking horror of Granny Relda and the monster that controlled her. Her wild face and eyes stared at the girls with a smile both dark and diabolical.

“Hello, Daphne, Sabrina,” Mirror said.

“What are you doing here?” Daphne said.

“Funny little side effect of once being a mirror is that if I exert enough energy, I can overhear everything you say.”

“You’ve heard what we’ve been planning all along,” Sabrina said.

“Since the start.”

Daphne gasped, and Sabrina’s hands shook with anger. “Then why did you let your thugs get trapped? Why didn’t you warn them about the traps out here in the woods?”

Mirror chuckled. “Well, one, they were starting to get in the way. Two, more than a few of them are pretty smelly. I could get them to burn the town to the ground, but a little body wash was out of the question. And three, I don’t need them any longer to get what I want. It’s just me versus two little girls.”

Sabrina was shocked.

“Yeah, I heard the prophecy too,” he continued. “Wish it didn’t have to be like that, Starfish. I . . . well, I have a soft spot for you girls.”

“If you care so much, why don’t you leave our grandmother’s body,” Daphne said.

“Trust me,” Mirror said. “I wish I could. She’s old and tired. It’s exhausting being in such a feeble person. But all this trouble can go away in an instant. Just give me the spell that lowers the barrier. I know you have it. If you do, I promise I’ll surrender this body and then you can have your dear granny back—sound fair?”

“I can’t let you out, Mirror,” Sabrina said, mustering every bit of bravado she could.

“That’s how it’s going to be? That makes me sad.” Mirror frowned. “Well, Starfish, you’ve forced my hand. If you won’t give me the spell, I’m going to have to make you give it to me.”

Then the surface of each mirror began to bubble and churn. Lightning exploded out of the silver surfaces like before, but this time much more violently. Sabrina grabbed Daphne’s hand and backed away, but a bolt of energy blasted near her feet, knocking
both girls to the floor. As Sabrina tried to stand she saw long, jagged cracks splintering through the reflections. Soon they multiplied, intertwining like the crayon drawings of a toddler. And then all twenty-four of the guardians reappeared, their faces caught in frozen fear as they joined together in a chorus of pain.

“Don’t give up, girls. The First can be defeated,” Donovan shouted.

They exploded. The broken shards of mirror ricocheted across the room. Sabrina shielded Daphne with her body while also trying to cover her face as best she could. But the pieces still ripped into her arms and legs and back. Each one felt like a tiny razor slicing across her skin followed by the sting of a red-hot brand.

When it was over, she got to her feet and helped Daphne up. Though her sister was sobbing, she appeared uninjured. However, drops of blood fell from Sabrina’s body and rained down onto the silver shards beneath her feet. There was one large chunk sticking out of her arm, and when she tried to pull it out, it melted and seeped into her skin.

Daphne hugged her tightly. Sabrina trembled until she could no longer hold back her tears. And she stood, crying and bleeding, and doing her best not to give in to the ease of losing her mind. She shook herself, then she and Daphne raced out of the
room and through the portal, plowing through the woods as screams filled the air. But where was her army?

“Sabrina, your arm!” Daphne said, staring at the bleeding line.

“Forget it. We’ve got to find Mom and Dad,” Sabrina said. “Uncle Jake! Mom! Dad!” No one answered. Where was her family? Were they wounded? She started to panic. “Puck!” There was an odd tightening in her chest, and her skin broke out in a sweat. She used to get the same out-of-control feeling when she was around magic, but she forced herself to concentrate. Her army needed her.

She and Daphne ran through the camp, which was deserted and on fire. Footprints led them up a hill and down a steep embankment, but still they found no signs of life. In the distance she could hear more screaming, and when she looked to the ground—blood! They followed its trail through a patch of trees until they were face-to-face with Atticus. Next to him were two enormous trolls, standing nearly eight feet tall and packed tight with muscles. They were terrifying creatures, but not nearly as fearsome as Atticus’s smile.

“So you are the little ones causing all the trouble,” Atticus said. He raised his sword and slashed at them. They managed to leap out of the way just in time, but Sabrina stumbled on a stone and fell. While she scampered to her feet, Atticus stalked her. “You
know, whatever that is in your grandmother isn’t happy. You should hear it screaming and shouting. It even rambles on when the body is asleep.”

“Sorry for the inconvenience, but it wasn’t my idea for Mirror to steal my grandmother’s body.”

Atticus laughed, then turned to the trolls. “Get to work, boys. We don’t have all day.”

The trolls grunted and lumbered into the woods, sending a flock of frightened crows flying into the sky.

Facing Atticus without his monsters didn’t make Sabrina feel any less confident. She found a long branch and scooped it up, remembering what Snow had taught her about the bo-staff. This one was similar in weight and length. She spun it around with all her strength, then hit Atticus in the side of the head.

He fell over cursing and shouting threats, then staggered onto his knees, and Sabrina hit him over the back of the neck.

“I thought this suit of armor made him indefensible,” Sabrina said.

“Maybe that only counts for parts that the suit covers,” Daphne said.

Sabrina brought the branch high over her head and aimed it at the villain’s skull for a second blow, but as it came down he caught it in his hand. Wrenching it from her grasp, he leaped
to his feet and with a ferocity and anger she did not expect, he kicked her hard in the belly. She slammed back against a tree, and was pinned there by the heel of his boot.

“Let her go,” Daphne said. Sabrina turned her head to see the little girl standing next to the tree. Elvis stood by her side, growling.

Atticus laughed. “Shoo, fly.”

Daphne reached into her pocket and took out the fairy godmother wand. She shook it in her hand and with a flick, sent a blast of magic at the man. Both she and Atticus were enveloped in purple smoke.

“What are you doing?” Sabrina shouted to her sister.

“Changing his outfit. If we get him out of that armor, we can beat him,” Daphne cried through the fog, but when it drifted away, Atticus was still wearing his magical armor. He looked down and laughed.

“Child, you amuse me. After I gut your sister, you will be next and for a laugh I will make it quick,” he said.

“Hmmm, I suppose I need to go with plan B,” Daphne said.

Elvis leaped forward and chomped down on Atticus’s groin, where he had no armor to protect him. He fell over into the leaves, moaning. While he lay there, Daphne snatched Sabrina’s hand and they, along with Elvis, ran.

Once beyond the clearing, they darted into the woods shouting for their mother and father, but they heard nothing in response. Eventually, they stumbled upon Puck, who looked as panicked as they had ever seen him.

Puck raced into the clearing. “Come quick! It’s Gepetto.”

The girls followed him into the woods. They found Pinocchio leaning over his father. The old man wasn’t breathing. He had a ragged wound on his chest, probably created by Atticus’s sword. His face was calm and his eyes closed. Pinocchio held his hand and wept.

“Papa?” he cried, as if the old man were merely sleeping. “Papa, please be OK.”

But he wasn’t.

ctober 23

It seems as if every time I open this journal I have to write down another death. I hate these pages. I hate this pen. This is not supposed to be a record of the people who have died because of me. I want to throw this book into the woods, maybe bury it deep in the ground where no one will ever find it, but I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I have to help dig graves
.

The Frog Princess (who I’m told was really named Sharlene), Sir Lancelot, Friar Tuck, and Gepetto were all killed fighting Atticus and his trolls. Poor Pinocchio. He blames himself. He says he was the one who opened the Book of Everafter and set Atticus free. Uncle Jake has tried to console him, but hasn’t had much luck
.