by Liz Dejesus
“And Terrance, you’re a nice boy, so I’m not worried about you. Your job is simple. Keep her safe and bring her back home to me in one piece.”
Terrance nodded and said, “I will guard her with my life.”
Rose’s eyes watered and she took a shaky breath. “I know. I know you will take good care of her.”
Rose turned her attention to her daughter. Bianca could see the worry swimming in her mother’s eyes. She understood Rose’s concern. She also knew what it meant for her to let her go. Everafter wasn’t exactly Disney World. In Everafter, fairies could kill you. Some witches were evil. The bad guys outnumbered the good guys. Magic was very, very real. Things could go wrong at the drop of a hat. At any given moment, the most unexpected thing could happen. Would this be the one time that the Universe would give them a well-deserved break? She’d have to ask her Magic 8 Ball later.
Bianca wanted to ask why Rose had finally said “yes,” but she figured it was a stupid question. The only thing she could surmise was that if she was able to rescue Rose from the evil witch, Lenore, and find her father, she could spend a couple of weeks with her very polite Victorian-esque boyfriend. Plus, her mother still didn’t know about the Queen’s odd request.
Bianca glanced over at Terrance. He gave her a playful wink, and her cheeks grew warm. She knew without a doubt that she was blushing profusely. Hopefully her parents hadn’t noticed.
Hmmm, can’t wait to make out with him. A lot.
Her grin vanished as a thought entered her mind and her heart fell to her stomach. She had the sneaking suspicion that everything would inevitably go wrong.
Why am I doing this to myself? Why would I think that anything bad is going to happen on this trip? I’m just over-thinking this. Everything is going to be okay. I can handle it. I kicked Lenore’s butt and brought Daddy back. I’ll be fine. It’ll all be okay.
“Go pack your things before I change my mind,” her mother said on a sigh.
Bianca clapped her hands and raced up the steps. She closed the door behind her and let out a breath of air she didn’t know she was holding.
She ran through her room like a miniature tornado and threw anything and everything she could get her hands on into her trusty black backpack. She remembered to pack her glasses, even though she hated them. She finally came to a complete stop and chewed on her bottom lip as she glanced at her night table. On her last visit to Everafter, she had taken several items from the family museum where she worked. Rapunzel’s braided hair, a brick that had once belonged to the Third Little Pig, Mirabel’s little hand mirror, Red Riding Hood’s cape, the Red Dancing Shoes, and a red pouch filled with a mixture of herbs. Eyebright, mallow, mugwort, Saint-John’s-wort, self-heal, speedwell, vervain, wormwood, and yarrow. It was supposed to enhance her natural abilities and shield her from black magic. Old Woman of The True Bride fame had helped her make it during her first visit to Everafter.
Bianca took that pouch and put it in her jean pocket. She had purposely forgotten to take a few important items back to the museum. Lucky for her, her mother had been so busy taking care of her newly returned father that she hadn’t bothered to ask Bianca if she returned them to their display cases at the Museum of Magical and Rare Artifacts. Some of the items were a no-brainer; they had to return to the museum, no questions asked. Rose had washed Rapunzel’s hair by hand, braided it, and carefully placed it inside the Plexiglas case.
She opened the top drawer of her night table and pondered the maroon-colored brick and the blood-red cape. Of course, they weren’t at all what they seemed. The brick was able to turn into a small yet indestructible cottage by chanting a simple spell. The blood-red cape showed its wearer the safest way to their destination. She didn’t know what it was about them, but she liked having them close by. The way a child loved a security blanket.
It’s the magic. Maybe that’s what makes me feel safe.
The red dancing shoes had a much more sinister tale to tell, and Bianca had no problem putting those shoes back in the Wicked Wing where they belonged. They gave her the creeps. Once upon a time, a young girl fell in love with the shoes, and when she put them on, she could not take them off, no matter what she did. She ended up having to cut off her feet in order to be free of them. And even after she did, the shoes continued to dance. Every once in a while, the shoes would twitch, as though aching for another round of mischief.
The little hand mirror that once belonged to Snow White’s evil stepmother, Queen Mirabel, was in what Bianca could only describe as Heaven. Of course, she couldn’t forget the fact that Lenore was trapped inside the mirror. Bianca could still see the look of horror on the witch’s face when it dawned on her that Bianca had every intention of leaving her inside the mirror. She shuddered at the memory, but she’d only been able to do that because Snow White was right beside her in spirit to give her natural abilities an extra boost. She had asked Rose how Mirabel managed to trap Snow White.
“Now,” Rose began, “I’m only guessing here, but from what I’ve read in the old diaries, they have a theory about what happens when you die. Apparently, the soul leaves your body, and it can be easy to get confused. You don’t know which way to go. You’re still not sure if you’re really dead. My theory is that Mirabel led her to the apple orchard, the one you saw in your dream, just as Snow White took her last breath. I think Snow White sat down, practiced her magic as a spirit, and waited until the time came to finally defeat Mirabel once and for all.”
“That’s crazy,” Bianca replied.
“She probably didn’t think she’d be stuck there as long as she was.”
“She looked completely shocked when I told her I was her great-great-great granddaughter.”
“I would be, too.”
“At least she’s free now.”
“Yeah…” Rose said with a smile.
Bianca decided to take some of the items with her…just in case. She picked up the red brick. She didn’t understand why it felt warm in her hands. It was almost as if it had spent the entire day lying out in the sun instead of hiding inside a cool, dark drawer. The same could be said of Red Riding Hood’s cape. Was it the magic inside of these items that made them warm? Were they somehow alive? She gently ran her fingers along the worn-looking brick as she wondered about the root of its existence.
She turned her attention to the red cape. Terrance’s grandfather Magnus, aka the Big Bad Wolf, said that he could still smell Red Riding Hood’s essence in the cape. She wondered for a moment how it was even possible. Bianca shook her head and let go of the thoughts running rampant in her mind. She needed to finish packing. She could discuss magical theory with her mother later. At the moment, all she wanted to do was leave with Terrance and Ming to Everafter.
She quickly stuffed the items in her backpack and ran back downstairs to where her parents were still in the living room with Terrance. He was peering into the telephone, and her father was patiently explaining how it worked.
“And I will be able to have a conversation with you from anywhere in the world?” Terrance asked.
“That’s right,” David replied.
“Incredible. And it will sound clear, as if we were standing next to each other?”
“Correct.”
“Amazing.” Terrance shook his head and then carefully placed the telephone back in its cradle.
She watched him for several moments in silence, happy that no one had noticed her yet. She couldn’t believe that she was actually going to spend time alone with him. He turned around, almost as if he could feel her staring at him. He gave her a warm smile and asked if she was ready. She nodded and grabbed her backpack. He reached his hand out to her, and she gladly accepted it.
A knock sounded at the front door. David adjusted his glasses and hurried to answer it. Bianca noticed the crow’s feet in the corners of her father’s eyes. His once-black hair was now peppered with gray, especially on his sideburns. Ten years. She still couldn’t get over the fact that he was finally hom
e.
David opened the door. It was Ming.
“Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Frost. Hi, guys,” She waved her hand excitedly. Her jet-black hair was styled in a perfect bun. Her almond-shaped, brown eyes twinkled with mischief as she studied the room. She gave Bianca a quick hug and then pinched her arm. Mischief achieved.
“Hi, Ming. Thanks again for coming along,” Bianca said as she rubbed the sore spot in her arm.
“Hello,” Terrance said.
“Hi, Terrance. Next time you decide to kidnap my friend, try to do it without asking for her parents’ permission,” Ming replied.
He chuckled in response. “I’ll try to remember that.”
“What did you tell your mother?” Rose asked.
“I told her we were going to Disney World.”
“Really?”
“What was I supposed to tell her? That I’m going to the Bermuda Triangle? Timbuktu? Opposite World? You’re lucky my mom trusts me. Can’t really make your grandma drop dead again.”
Bianca chuckled. It was as good a lie as any; she almost felt sorry for Mrs. Lee. Almost. That was the excuse they’d used the first time they ventured into Everafter. And they were lucky that Mrs. Lee trusted Bianca and her family. For as long as they could remember, Rose and Mrs. Lee had let them stay at each other’s homes.
Rose took a deep breath. She promised to call Mrs. Lee and cover for them.
Bianca looked at her mother. She understood her concerns, but at that moment, her safety was the last thing on her mind. She was going to throw caution to the wind. Safety be damned.
Rose sighed and wrapped her daughter in a warm embrace.
“Be safe and come home at the first sign of trouble,” Rose whispered.
“Okay.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
Only after Bianca said those words was Rose able to let her go. She gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead and took a step back.
Bianca turned to her father and said goodbye to him. He too made her promise to come back home at the first sign of trouble and kissed her several times on the cheek before finally releasing her from his tight embrace. She felt bad that she was leaving her father so soon after they found each other. But a part of her wanted Rose and David to spend some time alone together without having to tiptoe around her. This would be the perfect opportunity for them to get reacquainted. Almost like a second honeymoon.
Terrance shook hands with her parents and stood beside Bianca. He was unable to hide the joy in his face.
“How are we supposed to stay in touch while you’re gone?” Rose asked.
“If you miss me too much, which I doubt you will, just come and see me. You know which spell you have to use,” Bianca replied.
“True. Anyway, remember, just be careful, okay?”
“I will.”
“Bye, Mr. and Mrs. Frost. Please keep an eye on my mom. She gets lonely,” Ming said and gave them a little wave.
Bianca reached for Terrance’s hand and interlaced her fingers with his. She didn’t know whose fingers belonged to whom. She closed her eyes and chanted the spell that she had memorized several weeks ago.
“Find the shortest distance between
This place and the faeries’ green.
A place for weird-less days and weary nights,
Put this door within my sight.”
A very pale hand clutching a silver knife cut through space and time. The door that appeared was translucent, almost ghost like, except that the frame and the doorknob were highlighted with blue-white light. The ghost-like door hovered a few inches above the ground, waiting patiently to be opened.
Bianca thought about the promises she made to her parents. Return at the first sign of trouble. Simple enough…right? She had the sneaking suspicion that the queen’s request would lead her directly into danger.
For the first time in her life…she didn’t care.
Bianca, Terrance, and Ming walked through the door and didn’t look back.
Two
The last time Bianca and Ming were in Everafter, they’d crash landed in the middle of the forest. This time, the landing was much, much smoother. And instead of forest, the view before Bianca was breathtaking. The castle stood at the top of a large hill. A moat surrounded the massive building, its water shimmering in the sunlight. It called to her, inviting her to swim. The square towers and high walls looked imposing; this was a place built to keep enemies out. A safe haven for the villagers to live in peace, without having to worry about who or what may come knocking in the middle of the night.
“Wow,” Ming said.
“Remarkable, isn’t it?” Terrance said.
It’s like a fairy tale.
“You live there?” Bianca pointed to the castle.
“I do,” he said with a grin.
“Are you sure?”
Terrance chuckled. “I am positively sure.”
“So, do we go there? Are we allowed inside, or do you have to sneak us in?”
“You’re allowed to stay. We will have to go through some hidden corridors, but you do have the king and queen’s permissions to reside in the castle.”
“Hey, where’s Prince Ferdinand? Why didn’t he come with you?” Ming asked.
“He wasn’t allowed to leave the castle. He has other things to attend to at this particular moment,” Terrance explained.
“Bummer,” Ming said.
“No worries. You will see him tomorrow morning. Come. We should go. It’s quite a walk from here.”
Bianca picked up her backpack and started toward the castle. Terrance insisted on carrying it and Ming’s suitcase for them.
“So, what should I expect?” Bianca asked as she surrendered her backpack to him.
“You must be introduced to King Harold and Queen Felicia. You have to curtsy, and you are to address them as Your Majesty. They are well aware of who you are and what you are capable of. And Bianca, the queen may wish to speak to you in private, although I’m not certain when that will happen. All I know is that I am to bring you both to them as soon as possible.”
“So why the whole sneaking in thing?” Bianca asked.
“Because the queen insisted on keeping your presence here a secret.” He eyed Bianca, then Ming. “And…also, your clothing is inappropriate and will cause quite a stir.”
“Really?” Bianca looked down at herself and inspected her outfit. She wore a dark plum short-sleeve T-shirt, indigo-blue skinny jeans, and black boots. Ming had on a pair of light blue boot-cut jeans, a white tank top, and pink high-top sneakers. When Bianca thought about what the other girls in her school wore every day, she was certain that if she walked into the throne room wearing a mini skirt and a tube top, she would be arrested for indecent exposure.
“Yes. Women in Everafter do not wear trousers,” he explained.
“They do where we come from,” she muttered.
“Yes, I’m quite aware of that. But if the villagers find out who you are, they will follow you everywhere and ask for favors that you may or may not be able to grant.”
“Privacy sounds good to me.” She could only imagine what sort of fancy dresses they would make her wear in the castle. She looked at Terrance’s Victorian-style clothing. The women probably wore hoop skirts and other extremely uncomfortable things. She shuddered at the thought of her ribs being crushed by a corset.
She gasped all of a sudden. “Oh God. Do I have to wear a corset?”
Terrance took a sharp intake of breath. Bianca could tell that she wasn’t going to like the answer to her question.
He shrugged his shoulders and hesitated briefly before answering. “I’m afraid so.”
“Seriously?” Ming asked.
“He sounds serious,” Bianca said.
Ming let out a heavy sigh. “The things I do for you, B.”
“I know, Ming. I promise to make it up to you.” She turned her attention back to Terrance. “Fine, we’ll wear corsets and all the frou-frou clothes we need
in order to blend in with everyone else. But the second we’re away from the village, we’re going to change into our regular clothes.”
“Understood.”
Bianca studied her surroundings as they walked toward the castle. They were encircled by majestic mountains. It was almost as though they were trying to touch Heaven.
The grass beneath her feet was a cheerful, bright green. Tiny blue-violet wild flowers were scattered throughout the field. The sky above her was a brilliant blue, and each cloud was perfectly white.
“This place shouldn’t exist,” she whispered.
“What was that?” Terrance asked.
She smirked. He was obviously trying to be polite. Thanks to the wolf blood that ran through his veins, all of his senses were heightened. Bianca was pretty sure he could hear her heart beat.
“I said, this place shouldn’t exist. It’s too perfect.” She shook her head and tried not to think too much about where she was, of the dangers that lay in this beautiful and strange land. Witches were evil. Fairies weren’t sweet. The Big Bad Wolf was alive and well. And magic was very, very real.
Terrance plucked a cornflower off the ground and spun it a few times between his thumb and index finger. He tucked the flower behind her ear and rested his warm hands on her shoulders.
“Everafter is in fact real…as am I.”
She gave Terrance a chaste kiss on the lips, and together, they all continued their journey toward the castle.
It took them a while and they had to dodge some of the villagers, but they reached the castle walls without being noticed. Terrance looked around to make certain that they were not being followed, then pushed a series of boulders into the wall. Within moments, the stones moved aside, revealing a secret entrance to the castle.
“Whoa,” Ming whispered.
“Watch your head,” Terrance warned.
Once they were safely inside, Terrance pushed the door closed behind them. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of rocks.
“What are you doing?” Ming asked.
“Using flints to start a fire.”
“Flints?” Ming echoed, obviously confused.
“Observe.” Terrance then struck the two rocks together next to the torch on the wall. When Bianca saw the spark it ignited, she took a step back. Before she knew it, the torch resting on the sconce caught fire, lighting the little room they were in.