Switched

by Jen Calonita

  “I think she’s having some sort of breakthrough,” Kayla tells me. “I need to get my sisters and Professor Harlow. Can you stay with her?”

  “Of course.” I lean down by Kayla’s mom. Her pointy, pale ears are turning a vibrant shade of pink. Her normally amber eyes are muddy black as if she’s been possessed. “Angelina?” I try. “You’re okay. Kayla is getting your other daughters.” She keeps mumbling. “And Professor Harlow. Remember the Evil Queen?” She stops and looks at me. “The book is gone. You don’t have to ever see it again.”

  Angelina grabs my wrists hard. “That book is mine. I wrote it!” Any trace of kindness on her face is gone, replaced with something much darker. “It will always follow me because it holds the truth about him, and I’m the fairy tasked with recording it. He can’t know it’s here. Where did you find it?”

  “He?” I’m confused. It dawns on me. “Do you mean Rumpelstiltskin?”

  “Don’t say his name!” She presses harder, and it hurts. “Where did you find that book?”

  “It was in the library,” I say, wincing.

  “Impossible!” Angelina’s face is racked with pain. “Where did you get it? I haven’t seen it since before he cursed me. How did you open it?”

  “Open it? It’s a book,” I remind her as she yanks harder, leaving nail marks on my skin.

  “That book can only be opened by fairies! It would never be in a reform school library, unless”—her face softens slightly—“someone brought it here to be opened. Who gave it to you?”

  “It just appeared!” I insist.

  She lets go of my wrists. “And it let you see what I had written, like it once did for Alva?” I nod, and her face darkens again. “Alva was evil. Are you?”

  “No! I’m not!” My voice is sure and clear. “I’m on the good side.” I move backward to avoid her grasp.

  She studies me closely. “I see. Then how…” She looks upward. “Why would the book trust you? It’s never trusted anyone but me and Alva before. And him. He took it from me with her help.” Her breathing comes faster now again. “Maybe he knows he needs me to finish his story and tell him how it ends.”

  She’s not making any sense. I grab a cloth from the stove handle and dab her sweaty forehead. “You say you wrote his villain story?” I’m afraid to say his name in her presence.

  “Don’t you understand, child?” Angelina closes her eyes as if the memory is too much to bear. “Villain stories are written by fairies that foresee potential futures. The future is a hard thing to predict, but my family has been blessed—or cursed—with the gift to view glimpses.” She opens her eyes. “He knew I had that gift, so he nurtured it, and I fell for his promises, like many had before. I could see his future, and I foolishly told him what I saw. I wrote it all down in that book!” Her voice grows angry again.

  “And then when something I wrote down made him upset, he trapped me in the same wood as those book pages, deep in the fairy forest. He wanted no one to see that book or its theories, so he hid me away, kidnapping Kayla and making her work with Gottie for my girls’ and my freedom. But now I’m back, and so is that book.” Her lower lip trembles. “If he knows the book is here, he may already be too. He wants to know the ending. And if he doesn’t like it, he’ll expect me to change it.” She closes her eyes. “He never understood it doesn’t work that way.”

  If he were here, we’d know, wouldn’t we? I need to keep her calm till help arrives.

  “The book must have sensed Kayla’s presence, which is why it opened,” I realize. “It only read us one paragraph, and we didn’t understand a word of it. Something about him and Alva?” Angelina’s eyes flutter closed again. “It said they make music together, which seems pretty far-fetched. His speaking voice is dreadful. There is no way he can carry a tune.”

  A look of recognition comes over Angelina’s face just as Professor Harlow bursts through the door with her wand illuminated. Kayla, Jocelyn, Emma Rose, and Brooke Lynn are right behind her. Headmistress Flora is last, her ears pointy and bright green. A mass shrinking spell seems to have many ramifications.

  “I remember,” Angelina tells the room. “I remember everything.” The room is silent, giving her room to process what she’s actually saying. “I was the one tasked with writing Rumpelstiltskin’s villain book. When he liked my predictions, he was happy. But when he wasn’t pleased with the direction of things, he got angry. I came to a part in the book that was frightening, and I didn’t want to keep going.”

  Kayla reaches for her mother’s hand.

  “He didn’t want me to stop writing, but I feared if I kept going, he’d learn the ingredients he needed for something… What was it?” Angelina thinks for a moment, and her eyes widen. “It was for a spell! A dark spell that would allow him to go back to the beginning of our kingdom, before Enchantasia or our royal courts ever took power.” Her eyes slowly return to their eerie amber shade. “I couldn’t allow that to happen, so I didn’t want to know his ending. I refused to write anymore.”

  “Oh, Mother,” Kayla says, near tears.

  “Impossible.” Harlow touches her right ear, which is pointy and twice its normal size. “I don’t mean to contradict you, but are you sure your memory isn’t muddy? Villains can’t read their own books, and they certainly never know what fairy is in charge of their stories. Believe me, I’ve tried to find out who wrote mine, and no amount of threatening ever revealed the source.”

  “Rumpelstiltskin was too vain to allow his book to be written without him knowing the fairy who was doing the writing,” Angelina explains. “I have no clue what deal he must have made to find out it was me, but once he knew, he visited me daily to see how my writing was going. I didn’t trust him at first, but he finally wore me down with his generosity. He was always bringing us what we needed! Food, clothes, presents.”

  “Bribery works wonders,” Harlow acknowledges.

  Angelina’s face flushes. “I am ashamed to say I liked the attention. Then, he became friendly with my girls, including Kayla, who was so little at the time.” Her eyes grow teary as she turns to her daughter. “He was so fond of you. He made me believe I was his family. He told me he wanted what was best for me—to see me become Fairy Queen and rule the forest—and I foolishly believed his trickery.”

  “Just like Anna did,” I say aloud.

  “Until you stopped telling him his story.” Flora fills in the details. “Do you remember what happened then?”

  “Yes.” Angelina covers her face with her hands, pulling her hand away from Kayla. “Once I wrote about the spell he was after, I became worried he would use it. His curse would destroy Enchantasia! So I stopped writing, and he became furious.”

  “Are you sure you have the spell right?” Harlow asks. “There is no magic that can rewind time. If there were, every villain would use it.”

  “There is such magic, but it is well hidden,” Angelina explains. “I didn’t want him to know the ingredients he needed to complete his spell, so I stalled. I told him I felt uncomfortable going further with the story because I had been breaking the fairy code of honor by letting him know his story. He became infuriated and vindictive. Soon, I barely recognized the man who used to feed Kayla her evening bottle.”

  “Gross,” Kayla says.

  Angelina looks up at us wearily. “He disappeared for a while, so I thought maybe he’d given up. Then he showed up and gave me an ultimatum. If I didn’t finish the book, he would tell everyone that I had broken my fairy vow by sharing his story with him. I’d be banished from the fairy kingdom, and so would the girls. I knew I had no choice. I remember giving him the book with a false list of ingredients, and when he realized his spell wouldn’t work, he made sure I was no longer a threat to him.” She closed her eyes again. “Obviously he wants me to have the book back so I can finish the story.”

  “And you must,” Harlow insists. “It’s your f
airy duty. But now, more than ever, we have to protect you and the book to make sure he doesn’t ever see it.”

  “I can’t.” Angelina starts to shake again. “I don’t want to know how it all ends.”

  “Well, we do!” Harlow snaps, getting angry. “You may hold the key to stopping him. You must start writing the book again and find out the ingredients he needs so we can make sure he doesn’t get his hands on them.”

  “No!” Kayla cries. “If she finishes the book, he’ll find her and torture her to tell him its secrets. It’s too dangerous!”

  Everyone begins to argue, and Angelina raises her hand for silence.

  “Harlow is right. I must finish writing. We all need to know how his story progresses from here,” Angelina whispers. “It’s my duty. I already broke too many fairy promises as it is.” She shakes her head and looks at me. “No wonder he broke my spell. He made it seem like it was part of your deal with him, but in truth, he needed me to finish his story. He always has an ulterior motive.”

  “Have you found out anything about this spell he needs to work on?” Flora asks.

  “He knows he needs the music of true love to start unlocking it,” she tells us. “And music usually involves an instrument. I know the one he seeks—a golden harp. The only one I know of is in Cloud City. If he has magic beans, he can reach it.”

  “He already has magic beans,” I say worriedly. “We saw some in his office when he was at FTRS.”

  “Then he can reach the harp,” Angelina says. “If he and his true love try to use it together, he’ll have the first piece of his spell in place. When I was writing the book, I suspected his true love was Alva.”

  “That must be why he wanted to come to FTRS in the first place—to find Alva,” Flora guesses. “But he’s out of luck. She’ll be doing no singing in her condition.”

  Harlow looks thoughtful. “If he wanted that book to get back to Angelina, it’s curious that it showed itself to Gillian and found its way here.” She tsks. “Careful, Cobbler. I suspect he knows he can play you.”

  “I’ve tricked him once,” I say defiantly. “He can’t play me.” I think back to how I thought I saw Alva’s finger move once. “How long do you think your magic will keep Alva trapped in stone?”

  “Forever?” Harlow guesses. “That’s my hope.”

  “Nothing is forever,” Angelina says. “Not magic, not curses, not happily ever afters. If I complete the book—and I must—and he forces me to tell him the ending…”

  I slump down against the wall next to her. I finish her thought. “Then he’ll finish his spell, and Enchantasia as we know it will be done for.”

  “Not on my watch,” Harlow says fiercely. She looks at us. “We should all be on alert. Rumpelstiltskin obviously has a plan, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it is already in motion.”

  Happily Ever After Scrolls

  Brought to you by FairyWeb—Enchantasia’s Number One News Source!

  Welcome Tea for Prince Sebastian and Princess Beauty’s Family to Be Held at Fairy Tale Reform School This Weekend!

  by Beatrice Beez

  According to the royal court’s chief sorcerer, the weather should be perfect for Prince Sebastian and Princess Beauty’s Fairy Tale Reform School welcoming this weekend! Reporters have been buzzing around FTRS all week to watch the staff ready what has been described as a “very simple” event for the newest staff members.

  “Princes Sebastian and Princess Beauty aren’t ones to make a big fuss about anything,” says a palace insider. “It’s why there was no fanfare when they arrived in Enchantasia in the first place. The pair and their young daughter, Allison Grace, are very shy and prefer to keep things low-key.”

  Low-key seems to be the approach the newest royal family has when it comes to everything. Instead of having a castle built on royal court palace grounds, the newest family chose to move into a pop-up castle on the grounds of Fairy Tale Reform School where their daughter attends classes. “No one can understand why they didn’t send Allison Grace to Royal Academy like all the other royals,” sniffs one insider. “Olivina has seen it as a huge snub.”

  The prince and princess have obviously paid no mind to the legendary fairy godmother’s worries. “They’re very protective of their daughter,” says the source. And their pop-up castle seems permanent, as the family has added a playground and lovely garden to their property. Those who have seen inside the pop-up castle say it has all the amenities a regular castle would, from a ballroom to a grand kitchen. We wonder if either will get much use. The family is said to have kept to themselves a lot on weekends and usually spends a great deal of time indoors. “Strange, if you ask me,” says the source. “Why wouldn’t you show your daughter off?”

  That’s why this Welcome Tea brings so much excitement! Enchantasia can’t wait to see the royal family mingling with other royals, village folk, and students alike! While Rapunzel, who runs FTRS’s Royal Ladies-in-Waiting club, is in charge of the event and is said to be going with an unusual picnic theme, all the stops were still pulled out to get the venue ready. The Dwarf Police Squad has shiny new uniforms to wear as they patrol the school grounds for any sign of trouble. (There should be none. When’s the last time anyone heard of a villain or Rumpelstiltskin lately?) China has been borrowed, oriental rugs have taken the place of picnic blankets, and fried chicken of all things is said to be on the menu. And tea, of course. “Fairy Tale Reform School is looking forward to hosting a lovely party for our newest faculty and their family,” says school spokesmirror Miri. “A good time should be had by all.”

  Stay tuned for all the details and magical pictures from Prince Sebastian and Princess Beauty’s Welcome Tea!

  CHAPTER 12

  The Welcome Party

  I’ve never been to a fairy party, but I imagine this is what it would look like. The grounds of Fairy Tale Reform School are twinkling with hundreds of paper lanterns hanging from tree branches, floating on the lake, and lighting the path to a beautiful, blue tent. Inside the tent, members of the royal court are on hand to officially welcome Prince Sebastian, Beauty, and AG to Enchantasia.

  Students from FTRS are dressed in their cleanest uniforms and shiniest shoes, while the Dwarf Police Squad patrols the lake to make sure there are no unwelcome visitors. The dwarves look sort of knightly in their flashy, new uniforms. With the sun dipping behind the lake and a sky ablaze with pinks and reds, I have to admit that FTRS looks even prettier than one of those fancy magical postcards.

  And Rumpelstiltskin wants nothing more than to see this world I have grown to love wiped from existence.

  “Stop worrying in public, Ms. Cobbler,” Professor Harlow says as she sweeps by me in a gold gown that has a jewel-encrusted bodice. The look would be very fairy-tale princess if she wasn’t also wearing a black cape. “Those frown lines will give you premature wrinkles.”

  “But…” I start to protest.

  “No buts,” Harlow says. “We’ve done a sweep of the grounds, and we’ve got those ridiculous dwarves here for extra protection. Angelina is safely hidden, and I’ve cast spells that will keep intruders from walking onto FTRS grounds this evening.” She leans closer, practically wrapping me in her cape.

  “Act normal. If he is looking for that book and watching us, we can’t look frightened.” I start to protest. “Drink chamomile tea with your friends, and calm down. There will be plenty of work to do tomorrow when this fanfare is over.” She gives a look of disdain to a fairy flying balloons to the tent. Just as Harlow enters the party, Jax exits. I see him notice me, and I pretend to be fixing a paper lantern that looks crooked.

  “Hey.” Jax comes up beside me.

  “Hey,” I say back.

  “Nice party,” Jax says lamely. “Great decorations.”

  “Yeah. Beautiful lanterns.” I hear crickets in the distance and someone tuning their violin. I have no clue wha
t to say to my best friend right now.

  Jax sighs. “Thief, this is silly. I hate fighting with you.”

  I drop the lantern. “I hate fighting with you too.” I jab my finger at his frilly collar. “But you started it.”

  He jabs his finger at my poufy shoulder. “Me? You did!”

  “No, you did!”

  Jax puts up a hand to stop me. “Can we just forget this fight ever happened? I think we both said some things we wish we didn’t.”

  “True.” A group of partygoers carrying mini paper lanterns skip down the path past us. “I just can’t stand the thought of you not trusting me.”

  “I do trust you,” Jax insists. “It’s him I don’t.” He nods in the direction of the castle, where Jack is lurking near an exit, looking around. I know that doorway he’s near. It’s the only exterior entrance to the dungeon. Hmm…

  “I’m sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for why he’d be down in the dungeon.” I try to sound nonchalant. “Why don’t we go ask him?”

  Jack grins devilishly. “With pleasure.”

  The two of us approach Jack together. “Hey. What are you doing?”

  Jack doesn’t blink an eye. “I was in the dungeons. Why?”

  “What were you doing down there?” Jax demands.

  Jack rolls his eyes. “For the love of Grimm, what do you think I’m up to, Prince?” he asks Jax. “If you must know, I was bringing Raza and Tessa crumb cakes and tea.”

  “Ha!” I nudge Jax.

  Jack looks at me strangely. “They’re pretty upset about missing the welcome party since they helped plan it.”

  Wait. “Why are they missing it?” I ask.

  “Didn’t you hear?” Maxine walks over with Ollie, Jocelyn, and Kayla. “I told Rapunzel how mean Tessa and Raza were to AG in the RLW meeting, and she banned them from the party and gave them detention instead.” She looks proud of herself, and she should be.