by Jen Calonita
“No!” Jack shouts, rushing forward. He steps onto Erp’s mega-sized toes. “Erp is harmless. I can’t speak for all giants, but Erp helped save us.” He hangs his head as he looks at his mum and Milky Way. “It was my fault everyone needed saving though. I got myself thrown into FTRS on purpose so I could get close to Gilly and convince her to go after Anna.”
“Sweetheart, why would you do that?” his mother asks.
Jack pauses again. “Because I was working with Rumpelstiltskin.”
The outcry is loud and angry and all at once.
“Young man, explain yourself at once,” Headmistress Flora demands. She sounds angry, but I know she’ll be fair with Jack. He may have tricked us, but he did help us escape. And if he’s willing to change, then maybe he deserves a place at FTRS.
But right now, I need to be alone to think about all that’s happened since I climbed into the sky to save my sister and came back empty-handed. I walk away from the crowd and sit under a large oak tree with my back to the school. I close my eyes for a moment, listening to the sound of the wind.
“Gilly?” I hear a gruff yet tentative voice say. “Mind if I join you?”
It’s Allison Grace, who is still partially in wolf form.
“How’d you know where I was?” I ask, looking back at where Jack is speaking to the crowd.
AG points to her snout. I mean nose. I mean snout-nose. “Powerful sniffer. You’ve got a strong scent.”
“Oh. Thanks. I think.”
AG sits down next to me, and neither of us says anything for a while. Then I hear someone calling her name.
“Allison Grace!” Beauty cries when she sees AG sitting with me. “Kayla said you came back, but when we didn’t see you, we feared the worst. Oh, and, sweetheart, you’re…” No one will say the word beast in front of her.
Prince Sebastian and Beauty quickly try to cover her with a cloak.
“No, I’m not hiding who I am anymore!” AG pushes off the blanket, surprising them both. She stands up unsteadily, and I get a good look at the princess in all her wolfy glory. “Yes,” she growls, her voice gravelly, “I’m cursed to be part princess and part beast, but I’m not afraid of my beast side anymore. I think being part beast makes me a princess you won’t want to tangle with. And I like that.”
Beauty and the prince look at each other doubtfully. Then he trains his eyes on me.
“Did you convince our daughter to go on this foolish quest and risk her life?” he thunders.
“Don’t blame Gilly, Father,” AG interrupts. “I made the choice. Gilly is my friend—a good friend—and I wanted to help her try to get her sister back. If I hadn’t transformed, we might not have escaped Stiltskin.” The prince starts to growl.
“Er—maybe I should let you three to catch up,” I say, anxious to avoid the prince’s wrath.
The prince puts out a hand to stop me. “You stay right here.”
“Sebastian, the girl just lost her sister!” Beauty says. “Hasn’t she been through enough?”
“Don’t get mad,” AG tells the prince. “Your job is to be my father, not the Dwarf Police Squad. I don’t want to be cut off from the world anymore. Why should I be ashamed of who I am just because you were ashamed of your appearance? My beast side can come in handy.”
“Or it will get you shunned,” the prince says.
“People are more accepting now,” AG says as her body starts to transform back. The hair is starting to recede from her body as she slowly becomes human again. “If I show them there is nothing to fear about me being different, then they won’t be afraid. Being different is what makes us special. That’s what Gilly taught me. I need to own my differences, not hide them.”
Prince Sebastian looks at me ever so briefly. “Gillian Cobbler taught you that?
“It seems like this is a much longer discussion that we should have,” the prince tells his daughter, “and we will have it when we get home. To the pop-up castle.”
“You mean we’re not going home home?” AG asks excitedly.
The prince looks from Beauty to his daughter. “It would appear we are home. I’ve never seen you more comfortable than you are here.” AG jumps up and hugs him. “All your mother and I want is for you to be safe and happy. And if that means staying here, then here we’ll stay.”
“Fiddlesticks,” I say under my breath. “I guess this means I still have to finish my family tree.”
The prince surveys me with pursed lips. “Perhaps we could work on that together,” he says, to my surprise. “It appears you and I have more in common than I realized. We should get together to talk about Rumpelstiltskin someday soon.”
“Really?” I ask in surprise.
“Really.” The prince almost smiles.
Jocelyn whistles for us. Everyone under the beanstalk is staring. “Hey! You two. Want to come join the party? We have a crazed villain on the loose to deal with, you know.”
AG, Beauty, Prince Sebastian, and I walk back over to where the others are gathered.
Headmistress Flora’s face is grave. “We must alert the royal court and the Dwarf Police Squad immediately. They will want to prepare for any situation.”
Tessa and Raza both are in hysterics. “Our beloved Princess Rose! She’s just getting her strength back at her summer retreat. If she hears of Alva’s return, it will send her straight back to bed!”
“Or back to plotting her takeover of the royal court,” Jocelyn mumbles. This almost makes me laugh.
“For now, we will let Rapunzel and the royal court worry about Princess Rose’s needs,” Flora says delicately. “We have children to return to their worried parents, and all of you need a good long rest. Off to bed!”
Our group starts to disperse, but I find I’m not sleepy. I’m not ready to end the day just yet, and Flora knows it.
I put up my hand. “You don’t have to say it,” I tell her. “I know what I did was headstrong and selfish.”
“And foolish!” Jocelyn adds.
“And brave,” AG adds. Everyone looks at her.
“I’m with Jocelyn,” I tell her. “I was foolish. All I cared about was finding Anna and convincing her to come home. I wanted her to change so badly.” I look at all my professors. “But my sister is a full-blown villain now. I’ve accepted it, and I won’t make the same mistake twice.”
“Maybe she is, and maybe she isn’t,” Jack says softly, and we all look at him standing with Erp. “I worked for Stiltskin too, didn’t I? And I lured you up the beanstalk to help him just like Anna did, but now I’m standing here with you instead of him. People can change if they really want to.”
“Jack’s right,” AG agrees. “Look how much I’ve changed since I’ve met you! I never thought I’d be okay with being part beast. But now I own it.” She winks at me, and I grin.
“A villain is only a villain because they know no other way to be,” Jax says. “There’s still hope for Anna.”
“And if she doesn’t change?” Maxine whispers.
I look up at the blue sky again and take a deep breath. “If she can’t, then we’ll still do whatever it takes to stop her and Rumpelstiltskin.” I look at Jax, who begins to smile. “We have a kingdom to save.”
Acknowledgments
Kate Prosswimmer, thank you for being my partner in all things Fairy Tale Reform School–related. You are my lifeline and sounding board, and I couldn’t go on these journeys without you! To Team Sourcebooks—Beth Oleniczak, Heather Moore, Alex Yeadon, Kathryn Lynch, Todd Stocke, Sean Murray—thank you for all you do for this world. You’ve made it bigger and better than I ever could have imagined. I don’t know how you do it, Mike Heath, but I love each cover design you create more than the last! Thanks for making FTRS come alive! Special thanks to Diane Danneneldt, Gretchen Stelter, and Elizabeth Boyer for keeping me on point.
For Dan Mandel, you al
ways have my back, and I’m forever grateful. And for Kieran Scott, Elizabeth Eulberg, and Courtney Sheinmel, thank you for being there for my every fairy tale need and for keeping me sane.
Mike, Tyler, and Dylan, I couldn’t do what I do without your love and support. It’s because of you three, I get to go on this wild adventure that I love so much. And to my parents, Lynn and Nick Calonita for your unwavering love and cheerleading.
And to the bookstores, libraries, and readers who have embraced Fairy Tale Reform School, I’m so grateful you’ve found this series and enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it! I am so thankful to have you all in my corner!
Don’t miss:
• ROYAL ACADEMY REBELS •
A brand-new series from Jen Calonita
Welcome to Royal Academy, the training ground for Enchantasia’s fairy-tale leaders of tomorrow. But not everyone born royal is meant to rule…
Coming October 2018
Book 1
Misfits
CHAPTER 1
Once There Was a Girl…
“Hold still now. I just want to help you.”
I keep my voice calm yet firm. If she moves too quickly, she could do more damage. I need to be careful not to spook her.
“That’s a good girl,” I coo, taking a step closer. “Stay right where you are. You’re safe.”
Crack! My bare foot lands on a twig, which makes a loud snapping sound. At the noise, she hobbles farther into the brush, making it hard for me to see anything but her panicked eyes. If she moves any farther away, I won’t be able to reach her.
“It’s okay,” I tell her as some of our friends quietly gather around to watch me work.
I step deeper into the thicket, the chittering of the insects intensifying in the shady trees that surround me. The air is hot, and I’m sweating despite the fact that I’ve left my jacket and skirt back in the clearing. I snag a vine from above me and use it to tie back my pale-blond locks, which feel like they have a lot of leaves stuck in them. She’s watching me fix my hair with interest, but she stays put. I am going to have to do some convincing.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” I promise, my voice barely more than a whisper. Carefully, I pull something from my pocket I know she’ll like. I place the handful of cashews I swiped from last night’s dinner onto the ground between us. She eyes the nuts with interest, then quickly eats one. Nice!
The forest is unusually quiet. As she crunches on the nuts, I stay very still, listening to the sound of the brook babbling behind me.
“Good snack, right?” I’m trying hard to make her feel at ease. “I know I look young, but I have a lot of experience doing what I’m doing.”
She tilts her head at me slightly.
“It’s true! Just last week, Nox, the boa constrictor, came to see me in the clearing for a sore throat, and I mixed him a tonic that cleared it right up,” I tell her. “And when Peter lost his sense of smell after eating a bad batch of carrots, I made a broth that fixed everything.” I inch closer to the tangle of brambles where she’s perched. She doesn’t move. That’s a good sign! I keep talking. “And when Deirdre sprained her ankle after running from a bear in the Hollow Woods, I made her a splint, and now she’s walking just fine.”
I hold out my hand. She doesn’t recoil, but she doesn’t move in closer to me either. She’s still skeptical. Time to bring out the big guns. I strain my neck toward my friends below me. “Deirdre? Can you please back me up here?”
Deirdre takes a flying leap, landing on the tree branch next to me.
Did I mention she’s a flying squirrel? Or that the “she” I’m trying to help is a songbird?
Lily, my bearded dragon, pokes her head out of my shirt pocket to listen to Deirdre’s mix of clicks, clucks, and high-pitched squeaks that will hopefully get through to the little yellow bird with the injured wing. I can make out parts of what she’s saying, but not all.
I’m not fluent in squirrel yet.
Not like other humans! Really cares… Knows medicine! She can help… Trust her. We do! Friend!
I smile at that last word. I don’t have many friends. When you tell the kids in the schoolyard you can talk to animals, most call you a liar. Or a freak. Some even say you’re evil. Hey, I get it. Some of the greatest villains in Enchantasia have been known to turn into dragons or other flying fire-breathers. Being an FOA (Friend of Animals) is risky sometimes, but I can’t help who I am. Besides, I am really good at this “helping animals” thing.
Carefully, I lift one hand and place my palm next to the bright-yellow bird. I can see her wing is sagging. She might have snagged it taking off from a tree, or maybe she narrowly escaped a larger animal or bumped into a giant. My animal friends say it happens a lot. The songbird sniffs my fingers with her beak curiously.
“That’s it now. Climb right in,” I say in a soft voice. Deirdre chimes in too, squeaking her encouragement.
Finally, after a moment of hesitation, the bird steps into my steady palm! Below, I can hear the chattering cheer of my friends.
“What’s your name?” I ask the little bird as I carefully cradle her fragile body.
She chirps in a small singsong voice.
“Scarlet? How lovely to meet you, Scarlet.” I stand up and walk Scarlet over to my office.
It’s really just a quilt stolen from the maid’s quarters (Mother wanted it tossed anyway), my satchel of herbs pinched from the kitchen, and mending tools I’ve gathered from our sewing kits. I store everything in a hollow log near the clearing so no one questions what I’m up to when I go on my “daily walks” beyond our garden gates. I rinse my hands with the little jug of water I’ve brought with me, then open my satchel and pull out the small fabric slings I’ve been making when Mother thought I was practicing my needlepoint. Finding one that looks to be the right size, I get to work, setting the bird’s wing as best I can. Scarlet tweets excitedly when she’s been set. Then I mix basil, chamomile, and willow bark seeds together with the water.
“This should help with the pain,” I tell her. “Come see me again in a few days, and we’ll see how your wing is mending. We can even help you find a safe place to sleep in the meantime.”
I place the mixture in a tiny thimble and encourage Scarlet to drink. After a few sips, she tweets at me excitedly, and I know she’s saying thank you. She has a sibling that lives in an old oak three trees over so she’ll be safe there while she heals. That’s a relief.
Everyone is so excited about Scarlet’s new sling that they can’t keep quiet. Between the neighs, snorts, and chittering from other animals, I’m worried a big bad wolf—or worse, the main house—will wonder what’s going on.
“Okay, okay!” I say with a laugh, leaning back and soaking in the sunlight filtering through the trees. “Don’t give us away!” The noise decreases slightly, and I smile.
I live for moments like this. Being a Creature Caretaker is all I’ve wanted since I was five. Mother was sure I’d grow out of it, which is why she didn’t pay Father any mind when he brought me back a leather satchel filled with “animal doctor” supplies. But ever since, I’ve been rescuing spiders from drinking jugs, mending birds’ wings on my bedroom windowsill, rescuing wayward kittens from hungry foxes, and getting an occasional visit from a unicorn that has lost its sense of direction.
I won’t be “growing out of it” anytime soon. I don’t know how I’m able to talk to animals or know what they need, but I’m not about to give a gift like that up. I stare at the birds on the tree branch above my quilt and smile. In time, as I increase my studies, or…um…learn where I can get actual studies in this area (no one I know in the village is involved in Creature Care, which is why my services have been in such high demand), everyone in Enchantasia will be coming to me with their pets and woodland creatures. I can just feel it! Just like I can feel—
“Devin!”
I sit straight up. The birds stop chirping. Lily pokes her head out of my pocket again, and we stare at each other worriedly. No one should be looking for me out here. Not when I swore I was going to Lady Sasha’s afternoon tea at Mother Hubbard’s Tea Shoppe with some girls from class.
“Devin! Where are you?”
Drooping dragons! As the voice grows louder, I hear trumpets sounding. It’s as if a royal procession is about to roll right through the forest. I hear footsteps, then heavy breathing, as if someone’s running in our direction. I jump up, trying to put all my supplies away before someone sees them. Then I remember what I’m wearing. I look down at my undergarments and torn shirt and spin around in a desperate search for my skirt. The shirt and bloomers I’m wearing aren’t much different from the outfits the boys in the village wear, but it’s definitely not, as my mother would say, “princess appropriate.”
“Princess Devin!” says our footman, Jacques, sounding out of breath as he stumbles into the clearing. “There you are!”
I cringe. I hate when people call me that. “Devin is just fine, Jacques,” I say, trying to maintain an air of dignity as I spot my skirt hanging on a bush and run over and grab it. I quickly wrap it around my waist, pinning it on the side where I’ve cut it for easy on-and-off situations. With a ribbon tied and draped down the side, no one can tell I sliced it open other than Jacques, who has just seen my little trick. He blinks in confusion.
“Did you need something?” I ask him. “How, um, did you even find me out here?” I run a hand through my hair and accidentally pull out a spider.
“Miss, it’s urgent!” Jacques’s eyes widen as the trumpets in the distance sound again. “Your mother…father…the trumpets.…your invitation, miss, it’s coming, and…”
I inhale sharply and stumble backward. Lily flicks her tongue wildly. “No,” I whisper.
“Yes!” Jacques insists, grabbing my hand. “Your invitation is here!”
FROM THE DESK OF THE FAIRY GODMOTHER