"And we may need you to do just that, old friend," Granny said. "But they do have Puck and he is not well. I believe it would be wise to just wait and see what happens. I don't believe we are in any danger."
"Not in any danger?" Sabrina cried. "Oberon says he's giving us away to the Everafters. I think we should find Puck and break out of here now."
"I think we should stay. They seem to know Mom," Daphne said. "Wouldn't it be cool if she was a fairy-tale detective, too?"
"Don't be so gullible," Sabrina said.
"I'm not being gullible!" the little girl cried. "What does gullible mean?"
"It means you believe what anyone tells you. They couldn't have known Mom. Remember, this is Puck's family! The Trickster King! This is all some big joke of theirs."
"I'm not so sure," Granny said. "Your mother was a Grimm, after all."
"By marriage," Sabrina said a little louder than she meant to. "My mom was the only normal person in this family. She would never have gotten involved with Everafters!"
"Your mother knew about Everafters. She lived in Ferryport Landing with your dad when you were just born," Granny said.
"She's right, Sabrina," Hamstead said. "Your mother and Henry got into a number of adventures in the short time she lived with us."
"Adventures?" Mr. Canis grumbled. "More like near-death experiences."
"I think that's why she fit into the family so nicely," Granny Relda said with a smile. "Veronica seemed to have a healthy dose of the Grimm women's spunk."
"Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" Sabrina cried. She felt she had to defend her mother. Nobody knew Veronica better than she did! The thought that she would have chosen to get involved in the family business when she didn't have to was ridiculous. Her mother was a normal, everyday, predictable person who enjoyed reading, museums, and her children. She was exactly what Sabrina wanted to be when she grew up.
"Well, you don't have to be a jerkazoid about it," Daphne snapped.
"Jerkazoid?" Mr. Hamstead asked. Sabrina's little sister was always coming up with unusual words that made sense only to her.
"It's my new word. It means her jerkiness isn't normal--it's superpowered."
Sabrina ignored the little girl's insult and turned to her grandmother. "We should leave now," she pleaded.
Granny shook her head.
Sabrina wanted to argue but she could see it was pointless. When the old woman made up her mind there was no use trying to change it.
*
The family waited for over an hour in near silence. After some time, Bobby Screwball and Tony Fats brought them a supper of antipasti, salad, stuffed shells, and lemon chicken. It looked and smelled delicious, and Sabrina was starving, but she refused to take a bite, warning that it was probably poisoned. Mr. Canis sniffed it and assured her that there was nothing unusual about the food, but she still wouldn't eat.
Some time later, the door opened and the Wizard entered. He stepped into the room, wearing the same outfit as earlier, but he was quite a bit more frazzled. He looked as if he had spent the past hour pulling out what little hair he had left on his head.
"I'm very sorry about this, folks," the Wizard said.
Mr. Canis sprang on the little man, knocking him to the ground. Fangs dipped out of his mouth and hovered dangerously close to the Wizard's neck.
"We have questions," Canis growled. "And we're tired of waiting for answers."
"I don't know anything!" the Wizard cried. "I swear. Oberon sent me to retrieve you. The party is about to start."
Mr. Canis turned to Granny Relda who nodded. "Let him up."
Canis allowed the man to get to his feet. The Wizard brushed himself off, checked his neck for puncture wounds, then said, "Listen, I'm sorry this is happening but I'm just the messenger."
"And who exactly are you?" Hamstead asked.
"My name is Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs." He reached into his pocket, took out his silver remote, pushed a button, and waited as a business card spit out from a slot in the front. He handed it to Granny Relda.
" The
Oscar Zoroaster Phadrig Isaac Norman Henkel Emmannuel Ambroise Diggs?" she said. "The one and only," the man said. "Are you an Everafter?" Daphne asked. "Yes, ma'am. My friends have been known to call me Oz."
Daphne let out a squeal that sounded like a scream and a snort at the same time. She jumped around in a crazy jig. When she was finished she stood shaking and giggling with the palm of her hand firmly planted between her upper and lower teeth.
After a minute, she removed her hand, cried "You're my favorite," and launched herself at the stunned man. She wrapped her arms around him, and he tightened up as if the little girl were trying to kill him rather than give him a hug.
"Favorite what?" Oz asked.
"Favorite everything!"
"Well, it's always nice to meet a fan," he replied, struggling to free himself.
"Don't be too flattered," Sabrina mumbled. "She does the same thing when the pizza delivery guy shows up at the door."