Sisters Grimm 05 Magic and Other Misdemeanors

*

 

Sabrina lay still in her father's old bed. Daphne tossed and turned next to her.

 

"I'm afraid to go to sleep," the little girl whispered.

 

Sabrina got out of bed, flipped on the light, and crossed the room to her father's desk. She opened a drawer and took out a hairbrush. Daphne's eyes lit up when she saw it. Brushing Sabrina's hair always seemed to calm Daphne's fears.

 

"We're back," Sabrina whispered as she sat back down on the bed in front of her sister. "That's what matters. We're back and we can make a difference."

 

"What if we can't?" Daphne asked as she started to brush her sister's long hair.

 

Sabrina forced the doubt from her mind. "We have to. The first thing to do is solve the case."

 

"Do you think Charming can really help us wake up Mom and Dad?" Daphne asked.

 

"I don't know," Sabrina whispered.

 

Suddenly, there was a soft tapping at their door. It creaked open and the prince popped his head inside.

 

"Get dressed and meet me downstairs," he hissed. "We've got work to do."

 

He closed the door and the girls tiptoed around the room, pulling on jeans and sweaters and shoving their feet into shoes. Then they crept down the stairs, where they found Charming waiting by the door. He had borrowed a pair of Uncle Jake's jeans and a white shirt and had wrapped himself in an old coat, presumably one their late grandfather Basil had owned.

 

"What's the plan, Stan?" Daphne asked.

 

Charming gestured for her to be silent and then ushered them outside into the cool spring air. He closed the door tightly, and Sabrina told the house they would be back soon, activating the magical lock. The lock was just one of the protection spells Granny had used on the house.

 

"I have a few items I need to collect, and I could use the extra hands," Charming said.

 

"Items? What kind of items?"

 

"The kind that will change the future," he said. "Unfortunately, they happen to be at the mansion."

 

Sabrina was shocked. "The mansion! We can't go there. Mayor Heart lives there now. She's got guards!"

 

"Guards with swords!" Daphne added. "Sharp, pointy swords."

 

"Yes, I suppose she does," the prince said as if that were a tiny detail.

 

"Besides, what makes you think she still has these items? From what I hear, she's broken the bank redecorating the mansion. Anything you left behind is probably at the town dump by now."

 

"Not these things," he said. "If I know Heart like I think I do, she would never throw these out. Oh, here's our ride."

 

Just then, two headlights pulled into the driveway. When Sabrina's eyes adjusted, she realized she was looking at a long white limousine. The driver's side door opened and a dwarf in a black tuxedo stepped out.

 

"Good evening, Seven," Charming said.

 

The dwarf nodded. "Good evening."

 

"Thank you for taking my call," Charming said, looking down at the ground. He shuffled his feet uncomfortably. In the future, Charming seemed to have respect for Mr. Seven. But in the present, the little man was still Charming's former assistant, and the ex-mayor hadn't been a very nice boss. As Charming's assistant, Seven had been subjected to a steady onslaught of insults and criticisms. Still, the dwarf had been incredibly loyal to the prince, even up to the moment he lost the election and Mr. Seven lost his job. Charming shuffled back and forth as if deciding on whether to apologize for all his abuse. In the end, he simply patted the dwarf on the back.

 

"Well, as they say in the fairy tales, 'Your chariot awaits,'" Mr. Seven said as if he realized that was as close to an apology as he would ever receive. He rushed to open the door and helped the girls and Charming into the car. Moments later they were pulling away from the house and zipping through the backroads of Ferryport Landing.

 

"So, what's so important that we have to risk life and limb to sneak into the mansion?" Sabrina asked.

 

"Amongst other things, a magic detector," Charming said. "A what?" Daphne asked.

 

"A device that finds magic," Charming repeated. "Your older self was using it in the future to track the time tears. It is an incredibly powerful magical item. I'm giving it to you tonight."

 

Daphne smiled. "Thanks!"

 

"And you think giving it to her is going to change the future?" Sabrina asked.

 

Charming nodded. "I know it is. See, in the future Daphne and I tracked it down. Giving it to you now alters the time line. It will also allow you to find the devices that were stolen, which obviously never happened in the future."

 

"Turn the car around," Sabrina said to Mr. Seven. The little man raised his eyebrows in surprise.

 

"What are you doing?" Charming said.

 

"I know what happened in the future, when you faced Nottingham," she replied, flashing her eyes toward Daphne. In her mind, she could still see the jagged scar that ran down the future Daphne's face. "I won't let that happen."

 

"Grimm, neither will I," Charming said, seeming to understand her concern. "I made a promise..."

 

"Absolutely not!"

 

"Uh, don't I get a say in this?" Daphne said.

 

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