"This is so stupid," Daphne cried. "If I had the Shoes of Swiftness, we'd be out of here in a flash. I could even stop this with the Golden Cap. I'd like to see their little faces when a wave of flying monkeys came at them. Doing this without magic is mucho lame-o!"
"Just head back to the path," Sabrina said. She could see the trees were thinning out, leaving the primates fewer branches to swing from. It wasn't long before the dirty fur balls were tumbling out of the trees and falling into the huge snowdrifts below. Those that didn't fall must have heard the others' painful thuds and were smart enough to give up the chase. Sabrina glanced back and saw them shake their fists at her and her sister.
Once the girls were back on the path, they found themselves at the top of another steep embankment. At its bottom Sabrina spotted a thin black ribbon of smoke rising into the air. She looked for the source: a small fire burning at the bottom of the hill. Sabrina squinted and saw Granny Relda sitting next to it in a Victorian-style stuffed chair, with her legs propped up on an ottoman. Sabrina couldn't help but grin, especially when the woman rose to her feet and waved at them. Granny Relda had never seen them get so close, and judging by her reaction, she was elated. A wave of pride rolled over Sabrina. "Let's go before--"
Sabrina didn't get to finish her sentence. Gravity and the icy ground sent her flailing down the hill. She'd grabbed Daphne's arm on her way down, hoping it would stop her, but all it did was yank her little sister off her feet. Together they went sliding down the embankment.
"No fair!" Puck cried as he swooped down over them. He tossed another grenade, then another and another, but none landed close enough to cause any damage. Not that the girls were doing anything to avoid his attack. They were spinning, flopping, skidding, tumbling, and careening down the hill with no way to steer or stop. When they reached the bottom, they slammed into their grandmother.
"Lieblings! Are you OK?" Granny Relda asked. The old woman
had fallen on her back and was struggling like a turtle to right herself.
"We're fine, Granny," Daphne replied. "Are you hurt?"
Granny Relda smiled as Sabrina helped her to her feet. "I'm fine. Congratulations. You passed the test!"
Suddenly, Puck appeared overhead with his last grenade in hand.
"No way! You cheated, stinkpot!" Puck cried. "How did we cheat?" Daphne said.
"I don't know yet," Puck said, tossing the last of his weapons. It hit the ground and rolled in between Sabrina's legs.
"Puck, NO! The girls beat you!" Granny shouted as she threw up her arms and backed away.
Sabrina cringed and prepared to be drenched in something disgusting. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and studied Puck's weapon. There was something different about this one. Something was there that shouldn't have been. Sabrina smiled. The pin was still inserted.
"Uh-oh," Puck said.
"One," Sabrina said as she pulled the pin. "Put it down, piggy!" Puck cried. "Two," Sabrina said.
"I'm warning you. I'll make you regret it."
Sabrina didn't wait for three. She threw the grenade. It hit Puck in the chest and exploded into a wave of purple nastiness that smelled like rotten eggs, pumpkins, and ranch dressing. The substance soaked him all over and then froze instantly in the chilly air, enclosing him in an icy cocoon. His big pink wings were the only things not trapped. They flapped furiously, but the added weight of ice was too much, and he plummeted to the ground with a thud.
Granny went to him and rested her hand on his frozen head. "We'll get you out lickety-split," she said to him, then turned to the girls and gestured behind the chair. There was a door, standing by itself in open space. "Go ahead, lieblings.
You earned it."
Sabrina and Daphne approached the door. Together they clenched the doorknob in their hands and turned it. The door opened, flooding them in warm air and bright light. Sabrina turned to her sister and caught her beaming smile. She took Daphne's hand and together they stepped through the doorway.
Mirror and Uncle Jake were waiting on the other side.
"So, what's the verdict?" Uncle Jake asked.
Daphne smiled even harder. "We passed!"
"Congrats, peanut," Uncle Jake cried, swooping her up in his arms. He planted a big smooch on the little girl's forehead. "I knew you could do it."
Mirror rushed to Sabrina and shook her hand vigorously. "Well done!"
"Thank you, Mirror," Sabrina said. She could feel her chest swelling up with pride. It was unusual for her family to praise her--not that she could blame them. In the past she had been a cranky, argumentative jerk.
A third man joined the celebration, approaching from the mirror's portal at the end of the hall. He was enormous, standing nearly seven feet tall, with a shock of gray hair and bright gray eyes. His hands, one of which had dark black talons, were covered in fur and he had a bushy tail. He also looked very tired.
"Mr. Canis," Granny said. "The girls passed their escape test.