“I suppose they’ve told you I’ve lost my mind.” Uncle Jake scowled and slumped into an old wooden chair placed near a grave marked by a wooden cross. Despite the freshness of the plot, it was completely covered in gorgeous white roses in full bloom. This was the grave of Sleeping Beauty, also known by her friends as Briar Rose. Surrounding her plot were candles, beads, dried flowers, and photographs of Jake’s former love. Seeing them brought on a stampede of memories for Sabrina about the night she died. Why did someone so kind and lovely have to be taken away? Sabrina had prayed for an answer many times, but it had never come.
As she struggled to hold back tears, she became painfully aware of her uncle’s current appearance. He was a wreck: exhausted, filthy, gaunt, and angry. His smell was oppressive, like a hot summer night in New York City. Sabrina knew at once that Goldi and Beauty had done the right thing coming to them for help.
A large black crow with a red ribbon tied about its neck fluttered from above and landed on the back of Jake’s chair. “No one thinks you’re crazy, big guy,” the bird said. Normally, Sabrina would have felt queasy. Talking animals made her uncomfortable, but Sabrina recognized this particular bird as the Widow, Queen of the Crows.
“I’m fine!” Jake said as he leaped from the chair. The crow hopped down to the ground. “I have no plans to kill myself, if that is what you are worrying about.”
Henry gestured to the knives impaled in Jake’s stuffed targets. “It’s your other plans that are worrying us.”
“That’s none of your business,” Jake said. He snatched his weapons and shoved them into the pockets of his jacket.
Henry shook his head. “I understand you’re hurt—”
“Hurt? I’m a little more than hurt, Hank. I am destroyed. I promised Briar’s fairy godmothers I would look after her and now she’s gone. Those monsters killed her, Hank. Right in front of my eyes.”
“Revenge won’t bring her back,” Henry said. “It will just hurt you more. It will hurt your soul.”
Jake turned to his brother with a look of utter disbelief. “My soul! You’ve got to be kidding me, Henry. Do you want to see my soul? It’s in that hole, right there. It’s buried six feet deep!”
He hefted a quill of arrows onto his back and scooped up a bow leaning against the wall. Then without another word he marched in the direction of the drawbridge.
“Where are you going?” Henry called after him.
“It’s better that you don’t know,” Jake shouted back. He activated the drawbridge and was across it and into the woods before anyone thought to stop him. Sabrina could feel panic squeezing her heart. Her uncle was exhausted and obsessed with two incredibly dangerous people. Who knew what might happen if he found them.
“We have to go after him,” Veronica said. “He’s not thinking clearly.”
“The Hand is crawling all over these woods,” Charming said. “Bringing you all here was a tremendous risk to begin with. I can’t have you stumbling around in the forest drawing attention to us.”
“He’s my brother!” Henry shouted.
“I’ll keep an eye on him,” the crow squawked and flapped into the air. “Sometimes he listens to me. I’ll do my best to keep him out of trouble.”
Once the Widow was gone, Charming activated the machine to raise the drawbridge, but when it was barely halfway up, it came to a jerking stop.
“Boarman! Swineheart! What is wrong with this infernal machine?” he shouted.
The pigs rushed to investigate, inspecting the chains and pulleys, but stepped back and scratched their heads.
“Nothing’s broken, boss,” Swineheart said. “Push the button again.”
Charming did, but just as soon as the mechanisms started, they stopped again.
“Fix this!” Charming huffed. “Keeping this door open makes this castle vulnerable.”
A woman’s voice rang out from outside the wall. “Where are the Grimms?” There was something otherworldly about the voice, as if it were being artificially amplified. The question was repeated.
“Who is that?” Veronica asked.
“Get your weapons!” Charming shouted to his army. “Someone has found the castle. We can’t let them through the gate!”
The castle inhabitants rushed to arm themselves. Sabrina was about to do the same when her father clamped his hand on her shoulder. He had Daphne held with his other hand. “Don’t even think about it, girls,” he said.