“WE SEE ALL. EVERY DAY THAT HAS PASSED. EVERY DAY TO COME. THERE ARE A MYRIAD OF POSSIBILITIES. MANY PATHS THAT CAN BE TAKEN, MANY POSSIBLE OUTCOMES.”
“Mirrors, mirrors, our future is cursed. Tell me how to defeat the First,” the queen said.
“YOU CANNOT,” they replied as one.
“You are mistaken,” the witch said.
“THE FUTURE IS WOVEN LIKE A SPIDER’S WEB, WITH MILLIONS OF STRANDS LEADING TOWARD THE CONFLICT YOU SEEK. IF YOU CHOOSE THIS QUEST FOR YOURSELF YOU WILL FAIL. IN ALL POSSIBLE FUTURES THE ONE YOU CALL MIRROR WILL DEFEAT YOU. HE WILL DESTROY WILHELM’S BARRIER. HE WILL UNLEASH HIS POWER ON MANKIND. NATIONS WILL KNEEL BEFORE HIM. MOTHER, YOU CANNOT STOP OUR BROTHER.”
“Nonsense!” the queen cried. “I created Mirror! I very well should be able to destroy him.”
“THE FUTURE SAYS OTHERWISE.”
Bunny shook her head. “Then you’re saying there is no hope.”
“NONE ALONG THIS PATH.”
The witch turned to the crowd. “I’m sorry. I was mistaken. My suggestion to you all is to run and hide. I wish you luck.”
Sabrina was stunned. The mirrors had to be wrong. She stepped forward so she blocked Bunny’s way. “You’re just going to give up?”
The Wicked Queen’s lip curled. “The mirrors don’t lie, child.”
“Well, then your mirrors are stupid,” Daphne said.
“This is all your fault,” Sabrina said. “You made Mirror, then abandoned him. You sold him like he was an old chair, and he wound up with owners that were twisted and cruel. It’s no wonder he’s gone crazy and taken my grandmother. So, you fix this. You find a way!”
The Wicked Queen’s eyes were bright with anger. Sabrina could feel dark magic building in the air around her. Everyone was afraid of this woman, even her own daughter, and it appeared Sabrina was going to find out why.
“Mirrors, the child did not hear what you said,” Bunny said through clenched teeth.
“LISTEN TO OUR WORDS. THE QUEEN CAN DO NOTHING TO STOP THE FIRST.”
“Fine! Bunny can’t do it. But someone else might have a chance,” Sabrina argued.
“THE FATE OF THIS WORLD FALLS IN THE HANDS OF THE SISTERS.”
“Huh?” the witch said.
“The sisters?” Daphne asked.
“WE SEE MANY WHO WOULD STAND BEFORE THE FIRST: HEROES, WITCHES, FAIRY FOLK. BUT IN ALL THESE OUTCOMES ONLY TWO MEET YOUR GOAL SUCCESSFULLY, AND ONLY TOGETHER. IN ALL THE WORLD AND OTHER REALMS, THERE ARE ONLY TWO WHO CAN STOP MIRROR: SABRINA AND DAPHNE GRIMM.”
“What?” Sabrina cried.
“Um, I didn’t hear you say my name,” Puck said.
Henry and Veronica pushed to the front of the crowd. “This has to be a mistake,” Henry said.
“They’re just little girls,” Veronica added.
“YOUR CHILDREN HOLD THE KEYS TO THE FUTURE. EACH MUST USE HER OWN STRENGTHS, BUT WHEN THE TIME IS AT HAND IT IS THEIR BOND THAT DEFEATS THE FIRST.”
“Wait! What strengths?” Sabrina cried.
“DAPHNE CREATES THE COVEN,” the mirrors said. “A CRONE, A TEMPTRESS, AN INNOCENT THREE.”
“What’s a coven?” Daphne asked.
“Shhh!” Bunny snapped.
“SABRINA LEADS THE ARMY INTO BATTLE,” the mirrors continued.
“I’m twelve years old!” Sabrina said. “I can’t lead an army.”
“ACT IN HASTE. THE FIRST IS COMING FOR YOU. BLOOD WILL SPILL. HEARTBREAK WILL COME. BUT THE SISTERS ARE YOUR ONLY HOPE.”
“But how do we do it?” Daphne said. “We need details, people!”
“THE STRANDS ARE COMPLEX AND UNEXPLAINABLE. THE TWO OF YOU WILL SAVE THE WORLD, BUT MANY THINGS WILL HAPPEN OUTSIDE OF YOUR CONTROL TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE. NOTHING WE CAN SHARE WILL LEAD YOU TO SUCCESS. BUILD YOUR COVEN. WAGE YOUR WAR.”
Then the mirrors shimmered again and returned to normal, with the guardians in their places. Each looked tired and disoriented, but the faces that concerned Sabrina the most were those of Charming’s army. They looked at her and Daphne with fear and shock.
“We’re going to save the world,” Daphne said, raising her hand to her sister so she could deliver a high five. Sabrina, however, stood dumbfounded, unable to speak.
Puck laughed. “We are so screwed.”
he commotion in the mirror room made it hard to think. People were shouting and arguing, and the crowd was entirely too close. Sabrina suddenly felt wobbly and short of breath.
“Wait, what?” Sabrina said. Never in her life had she felt so off-kilter. Had she really heard the mirror’s prophecy correctly? Was she really essential to saving her grandmother and the world, too? She wanted to shout that they were wrong. She wanted to know if they were joking—or, worse, insane.
And then her father was there, taking her by the arm and pulling her out of the room, out of the loud, hot chaos. Her mother followed with Daphne and Basil in tow, and soon they were through the portal door and marching across the courtyard.
“Head for the train station and get on the next one to Grand Central,” Henry said. “I have to stay and rescue my mother, but I’ll meet you there as soon as I can.”
“Henry, we should stay together,” Veronica said.