“Please don’t do it,” Sabrina said quietly.
“I don’t expect any of you to understand. If what I do makes me the bad guy, well, I’ll have to live with it, but I can’t live with letting it go.” He scooped up his bow and arrows. “I only stopped by to say hello to her. I’ve got to get back to work.”
She followed him to the gate and watched as the drawbridge, recently repaired, lowered. Before he crossed the bridge he turned to her. “I heard the news about the prophecy. I’d wish you luck, but these days I’m not sure the world is worth saving.”
Sabrina wasn’t sure how to respond. Her instinct was to argue and give the man a pep talk, but at the same time she had to admit she often felt the same way. Life seemed to be mostly loss and pain and heartache.
“It’s a stupid prophecy,” she said. “Two kids are really going to save the world?”
“Save the people you love,” Uncle Jake said. “Who cares about the rest of the world?”
And then he was gone, leaving her alone with the murky moon.
? ? ?
In the morning, Sabrina woke to a knock on her cabin door. When she opened it, she found Charming, Mr. Seven, and Mr. Canis standing in the doorway.
“We need to talk,” Charming said. “We’ve had a deserter.”
“Who?”
“Puss in Boots,” Mr. Canis said. “He slipped out early this morning.”
Daphne sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. “Why? Is it because of Baba Yaga?”
“We hope,” Mr. Seven said, “though there’s a chance he could have been a spy.”
Sabrina shook her head. “The cat wasn’t a spy and it wasn’t Baba Yaga. He was afraid Daphne and I were going to screw everything up.”
Charming sighed. “He may just be the first. The mood around here is definitely dark. We can’t afford to lose more, so you and your sister need to get out of your jammies and get to work.”
“And what do you suggest we do?” Sabrina grumbled. “There’s only twenty-four people in this army.”
“Twenty-three, now,” Daphne said.
“We’re not talking about the army,” Canis said. “Mr. Seven has another idea.”
“Our people have been suffering for a long time. It’s hard to be afraid all the time, especially when it looks like things just get worse and worse every day. We’re going to throw a party,” the little man said.
“What do you want us to do—rent a bouncy castle and a cotton candy machine?” Sabrina asked.
“Actually, I was thinking we should have a wedding,” Mr. Seven said.
“A wedding?” Sabrina repeated.
“How romantic!” Daphne cried. She jumped up in bed and clapped happily.
Seven smiled. “A surprise wedding. One where the bride doesn’t know she’s getting married until she walks down the aisle. We need your help.”
When Sabrina looked over, Daphne was already biting hard on her palm.
? ? ?
Sabrina couldn’t be sure if the wedding would boost morale, but she was happy with the effect it was having on her. Keeping it a secret tapped into an old familiar feeling: being sneaky. Not so long ago, Sabrina was known as the Queen of the Sneaks. She had earned the title from her year in foster care. She knew how to open a creaky window without making a sound. She knew how to slink across a room without stepping on a loose floorboard. She knew how to crawl out onto a roof, shimmy down a trellis, and tiptoe past a watchdog without making a peep. Keeping the wedding plans from the eyes and ears of Morgan le Fay reminded her that she wasn’t a complete loser. She had skills—occasionally illegal skills, but skills nonetheless—and she was determined to make the most of them.
In the shadows and in whispered conversations she gave everyone a job. Flowers, music, food, and the most important job of all, keeping the bride busy until everything was ready. Since the castle was nearly finished, its rooms also needed to be decorated. Morgan had a simple spell for creating furniture from thin air, and Sabrina knew exactly who to team her up with: Goldilocks. Goldi had an eye for interior design. She also had an obsession with things being just right. Under her direction, Morgan would be busy all day.
And it worked. All the pressure and frustration of the prophecy was pushed aside and the tiny community leaped headfirst into planning and preparation. It was the first time Sabrina had seen everyone smiling since her arrival. She even caught Pinocchio humming the wedding march as he and Gepetto built a platform for the couple to stand upon when they exchanged their vows.
“A wedding under the stars is a lovely idea, Sabrina,” Snow said as the two stood back and admired the yard.
“Your boyfriend gave me a lot of the ideas,” Sabrina said. “He’s quite the romantic.”
“I’ve always thought so,” Snow said as she gazed lovingly at Charming, who was working with Nurse Sprat to create some sort of seating chart. “I just hope he saves some for our wedding.”
“Has he asked?” Sabrina said.