“I am here, Atticus!” Charming shouted. Every word spun the web inside Sabrina’s mind in a new direction.
“Billy! Don’t come any closer. He’s going to kill you!” Snow shouted from somewhere within the house.
“Shut up!” Atticus roared, and there was a wicked slap.
“It’s a cowardly man that beats on a woman, brother,” Charming said.
“So you remember me now, do you, William?”
“No! But from what I understand, that’s for the best. I suppose if I did remember you, I would have stolen your wife anyway. You aren’t worthy.”
Suddenly, an arrow flew out the window and pierced Charming in the leg. He fell over, clenching the wound and cursing. There was blood everywhere and the strand of the future reflected its crimson color.
“You should not be so insulting, little brother.”
Sabrina watched Charming pull the tip out with his bare hands and get to his feet. It was clear he could barely move the leg, but he walked the best he could.
“So once again you prove you have no honor,” Charming shouted. “Sending arrows from the safety of a house. I was told you were a brave man.”
Atticus stepped outside, dragging Snow behind him. Nottingham followed, with his dagger drawn. Snow’s face was bloody and her clothes torn. “I have no problem being seen, William. Now that you are satisfied I suggest you leave while you still can. I have my wife and I’ll mark up your little indiscretion as the crimes of a drunkard.”
Charming drew his sword.
“So you want to fight, baby brother? I promise you this will be more than the roughhousing we used to do on the castle lawn. Father and Mother are not here to attend to your bloody noses and boxed ears.”
“Have your fun, Atticus,” Nottingham said. “I have my own vengeance to win.”
Atticus pushed Snow to the ground and rushed at Charming, his sword held high. Their blades met with a savage crash, and Atticus kicked Charming in his wounded leg. The prince fell to one knee with a cry but quickly hobbled back to two legs. Atticus attacked again. When he went for another kick, Charming stepped out of the way, only to get a punch to the side of the head. Charming stumbled but kept standing. He swung wildly but missed his brother completely, and Atticus took another ferocious swipe with his sword. This one sliced Charming’s shirt open and blood seeped into the cloth. He fell down and clutched his wound.
Atticus looked down at him in disgust. “You were a fool to come here. This is hardly worth my time,” he said. Then he returned to where Snow had fallen and dragged her to Charming’s body. “Look at him! This is what you chose over me? He’s a runt. My father should have taken him out back and drowned him in the river. Don’t you fools understand? No man can kill me while I wear this armor.”
Mr. Canis stepped out of the woods with his pack in hand. “I have a friend who might be able to help with that.” He opened his pack and reached inside, then turned back to the group with surprise. “It’s not here. The jar is missing.”
And that’s when Sabrina saw Red with the jar in hand, unfastening the cork that kept the monster inside. She had seen this but she had seen so many versions—so many ending in terror. Before Sabrina could stop her, the black spirit that resided inside zipped out and flew into the little girl’s open mouth.
“Oh boy,” Puck said, and quickly stepped out of the little girl’s path.
“Red, what did you do?” Daphne cried.
But the girl did not answer. She was going through a horrifyingly familiar and unsettling change. Hair sprouted from every pore, claws grew where fingers once were, and a long bushy tail sprouted. When the terrifying transformation was complete, the creature towered over everyone at a staggering nine feet with a coat of red.
“Look who’s back,” the Wolf howled. “What’s for dinner? Oh, I know. Him!”
It leaped at Atticus, knocking him to the ground.
“I think we have to get this crab out of his shell,” the Wolf taunted the evil prince. The monster reached over and snatched Atticus’s breastplate, ripping it from his body and throwing it into the woods.
Atticus shrieked in fear and backed away from the creature.
“Is that all that’s inside?” the Wolf complained. “Why, there’s hardly any meat on him.”
Atticus swung his sword in desperation, managing to slash the Wolf’s arm. The wound only made the beast laugh. Without a pause he leaped onto Atticus, knocking him to the ground. He climbed on top of him, yanking the rest of the armor off and tossing it aside. Soon, the magical defense was completely gone, and Atticus was just a man.
“Atticus is mine!” Charming said, struggling to his feet.
“No, he’s mine!” the Frog Prince shouted.