“I’m in,” Daphne said.
Sabrina weighed the options. On the one hand she knew that letting Daphne go by herself would win her points with her sister. Daphne would see this as a vote of confidence. On the other hand, if she didn’t go, Daphne and her wounded uncle would be flying into a war zone all by themselves. If something happened to them she’d never forgive herself. It was decided. Daphne’s forgiveness would have to wait—again.
“Let’s do it,” Sabrina said.
They crept through the Hall of Wonders and to the back door that led to the Room of Reflections. Once there they asked Mirror to retrieve the magic carpet for them, then they tiptoed back the way they came and into the fort. Guards were milling about but gave them no trouble, though they became alarmed when Uncle Jake unrolled the carpet and climbed aboard.
“Charming has ordered that no one leave the camp,” a guard pleaded.
“Charming isn’t the boss of us,” Daphne said then turned her attention to the rug. “Up!”
The elegant Persian rug rose into the air, its tassels rippling with the evening breeze. Sabrina couldn’t help admiring the intricate weaving of the carpet, and focusing on it prevented her from getting vertigo as they were suddenly propelled skyward. When the rug had cleared the high walls of the fort, Daphne instructed it to take them to Briar’s coffee shop, Sacred Grounds. In their previous experiences with Aladdin’s rug, they had learned that it seemed to know where everything was and the best way to get there. At Daphne’s instruction, the rug jolted forward, nearly knocking Sabrina over the edge. Her uncle grabbed her hand just in time.
“You’re supposed to make sure I don’t fall off,” he reminded her.
“Sorry,” she said. “This thing really needs seat belts.”
“It’s easier if you sit down,” Daphne explained over the wind. Jake and Sabrina took her advice and found she was right. The more relaxed they were the better the ride became.
Still, it was hard not to be nervous. The quarter moon did little to illuminate the forest below, so sailing above it was like drifting over a black abyss. Sabrina watched the treetops nervously. The refugees’ stories of the Scarlet Hand’s army had made her paranoid, and she feared what might rocket out of the darkness below. She imagined the hideous roar of a Jabberwocky as its tiny wings lifted it up to devour them in midair. If there was any comfort in the trip, it was that it became clear to Sabrina that Prince Charming’s camp was hidden deep in the woods, and it would be very difficult for the enemy to find.
Uncle Jake seemed to read her mind. “You forget that sometimes under all his arrogance the prince is brilliant. I doubt that those hobgoblins could ever find the place. Still, the refugees should be getting ready just in case.”
“You think they should fight back?” Daphne said.
“Absolutely. Will they win? That’s another question entirely. They’re completely outnumbered, and even if they did manage to raise an army it would consist of elderly witches and princesses who have spent most of their lives being waited on hand and foot. There’s only a few of them that have any wits about them at all.”
Sabrina knew her uncle was referring to his girlfriend, Briar Rose. She was a lovely woman and the basis for the famous story of Sleeping Beauty, but unlike a lot of the royalty Sabrina had met, Briar was a resourceful woman. Sabrina had come to think of her, Snow White, and Granny Relda as role models. She set her hand on her uncle’s good shoulder. “We’ll find her.”
“I hope.”
“We will,” Daphne said, steering the rug westward. “We’re Grimms. This is what we do.”
“So, perhaps we should discuss our cover story for your father,” Jake said.
The girls looked at one another nervously.
“You want us to lie to Dad?” Sabrina asked.
“No! Of course not,” their uncle said, then thought for a moment. “Actually, yes. I want all of us to lie to your father. He’s being a bit of a jerk.”
“You noticed that, too?” Daphne said.
“Hank was always the high-strung one. He can be very stubborn, too, but your dad is only trying to protect you both. He’s not exactly polite about it but it’s the only way he knows to keep everyone alive. He gets that from your grandfather. I’m more like Mom in a lot of ways—impulsive—”
“NO! You?” Sabrina said with a grin.
Uncle Jake laughed. “Guilty as charged.”
“I’ve never seen Dad like this, ever,” Daphne said.
“She’s right. Mom and Dad have always been laid-back. Ever since they woke up it’s been nonstop bickering, with us and each other. If I didn’t know better I would think we woke up the wrong people.” Sabrina sighed.