“Not in the least,” Puck crowed.
Like a lot of people who have experienced horrible, nightmarish events, Sabrina’s brain blocked what happened next from her memory. She wouldn’t remember being carried out to the fort where dozens of soldiers, all safely far away, tossed bucket after bucket of soapy water on her until she was clean. She wouldn’t remember how her family wrapped her in towels and carried her to a cot where an elf sprayed her with several cans of air freshener. She wouldn’t remember how her mother sang to her and fed her soup or that she slept for nearly twenty-three hours after the ordeal. It was good that she didn’t remember, but those who witnessed it would be haunted by it for the rest of their lives. Daphne said she would never look at ponies—or chili dogs, for that matter—the same way again.
Unfortunately, that was not the end of Puck’s pranks. By the time Sabrina had recovered, she found snakes in her sleeping bag, stinky cheese sewn into her socks, and the word “fat head” spray-painted on her jacket. Granny promised to have a talk with the boy but Sabrina didn’t have a lot of hope that his pranks would end. The old woman’s efforts to discipline Puck in the past had been slightly less than successful.
Sabrina had missed a day of training, and in that time the troops had become near experts on many of the magical items, including mounting the unicorns and riding the flying carpet. Mr. Boarman and Mr. Swineheart had been busy, too, designing and building a new water tower and various upgrades to the fort, including a trench around the perimeter, a new medical clinic, and two massive catapults, each loaded with boulders as big as a family car. But the two little pigs in disguise were most proud of the high-pressure water cannons they had attached to the watchtowers. Mr. Boarman said they were the best weapons for fending off dragons if any happened to attack the fort.
The biggest change, however, wasn’t in the soldiers or the fort but in the mood of its inhabitants. Gone were the frightened Everafter refugees resisting confrontation. They were replaced by an eager team of fighters determined to be the best they could be. It seemed to Sabrina that they were all itching for a fight with the Master’s Scarlet Hand army. With each hour they became more of a real army, and the fort became an imposing structure. She should have been happy and proud of the community, but everything seemed eerily familiar to the camp she had visited in Ferryport Landing’s dark future. There were things that were different; for example, Snow White was still alive and Granny Relda hadn’t taken over the military planning. Sabrina hoped the differences would be enough to change the town’s destiny.
The family sat down in the mess tent for a breakfast of oatmeal and wild berries, along with bread, eggs, and juice. Sabrina took her seat and glanced at the people around her. Her mother and father were there, as was Granny Relda. Uncle Jake sat on the other side of the table, picking at his food. Mr. Canis and Red sat together, though the little girl still looked haunted by her memories. Puck was nowhere in sight, which meant he couldn’t ruin her breakfast with some disgusting noise or smell. She smiled and ate a big spoonful of oatmeal, only to feel something pop inside her mouth. She didn’t think much of it until she noticed her mother staring at her in surprise.
“What?”
“Sabrina! What are you eating?”
Sabrina looked back down at her food but there was nothing unusual in the bowl. But when she looked at her hand she noticed it had turned a murky shade of green.
“Granny, is this one of your recipes?” Sabrina asked.
The old woman shook her head. “Oh, liebling, I think Puck has pulled another prank.”
Sabrina ran into Charming’s cabin and peeked into one of the two mirrors hanging on the wall. Then she shrieked. Her face, hands, feet, and even her ears were swampy green.
Reggie’s face appeared. “Girl, you look like you were attacked by a mob of broccoli.”
Behind her she heard Harry. “Let me see,” he said from inside his mirror.
Sabrina turned. “Kids,” Harry said as he shook his head disapprovingly. “They jump on the latest fad no matter how ridiculous they look.”
“This isn’t a fashion statement,” Sabrina cried as she stomped back to the mess tent. She found Puck sitting in her seat, finishing her breakfast. He smirked when she entered.
“Puck! What did you do to me?” she asked.
“Don’t get all freaked out. It’ll wear off by the time you start college,” Puck said, stealing a handful of eggs from Red Riding Hood’s plate.
“Looks like he slipped you a water toadie egg,” Uncle Jake said. “Relax. It’s not harmful and I have a remedy somewhere, but—”
“But what?”
“Well, the remedy has side effects,” Uncle Jake explained.
“What kind of side effects?”
“You’ll grow a tail,” he answered.