"Momma Bear, you must be so excited," Beauty said, taking Sabrina's heavy paws into her delicate hands. "Soon, you'll be reunited with your family. Are they still hiding out in that Romanian zoo?"
"Uh . . . yes, that will be wonderful," Sabrina muttered, doing her best not to swat Beauty across the yard and then stomp the rest of them into paste. The talk of her parents had caught her attention.
"Do you know who kidnapped the parents?" said Sabrina.
"Who cares?" the White Rabbit replied.
"You people are horrible," a voice said from behind them. Sabrina turned around and saw a beautiful, dark-skinned woman with dazzling green eyes. She wore a diamond tiara and a beautiful evening gown. She looked at the group in front of her with disgust.
"Briar Rose," Beauty said nervously. "I think you may have stepped into the middle of a conversation and misheard something."
"I heard all I need to hear," Briar Rose said.
The crowd shifted uncomfortably and turned away from her accusing stare while Sabrina's mind filled with possibilities. Could it be true? Their parents hadn't abandoned them? Could someone have kidnapped them?
Soon, Sabrina and Daphne were almost at the front of the line. Mr. Seven stood at the door, this time without his pointy "idiot" hat. He announced Beauty and the Beast and the couple disappeared into the chattering party inside.
"Good evening," Mr. Seven said as he opened the door for them. He cupped his hands together and yelled, "Momma Bear, escorted this evening by the Tin Woodsman," as the girls entered the room.
The mansion was a spectacular display of wealth and taste. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling and a beautiful red-carpeted staircase led up to a large landing, where four men played violins. The room was already crowded with people, animals, and monsters of all shapes and sizes—Everafters as far as the eye could see. They wandered around, talking and drinking champagne. Some laughed at jokes while others argued politics. A very ugly couple of trolls dressed in evening wear danced to the music, and several hulking waiters hurried around the room, extending trays of appetizers to guests. No one seemed to be bothered that there were ogres and winged people hobnobbing with talking animals, so Sabrina's worries that people would notice a man made of metal and a bear in a polka-dotted dress quickly dissolved.
"Sabrina, all of the Everafters wish we were dead," Daphne said.
Sabrina looked around the room. Every fairy-tale creature she had ever read about seemed to be here: Cinderella and her fairy godmother, the Mad Hatter, Mowgli and Baloo. Even Gepetto was off in a corner chatting with Ali Baba. And Sabrina knew they all hated the Grimms. As unsettling as it was, Sabrina could understand why. Even though Ms. Smirt had dumped the girls into some awful foster homes, Sabrina and Daphne knew they could always run away. For the Everafters there was no escape, and it had been that way for almost two hundred years. It must be torment for them, she thought.
"Where should we start?" Daphne asked.
They needed to get into the mayor's office, but they also needed to know where Charming was while they were doing it. Sabrina looked around the room, but he wasn't present.
"Let's just stay out of the way and keep our ears open. Once we know where he is, we'll make our way upstairs. For now, let's mingle."
The two walked awkwardly around the main room, gawking at the various literary celebrities and capturing bits of conversations.
"So she's not coming?" a dwarf said to a huge black panther. The panther licked its paw and hungrily eyed Sabrina.
"She never comes," the panther said. "If I left him at the altar, the last place I'd want to go is the man's house. I think it's very respectful of Snow White not to show her face here."
"But it was almost four hundred years ago. The man has been married at least half a dozen times since," the dwarf said. "Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Rapunzel are all here. If they can move on, then Snow White surely can. This community is important."
"Ladies and gentlemen, we're pleased that you could attend the Ferryport Landing one hundredth annual community ball," Mr. Seven shouted from the top of the red staircase. The musicians laid down their instruments and everyone turned their attention to the mayor's assistant. "Allow me to introduce your host for this evening. Your mayor, his majesty, Prince Charming."
The violinists immediately broke into a stately song as a pair of double doors at the top of the stairs swung open. The crowd burst into applause as Charming waved and descended the staircase.
He was all smiles, shaking hands with everyone he met, kissing women on the hands, even if they were ugly witches or even uglier stepsisters, and calling everyone by name as he glided around the room. Mr. Seven followed closely behind him, handing out business cards.
"What do you say, Woodsman?" Charming asked, taking Daphne's hand and shaking it vigorously.
"Hello," Daphne seethed, unable to hide her contempt.
Charming reached over, took Sabrina's massive hairy paw, and placed a kiss on it.