Reign (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale, #4)(25)

Mina brushed her hand across the mirror to clear a spot to see herself. She picked up a borrowed comb and began to run it through her long brown hair, taking extra care with the snarls. Until she saw something that made her drop the comb in the sink. The clatter echoed in the steamy room.

Mina grasped the collar of her robe and took a few deep breaths. Maybe it had just been her imagination. But she could swear her reflection had started to fade out.

“Get a grip,” she told herself.

A rapping at the door pulled her attention away—at least for the moment. Nan popped her head into the bathroom. “So, um, you have a visitor.”

“Here?”

Nan was beaming and having a hard time keeping her excitement in. “This is the coolest thing ever to happen to me. I mean you. I mean—oh, just get out here.”

Mina walked out of the bathroom, pulling the robe tighter around herself. After what she thought she saw in the mirror, she really didn’t want any more surprises. Nan had run back to her sliding glass door and opened it up to reveal a very large black raven sitting on the patio railing. In its mouth was a gold envelope.

“That has your name on it,” Nan said, entirely too eager and excited about all this.

Seeing the bird and the note sent shivers of trepidation down her spine. Mina had no desire to go anywhere near the bird. But neither Ever nor Nan seemed to be scared of the fowl, so she approached with caution. Sure enough, her name was scrawled across the front in cursive script. Mina had no idea how to actually retrieve the letter. But just when she was about to reach for it, the raven opened up its mouth and dropped the letter on the ground. Then it started to flap its wings and lift into the air.

Mina stepped back in fright, instinctively holding her hands over her head to protect herself as the bird flew towards her. One minute it was flying, the next it had transformed midair into an impossibly small Yorkie and landed on her shoulder. It gently began to butt its head against her cheek, demanding attention.

She laughed in relief as the shape shifter began to lick her face profusely. This was the Baldander that lived at the Godmother’s Guild! He hopped a few times and then jumped into the air again, transforming into a dragon.

Nan gasped behind her.

“Hello, Anders,” Mina laughed.

“What is it?” Nan asked, coming outside to pet the dragon.

“It’s a shape shifter,” Ever explained. “Normally, they don’t show themselves to people. This one must be defective.”

“Or he’s got good taste in friends,” Mina answered with a mischievous grin.

Nan scooped up the temporarily forgotten letter and handed it to Mina. “Who do you think it’s from? Is it from your Godmother? I still think that is the coolest thing to have a fairy Godmother. You deserve it so much. I’m actually a little jealous.”

Mina knew it would be from Constance since Anders was the one to deliver the message. She was, after all, the only teenager in history without a phone. The summons made sense…sorta. As long as the Baldander could keep a news crew or passerby from noticing his shape shifting from a raven to a dragon, blowing puffs of fire and lying around near the top of the building.

She opened the envelope and read the simple message.

Come quick to GMRC. We have answers.

The Baldander will lead you through the waterways.

~ Constance

It wasn’t the news she wanted, but it couldn’t be ignored. Mina headed back inside to get dressed. Ander voiced his opinion at being abandoned outside with a tiny roar.

“What does it say?” Ever asked, crossing her arms with evident worry.

She tossed the letter on Nan’s pink bedspread. It wasn’t like it was a secret. Ever read the note and looked up at her. “Do you want backup?”

Nan was just now reading over the same note. She turned and placed her hands on her hips. “Of course she wants backup. We’re not giving her a choice.” She linked her arm through Ever’s and gave Mina her try-and-talk-me-out-of-it stare.

“Fine,” Mina muttered. She grabbed a pair of Nan’s pants and a blue top that was set out, throwing Anders a stern look. “I sure hope you know your way in.”

Anders flew in happy circles as they headed downstairs to get a cab. It took some time and a lot of bribing but they finally convinced him to turn invisible and get into the vehicle. But once in, he scampered around the back of the cab. The girls kept squealing when he ran across their laps or legs and—of course—they received odd looks from the driver.

Mina hadn’t had time to dry her hair, but by the time the taxi dropped them off at the old Green Mill Recycling Center, it was dry. The taxi driver wouldn’t let them go off by themselves without some significant warnings about being out alone when it was getting dark.

“I’m the reason you don’t go out at night,” Ever snapped.

The elderly taxi driver took one look at her heavy eye makeup and black clothes and promptly closed his mouth, took the money, and drove off.

The last time Mina had been here, Jared had led her around the back of the building to a cellar door and broken in. She felt the memory in the pit of her stomach. But Anders led them away from the building and toward the water’s edge where a large caution sign stood. Something about unstable terrain. The girls held onto each other as they made their way down the rocky embankment.