A Grimm Warning (The Land of Stories, #3)(45)

“We don’t want your gift,” Tangerina said. The bees flying around her neck and wrists flew at a quicker pace. “Go back to wherever it is you came from.”

“Trust us—you want what we have to offer,” the witch with waxy skin wheezed. “It’s less a gift and more a prophecy. It’s something the witches have kept to themselves for a great while, but since it’s such a ceremonious night, we thought we’d share it with you.”

“We don’t want to hear your ridiculous prophecy, either,” Rosette said.

“I do!” Coral peeped, speaking on behalf of all the curious fairies in the room. “It couldn’t hurt just to listen to whatever information they want to give us.”

The members of the Fairy Council looked at one another, but no one objected. “Very well,” Emerelda said. “If the witches promise to leave us in peace when they’ve finished, they may share their message with us.”

The witches scowled at the audience of fairies. They held hands and formed a circle. The witches cocked their heads up to the sky, and their mouths and eyes began to glow. A strong breeze swiftly blew through the palace as the witches chanted a rhyme in unison.


“Fairies, listen well,

For there is truth in the sights we foretell.

‘Happily ever after’ will not last,

When it’s greeted by a threat from the past.

One by one, the kingdoms will fall apart,

From battles they’ll lose and wars they’ll start.

Fairy blood will be spilt by the gallons,

When you face the army of thousands.”



The witches howled with laughter at the conclusion of their prophecy. All the fairies had to cover their ears from the screeching sounds.

“Get out of this palace before I turn you into ashes,” Xanthous said, and his whole body burst into flames.

“Yeah, and then I’ll kick your ashes into next week!” Mother Goose added.

The witches left the palace, cackling as loudly as they could the entire way. The fairies looked at one another anxiously. Did they have any reason to believe a word of what the witches had just said? Was an army of thousands really on its way? And from where?

“Do not worry,” Emerelda told them. “This was nothing more than a foolish attempt to ruin our evening, and I refuse to let them succeed. I say we continue our festivities in the gardens where we can celebrate under the stars.”

The fairies cheered, and Emerelda led all the guests through the hall and outside the palace.

“Aren’t you coming, Mother Goose?” Coral asked as she left with the others.

Mother Goose was the only one who had stayed behind. “Sure,” she said. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

“All right,” Coral said, and flew off with the others.

Mother Goose’s eyes darted left and right, and small beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. She was the only person to whom the witches’ prophecy meant something. Everything the witches had foretold was connected to a dark secret Mother Goose had kept for a very long time, a secret she had never told anyone, not even the Fairy Godmother.

But years ago Mother Goose had done everything in her power to make sure the army wouldn’t cross over. Was the threat still alive?

There was only one way to find out, and there was only one person who could help her—and he was worlds away.

Mother Goose took a giant swig from her flask and hopped onto Lester’s back. She steered him to the window of Alex’s room. Mother Goose climbed in through the window and had a look around. She found the magic mirror placed in the corner and touched its glass. There was no response and Mother Goose looked desperately around the room. On Alex’s nightstand she found the piece of mirror that had been chipped off, and to her relief it was shimmering—he was trying to contact Alex at that exact moment.

Mother Goose picked up the piece of mirror and the round, freckled face of the person she was trying to contact appeared.

“Oh, C-Dog, thank God it’s you,” Mother Goose said to Conner. “Listen, we need to talk. I need your help.…”





CHAPTER NINE





ABANDON TRIP


Conner spent his last two days in Germany locked in his hotel room pretending to be sick. While his principal and schoolmates went to museums and historical landmarks, he worked around the clock trying to contact his sister. He lived off sandwiches and sodas from a vending machine down the hall and twenty-minute naps when he needed them.

He had never been so angry with his sister before in his life. He knew Alex was busy preparing for the Fairy Inaugural Ball but it couldn’t have been going on for all of the past three days. When he finally got ahold of her—if he ever got ahold of her—she’d better have a good reason for why she had been ignoring him.

Unfortunately, the day of their departure finally came and Conner had no choice but to travel home with the others. He regretted leaving—somehow being close to the grave sites of the Brothers Grimm made him feel closer to the issue.

Their group loaded into the van and said good-bye to Berlin as they drove to the airport. Once they arrived at the airport Conner wouldn’t let the woman behind the counter check Betsy. His piece of magic mirror was inside and he didn’t want to be away from it in case Alex tried contacting him. His unexpected clinginess to the suitcase didn’t go unnoticed. Everyone in his group raised an eyebrow, but no one’s eyebrow rose higher than Bree’s. She was carefully watching every move he made.