"I'm sure this could be considered child abuse," Sabrina groaned. How many children had grandmothers who woke them up by banging a metal pot with a spoon? Granny Relda was like a member of the world's most annoying marching band.
"Sorry, liebling, but this is the only way to wake your sister," Granny replied in her light German accent. "Up and at 'em!"
Sabrina rolled over and eyed her seven-year-old sister, Daphne. The two of them had shared a bed for some time now, and Sabrina was well aware of how soundly her little sister slept. Daphne could doze undisturbed through a category-five hurricane, so Granny was forced to resort to unusual methods to wake her. It usually involved the most ear-shattering chaos she could create. To end the racket and save her own eardrums, Sabrina vigorously shook Daphne until her eyes opened.
"Whazzamattawitalllthebangin?" Daphne grumbled.
"It's time to start the day," Granny said, finally setting down her pot and spoon.
The old woman was fully dressed, wearing a bulky coat, mittens, a scarf, and boots. She might have looked as if she were going whale hunting if not for her bright pink hat with a sunflower appliqué in its center. "We've got to get in a little escape training before everyone arrives."
Both girls groaned.
"Granny, we hate escape training. We're no good at it," Daphne complained.
"Nonsense," the old woman said, pulling back the blankets and helping the girls out of bed. "You're both very good at it."
"Then how come we've never escaped?" Sabrina grumbled.
Granny did her best to hide her smile, then turned to exit the room. "Get dressed, girls. There is no time for dillydallying."
"What should we wear?" Sabrina called after her.
"Something warm. Something very, very warm."
The girls had come to understand their grandmother well in the time they had been living with her. If she said to dress lightly, that meant wear as little as possible. If she said to bring a towel, that meant bring a dozen. If she said to dress warmly, that meant two pairs of long johns, four pairs of socks, heavy blue jeans, boots, two sweaters, scarves, mittens, and a down coat. "Very, very warm" might well mean they should bring a portable space heater.
The girls helped each other into thick sweaters, heavy pants, and puffy coats. Sabrina added a wooden sword to her ensemble, shoving it into her belt. Puck had left it in the living room the night before and she had snatched it for her own.
"What's that for?" Daphne asked, eyeing the weapon.
"I'm tired of his surprises," Sabrina said. "This time I'm going to be ready."
Daphne nodded knowingly.
With mittens, scarves, and earmuffs in place, the girls stepped into the hall just as their uncle Jake opened the bathroom door. He smiled and said hello. He was a handsome blond man, lanky, with a crooked nose he'd earned in a fistfight. He was still in his pajamas and had a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth.
"Good luck," he said, giving them a thumbs-up.
"Easy for you to say," Sabrina mumbled. "You're not spending your morning running from a psychopath."
"You say that like it's not going to be any fun," Uncle Jake said with a wink, then he ducked back into the bathroom.
Granny was waiting for them in front of a door at the end of the hall. She sorted through a gigantic key ring that must have held a hundred keys-made of gold, silver, crystal, brass, even a skeleton key that looked like real bone. After finding the one she wanted, she clicked the door open and led the girls inside.
The spare room remained locked because it contained three very valuable things: an ornate, full-length mirror and Sabrina's sleeping parents, Henry and Veronica Grimm. They lay peaceful and still on a queen-size bed Uncle Jake had set up for them. The trio's arrival didn't disturb their sleep in the least. It was deep and, unfortunately, enchanted. Nothing the family had tried could wake Henry and Veronica up. Sabrina was desperate to break the spell that kept them unconscious, but Granny's training sessions kept getting in the way.
The old woman buttoned her coat and turned to the mirror. "Mirror, mirror, the morning is blessed. We're here to train. Are you dressed?"
The reflection in the mirror rippled the way the water does when a rock is thrown into it. Clouds and lighting appeared in the glass, as did an enormous face with an intimidating expression, which quickly brightened into a big smile.
"Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed," Mirror said. "Puck is ready for you. Sorry, girls, I tried to get some clues about what he has planned, but he was tight-lipped."
"Thanks for trying," Daphne said.
"The girls are not supposed to know what he's up to, Mirror. I'm trying to teach them how to prepare for the unpredictable."
"Well, you've chosen the right assistant in Puck," Mirror said.
"Shall we get started, girls?" Granny asked, nudging them toward the reflection.
Daphne reached out to touch the mirror, and her hand slid right through the surface. The image shuddered as Daphne stepped through the reflection and vanished.
"I hope there will be hot cocoa after this," Sabrina said to her grandmother with a grumble.
"I think I can arrange that," the old woman said. She took Sabrina's hand and together they stepped through the mirror, too.
The trio found themselves in a brilliantly lit space, a hallway that seemed as huge as Grand Central Station, with enormous marble columns holding up a barreled ceiling high above their heads. The hallway seemed to go on forever and was lined with hundreds of doors. Waiting for them was a short man in a black tuxedo. He had thinning hair and a soft, kind face. This was Mirror's true face, a far cry from the stormy brute that appeared on the other side of the glass.
"Good morning, Mirror," Sabrina said.
"Look at my little snow bunnies," Mirror said as he clapped his hands with glee. "Are you ready for your escape training?"
Daphne grumbled something under her breath.
"They're both a little tired," Granny explained.
"And hungry," Daphne said.
"The sooner we get started the sooner you can eat," Granny promised.
As Mirror led the group down the hall, Sabrina studied the space. Each doorway was a different shape and size, and many were made from unusual materials. Some were ordinary wood and steel, but others were made of bone, ice, rock, and even fire. A little brass plaque labeled each room: MAGIC CARPETS, UNICORNS, ENCHANGED ARMOR, GOLDEN FLEECES, LIONS, WITCHES, WARDROBES-the doors went on and on.
"Granny, how far does this hallway go?" Sabrina asked. "Does it just go on forever?"
"Oh, no," the old woman said. "There's an ending, I promise. But it would take you many days to get there on foot."
"Of course, the hall gets bigger if needed," Mirror said proudly.
Finally, the group stopped at a door with a plaque that read THE SNOW QUEEN'S KINGDOM. Granny handed Mirror her keys, and he went to work unlocking the door.
"Wait a minute. There's an entire kingdom behind this door?" Sabrina asked.
"Indeed," Granny said. "The Snow Queen's homeland is under lock and key in the Hall of Wonders."
"Why?" Daphne asked.
"At the time, it was decided that it was safer to capture her entire kingdom rather than try to hunt her down."
"Hunt her down? I saw the movie, Granny. She's just misunderstood, and there's a singing snowman!" Daphne said.
"That was the movie, liebling," Granny said. "The real story of the Snow Queen is a bit more…troubling. Hans Christian Andersen's accounts of her crimes-"
"Crimes?" Daphne cried.
"Oh, yes. She froze several people to death," Mirror explained.
"Now, Mirror, she has paid her debt to society," Granny interrupted. "She's settled down now. She lives on Beechwood Avenue near Old MacDonald's farm. I think she drives an ice-cream truck. But her kingdom is still too dangerous to release."
Mirror opened the door, and a bitter wind blasted the group. Sabrina swore she could feel icicles forming on her back teeth. She looked up at her grandmother. "Are you crazy?"
"This is going to be fun," the old woman said as she stepped inside.
"Good luck! I'll thaw you out when you get back," Mirror said as he nudged the girls through and closed the door.
Sabrina glanced around at the frozen wasteland. Everything was covered in ice. The ground was rock hard. Even the forest that stretched out before them was frozen stiff.
"My eyelashes are sticking together," Daphne said.
"Go on, girls," Granny said, pointing to a path that led up a hill bordering the dark wood. "You know how this works. Walk up the path. When you hear my whistle, you'll know you've gone far enough. Then turn around and try to make it back to me as quickly and cleverly as you can. Use your brains, and remember: The simplest way may not be the best way."
Sabrina knew arguing was pointless, so she took her sister by the hand and started down the path. They hadn't gone more than a few yards when they heard laughter echoing through the woods.
"He knows we're here," Sabrina said.
"This is all your fault," Daphne replied.
"My fault?" Sabrina asked. "How is this my fault?"
"You called him an ugly freak baby at dinner last night. Now he's out for revenge."
"It was a term of endearment."
After a while, the girls heard their grandmother's whistle.
"There it is," Sabrina said. They stopped and looked around, expecting Puck to attack at any second, but when he didn't appear after several moments, they turned to head back down the path. "Let's go."
A moment later, they heard more laughter and the sound of flapping wings. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion on the path next to them, resulting in a horrible smell and tons of green smoke.
"Your ugly freak baby is here," Daphne said.
Sabrina grimaced. Daphne was right about Puck. Sabrina teased the boy too much, and now he was going to make her regret it. Not that it was her fault. Puck's immaturity and disdain for personal hygiene made him an easy target-and besides, he gave as good as he got. The Trickster King, as he often called himself, was a four-thousand-year-old fairy and the master of obnoxious pranks, vulgar manners, and dirty tricks. He made himself the bane of Sabrina's existence. How was she supposed to know he couldn't take a little teasing?
There was another explosion, sending the girls darting behind an enormous tree. Sabrina peered around the trunk for Puck. He was nowhere to be seen, but she could hear his beating wings over the chill wind.
"He's booby-trapped the path," Daphne said, shivering. "We should go through the forest."
Sabrina studied a bank of fir trees several yards off the path. Daphne was right. They were thick and would make good cover, but something about them seemed too easy.
"He wants us to hide in the forest."
"Hiding is good," Daphne said. "I'm a big fan of hiding."
"I bet the first two explosions were the only ones on the path. He thinks we'll take to the woods. The rest of the path is probably clear."
"And if you're wrong?"
Sabrina furrowed her brow and thought, searching through her mental filing cabinet from her time in foster care. Granny might have been trying to teach them to think on their feet, but Sabrina and Daphne already had plenty of practice. Sabrina liked to think of herself as "queen of the sneaks" and had gotten the girls out of a lot of tough situations. Puck wasn't the only wily one in the Grimm household.
"I'm not," Sabrina said. "Puck wants us to run into those woods because he's set up something even worse in there. I'm not falling for it."
Daphne's face crinkled as if she'd bitten into a sour pickle. "So you want to stay out in the open? That's your plan?"
"And run really fast," Sabrina added.
Daphne peeked around the corner, then turned back to her sister. "I don't know about-"
But Sabrina didn't give her sister time to think about the plan. She grabbed Daphne by the hand and dragged her back to the path. Sabrina's hunch seemed to be correct. The rest of the path was not riddled with booby traps. Could they have actually outtricked the Trickster King?
Soon, they came across a chunk of ice as big as a car. They stopped to catch their breaths and hid behind it with their backs pressed against its frozen surface. Sabrina took the opportunity to make sure the little wooden sword was still in her belt.
"Sabrina. You're a genius. I think we actually did it," Daphne said, peeking around the frozen boulder. "You're mucho smart-o."
"Mucho smart-o?"
"It's my new word," Daphne said. "It means you're very smart."
"In what language?"
"Daphne-ish," the little girl said matter-of-factly. Sabrina's sister was always coming up with odd little words or sayings. No one had any idea where they came from, but Daphne seemed to have a new one each week.
"You're really good at thinking on your feet," she added. "I wish I was better at it."
"Well, you're good at the magic stuff. I wish I could use a wand," Sabrina admitted. "I guess I'll do what I'm good at, and you'll do what you're good at."
"We make a pretty good team," Daphne said, hugging her sister.
"We do," Sabrina agreed, smiling.
"Isn't this just the sweetest moment?" a familiar voice said from above, with a mischievous snicker. "I'm going to get a cavity."
"Puck," Daphne groaned.
Sabrina craned her neck to get a good look at the boy. He was standing on top of the ice boulder wearing a grungy green hoodie and jeans covered in mud, food, and heaven only knew what else. His shaggy hair bounced in the wind, and he wore a devilish smirk on his face as if he knew something the girls didn't. He held a coconut-shaped device that looked a lot like a grenade. He had half a dozen more of them strapped to various parts of his body.
"What's that in your hand, Puck?" Sabrina asked suspiciously.
"Oh, this? It's my latest creation. I call it a glop grenade. Allow me to demonstrate," Puck said. "All you do is pull the pin, count to three, and throw. The unfortunate moron in its path is sprayed with all manner of disgusting rubbish. This one is filled with hairballs and chili. You'll have to take a lot of showers to wash it all off. You'll probably have to burn your clothes, too. So, where was I? Oh, yes…"
He pulled the pin.
Sabrina lifted her hands to show him they were clenched into fists. "You throw that thing at us, and it will be the biggest mistake of your miserable life, fairy boy."
"One," Puck continued, unimpressed.
"I mean it, you…you ugly little freak baby!" she shouted. She couldn't help herself.
"Two." Puck wound up, and with reflexes she hadn't even known she had, Sabrina snatched her wooden sword and brought it down on his hand. Puck cried out and dropped the grenade. It rolled to the base of a tree, where it blasted the bark with an icky brown-and-yellow slime. The frigid air quickly hardened the substance into an icy shell. Unfortunately, the air couldn't freeze the revolting smell.
"You're going to pay for that, snotface," Puck snarled, but Sabrina was already on her feet, pulling Daphne down the path.
"Look at the piggies run!" she heard him cry. "Silly piggies! You can't outrun me."
He was probably right, but Sabrina was going to try. She ran as fast as she could, stumbling as she lost her footing over and over again on the slippery terrain. Daphne was having just as much difficulty.
"One! Two! Three!" she heard Puck shout, and another foul-smelling grenade exploded just inches behind them.
"C'mon!" Daphne yelled, suddenly diverting the sisters into the forest.
"No! That's where he wants us to go!" Sabrina cried.
"We don't have any other choice," Daphne said as another grenade blasted all over the tree next to them.
They ran through an outcropping of tightly packed maples. Sabrina hoped the trees would provide the girls with cover for a moment so she could figure out what to do next. But her hopes were dashed as soon as she looked up. Hiding in the branches was an army of chimpanzees dressed in white-and-gray camouflage overalls. Each chimp wore a matching soldier's helmet and was holding one of Puck's glop grenades in its long, furry hand.
"OK. No sudden movements," Sabrina said, recalling her first encounter with Puck's primate privates. They were a nasty bunch and wouldn't hesitate to attack, but if the girls were very careful, they might be able to sneak away. "Just be quiet and take a slow step backward."
Daphne did as she was told while Sabrina kept an eye on the chimps. The beasts made no motion to attack. They just stared at the girls with a dull curiosity.
"They're going to let us go," Daphne said. "They're nice monkeys."
Sabrina cringed when she heard the first angry shriek.
"What did I say?" Daphne asked.
"They're not monkeys! And they're very sensitive about that!" Sabrina explained as the first of the grenades exploded at their feet, splattering the ground in what smelled like toilet water and mayonnaise. "Run!" she cried, reaching for her little sister.
But Daphne was already running back the way she'd come.
"Traitor!" Sabrina shouted, chasing after her. The chimps were in hot pursuit. They swung from limb to limb, screaming and spitting and tossing their disgusting weapons at the girls. Explosions went off all around, and the best the girls could do was cover their heads and keep running.
"Doing this without magic is mucho lame-o!" Daphne cried. "If I had the Shoes of Swiftness, we'd be out of here in a flash. I could even stop them with the Golden Cap. I'd like to see their hairy faces when a wave of flying monkeys descends."
"Just head back to the path," Sabrina said. As they approached the clearing, the chimps had fewer branches to swing from. It wasn't long before the dirty fur balls were tumbling out of the trees and falling into the huge snowdrifts below, forcing them to give up the chase. Sabrina glanced back and saw them shaking their fists at her and her sister.
Once the girls were on the path, they found themselves at the top of a steep embankment. At its bottom Sabrina spotted a thin black ribbon of smoke rising into the air. There was a fire burning at the bottom of the hill. When she squinted, Sabrina could see Granny Relda sitting next to it in a Victorian-style stuffed chair, her legs propped up on an ottoman. Sabrina couldn't help but grin, especially when the woman rose to her feet and waved. She seemed just as surprised as the girls that they had made it this far. A wave of pride rolled over Sabrina.
"We're going to make-"
Sabrina didn't get to finish her sentence. She lost her footing, flailing onto her back and sliding down the hill. In an attempt to steady herself, she'd grabbed Daphne's arm on her way down, but all it did was yank her little sister off her feet, too. Together, they hurtled down the embankment.
"No fair!" Puck cried as he swooped down over them, tossing one grenade after another. None hit their target-a lucky break for the girls, since there was nothing they could have done to avoid his attacks. They spun, flopped, skidded, and tumbled down the hill with no way to steer or stop. At the bottom, they slammed into their grandmother, knocking her off her feet.
"Lieblings! Are you OK?" Granny Relda asked.
"We're fine, Granny," Daphne replied. "Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine. Congratulations, girls. You passed the test!"
Suddenly, Puck appeared overhead with his last grenade in hand.
"No way! They cheated!" Puck whined.
"How did we cheat?" Daphne demanded.
"I don't know yet," Puck said.
"Puck, the girls beat you. There's no cause for sour grapes," the old woman said.
"I'll show you sour grapes," he said, tossing the last of his weapons. It hit the ground hard and rolled between Sabrina's legs.
"Puck, NO!" Granny shouted.
Sabrina cringed, expecting to be drenched in something disgusting. After a few moments, she opened her eyes, studied Puck's weapon, and smiled. The pin was still in place. She got to her feet, picked up the grenade, and pulled the pin.
"One," Sabrina said.
"Uh-oh," Puck said. "Put it down, piggy!"
"Two."
"I'm warning you," Puck growled. "I'll make you regret this!"
Sabrina didn't wait for three. She threw the grenade. It hit Puck in the chest, where it exploded in a purple burst that smelled like rotten eggs, pumpkins, and ranch dressing. The substance completely soaked him and then froze instantly in the frigid air, encasing him in an icy cocoon. His pink wings were still free, but the ice was too heavy. He plummeted to the ground with a thud.
Granny rested her hand on his frozen head. "We'll get you out lickety-split," she promised. Then, she opened a door, standing by itself in open space. "Go ahead, lieblings. You earned it."
Together, the girls stepped through the doorway into a welcome flood of warm air and bright light. Mirror and Uncle Jake were waiting on the other side.
"So, what's the verdict?" Uncle Jake asked.
Daphne beamed. "We passed!"
"Congrats, peanut," Uncle Jake cried, swooping up the little girl and planting a big smooch on her forehead. "I knew you could do it."
Mirror rushed to Sabrina and shook her hand vigorously. "Well done!"
"Thank you, Mirror," Sabrina said, her chest swelling up with pride. It was unusual for her family to praise her-not that she could blame them. In the past, she had been a cranky, argumentative jerk.
A third man interrupted the celebration, approaching from the mirror's portal at the end of the hall. He was enormous, standing nearly seven feet tall, with a shock of gray hair and bright gray eyes. His hands, one of which had dark black claws instead of fingers, were covered in fur, and a bushy tail hung out of the back of his trousers.
Mr. Canis hadn't always been a hairy giant. When the girls had first met him, he'd seemed like the frailest old man in the world, but he was changing, and not for the better. His new appearance reminded Sabrina that a monster called the Big Bad Wolf lived inside him and was slowly clawing its way out.
"Mr. Canis," Granny said. "The girls passed their escape test."
"I am pleased," Mr. Canis said, though his face didn't reflect his words. The old man did not smile often. "Relda, some of your guests have arrived."
"Oh dear me," Granny cried. "I'm not even finished cooking-oh, and Puck! Oh dear, Jacob, he could use a hand. He's just on the other side of the door."
Uncle Jake stepped through the doorway. A moment later he returned with Puck hoisted on his shoulder, still frozen solid.
"Where should I put him?" Jake asked, sniffing the boy. "Oh, mercy! He smells like a septic tank."
"Put him in the shower," Granny said. "The hot water will melt the ice, and he could use a bath anyway."
Puck mumbled angrily. Bathing was not one of his favorite pastimes.
"Stop your grumbling," Granny said to the boy. "When you're out of the shower, I'd like you to wear something clean. Perhaps that blue shirt with the cute little alligator on it that I bought for you."
Puck's unpleasant mumbling got louder.
"Puck, wear the shirt!" Granny Relda insisted. "We're having guests."
Daphne clapped her hands like a child at a birthday party. "The princesses are coming!"
The group walked back through the portal into the spare bedroom where Henry and Veronica rested. Uncle Jake carried Puck to the shower. Mr. Canis said he was going to get some rest, and Granny and Daphne rushed downstairs to greet the guests.
Sabrina, however, stayed behind, sitting down on the bed next to Henry and Veronica. They lay quietly, as if they were enjoying an afternoon nap. Sabrina ran her hand across her father's stubbly beard and kissed her mother on the forehead. A normal person might have been very disturbed by Sabrina's morning-flying boys, magical doorways, glop grenades, a wolfman, parents trapped under a spell-but for her, it was just another day in Ferryport Landing.
Sabrina's life hadn't always been so strange. Once, she was just a normal girl living in New York City with her family. There were times back then when she actually thought her life was boring. That all changed the night Henry and Veronica disappeared, with a bloodred handprint painted on the dashboard of their car as the only clue. The girls were placed in an orphanage and then the foster-care system, where they bounced from one crazy caretaker to the next-until Granny Relda showed up to take them in. Sabrina had been sure the old woman was just another whack-a-doodle. After all, according to Sabrina's dad, Granny Relda was supposed to be dead. Plus, the old woman was full of outlandish stories about their ancestors, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, and how their famous book of fairy tales was really a history of actual events. And she told them their new hometown of Ferryport Landing was also the home of all those fairy-tale characters, now known as Everafters.
Sabrina truly thought the old woman was off her rocker. Until Granny Relda was kidnapped by a giant.
The girls rescued her, and even more bizarre adventures followed. Soon, the girls were caught up in the fight to stop an evil group known as the Scarlet Hand from destroying the town.
Sabrina resisted her destiny for a long time. She wasn't interested in becoming a fairy-tale detective like her parents, her grandparents, and her ancestors before them. For Sabrina, the danger, chaos, and just plain craziness of the Grimm responsibility had taken some getting used to. Only recently, after a trip back to New York City, had she realized it was time for her to give the family business a chance.
Now, her days were packed with training: lessons on self-defense, crime-scene investigation, tracking, and the use of magical items. The latter was a class Daphne excelled in, but Sabrina didn't feel right around too much magic. She didn't like who she became when she used it-she was addicted, or "touched" as some of the Everafters said. Still, Granny felt it was important that Sabrina understood how magic worked and, especially, how to defend herself and her sister against it. The training was exhausting. But Sabrina was enjoying herself-especially when it came to things she excelled at, like clue finding and criminal psychology, both taught by former police deputies Boarman and Swineheart. All of it was fun…except for the glop grenades, of course.
As Sabrina sat on the bed, Mirror's face reappeared.
"How are the sleepyheads?" he asked.
"The same," Sabrina said with a sigh.
"Well, that's what the party is for. Maybe someone will have the key to waking them up."
Sabrina nodded hopefully. "Granny invited everyone who's ever been enchanted. Daphne is nearly jumping out of her pants. She's in a princess phase."
"All little girls have them," Mirror said with a smile.
"Not me," Sabrina said.
"Of course not. You're rough and tough," he teased.
She smiled. Unlike other magical items, Mirror was also a person-flesh and blood-even though he couldn't leave the confines of the Hall of Wonders. He was a good friend and confidant to Sabrina, and lately she turned to him more than anyone else. He always seemed to understand how she felt.
"By the way, you haven't told me what you want for your birthday yet. It's four days away," Mirror said. "It's not easy to shop when you're trapped inside a mirror, you know,"
"All I want is Mom and Dad," Sabrina said, looking at her parents. "Happy, healthy, and wide awake."
"It'll happen, sugarplum. Now, you better get downstairs. You've got to keep an eye on that uncle of yours. He's going through a princess phase of his own."
Sabrina laughed. "Was he always this girl-crazy?"
"He was worse," Mirror said with an eye roll as his head faded from the reflection. Sabrina leaned over, kissed her mom and dad on the cheek, and got up from the bed. "Just hang on a little longer," she told them. "We're going to find a way. I promise."