Part 7 (2/2)

aI think you mentioned it,a Raven said. aI mean, that thing you did with the daemon just now could be a song.a aNah,a Humphrey said, cheeks coloring. aThe good stuff comes from the soul.a Raven started to edge back to the door. She had a suspicion this conversation was going to turn awkward.

aI have another beat I wrote, Apple,a Humphrey said. aItas kind of about you guys.a Uh-oh, Raven thought, here comes the awkward.

aItas wicked cool,a said Dexter.

aIad love to hear it,a Apple said.

Humphrey turned his crown backward, picked up his microphone, and started a beat from his mirrors.

aIs this a sitting-down thing?a Raven whispered to Apple as Humphrey began to rap.

Yo. Time to light a candle

for change you canat handle, yaall.

Hup!

Down with the standard gotta get with the band or try to withstand the a.s.sault of the cult of the soon-to-be queens a team of two teens youad never expect Except for the beauty the two they share nothing or do they have more in common than a blackbird and swan?

This piper, this p.a.w.n tries to stand strong alongside them to guide them but like that Piper Iam pied then by the twist and the bend of plot, path, and trend, so later my friend, atis time for The. End.

Apple squealed and clapped.

Raven applauded rapidly. aThanks so much, Humphrey. Youare a knight in s.h.i.+ning eggsh.e.l.l armor. Thanks, Dex. Iam sorry to scat, but weare fairy pressed for time.a aAinat no thang,a said Humphrey. aRavenas standing mirror in your room is programmed with the rabbit hole. Be careful where you browse with it.a aSee you later, Raven?a asked Dexter.

aDefinitely. Thanks again.a Raven grabbed Appleas arm and pulled her out the door.

Raven kept her head down as they hurried through the castle, afraid to see anyone who might slow them down. Maddie had less than twenty-four hours.

Raven shut the door to their room and touched the k.n.o.b, murmuring a locking spell and squeezing shut her eyes, tensed for the spell to backfire. Her magic always worked better when she used it for evil, but she was never certain what her magic would deem evil. This time, the spell held. Apparently abreaking rules=bada outweighed ahelping Maddie=good.a The locking spell wouldnat stop Blondiea”nothing could do thata”but hopefully the curly-haired porridge lover wouldnat come around looking for Apple.

Apple was standing in the center of the room, a good fifteen feet back from Ravenas ebony-framed, full-length mirror.

aYou ready?a Raven asked.

aAs ready as Iam going to be,a Apple said, staying exactly where she was.

aSo as soon as my mirror is connected to mirror prison, remember not to touch it.a aWhat?a Apple started walking backward. aWaita you mean thereas a chance she could pop out of there and into this room?a aIn all likelihood, it would take a lot more than just touching the mirror to let her out,a said Raven. aHeadmaster Grimm says the spells binding her in mirror prison are the strongest stuff there is. But my mother is such a powerful sorceress we shouldnat even risk a touch.a aOkay,a Apple said, exhaling the word on a trembling breath.

Raven sat on the floor in front of the mirror and tapped it. Instead of merely reflecting her image, icons popped up, opening a connection to the local network. aI can do this alone, if you want. Or at least try to do it.a Apple whimpered quietly but came closer.

aIave only ever contacted my mom from our home mirror,a Raven said, aso Iam not sure how toa”a Apple swiped through some commands, and a view of a slowly turning green ring appeared. aThis is the data carousel that routes mirror traffic. You can spin the carousel until you get to the path youare looking for.a Raven opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again. aI have no idea how you did that.a Apple kept swiping the carousel, tapping paths, searching. Raven noticed that its greenish color was bleeding into scarlet.

aApple!a Raven shouted. A monstrous face was forminga”deep eyes, wide nostrils, stubby horns. aWe forgot to play thea thea Humphrey loop,a Raven said, scrabbling at her handbag for her phone. aThe warding beat thing!a aOf course,a Apple said, and in two quick moves, she had her phone out and Humphreyas rhyme was playing.

No fear drear sphere

just a trick oa the mirror weare a mere fleck of dust you must adjust steer clear veer to the rear nothing is as it appears The face started to fade.

aWhew,a Apple said. aThat was close!a Raven nodded and crept back to the mirror. aWaita itas turning red again.a A gargoyle-like face popped back up, opening a huge, toothy mouth.

aUgh!a Apple said, scrambling again for her phone. With a swipe and a tap, Humphreyas rap was back on. aI forgot to set it on repeat.a Slowly the face, and then the color, drained from the mirror view.

aSo can you get us on my castleas network?a said Raven. aThereas a mirror there that connects to Momas prison once a year. If we can find ita”a aHexcellent idea,a Apple said, tapping the mirror.

Raven began to see things that looked familiar.

There was that MirrorChat node for the village kids that her dad was always trying to get her to use, and the place where you could order fried noodles for delivery.

aThere it is!a Raven shouted. She slid forward and tapped a dark speck in the corner of the mirror. It enlarged to show another carousel ring with what looked like a single green mirror node. aWhenever I tried to access this on days that werenat approved, this node was dark,a she said, tapping it. The words and digital carousel flickered and faded. aWhoa. Itas connecting already! Humphreyas hack worked.a Skinny silver sparks buzzed across the mirroras surface. For a moment it was just a mirror, Ravenas own face reflected back. Then the view deepened till it seemed she was looking through a window into a sunny, large room with many mirrors on the walls. Raven put her hand on Appleas arm, reminding her not to touch the mirror now.

The Evil Queen walked into view, dark and beautiful. Apple gasped and fell back, scrambling away on her hands.

aOh!a said the Evil Queen. She smiled slowly.

Each time Raven saw her motheras face, she had the uncomfortable feeling that she was looking into a mirrora”but a mirror mirror. They shared the same strong brows, nose, and chin, and the same purple-tinted irises, pale skin. Like her, the queen had purple highlights streaking through her black hair, though usually she also had a little gray. Now the gray hairs were gone. Surely there was no salon in mirror prison where she could dye them, and Raven knew she couldnat have used sorcery to change their color, because the prison blocked all magic.

Usually she wore a striped prison jumpsuit, but now she was dressed in a black-and-scarlet gown as if about to go out to dinner. Or to overthrow a kingdom. Not to mention her cell looked a lot larger than Raven remembered and the walls were covered with mirrors. Perhaps the prison rules had relaxed, privileges for good behavior?

aRaven!a said the queen. aWhat a pleasant surprise!a aUh, hi, Mother,a Raven said awkwardly. She had hoped to ready herself before actually talking to her mom. Oh well. aItas good to see you, too.a aOf course,a the queen said, gesturing dismissively. aBut what a surprise to see you in this way. Youave broken the locks! Butaa”she touched the mirrora”ayou havenat actually broken them. Clever. A little regrettable, but clever.a She s.h.i.+fted her position and looked at Apple. aAnda is that Snowas daughter back there? Partic.i.p.ating in such skullduggery as this? Scales and snails, girl, youave surpa.s.sed yourself!a Apple crossed her arms and put on a brave face, but Raven saw that she was s.h.i.+vering.

aI suppose I have you to thank, Snowflake,a said the queen. aYears Iave been imprisoned and my own daughter never bothered to sneak in a little extra time with her beloved mother. Not until she befriended the daughter of my nemesis. Well. At least she knows how to make use of her friends.a Raven bowed her head. Facing her mother, she felt six years old againa”shy, uncomfortable, anxious that she was doing something wrong. She had to stop that. What she was doing was important, and she needed to be big Raven, Raven who was Maddieas best friend and In Charge of the Situation. Rebel Raven. She took a deep breath and tried to meet her motheras intimidating gaze.

aWell, I suppose itas too much to a.s.sume youave come to break me out?a asked the queen.

aRighta no,a Raven said. aSorry.a The queen looked at her nails. aPity. Just miss me, then?a aNo, I mean, yes, but thereas something else.a aIave told you,a the queen said, sighing. aI donat know where that wretched stuffed bunny of yours is.a aWhat? No.a aStuffed bunny?a whispered Apple.

aI donat know why you held on to that thing for so long,a said the queen. aI think it a blessing the nasty little totem found its way to oblivion.a aI found Prince Bun-Bun, Mother,a said Raven. aLast year. At the bottom of the moat.a aGreat Gorgons, Raven! What were you doing swimming in that filth?a aPrince Bun-Bun?a whispered Apple.

aI was looking for Prince Bun-Bun,a Raven said through clenched teeth. aAnd I found him.a aWell, good for you. Sometimes one has to do dirty and distasteful things to achieve oneas goals,a the queen said, looking at her significantly. aSorry.a Raven was frozen for a moment. Sorry was not a word she was used to hearing from her mother. Was she apologizing about the bunny? Or maybe even for all shead donea”not only to Ever After, but to Raven herself? The neglect, the curtness, the years of evil training? Or was she playing games as always? Raven hated this. Still feeling six, she had a sudden urge to run to her father for a hug.

<script>