Part 9 (1/2)
Boys and woodland creatures were quick to help Apple White, but the pixies were unaffected by her genetic damsel-in-distress trait. Perhaps they didnat speak her language.
Apple knew someone who surely spoke theirs.
aGala, sweetie, do you think you could find Ashlynn Ella?a Apple asked.
As soon as her snow fox was out of sight, Apple began to have doubts. The Evil Queen said they must do this alone. But here she was asking Ashlynn for help. And for that matter, the Mad Hatter had helped, too. Had she already damaged the spell?
Then again, what did adonat ask for helpa really mean? Was Raven supposed to get all the ingredients herself? Or was Apple? She could feel herself spiraling into a series of questions that she wouldnat be able to answer. This was exactly why things needed to remain on script.
Sheas evil, Apple reminded herself. You can listen to what she suggests but donat have to do exactly what she says.
Apple did not have long to fret. Ashlynn was already returning with Gala. Her long strawberry blond hair was loose but for a braid encircling her head like a headband. She wore mint and coral, her presence bringing a bouquet of bright colors into the forest shadows.
aWow, that was fast!a said Apple.
aI was nearby waiting fora someoneaa Ashlynn cleared her throat. aGala said you needed my help?a aYes, I need to make will oa the wisps tea fora somethingaa Apple also cleared her throat. Apparently, they both had secrets. aAnd I was wonderinga”a aPixies!a said Ashlynn.
One of the pixie coaches yodeled, and the two teams flew off the court and straight to Ashlynn, buzzing around her, tidying her hair, giving her tiny kisses on the tip of her nose and ears. Ashlynn giggled. They jabbered in high voices Apple couldnat understand any more than she could understand the buzz of a honeybee, but Ashlynn had no trouble.
aItas so good to see you all, too. Whoas winning today? Really? Wouldnat that give the blue team three straight wins? I see, how fascinating. Yes, Iam sure the green team has an excellent chance. I see you recruited two new whisperers. Oh my, now donat tell me that, you know my fondness for moths. Yes, of course Iall let you get back to the game, I was just wondering, do you have a spare wisp my dear friend Apple could have?a There was indeed a spare wisp wandering just out of bounds behind a willow tree. Several pixies from both teams whispered it over to Apple. She thanked them and held the glowing thing in her hands. It tickled her palm like a static-electric feather. Before it could disappear, Apple removed a gold ring from her pinkie and threaded some of the wisp through it. The Mad Hatteras book had said only metal would ground the wisp in Ever After until it could be brewed.
The pixies returned to their game, and Ashlynn watched them for a few moments, cheering moves Apple didnat quite catch.
aI should go,a said Ashlynn. aI have to, uh, meet that someone.a aThanks, Ashlynn!a Apple had just left behind the shadow of the forest when another shadow cast her in shade. She looked up to see an elephant-sized dragon.
aNevermore!a said Apple. aWhat a pleasant surprise. Will you go find Raven? She could probably use some help.a The dragon snorted and flew off.
Apple felt the will oa the wisp vibrate in her hand, as if it had caught a breeze in Faerie and would have pa.s.sed over if not for the little gold ring anchoring it in Ever After. Apple began to run. She needed to get that wisp into a teapot and tackle the next riddle.
This was going to be a long day. But, for Maddieas sake, would it be long enough?
MADDIE SAT ALONE IN THE TEA SHOP kitchen, feeding tiny pieces of cheese to her dormouse, Earl Grey. It was unclear if she could hear the Narrator or not.
Of course I can, Narrator. I am mad, after all.
Okay, Ia uh, Iam not supposed to talk to you, you know, but I just feel so bad about whatas happening, especially witha”
Achoo!
Bless you. Donat tell me you have a cold on top of everything else?
No, itas just that theyare sending me to Neverland, and you know how piratesa aha aha Achoo! Pirates make me sneeze. Iam pretty sure I developed an allergy to them on Yester Day. Now even the thought ofa”Achoo!a”of pirates makes me sniffly and itchy and p.r.o.ne to bursts of air exploding out my nostrils.
Oh dear. There are a lot of pirates in Neverland.
Yeaha Iall get used to them eventually, right? I am sorry that my dad is losing his tea shop. And most of all about leaving my best friend till The End Raven Queena but sheas too busy to spend my last day together, so maybe she doesnat really mind that Iam going away.
Oh, Maddie, I wish I could share with you everything I know.
I wish I could share with you some of this lovely charm blossom tea paired with raspberry preserves on a warm baguette. You know, baguette almost rhymes with p-p-pira”Achoo!
THE CROWN OF TERROR PAST.
THE Sh.e.l.l INSIDE STILL LASTS.
THE ITEM YOU SEEK, A TOY OF THE WEAK.
MAJESTY DOWNED, RUN AGROUND IN TOWN.
TO ECHO NOW NAUGHT BUT HAPPY SOUNDS.
RAVEN WALKED ALL OVER BOOK END. The riddle said, arun aground in town,a and in that she hoped it was literal. Book End was the only town around. She snooped through narrow alleys where so little sunlight filtered between the roofs that the fairy streetlamps stayed on all day. She jogged through residential areas with town houses fit so tightly together they resembled books on a shelf. She stalked open streets lined with pumpkin houses, giant shoe houses, and crooked houses at the end of crooked paths. And all the while Raven repeated the riddle to herself, but nothing caught her eye.
The only place she didnat wander was Book Endas Main Street, where the Mad Hatteras Haberdashery & Tea Shoppe sat mostly empty and totally sad. Raven couldnat bear to see Maddie again and not say, or think, a word.
Usually she and Maddie would hang out together on a weekend like today, chatting over late breakfast and tea and then going shopping or heading to the Enchanted Forest and hanging with Nevermore and picking flowers and other ingredients for teas.
And now, she just didnat know. Maybe she was evil after all, if doing what she thought was right only ended up making people suffer.
No, she thought stubbornly. This wasnat her fault. All she had wanted was to choose her own life, her own destiny. Raven sighed. She couldnat be blamed for everything getting out of control, right? Was it her fault that people saw what she did anda”
Never mind! Solve the cursed riddle for Maddie. She needs you now.
What the hex was a acrown of terror pasta? An actual crown? No. Crowns were never really crowns in riddles. They were always hats, or kings or queens, or things that sit on top of stuff.
Raven heard laughter echoing down an alley. Little kid laughter. That counted as ahappy sounds,a so she followed it to the playground.
She found a bench and sat. It was one of those candy benches that had become popular in parks a few years back. Raven remembered that her dad let her eat an entire peppermint armrest from a park bench near their castle. This one was old, though. All the good bits had been eaten off or were now so calcified that youad break your teeth if you tried. She adjusted, and her skirt stuck a bit.
The playground had the standard castle play set, with a candy-cane climbing pole that everyone licked on the way down. Raven was amazed now that shead never gotten sick doing that, or sprained her tongue or something. There were a giant boot playhouse, a slide that looked like a tongue lolling out of an ogreas head, a small merry-go-round spinning all around a mulberry bush, a mini gla.s.s tower kids could save one another from (or save themselves, as Raven used to when she was little).
In the center was a huge climbing dome, only this one wasnat a spiderweb shape like normal, it was molded to look like the skull of a dragon. She walked up to the play skull and touched it. Shead lived with her mother long enough to be able to recognize the feel of actual bone. This skull was the real deal.
Raven laughed out loud, and a couple of parents nearby eyed her warily. She ignored them and did a little happy dance.
aThatas the Evil Queenas daughter,a she heard someone whisper.
Let them whisper all they wanted. Shead solved the riddle! The acrowna was the head, the aterrora was the dragon, the ash.e.l.la the skull. And the children were using it as a atoy.a But Ravenas giddy feeling turned into a cringe when she took a step back and realized it would take a team of horses to pull it free. Besides, how could she get it up to her room unseen? Let alone fit it through the door. She needed help, and that was exactly what her mother had said she shouldnat have.
Just then Nevermore flapped down on her leathery wings and landed next to her. Even though she was in her more polite large-dog-size, parents scattered, screaming.
aThe Evil Queenas daughter!a someone yelled. aAnd her evil dragon minion!a aWoofie,a came a small, excited voice from somewhere near her knee. A tiny girl, probably no older than two, had toddled up to Nevermore. She had her hand out, and Nevermore nuzzled it. aWoofie,a the girl said again, giggling.
aAzure!a called a voice.
Cedar Wood came running up. She was smiling, the wood of her face supple and full of movement. Her face and arms were a warm brown and showed the delicate curves of wood grain, and her dark brown hair was full of wavy curls. She wore her casual day-off clothesa”lederhosen overall shorts with a paint-splattered T-s.h.i.+rt beneath.