Rules of a Fairytale

It was dark for all of one second before the power of Red’s hood took over. It was like being inside a dream, but it definitely wasn’t one of my dreams. I was human again, inside a simple bedroom wearing the cloak. Across from me, a pretty blonde girl wearing the same thing was talking to a lump in the small bed.

“The better to eat you with,” the lump growled as it sprang forward. My eyes widened as the girl squealed and tried to run from the big bad wolf. He caught her easily, but that wasn’t the end of the story. A man came crashing through the door, ax swinging wildly.

And then it was as if someone hit pause on the remote. Everything froze, except for the wolf, who looked right at me.

“So what are you going to do, little one? You can change everything right now.”

“Wh-what?”

“You have the cloak. Stop the woodsman right now and this will be the end of the Riding Hood bloodline. Wolves will not be hunted and we will have their kingdom as our own.”

“What do you mean, we?”

“You have always been destined to be Alpha, little wolf. An entire kingdom can be yours and your subjects would not have to hide in shadows.”

I thought of sweet, helpful Bo and the kind young nurse that I met at the den. They didn’t deserve to be hated and feared.

And then I thought of my parents and of Ryder. “My mom and dad wouldn’t have met if he was part of the pack, and I won’t hurt Ryder by changing Red’s ending. I’m sorry, but that’s not why I’m here.”

“Then why do you have the cloak?” Alpha growled.

I stood tall and met his ferocious glare. “I’m going to use its magic to undo The Empress’s curse. Dad, Tate, and I are turning back human-at least until the next full moon.”

He looked at me long and hard for what felt like forever. Finally, right as time started again, he nodded and his honey-gold eyes glowed with something like respect.

The tiniest bit of light filtered in and my skin itched. “Get it off. Get it off. Get it off,” I shouted while I tried desperately to wiggle out of the confining material.

The red hood was stripped away and a pair of sure hands quickly grabbed my shoulders to steady me. My heartbeat settled down enough to realize that Ryder was the one keeping me grounded and I was not longer in my wolf form. Stepping back, I was able to take in the whole room and saw that Dad and Tate were back to normal, too.

“I didn’t really hurt you, did I?” Tate grimaced. Long scratches tore into my dirty T-shirt and the skin through the holes looked pink. The cuts weren’t deep and they didn’t hurt too much. I just shrugged away his worries.

My mom pulled me away from the prince and fussed over me. She yanked up my sleeve to look at the scrapes herself. A wrinkle popped up between her eyebrows and she frowned. I guess she figured that I would live because she sighed and cupped my cheek in her palm. I breathed in her sugary scent. “What happened, baby? You disappeared for a second and then the three of you were human again.”

“It was only a second? I mean, I didn’t realize I actually left, but it felt like at least a few minutes.” My eyes met Ryder’s. “I saw when the Alpha attacked your ancestor, and when the woodsman got there. The wolf, he talked to me. He tried to convince me to change the past.”

“Why didn’t you?”

I combed my fingers through a knot in my dark hair. “I’m about half sure we’re friends. I wouldn’t erase you like that. Besides, there’s no telling what that would’ve done to the rest of us.”

“So can you still use the cloak to open the door?” Brooke asked. “You guys almost had it before the fairy got here.”

Tate shifted nervously and eyed the cloak like it was a snake ready to strike. Mom took it from Brooke’s hands. “I’ve got it. Just manipulate the magic, right?”

She pressed the scarlet fabric to the door with both hands and her chocolate eyes narrowed in concentration. From what I could see, nothing really happened but I guess she was able to tap into her fairy magic because the door clicked and slid open on its groaning wheels. My dad stepped out into The Empress’s trophy room first and sniffed the air. As the only full wolf, his sense of smell was better than anyone else’s and we waited until he gave us the green light.

Tate took point. He was the best with fairy magic and his wolf senses gave him an added advantage so it only made sense. Dad came last, doing the dad thing and making sure everyone was accounted for. I was nervous through the whole walk from the dungeon to the main door, thinking we’d be caught at any second. The knots didn’t let up until we were in the warm sunshine a mile from the castle.

My dad pulled Mom against his chest in a tight hug and gave her a quick kiss. It was hard to guess how long they’d been cooped up in that dungeon and it must have driven Dad crazy that he hadn’t protected her from it. Their freedom was something he wanted to embrace with her.

Tate cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed by our parents’ show of affection. “So our quest is done. Now what?”

Mom still leaned against Dad. “We all go home. Prince Ryder, you have your cloak. You can accompany us to Steven’s castle and I’m sure my cousin will arrange a ride for you. I want to see my father before the rest of us go back to Miami.”

“Of course, dear,” Dad agreed.

We’d done what we came to do, rescued my parents and got the cloak back, and I was ready to go home. But just leaving didn’t feel right. The Fairy Godmother had failed in taking my power but who knew what was next on her quest for world domination. And what would happen to the pack is I just left?

I had a lot to think about on the long hike back to civilization. It was two days back to Steven’s palace and the days went by without any further trouble. Maybe the Fairy Godmother hadn’t noticed we were gone, or maybe she was plotting, which was a much scarier thought.

“Cousin, it is so good to see you,” King Steven greeted when we walked through the castle doors. He hugged my mom and kissed both of her cheeks. He even shook my dad’s hand before putting and arm around Tate and one around me. “Did the magic mirror serve its purpose?”

I ducked out from under his arm and ran my fingers through my hair. I really needed some shampoo and conditioner and a nice, long bubble bath. “For the most part. But I, um, kind of lost it.”

His blonde eyebrows rose up and he frowned. Whoops. “How?”

I continued tugging at my hair. “Have you heard of The Empress?”

His frown only deepened and wrinkles marked up his forehead and mouth. “Yes, Tasha, I have. There have been rumors of a witch attempting to gain power to overthrow the kingdom.”

“She’s not a witch. She’s the Fairy Godmother and she wants to overthrow all of the kingdoms. She has the mirror now...”

I trailed off. I had totally forgotten about it and my stomach knotted up. She didn’t have my magic, but if she could figure out the mirror, she would have eyes everywhere.

“Simon, gather my advisors and any magic users. Find someone who knows magical antiquities,” Steven commanded. “Lisette, my dear, your father is up in the hospital. Prince Ryder, you have my thanks in accompanying Tate and Tasha in rescuing Lisette and Cale. My stable master will have a carriage readied for you immediately.”

With that, he was gone and I felt terrible for losing the mirror. As if The Empress needed more arsenal for her hostile takeover. I stood in the large entryway for much longer than I should have, staring off into space and trying to figure out my next move. I didn’t even realize that my family was halfway up the grand staircase to the left until someone put a hand on my shoulder. I blinked and pulled myself out of my thoughts. Brooke and Ryder were still next to me, looking slightly out of place. One of the castle valets waited at the door for the prince.

“Your parents and Tate are headed up to see your grandpa. I think Ryder is going to wait with me until it’s time to go back home. You should go see you family.”

Brooke was right, but I didn’t listen to her advice. I marched up to the valet who would pack Ryder up and send him back to Red’s kingdom in some fancy carriage. “What happened to the wolves that brought my grandfather home?”

The valet blinked very large brown eyes. He was an older guy with a bit of a stoop and a round belly. He probably hadn’t given Bo and the others a second thought when they were here and it looked like he was struggling to remember who I was talking about.

“Ah, yes,” he finally muttered. “The king kept them for several hours for questioning when they arrived with Lord Andrew. Once His Highness was satisfied that they were indeed sent by you, he sent them on their way. I do not know where they went.”

I nodded to the old valet and turned back to my friends. “Ryder, I think you need to go home.”

He reeled back as if I’d just smacked him. “What?”

“I’m not trying to get rid of you, but I know that she’s coming. You’re involved so she’s going to go after you, too. Your kingdom needs to be warned. You have to be there for them in case anything happens.”

He sighed, but he knew I was right. “So, I guess this is goodbye.”

Brooke sobbed and threw her arms around his neck. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that, considering Tate liked her. Then she surprised me by saying, “Be careful. I’ll do what I can on this end to keep an eye out for her.”

“Who? The Empress?”

She flushed at my question and the prince froze for a second. Then, he reached out and pulled me to his chest. “You guys stay safe. Please don’t do anything reckless.”

I hugged him back. “I’ll be good.”

He looked like he wanted to say something more, but he turned back to the valet and disappeared inside the carriage. Brooke and I watched as it rattled down the paved drive until it vanished around the corner. I sighed and ran my fingers through my tangled hair.

“You’re not sending me home,” Brooke said as soon as I turned back to her. She laced her arm through mine and started pulling me back into the castle. “Let’s go check on your family and then you can strategize what we’re going to do when the evil fairy comes. Can I suggest a wolf army to start?”

“Well if I knew where Bo and the others were, I’d call them. But I- Wait! That morning after we all camped together, he said that if I ever need anything to just whistle and someone from the pack would be there. And the wolves were close enough to rescue me when I was attacked by trolls.”

“So you are being followed?”

“No, I don’t think so. We barely knew where we’re going so it’d be almost impossible for any wolves to follow us- and if that were the case, Bo would have just had them join us directly. I think the pack is spread out. It would be too dangerous for all of them to be at the den so there must be safe houses throughout all of the realms.”

“So…?”

I gave a big whistle and she jumped in surprise. The nearest guard turned to look at me like I was nuts. I smiled sweetly back at him. “We’re going up to the infirmary to check my grandfather. Please let me know if any wolves show up.” He opened his mouth to argue and my eyes flashed from brown to gold while a low growl rumbled in my chest. He nodded quickly in response.

“Where were you?” Tate hissed when we walked into the castle’s hospital wing.

“We said goodbye to Ryder and I called for backup.”

“Ahh. I heard that. I almost came running down the stairs, but I didn’t realize it was your call. That explains why I wanted to check on you.”

“An Alpha’s call is hard to ignore,” Dad replied mildly. He leaned up against the wall, watching Mom. She was over at the bed clutching on to Grandpa’s hand with tears leaving wet tracks down her face. I didn’t like seeing my grandpa looking so weak in that bed. He looked better than he had when we found him in the trolls’ dungeon, but it was still awful to see the amazing knight I’d grown up with lying so still.

“So do you think the others will come?” I asked my dad without taking my eyes away from Grandpa’s still form.

“If they are close enough, yes. Do you think that The Empress will come here? From what I’ve seen, she doesn’t have enough power for a full attack yet.”

I leaned my back against the doorway and sighed. “She didn’t get my magic so she can’t take over all of the kingdoms, but she’s got enough to come after me. And now that she has the mirror…”

He draped one arm around my shoulders. “You can’t be too hard on yourself, Tasha. You did everything you could. Keep in mind that you’re still a teenager and you did way more than anyone your age should have had to.”

I leaned into him. I still felt bad about losing the mirror, but there was nothing I could do about that now. I drew comfort from my dad, the way I did when I was a little girl afraid of the dark. I was a daddy’s girl and even though he never admitted it, I was totally his favorite kid. Dad made me feel almost invincible, which was definitely needed if I was going to rally my wolf army against whatever The Empress threw our way.

“Ahem.” The guard from downstairs stood awkwardly in the threshold of the hallway. His face was screwed up like he’d just tasted plain vanilla extract, which I tried in my mom’s bakery once, and his limp brown hair was ruffled like he’d been running. “Lady Tasha, your, er, friends have arrived.”

“Go,” Dad muttered. “I’ll watch your mom and grandpa. I won’t let her know where you are because she’ll freak out. Just be careful.”

I felt like we’d just gotten Mom and Dad back and I didn’t want to leave them so soon. Most teenagers probably would have enjoyed a month without their parents, but obviously I wasn’t like most. I hugged him, kissed his cheek, then snuck out the door before my mom noticed. Tate and Brooke were right on my heels.

Bo waited with a small army in the courtyard. Seventeen wolves bowed when I approached and my Beta looked over me curiously. “We heard your call. These wolves were stationed at an outpost nearby and we stayed with them in case you needed us once you returned. I am glad that we did.”

I nodded. “Me, too. The Empress is really the Fairy Godmother. She wanted me here so she could take my power; I mean, it’s not every day that an Alpha wolf is also descended from Maleficent. I’m glad to say she didn’t get it, but she’s not going to be happy we got away. Plus, she now has a magic mirror and could be watching right now. I hate asking you all to get involved but-”

“But nothing, my queen. We are here to serve you.”

That was humbling. I would have sent them all right back to the den if a huge rumble beneath our feet hadn’t made me lose my train of thought. Growing up in Florida, I was more used to hurricanes than earthquakes, but that’s how I imagined it would feel, a deep tremor in the ground that completely knocked you off balance. Only, the land of fairy tales was immune to earthquakes.

“Giants!” Madyson was a young wolf that I’d met back at the den. She had been part of the group that came with Bo to bring my grandpa home. She was still a pup, younger than me, and seemed so wide-eyed about everything. The idea of giants scared and excited the younger girl. “What should we do?”

For a second I really hoped that the giants were headed in the opposite direction. But of course not. The ground rumbled so violently that my knees knocked together and the trees at the edge of the castle grounds rustled uneasily. “Brooke, I need you to go find the king and let him know what’s coming. I can’t imagine he’s missing all this, but we need to be sure he’s ready. Find a bow, while you’re at it,” I added when it looked like she was going to argue. My blonde companion nodded resolutely and took off into the castle. I turned to my Beta. “How do we fight a giant?”

Bo ran a hand through his thick hair. “It will not be easy. You’d first have to cut the tendon at the ankle. When they go down, there’s a weak spot along the jaw right below a giant’s ear. That’s where you would strike. You cannot go for the throat like you would for prey. Only that one spot will do the trick.”

The ground shook again with enough force to knock me off balance. I landed sprawled on my rump with my heart slamming against my ribcage in time to the methodic snapping of towering oak trunks. The air became trapped in my throat as the trees gave way to three colossal figures.

Each giant was about the size of a three-story building, thirty feet tall and as wide as two Yosemite redwoods. They looked mostly human but had muddy gray skin like elephants, bulging eyes the color of pumpkins, and seaweed green dreadlocks for hair. The sour smell of rotting fish wafted in from 200 yards away, and I don’t think that was just from my sensitive wolf nose. The nearest giant roared as it yanked up a huge oak and launched it toward the Sleeping Beauty castle. It crashed into the stone wall.

“Grandpa can’t leave the infirmary. Tasha, what do you want us to do?”

“We need to draw them away. Tate, go find Brooke. Get a sword from one of the guards and get people to safety. Go now!”

My twin jumped at the harsh command. A small puppy whimper escaped him but he swallowed it back and went back toward the palace. The second giant joined the leader in throwing trees. Soldiers spilled out of the main gates and archers shot from the castle parapets. They couldn’t stop the three giants without a miracle.

“Bo, take half of the wolves and stop the giant that keeps throwing trees, the one with that ugly grey vest. The rest of you come with me. We’re taking down the shorter guy with those beige pants.”

Madyson tugged at the hem of her blue shirt. “If I may, my queen, why are we protecting the humans? And royal ones at that?”

Unfortunately, it was a valid question. I’d seen enough to know how much wolves were outcast. They were wary of anyone with power that might try to hurt the pack. They deserved an answer if I was going to ask them to risk their lives. “Because these humans are my family and those giants are here because of me. As your Alpha, I expect you to put aside any prejudice and do what I say.”

The wolves nodded. The giants took more earth rumbling steps toward the castle that nearly knocked me down again. Bo and his team raced across the castle grounds to their target. I let out a huge breath, trying to stamp down my impending panic. I’d already faced off against the evil fairy that took my parents so giants should be no problem. I can do this.

“Madyson, you’re fast, right? Distract it. You five, go for the ankles, bring that thing down however you can. The rest of you be ready. We’ve got to kill it once it hits the ground.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Madyson said a little too enthusiastically. She darted off, grabbing a large rock and throwing it at the giant when she was close enough. The big ugly dude roared when Madyson’s rock bounced harmlessly from its beer belly. The younger wolf laughed and just jumped out of the way of the giant’s oncoming foot. I groaned and chased after Madyson with the rest of my wolves following me. I snagged a branch about the size and weight of a baseball bat and swung it as hard as I could when we reached the giant’s feet. The others followed my lead grabbing anything they could use as weapons.

Up close, I reached about up the giant’s shins and was only as wide as one of his arms. He peered down at us, almost confused that anyone would dare fight back. He roared, showering us with spittle that made me gag. I swung my branch again but it didn’t seem to do more than annoy him. I needed a Plan B because I had no doubt a cranky giant was a dangerous giant.

The giant stepped and I had to tuck and roll out of the way. Madyson yelped, drawing my attention for just a second. She danced out of the branch’s way and I was impressed by how quickly the kid moved. She provided just enough distraction that an archer’s arrow was able to hit the giant right in the collarbone. It roared again.

I glanced over at the other half of my pack. They weren’t having any more luck than we were, and it looked like a couple of them were down. I only watched long enough to see Bo launch himself at the giant’s legs and sink his claws into its knee. I would’ve kept watching, but my own giant snarled, pulling my attention back. It was still trying to hit Madyson with the tree while the rest of the team buzzed around its ankles looking for a weak spot.

Right about now I really wished that I still had the woodsman’s blade. We needed some kind of weapon to take down the giant and then to even finish it off. I’d even settle for something that wasn’t even magical to-

Magic. That’s exactly what I needed. I wasn’t a witch so I couldn’t use spells or potions to just make things happen, but fairies could change things. Sure, I wasn’t anywhere near Maleficent’s level and Tate was better at this than I was, but I was still part fairy. There was stone debris and broken branches all over from the giants’ destruction. Grabbing the sharpest thing I could find, I screwed my eyes up in concentration. I remembered how the magic from the cloak felt running through me and imagined the cold metal of my knife, the ungiving steel. I gave myself a headache before I felt the tingling in my fingertips. It spread to my hands and a second later I was left with a small knife in place of the rock. It was crude, but sharp enough to get through touch giant flesh.

I called out and tossed it to one of the wolves at the giant’s heel. It was slightly easier to make a second one, which I threw to a wolf waiting for the giant to fall. I grabbed a slice of tree branch that was a good length to make a sword. I was already tired from using so much magic, but every weapon helped. The giant roared in pain and I looked up for just a second to see a wolf plunging my homemade dagger into its shin. Beady black eyes surveyed the ground until the giant spotted me with a half formed sword. He bellowed and his tree club arched toward me.

It was one if those moments where time totally stops. A hundred thoughts went through my mind as I watched the branch coming toward me, primary among them being that even as fast as I was, I couldn’t move in time. I squeezed my eyes shut and braced myself.

My chest and stomach exploded and all of the breath was knocked out of my lungs. I landed on my bottom and quickly rolled to my knees to suck in some air. My eyes watered as obnoxious gasping noises rumbled in my throat before I could breathe again. I was sure a few ribs were broken but at least I wasn’t dying. Yet.

I looked up at the giant ready to take another swing at me. I ached all over and I really wasn’t sure how much I could take. The giant glared down at me and my body tensed, ready to spring out of the way. A moment later, the giant bellowed in pain and I watched its leg collapse beneath it. I moved quickly as it fell. The ground shook violently as the giant cratered into the grass, but Madyson recovered before anyone else and made good use of the blade near its head. She drove it into the soft spot Bo had indicated and with one final roar, the light faded from the monster’s eyes.