The Fairy-Tale Detectives (The Sisters Grimm, Book 1)

by Michael Buckley

  "I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this," he said as he lined up his arrow with Charming's heart. "But don't worry. I promise to have them spell your name correctly in your obituary."

  He released his arrow and the girls watched it soar through the air at Charming. Daphne screamed and squeezed her sister's hand, knowing Jack's aim was true. But something happened the girls didn't expect. Charming lifted Excalibur slightly and the arrow bounced off its metal blade and fell to the ground. Jack was flabbergasted.

  "What luck you have!" he cried.

  "Try again and see if it was luck," the prince said, stepping forward with the sword.

  With hands like lightning, Jack fired another arrow and Charming deflected it with similar results. Jack pulled three arrows from his quill and lined them up together on his bow. He fired them all at the same time. Sabrina watched in amazement as Charming guided Excalibur to block each from their deadly course.

  "I can do this all night," the prince bragged, but just then the giant's monstrous hand swung down and hit him from behind. Excalibur was knocked free of his grip and fell at Sabrina's feet. Charming was sent sailing through the forest, landing painfully against a tree and slumping to the ground.

  Jack pulled more arrows from his quill, lit them with a lighter Sabrina recognized from Granny's kitchen, and fired five off with furious speed. Each landed in more of the giant's sensitive spots. The painful barrage was enough to get the giant to back off, giving the young man an opportunity to turn on the girls. He put another arrow into his bow and aimed it at Sabrina.

  Instinctively, Sabrina reached down and snatched Excalibur from the ground. It was incredibly heavy and bulky but she swung it around in the air the best she could.

  "And what do you think you're going to do with that, duck?" Jack scoffed as he stepped toward her. "Grimms aren't killers. You don't have it in you!"

  "Well, we're kind of new at this job. If we break a couple of rules, that just goes with the learning process," Sabrina said with as much bravery as she could muster. Her courage was short-lived. As Jack got closer, she noticed something painted on his shirt. It was a red hand, just like the one the police had found in her parent's abandoned car. It sent a chill through her body.

  "You took my parents," Sabrina said.

  Jack looked down at the red hand and smiled. "No, girl, I didn't, but I know who did. The Scarlet Hand has plans for them."

  "Where are they?" Daphne cried.

  He laughed.

  "You know, I grew up reading about you," Sabrina said, trying to keep him busy. "You had a very exciting story. You climbed the beanstalk, killed the giant, and captured the treasure. Lots of kids think of you as a hero."

  "But not you?"

  "Once, but not now. Now that I've met you—the real Jack— I see what a rotten person you are. That's what you're famous for now, Jack. Not being a giant killer, but being scum."

  "Give me the sword, girl, so I can cut your tongue out with it," he threatened.

  "Daphne, I want you to run away and get some help," Sabrina said. She knew she couldn't deflect Jack's arrow and didn't want her sister to see her die.

  "I won't do it," Daphne insisted.

  Jack pulled his bowstring back further and, just as he was about to fire his arrow, the giant's foot came down on top of him, giving the man only a split second to leap out of the way.

  Daphne grabbed her sister's hand and together they raced into the forest, dodging trees and branches. Jack followed closely behind, and worse, the giant strode after him. Its first step landed several yards behind them.

  An arrow whizzed by and impaled itself into a nearby tree.

  "That was a warning shot, ladies," the young man shouted as he loaded another arrow. "I'm quite good with this thing."

  Suddenly, the two girls were slipping down the side of a hill and into an ice-cold creek. Another arrow splashed in the water at Sabrina's feet as they pulled themselves out of the stream and continued to run. With now-frozen feet, they did their best to avoid the jagged rocks that littered the forest floor, but soon Sabrina took a tumble and fell end-over-end across the ground. She tried to stand up and quickly realized she was missing something—her left shoe—Dorothy's left slipper—lay glistening in the moonlight behind her. It had fallen off.

  "C'mon," Daphne begged as she tried to help her big sister to her feet, but Sabrina crawled desperately toward the shoe. It was their only chance of finding their parents. She used her arms to pull herself along the ground, knowing that Jack would fall upon her at any second. But before she could reach it, the giant's foot came down hard on top of the slipper. The vibrations shook the girls and sent them tumbling. When the giant lifted his foot, the shoe was gone; the only thing remaining was a piece of glistening fabric that turned to dust in Sabrina's outstretched hands.

  Heartbroken, Sabrina pulled her sister behind a huge oak tree and the two of them rested.

  "Don't worry, I'll think of something," she said, squeezing her sister's hand.

  But the sound of a monstrous crash drowned Sabrina's answer and flooded the forest. Splintering wood and damp soil rained from the sky as the tree they stood next to was violently uprooted.

  The two girls looked up into the face of death towering above them and felt its hot, pungent breath blow their hair back from their scalps. What's happened to our lives? Sabrina wondered.

  The giant tossed the tree aside and then reached down with his grubby hand to pick them up, but just as he did, Sabrina thrust Excalibur into the air. The giant's hand plunged into its blade, and suddenly his eyes lit up in surprise.

  "What was that?" he asked softly. He stood up as if he was in a daze, unsure even of where he was. The anger in his face melted away, replaced by a sort of calm curiosity, and he began to wobble on his feet. Unable to keep his balance, he sailed backward, landing flat on his back and crushing an acre of forest beneath him. A thick cloud of dust rose above his body and settled down all around them. Half a pound of soil landed in Sabrina's blond hair.

  And then, all was still.

  "I didn't mean for that to happen," Sabrina said, looking in horror at the sword still clutched in her hand.

  "Granny Relda and Mr. Canis?" Daphne whispered as tears filled her eyes.

  Jack rushed through the brush and saw the giant, lying dead on the ground.

  "You've killed him," he said angrily, "I was going to kill him!"

  "It's over, Jack," Sabrina said.

  "It's not over until I say it is," Jack raged. "I'm going to be famous again, but for another reason. Tonight, the Everafters of Ferryport Landing are going to find they are suddenly free from the spell that has kept them in this mercilessly boring town for two centuries. With your grandmum now dead, the spell turns to the last living Grimm. Some might be patient enough to wait for you two to die of old age, but I am not. This ends tonight."

  Chapter 11

  ack rushed forward and violently shoved Sabrina to the ground. Daphne lunged at him, but she received the same treatment. Sabrina had dropped Excalibur in the fall and Jack quickly picked it up, admiring its blade for a moment and then readying himself to bring it down on Sabrina's head.

  "They're going to have a parade in my honor for this," the young man said with a sick smile.

  Suddenly, a loud, wheezing honk filled the night. Jack spun around. In the giant's breast pocket, a wonderful thing appeared: Two headlights blinked to life. An engine roared, backfired violently, and then, with a squeal of tires, the family car ripped through the pocket and sped along the giant's body. At the wheel was Mr. Canis and, next to him, Granny Relda, safe and sound. The car soared over the giant's gelatinous belly, down his leg, and hit his huge kneecap, sending the car sailing into the air. It landed several yards away from Jack and the girls and skidded to a stop. The engine puttered out, the lights went dim, and the car doors opened. Granny Relda stepped out with a very concerned face.

  "Jack, what is the meaning of this?" she asked.

 
The young man pulled the mason jar of beans out of his jacket and held it up.

  "It's about this, old woman. It's about capturing my rightful place in the spotlight," Jack said.

  "Those days are over," Mr. Canis said, as he stepped out of the car.

  "Maybe for you, traitor," Jack snarled. "But I've got bigger plans than selling shoes and measuring hemlines. These beans are going to make me a hero again. But for that to happen, some things have to change around here."

  "What are you suggesting?" Granny Relda asked.

  "The Grimms have to die."

  "You know I won't allow that, Jack," Mr. Canis said.

  "I've been killing giants since I was a lad. I suspect I won't have too much trouble with an old mutt like you."

  Mr. Canis looked over to Granny Relda. Something passed between them—a sort of question and answer that only the two of them shared. Granny Relda nodded in approval and Mr. Canis took off his hat.

  "If you want to sic your dog on me, Grimm, then do it. But I'll have my destiny either way," Jack said, putting the jar of beans back into his jacket and swinging Excalibur around menacingly. "I've been waiting for this for a very long time."

  Mr. Canis smiled in a way Sabrina could only describe as eager. Once again, she was sure he was doomed. The old man had managed to take out three overweight goons, but could he handle a lightning-fast slayer of giants carrying a sword that killed anything it touched?

  Jack charged wildly, screaming into the air, but before he could even swing the deadly sword, a change came over Mr. Canis. His shirt ripped off his chest as his body doubled in size. His feet snapped and stretched as they transformed into paws. Hair sprang from every inch of skin, fangs crept down over his lips, his nose extended out, replaced by a snarling snout, and the tops of his ears twisted into points and raised to the top of his head. But most disturbing were his eyes, as they changed into an achingly bright blue color. The same color Canis's eyes were in the picture Sabrina had found of her family. The transformation was complete. Mr. Canis had turned into a wolf the size of a rhinoceros.

  "Bring it on, little man," the Wolf snarled, as it jumped up on its back legs. Sabrina could hear a hint of Mr. Canis's voice in the Wolf's growl, but the way he said the words held nothing of her grandmother's feeble old friend's calm. The Wolf's voice was full of viciousness.

  The Wolf charged at Jack and sent him hurtling backward into a tree, giving the young man no time to recover as the Wolf savagely sunk its teeth into Jack's right arm. Jack screamed in agony. With the Wolf on top of him, he couldn't swing the deadly sword. The best he could do was hit the beast on the head with Excalibur's handle. The Wolf backed away, slightly dazed, and then licked its lips.

  "Bad news for you, Jack," the Wolf barked. "I know your taste now, and I like it."

  In the commotion, Granny held out her arms for the girls and they ran to her side.

  "Everything will be fine," Granny consoled them.

  "You didn't tell us Mr. Canis was one of them," Sabrina said.

  "Oh, didn't I? Yes, Mr. Canis is the Big Bad Wolf," Granny said as she kept her eyes on the fight.

  "The Big Bad Wolf?" the girls cried.

  The Wolf lunged at Jack, ripping his chest with its razor-sharp claws. Jack swung back and punched the beast in the

  face, but the Wolf just chuckled. Desperately, the young man jumped up, grabbed a tree branch, and used it to catapult himself at the Wolf. The force sent them both tumbling over each other, leaving Jack on top.

  "When I kill you, this town is going to erect a statue in my honor," Jack boasted. "How does it feel to know that your own kind wish you dead?"

  "Not nearly as bad as it must feel to know they don't care if you are alive," the Wolf snarled as it rolled over on top of Jack. "Maybe they'll notice when I leave your rotting corpse hanging in the town square. That is, after I've eaten all the juicy parts."

  Jack thrust his knee into the Wolf's belly, knocking the wind out of it, and giving the young man the chance to throw the beast off. He crawled to his feet and picked up Excalibur.

  "Even the tiniest scratch will send you on your way, mongrel," Jack warned. He rushed forward, pushed the beast against a tree, and held the lethal blade to its neck. "Perhaps they will now call me Jack the Legend Killer, as well."

  Sabrina looked to her grandmother and saw the worry in her face. She knew Jack was going to win, and then he would turn on them. How would the three of them fight him off? But suddenly, above the snarling and fighting, she heard an odd sound, as if someone had just played some notes on a flute. At first, Sabrina thought she might have imagined it, but then a swarm of pixies darted out of the woods and surrounded Jack. He cried in pain with every little sting and soon blood began to leak from all over his body.

  "No one likes a bragger," Puck said as he floated down from the trees and rested on a branch above the fighting.

  "Puck!" Daphne cried. "You really are a hero!"

  "Hush, you'll ruin my reputation," Puck replied.

  In vain, Jack tried to brush the pixies off, swatting at them wildly with little result and dropping the sword in his struggle.

  "Old lady, are you well?" Puck asked as he floated to the ground. "I tried to tell Sabrina that Jack couldn't be trusted but she wouldn't listen. She's very stubborn and stupid."

  "I'm sure Sabrina had her reasons, Puck," Granny replied as she winked at her granddaughter. "But before we can celebrate, Jack has a jar in his coat we need."

  Puck smiled, took out his flute, and played a quick, sharp note. One lone pixie left the others and buzzed around the boy's head.

  "We need to get that jar away from him," Puck said. The little light blinked as if to say yes, and zipped into the storm of pixies tormenting Jack. Suddenly, a small group of them flew into his jacket and collectively carried the jar of magic beans away.

  "No!" Jack cried in panic, swatting and swinging wildly at the pixies. Seeing his prize carried off, he desperately grasped for the jar, only managing to knock it to the ground, sending shards of glass and beans in all directions.

  "Oh, dear," Granny gasped.

  The Wolf fell over as if it was having a fight with itself.

  "I'm not going back inside, old man!" the beast bellowed. It groaned and complained as it transformed back into Mr. Canis. The old man was exhausted and broken. He had a worried look on his face.

  "We have to get the children out of here," Mr. Canis gasped.

  Suddenly, the Action Four News van came careening through the woods and stopped. The doors slid open and Wilma Faye got out, followed by her cameraman. The reporter fixed her business suit, checked her hair in a small compact mirror, and then turned to face the girls.

  "Girls, I'm Wilma Faye from Action Four News. We heard there was a story out here tonight," the woman said, but her words were drowned out by a horrible rumbling. The little white beans were taking root. They dug deep into the forest's soil and instantly a hundred little green sprouts popped out of the ground. The sprouts grew at an alarming rate, becoming vines and then stalks that jockeyed among one other for space. They soared higher and higher into the air until it seemed they would touch the moon itself.

  The cameraman tapped Wilma Faye on the shoulder and the reporter turned around.

  "What is it?" she said impatiently.

  The cameraman pointed up and Wilma's eyes followed. Above her were dozens of angry giants quickly climbing down the beanstalks. The cameraman pointed his camera into the air, flipped a switch, and a bright light mounted on the camera lit up their faces.

  "Are you getting this?" Wilma asked, panicking.

  "I'm getting it!" the cameraman shouted.

  "What have you done?" Jack bellowed.

  "You wanted giants, Jack. You're going to get your wish," Granny Relda said, as the first giant planted a foot on the forest floor. Dozens and dozens of them followed, all in all nearly a hundred, knocking over trees that had been growing for centuries. Each one of the giants was uglier than the l
ast and all of them had murder in their eyes.

  One of the most gnarled of the bunch stepped forward. It let out an ear-shattering roar and pounded on its chest.

  "Fe, fi, fo, fum, I smell the blood of that murderous Englishman!" the giant bellowed at Jack, sending his hair flapping behind him.

  "I didn't kill your brother, it was the girl," the young man cried, pointing a shaky finger at Sabrina. "Sabrina Grimm killed him!"

  The giants looked down at Sabrina with suspicious eyes. One ducked his head down, shoving it into the girls' faces. His nostrils blasted hot air into their clothes.

  "Lies!" the giant bellowed, spraying Sabrina and Daphne with its hot, snotty breath. "These are children. They could not kill one of us!"

  As the giant swooped down and grabbed Jack in his huge, grimy hand, Granny Relda stepped forward. "What do you plan on doing with him?" she asked the giant, as if she were talking to an ordinary person.

  "Crush his bones to paste and eat him with some bread, Grimm." The giant grunted. "Or maybe we will pull his little limbs off one by one and see if he screams."

  "You'll do nothing of the sort," Granny Relda replied. "Take him to your queen. She'll decide what to do with him."

  "Help me, Relda!" Jack cried. "Don't let them take me!"

  Granny Relda lowered her eyes. "I cannot deny them their justice. I only hope they are more merciful with you than you have been with them."

  Jack saw the futility of his words, and calmed himself, then he laughed, almost insanely. "Do you think I did this all on my own?" he ranted. "Where do you think I got the first magic bean? They've got Henry and Veronica. The Scarlet Hand is coming and your days are numbered!"

  The giants ignored Jack's threats and turned back toward their beanstalks. A few leaned down and gingerly picked up their dead brother. They carried him on their shoulders as they climbed up the beanstalks and disappeared into the cold night air, just as three squad cars roared into the clearing with lights and sirens going. Flying high above the police were Glinda in her bubble and Hansel and Gretel's Frau Pfefferkuchenhaus on her broom. They sent a stream of fire that lit the bases of the beanstalks, setting them all ablaze.