Glass Frost

by Liz Dejesus

  “All right. Let’s get going, then.”

  Bianca took a deep breath and chanted the same spell Blair had used to open the portal. It made her wonder who else knew about the door. Who else knew about Rose, Bianca, the museum and all the secrets contained within its walls?

  “Find the shortest distance between

  This place and the faeries’ green.

  A place for weird-less days and weary nights,

  Put this door within my sight.”

  Together, they walked through the door. Hopefully, they weren’t too late.

  Thirteen

  Prince Ferdinand looked at his surroundings wide-eyed. He tripped on the edge of the sidewalk and caught himself before he fell on the ground. The prince straightened his clothes and carried on walking as though nothing had happened.

  Bianca chuckled softly and pretended she hadn’t seen a thing.

  “Where are we?” Ferdinand asked.

  She recognized the houses they walked by. It was a typical neighborhood in the suburbs. Nothing strange ever happened here…until the beginning of summer, when her world was turned upside down thanks to magic. She was a few blocks away from her house. Now that she looked at Terrance and the prince in their Victorian clothes under the harsh yellow-orange light of the street lamp, they stuck out like sore thumbs. She’d have to dig around her father’s closet and see if he had anything that fit them.

  “My neighborhood. Not far from my house, actually,” she belatedly answered the prince’s question.

  “Very, very strange,” the prince said.

  “Follow me. Stay close,” she instructed. The last thing she wanted was to be responsible for a wayward prince from another world.

  They reached her house with little incident. Bianca noticed that her parents’ car wasn’t in the driveway, which meant that they were both still at the museum. She lifted the ceramic frog on the front porch and found the emergency key. The irony was not lost on her. She unlocked the door and let Terrance and Prince Ferdinand inside her home.

  “I’ll be right back. I’m going to make a call.”

  Terrance and the prince stayed in the living room while Bianca headed into the kitchen to grab the phone. She dialed the number and waited. It rang a few times and then went to an automated voice system. She dialed zero and waited for someone to answer the phone.

  “Museum of Magical and Rare Artifacts. This is Ming. How can I help you?”

  “Ming! It’s Bianca. I’m home. I just got back. Is my mom around?”

  “Hey, B! Ruh-roh. If you’re home, that can’t be good, right?”

  “Yeah. We’re in trouble.”

  “Figures. Hang on a sec. I’ll go get your mom.”

  Ming put her on hold. Moments later, she picked up the phone once more.

  “She’ll be here in a minute. So what happened? You wouldn’t be back home unless something big happened. What did you do?”

  “The bad guys are after the other slipper. They’re here.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yep. And there are four of them.”

  “Your mom is gonna kill you,” she said in a sing-song tone.

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “I call dibs on all your stuff.”

  Bianca rolled her eyes and said, “Wonderful.”

  “Don’t roll your eyes at me. I can hear them circling your eye sockets all the way over here.”

  Bianca was about to say something else, when she heard the phone rustling.

  “Hello?”

  When she heard her mother’s voice on the other end of the line, a wave of relief washed over Bianca.

  “Mom! Thank goodness. Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. What’s wrong?”

  Bianca then quickly explained everything that had happened since her conversation with the queen.

  “Oh boy.” Rose sighed.

  “What should we do?” she asked.

  “The slipper is safer here in the museum. All we can do is make sure the wards stay in place and remain vigilant for anything strange.”

  “That’s it? That’s the plan?”

  “For now. Just sit tight. We’ll be home soon. Then we can work out a plan to catch those witches.”

  Bianca sighed. “All right.”

  “I know. It’s not what you want to do, but trust me, it’s for the best,” Rose replied.

  “Okay.”

  “See you later.”

  “See ya.”

  Bianca placed the phone back in the receiver and returned to the living room.

  Prince Ferdinand sat on the floor playing with the DVD player. He laughed every time he pushed the open/close button. Terrance sat beside him, doing a poor job at stopping him.

  Bianca cleared her throat.

  “Having fun?”

  Prince Ferdinand and Terrance froze. After an awkward moment, they broke into laughter. Bianca sat next to them and rested her head on Terrance’s shoulder. She needed this. Laughter. Something to break the tension, to make her forget…if only for a moment.

  “What is this machine called?” the prince asked.

  “It’s a DVD player,” she said.

  “What does it do?”

  “Plays movies,” she explained.

  Ferdinand rubbed his chin and nodded. “Ah, yes, yes, of course. And what exactly is a movie?”

  “It’s like a play with actors and sometimes music.”

  “Ah, like the theater. May I watch one, please?”

  Such a simple request. There was no way she would say no.

  Bianca smiled. “Sure.”

  She searched through some of her movies and decided to go with something simple they could both follow easily—which was why she chose A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

  “I’m guessing you want to get cleaned up before we sit and watch the movie,” Bianca said.

  Terrance used his shirtsleeve to wipe a bit of mud off his forehead and nodded.

  She chuckled. “Follow me.”

  Bianca showed them the guest room and bathroom. Luckily for Terrance and the prince, they had a change of clothes in their baggage. She took a moment to teach them how to turn the water on. Ferdinand was amazed at how quickly she was able to get the tub filled with warm water.

  “Where are the servants?” the prince asked.

  “The servants for what?” Bianca frowned.

  “The ones that push the water up the pipe.”

  “We don’t have any,” she explained.

  “No servants?” Ferdinand’s eyes widened.

  “Yeah. It’s all in the magic of modern plumbing…I guess.”

  “You will have to explain this to me in excruciating detail when I’m cleansed of this disgusting muck.”

  “Okey dokey.”

  “I shall go first.” The prince then went into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

  Bianca shook her head and turned her attention to Terrance. Even dirty, he was still handsome. His long brown hair was stuck to the back of his neck, and there was dirt caked underneath his fingernails. She started to giggle uncontrollably.

  “What?”

  She covered her lips, as if that would somehow help her stop. “Oh God. What’s wrong with me? I should be crying hysterically. But this is just a little crazy. I mean…is this going to keep happening to us?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Are we ever going to have a normal date?”

  “Normal? What is this thing, normal? I’ve never been such a thing in my life. And neither have you.”

  Her laughter died down. He was right. Of course he was right. Normal went out the window the day she came home last month and found her mother fighting Lenore in their backyard.

  Bianca sighed and gave Terrance a soft kiss on the lips. Their kiss deepened, and for a moment, she forgot where she was. She pulled herself away from him and rested her head against his chest, finding reassurance in the steady throb of his heart.

  “It will be all right,” he whispe
red.

  “How do you know? How can you be so sure?” Bianca asked.

  “I don’t know. I suppose we all have to have a little faith that things will somehow work out in the end.”

  Bianca gazed into Terrance’s eyes. How could he be so optimistic? It was going to be hard for her to have faith when everything felt as though it was falling apart at the seams.

  They were halfway through the movie when Rose, David, and Ming showed up. With the jingle of keys and the turn of the locks, the door opened with a soft hiss and her parents were home. Trailing closely behind them was a bouncy Ming.

  “B!” Ming squeaked. Bianca could see her jumping up and down between her parents’ shoulders.

  It was a funny and comforting sight. She had left, yet nothing had changed. Rose was still her mother. David was still her father. Ming was still her best friend. The only one that had changed was Bianca.

  “Hey, Mom. Hey, Daddy. Hi, Ming,” Bianca said.

  She gave everyone a warm hug and waited for the inevitable. She knew her mother was going to give her a disapproving look.

  One, two, three, and there it is. The “I told you so” look. Perfected after many, many years of putting it into practice.

  “So, anything else happen while you were here?” Rose asked.

  “Nope. Just watching a movie,” Bianca said.

  Rose pursed her lips. She looked like she was ready to say something else, but was interrupted by Prince Ferdinand just emerging from the bathroom after watching the toilet flush for the twentieth time.

  “Fair Ming!” Prince Ferdinand shouted as he stepped forward. He grabbed Ming, tipped her back, and kissed her passionately on the lips.

  Ming gently pushed Prince Ferdinand away and gasped for air.

  “Is that how they say hello in Everafter?” Rose asked.

  “Yeah…no…not really.” Bianca rubbed her eyes. Her shoulders ached, her eyes were blurry, and all she wanted to do was take a second shower and go to sleep.

  “Could’ve fooled me,” David said as he adjusted his glasses.

  “I’m gonna go upstairs and change clothes,” Rose said and briskly walked away from the group.

  “I missed you,” Prince Ferdinand said to Ming.

  Bianca smirked. It had only been twenty-four hours since they had been apart. It was safe to say that the prince was head over heels in love.

  “Yeah, me too. Umm, I’m gonna go make tea. Anyone want tea? I’ll go and make some.” Ming nodded and ran into the kitchen.

  Bianca knew immediately what Ming was doing. She was trying to get some distance in order to think. She wanted to put things into perspective before making a major decision. It was her M.O.

  As soon as her friend left the room, Bianca took a moment and said, “Your Highness, you really need to control yourself. You can’t go around kissing people like that.”

  “I wasn’t kissing people. I kissed Ming,” he corrected.

  “True. But just to let you know, she isn’t that type of girl.”

  “What type?”

  “Public displays of affection. She doesn’t like it. Took her forever and a day to get her to hug me.”

  “Ah, I see. I understand. I do not wish to make her uncomfortable around me,” he said.

  “You just come on a bit…strong. That’s all,” Bianca said.

  Prince Ferdinand took a deep breath and nodded in agreement.

  I feel like I’m kicking a puppy in the stomach for being cute.

  He sighed and gazed longingly at Ming. Bianca followed his gaze and saw that her best friend was busy putting a pot on the stove. Ming must’ve sensed everyone’s gaze, because she turned around and caught them all staring at her.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Nothing. How’s the tea coming along?” David asked.

  “Uhhh, fine, I guess. The water isn’t bubbling yet.” Ming frowned. “You’re all freaking me out. Stop looking at me!”

  David stayed with the prince and Terrance in the living room; they wanted to finish watching the movie. Bianca went into the kitchen to check up on Ming. She rested her shoulder against the door frame.

  “So…” Bianca started, closing the door behind her.

  “So?” Ming echoed.

  “Are you just gonna stand there, or are you going to talk to me?”

  “About?”

  “Ferdinand, duh.”

  “He, like, lives in another dimension, B. A whole new world. I don’t want to get involved in a long-distance relationship. They don’t even have phones over there. This is too much for me. I’m not you.” Ming covered her lips, as though she wanted to take that last part back.

  Bianca crossed her arms and took a step backwards. “What’s that supposed to mean?” She didn’t like being on the defensive, especially not with Ming.

  “You and Terrance. Hello? You live here and he lives way over there. How’s that supposed to work?”

  Bianca sucked in a gulp of air. If she disliked confrontations, she hated lying even more. She had already made a decision. Once she graduated from high school, she was staying in Everafter for good.

  “I don’t know. But at least I’m not afraid to find out,” she replied.

  Ming took a deep breath and placed both hands on the kitchen counter, as if doing so would help keep her planted firmly on the ground. “I should go.” Her voice warbled, as if she were seconds away from bursting into tears.

  “Ming, I’m sorry.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Ming rushed out of the kitchen. She breezed past everyone and closed the door behind her.

  Prince Ferdinand parted his lips to speak, but no words came out. He turned from the closed door to Bianca. His bright blue eyes were pleading for an explanation.

  Bianca took a moment to turn off the stove, then said, “I’m sorry, Your Highness. She cares for you… It’s just the distance that makes her hesitate.”

  “The distance?” he asked.

  “You live in Everafter. She lives here.”

  “Ah, yes, I see.”

  “Not all girls want to be a princess,” Terrance said and patted him on the shoulder a few times.

  Prince Ferdinand nodded.

  Bianca smiled. He was so sweet. Even if he could be a bit of a goofball from time to time. It was obvious to everyone in the room that his feelings for Ming were sincere. It lasted only a moment, but she caught a flash of the man that he was going to become. Ferdinand still had so much growing up to do, but the way that he gazed at the door Ming had just walked through lead Bianca to believe that when he finally “grew up,” he would be a kind ruler.

  Fourteen

  David found some sleeping bags in the attic and gave one to Terrance and the other to Prince Ferdinand. While he was helping them get settled, Bianca thought it would be a good idea to talk to her mother. She knew that Rose was going to give her a speech. Bianca figured it would be best to get it out of the way.

  She found Rose in the basement, hot gluing the crap out of everything in sight. Poor wreath didn’t have a chance. It was no longer a fall decoration. It was an every-holiday-imaginable wreath. Rose abruptly stopped what she was doing and gave Bianca a sideward glance.

  “Did you know that humans are the only creatures that run toward danger? Even animals have the good sense to run away from trouble,” Rose said.

  “Mom…”

  Rose raised a hand and said, “Don’t even try. Don’t you even start.” She lowered the hot-glue gun and turned to face her daughter. She crossed her arms over her chest. “You broke your promise to me. I told you to come home at the first sign of trouble, and you did the exact opposite. You dove in head first.” She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

  “I’m sorry,” Bianca said.

  “Magic follows you whether I like it or not,” Rose whispered. “Next time, listen to me. I don’t do this to make you crazy. I’m trying to keep you safe. Do you understand?”

  Bianca nodded.

  “What if so
mething had happened to you?”

  “I wasn’t alone, Mom. Ming was with me. For a while, anyway…”

  “All the more reason for you to have been careful! Ming doesn’t have magic to protect herself with. What if something had happened to her? How was I supposed to look Mrs. Lee in the eye and tell her that I’d allowed her daughter to get hurt? And you? Aside from your father…you’re all I’ve got. I lose you? I lose everything.”

  “I’m sorry,” Bianca whispered.

  “And for the record? You’re grounded, just in case you were wondering.”

  “Grounded?”

  “For a month. No car. No allowance.”

  “What?” Bianca cried.

  “Keep complaining and I’ll make it two months.” Rose snatched the glue gun and continued sticking random things to the wreath. “I could probably get away with grounding you for the rest of your life. I can flatten everything and pass you food underneath your door. I’m sure your father will get on board with that idea.”

  “But…I…” Bianca sighed and said, “Fine.”

  Rose let out of a huff of air and threw the glue gun and the wreath on the table. It was almost as if she had been holding everything in and was happy that she had gotten it all out of her chest.

  Rose met her daughter’s gaze and placed her hands on her hips. She shook her head, as though she couldn’t believe what she was about to say. “All right. Now you have to tell me all about your visit with the dwarves.”

  She had forgotten that she had mentioned them when they spoke on the phone. Bianca smiled at her memories of Knox, Howard, and Collier. Snow White had lived with them for a long time before finally moving to the castle with the prince. Snow wanted to get away from Everafter, with the hopes of living a normal life. But magic followed her and her descendants, no matter where she went. Gift or curse? Bianca still hadn’t figured out which it was.

  “You would’ve loved them. And their cottage? It’s amazing.”

  Bianca then told Rose everything she could remember of her brief visit.

  “There are only three left. And they live up to a thousand years,” she said.

  “And you said the glass coffin is still there? Behind their cottage?” Rose asked.

  “Yeah.”

  “Wow.”

  “Mom, I know you told me to come home, but…”

  “I know. If you had listened to me, you would’ve missed meeting them.”