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  “I’ve listened to enough,” Stiltskin says. “Be gone!” With a wave of his hand, Flora’s body begins to shimmer. Flora reaches out to stop him, but it’s no use. Kayla jumps back as Flora’s skin turns ashy gray, then hardens into stone. The Wicked Stepmother is now nothing more than a statue. I cry out, but there is no sound.

  “No!” Kayla screams.

  There is a sudden barrage of shouting and screaming as my professors surround Stiltskin. With a wave of his wand, they’re all thrown back.

  “Remember who calls the shots around here,” Stiltskin says viciously. “You all work for me! It was part of Flora’s contract.” The document appears again as if by magic, and Wolfington and Blackbeard look it over. “And my deals are never broken unless I want them to be!” He laughs wickedly.

  I glance at Anna and then at Flora’s statue. How many more people will he hurt before someone takes him on? I don’t know if I have it in me, but I have to try. “What will it take to get you to leave FTRS and never come back?” I blurt out. The others look at me.

  “You want to make a deal, Cobbler?” His smile fades. “Better think before you make one—that was Flora’s mistake. You only get one shot.”

  “Cobbler,” Harlow warns with a growl. “Don’t!”

  My mouth feels dry. “I know what I want,” I say and glance at my friends. “I just need a moment to compose my thoughts.” I walk over to the others, who are just starting to stand up. I can’t do this without them. I know now a hero is only as strong as the people she surrounds herself with. We’re a team. We huddle into a group.

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I just couldn’t take it anymore.”

  “I’m proud of you.” Maxine gives my hand a squeeze. “Whatever the deal is, I’m in too. We can do this if we work together.”

  Ollie nods. “You know I’m always ready for a good fight.”

  “I’ll do anything to get rid of those beans,” Jax adds.

  “Let’s get this guy,” Jocelyn agrees.

  “Me too.” Kayla touches my hand. “Just please make sure this deal involves me getting my family back too, okay?” I nod.

  “Time’s a-wasting, Miss Cobbler!” Stiltskin sings. “Do you want a deal or not?”

  I look at my friends. “So you guys are in with me?”

  Jax grins. “’Til the end. Go get ’em.”

  I turn around. “We want a deal. We’ll sign it together.”

  “No!” Harlow cries again. “Jocelyn, what are you thinking?” Jocelyn doesn’t answer.

  “Miss Cobbler, please reconsider,” says Wolfington.

  Stiltskin snaps his fingers, and a large parchment appears. “Too late. She asked for a deal, and a deal she’ll get. So what do you all want?”

  I think for a moment, then look at Jax. “Flora created FTRS to make us better people, and FTRS isn’t the same without her in charge. I want you to give the school back to her, give Kayla back her family—in their original fairy form—and for you to leave this school and never return. And I want Anna released from FTRS.”

  “Gilly, that isn’t your call to make!” Anna snaps.

  Stiltskin scratches his chin. “She’s right. Anna is the only one who can decide her fate. But you can have that troublemaker, Kayla, and the fish.” He looks at Hayley in disgust. “I don’t want more of her kind here.”

  “I wouldn’t stay if you paid me,” comes Hayley’s voice loud and clear from inside the tank. “I’ll go wherever Gilly leads me.” Cleo applauds her.

  “It may be to your death.” Stiltskin smiles. “In fact, I’m sure we won’t see your faces around here again.” I stay stoic. “Your deal should be specific, Cobbler. What else do you want?”

  I swallow. “I want Kayla’s family brought to the school grounds,” I add. “You can move trees, I’m sure. Prove to me that they’re here, and that way I’ll know for sure you’ll take care of them.”

  He laughs to himself and then waves his hand. “Done.” He points to the mirror on the wall, and I see an image of the grounds where three trees now stand.

  Kayla flies to the mirror and touches it. “That’s them! I can feel it.”

  “Anything else?” Stiltskin asks.

  I glance at my friends. Flora returned to headmaster, Stiltskin out of our school, Kayla’s family returned, Anna home and safe. He hasn’t agreed to that last part, but I know I can change Anna’s mind. “That’s it.”

  “Now you have to listen to what I want,” Stiltskin says. “That’s part of the deal. I get something too, or the deal is off.” He smiles evilly. “Bring me a golden goose.”

  “A golden goose?” I repeat. Isn’t that the one I read about in the papers the night Anna was sentenced? “I thought it was a myth.”

  “It’s real, I assure you,” Stiltskin says. “The golden goose lives deeps in the Hollow Woods and lays eggs of the purest gold there is.” His eyes narrow. “I want that goose. If you get it, all that you ask for will be yours. Understood?”

  My friends and I look at each other and nod. “We understand.”

  Stiltskin snaps his fingers, and a quill appears. He taps the parchment and motions for us to sign. I hear Anna inhale sharply. “Sign and I’ll let you be on your way at first light.”

  My eyes quickly scan the calligraphy written in tiny print. There isn’t time to read it, but I know that I need to take this deal. I pull the quill from his hands and sign my name in loopy script. I hand it to Jax who does the same, then passes it down the line as Harlow continues to yell at us. When Jocelyn is finished writing the last signature, the parchment glows bright yellow, then disappears with a pop.

  “Excellent,” Stiltskin says. “We have a deal.”

  Happily Ever After Scrolls

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  The Votes Are Not In. Rumpelstiltskin’s Bake-Off with the Royal Court Ends in Tie

  by Coco Collette

  The bake-off between the Fairy Tale Reform School headmaster and the royal court was a lively one with much cheering from the candy-loving students at FTRS. “Stiltskin is the clear winner,” said Rosaria Romena, a new student at FTRS sent there for talking back to her teachers at Fairy Yours School. “His sweets are sweet!”

  Rosaria may have picked a winner, but Flora, the school’s former headmistress, was not on hand to break the tie. Flora rushed out of the proceedings when an alarm went off in the building, and Mr. Stiltskin said she was too tied up to return. “I’m sure she would have chosen my tarts as the clear winner. I guess we’ll have to do this again soon to find out!”

  The royal court did not seem happy with the outcome. After the alarm, Mr. Stiltskin was called away as well and needed to cancel his meeting with them. “We are not sure what game Mr. Stiltskin thinks he’s playing, but as the governing body in Enchantasia, our concerns will not be ignored,” said Ella. “We want answers about what’s going on at Fairy Tale Reform School.”

  “They may control the land, but I control this school,” Stiltskin said when questioned. He pointed to a binding contract Flora signed as proof of his leadership. “Flora herself would tell you that.”

  But in order to ask Flora, we’d have to find her. Miri, the school spokesmirror, wouldn’t comment, but sources tell us Flora hasn’t been seen since the bake-off. Her daughters told the Dwarf Police Squad that they could not find their mother when they returned to FTRS for their Saturday night dinner with her. “If anyone has seen our mother, we urge them to come forward,” said Dahlia tearily. “We fear she may be in trouble.”

  CHAPTER 14

  A Fine Mess

  Fiddlesticks, this is awkward. As we sit at Professor Harlow’s long, candlelit dinner table, I can hear pots and pans being thrown while Harlow yells at the top of her lungs.

  “Of all the foolish, selfish things to do, she had to suggest
they sign a contract with Rumpelstiltskin!” Harlow shouts, and another pot hits a wall. “One she didn’t read!” I hear someone whispering. “No, that’s not it at all! It’s like that child has a death wish! They won’t find the golden goose. It’s a myth! Gottie, Alva, and I tried to find it for years! They’re goners in those woods!”

  Maxine slurps her first course noisily. “Wow, this soup the Evil Queen made is delicious—cough! Is that paprika I taste in the—” She starts hacking so bad Kayla has to hand her a glass of water.

  “Does she sentence just herself to a foolish quest?” Harlow asks. “Nooo! She convinces my sister and those other delinquents to sign on with her!”

  Jocelyn lights and extinguishes a candle in front of her with a wave of her hand. “Wow, and I thought my sister hated you before, Cobbler. Nice job.”

  “Jocelyn, maybe you could do something constructive instead of making digs at Gilly,” Jax suggests. A book about geese habitats is open in front of him. Wilson sits on the open pages, seemingly reading. “We only have a few hours left before we head out.”

  “And we still have a lot to do so everyone, please pitch in,” Kayla says, her eyes glued to a stack of Enchantasia history books. After checking that the trees outside school really were her mother and two sisters, she came straight to Harlow’s chambers to start researching the golden goose. She’s so intent on finding it that she’s given everyone research to do. Jocelyn is supposed to work on protection spells for our journey. Ollie is using a crystal on a map of the Hollow Woods to try to find the goose’s location as Maxine takes notes with a self-writing quill, and Jax is tracking goose behaviors. Even Peaches is walking across Harlow’s gothic table, eating silverware and coughing up things like quills and magic wands, while Jax studies her every move. Ducks and geese are definitely related, but I don’t think any animal is like Peaches.

  I’m supposed to be reading a stack of HEAS that include stories on the mythic goose, but it’s hard to concentrate. Another loud crash from the kitchen makes me jump.

  “She wasn’t smart enough to ask Stiltskin to send us on this fool’s errand with her either, so now they must face the Hollow Woods alone!” Harlow continues to yell. “She’s as bullish as Flora…and look where she wound up. In the dungeon as a statue!” I wince. “With all the protection spells on this castle, we can’t even send aid to them if we want to! They’ll probably get eaten by giants when they pass the first fairy stream!”

  “What fairy stream?” Ollie says worriedly and taps the crystal on the map. “I don’t see one on here. Is this map even up-to-date?”

  I feel like the walls are closing in on me. “I’m going to take a walk and clear my head.” I leave Harlow’s dining room and walk down the hall to the dungeon. Flora’s statue is next to the one of Alva. Flora is frozen in mid-argument, her arms outstretched, trying to save us.

  “I’m so sorry,” I whisper.

  “So am I,” I hear someone say, and I turn around. Anna walks out of the shadows, still wearing her glittery RS school uniform. Since ours got ruined in Cleo’s tank, we got our old ones back. My basic blue romper looks so different next to Anna’s shiny new dress.

  Her hair is pulled back in a long braid like Rapunzel’s, and I spot something green and ivory pinned in her hair.

  “Is that the dragon’s tooth comb, I got you for your birthday?” I ask.

  “Stole,” Anna corrects me. She pulls it out of her hair. “Pete took it back, but when I saved up enough money, I went to Combing the Sea and rebought it.”

  “You did?” My heart feels like it might burst. “That’s the Anna I know and love.”

  Anna sighs. “Gilly, that Anna was miserable.”

  “What do you mean?” I ask.

  “At home, at school, in the village, everyone just wanted me to be a mini you, and I’m not,” Anna says. “I don’t know who I am yet, but I know I like being part of a squad that cares about my opinion.” She smiles shyly. “I’m happy here. That’s what I came here to tell you. I know you’re worried about me, but don’t be. I’m learning so much from Stiltskin.”

  My face darkens. “I don’t believe that. He’s evil, Anna.”

  “He’s not,” she insists. “You just have to get to know him. I really do hope you can find that golden goose and help Flora—she always seemed nice—but I came here to tell you not to ask me to leave again because I won’t. I’m staying here with him.” I start to protest. “No, listen to me. Father is never going to give me his business. He wants you to run it. And I want to be more than someone’s sidekick.”

  “I’d never make you a sidekick,” I fire back. “That’s what Stiltskin is doing. How can you be so blind?”

  “I’m not going to do this with you again,” Anna says. “I know you don’t like him, but I do. You have to let me try to figure out my own way.” She hesitates, then reaches out and hugs me.

  I’m surprised, but I hug her back and don’t let go.

  “I love you, Gilly,” she whispers. “Good luck out there.”

  “Thanks.” I am not sure what to say. “Just promise me you’ll remember one thing while I’m gone: you don’t have to do this.”

  Anna pulls away. We stare at each other for a moment, then she hurries up the stairs. I watch her go.

  “It’s hard to accept that not everyone wants the same things we do, isn’t it?” says Wolfington, stepping out of the shadows. He’s dressed in a suit that is the same color as his shaggy, brown hair and wild beard. He leans against Alva’s statue as if it’s a castle pillar. “When we see someone making a mistake, it’s in our nature to want to stop them. But sometimes we have to let them make their own choices.”

  “She’s my sister. I’m supposed to protect her,” I say desperately and look at the statue of Flora, waiting for her to come back to life and agree with me.

  Wolfington nods. “You may want to, but like you, she’s growing up and she’s got to do it on her own.”

  “But she’s doing it wrong,” I say stubbornly, and he laughs.

  “Mistakes are a part of life.” He looks at Flora’s statue. “When she’s ready, she’ll come around.”

  “And what if she doesn’t?” I ask worriedly.

  “Right now your only job is to find that goose.” He pulls at his beard. “You’re going to need all your strength and your wits in those woods. I lived in them for years, and you can get turned around in an instant. See things that aren’t there. Some have even been fooled into believing things that are not true and embracing the worst version of themselves.”

  I shudder. The Hollow Woods sound worse than I thought. “Professor Harlow doesn’t think we’ll find anything.”

  “She could be right,” he says truthfully. “But she also might be wrong. If that’s the case, you’re going to need the help of someone who knows how to navigate those woods. I know someone who does.” I look up in surprise. “Our history is not a pleasant one, but if she gets the note I smuggled out, she’ll do what’s right and come find you. She’s an excellent tracker, terrific marksman, and a true hunter. She’s the best shot you’ve got.” He hands me a small scroll.

  I open the parchment and see coordinates to a spot right inside the Hollow Woods. “There’s no name on here. How do I know who to look for?”

  Wolfington smiles wolfishly. “My dear, I would have thought you’d already guessed. It’s Little Red Riding Hood.”

  CHAPTER 15

  Into the Woods

  I feel like I’ve barely closed my eyes to get a good night’s sleep before our trip when I’m yanked out of bed by the RS squad. They waste no time showing us the door.

  “Headmaster Stiltskin forgot to mention one more thing,” says Hansel as he tosses us out and throws our bags out behind us. “You’ve only got one week to complete your mission. Oh, and you’re going to need new supplies for your journey. We took most of your loot out of you
r bags.” He slams the door behind him, and I can hear him laughing.

  “Creep!” Jocelyn yells as she stands dangerously close to the edge of the moat. Hungry crocodiles are snapping their jaws below. “We have one week? I can’t even get a proper tracking spell up and running in a week! And now he took all our supplies! Cobbler, you should have been specific in your deal. You’ve doomed us to fail!”

  “Jocelyn, don’t be so witchy!” says Kayla. We all look at the moodiest fairy in the kingdom in surprise. “Let’s gather our things, see what we still have, and make a plan. We can meet over by my family so I can say good-bye. I’m sure we can find a golden goose in seven days!” She grabs her bag and flies off ahead of us.

  “I’m sorry, who was that?” asks Ollie, trudging off.

  I grab my backpack and see something move in the front pocket. I lift it open. “Wilson! What are you doing in there?” The small mouse starts squeaking.

  “He says he can help,” says Hayley, misting herself all over.

  I’m skeptical, but he did help us avoid getting sliced in two in the hallway, and he did find that magic bean. “Okay. I guess more help is always good.” I stick him in my uniform pocket and feel him snuggle in. Then I walk over the moat and down the path to a cornfield where three unusually large trees stand looking out of place.

  “Quack!” Peaches pops her head out of Maxine’s bag as she trudges ahead of me. I growl.

  “You said more help is good, and I couldn’t leave her behind,” Maxine says. “With Flora not around, Stiltskin would probably…cook her for supper.”

  “Quack!” Peaches says in agreement, her voice being carried on the wind. The corn even has its own sound, whistling and creaking as the branches sway back and forth.

  “We should only be so lucky,” Jocelyn gripes as we reach Kayla and rest under the trees’ shade. “That thing eats everything, and it never coughs up the same item!” She opens her bag. “Those RS squad creeps took all my potions. Good thing I hid some stuff in secret pockets.”