this quest. Promise me."
"I prom--"
Suddenly her cell phone rang, and they both started at the sound. She stared at it. The caller ID said "Witch". With a shaking hand, she flipped it open. "Hello?"
"Lightfoot," came a lilting female voice. It was pretty good for a witch.
"Yes?" To Edward she mouthed,
It's the Evil Witch.
Edward immediately jumped to his feet, looking alert. Melinda raised a hand to stop him from snatching the phone from her. She didn't trust the dark glower on his face. He might just take out his frustration out on the hapless device.
"I have Beauty." There was a short pause. "If you want her back, send that arrogant and foolish nephew of mine alone to the Tudor House at half past eleven tonight. Alone."
"You said that," Melinda said.
The Evil Witch went on as of Melinda hadn't spoken. "If he does not come alone," she continued, "I shall feed Beauty to the guard dog I found outside."
"Um, could we just talk about this like rational adul--"
The Evil Witch hung up.
"What did she want?" Edward said when Melinda closed her phone.
"She wants you alone in the Tudor House."
"I see."
"I don't think you should go. It's too dangerous, and you never know what she's going to do."
"Yet if I do not, Beauty will die."
Melinda nodded.
"And so I must."
"I'll go with you," Melinda said. "I don't trust her, and you may need help. Just in case."
He looked like he would argue.
"Please."
"No," he said finally. "It is too dangerous. I cannot bear the thought of you getting hurt. You will stay behind."
"Oh I will, will I?" She crossed her arms. "And how exactly are you going to get there without me?"
He gave her a pained look. "Very well. You may transport me in your flatulent 'Charger'. But that is all. Once I am safely at the Bluebeard King's house, you will return home like a good girl and wait."
VII. In Which Our Hero Makes an Impossible Choice
Melinda drove Edward to Tudor Land. The sky opened up about halfway to the theme park, and rain poured down. It fell in great washes on the windshield; lightning streaked the black horizon above, followed by cracking thunder. Melinda found herself tense and leaning forward, trying to see the road more than just a few feet in front of her.
"You know...it really would be a good idea for you to have some backup," she said again as she finally found the exit to Tudor Land.
"No."
"I can help you."
"No." He turned to Melinda. "I am quite serious. You must return to your house. If you are here, I will be too distracted."
"But you can't go back to the Fairy Tale World without me in the room."
"I will use your talking device to summon you, never fear."
"But you've never used one before, Edward. How are you going to call me?"
"If my aunt did it, so can I."
"Your aunt is magic."
"I ca--ah. So she is. Very well, forego all of this futile arguing and teach me how to do it."
She sighed and gave him a short course in Telephone 101. Fortunately, Edward was a quick study and had no problem memorizing her number. When they reached the parking lot he got out of the car and stood in the rain. The hood she had made for him grew wet and limp in his hand as it took the water in greedily. There hadn't been any fabric, so she'd used an old Disney towel.
Thank you. I am honored by this favor, Melinda. I will wear it with pride.
Melinda tightened her lips. Didn't he realize this was her fight too? It was her fault the Evil Witch had gotten out. But Edward simply wouldn't change his mind. The man was stubbornness personified.
Nobility be damned,
she thought,
reasonableness is the better virtue.
But she knew she was being uncharitable because she was nervous. If everything went well, this night was it for the two of them. Everyone would go back to the Fairy Tale World, Edward would get Beauty, and Melinda would return to the real world alone.
Edward watched as she backed out of the parking lot. She saw him put his hood on in the rearview mirror. The picture of a dancing
"I prom--"
Suddenly her cell phone rang, and they both started at the sound. She stared at it. The caller ID said "Witch". With a shaking hand, she flipped it open. "Hello?"
"Lightfoot," came a lilting female voice. It was pretty good for a witch.
"Yes?" To Edward she mouthed,
It's the Evil Witch.
Edward immediately jumped to his feet, looking alert. Melinda raised a hand to stop him from snatching the phone from her. She didn't trust the dark glower on his face. He might just take out his frustration out on the hapless device.
"I have Beauty." There was a short pause. "If you want her back, send that arrogant and foolish nephew of mine alone to the Tudor House at half past eleven tonight. Alone."
"You said that," Melinda said.
The Evil Witch went on as of Melinda hadn't spoken. "If he does not come alone," she continued, "I shall feed Beauty to the guard dog I found outside."
"Um, could we just talk about this like rational adul--"
The Evil Witch hung up.
"What did she want?" Edward said when Melinda closed her phone.
"She wants you alone in the Tudor House."
"I see."
"I don't think you should go. It's too dangerous, and you never know what she's going to do."
"Yet if I do not, Beauty will die."
Melinda nodded.
"And so I must."
"I'll go with you," Melinda said. "I don't trust her, and you may need help. Just in case."
He looked like he would argue.
"Please."
"No," he said finally. "It is too dangerous. I cannot bear the thought of you getting hurt. You will stay behind."
"Oh I will, will I?" She crossed her arms. "And how exactly are you going to get there without me?"
He gave her a pained look. "Very well. You may transport me in your flatulent 'Charger'. But that is all. Once I am safely at the Bluebeard King's house, you will return home like a good girl and wait."
VII. In Which Our Hero Makes an Impossible Choice
Melinda drove Edward to Tudor Land. The sky opened up about halfway to the theme park, and rain poured down. It fell in great washes on the windshield; lightning streaked the black horizon above, followed by cracking thunder. Melinda found herself tense and leaning forward, trying to see the road more than just a few feet in front of her.
"You know...it really would be a good idea for you to have some backup," she said again as she finally found the exit to Tudor Land.
"No."
"I can help you."
"No." He turned to Melinda. "I am quite serious. You must return to your house. If you are here, I will be too distracted."
"But you can't go back to the Fairy Tale World without me in the room."
"I will use your talking device to summon you, never fear."
"But you've never used one before, Edward. How are you going to call me?"
"If my aunt did it, so can I."
"Your aunt is magic."
"I ca--ah. So she is. Very well, forego all of this futile arguing and teach me how to do it."
She sighed and gave him a short course in Telephone 101. Fortunately, Edward was a quick study and had no problem memorizing her number. When they reached the parking lot he got out of the car and stood in the rain. The hood she had made for him grew wet and limp in his hand as it took the water in greedily. There hadn't been any fabric, so she'd used an old Disney towel.
Thank you. I am honored by this favor, Melinda. I will wear it with pride.
Melinda tightened her lips. Didn't he realize this was her fight too? It was her fault the Evil Witch had gotten out. But Edward simply wouldn't change his mind. The man was stubbornness personified.
Nobility be damned,
she thought,
reasonableness is the better virtue.
But she knew she was being uncharitable because she was nervous. If everything went well, this night was it for the two of them. Everyone would go back to the Fairy Tale World, Edward would get Beauty, and Melinda would return to the real world alone.
Edward watched as she backed out of the parking lot. She saw him put his hood on in the rearview mirror. The picture of a dancing
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