Once Upon a Curse by E. D. Baker Read Free Book Online

in the morning, and I'll try to have him here."
    We left Grandfather with the promise that we'd meet him first thing in the morning. Eadric was yawning broadly when we left the dungeon, so we said good night, and he stumbled off to the bedroom he'd used before.
    When I passed through the Great Hall, the room was empty except for the hounds still cowering in the corner, startling at every sound. Upstairs in my chamber, I crawled into my bed grateful for its comforting warmth, but I couldn't stop worrying about what I planned to do. Who was Grandfather bringing, and how could this person help me? What if the spell didn't work, and I didn't go anywhere or ended up in the wrong time? And even if the spell was successful and I reached Hazel's time, who knew what I would face?
    Sleep was impossible as I thought about why I should go. If I couldn't find a way to end the curse and it changed me before I found someone to replace me as Green Witch, Greater Greensward would be without magical protection. Even if the curse never changed me, I'd have to spend the rest of my days trying to protect everyone I cared about from my crazy aunt and worrying that I still might be the curse's next victim. When I finally fell asleep, I dreamed of sharp-clawed monsters with teeth like daggers chewing up the trestle tables in the Great Hall where my entire family sat, waiting to be devoured.
    I was up early the next morning collecting everything I thought might be useful on my trip: a piece of string, a candle stub, a vial of protective salve my dragon friend Ralf had given me and, the most important, the bottle of dragon's breath that I'd put in my hip pouch the day before. The string could always become rope; the candle, an ever-useful light; the salve, a great protector; and the dragon's breath, a way to get me there and back. I hung my smallest farseeing ball on a chain around my neck, dressed in a comfortable gown and warm cloak, fed my canary, then went to check on Li'l. My mother wouldn't need to know, as I figured on returning the same day.
    "Where are you going?" asked the little bat from her favorite rafter.
    "Into the dungeon for now. If everything works out, I'll be going to find the cure for the curse."
    "Can I come with you?" she asked, fluttering to my shoulder.
    "You can come as far as the dungeon, if you'd like, but after that I'll need to be on my own. I'm going to try to travel back in time, and I'm not sure what I'll find. I don't dare take anyone with me."
    This time when I went to the dungeon, I took a witches' light tethered to me by magic. Lighting my way with a warm glow, it kept pace like a well-trained hawk, staying a few feet above my head. Eadric was waiting for me in the Great Hall, taking bites from a hefty chunk of cheese. He offered me some, but my nervous stomach gurgled and I decided not to take it.
    Grandfather was already waiting for us in the dungeon with two ghosts I'd never seen before. Wary of strangers, Li'l hunched down on my shoulder, gripping my cloak with her claws. The room was so cold from the presence of three ghosts that I could see each puff of our breath. Even with the cloak wrapped around me, my teeth chattered and I had to listen hard to hear my grandfather.
    After nodding to Eadric, Grandfather drew me to his side so that we faced the other ghosts together. "Emma, I'd like you to meet Sir Jarvis," Grandfather told me. The ghost wore a peaked cap, over-tunic and leggings that had long been out of fashion. His noble bearing would have been the same in any time period. "And this is his friend, Hubert. Hubert tells me that he worked in the stables of Grunwald the third." The ghost was stooped with age, his long hair straggled almost to his knees, his tunic was little more than a rag and his legs and feet were bare. The finely wrought chain that he wore around his neck seemed very much out of place.
    "King Grunwald to you, youngster. You need to learn respect for your betters," said Hubert.
    Sir Jarvis