Once Upon a Curse

  "Do you need a hand?" I asked.

  She shook her head and turned around just as the monster rose up out of the water and eyed her hungrily. It was huge, nearly as long as the moat was wide, and it certainly frightened me. I heard Grassina mutter something, although I couldn't hear what she said, but then I wasn't really paying attention because the monster had started to move. Sweeping its tail from side to side, it bore down on my aunt, who was still bobbing in the water. Before I could warn her, she disappeared with a bright yellow flash, and the biggest shark I'd ever seen was swimming in her place. The monster swerved and turned tail, speeding away from my aunt. Snapping her jaws, Grassina took off after it, diving below the surface as they disappeared around the curve in the moat. And to think I'd been worried about her!

  Thirteen

  I found Eadric in the stable brushing Bright Country. 'Your parents are supposed to arrive this afternoon," I told him. "I need to go now if I'm to be back before then."

  "What do you intend to do?" he asked.

  "Go see the Swamp Fairy, of course. I'll ask her to remove the curse. It was laid so long ago, I can't imagine that she'd still hold a grudge against our family. She's probably forgotten all about it."

  Eadric nodded. "Just give me a minute to get ready."

  "There's no need—"

  He sighed and rubbed his forehead as if it ached. "We've been through this before. I don't want you going alone if there's even the chance that it might be dangerous. I'm going with you and that's all there is to it. Where do you want to look? We could start by the river where we first met her when we were frogs."

  "That's what I thought," I said. "We'll just have to hope she's there, because I wouldn't know where else to look."

  I sat behind Eadric on Bright Country when we left a short time later. We tried to make our plans on the way, which was difficult since we really didn't know what to expect.

  "So we're just going to ask the fairy to end the curse, is that right?" Eadric asked.

  "That's the first thing we'll try," I said.

  "What will you do if she refuses? She will, you know. She's that kind of fairy."

  "I hadn't really thought that far."

  "Then here's what I suggest. Think of a spell ahead of time, and when she isn't looking, do something that will make her remove the curse."

  "Even if I wanted to do something like that, it wouldn't work on a fairy. Witches' magic never does."

  "Have you ever tried it?" Eadric asked.

  "No, but—"

  "Then how do you know it wouldn't work?"

  "Because Grassina taught me a long time ago that fairies aren't affected by ordinary magic. Their magic is completely different from ours." I usually enjoyed Eadric's company, but sometimes he could be so annoying.

  Eadric grunted and said, "Do you have another plan?"

  "Yes, but it's not nearly as good as the first one."

  "We are in trouble, then, aren't we?"

  "I sincerely hope not," I said, but I had a feeling that he was right.

  The last time we'd gone to the river, Eadric and I had been frogs and Aunt Grassina had carried us. The trip was much faster this time, partly because we were on horseback, partly because we knew where we were going. It wasn't long before we saw the river through the trees ahead, although it took a bit of hunting to find the place where we'd met the fairy. When we found a clearing that looked promising, Eadric jumped down, then helped me off Bright Country's back.

  Cupping my hands around my mouth, I called, "Swamp Fairy! We need to talk to you."

  "Don't you have a better name for her than Swamp Fairy?" Eadric asked. "Like Petunia or some typical fairy name?"

  I shook my head. "I don't know any other name for her. Tell me if you learn of one."

  "Huh," said Eadric. "It just sounds stupid, calling 'Swamp Fairy' like that."

  "Sorry," I said, getting even more exasperated with his unhelpful advice. Turning my back to him, I tried calling again. "Swamp Fairy, are you there?"

  When there was no answer, I gritted my teeth and said, "Maybe we're in the wrong spot. Let's try down by the river."

  We left the clearing, forcing our way through patches of wildflowers and scrubby-looking bushes. Thorns caught at my skirts, slowing me down, while Eadric forged on past me and reached the river first, even though he was leading Bright Country. I was about to start calling to the Swamp Fairy again when I noticed something that hadn't been there before. Someone had built a small hut beside the water only a short distance downriver. It was a cozy-looking hut, fairly new with a freshly thatched roof and a door woven out of still-green reeds.

  "You don't think the Swamp Fairy lives there, do you?" Eadric asked.

  I shrugged. "I suppose it's possible."

  We were approaching the hut, looking for some hint of who might live in it, when Bright Country nickered, and the door to the hut flew open. A man stepped out, shading his eyes against the afternoon sun. It was Haywood.

  "Hello!" he called. "Is that you, Emma, Eadric?"

  "Haywood," I replied. "What are you doing here?"

  "I live here now," he said, gesturing to the hut. "How do you like it? This is the house I told you about. I built it myself."

  "Very nice," I said.

  "Isn't this where you lived when you were an otter?" asked Eadric.

  "The exact spot. I was living in town until my landlord kicked me out. My magic kept blowing holes in his thatched roof. I had a lot of fond memories of this place, and I didn't know where else to go."

  "You could have come back to my parents' castle."

  "Not the way Grassina acts around me. Besides I didn't want to impose any more than I had already. Would you like to come in? It's roomy inside."

  I followed him through the door while Eadric tied Bright Country's reins to a tree. "It's very nice of you to—oh my!"

  It was obvious that Haywood's magic had improved. The hut that had seemed so small from the outside was spacious within and reminded me of Grassina's former room in the tower. While I knew the walls were some kind of plaster, the roof was thatched and the floor was pounded dirt, it didn't look like that to me—they all seemed to be made of stone. A large workbench stood against one wall, while a bed with a wooden frame rested in the corner. A fire burned in the fireplace, although I'd seen no sign of either a chimney or smoke from the outside. A dog lay in front of the hearth, and it wagged its tail when it saw me.

  "Olefat's visiting," said Haywood. "He can stand your grandmother for only a few days at a time. I told him he could stay here when he needs to get away."

  I nodded, having recognized the animal. Olefat, the former wizard, looked healthy and well fed.

  Haywood offered us seats on his only bench. When we were settled, he sat down beside us and asked, "What brings you out this way?"

  "I found out who pronounced the curse on my family," I said. "I came to ask her to remove it. You haven't seen the Swamp Fairy, have you?"

  Haywood jumped to his feet. "She's the one who did it?"

  Eadric nodded. "The curse said that a true love's kiss would also break the spell."

  Haywood looked doubtful. "A kiss? You mean someone would have to kiss—"

  "Grassina," said Eadric. "And if you still love her, that someone would have to be you. You do still love her, don't you Haywood?"

  "Well," Haywood said reluctantly, "I love the sweet person she used to be, but she isn't that person anymore, is she? You know that Grassina doesn't like me. Even if I wanted to kiss her, I don't think she'd let me get close enough, although I suppose I could try it while she's sleeping."

  "The curse mentioned seeing her true self in her gaze," said Eadric. "Doesn't that mean that her eyes have to be open?"

  "Probably," I said. "I think the cure is about love, not whether or not you can sneak up on someone. That's why we need to see the Swamp Fairy. You haven't seen her recently, have you?"

  "She takes a nap under the old willow in the afternoons. But if
she's the one who cursed your ancestor, I don't think it would do you any good to talk to her. I don't know her very well, but from what I've heard about her, she's more likely to put another curse on you than she is to be of help. You might consider turning around and going home. As bad as the curse may be, there are some things that are much worse."

  "I can't give up, Haywood. Grassina's always playing tricks on people and making our lives miserable. I don't think we can stand her much longer, but she has no intention of leaving. The only way I can make the castle livable again is if I change Grassina back to the way she used to be."

  Haywood shook his head. "All I can say is, 'Good luck,' because you're going to need it. The old willow isn't far from here. I can show you the way, if you'd like."

  Accompanied by Olefat, who had to stop and sniff all the interesting scents, Haywood led Eadric and me to a steep slope, then stopped and pointed. The slope ran down to the river, and at its base grew a willow so old that its roots seemed to be the only things holding the edge of the crumbling bank in place. Haywood left after trying to dissuade us one more time. Olefat had already scampered off, following some animal's trail.

  Eadric and I climbed down the slope to the willow, but we didn't see any sign of the fairy. Wary of the insects that make willows their homes, I pushed aside the long, trailing leaves and looked again. At first glance there didn't seem to be anyone in the green-tinted world beneath the tree.

  "Is that her?" asked Eadric. He gestured to a glowing dot attached to one of the gently swaying leaves.

  "Swamp Fairy," I called, trying to keep my voice soft so I wouldn't startle her. "Swamp Fairy, we need to talk to you."

  The dot shivered, and suddenly the full-sized Swamp Fairy was standing in front of us, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Her blue hair was disheveled and streaked with more gray than I remembered, and her flower-petal skirt was rumpled and creased. She patted her mouth when she yawned again, then said, "What do you want? Hasn't anyone ever told you to let sleeping fairies lie?"

  "I thought that was sleeping dogs," said Eadric.

  "Doesn't matter." After studying our faces through narrowed eyes, she said, "Say, don't I know you from somewhere?"

  This was encouraging. At least she remembered us. "We met at a party a long time ago," I said.

  "It must have been a long time. I don't go to parties anymore."

  "It was a birthday party," said Eadric. "They served great food."

  "Really?" said the fairy, her eyes brightening.

  "And excellent ale," I said.

  "Oh, that party," said the Swamp Fairy. "Yes, that was a while ago. How did you get there?"

  "I'm a witch," I said. "And a relative of Hazel's. That's why we're here. You laid a curse on my family when you were leaving."

  The Swamp Fairy's eyes narrowed. "I remember," she said. "Your relative was very rude."

  "I know, and I'm sorry. I didn't like her much, either. But it's been a long time, and we were wondering if you could remove the curse now."

  The fairy shook her head. "I never remove a curse I've cast. It's admitting that you were wrong, and I'm never wrong."

  "But it's been hundreds of years! Generations of my family have suffered because of your curse. Isn't that enough?"

  "No, I told you. She was very rude."

  "What if we gave you something in exchange?" asked Eadric. "Emma has some dragon's breath."

  "Eadric, I don't think—"

  "No thanks. I already have a vial full. Got it from some dumb-looking frogs awhile back."

  "Dumb-looking?" Eadric said. When I saw the muscles of his jaw tightening, I knew we were in trouble. "If you want to know what dumb-looking is, try looking in a mirror."

  "Uh, Eadric...," I began.

  "How dare you?" exclaimed the fairy. The air around her began to shimmer, but before she could raise her arms, Olefat the dog tore down the slope, barking at a rabbit he was chasing. Darting this away and that, the rabbit veered away from the fairy, only to have Olefat drive him back. The fairy shrieked when the rabbit ran across her feet, leaving dirty paw prints on her toes.

  Grabbing hold of Eadric's belt, I hustled him away from the willow. "What are you doing?" he said after we'd scrambled up the steep embankment. "She didn't do anything about the curse yet."

  "And she won't, either, not after you insulted her," I said, pulling his arm to keep him moving. "In case you didn't notice, she was about to turn you into a slug or something equally repulsive. We have to get away from here. I don't know how far a fairy can cast a curse."

  Eadric and I hurried back the way we'd come, heading toward Haywood's hut. When the willow was a good distance behind us, Eadric turned to me and said, "You should have used your magic and made her remove the curse while you had the chance."

  "I told you, my magic doesn't work on fairies," I snapped. "If I'd tried it, we'd both be slugs. We're going to have to go see Haywood again."

  "What's the point?" grumbled Eadric. "He already refused to help us."

  We had nearly reached Haywood's hut when Olefat trotted up beside me, a satisfied look on his doggy face. "And that," he said, "was number two!" Wagging his tail, Olefat disappeared into the underbrush.

  We stopped to watch a patch of wildflowers rustle with the dog's passage. "What did he mean by that?" Eadric asked.

  "I don't think he intends to be a dog for much longer. I think he's trying to do favors for strangers so he can break the spell and become human again."

  "And distracting the fairy was the second one? What do you suppose the first one might have been?"

  "He saved me from a cat," I said. "He was a lousy human, but he makes a very nice dog."

  Haywood wasn't surprised when we told him that the fairy had refused to remove the curse. He nodded and said, "I hate to say I told you so."

  "We were hoping you could help us," I said.

  Haywood frowned. "I can't. Even getting Grassina to talk to me would be nearly impossible."

  "You could try, couldn't you?" I asked. "If you kiss her, she'll turn back into the sweet Grassina she used to be, and you already said that she was the one you love."

  "Think about it, Emma," said Haywood. "Grassina doesn't want to have a thing to do with me and threatens me if I go anywhere near her. Who knows what she'll do if I try to force a kiss on her? She could do something to make all of us miserable, and I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you two. You'll just have to learn to live with her the way she is or find some way to get her to move."

  "Please?" I asked. "It isn't just about Grassina. There's Eadric and me, too."

  "Huh?" said Eadric. "What are you talking about?"

  "I want to marry you, Eadric, but if we don't end the curse one way or another, I can't marry you or anyone else."

  "Emma, you can't mean that! You know how much I want to marry you. I love you!"

  "And I love you, too, which is why I can't marry you with the curse hanging over us. I don't want the same thing to happen to you that happened to my grandfather. I don't want you to end up married to someone so nasty that living in the dungeon is preferable to living with her."

  "Just because that happened to them doesn't mean it will happen to us. We won't have any flowers near the castle and you can—"

  "Eadric, it wouldn't work. There will always be the chance that I might come in contact with some by accident. Look at what happened to Grassina when my grandmother sent all those magical flowers to fall on her."

  "Then we'll have to do whatever it takes to end the curse, won't we?" said Eadric. "What do you say, Haywood? Will you try?"

  Haywood sighed. "If it means that there's a chance that I could get my Grassina back and that you two can get married, yes, I'll try. But I can't guarantee anything."

  "We don't expect you to, do we, Eadric?"

  "Well, it would be nice," Eadric muttered under his breath.

  "I'll be there tomorrow," said Haywood. "I have a few things to do first."

  It was
dusk when Eadric and I returned to the castle, and I half expected to see Li'l out hunting for insects. The area around the castle was curiously quiet, however, and I learned why when Bright Country suddenly reared up, nearly dumping us off his back.

  "What happened?" Eadric asked Bright Country, patting his neck as the horse danced nervously to the side of the road.

  "Didn't you see it?" said the horse. "A huge, scaly beast just ran in front of me. It looked right at me and stuck out its tongue!"

  "That was probably Grassina," I said. "She must have gone out for the evening."

  "Grassina is a scaly beast now?" asked Bright Country.

  I nodded. "She likes turning into a lizard. A few weeks ago, she tried being a wolf. Who knows what she'll try next."

  As we'd missed supper, Eadric and I went straight to the kitchen to find something to eat. He had befriended everyone on the kitchen staff during his frequent visits there, so they were delighted to see him. After they spent a few minutes reminiscing about his last stay, the cook said, "We know where you got your appetite. Your father can eat even more than you can!"

  "My parents are here?" Eadric asked.

  "They arrived right before supper. 'Good timing,' I said, when I heard how hungry His Majesty was. I had to cook extra eels just for him."

  Eadric grinned. "My father likes eels, but they give him awful indigestion."

  "You do take after him, don't you?" I said, kissing him on the cheek. "Come on, you can introduce me."

  Eadric gazed at the platters of leftovers with great longing. "All right," he said, "as long as Cook saves us some supper."

  Cook laughed. "Don't worry, we'll save plenty of food. It will even be enough for you!"

  We were leaving the kitchen when Eadric said to me, "I'd better warn you. My parents aren't anything like yours."

  "You mean your mother is sweet and friendly?"

  "I wouldn't go that far," he said, grinning again.

  "Eadric, my boy!" called a deep voice, and I looked up to see a short, heavyset man with a well-rounded belly coming toward us. A tall, thin woman with frizzy, brown hair turning to gray followed at his heels.