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Lately, Everafter resentment of the Grimms was at an all-time high. Most of the bad feeling was fueled by the town’s new mayor, the Queen of Hearts. Mayor Heart and her notorious Sheriff Nottingham had made it all too clear that humans, especially the Grimm family, were not welcome in Ferryport Landing. They raised property taxes so high that they were impossible for most people to pay. Humans were forced to abandon their homes and leave town.
When Gra
“There’s Main Street!” Daphne shouted above the wind.
Seconds later, the flying carpet gently touched down outside an office building on the edge of town. Once everyone had stepped onto the sidewalk, the rug neatly rolled itself up, and Daphne hoisted it onto her shoulder.
“Wait here,” the pig-snouted creature said. “I’ll scout the neighborhood. It’s best to stay out of sight. There could be snipers in the trees.”
“I’m sure there are no snipers—” Gra
Sabrina and her sister followed the old woman down Main Street. It was particularly lonely that day. Many of the little shops that lined the street were shuttered and closed. The sidewalks were empty and the roadway clear of cars. The town’s one and only traffic light had burned out. As far as Sabrina knew, Ferryport Landing had never been a bustling center of commerce, but there had been a time not so long ago when its little stores were filled with customers. Now most were abandoned. Signs hung in windows declaring EMERGENCY LIQUIDATIONS and AFTER 150 YEARS IN BUSINESS WE’RE CLOSING OUR DOORS. Those that weren’t shut had a much more ominous sign in their windows: a bloodred handprint, the mark of the Scarlet Hand. One now hung on the door of Old King Cole’s Restaurant.
“Looks like they got to him, too,” Sabrina said, pointing out the sign.
“We’re ru
Eventually the family stopped outside of a small office building with huge picture windows and a manicured lawn.
“What are we doing here?” Sabrina asked. “I thought we were going to the jail.”
“I don’t think visiting the jail is a good use of our time,” Gra
“We’re going to meet an Everafter, aren’t we?” Sabrina said, looking at her sister. She knew that Daphne usually couldn’t resist meeting fairy-tale characters. She was known to squeal with delight and bite her hand when in the presence of one. “I guess it won’t be such a big deal now that you’re a grown-up.”
“No big deal at all,” Daphne said, quite seriously.
When their security guard returned and informed them that they were safe from snipers, the group went inside and climbed the stairs to the third floor of the building. There they found a single door with a sign next to it that read THE SHERWOOD GROUP: ATTORNEYS AT LAW. Sabrina sca
Gra
“Hello?” Gra
“I should get you out of here,” the family’s bodyguard squeaked. “These men are barbarians.”
“We’ll be fine,” Gra
Just then, a potted fern flew past them and smashed against a wall. There was a loud cheer that suddenly died when the men noticed how close they had come to harming the family.
“Gentlemen! We have clients,” a huge man with a dark, untamed beard shouted. He must have been more than six-anda-half-feet tall with a chest as wide as a car bumper and hands as big as basketballs. His eyes were deep-set and fierce, giving him a wild expression that was offset by his wide, beaming smile. “Welcome to the Sherwood Group!”
“Welcome!” the men shouted in unison as they held up their pints of beer.
“I have an appointment with Robin Hood,” Gra
“Robin Hood!” the girls cried. Sabrina glanced at her sister, waiting for the little girl to squeal with happiness, but Daphne caught her looking.
“No big deal, huh?” Sabrina asked.
Daphne shook her head, though it was obvious she was struggling to hold in her excitement.
One of the sword-fighting men leaped from the desk, thrust his sword in a sheath, and rushed to take Gra
He kissed Gra
obin Hood and his burly companion led the family down a hallway and into an office lined with floor-to-ceiling windows offering an amazing panorama of the Hudson River. The sun was creeping over the mountains and its rays painted the waves a glittery gold. A tiny sailboat drifted by and a few hungry seagulls hovered over the water searching for breakfast.
Robin Hood’s office was tastefully decorated with framed law degrees and shelves of thick legal books. The only things that seemed out of place were a bow strung with a heavy cord, hanging from a shelf above the door, and a quiver of arrows leaning in the corner.
“Mrs. Grimm, please come in,” the man said, helping the family into the leather chairs in front of a huge oak desk. The pig-snouted creature scouted the room, peeking into a potted plant and beneath a leather sofa, before it crossed its arms and stationed itself by the door.