CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
VICTORY
Filomena wished to get rid of the ogre of Orgdale. Except nothing happens. The genie smiles mysteriously. “Child of the Forest and the Castle, niece of Carabosse and daughter of Rosanna, you have everything in your power to see your wish come true. I will leave you with that.” The genie disappears.
“A whole lot of help he is,” grumbles Alistair.
“Genies. I told you they’re unpredictable,” says Jack.
“Hang on, you’re Princess Eliana?” asks Alistair, pointing to Filomena. “The cursed baby?”
“Yeah, that’s me. Weird, huh?” says Filomena.
“Not really,” says Alistair.
“WATCH OUT!” yells Jack, and Filomena turns to see Olga jumping to snatch the lamp from her in rage.
“YOU WON’T GET RID OF ME THAT EASILY!” the ogre queen yells.
Jack dives in front of Filomena like a football player, arms reaching for the lamp as he does so. With his quick action, he manages to stop the lamp from connecting with Filomena’s face and prevents it from hitting the ground, where it likely would have smashed into pieces. He hits the ground instead, with a loud thud, and rapidly slides across the cavern floor. Rolling, with the lamp intact, he hugs it in his arms to shield it from damage on the hard ground.
He holds it up. “Alistair! Catch!”
Alistair is ready.
The lamp flies across the cavern, and this time Alistair catches it and puts it in his pocket.
Olga launches herself at Filomena in fury, but the wolves are ready, too. Rolf and his pack have transformed back into beasts. They attack the ogres, and Olga and her soldiers have no recourse but to retreat.
“Don’t give up, you fools!” Olga screams.
But the ogres are cowards, and they run from the wolves and the children with the sharp blades.
At last Olga turns away as well, slithering and disappearing into the shadows.
“Get her!” Filomena cries, pointing at the queen’s shadow now quickly slinking from sight.
The wolves give chase, taking after her without hesitation. They run on all fours, disappearing in a furry frenzy while Jack, Alistair, Gretel, and Filomena follow, swords drawn in the air.
“Hey, Fil!” says Alistair.
“What?”
“This time we’re running after them! We’re not running away!”
“It’s another reason to run!” Filomena laughs.
They weave through the cavern’s paths, turning and twisting with each route they take. The light is faint, but the farther they go, the easier it becomes to see, the way out becoming closer and closer with each step.
Once they reach the outside of the cave, the hot sun beats down on them. The open expanse of the dry desert looms before them, and the ogres are just barely in sight.
Olga turns around. “ENOUGH! I will not be disgraced and chased by a group of children and dogs! You may have your wretched kingdom back! We will go back to Orgdale, but we shall return!”
With that last threat, the ogre queen and her soldiers disappear in a cloud of black smoke.
The wolves turn back into boys and girls. Gretel picks sand out of her hair. Jack cleans his sword, and Alistair holds on to the lamp. He holds it up to the light. “Huh.” Alistair tosses the lamp to the sand.
“What are you doing?” asks Filomena.
“It’s over. The genie’s gone. That must have been his last wish,” Alistair explains. “He’s free.”
“Genies are nuisances, anyway,” says Jack.
“So … you’re a princess. Doesn’t that mean you have to marry a prince?” says Alistair, making googly eyes.
Filomena frowns. “I’m not marrying some dumb prince. That might have been my destiny once. But it’s not anymore. It’s just like it says in the books. We gotta write our own stories.”
Jack turns away so they can’t see his face, but Filomena thinks he is smiling.