CHAPTER THIRTEEN FILOMENA RETURNS

When Filomena returns to Northphalia, she finds the gorgeous Northern castle has been turned into a battle fortress. Riff is rallying troops, ordering men to their stations, and preparing to evacuate women and children.

“You’re back!” cries Gretel, giving Filomena a hug. “And not one second too late!”

“What’s the plan?” she asks.

Jack walks up, his stride purposeful. His leg has almost completely healed. “How’s your mom?”

“She’s okay,” Filomena tells him. “What are we going to do?”

“Riff is going to hold the castle,” Jack tells her.

“I’ll never surrender,” says Princess Jeanne. “If Richard wants the crown, he’ll have to take my head.”

Little Jeanne is uncharacteristically silent.

Filomena hopes they know what they’re getting into. That army looks terrifying. But she turns her attention back to Jack, who has more to tell her.

“Robin Hood was here a few nights ago, and Alistair, Gretel, and I followed him into Sherwood Forest.”

“We got our stuff back!” crows Alistair, and hands Filomena her pack.

“My books!” She smiles at the sight of them all. She looks at her friends with tears in her eyes. “Thank you!”

“And we got our Dragon’s Tooth swords and everything,” adds Gretel, whose face is not as shiny as before. She must have retrieved her skincare, too.

“How?” asks Filomena, awed.

“Robin’s not the only one who can be stealthy,” says Gretel, nodding toward Jack. “Helps if you have vines to snatch things away with, too.”

“We got another message from Snow Country,” says Jack grimly. “Zera was captured. There’s no time to waste.”


As they’re saying goodbye to Princess Jeanne, Little Jeanne, and Riff, Beatrice and Byron walk into the room.

“Wait, have you guys been here this whole time?” Alistair asks, confused.

“No, Alistair.” Beatrice smiles, a bit sadly. “We went to Wonderland. But when we got there, something very grave had happened.”

“More bad news?” Gretel says. She’s looking a bit frightened.

Beatrice takes a deep breath. “Prince Charlie has been turned into a frog.”

Everyone gasps.

“Poor Hori!” Gretel shrieks. “How awful!”

At this point, Filomena doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry. A frog? Like in the fairy tale? Wait … Of course. If Beatrice is from Beauty and the Beast, then this must be Hori’s turn to live out a fairy tale … The Princess and the Frog. It looks like Filomena will have to include this in the thirteenth Never After installment as well.

She flips through the Never After books just in case she sees something that might come in handy. She turns to the page written with the Prophecy. She almost doesn’t read it—it’s just too scary—but then she notices two new final lines have appeared. How did that happen? And when?

Thirteen fairies to this world were born.

Thirteen fairies of ogres’ scorn.

Thirteen blessings the fairies gave;

All the gifts that ogres crave.

To keep fairies’ gifts out of ogres’ hands,

Only the League of Seven can save the lands …