Page 11 of The Broken Mirror
“One and the same. Good to see you, man,” says Jack with a wide grin on his face.
Filomena watches as the two engage in what the mortal world calls a bro hug. When they pull back, they look so delighted that they hug again, this time normally, with both arms, slapping each other on the back.
“I can’t believe this, mate! And, Alistair, I forgot you could crumble doors like that.” Riff grins, giving Alistair a hug. “How long has it been since I saw the likes of you two?”
“Since the Last Battle, it must’ve been,” Jack responds. They all look somber for a moment. But then Jack perks back up, throwing an arm around Filomena. “Riff, you have to meet our best friend, Filomena,” he says.
Filomena’s shoulders tingle a bit at Jack’s touch. He hasn’t been this happy since the success of their last rescue. Filomena could’ve stayed like this for a long time, but the logical part of her remembers that they have a mission at hand, not to mention a cunning antagonist who might be on his way here.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Riff, but I think we better get out of here while we’re alone,” she ventures. “Let’s catch up once we’re out of enemy territory?”
“Wait! Aren’t we supposed to try and find Princess Jeanne’s crown while we’re here?” Jack exclaims.
“I looked everywhere before I was captured. It’s not here,” says Riff.
There’s no time to look for it anyway. Luncheon is over; they heard the clock chime. Robin Hood could return at any moment.
The four dash back down the stairs and out of the castle.
Outside, Gretel and Princess Jeanne are still distracting the guards. Gretel is showing them how to play a game on her phone. “So you see, you populate your little island.”
Filomena signals to Gretel to get out of there, and then she and the three boys hide in the forest until Princess Jeanne and Gretel are able to sneak away.
When Princess Jeanne catches sight of Riff, she runs straight into his arms.
“Jeannie!” he cries, catching her and swooping her around in a circle.
“I was so worried!” she tells him. “Are you okay? I hope they didn’t do anything too terrible.”
“I’m fine. Nothing I couldn’t handle. But I’m so sorry, Jeanne—I don’t have it,” he tells her.
Princess Jeanne shakes her head. “It’s okay. It’s just a crown.” She shrugs.
“We’ll get it back. I promise you,” Riff tells her, giving her another squeeze.
“That’s Riff?” Gretel whispers to Alistair.
“I know, right?” Alistair whispers back to Gretel, leaning in.
“Wow. The mortal fairy tales really did a number on him,” she says incredulously.
“Why? What’s he like in the fairy tales?” Alistair asks.
“Let’s just say he doesn’t look like that! Hubba, hubba!” Gretel says, fanning herself.
Filomena laughs, overhearing the two gossip like a couple of hens.
“Thank fairies you got Riff out of there when you did,” Princess Jeanne says to her hired heroes.
Riff nudges Jeanne with a smug grin. “Missed me, did you?”
But Princess Jeanne isn’t having any of that right now. “I suppose. But also, once the henchmen gave us directions to the nearest village, they noticed my new gold chain mail and got really chatty. Like they haven’t spoken to anyone new in centuries. Then they started mansplaining my own battle gear to me! The nerve! I was getting so annoyed, I’d have blown our cover any minute.”
CHAPTERFIVEVERYMERRY
At Princess Jeanne’s castle, a feast is in session.
“Now this is the kind of royal treatment I could get used to,” Alistair says.
