Page 47 of The Broken Mirror
“I don’t really know what you’re talking about, but don’t worry about it,” she says quickly.
“It was just a little crush, by the way. Nothinghappened, they never went on a date or anything.”
A date? They’re only twelve and thirteen! In the mortal world, kids their age go on group dates to the movie theater and then talk in the parking lot for fifteen minutes before their parents pick them up. That’s about as much dating as Filomena knows. But maybe Sadie the reindeer rancherknows about other kinds of dates? Like dates where you go on walks and discuss quests?
“Well, I wouldn’t care if they did!” Filomena blurts out.
Alistair looks at her, seeming slightly confused. She needs to steer the conversation away from this.
“While I don’t like what Jack said, I hope you know that you don’t always have to be funny, Alistair,” Filomena says, getting back to the initial topic. “I love your jokes, and thank goodness you are the way you are. You do get us through some rough moments. But you should just know that you’re allowed to be whatever you want to be in this group.”
“Thanks. I’ll never stop joking around, but it’s nice to know there are other things about me that you like, too.” Alistair looks at Filomena, then stops to give her a hug. “Does it count as a group hug if it’s only two people?” he asks.
Filomena laughs and thanks the fairies that she gets to be with heroes who have a sense of humor.
CHAPTERTWENTY-THREETHEBOYSAREBACK INTOWN
The next night is like a groundhog day.Are there groundhog days in Never After?Filomena wonders. Or maybe it would be a chippermunk day. The point is, it feels like the same day all over again. Come twilight, Rosie leads Filomena, Alistair, and Gretel to the river with leftovers from dinner. But this time, Rosie insists that everyone come. So Beatrice and Byron, as well as a very reluctant Jack, are along for the walk, too. Each carries a shirt for one brother.
But it’s when they arrive at the river that this night starts to be quite unlike the previous.
Seven magnificent swans with wingspans as wide as Byron’s swoop down from the sky. They land gracefully in front of Rosie. She gives the one nearest her a pat on the head.
“Where were you delinquents last night?! We waited practically all night for you!” she says.
The swan she just petted only squawks in return.
“They can’t even talk? Are you sure these are your brothers, Rosie?” Jack grumbles.
Filomena rolls her eyes. He’s still being a jerk today, sulking and hardly speaking to anyone.
Rosie ignores Jack. “It’s showtime!” she says. “Fairies, I really hope this works. Winter Witch, please know what you’re talking about.”
Rosie instructs everyone to pick a swan and stand in front of it. On her count, they each carefully pull a star flower shirt over their swan and then quickly step back.
At first there’s nothing. But then something happens that Filomena’s never seen before. Feathers are flying around, and human limbs jut out of the swans’ bodies. Then all at once—poof.She can hardly believe her eyes. There they are: seven boys. Wait, sevennakedboys?
“Don’t look at us! Don’t look at me!” a teenage boy yells out, covering himself.
Huh, now that’s something you don’t think of when it comesto curses,Filomena thinks to herself, laughing quietly. She guesses that during the process of transforming into a swan, clothes become sort of nonessential.
But apparently the fashion expert of the groupdidthink of this.
“Don’t worry, boys, I’ve got clothes for you,” Gretel says, opening her bag and tossing garments at the shivering brothers. Rosie gives her a very appreciative look.
“Blimey, it’s much colder having human skin than feathers, I’ll tell you that right now,” one brother says.
As soon as they’re dressed, Rosie throws herself into their arms.
“Rosie, you genius girl!” says a brother, hugging her and giving her a noogie.
“Can’t believe you figured it out, Rose!” says another.
“Star flower shirts? How in all the worlds did you come up with that one?”
“I don’t even want to know,” another says. “We’re back, boys! We’re back!”
The energy has certainly shifted with their transformation. Rosie’s brothers are all slapping one another on the backs, doing little jigs, stretching out their arms and fingers, remembering what it feels like to have limbs and opposable thumbs again. And they all keep hugging Rosie over and over.Having older brothers seems pretty nice,Filomena thinks.
