Secret of the Changeling Read online

  In the background Resus could make out Ditto sitting on the vampire hunter’s horse in the relative safety of the trees. If only her secret was that she could make his friends see sense! He clenched his fists as he watched the two sides prepare to fight, his fake fingernails digging sharply into the palms of his hands. He hoped no one would get hurt, despite what they’d—

  “There you are!”

  Resus spun round to see the Crimson Queen entering the room. She was even more beautiful in real life, and he caught himself wondering if she was shrouded in an enchantment charm like Eefa and her sister back home.

  “No,” smiled the queen. “No enchantment charm.”

  Resus swallowed hard. He’d have to get used to the queen being able to read his thoughts. “I was, er … just coming to find you,” he said.

  “Of course you were. But first you wanted to check on your friends.”

  “They’re no friends of mine,” muttered Resus.

  “Now, now,” the queen scolded. “Just because they don’t see things as clearly as us doesn’t mean they don’t have good hearts. It’s simply time for you to follow a different path.”

  “About that,” said Resus. “When can you make me a real vampire? And when can we get rid of the normals from Scream Street and close the doorway?”

  “All in good time, my dear. All in good time…”

  Resus could hear war cries and the clash of weapons from the courtyard below. The fight had begun, and he wished he had the nerve to turn round to see if Luke and Cleo were OK. “It’s just that…”

  The Crimson Queen pressed a perfectly manicured finger to his lips as the door opened behind her. A girl entered the room – but she was not like any girl Resus had seen before. She appeared to be made of wood, and instead of legs and feet she had long, rippling roots that trailed along behind her.

  “Don’t be alarmed!” the queen giggled at Resus’s look of astonishment. “This is just one of my Creeping Beauties!”

  The girl bowed gently, creaking like an old oak door. She handed the queen a set of new clothes.

  “These are for you,” announced the queen, giving them to Resus. “Put them on and be in my throne room in five minutes.” Then she turned and swept back out through the door followed by her silent wooden handmaiden.

  Resus waited until he heard the door click shut, then he threw the suit over a chair and turned back to peer out of the window at the action below.

  The dwarf named Ugly roared with anger and rushed at Luke only to find himself being lifted off the ground by his collar. His legs kicked wildly as he struggled to get free. “This fight doesn’t feel fair,” commented Luke, tossing the dwarf into the nearby fountain. “It’s like we’re beating up some little kids at school.”

  “We didn’t have children like this in my classes back in Egypt,” said Cleo, gripping Puky’s arm and spinning him round. The dwarf flushed a disturbing shade of green. “If you’re sick on my bandages, I’ll feed you to Skinderella!” snapped Cleo as she let the tiny figure go. Pukey raced away through the bushes, a hand clamped over his mouth.

  It was true to say, the battle wasn’t going Snow Fright’s way. Her ninja dwarves were obviously only used to fighting creatures their own size, not those that could easily pick them up and throw them aside. The witch herself, having realized that her crack squad of martial artists was being beaten, had turned herself into a rosy red apple and now sat silently on the palace steps.

  Prince Harming sported a leather whip, and with a flick of his wrist managed to snare Pensive and tie him up with it. The dwarf snarled as the vampire hunter snatched up the apple and wedged it between his little teeth.

  Beery staggered towards Luke, downing the last of a bottle of Hakeley’s Old Abrasive ale. Tossing the bottle aside, he burped loudly, sang a verse of an utterly unintelligible song, then passed out on the grass.

  “How many more are there?” asked Luke, stepping over the snoring figure to push Ugly back into the fountain as he struggled to climb out of the water.

  “I’m not sure,” said Cleo, giving Wonky a kick up the backside and sending him scuttling away, crying. “They won’t stand still long enough for me to count them.”

  Luke hoisted up Aerodynamic and hurled him into the nearest bush. Then, aside from the odd dwarvish groan of pain, the courtyard fell silent.

  “Look!” hissed Cleo, pointing at a window high above them. Resus quickly ducked out of sight.

  “At least we know where he is,” said Luke.

  Cleo nodded. “Let’s fetch Ditto and get up there.” As she made her way over to where the horse and changeling were patiently waiting, she suddenly spotted Prince Harming slumped against a statue of a fairy. A large bruise was spreading across his forehead.

  “Are you OK?” she asked, hurrying over.

  “I’ll be fine,” drawled the vampire hunter. “I just took a clobberin’ from old Thumpy – but he came off worse.” As if to illustrate his point, he pulled the drowsy dwarf out from behind the statue and used him to mop his brow. “You two go find your friend.”

  Cleo frowned. “But you said he was nothing but a low-down vampire…”

  Prince Harming laughed. “Don’t pay no attention to me, little lady. He ain’t no vampire – least not till the Crimson Queen gets him in her clutches. Now get up there and show him who his real friends are! He don’t… He…” The vampire hunter’s words faded to nothing as he fell back, unconscious.

  Luke turned to Cleo. “He’s right,” he said.

  “We can’t just leave him here,” protested Cleo. He’s unconsious!”

  “Which means he can’t get into any trouble,” said Luke. “And he’s pretty much out of sight here. We can come back for him once we’ve found Resus and Poppy – although I’ve no idea how we’re going to get up there.”

  “Leave that to me,” smiled Cleo. “I’ve bean waiting for a chance to use this.” She produced the magic bean from their lesson that morning and tossed it into the fountain. Immediately it began to sprout both roots and a stem – which grew and grew, taller and thicker, until within seconds it had become a fully fledged beanstalk, soon reaching the top of the palace.

  Cleo gestured for Luke to take the first step onto the beanstalk. “After you,” she grinned, lifting Ditto onto her back.

  And they began to climb.

  Chapter Ten

  The Mirror

  When Resus entered the queen’s throne room, he was dressed more finely than ever before. The red suit he had been given was made of the finest silk, and it fitted him perfectly. His hair was slicked back, and he wore a brand new pair of hand-crafted leather shoes. The outfit was made complete by a long, red vampire cape that swished around his ankles as he walked.

  Several Creeping Beauties surrounded the queen’s throne, talking to their mistress in hushed whispers. Resus didn’t quite know what to do. Should he let them know he had arrived, or just wait until they noticed him? He chose the latter, and spotting a mirror hanging at the far end of the room he decided to head over and check out his new look.

  Stopping in front of the mirror, he froze. Instead of a well-dressed young vampire staring back at him, there were dozens – no, hundreds – of men, women and children crammed together behind the glass. Each wore a tutu and sported a pair of tiny wings. The fairies! Prince Harming had been right – the Crimson Queen had captured every fairy in the realm and now kept them captive in her magic mirror.

  Resus moved closer to the mirror. It was clear the fairies could see him, because their mouths were moving as though they were calling to him – but no sound escaped. The fairies at the front hammered their fists against the glass, pleading with Resus to set them free.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  Resus jumped. The Crimson Queen was standing right behind him.

  “It’s, er…” Resus struggled to keep his mind blank and not think about the horror and disgust he felt at the fairies’ imprisonment. “It’s different,” he mumbled finall
y. “My mum and dad just have a family portrait hanging over our fireplace.”

  The queen threw back her head and laughed. “You and I are going to get along just fine, Resus!” She smiled at him. “It’s the start of a new life for all three of us.”

  Resus frowned. “Three of us?” He felt something tugging at his trousers and looked down to see Poppy gazing up at him, sucking her thumb. She was dressed in a pretty pink party frock.

  “Poppy!” he cried, sweeping the toddler up into his arms and hugging her tightly. “Thank goodness you’re safe!” He turned back to the queen. “I thought you didn’t want to keep her.”

  “I don’t,” the queen said coldly. “But as there are no other children here, I thought she might prove company for you.”

  “Until I go back to Scream Street,” Resus reminded her.

  “Of course,” smiled the queen. “Of course…”

  Balanced on a beanstalk leaf, Luke and Cleo watched this scene through the window of the throne room. “Who’s going gaga over babies now?” hissed the mummy.

  “We have to find a way to get in there and talk to him,” whispered Luke, grabbing onto the beanstalk as the leaf swayed in the breeze. “If we can convince Resus that the queen isn’t everything she seems, we can swap Ditto for Poppy and all go home.”

  “No,” said Cleo flatly. “We’re not leaving Ditto behind.”

  “What?” cried Luke. “You can’t say that! We’ve come all this way to swap the changeling for Eefa’s niece, and now you don’t want to?”

  “Ditto is terrified of the queen!” said Cleo. “There’s no way we’re leaving her here.” The changeling already had her face buried in Cleo’s shoulder and she was trembling.

  “Then what do we do with her?” asked Luke.

  “We take her back with us. She can come and live with me.”

  “But she came from the fairy realm,” Luke pointed out. “She belongs here.”

  “No, she doesn’t,” Cleo retorted. “No one belongs here with that wicked woman, least of all a little—”

  Suddenly, the throne room window swung open. “Are you sure you wouldn’t be more comfortable indoors?” asked the Crimson Queen.

  Resus stared at his friends, now held fast in the branch-like arms of two Creeping Beauties. A third had taken Poppy and Ditto off to play together in the vampire’s bedroom.

  “You have to help us!” Cleo begged, struggling against the sinister, woody creature.

  Resus took a nervous step forward, but the queen laid her hand on his arm. “I… I can’t,” he croaked. “The queen is going to make me a real vampire and help to save Scream Street. We’ll get rid of the normals once and for all.”

  “She’s filling you full of lies!” Luke shouted. “Just look at that mirror! She’s trapped every fairy from the entire realm in there! That’s why Twinkle was too scared to come near the place – she’d have captured him, too!”

  “The queen has told me why she had to do that,” Resus said. “The fairies were taking over – making life difficult for the people who lived here before. It’s just like the normals and Scream Street.”

  Cleo frowned. “So you’d imprison all the normals in a magic mirror just to put things back to how they used to be at home?”

  Resus nodded defiantly. “If I had to.”

  The Crimson Queen sat on her throne, enjoying the heated exchange between the three friends. She reached down to a basket at her side and took out a cake.

  “Resus, this isn’t you,” said Luke. “You’re not like her.”

  “No, Luke,” Resus retorted. “I’m exactly like her. I’m a vampire!”

  He was shocked to see Luke smile at his words. “You still think she’s a real vampire?”

  The Crimson Queen leapt up from her throne. “Quiet!” she commanded.

  Resus turned to her. “What’s he talking about?”

  “He’s trying to trick you,” said the queen. “Leave this to me and run along to your room. We can have dinner together later.”

  “Don’t listen to her!” cried Luke. “Look into her eyes. She’s scared.”

  The queen stalked across the throne room to where Luke was still being held tightly by the Creeping Beauty. “What makes you say that?” she hissed.

  “Because I know who you really are,” said Luke confidently.

  “What are you talking about?” asked Cleo in surprise.

  “I’ve worked it out,” replied Luke. “She—”

  “Silence!” roared the queen.

  “I don’t think so,” said Luke determinedly. “Now, why don’t you toddle off and have another cake?”

  “I still don’t get it,” said Cleo.

  “Think about it,” said Luke. “Skinderella, Ghouldilocks, Snow Fright… They’re all scary versions of characters from well-known fairy tales.” He stared up into the blazing eyes of the queen. “This one’s no exception. She’s no Crimson Queen – she’s Little Red Riding Hood!”

  The queen sneered, baring her fangs. “You mean Little Red Riding Blood!”

  “Call yourself whatever you like,” Luke said. “You’re still a dark fairy … and you’re still scared of me.”

  The Crimson Queen laughed mockingly. “And why would I be scared of you, little boy?”

  Luke looked straight at her with a steely glint in his eye. “Because I’m the Big Bad Wolf!”

  Resus and Cleo had never seen Luke transform so fast. He roared as his bones began to reshape and his muscles stretched and knotted into their werewolf configurations. By the time the thick brown fur had sprouted over every inch of his body, his claws and fangs had already ripped through his skin. With a single sweep of his powerful paw, Luke’s werewolf sent his captor crashing to the floor.

  Growling deep in his throat, the werewolf stalked towards the Crimson Queen.

  “R-Resus!” she croaked, backing away. “In my cake basket, you’ll find a dagger. Take it and kill the wolf!”

  Resus looked over at the basket sitting on the floor beside the throne. He could just see the handle of the dagger sticking out from beneath a checked tablecloth. He hesitated.

  “If you ever want to become a real vampire, kill him!” screamed the queen as Luke slunk closer.

  Resus reached into the basket and retrieved the dagger. It felt heavy and awkward in his hand.

  “NO!” screamed Cleo. “Don’t do it!”

  The queen could feel the werewolf’s breath on her face. “Kill him, now!”

  Resus stared at the knife in his hand. “Never,” he breathed.

  The queen tripped and fell. Luke’s werewolf stood over her, saliva dripping from his powerful jaws.

  “Admit defeat and we’ll call him off,” shouted Cleo from the other end of the room. “It’s all over!”

  The Crimson Queen’s eyes flicked away from the wolf’s and looked over his shoulder. She smiled. “It’s nowhere near over,” she said. “You’re forgetting what happens in my story…”

  “What are you going to do?” said Cleo. “Set your grandmother on us?”

  “Not quite,” drawled Prince Harming, entering the room, a large axe gripped in his fists. “Maybe the woodcutter will do.”

  “You!” snapped Resus, still holding tightly to the queen’s dagger.

  The werewolf turned and snarled at Harming as he strode into the room. “You were right to choose him, Your Majesty,” said the woodcutter, nodding towards Resus and reaching out to help the Crimson Queen to her feet. “He’s smart – the only one to spot that I’d set up the attacks in the forest – but too weak to convince his friends.”

  The werewolf lifted its snout in the air and howled angrily.

  “It’s been quite an adventure,” said Prince Harming. He raised his axe and aimed it at Luke. “Such a shame it has to end this way…”

  “Please, no!” cried Cleo.

  “Say goodbye, little doggy,” snarled Harming.

  “STOP!” yelled Resus. Both the Crimson Queen and the vampire hunter looked ove
r to see him pointing the dagger at them, his hands shaking.

  “Ignore him,” the queen commanded. “He hasn’t got the nerve to kill anyone.”

  “You’re right,” said Resus. “I haven’t.” Then he turned and threw the dagger directly at the magic mirror.

  Chapter Eleven

  The Rescue

  As the mirror smashed, the throne room began to buzz with the sound of a thousand wings. The fairies were finally free.

  One of the larger fairies – an elderly man with ragged, grey hair – barked orders to the younger ones around him. They nodded and quickly surrounded the Crimson Queen and Prince Harming, relieving them of their weapons. Other fairies soared across the room to free Cleo from her Creeping Beauty.

  “Where is the changeling?” asked the old fairy, scanning the room.

  “They took her to another room, with Poppy,” replied Resus. “I know where it is.” With that he dashed out of the room, two fairies in tow.

  Suddenly there was a snarl from the corner of the room. Luke’s werewolf, clearly startled by the newcomers, had backed into a corner and was growling angrily. A young fairy drew a magic wand from the waistband of his tutu.

  “No!” cried Cleo, hurrying over to the wolf. “He’s one of us – and he’s just scared. He doesn’t think like a human when he’s in this form.”

  The fairy hovered over to Cleo and smiled. “We saw everything,” he assured her. “We wish him no harm – but I must protect our brethren from his animal instincts.” He waved the wand and a large bubble appeared around Luke’s werewolf, causing him to look eerily like a large hamster in a ball. “We can cancel the spell once your friend reverts to human form,” the fairy smiled.

  “Get your hands off me!” Cleo turned to see two fairies holding the Crimson Queen firmly by the arms. Meanwhile, Prince Harming was being pinned down by another four.

  The elderly fairy flapped over to the queen. “Hello again, Red,” he said.