Goldilocks was not at all how Sabrina had imagined her. She had somehow assumed the mysterious Everafter would resemble her own mother, Veronica, but they were complete opposites. Goldilocks seemed young—almost immature—and there was a look of wonder and curiosity in her eyes. She was always wearing dresses and her hair was never out of place. Sabrina’s mom was an ebony-haired woman who could have easily been a beauty queen in her own right, but she had an easy, casual way about her. She loved blue jeans and flip-flops, baseball caps and sunshine. Sabrina realized she was comparing the two women, and a twinge of betrayal sent a jolt of pain into her heart. Her father might have loved this strange Everafter once, and Goldilocks might be pretty, but she was no Veronica Grimm. Sabrina thought her mother was the best thing that ever happened to her dad.

“I’ve been watching her since yesterday,” Uncle Jake said. “After her little trip in the desert, she headed to the airport and hopped on a flight. I couldn’t tell which one, but she seemed like she was in a hurry. She didn’t even check any bags.”

The image in the mirror dissolved, only to be replaced with a view of a flag fluttering from a banister. It was bright red with a border of thorny vines, and on each corner and side there were small figures that looked like saints. In total there were six figures, not including the golden winged lion at its center. The lion wore a shimmering halo and stood guard over a castle on a hill. Sabrina had never seen anything like it and wanted to study it further, but once again, the image changed. This time they saw a mailbox. It was labeled 10 and was stuffed with mail. Sabrina peered at the letters, hoping an address might reveal itself, but what little she could make out was not written in English. Then the mailbox was gone, too, replaced by an elegant sign mounted on the side of a luxury hotel. The sign read HOTEL CIPRIANI.

Uncle Jake was smiling from ear to ear. “Cool, huh?”

“I’m confused,” Sabrina said. “We’ve been watching her travel around for a month. What’s different about this time?”

“The difference is we have the name of her hotel!” Uncle Jake exclaimed. “We can write her a letter! Beg her to come back! All we have to do now is find out where this hotel is located. I think that odd flag we saw might be a big clue. If we can find the country it belongs to we can narrow down our search. The language looks like Italian, but that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s in Italy. Italian is spoken all over the world—she could be in Slovenia, San Marino—Italian is even an official language of Switzerland.”

“And how do you suggest we learn all this?” Sabrina asked.

“The library, of course,” Uncle Jake said.

Sabrina groaned. “Not the library.”

“What’s wrong with the library?” Uncle Jake asked.

“Nothing. The library is fine. It’s the librarian that’s the problem,” Sabrina said.

“He’s a complete idiot,” Daphne explained.

“I thought he was supposed to be the smartest guy in the world,” Uncle Jake said.

“Maybe, but he’s still an idiot,” Sabrina said. “Why can’t you go?”

Uncle Jake shook his head. “Someone’s got to stay here and keep an eye on Goldilocks.”

“We’re going to need the flying carpet to get to the library,” Sabrina said as she reached into her pants pocket for her set of keys to the Hall of Wonders. But before she could hand them over to Mirror, Puck entered the room.

“Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh,” he said. “You two aren’t going anywhere without protection.”

“Well, you can forget sending one of your misfits with us,” Sabrina said. “In fact, you can get rid of the whole team.”

“Listen, dogface. Almost everyone in this town wants you dead. Not that I can blame them. But if you were to die, I know the old lady would want to have a funeral, and if there’s a funeral I know I’m going to have to take a bath. So I will superglue a hobgoblin to your leg if I have to,” Puck declared.

Sabrina was so angry she thought she might burst into flames. It wasn’t that Puck was being stubborn about his stupid security team; it was because he called her dogface. She knew it shouldn’t have mattered. He insulted her all the time, but for some reason this one stung. Why did it suddenly matter to her that he thought she was ugly?

“What? No comeback?” Puck pressed, clearly surprised.

“Maybe Puck can fly us to the library?” Daphne suggested.

“Excellent idea,” Uncle Jake said.

“Boring!” Puck cried.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I was under the impression that you were some kind of mischief maker. I remember a time when you would have jumped at the chance to sneak out without my mother knowing,” Uncle Jake said. “Oh, well. I guess you’ve lost your touch.”

Puck scowled. “I have not lost my touch for mischief! I invented mischief!”

“These days you seem to act more like a good little boy than someone called the Trickster King. In fact, I’m surprised that people don’t mistake you for that other beloved flying boy that won’t grow up. What’s his name?”

“Don’t you say it!” Puck warned.

“I know who you’re talking about,” Daphne added, winking at her uncle. “The one that hangs out with the little girl and her brothers. He can fly, too. What’s his name?”

“I mean it! Don’t you say his name in front of me. That guy is a washed-up has-been. Don’t you even compare us!”

“Oh, I remember,” Uncle Jake said. “You’re acting like Peter—”

Puck let out an angry bellow. “FINE!” he shouted. “I’ll go with you but let’s get something straight. I am not some goofy flying boy in green tights. I am the Trickster King: the spiritual leader of hooligans, good-for-nothings, pranksters, and class clowns. I am a villain feared worldwide and don’t you forget it.”

“Of course you are,” Uncle Jake said.

Two enormous insectlike wings popped out of Puck’s back. They stood taller than his body, and when he flapped them, the wind they created blew Sabrina’s hair around. He buzzed right over Sabrina’s and Daphne’s heads, snatching the girls off their feet and whisking them out the open bedroom window. Sabrina saw her uncle wave good-bye as she soared over the forest, bright with the setting sun’s palette of oranges, reds, and yellows.

he Mid-Hudson Public Library was a small, squat building not far from the train station. Its parking lot was empty, as was the lot for the tiny auditorium next to it. When humans had lived in the town, the little library had been a bustling community center. Now that they were gone, it was lonely and dark. It reminded Sabrina of the westerns her mother loved to watch on television. They all seemed to be set in the same barren ghost town. The library had the same abandoned feel. She expected tumbleweeds to roll by at any moment.

Puck lowered the girls to the ground outside the library’s front door, and his wings tucked themselves back under his hoodie. He sniffed the air and crinkled up his nose.

“I smell books,” he said, repulsed.

“That’s probably because this is a library,” Sabrina said, rolling her eyes. “It’s full of books.”

“No way! Why didn’t you warn me?”

“What did you think a library was?” Daphne asked.

“I don’t know,” Puck cried. “I was hoping it was a place where men fought tigers with their bare hands. I should have known better. You guys never want to do anything fun.”

“Oh, you’re not going to be bored in here,” Daphne said.

“Yeah, I’m warning you in advance,” Sabrina said to the fairy boy. “You need to stay alert in here. The librarian is sort of unpredictable.”

“We should have brought the football helmets,” Daphne said to her sister.