"I'm useless," I tell the mirror. "Completely and utterly useless. I can't even handle three humans!"

Charming's an Everafter.

I snort. "Hardly. He was one of those—one of those human ones, changed by magic. Not a true magical being."

Rightly said.

"And I couldn't do a thing! Not a thing against them!"

Stop that.

"Don't you order me around!"

Don't you be ridiculous. You're a strong person, Moth. What is this? Where's it coming from? You've never doubted yourself before.

"I've never had reason to."

I said stop. It's just dark and you're sleep-deprived, and the nightmare's getting to you.

"I hate the nightmares."

I'm sorry. No person should be locked up in a birdcage like that—especially not someone as wonderful as you.

I hang my head. "Stop it. I told you, I'm worthless."

And I told you to stop. Try to get some sleep, Moth. You'll feel better in the morning.

"What if I have another nightmare?"

I promise you won't.

The Voice spoke the truth. My sleep is peaceful, and I wake up wondering how I could have ever thought such things about myself. Me? Worthless? I am the Queen of Faeire! I will be the Queen of the World! I will be the one to finally kill the hated Sabrina Grimm, to free the Everafters from this cage of a town!

Bolstered, I head down to the breakfast room. Nottingham, Heart, and Fool greet me there. I give them all a glare and seat myself down as far away as I can. "You idiots. You let those two Grimms escape last night! We could have been two steps closer to getting out of this town!"

"Excuse me, but who was it that met them in the hallway?" Heart snaps.

"Excuse me, but whose mansion is it? It is no fault of mine that you have no adequate alarm systems. In Faerie—"

Nottingham groans. "Oh, shut up about your sparkly little fairyland."

"Watch your mouth, boor, or I shall feed you to my tyrannosaurus." I smile at the noticeable paling of his face. "Speaking of which, has the beast been fed recently?"

"Yup," says Fool with her mouth full. "Bacon."

"Shut up, or I'll chop off your mouth and your head with it." Heart turns to me. "Yes. We found this tablecloth that sets itself and produces infinite amounts of food. Your pet will be kept well-fed."

"Good. I intend to take it out today."

I watch with pleasure as Heart splutters and Nottingham chokes on his coffee. The sheriff recovers first. "Out? Like—around the town? No."

"And why ever not? I'm sure you wouldn't hesitate to do such a thing."

"Frankly, the idea of you riding around on a vicious dinosaur doesn't rest too well with me."

"Nottingham, I assure you will be one of the first to die."

"Hehee!" Fool giggles.

"You again? Do you never leave this place?"

Toby shrugs. "Umm, not really."

I scoff and stride past him, focusing my attention on the enormous reptile before me. Large, slitted eyes watch me distrustfully, but since the animal is full and sees me as dominant, she makes no move to attack.

"Man, is it ugly," mutters Toby.

"She is a 'her,' not an 'it,' insect."

"Science lesson. Insects and arachnids! Different things, Moth."

"Yeah!" agrees Fool. "Like octopusses!"

"Exactl— what?"

I roll my eyes over my shoulder at him. "I am aware of the difference, idiot. Now shut that loud mouth of yours."

Perhaps he sees that I'm trying to approach my large pet, because for once he does as I ask. The dinosaur glares at me and shifts uncomfortably, but she still remembers how I shape-shifted into one of her kind. I stare into her eyes. You're not a stupid beast at all, are you?

I let my wings out gently and, as silently as possible, flutter up to her head level. Moving slowly, not wishing to startle her, I move closer with one hand outstretched.

Finally, I touch her.

Then, still moving cautiously, I circle around to the back of her neck and find a comfortable spot to sit.

Toby lets out a breath. "Wow. I hate to admit it, but that is definitely the awesomest thing I have ever seen in my life."

I fix him with my most menacing glare. "You look so tiny from up here, insect. I'm certain you're smaller than this animal's foot."

"Whatever. Can you get it to move?"

"Her," I correct, even while trying to figure out how to do as he asks. What could convince this giant animal to move? I could force it into submission once, and I can do it again. Tentatively, I nudge it with my heel. It takes no notice. I kick harder, and suddenly, it lets out a reptilian roar and shakes me off.

Toby's laughter rings out as I tumble headfirst towards the floor. I right myself in midair and, fuming, fall rest of the way. The moment my feet hit the ground, I kick back up and shoot towards the dinosaur's head level. Again I stare it in the eyes, but it is no longer calm. It pulls and tears at the magical chains binding it to the stable wall. Without breaking my glare, I smack the enormous animal right on the snout.

It opens its maw and roars.

I grow bigger and taller. Scales begin to coat my skin. In just a few seconds, I am again a t-rex like her. I told you to obey.

No!

I am dominant! Do as I say!

She roars again, her voice filling the air like a deep-sounding screech. I want to hunt!

You have food, unending food.

I want to hunt!

I glance down at the two tiny figures on the floor below. Obey me, and I will bring you to a hunt.

I switch back into my normal form and again alight on the dinosaur's neck. This time, when I touch her left side, she turns right, away from the touch. "She is learning my commands. Look what a good teacher I am!"

"Yeah, right," mutters Toby.

"Brownies isn't a good name anymore," says Fool. "She needs a new one. Like..."

"Glutton?" I ask, looking at the magic tablecloth, which is still producing food.

"Nah," says Toby. "Something cooler, like Bonecrusher."

"How about Barney?" suggest Fool. "Barney is a dinosaur from our imagination—"

I cannot believe this. "What are you singing about, Fool?"

Toby scoffs. "You don't know Barney? The purple dinosaur?"

"This sounds hideously stupid."

"It's a classic part of childhood!"

"My childhood was 4,000 years ago," I remind him. Fool is still singing in the background.

"Yeesh, you're old."

"And you are an infant."

"Whatever."

"Get her to stop singing," I order, gesturing to Fool. "Then unlock these chains. I wish to take my pet for a walk."