For one very odd moment my heart just about leapt for joy, a clear result of reading far too many fairy tales. Rowe was here! My hero! He was going to free us from this very freaky white fire thing, even more so than Mary with all her magic.

And then I noticed the look on his face and remembered his menacing words about the trap.

Next to me, Mary swore.

"Not nice words," Rowe said, shaking his head. "I had always thought better of you, Miss Cromwell. My father always enjoyed working with you. Apparently you weren't smart enough to stay out of my little trap for you. I would have expected that carelessness of Tansy, but not you, Mary. Not you."

Why did this always happen to me? Could I not find a guy I could be with? I screamed and rushed at the fire. There was no heat, but I still stopped before I actually touched the white flames. "Rowe!" I shouted. "What are you doing?"

He shrugged, but his awful smile did not fade away. It was a strange smile. He was Rowe. He always looked so sweet and harmless. My redheaded teddy bear. That nasty sneer did not suit him one little bit. "And to think you fell for me. Silly little Tansy. I admit, you are very pretty and a wonderful kisser. We had some good times. I'm also glad you're not any smarter than you are."

I felt frustration setting in. A bunch of flames had circled us while we were walking through the enchanted woods. For what did he expect us to look out? Were there gas releases underneath the dirt and grass? I think the dwarves would have noticed by now. "You are an idiot!" Not my best insult, but at least it took away some of the hate I felt.

Next to me, Mary was silent. Her eyes were closed.

Rowe came closer. "Don't worry, Tansy. It's nothing personal. It's not about you at all."

I wanted to cry, and part of it was out of confusion. "Then who is it about?"

"Mary, mostly. You just happened to be with her at the time. I knew you were getting chummy, and I was sure one of you would notice that the door to this story was open."

"You have Snow White the comb!" I gasped. "I thought that was the Evil Queen's job."

He shrugged. "It is. But the stories vary. And it just so happens that in this one I work for the Evil Queen. She's actually a very nice lady."

"Evil queens are never nice," Mary snapped.

"Oh, what do you know?" Rowe said, rolling his eyes. "You're the one that made Sleeping Beauty fall asleep for a century."

Mary's eyes went just about red. "Shut up. That was a long time ago."

"I know, I know," Rowe said. He waltzed back and forth, enjoying the sunlight on his skin. So much for the vampire theory. "But some people never forget. Which I guess some might view as a sin, but that is how human and fey natures alike go."

What was he getting at?

"I couldn't capture you in the other world, Mary. I had to wait until you were in the Evil Queen's domain."

"Snow White's story," I said softly.

Rowe nodded. "Snow White's story. You see, the Evil Queen here is the same fairy that tried to kill Sleeping Beauty. Needed to kill Sleeping Beauty."

"Why did she even need to kill her?" Mary asked softly.

"Because…" Rowe stopped and smiled. "It's none of your concern, is it? I've been in Tansy's world long enough to see plenty of consequences via all those movies as to what happens when plans are revealed."

I silently cursed all the superhero movies I enjoyed.

"Let's just say she wants revenge."

"You could have killed us now!" I said. It was too much and I was furious. How dare Rowe betray me like this?

"I need to bring Mary in and I don't feel like killing you."

If he didn't want to kill me then… I shook that thought away. No, he was a horrible boyfriend. But there had to be something I could do if he wasn't going to kill us.

The fire was rising higher and moving in closer. I could imagine the separate flames joining together at the top like a cage.

And then Mary grabbed my arm. "Hold your breath," she commanded in a whisper.

"Don't even—" Rowe began.

It was like being in the middle of a nuclear explosion. One minute we were in the sunny woods in a cage of white fire and the next I was surrounded by green and grey clouds. And I was being pulled, Mary's fingernails digging like knives into my wrist, running after her away from wherever Rowe was now.

I opened my mouth to say something, then quickly shut it. The clouds tasted like poison. They probably were. I already felt sick. Crap, I was going to die.

"Keep going!" Mary hissed. She was like a human, or half-fairy, bullet through trees and clouds. "We're almost there!"

Almost where? And how could she be so sure? All I could see was a dizzying blend of green and grey that kept spinning and spinning and…

"Tansy!" Mary shrieked.

My eyes closed just as I saw the outline of a mist-covered door open and close around me. Immediately the air was clear, and I felt the familiar Salon floor beneath me. I gasped for breath and began to choke.

"I'm so sorry!" I was being yanked back to my feet and dragged again. Everything was still spinning. I just wanted to fall somewhere and sleep. Another door opened and something wet hit my face. I fell to sharp, hard rock, and more wet-cold hit my face. Soaking me.

"Pearl!" Mary's voice screamed. "Pearl, where are you?"

Wasn't Pearl Linda's mermaid? I groggily breathed in the moist, salty air.

There was a splash. It sounded so distant. "Who are you?"

"For crying out loud, it's me! Mary Cromwell! I need a favor!"

"Is she sick?"

"She inhaled reyak dust. I warned to hold her breath."

"Isn't reyak dust…"
"Yes, Pearl. Yes. Could you just…"

"Of course!" A giggle followed, and then I felt the coldest, wettest, most jolting lips being pressed against my forehead, just as I was about to pass out.

Right away I sat up, totally awake, gasping for air like I had never tasted oxygen before.

"She's all right!" Pearl the 80's punk mermaid exclaimed happily.

"Oh, heavens, Tansy, I was so worried!" Mary was sitting next to me, her arm around my shoulder, hugging me. "I'm so sorry. I told you to hold your breath."

I choked up water I had accidentally took in while they had splashed me. "I didn't think it was so serious. You could have told me to hold my breath at the pain of death." I returned the hug. My crazy, wonderful half-fairy friend.

"It was the only way I could think of to get us away from that monster."

Rowe. The memory came back, and I groaned.

"Tansy, I am so sorry." She helped me to my feet.

"It's okay," I muttered. The boulder in the middle of the ocean was so unsteady. "It's just my own bad luck. Though admittedly he was the worst one yet. And I wasn't quite yet attached to him. I just… just really liked him." I spoke the truth. My heart had gone girl-power on me and was not broken. "How did you make me better?"

Mary gestured at the beaming Pearl, who was flapping her tail against the rock. Pearl waved, most air-headedly enough. "Mermaid kisses have the power of healing."

"Not on the lips?" I asked.

"Doesn't have to be."

"And I only like boys," Pearl said with a giggle.

"Good to hear," I said. How weird. "I'm the same way."

"Well, Pearl," said Mary. "Thank-you so much."

"No problem!" She flipped her tail and dove underneath the water, and we wandered back into the Salon.

I immediately dropped into the nearest seat and gave a good loud scream. Mary flopped into the next one, and I realized with much guilt that this concerned her more than it did me. "I can't believe these people want you captured."

She shook her head, her hands cupped over her mouth. "Neither can I." Her voice was muffled. "It was six centuries ago. I thought it was over and done with. I didn't think it was such a big deal. Besides what happened to Sleeping Beauty."

I sighed. "I am so sorry."

"No, I'm the one that nearly got you killed."

"Truce, then?"

She put her hands down and smiled. "Truce."

We pinky-swore on it.

"Do you still want smoothies?" I asked.

"I think we deserve it."

We grabbed our purses and headed for the door. It was very, very strange, I admit, but I really, really wanted a smoothie. A large one.

But the moment we opened the door, someone was waiting.

Rowe.

Mary screamed. I just froze.

He stared at us in absolute confusion.

Faker. Good thing I kept mace in my purse. I pulled it out and aimed it at him.

The confusion just heightened in his face. I wanted Mary to put another spell at him. "Tansy, what is going on?"

"You were the one that refused to answer that question," I hissed.

He pointed toward the door. "I… I noticed both you and Mary still had your cars parked outside, so I thought I would see if everything was all right. And apparently it's not."

"Darn right." I still held out the mace. If he approached me.

"What is going on?" he asked again.

I thought I was going to cry. I already knew that my mascara was a mess. "You… you were in Snow White's world. You captured us, Mary and me. You were going to kill us!"

"Kill you?" Something flashed over his eyes. More confusion. Did he really not know what he had just done.

"You're working for an evil queen fairy!" I screeched.

"I can't believe I ever trusted you," Mary said.

He shook his head. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Back through the Salon! The doors! Snow White!" How obvious did I have to make it?

"That's impossible!" Now he was properly emotional. "I can't go through those doors!"

I lowered my can of mace. "What?" Mary grasped my shoulder.

He took a deep breath. His face was red. 'I can't go through those doors," he said, much more softly. "I don't know who you saw, but it wasn't me. I can't go through those doors. Never."

I bit my lip.

"What time of day was it there? Daylight or night?"

"Daylight," I murmured. Tears were at my eyes now. I had never been more terrified. What was I thinking? The man had made fire pop from the ground and I wanted to spray stuff in his eyes.

"I can't be in daylight."

"This seems a little too convenient," Mary said.

"Only because you are making it convenient, Mary!" He was begging now. "You have to believe me. I can help if you would let me."

"How can I trust you?" I asked.

"You just have to." He sighed. "Tansy, it's me. You know me."

"We've only been on a few dates," I retorted.

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "What if I told you my curse?"

"Your curse?" For all I knew he would just make something up. Then again, it might explain what was going on.

"We'll go somewhere. In here. And I'll explain everything."

I looked at Mary. For some reason I wanted her to give me the answer. She shook her head. "It's too dangerous."

"But he's only after you." Was I deciding I did not want Mary's answer?

"Don't."

I raised my can of mace. "And I have my wand. I'll be careful."

With that, I allowed Rowe to lead me into his father's office.