To the Goodfellow Family:
This is our last warning. Surrender to us the Book of Everafter; otherwise we will be left with no choice but to take it by force. We know of its power and value, so we will make you a deal: Deliver the book to us by the week's end, and we promise to reward you most handsomely. However, failure to deliver the book will cost you the lives of your daughters. You have our word.
~The Prince of Agrabah and the Hackers
Sabrina put the note down. She had to admit, even after reading it for the eightieth time, she was still a little nervous. Someone-human or Everafter, she couldn't tell- was onto their secret. No one but the family and Mirror knew about the book. Yet someone with power and resources was tracking their family. She shuddered. It was a good thing no one could see her face from the back seat. Bono and Edge were happily gazing out the car window, and Emma was leaning against her mother's shoulder. She had been asleep for some time, and despite snoring and some minor drooling, Sabrina preferred to keep her that way for now.
Meanwhile, Allison sat shotgun where her father was patiently answering her endless questions.
"So... So we're really royalty then? You're not joking?"
Puck's eyes met Sabrina's in the rearview mirror and winked. "We're as royal as they get, allstar." Getting serious, he added, "You were born into the Royal Line of Faerie, granddaughter of King Oberon and Queen Titania... and not to mention you're also the daughter of the Trickster King and the Queen of Sneaks."
Sabrina rolled her eyes.
They took an exit that joined to the freeway. The car jerked forward and started to accelerate.
"And today," Puck crowed, "we will be the rulers of the Highway!"
"Puck, what are you doing?" asked Sabrina, startled.
He grinned mischievously but didn't take his eyes off the road. "I've been waiting to do this for a while!"
The car sped past a speed limit sign: 65. The car was traveling at 84 mph and still climbing.
"What are you talking about?" Sabrina demanded over the roaring engine. "Just because your daughters know about Everafters does not mean that you can speed twenty over!"
"Of course it does," Puck shouted back. "Because now, I can use this!" He opened the glove department and pulled out a jar of sparkling purple dust.
Allison eyed it warily. "What's that?"
He laughed. "That, Allie, is the answer to all of our problems."
"What problems?"
He looked over his shoulder. "Those problems."
Red and blue lights started to flash angrily about a half mile behind them. Puck proceeded to push the pedal further towards the floor.
Allison glanced at the speedometer. "Dad, we're going 97 MPH!"
He frowned. "Only 97?"
Sabrina turned in her seat. There were now three cars on their tail. "You're not setting a very good example for the girls."
"Nonsense," Puck laughed. "They need to know how to break the rules once in a while."
A fourth car joined the pursuit. "Just be careful," she insisted, and sighed. She supposed that a four-thousand year childhood was bound to rub off sometimes.
Allison was getting anxious. "Dad, we're going to get arrested when they pull us over!"
He smirked. "You want to bet?"
The speedometer needle was still climbing: 105... 110... 115...
They were weaving in and out of the other cars on the road now to maintain their speed. Allison yelped and grabbed onto the car's grab handle. Puck was going full speed, dodging multiple cars and glancing back every few moments to make sure the police were still following them. The rocking motion of the vehicle shook Emma awake and she yawned and looked around. "What's going on?" she asked groggily.
"We're going to die!" Allison shrieked.
Emma's eyes almost popped out when she looked out the window. "Holy cow! How fast are you going, Dad?"
"Only 125."
"We're going to die," Allison wailed. "We're going to die and our bodies will be dragged into prison to rot."
"I don't want to go to prison," whimpered Emma, still half-asleep.
"Ah, prison life isn't too horrible," their father commented lightly. "Although, I wouldn't know. But ask your mother- Sabrina, you've been in prison before, haven't you, dear?"
"Puck," Sabrina said sharply. "Stop teasing them. They're eating up every word you say."
He grinned. "Only joking, girls. Your mother never went to prison. She was too sneaky to get caught."
"Puck, I'm warning you!"
Puck gave an exaggerated sigh, and started to brake. "Oh all right, all right. Look, I'll even slow down if the speed is too much for you all. And anyways, the police were bound to catch me eventually."
The car cruised casually down the highway, the police cars easily keeping up with them now.
"Dad, what are you doing?" said Emma, getting alarmed now. "Now they're going to catch us!"
He signaled and took the next exit off the highway. The police cars were following closely behind. He pulled over and smiled.
"Yeah, I suppose they are."