“Yes, you owe your entire existence to the witches, boy.” She hopped forward, her red eyes glinting with glee. “But it’s time to take back what was originally ours.”
“And what’s that then?” asked Rupert.
“You.”
The Unfair Bargain
SANDY STEPPED IN FRONT OF RUPERT protectively, even though the bunnies were still stuck in their cage.
Rupert stepped out from behind her. “I don’t belong to you! You can’t take me!”
The Fairfoul Bunny lifted her upper lip and showed her enormous bunny teeth. “Oh, but I can. Your mother’s punishment for stealing our forbidden potion was that we were allowed to take back the effects of the potion — you — at any time we wanted. Of course, that deal has since been amended…”
“What do you mean?” Rupert asked.
“Your pesky mother grew frightened and paranoid that we would claim you, and eventually, she tried to run away with you, but we dragged her back to Gliverstoll. She begged and pleaded for your freedom and your life, and eventually we came to… an agreement. I promised to leave you alone… in exchange for her services. For years, she has been serving me, doing all sorts of jobs—”
“What sort of jobs?” Rupert asked.
“Anything, everything — from delivering potions to our buyers, to testing any new potions, to scrubbing the floors of our lair. She has been paying for you with her labor, sweat, and tears.” The Fairfoul Bunny laughed, and a few others chimed in — but some of the bunnies shook their heads, looking thoroughly unamused.
“My mom was right about you — you truly are horrible.”
The Fairfoul Bunny bared her teeth and paced around the cage. “I didn’t tell you the best part, yet. The deal with your mom stated that she was never allowed to leave Gliverstoll again, she was never to cross the witches, and…”
“And?”
“You were never to cross the witches.”
That was why his mother never wanted him near any witches. That was why she was always so overprotective.
“But now you have crossed the witches, the deal is broken, and you belong to me,” she squealed. “And believe me when I say that I will make you pay, you foul, appalling child. You repugnant, wretched huma—”
“That’s enough out of you,” Sandy said coldly. “You can’t touch Rupert or his family. And no threat you say matters anymore — you already signed the pledge, and now you have to leave Rupert and his family alone. Fairfoul Witch, I will hold you to your oath. I will hold you all to it. Now, I suppose I should honor my side of the agreement, too. I’ll start with my guardians. Warm. Webby.” Sandy snapped her fingers, and Storm and Nebby transformed from the tawny rabbit and the brown rabbit back into witches. Then they transfigured themselves out of the cage.
Sandy handed the contract to Nebby. “Can you put a magical seal on this? I want an expert to do it.”
Nebby smiled. “Let’s do it together.”
Storm nodded. “All three of us. As a family.”
They stood together, smiling. Then they each snapped. Nebby and Storm said seal, but Rupert swore he heard Sandy say peel.
The scroll shimmered and rolled up, and Sandy grabbed it out of the air and handed it to Rupert. “Keep this safe,” she said.
“And now for the Witches Council,” Nebby said.
“Do you have to turn them back into witches?” Rupert said. “I think they’re much more pleasant this way.”
“You know I can’t do that, Rupert.”
Sandy put her arm around Rupert. “Let’s just hope that the lot of them have learned their lessons!”
Nebby and Storm opened the cage and turned the witches back into their original forms. The Fairfoul Witch scowled, turned on her heel, and sulked into the cave. The Midnight Witch glared at Nebby. “Was this your doing?” she said.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Nebby coolly. “I gave Rupert the same potion that was handed to me. If you wish to go around pointing fingers at other witches, then go ahead. But the last time our Council fell into chaos was also the time our last Undercat was overthrown. Just remember that.”
The Midnight Witch stomped back into the witches’ lair. The rest of the Witches Council and the young witchlings followed suit.
Nebby put a hand on Rupert’s shoulder. “We should get back to your mother,” she said.
Storm’s eyes bulged, but her lips cracked into a smile. “In the closet holds a mummy, for her it must be very crummy!”
“Storm,” Sandy said. “You sure are good at rhyming words. I should pick your brain later about spells I could use.”
Storm looked aghast and ran down the hill and across the street, shouting, “STAY AWAY FROM MY BRAIN!”
Rupert turned to Nebby. “Did you know about Mrs. Frabbleknacker the whole time?”
“The Witches Council just found out this morning. The Fairfoul Witch had us believe that she slept during the sunlight hours. Really, I don’t know how she managed to conceal her job as a fifth-grade teacher for all this time. She truly is as good at magic as her title suggests.”
“Fairfoul?”
“No, head witch.”
“Oh,” Rupert said. “You know, when you gave me that potion, I really thought you were trying to kill me!”
“I had to put on a show, Rupert,” she said. “I still need to remain on the Council, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a few tricks up my sleeve. I switched the vial of potion — I gave you something of my own concoction.”
“Mmm, what was the potion?” Sandy asked. “I’ve never seen anything like that before!”
Nebby smiled. “It was a potion that turns the drinker — and whoever the drinker touches — into a rabbit. It’s a highly contagious effect, which is exactly what the situation required — I knew that all the witches needed to be momentarily incapacitated, and I knew that my witchling would never touch a rabbit.”
Sandy shook her head. “Nuh-uh. Not ever!”
Rupert scrunched his face in thought. “But didn’t the other witches have magic, too? Couldn’t they have stopped it?”
“Never underestimate the power of surprise, Rupert,” said Nebby. “I caught them all off guard.”
“BEAUTIFUL!” Storm shrieked, and from a distance, Rupert could see her skipping through flowers.
“That’s my cue,” said Nebby, and she followed Storm down the hill to calm her down.
Rupert and Sandy walked down the hill together, behind Sandy’s family, toward Rupert’s house.
Sandy kept bursting out in laughs, and soon she began to jump up and down. She grabbed Rupert’s hand and pumped it up and down. “Rupert! Rupert, Rupert! Now we don’t have to hide anymore! We can go on the playground and we can go get a milk- shake and we can even go swimming! I’m so happy!” she said with a sniffle. “R-rupert? Can I cry now?”
“Knock yourself out,” he said, and Sandy began to bawl on his shoulder as they walked down the street toward home.
Finally, the Truth: or, The End of an Era
RUPERT WALKED INTO HIS HOUSE WITH THE STORM Witch, the Nebulous Witch, and Sandy by his side. He instantly ran into the basement, where he could hear faint knocks from inside of the closet.
When Rupert opened the door, his mom stumbled out helplessly, falling to her knees. Her hair was all knotted, and dark circles surrounded her bloodshot eyes. At the sight of Rupert, she began to cry.
“Mom!” Rupert said. “I’m so sorr—”
But he didn’t even have a chance to finish his sentence before his mother pulled him into a hug. She sobbed, kissing the top of his head over and over. Then she held him at arm’s length and said, “RUPERT ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL, IF YOU EVER DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT AGAIN…” But the next moment she folded him into her weeping, kissing embrace again.