The Stepsister Scheme

stone. Danielle found herself on a road paved with cobblestones that shone blue-green like the sea. Flower petals littered the ground. Crude tents stood to either side of the road, many painted with scenes of battle and carnage. A group of goblins sat in the middle of the road, playing cards and eating the roast remains of some kind of bird.
    “Diglet’s back,” said one.
    Another laughed and waved a well-chewed drum-stick. “Good thing, too. I’m still hungry.”
    “Aw, he doesn’t have enough meat to be worth butchering,” said a third.
    “Hey, tell the runt to run and fetch me... .”
    The goblins’ taunts stopped abruptly as Danielle knelt, placed both hands on Diglet’s cheeks, and kissed him square on the mouth. His breath was foul and fetid, and his lips were badly chapped, but she held the kiss long enough to make sure every last goblin had seen. Breaking away, she said, “Thank you, Diglet. We would have been lost without your help.”
    Snow was next, throwing herself into the role with such enthusiasm that she knocked Danielle to the ground. “The way you fought those horrid kidnappers... it was incredible!” Snow wrapped her fingers around Diglet’s ears and pulled him close, kissing him so long the poor goblin gasped for breath when she finished. “I’ll always remember the sight of you leaping forth from the hedge, like one of the warrior gods of old, wreaking vengeance upon those foul beasts who would have stolen our virtue.”
    “Stolen your... ” Talia coughed and looked away.
    Snow blushed, but continued to heap praise on the little goblin. Diglet’s smile was strained, like a part of him wanted to flee, while another part clung to Snow’s every word.
    Danielle looked at Talia, who scowled. Danielle twitched her head at Diglet. Talia’s eyes narrowed.
    I promised, Danielle mouthed.
    I didn’t.
    “What are these humans going on about, Diglet?” asked the first goblin. “You don’t even know which end of a knife to hold, let alone—”
    “He needed no knife,” Talia said, with one last glare at Danielle. “Diglet leaped upon the first bandit, driving him back with tooth and claw. He stole the villain’s sword and laid about until they fled like sheep. Not one of those filthy beasts escaped his wrath.”
    Diglet looked up at her, his eyes wide, his blue lips slightly puckered.
    “Forgive me, brave goblin,” Talia said, her jaw tight. “Much as I wish to give you a proper reward, in my mind I still see you as you were in battle, your fangs red with blood. The memory of such violence nearly makes me faint.”
    Now it was Snow’s turn to cough.
    Talia stooped to plant a quick kiss on the top of Diglet’s head. “Fare thee well, brave goblin.”
    Danielle smiled and blew him a kiss. “Your courage has earned you the gratitude of a future queen.”
    “Thank you , ladies,” said Diglet. He bowed and lowered his voice. “Be careful. You, in particular, Princess Whiteshore. That child you carry is a tasty prize in these parts. Well, not tasty . I mean, except for a few witches over eastside. Plus there’s supposed to be an ogre living in the king’s swamps who enjoys the taste of human young, but I think he spreads those rumors himself. He doesn’t appreciate visitors. Most of us in Fairytown don’t even like human flesh. Too stringy, and unless it’s drenched in a good mushroom sauce, you humans leave a nasty aftertaste. So I wouldn’t worry—”
    “Thank you,” Danielle said firmly. Leaving Diglet with his dumbfounded companions, she turned and led the others up the road into Fairytown.

    CHAPTER 7
    Danielle shielded her eyes and stared at the horizon. Maybe she had spent too much time in the darkness of the hedge. “I could be mistaken, but when I woke up this morning, there was only one sun.”
    She glanced at the other side of the road to confirm it. Twin shadows stretched out beside her. Both were fainter than she was used to, except where they merged at her feet.
    Snow pointed to the lower of the two suns, which already touched the horizon. “The Queen’s Sun always sets before the King’s. She’s ruler of the morning, but as night falls, the King’s Sun dominates.”
    “Fairies,” Talia muttered, shaking her head.
    Danielle had taken one of their bags when they left the goblin camp. She set it on the road and studied the sky. “How can there be two suns? All we did was pass through the hedge.”
    “The king and queen don’t get along,” Snow