family is special."
"I don't want to be special. I want to be normal." Grace wiped a tear from her face.
"We'll figure this out."
"I wish my mom was here," she said, and began to sob.
Harold continued driving, sensing that the best thing to do was to let her cry. After a few minutes, Grace looked up with wide eyes.
"I think I've got it."
"I think I know how to get him to tell me his name."
Grace reached over and punched an address in to the GPS, and Harold adjusted his course when it showed on the map.
"Harry, I need you to stay in the car when we get there, okay? I have to do this alone."
"I don't like the sound of that, Grace."
"Please. I need you to trust me."
"Of course I do. Whatever you need," he said, still feeling uneasy.
They pulled up to the abandoned building at 729 Desidero, and Grace got out of the car. She took a moment to collect her thoughts before making her way up the steps.
While she stepped in to the broken-down lobby, it began to transform around her. The dirty floor turned into lush red pile carpet. The wallpaper was once again leafed with gold, and in the other room, the large ornate desk sat with Roland Stillson sitting behind it.
"I've been waiting for you Grace," he purred.
She took a seat in the once again finely upholstered chair.
"I know what you are, Roland. Or should I call you Rumpelstiltskin?"
Roland burst out in a hearty laugh.
"The ramblings of two drunken teen boys."
"I also know about Serena," she said, staring directly at him.
His demeanor went cold. "You know nothing of that."
"I know that a member of my family killed her. I know that my great, great, great, great aunt forced you into slavery. I also know that my great, great, great grandmother is the one that set you free."
"You have done your homework, Grace. I am impressed." He sat back and folded his hands in his lap, trying not to give away his obvious agitation.
"I am going to do more than that. I am going to summon Aurora. She will tell me where the talisman is, and I will send you back to where you came from."
Grace was doing her best to sound strong and confident. She really hoped her bluff was working.
"You do not have the power to do any of that, my dear," he said, leaning back and inspecting his manicure.
"I have the power to do a lot of things, Roland. More power than you, in fact."
"I would warn you against challenging me, Grace." H swiveled his chair and placed his elbows firmly on his desk. "I am sympathetic to your situation, and I wish that things were different, but if you dare to challenge me, you will lose. That is a promise."
"Lose to you? You are nothing but a trained monkey that has been passed from generation to generation through my family like an old toy."
"Grace, please leave." Roland was getting more and more agitated.
"You were nothing but a plaything for Aliza. Aurora kept you on a string. Did Carolyn use you as well?"
"Graceâ"
"You are a step away from a parlor magician."
The walls of the office began to vibrate and Roland's blue eyes began to glow. Grace continued her assault, hoping his arrogance would override his judgment.
"A party trick. A two-bit wizard. A joke."
He could no longer hold his temper. Roland's skin gave off a soft blue glow as he stood up and placed his hands on the desk, leaning toward her menacingly.
"You say you know who I am?" he bellowed. "You know nothing. I am Am-Sher-Al, a djinn of the order Si'Lat. I have the power to destroy worlds and make kings from peasants. I am no wizard or parlor trick, and I am no ridiculous prancing imp made from gingerbread in a child's bedtime story."
He suddenly calmed and the intense blue glow left his olive skin. He adjusted the lapels of his coat and sat back down at the desk.
"Well played, Grace," he smiled at her. "Believe it or not, I am on your side. I no more wish to hurt you than you wish to hurt me. This is just a business transaction that I am conducting on behalf of someone else. It is nothing
"I don't want to be special. I want to be normal." Grace wiped a tear from her face.
"We'll figure this out."
"I wish my mom was here," she said, and began to sob.
Harold continued driving, sensing that the best thing to do was to let her cry. After a few minutes, Grace looked up with wide eyes.
"I think I've got it."
"I think I know how to get him to tell me his name."
Grace reached over and punched an address in to the GPS, and Harold adjusted his course when it showed on the map.
"Harry, I need you to stay in the car when we get there, okay? I have to do this alone."
"I don't like the sound of that, Grace."
"Please. I need you to trust me."
"Of course I do. Whatever you need," he said, still feeling uneasy.
They pulled up to the abandoned building at 729 Desidero, and Grace got out of the car. She took a moment to collect her thoughts before making her way up the steps.
While she stepped in to the broken-down lobby, it began to transform around her. The dirty floor turned into lush red pile carpet. The wallpaper was once again leafed with gold, and in the other room, the large ornate desk sat with Roland Stillson sitting behind it.
"I've been waiting for you Grace," he purred.
She took a seat in the once again finely upholstered chair.
"I know what you are, Roland. Or should I call you Rumpelstiltskin?"
Roland burst out in a hearty laugh.
"The ramblings of two drunken teen boys."
"I also know about Serena," she said, staring directly at him.
His demeanor went cold. "You know nothing of that."
"I know that a member of my family killed her. I know that my great, great, great, great aunt forced you into slavery. I also know that my great, great, great grandmother is the one that set you free."
"You have done your homework, Grace. I am impressed." He sat back and folded his hands in his lap, trying not to give away his obvious agitation.
"I am going to do more than that. I am going to summon Aurora. She will tell me where the talisman is, and I will send you back to where you came from."
Grace was doing her best to sound strong and confident. She really hoped her bluff was working.
"You do not have the power to do any of that, my dear," he said, leaning back and inspecting his manicure.
"I have the power to do a lot of things, Roland. More power than you, in fact."
"I would warn you against challenging me, Grace." H swiveled his chair and placed his elbows firmly on his desk. "I am sympathetic to your situation, and I wish that things were different, but if you dare to challenge me, you will lose. That is a promise."
"Lose to you? You are nothing but a trained monkey that has been passed from generation to generation through my family like an old toy."
"Grace, please leave." Roland was getting more and more agitated.
"You were nothing but a plaything for Aliza. Aurora kept you on a string. Did Carolyn use you as well?"
"Graceâ"
"You are a step away from a parlor magician."
The walls of the office began to vibrate and Roland's blue eyes began to glow. Grace continued her assault, hoping his arrogance would override his judgment.
"A party trick. A two-bit wizard. A joke."
He could no longer hold his temper. Roland's skin gave off a soft blue glow as he stood up and placed his hands on the desk, leaning toward her menacingly.
"You say you know who I am?" he bellowed. "You know nothing. I am Am-Sher-Al, a djinn of the order Si'Lat. I have the power to destroy worlds and make kings from peasants. I am no wizard or parlor trick, and I am no ridiculous prancing imp made from gingerbread in a child's bedtime story."
He suddenly calmed and the intense blue glow left his olive skin. He adjusted the lapels of his coat and sat back down at the desk.
"Well played, Grace," he smiled at her. "Believe it or not, I am on your side. I no more wish to hurt you than you wish to hurt me. This is just a business transaction that I am conducting on behalf of someone else. It is nothing
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