Once Upon a Curse Read Free

well. He hadn't moved far, however, and still visited the castle now and then.
    Grassina had driven away my mother's favorite ladies-in-waiting and more servants than we could afford to lose. Lately my aunt had even turned herself into strange beasts like the lizard I'd just run into, terrorizing the people and animals in and around the castle. Turning Grassina back into her old self would make everyone's life more pleasant.
    I unrolled a parchment and settled down to read, but it proved to be as useless as the others. After glancing at the last parchment, I set them both aside and went to see Li'l. She blinked when I opened the door to the storage room. "Find anything?" she asked.
    "Nothing useful, unless I want to remove rust or turn myself into a bird. I don't want to give up, but I don't know where to look next. I've talked to every bookseller at the magic marketplace, I've gone through my grandmother's books and parchments, and now I've looked at all of Grassina's—and I haven't found anything I can use."
    "What about Vannabe's cottage? Mudine left a lot of good books there."
    When I was fourteen, Li'l, Eadric and I had been imprisoned in a witch's cottage deep in the enchanted forest. A previous occupant had left her books of magic spells behind. The spells had been reliable, and I'd used a number of them before I learned how to create my own. Remembering that book, I felt a surge of hope. If the other books were just as helpful, perhaps one of them might contain the information I needed. "That's a good idea," I said. "If I go now, I can be back before dark."
    "You sent the magic carpet to be mended, remember?" Li'l said. "How are you going to get there?"
    I was about to answer when I glanced out the window. A dove was flying past the tower, the bronze-edged pattern on its wings distinctive in the bright summer sun. I leaned against the windowsill to watch the bird. I wish I could do that, I thought as the dove swooped and turned.
    I loved trying new spells. Because Eadric had been involved in the original spell that had turned me into a frog, every time I had turned into one he had as well. However, once my power had become strong enough and I was better able to control it, I could turn into other creatures without changing Eadric. "I think I'll fly." I climbed onto the window ledge and recited the spell from the parchment.
    Fleet of wing and sharp of beak,
    Turn me to the shape I seek.
    When I say the final word,
    I will be a feathered bird.
    My magic was stronger now, so the change was swift and painless. I no longer felt queasy when I changed from my human form to that of a creature, although the difference in perspective was still disorienting. I spread my wings and saw that I was covered with pale brown feathers. I had turned into a dove, the last kind of bird I'd seen. Cocking my head, I bent down to examine my orange feet tipped with small, sharp talons.
    I'd watched birds before, of course, so I didn't think that flying could be too hard. After all, it didn't take baby birds long to learn, and I was certainly smarter than a sparrow. Raising my wings, I brought them down in a short, sharp movement. I was thrilled when my feet rose from the ledge, but raising my wings again forced me back down. There must be some trick to this, I thought.
    Beating my wings once more, I moved out the window and found myself high above the moat. Surprised, I forgot to flap and dropped like a stone, remembering to flap again when I was only a few feet above the water. A long, gray tentacle shot through scum floating on the surface, its leaf-shaped tip brushing my tail. I beat my wings again, zigzagging up and down, trying to stay out of the monster's reach. Grassina must have dumped more trash into the moat, but I couldn't do anything about it until I got back.
    I was over dry land again when I discovered that if I twisted my wings and folded them partway, I wouldn't force myself down each time I raised them and could finally fly