CHAPTER
GRETEL

Gretel’s stomach woke her with its insistence that she needed to throw up. Right now. The undependable ground lurched, sending her sliding over a wooden surface. She threw out her arms to grab something to stop the sickening motions, but her arms didn’t work like she expected. Her eyes snapped open, but wherever she was remained dark.
The ground rolled in the opposite direction, sending her careening the other way until she crashed into metal bars. Metal bars. She was in a cage. Memory was slow in clearing her foggy mind, but panic surfaced quickly. Where was she? The forest? Hunger had made her stomach hurt so much, but they’d found that cottage made of gingerbread. Then the witch had found them. She’d taken Hansel!
“Hansel!” Gretel tried to call her brother, but her voice came out in yips. What was wrong with her voice? More memories flashed. The witch had taken Hansel and Gretel had run away. Father hadn’t been home, but her stepmother had, and she’d sold Gretel to a scary man. A man who had stolen her golden ball and turned her into a fox!
Her necklace. A piece of her was missing. Her body ached and she felt hot, like she was coming down with the flu. She needed to get her golden ball. It was a treasured gift from her mother, and every instinct told her she wouldn’t feel whole again until she had it back.
Another rolling lurch sent her sliding across the floor again. She turned onto her stomach and dug her claws in to splintery wood, halting her slide. Her fox eyes let her see her cage was in a small room made of dark logs, but no details. Gretel inhaled, scenting the air. Water. Salt. Musty wood. With the rolling motions, she must be on a boat. The ocean was far from her home in the forest. How long had she been asleep?
Father had told her stories about the sea. It was dangerous — full of gigantic monsters and murderous pirates. Gretel huddled in her cage. If only she hadn’t eaten a piece of that gingerbread house. Now she’d lost everything and everyone. She was a prisoner and had to do whatever the man said. She couldn’t even turn back into a girl.
Little bells chimed and a musical female voice spoke in Gretel’s mind. Hello.
Startled out of her spiraling thoughts, Gretel jumped to her feet and looked around her prison in vain. Maybe whoever had spoken wasn’t even here. Perhaps she was losing her mind in addition to everything else. A whine slipped out before she could stop it.
The bells tinkled again. I’m up here.
Gretel shifted her searching gaze toward the ceiling. A green glow illuminated a small cage hanging on a chain with white glyphs etched into the links. A tiny person stood looking down into Gretel’s cage.
That’s not your usual form, is it? You can’t talk.
Gretel shook her head.
That’s okay. My name is Tinkerbell. I’ll call you Chestnut because of your beautiful fur. If I had enough fairy dust left I could help you, but I can scarcely even glow anymore. Don’t worry, though. My friend is coming to get me. He’ll get you out of here, too. Tinkerbell shook a miniscule fist. Our captor has no idea who he’ has vexed, but he will!
Footsteps approached the door. Tinkerbell’s light went out. It had only been a dim glow and lasted for a minute, but the room seemed darker than before, and Gretel missed it’s reassurance that she wasn’t alone. A key scraped into a lock, illiciting a click. Gretel blinked in bright light as a torch swung into the room.
The bearded man who had stolen her necklace ducked as he entered the small room. He stared at her as he stroked his yellow beard. “Good. You’re awake. We can begin your training. We’ll start as we mean to go on so there is no confusion. Best to accept your circumstances sooner rather than later.’
Gretel snarled, an ack-ack-ack sound coming from her throat. She wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go. All her fur bristled, and she flashed her sharp teeth at the man.
“No, no, Little Fox.” He waggled a finger that tempted her to bite him in front of her face. “That is not how you behave for your Master.” In his other hand he held up her golden ball. “No shifting forms. People might question my travels with a girl, but no one will think twice when I lead my fox around on her pretty leash, will they?”
The taunting finger she so desperately wanted to bite disappeared into a pocket. When his hand reappeared it held a collar and a leash. There was nothing pretty about either of them. The collar was a thick black metal band with white squiggly shapes in between small spikes on the inside. Some were the same as the symbols on Tinkerbell’s cage. If she fought, those would pierce her skin. The leash was plain links, but just looking at it sent a shiver of dread through her. She couldn’t let him put those things on her. An instinct deep within her knew if he did, she’d never get them off again. And what would those markings do? Nothing nice.
Gretel yipped in warning and backed away until she was pressed against the back of her cage. Undeterred, the bearded man opened the cage door and reached in.
An awful screeching sound made Gretel’s ears lay flat against her skull. The man dropped the leash and reached for the hanging cage. “Stop that racket!” he bellowed, opening the small cage door. He shoved his hand into the prison, trying to grab the fairy.
Tinkerbell, green wings flapping wildly, dodged the man for a few seconds, but didn’t have much room to move. The man caught her, closing his fist around Tinkerbell’s tiny body. He pulled his hand free and shook her. The screeching sound stopped.
“It was hardly worth the effort to catch you.” He shook Tinkerbell again. “It’s only been a few days and you’re out of dust. I’ll have to settle for the satisfaction of squashing you like the irritating gnat you are.”
Tinkerbell made an awful sound. The man was squeezing her to death! Without thought, Gretel threw herself out of her cage, snapped her fox teeth on the man’s calf and bit down as hard as she could.
The man screamed and tried to jerk his leg away from her teeth. Instead, he lost his balance and toppled. His hand opened, freeing Tinkerbell. She plummeted to the floor without a twitch. Their captor fell, landing between Gretel’s cage and a wall. He cursed as he struggled to right himself and kicked at Gretel.
Was she too late? Gretel released her bite and scampered toward the fairy. Quickly, but gentle as she could be, Gretel lifted Tinkerbell’s limp body in her mouth and darted out the door. She didn’t need hands to push the door closed, but couldn’t manage turning the key. There was a bolt she could push with one paw though, and she slid it into the hole just in time. The door shook in its frame as the man hit it from the other side.
To the right, rows of hammocks swung with the tilt of the ship. To the left, a narrow staircase led upward. Gretel slunk up the stairs, squinting in the bright sunlight as she neared the top. A salty breeze filled her nose with clean air — a welcome change from the musty dungeon.
Sailors were busy on the deck, cleaning it with scrub brushes, adjusting sails, and coiling ropes. No one paid any attention to her as she slunk up the last step and hid behind a big barrel. The hiding place wouldn’t last long if anyone looked for them. Muffled thumps and shouts came from below. They might be safe until the man got free. Maybe the sailors were used to noise coming from the dungeon. None of them acted like they heard anything.
Gretel set Tinkerbell, her dress and wings slightly soggy, on the deck. She was so tiny and still. Was she breathing? One fox ear covered Tinkerbell’s entire body, but Gretel heard a pitter-patter heartbeat. With her fox nose she gave Tinkerbell a nudge.
From below, wood splintered. The bearded man stormed up the stairs onto the deck. He went right past their hiding place, but just when Gretel thought they were safe, he reappeared. He held her necklace in one hand and reached for her with the other. Could he track her with the golden ball? Her heart felt like an icy ball in her chest.
Before he could give her an order, Gretel lunged. She needed her ball back, and couldn’t let him get Tinkerbell. He moved too fast and pulled her necklace out of reach, but she sank her teeth into his wrist.
His skin tasted oily and sweaty. His blood tasted worse. Like bitter sludge. It was rotten and just wrong, but she refused to let go. He thrashed his arm around. “First thing, you’re getting a muzzle! Let go!”
His command sank into her mind and her will to fight ebbed. Gretel tried to hang on, but her teeth slipped. The man’s flailing sent her flying across the deck and she crashed into the mast. Something inside her broke with a snap, and she fell to the wooden planks. Stunned, Gretel tried to breathe as she blinked to clear her blurred vision. The bearded man stomped toward her. His black boots stopped in front of her nose. One pulled back and swung toward her face.
Gretel closed her eyes and braced for more pain. Thunderous booms cracked through the air and the ship shook. She opened her eyes. A second ship had appeared. It had black sails, and one showed a skull with bones crossed beneath. Father had been right. Pirates sailed on the ocean.
More cannons fired. The ship shuddered as each cannonball impacted. Sailors ran all over the deck. A few men shouted orders. No one was paying attention to her now. Breathing was getting easier and she pulled herself to her feet.
Tinkerbell’s voice chimed excitedly as she buzzed across the deck, climbed up Gretel’s nose, and perched on her head, hugging one of her fox ears. That’s my friend’s ship! Hook will save us.
Would a girl stuck in the shape of a fox be safe with pirates? Tinkerbell seemed nice, but Hook sounded like a mean name. How did things keep going from bad to worse? Maybe that witch’s cottage was cursed.
“Return fire!” someone yelled. Sailors scrambled to obey. The ship shook again as the cannons sent their deadly projectiles toward Hook’s ship.
Tinkerbell’s chiming was a laughing, happy song as Hook’s ship floated off the ocean into the air and flew toward them. Every cannonball soared under it and splashed into the ocean. When the ship arrived above them, Hook’s sailors leapt from his ship. They thudded onto the deck and everyone fought with swords and guns and fists.
Gretel tried to be small and avoid everyone’s feet. A faint acrid odor filled her nose. Smoke. There was fire somewhere on the ship.
Something exploded. It wasn’t cannon fire this time. The deck felt hot beneath her paws. The front of the ship lifted out of the water as the back lowered. At first Gretel could dig in her claws and hold on, but the ship kept tilting and soon she was scrabbling. They were sinking.
Jump into the sea! Tinkerbell chimed in Gretel’s head. Captain Hook will save us.
Gretel wasn’t sure that was a good idea. It seemed like things continuing to go from bad to worse. Or maybe worse to worser. With the ship sinking, she was going to end up in the sea anyway. People were already abandoning the ship. Some leapt into the water. A few stopped fighting and went to rowboats. Hook’s fighters didn’t let them escape.
Men yelled and screamed. Blood splashed on the deck. Dead men fell down. Flames burned through the wood.
Jump! Tinkerbell’s voice chimed. Hurry!
There was no choice. Gretel dodged around combatants to the ship rail and peered into the blue sea. It wasn’t so far to jump. The ship was sinking fast. Taking a deep breath, Gretel leapt.
The unexpectedly warm water felt nice, but as she gained some distance from the battle, flu-like symptoms returned. This time they were worse. Her joints ached and a headache spiked pain behind her eyes, making swimming difficult. Her head went under. Saltwater went up her fox nose and burned her eyes. Without hands, she couldn’t wipe the stinging away, and was left blinking faster.
Rowboats hanging on long ropes lowered from Hook’s ship. A tall man with long, black hair stood in one of the rowboats. He had dark eyes and stubble on his cheeks and chin. His black coat flapped in the wind. He pointed at Gretel. His rowboat sliced through the water toward her. Gretel stared. The sailors rowing the boat were boys and girls. Children.
Hook might rescue her, but he would make her work on his ship. He wouldn’t have her golden ball, but she’d still be a prisoner. Gretel turned around. She couldn’t go onto Hook’s ship.
Too late. Big, strong hands lifted her from the water and set her on a wooden slat that served as a seat. Tinkerbell chimed deliriously as the tall man, who had to be Hook since he had a silver one poking out from a sleeve, scooped her into his hand and held her close to his scruffy face.
Her jailer yelled something, but the wind and roar of the fire stole the words. He jumped from the ship and thrashed in the sea. His head kept going under and each time he was gone longer. Every time the man popped to the surface, Gretel felt better. When he went under again, the nausea and headache worsened.
He still had her golden ball. She had to get it back. If he sank all the way to the bottom of the sea with it, she’d never see it again She’d always be sick. Maybe losing the ball completely would kill her. Unable to help herself, Gretel leapt from the rowboat and swam toward the man.
When she got close, the man grabbed her fur in two fistfuls and pulled her close. She felt physically better, but spiritually ill. How was it fair that one way or another she would be a slave for the rest of her life?
A push on her head sent seawater up her nose again. She tried to surface, but a hand between her ears and an arm around her throat held her under the water. The man was going to drown her! Panic gave her strength. She planted two paws against the man’s stomach and dug her claws in, scratching with all the might she could muster. He bellowed, loosened his grip.
Her head popped out of the water. Gretel sucked in lungfuls of air. Desperate to keep herself and the man above the surface, Gretel paddled hard. Her legs were short and the man was panicking, dragging them down over and over. The man was going to kill them both.
Frantic, Gretel tried to climb onto pieces of wood that floated by. It was impossible without hands.

Swim! Tinkerbell’s voice gonged like a huge bell.
Gretel couldn’t obey. Her legs were tiring. She was choking on seawater. The man still had a hold of her.
“We believe in you, Tinkerbell!” childish, bright voices shouted in unison
Above Gretel’s head, Tinkerbell’s green light exploded from her. The fairy swooped low. One little hand touched Gretel’s nose. Sparkly dust landed on her face in a burst that almost made her sneeze, and she froze as her body lifted into the air.
She was flying. Just like the ship. A sharp jerk on her tail nearly pulled her back into the sea. It was the man, trying to get her back.
Tinkerbell scowled and glowed brighter. Gretel slipped from the man’s grip. The sense of weightlessness and flying made her heart feel light, too. She skimmed over the waves toward Hook’s rowboat, with Tinkerbell flying beside her.
Sharp pain caused her to curl into herself. Nausea and the piercing pain returned. She was too far away from her golden ball again. Her body turned in midair, legs churning in a pointless effort to go back to the man.
What are you doing? Tinkerbell’s chimes sounded ominous.
Unable to answer or let herself float to the rowboat, Gretel lowered her head and whined.
Tinkerbell huffed, but waved a tiny hand. Green magic flowed from her to wrap around the man in chains that lifted him out of the water and dangled him upside-down. Gretel and the man landed on the bottom of a rowboat in a sodden heap.
“I don’t —” The man coughed up seawater, glaring at Tinkerbell. “I don’t believe in —”
Captain Hook moved so fast all Gretel saw was a blur of his black coat, but she heard the impact of a fist hitting someone clearly. The man slumped, unconscious.
“Gag him.” Captain Hook stared down his nose at the man. “Bind him hand and foot as well.”
Three child pirates rowed the boat toward Hook’s ship as a fourth obeyed orders. When they arrived, Gretel and the man were hauled up the rope ladder and deposited on the deck.
Tinkerbell flitted around, coating the children in puffs of green dust. Everyone cheered and clapped for her. In the face of so much joy even Gretel felt her spirits lifting.
Hook clambered from a rope ladder over the railing and stood over his prisoners. “Welcome aboard the Jolly Roger.” He pointed at the unconscious man. “Why have we brought this flotsam onto my ship?”
Feeling bold since her tormentor was asleep and tied up, Gretel used her sharp claws to tear the fabric of the man’s shirt, revealing her golden ball. It was embedded in his skin and surrounded by what looked like a circular tattoo edged with sharp teeth.
Gretel pawed at the ball. A shock jolted her and she snatched her paw away. Her treasure was right in front of her eyes, but may as well be miles away.
Tinkerbell dusted the ball with her green magic, only to see it absorbed by the tattoo teeth. Captain Hook drew a sword from under his coat, spun it in his hand so the blade aimed down. Gretel closed her eyes, not wanting to see someone murdered. Not even the man.
The expected sound didn’t come. Gretel opened one eye. Hook was using his sword to poke and prod at the tattoo around the golden ball. “I could probably cut it out of him, but I don’t trust this magic. We need a witch to take a look at him.”
Gretel sighed and lay down with her head on her paws. What was she going to do now? It seemed like maybe Hook could help her, but she was getting farther away from her home and Hansel
You’re not a fox, are you? You’re a Kitsune. Tinkerbell’s chimes sounded sad. You’ll die if you don’t have your golden ball.
Gretel whined her misery. She didn’t know what a Kitsune was, but it did feel like she would die without her ball. As long as the man had it, she would never be free.
Bells and chines came from Tinkerbell, but this time no words accompanied the music. Captain Hook was listening, though, and he nodded.
“As you wish, my Bell.” He turned to Gretel. “Normally, I’d kill him for daring to touch my Bell, but until we can figure out how to get your ball back, he will be our guest aboard the Jolly Roger.” He inclined his head toward one of the other pirates. “Take him below.”
Several child pirates grabbed the ropes binding the man and pulled. The heavy body slid across the deck. Gretel felt that sickening pull again. She tried to resist. Nausea churned her stomach and her heart beat too fast. Her feet moved without her asking them to, trying to carry her toward the man. Would she have to stay in the dungeon so she didn’t feel sick? It didn’t matter that she was physically free. As long as the man had her golden ball, she would still be a prisoner. Her head felt too heavy, her nose nearly touching the deck as she plodded after her jailer.
Wait, Tinkerbell’s voice chimed. I can help, but you have to believe that I can.
Hope flared. Gretel stopped and lifted her head. She closed her eyes and pushed the sick feelings away. Hansel. If she believed in Tinkerbell, there was a way for Gretel to find a way to leave and find Hansel again.
Tinkerbell buzzed closer, glowing like a tiny green sun. She flew around Gretel in dizzying circles until a small tornado filled with green fairy dust formed. The green fairy hovered about Gretel’s fox nose and clapped her hands.
All at once, the built-up fairy dust converged on Gretel. Her nausea and pain vanished. She felt alive and healthier than she had in a long time. The urge to retrieve her golden ball was still present. It was a beacon she could sense rather than a magnet drawing her in.
My dust can heal. You won’t have to be near that man. Just tell me when you feel ill. I don’t know how to turn you into a girl again, but I know another fairy who turned a puppet into a boy. We’ll go see her.
For the first time since her stepmother had abandoned them in the forest, Gretel believed in hope and a green fairy with all her heart.