Free The Salamander Spell by E. D. Baker

be undone, and when I’m older, I intend to find out how. I want Mother back the way she was.”
    “We all do, sweetling,” said the king. “Everyone that is, except your mother. She seems content with her new condition, although that might be part of the curse, too.”
    “She should be happy, since we’re doing so much work for her,” grumbled Grassina. “Even so, if we don’t do exactly what she wants, she turns us into all sorts of things. I told you about being a rabbit. I was a mole yesterday morning. Chartreuse was a chicken for a few hours, but she won’t admit to anything else.”
    “At least your lives are interesting,” said the king.
    Grassina laughed, but not because she thought it was funny. “Too interesting, if you ask me.” Seeing a wistful expression on her father’s face, she asked, “Is it that bad down here, Father?”
    “I don’t mind it,” said her father. “I even like it in a way. My men come to see me, so I’m current with everything I need to do. And when I’m not working on the affairs of the kingdom, I’ve found time to write. I started creating a history of Greater Greensward years ago, but never had the time to finish it. I’ve been able to make some real headway the last few days because it’s so quiet. I can’t even hear the squabbling going on upstairs.”
    Grassina turned her head, unable to meet his eyes. She knew that at least part of the problem was the way she and Chartreuse couldn’t get along. Even though she’d known that their arguing had disturbed their father, she’d never really tried to stop. And now that there seemed to be more than ever to argue about, she didn’t see that it would ever end.
    Grassina slid off the trunk. “It’s getting late. I’d better go. But first,” she said, remembering why she’d returned from the swamp, “I meant to tell you about something I saw today. There were paw prints . . . like a dog’s or a wolf ’s, but very odd. They changed from one step to the next. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
    King Aldrid’s gaze was sharp and direct. “How did they change?”
    “The paw seemed to grow longer, the pads wider. . . . Why? Is it important?”
    “I’m afraid so,” said her father. “I was wondering when something like this would happen. I just wasn’t expecting it so soon.”
    “Expecting what?” she asked.
    “Paw prints like that belong to werewolves, my dear. It’s a sign that things are about to go very wrong in Greater Greensward.”

Seven
    G rassina got up early the next morning, borrowed a basket with a lid from a scullery maid, and made her way down to the swamp. This time she was going to be prepared; no toad would get away from her again. She had just set her wicker basket down and lifted the lid when something hurtled over the lip, making the wicker creak. “What was that?” she said, peering inside.
    A surly-looking toad blinked up at her and said, “I’m a who , not a what . The least you can do is be nice to me, considering I put myself in here.”
    Grassina picked up the basket. “Why did you?” she asked, already counting the toad’s seven warts.
    “I don’t rightly know,” said the toad, sounding genuinely puzzled. “There I was, slurping up a worm, when all of a sudden my legs just carried me in. I’d jump out if I could, but my legs are locked up tighter than a snake’s jaws on a muskrat. I don’t suppose you’d want to take me out and set me back on the ground so I could finish my breakfast?”
    “Not a chance,” Grassina replied, closing the basket’s lid. “You have seven warts, so you’re just what I need. I’m not one to look a gift toad in the mouth.”
    “I never said I’d open my mouth so you could look in,” said the toad, his voice muffled by the wicker. “You’re awfully arrogant, thinking I would do that for you.”
    Grassina slid the little piece of wood to latch the lid. “I would like to know what compelled you to do it. Toads don’t just