Free The Enchantress Returns by Chris Colfer Page A

Grandma said.
    “What does he have to do with anything?” Conner asked, remembering the friendly head of Cinderella’s Royal Guard he and his sister had met in the fairy-tale world.
    Grandma bent down and looked into Buster’s uneven eyes, and the dog sat straight up. The twins had never seen him look so obedient.
    “Sir Lampton, have you seen anything strange or out of the ordinary?” Grandma asked.
    Conner glanced over at Alex. Had their grandmother lost her mind? Did she forget dogs couldn’t talk in their world? And why on earth was she calling him Sir Lampton?
    Buster barked a single bark at her and nodded, as if he had understood perfectly.
    “Oh, forgive me,” Grandma said apologetically and waved her wand toward the dog. “Speak.”
    A flash of light traveled from the tip of her wand and into the dog’s mouth. Buster began barking, but the sound slowly morphed into the sound of coughing— human coughing.
    “Pardon me,” the dog said. “My word, it’s been a long time since I’ve had to pronounce anything.”
    Both of the twins gasped. They weren’t strangers to talking animals, but hearing their own dog suddenly speak left them completely flabbergasted.
    “Nothing out of the ordinary at all,” the dog said. “Charlotte left for work this morning and hasn’t been home since.”
    “Sir Lampton?” Alex peeped through the hands covering her mouth. “Is that you?”
    “You’re our dog ?” Conner said.
    “Indeed, children,” the dog confessed and lowered his head. “I’m sorry I couldn’t reveal my identity to you. Your grandmother wanted someone looking after you but thought having a soldier living in your house would cause you to worry, so she turned me into a dog.”
    Conner turned to his sister, reddening by the second. “We can’t even have a dog without it being a magical conspiracy!”
    “It’s been very challenging,” Sir Lampton said. “Dog food and cleaning oneself are some things I don’t think I will ever get used to. And the urges to taste and smell absolutely everything are quite bothersome. But for you two, I would walk to the ends of the earth.”
    It was a sweet sentiment from their late father’s old friend, but the twins didn’t have any room for gratitude in their heads.
    “Did you know about this, Bob?” Alex asked.
    Bob had been so still the twins had almost forgotten he was there. He had turned a pale shade of green and was holding his stomach. It was clear by the horrified look on his face he had nothing to do with it. This was the first talking animal he had ever seen.
    “I hope you can forgive me for casting a little spell on you at the shelter, but I had to make sure you chose Sir Lampton to bring home,” Grandma said. “I thought you were just a friend of Charlotte’s; I had no idea you were so… involved .”
    “I… I… I…” Bob muttered. “I think I’m going to be sick!” He ran straight for the bathroom on the other side of the house. Obviously, Bob had reached his surprise limit for the night.
    “So this whole time we thought we had a dog when really we had a babysitter?” Alex asked, trying to wrap her head around it.
    “A protector, not a babysitter,” Grandma said.
    “A protector from what?” Conner asked.
    Their grandmother and Sir Lampton looked at each other. The twins knew they were set on keeping as much information from them as possible without being dishonest.
    “I promise to share with you the appropriate informationas I learn it,” Grandma said. “It’s a concerning time in the fairy-tale world and it’s kept me very occupied. The situation recently reached a peak and I was worried it would affect you, so I made the proper arrangements to make sure you were protected. Unfortunately, it seems your mother has fallen victim to it.”
    “Speaking of precautions, Fairy Godmother,” Xanthous interrupted, “we should position the gnomes while the neighborhood is empty.”
    “Gnomes?” Conner mouthed to