Free Jack and the Beanstalk (Faerie Tale Collection) by Jenni James Page A

thing behind the sofa. “What about this? I was hoping to hide it earlier, but he came back too soon.”
    “So it was you who caused Gleeflak to fall!” Rachel gasped. “We had no clue what he was even speaking about.”
    “I did not plan it. I merely wanted to use the rope to escape, but did not have enough time to conceal it with me.” Jill lugged it up to Jack. “Here, help me entwine these together in a series of knots to make a suitable mesh to drag him.”
    “You mean to leave sometime tonight, before Gleeflak wakes up in the morning?”
    “No.” Jill shook her head. “I mean to leave this instant. We do not know if he will come back again to check on you once he realizes what he has done. Hopefully we will be long gone if he does.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
    THE GIRLS SCURRIED TO intertwine the long tieback into netting. It took just over a quarter of an hour to accomplish the chore, and then the tricky part was figuring how best to get Jack on it. After another good ten minutes, Jack was on the mesh with little Verity giggling upon his chest. Jill’s pack was used to block off the lower end so the child would not tumble out without them aware.
    Rachel pulled one corner while Jill took the other. Once they were able to get the net moving, it was quite simple to keep up a fast-paced movement due to the silky ropes, and ended up being an easier challenge than either expected. They were through the crack in the door and out the of the palace courtyard, sliding through the castle gates, before even a full five minutes had passed.
    “This is perfect!” Jill exclaimed as they went on the path leading to the beanstalk.
    Jack groaned.
    What was happening to him?
    It felt as though he were traveling under a carriage instead of in it.
    Oomph! He winced as his back hit another stone and risked opening his eyes. The late-afternoon sunshine was blocked by slowly passing treetops. Indeed, he was traveling, but not as fast as it felt like, and certainly not as fast as a carriage.
    He heard giggles and glanced down. There perched happily on his chest was sweet little Verity in all her brown curls. “Well, hello there,” he croaked in barely a whisper.
    Making out the chattering of Jill and Rachel above him, he looked up to see what was going on. They both seemed to be pulling on a blue net of some kind and merrily babbling away.
    “Hello?” he croaked again, but they did not hear him.
    Just then they went over another rock, and this time it jabbed him directly in his shoulder. “Ahhh!” he cried out. Something must be wrong with his arm. That should not have hurt so badly.
    “Jack!”
    The moving stopped, and Rachel was hovering over him when he opened his eyes. “You are awake! Finally!”
    He grinned and brought a hand up to run his fingers through the long blonde hair spilling upon him. “Yes.” Tugging softly on a section of her locks, he brought her head forward, eager to taste her lips after so long.
    “Jack!” She laughed and mockingly scolded him. “We cannot kiss now—the baby will be flattened.”
    “Jill, help a man out,” he called, his eyes never leaving Rachel’s. “I have not been able to kiss my fiancée properly this whole day.”
    His sister chuckled as she removed Verity from his chest, and Jack wasted no time in bringing his beautiful Rachel to his lips.
    “I love you,” he murmured against her mouth. “I love you more each time I see you.”
    “Hmm…” She sighed and kissed him back before raising her head and saying, “I love you as well. Though, if you scare me like that again and pretend to be dead when you are merely asleep, I shall kill you.”
    “What?” He smirked. “Come here, you.” He pulled her down and kissed that delicious mouth once more.
    “This is good, but perhaps heading home would be better,” Jill interrupted.
    Rachel smiled and pulled back. “She does have a point.”
    Jack struggled to sit up. “How long have I been unconscious?”
    “About an hour or