Page 42 of Switched

“What about me? Am I part of the team too?” AG asks. “Because I really want to come. I have my own reasons for wanting to find Stiltskin.”

“Of course you are,” I say and look at Jack. “I hope you have more daggers. If you want my help getting your mum and cow back, these guys are coming too.”

“The fire’s out on the ship.” Jocelyn notices. “The professors will notice us soon. We should move.”

Jack bangs his head against the stalk vine in frustration. “Fine! There are more daggers in my pack. I always have extras in case I lose one.” He begrudgingly offers us each a silver blade.

“Funny how you brought them to Fairy Tale Reform School not knowing a beanstalk would ever sprout,” Jax says as he looks at the blade in his hand.

“Think what you want, Prince.” Jack gives me a look. “I am always prepared. You should thank me.”

I stake the dagger in the vine again and pull myself up higher. “He’ll thank you once we reach the top. Right now, it’s time to climb.”

CHAPTER 14

Cloud City

We are so high up.

I look down and immediately wish I hadn’t. Next, I look up, and I’m not sure what’s worse. My friends are climbing above me, Kayla and Ollie so far ahead that their bodies are covered by the clouds. Blue sky surrounds me as far as the eye can see. Once in a while, a cloud floats by, veiling the stalk from sight. It’s scary when that happens, but Jack says we can’t stop moving. Stiltskin could cut the stalk down at any moment, and if he doesn’t, our professors could do the same from below. Ouch! One of the thorns on the vine pricks my wrist, and it starts to bleed.

Jack made climbing a beanstalk seem so easy.

“Just a few more feet!” he calls from above.

With the last of my strength, I stake the dagger into the next piece of vine and pull myself up. I step gingerly onto a cloud, holding my breath to see if I fall right through. I don’t. It feels squishy and has a bit of a bounce to it, but it holds my weight. I’m not sure what I’m expecting to see at the top of the beanstalk, but it’s certainly not more clouds, birds, and blue sky. I don’t see any sign of a city.

“There’s nothing here, bean brain!” Jocelyn snaps at Jack. “You’ve brought us on a wild-goose chase up the wrong beanstalk. This one must have been a decoy!”

“What are we going to do?” Maxine asks.

AG covers her face with her nicked hands. Everyone but Jack has gotten cut on the climb up. “I’m too tired to climb down again, and I don’t want to face my father.” She looks like she might start sobbing, which will bring out her hairy side.

I shake her. “Deep breaths. In. Out.” AG practices her breathing. “Better?” She nods.

“Everyone done freaking out?” Jack asks. “Because the city is right in front of you.”

I squint harder. “I don’t see anything.”

“Me neither,” says Jax.

Jack sighs. “Giants may be dumb and mean, but they aren’t clueless. You think they want people using magic beans to climb up here and steal their fortunes? No way! After I came up the first time, they put some protection charms up. Look harder.”

He slices his hand through a cloud in front of us. For a split second, I see a shimmering city in the distance. The buildings are as tan as sand and look exactly like the ones I saw in the mirror. That must be where Anna is.

“Let’s go,” I say, anxious to get there.

Jack stops us. “If you want to survive, I’m in charge up here.” He looks at Jax. “Don’t listen, and you’ll be a giant’s lunch in seconds.”

Eaten by a giant? Not the way I want to go. “What do we need to do?” I ask.

“And how do we know you won’t lead us into a giant’s rotten mouth?” Jax asks.

“Giants can smell you before they can see you,” Jack says, looking around. “They’ll know we’re coming, and so will Stiltskin. If he’s here—and I think he is—he’ll be in the city center. We have to mask our scent.” Jack steps into the cloud again, then back out with a bright-orange flower. “This will do it. They’re dragon fire flowers. They grow frequently near the edge of town.” He passes them around. “Giants hate the smell of them.” He begins rubbing a petal on his arms. “Slather some of this on, and no one will even notice you. Not that you still can’t get stepped on by accident,” he adds. “And this stuff will only last so long. Of course, even if we succeed, we have to find a way down the stalk without them shaking us off. If the stalk is even still there.”

“So if they see us, we get eaten. If they smell us, we get eaten. And if we avoid both, we can still get trapped here?” Ollie asks, placing a flower in the pocket of his dirty shirt. “Great odds.”

Jax rubs a petal on his forehead. “Let’s get in there and find Anna, your family, the squad kids who want to go home, and the harp.”