“Oh, no, dear, we plan to fill your closets with lovely clothes and figure out what to do with all these cats! There’s still work to be done here. Don’t worry, Cinderella will take good care of you. And if you ever need anything at all, please just make a wish upon a star, and I promise you this time we will appear,” said the Fairy Godmother.

Both Anastasia and Drizella kissed their fairy godmothers on their cheeks.

“Go on now, you don’t want to keep your sister waiting,” Nanny said with tears in her eyes. “And don’t worry, these enchantments won’t ever break. Your coach won’t turn into a pumpkin,” she said, laughing.

“But, Fairy Godmother, what happened to our mother? Will she be back?” asked Drizella from the carriage.

Fairy Godmother smiled at the girls. “Don’t you worry about her, girls. I promise you she will never hurt you again. Now off with you, to the palace! Nanny and I have important things to do!” she said as Anastasia and Drizella’s carriage drove away, Anastasia and Drizella waving and smiling at their fairy godmothers.

“Goodbye, girls. Have a lovely time at the palace,” called the Fairy Godmother as she watched it ride away.

“I’m very proud of you, sister,” said Nanny, hugging the Fairy Godmother. “By the way, what did you do with Lady Tremaine?”

“I’ll show you,” the Fairy Godmother said with an impish smile on her face. “She is exactly where she belongs. I almost put her down in the basement,” she said, leading Nanny up to Cinderella’s old attic bedroom. “But I decided the attic would be better.”

Nanny couldn’t help but gasp. There in the middle of the room was Lady Tremaine, forever frozen in time, her hand at her brooch, and her cat, Lucifer, curled up at her feet.

“You’ve turned her into a statue?” said Nanny.

“Yes,” said the Fairy Godmother, chuckling as she noticed that some mice had made a nest in Lady Tremaine’s hair.

At last, Lady Tremaine was cold, solid, and unmovable, as she had always wished.

THE END

About the Author

SERENA VALENTINO has been weaving tales that combine mythos and guile for the past decade. She has earned critical acclaim in both the comic and horror domains, where she is known for her unique style of storytelling, bringing her readers into exquisitely frightening worlds filled with terror, beauty, and extraordinary protagonists. The books in her best-selling Villains series are best enjoyed when read in the following order: Fairest of All, The Beast Within, Poor Unfortunate Soul, Mistress of All Evil, Mother Knows Best, The Odd Sisters, and Evil Thing.