The front doorknob turned over and two men walked in. I was about to give hell to whoever just walked in without knocking, but my jaw dropped when Itook in the factGregorywasstanding there in front of Phillip. His eyes were bright, lucid, and he looked as though he’d shedfifteenyears.
The buzzing I thought had only been in my ear increased in volume until it was acacophony,but it was coming from the back of the house. As I neared the hallway, Iturned to the left to see the back door in the kitchen explode as a swarmofwaspsshot into thehouse.
Notwasps, it was those damn ugly little fairy beasts and if their buzzing was any indication, they were here for blood.
My bat was by the frontdoor,but I still wouldn’t make it in time to grab it and start swinging. Between the kidsand Mr. Smithnow in the house, my chest seized with panic at the thought that I couldn’t protect them.We’d all be diced into bloody bits before I could get my hands on a flame thrower.
“Travis,” I yelled out, hoping he was near something that could help. I was a goner, but maybe he could grab the kids and jump out the window. I was going to die as a sacrificial meat snack. My hand touched my stomach instinctually as grief and regret filled me.
Sophie stepped in front of me and threw upher bunny.“Ibbidy,bobbido, kazoo.”
I needed to grab her and throw her at Travis so he could protect the tiny insane child, but before I could do anything, light blossomed out oftherabbit’sface. Even behind her, I could feel the power pulsating and thrummingout of Sophie and through the stuffed bunny. The buzzing turned into a collective shriek as the evil fairies cried out like a million dying wicked witches. Theytook the brunt of Sophie’s power until they all fell in a pile of charred bodies on the ground.
When the light subsided, Sophie huggedMerlinand cooed intohis ear what a good jobhedid.
Turningaround, I saw everyone shared the samegob smackedexpression, except for Noah who didn’t look the least bit surprised.
Sophie tugged on my sweatshirt.“Can I have a chocolate milk now, and one forMerlintoo?”Then she dropped to the ground in a dead faint.
19
Mr. Smithscooped up Sophie as if she weighed nothing and hurriedher pastKrystanto set her on the couch. I jumpedout of the wayto make room.
Wait,Mr. Smith?
Kneeling by Sophie’s side, he looked almost like a completely different guy. When I’d seen him last, hisentireface drooped and while his eyes were often open, there was no light on. More than anything, I’d see him sitting.When he strode into the room, he looked twice as tall as I remembered.
I’d offered several timesto helpKrystanwith caretaker duties,but she’dmade itperfectlyclear she didn’t wantmy help.
Noah moved to put himself in betweenMr. SmithandSophie. “Get away from her. She’ll be okay.”
“He’s a friend, little dude,” I said.
Noah still stared downMr. Smithuntilthe older manstood and backed away. As soon as he backed off, Noah turned around to check on his sister. He grabbed a blanket and tucked her in.“She’ll be okay, she just needs to sleep. But she’llneed sugarwhen she wakes up.”He turned around and pointed atMr. Smiththen at Phillip. “Who are you?”
“Chill, Noah,”Krystansaid, though she wasshootingamazed glances atMr. Smith. I was probably doing the same thing. “They are friends.He's Calan’s dad and this is Emma’s dad.”
“Oh,the girl who was with the magic man?” The guard in Noah’s eyes dropped a bit. “I guess they are okay then.”
“Did I see what I think I saw?” Phillip said, standing behindKrystan, his eyes glued to Sophie.
“They said theywanted tohelpus fight the monsters,” I explained. “Looks like we underestimated them.”
“Told you,” Noah said with a scowlas he folded his arms. The seethingcontemptof a preteen was peekingitsugly little head out.
Krystanwalked over to Noah who continued to stand in her way. Instead of asking him nicely, she bared down over him and said, “Move.”
He backed down asKrystanchecked to make sure Sophie was okay.
“Did this happen last night?” I asked.
“Last night?” Phillip asked, looking more alarmed by the second. I couldn’t blame theguy;he was a man of principal and rules. The little girl on the couch just demonstrated raw power that was ten times more intense thananythingI’d ever seen come out of him.She tilted the rules of what we knew onitsaxis.
“Yeah, she passedout,so I dragged her into someone’s yard to hide her. When she wokeup,she didn’t feelwell. I got her into anotherUber and when we got back to your neighbor’s house, it took shoving ten marshmallows in her mouth before she started to feel better. She says it doesn’t hurt, but itmakes her really tired.”Then with a concerned look at his sister, Noah said, “She said sheher body feltheavy,but her spirit was so lightshe could fly out of her body and visit another world.”
I looked at Phillip. “Could she do that? Or...”
Phillip crossed his arms, a rare posture for him since he only did it when he wasfrustrated,and he was generally apretty chillguy. He stared hard at Sophie on the couch. “I don’t know. The Order of Spiritus has known toastrallyproject. Butif she is separating from her body,I would fear her not returning.”
