Dimokre Chronicles Book 2: Sarah's Fate

Chapter 15 - Trick or Treat!

Mr. Papper kindly teleported them back to Sarah's house, along with all of Kael's notes. Mr. Papper gave Kael and Sarah a multitude of not-so-subtle hints that it would be great if they did not return to the library for a while.

Kael told Sarah that Michael doesn't know he could change into a beast if he got too angry, and Sarah told him that the spirit queen put a curse on him and that this must be it. They agreed that when Michael woke up—which he shortly did afterwards—they would tell him that he was so tired from the whole Alex situation and passed out, and Mr. Papper took them home. On a different day when Michael was more calm, Sarah would tell him by herself.

Michael took the half-truth uneasily. When she looked in his eyes, she had a feeling he suspected something was up. She almost blurted out the truth right then and there, but when they mentioned the 'Alex situation,' Michael tensed and his fists clenched. Darkness flickered in his eyes. She looked at Kael, who after realizing her eyes were on him, pursed his lips together and shook his head. Sarah agreed silently and got up to get snacks.

When she came back with a tray of hot cocoa and chip bags under her arms, Kael had laid out his notes and drawings on Michael's lap for him to see. Sarah set all the food down on the coffee table and plopped next to Michael on the couch to look over it too.

"After many hours of thorough research, I am tied between a blood seeker and a unicorn for my Halloween costume," Kael announced, happily taking a mug and sipping. A firefly landed on his ear when he saw Sarah gave him five whole marshmallows. His fox ear twitched, he frowned, and the firefly disappeared even faster than it came.

Michael carefully leaned over to get a chip and plopped it in his mouth. He took his mug and sipped it.

"Hm, tied between cute and scary, huh?" Sarah asked, feeling rather cozy with her blanket and mug.

Michael glanced at her, and she spread the blanket across his lap too. Sarah froze. He looks startled? Should I not have done that? She started taking the blanket back, but Michael smiled and relaxed into the couch. After a moment of hesitation, he stretched his arm out around her.

And just like that; all the stress of the day with Alex and Mr. Papper melted away. Michael was himself again. And he likes me! Sarah smiled, resting her head on his shoulder, slowly grasping the fact that Kael was now deep into his rant about why unicorns are in fact not cute and rather deadly monsters as well. Perhaps even worse than blood seekers—whatever those are.

After five more minutes of Kael retelling real-life testimonies he read in the library about interactions with unicorns and a display of the five sketches he drew of the unicorns (which took another ten minutes), Sarah landed on a well-informed opinion.

Unicorns are scary.

Michael got a phone call and left to go talk on the porch for a minute. Sarah stared at the direction he left, frowning, hoping it wasn't about his mom. She turned to Kael. "So what do you think you're gonna do?"

"Well, according to the books I read, humans think unicorns are cute, pretty creatures, but they don't know anything about blood seekers. So a unicorn would probably be better..." Kael said, deep in thought. Then he brightened and added, "But I can make it scary! Do you think we could make fake blood?"

Sarah blinked and laughed. "I don't see why not! We'll go get supplies after Michael's back."

Kael grinned. He jumped up on the couch and leaned in to whisper in her ear. It was the loud sort-of whispering most kids do, where it's technically a whisper but at a yelling volume. "What about Michael's and your costumes?"

"Oh, we need some too, eh?" Sarah laughed. "Well, we could be a couple of ranchers, trying to tame a scary unicorn?"

Kael considered this for a minute. "I don't think Michael would go for that."