Little Green Stars

Chapter 59-More Tricks in the Bag

"Maeve!" I chase her down the treehouse ladder, everyone else following behind me.

I'm pretty sure Jaxson shoves Maverick because he collapses, nearly knocking me off.

"We need a gameplan!" Jin demands once we all reach the ground.

"She is even crazier than you!" Bundty calls as I start running after Maeve.

Within seconds, I reach Maeve, as she's forcefully wiggling the basement doorknob.

"Maeve, stop," I say, grabbing her shoulder. "What if he's awake?"

"What's the worst he can do? You have his stone, remember?"

"She has a point," Jin says from somewhere behind me.

"Want me to go get that frying pan? It's in my car..." Maverick says, arriving too.

"Oh my God, this is insane," Bundty's shaking voice joins in.

"Listen!" Maeve demands, turning to face us. "I got this! Now everyone, be quiet!"

"Mom, what's your plan?" Jaxson says, lowering his voice as the basement door creaks open.

"I'm a good negotiator, if not, I know a lot of places to hide a body..."

I'm pretty sure I hear Maverick gulp as Jin grabs my hand. "She's not serious, is she?" Jin whispers in my ear.

"Badass," Jaxson says.

We all follow Maeve down the steps into the basement. If I was outside looking in, I'm pretty sure we'd look like the Scooby-Doo gang sneaking up on a half-wit criminal. Jaxson is holding his breath. Maeve is walking all hunched over, trying to be sneaky. Jin is up on his tip-toes, and Maverick is pretending to hold a frying pan up in the air. This is insane.

"So, that's cool," Jaxson says, as the stale light of the basement comes into view, and Malcolm is nowhere to be seen.

"Shit!" I say, breaking from the group to search the entire basement.

"Of course," Maeve says, rolling her eyes.

I search the entire basement, and Malcolm is, in fact, not here. My eyes shoot towards the stairwell up to the first floor. "He has to be up there. He wouldn't have left."

Suddenly, a creak echoes from above.

"Looking for me?" The lyrical voice of none other than Master Bullshit himself bellows down as he descends the stairs, his giant duffle bag in hand.

"Good morning," Maverick says smugly. "You have a nice nap?"

Malcolm gives a quick, raspy chuckle before plopping down his duffle bag, remaining on the last step of the stairs.

"Malcolm, it's over. Maeve knows what you did!" Jin can't help but yell, his voice full of anger.

"Yes, well, I figured as much," Malcolm says, almost unbothered.

Jin and I exchange an annoyed look. Why is Malcolm so calm? What is his angle? Or worse, what is he planning next?

"I only have one question for you," Maeve says, hurt filling in her eyes. "What will happen to me if I re-tie Vel's soul?"

"And how do you plan to do that?" Malcolm says, sitting down on the last step to unzipping his duffle bag.

Yet again, Jin and I lock eyes, confused at Malcolm's response as the air grows eerie around us.

"So, you think you'll just save the day?" Malcolm says to Maeve, his hands reaching into his bag.

"Stop! Put your hands up!" Jaxson yells.

"What will you do if I don't? Throw my hypnosis stone at me?"

"Don't make me go get my frying pan!" Maverick yells.

Again, Malcolm's slow, raspy chuckle echoes throughout the room. "Look at me," Malcolm says, "You truly believe a scrawny boy like yourself could knock me out with a simple kitchen appliance?"

"What?" Maverick says, his voice cracking.

What the hell has Malcolm pulled now?

"Don't be daft. I let you all go," Malcolm says, his hands slowly emerging from the bag.

"Why?" I ask. I have a really bad feeling about this.

"Because I still have a few more tricks in the bag." And with a righteous smile, Malcolm pulls out my night light.

My hands instantly become hot, noticing the absence of it from my hand. Shit, I left it at the bottom of the treehouse.

"Thanks for getting this for me, Vel," Malcolm says, standing up.

"How did you get that!?" Jin demands.

"Vel left it just laying around on my property, so technically it belongs to me now."

"What the hell do you want with my light night?!" This doesn't make any damn sense.

"This," Malcolm says, his hand flicking downwards, as he throws my night light to the ground, sending it shattering across the floor.

"NO!" I lunge forward only to be stopped by Jaxson and Jin.

Malcolm's foot swats away the shattered pieces and bends over to pick up a small green stone.

"Malcolm, I warn you, if you are planning anything, I will smash this stone into a million pieces!" Maeve digs into her pocket then pulls out Malcolm's stone for him to see.

"Do what you like with it," Malcolm says, tenderly caressing the new stone in his hands.

"What the hell does that stupid green stone have to do with anything!" I demand. I can't take this anymore. I just want the truth.

"Glad you asked," Malcolm says. "You see, your mom, with the help of your Grandfather, I'm sure, made this for you, knowing it would help."

"Help?" I don't like the sound of this.

"Maeve, the stone in your hand is nothing special. It's just a red jasper crystal, merely used to hypnotize people, if you look closely you can see the spirals I carved—I'm very handy. But truly, it has no significance other than the power one's mind gives it. But this one," Malcolm says, his smile peering over the rock, twisting in his fingers. "This one is special."

"WHY?!" I yell.

"It has a spell cast upon it. It stops you from transitioning completely."

"Transitioning?" My voice drops to a whisper as a horrible feeling hits my gut.

"River was always brilliant. She must have done it preemptively. When you came to my door, I knew my plan had worked out. BUT when I heard you mentioned green stars, I knew exactly what River had done. She was always sentimental."

"I'm confused," I say. The thing is, I'm not confused. This can only mean one thing—that stone from my night light stops me from going full Red Lady, and now Malcolm has it. But I've discovered that the dumber I act, the more Malcolm's pompous ass will brag, revealing his evil plans. He's so starved for attention that he'll do anything to seem brilliant.

"Malcolm," Maeve says, cautiously walking forward. "Don't do this. I can feel you're conflicted."

"I've never felt more right about anything in my life. Years of waiting and planning have led to this exact moment, and I won't turn back now."

"Yes, you can. We can still be a family," Maeve pleads.

"I'm sorry, girls, but it's too late." Malcolm quickly leans down and pulls something from his duffle bag—a spiked hammer.

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