Monsters: The Folklore Trilogy Book 3

In Which We Fight the Apocalypse

An odd silence hung over the group. There was a palpable tension in the air, mostly radiating from Tess. I had had my differences with Tess in the past, but we were over those now. It just...annoyed me a bit that Tess found it hard to relax and be, well, normal around people.

But I couldn't blame her. That was something she had to learn.

And I also couldn't blame her for directing her anger at Lee. Not only had we discovered that Lee was a spy for Giselle ever since we came to the school, she had handed Tess over to Giselle as a bargaining tool. That kind of betrayal wasn't going to fade easily, no matter how good Lee's intentions were now.

Deynan started whistling an annoyingly catchy tune that I couldn't place. Instead of breaking the silence in a comforting way, it just made it more awkward.

We finally arrived at the beach front. The water seemed so calm, the day so beautiful. A slight breeze rolled off the water. I always loved the beach. The best part about North Carolina in my opinion was that we had the beaches and mountains in the same state. I used to go to my cousin's beach house all the time.

It was weird, thinking about my past life. So much had happened since the last time I considered my life normal. I had changed. I knew I could never go back, and a small part of me was sad. I loved being a Myth, and I loved my friends, but...sometimes, it was hard. It hit me more when I was trapped in a cell with Audrey and Sophie for who knows how long. Normal life had a form of certainty to it. I could more or less guess what the next day would bring. But when you're battling creatures that shouldn't exist, when you look in the mirror and see wings on your back...the world seems a little more chaotic and strange.

But as terrifying as that chaos was, it was beautiful too, like looking at a picture of the galaxy for the very first time.

I wondered if any of my friends standing on that beach with me were thinking the same things. I secretly wished Ravi were there. I could tell him things like that, and he would listen. Then he would respond and say something I would never have expected, and I would think about it for days. If being a Myth had let me see a galaxy, Ravi was slowly showing me the universe.

"Does anyone wanna play slaps?" Deynan asked suddenly.

I sighed.

"What's slaps?" Tess asked, raising an eyebrow in disdain.

"It's where you put your hands out with the palms facing down, and then the other person put THEIR hands under YOURS with their palms UP, and then they try to slap the back of your hands without you pulling away first," he explained.

We stared at him in silence.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Tess said finally.

"No it's not, it's really fun!" Deynan protested.

"It sounds like it hurts," Lee said lightly.

Deynan shrugged. "Don't lose."

I closed my eyes. "Deynan, don't you think that might be a bad idea for people with heightened nerve endings?"

He paused. "Oh yeah. Huh."

"If it hurts so much, why did you offer to play it?" Tess asked incredulously.

He shrugged. "It's fun. I mean, it hurts, but if you let that show, you're a wimp."

Tess rolled her eyes. "Boys."

"That's offensive," Deynan pointed out.

Lee rolled her eyes. "Deynan."

I snorted and Tess burst out laughing. Lee grinned shyly.