Monsters: The Folklore Trilogy Book 3

How to Majorly Screw Up (Part I)

I trailed behind the group uncomfortably. Isaac and Abigail were talking and laughing, and Ravi fell in step beside them, deep in thought. So I did what I always did: stayed silent and observed.

Ravi had always fascinated me slightly. He seemed so logical, the voice of reason in this band of crazy people. But there was definitely a part of him--a large part--that cared about others more than he would probably admit. I remembered what he had said to me that day he and Sierra climbed through the window of the Palace of Lilitua.

"Amarie...come with us. When we're done with the Destroyer, come back to the school with us. You won't have to be a slave anymore."

I hadn't come with them because I didn't think they would have offered the same if they knew I was a monster. I didn't want to put them in danger. But still.

He barely knew me, yet was willing to give me a chance at a better life. And he cared for his friends more than anything else. Ravi Jindal, the nerd kid, was truly controlled by his heart.

I couldn't really hear what Abigail and Isaac were saying, but I could read their facial expressions. Abigail was a pretty girl. Everything she did, whether it was smile, frown, or even childishly sticking out her tongue, was undeniably adorable. Her eyes glittered when she spoke. She reminded me of a prism: she took in all the light of the world and gave back rainbows.

Isaac, in contrast, had a relaxed sort of aura about him, like the sun on a lazy summer day. You couldn't help but see the light and warmth he effortlessly gave off. Whenever I was around Isaac, I felt...safe. I hadn't felt safe in a long, long time. This sense of security unnerved me. I felt as though it was lulling me into letting my guard down, and once I did...I didn't know what would happen.

"Okay, guys, we're almost at at the edge of the forest," Ravi declared.

We slowed to a stop. Ravi turned around and faced us. "So, I don't know what we're up against, so make sure you stay on the lookout. They'll probably come by sea, either on rafts or in the water. If we can keep them from touching land, that would be ideal."

Abigail raised her hand slightly. "I have an idea?"

Ravi raised an eyebrow. "Uh, go for it."

"Well, if Isaac turned into a centaur, I could light the arrows on fire with my handy-dandy staff," she explained, pulling a staff out from seemingly nowhere and twirling it around. "Then we can set the rafts on fire!"

Ravi nodded slowly. "That's actually...a really good idea. Well done, Abigail."

Abigail beamed.

I shrank back into myself. I couldn't be helpful. Not really. I couldn't fight unless I was in monster form, and there was no way I was going to let that happen.

Ravi seemed to think the same, as he glanced over at me for a second before looking back at the ocean. I felt my face heat up in embarrassment. Why had I even come?

"Hey, Amarie!" Abigail said brightly. "I have an idea!"

"Um..."

She skipped into the woods.

We were still.

"Well," Isaac said after a second, "that happened."

Ravi sighed and rubbed his temples with his fingers. "That girl cannot be controlled."

Just then, she skipped back out, now holding an oaken quarterstaff. She presented it to me with a wide grin. "It's for you! Your very own weapon. I know you probably don't want to transform, so I figured you'd want a way to fight!" She looked at me proudly.

I slowly reached out and laid a tentative hand on the staff. My entire body tingled. I wrapped my fingers around it and took it from her. It was perfectly weighted in my hand. I twirled it experimentally. I had worked with a quarterstaff before. It was my favorite weapon, because it was more for defense than attack. I didn't like to seek out fights.

"Here's the best part," Abigail said, bouncing excitedly. "Hit a tree."

I blinked. "Um..."

"Just do it!" she exclaimed, eyes shining.

I looked carefully at the closest tree. I shifted the quarterstaff in my hands.

Then, with some hesitation, I whacked the tree.

Upon contact, there was a flash of white light and a cracking sound like a firework going off. I yelped and jumped back, dropping the quarter staff.

The tree was blackened and smoking.

My eyes widened. I glanced down at the quarterstaff. It still looked like a regular stick.

"Abigail..." Ravi said slowly, "did you enchant that?"

Abigail nodded happily.

Isaac's brow creased in concern. "Gail," he muttered, "you shouldn't have done that."

Abigail shrugged. "I don't regret it. I never regret using enchantments if I'm helping someone else."

Suddenly, something in my mind jolted. Sorcerers only had a limited number of enchantments.

And she had just used one on me.

I gasped, staring at Abigail. "You...you did that? For me?"

Abigail nodded happily.

"But you barely know me," I whispered, heart beating wildly. "Why would you sacrifice something like that for an almost stranger?"

Abigail shrugged. "I thought you needed it more than I did."

She bent and picked up the quarterstaff, then handed it to me again. I gripped it a bit tighter.

"You're going to do great things, Amarie," Abigail said with a quiet smile. "The sooner you realize that, the sooner those great things are going to happen."

My throat seized up. I was speechless. My mouth moved, trying to form words, but I couldn't find them.

Abigail smiled. She knew what I was trying to say.

"I hate to ruin the moment," Ravi interrupted, "but I think we have company."

Approaching the island were rafts.

My mouth ran dry and my hand tightened around my quarterstaff.

There were wolves.