going to perform some sort of ritual to turn all dreams into nightmares, and if we try to interfere, they'll kill us."
"They can try," Dad said.
"That's what I said," Mom said.
"Besides," Dad said, "it's not like we have a choice. Our pact with Rico compels us to undertake the mission whether we want to or not."
"Ugh," Heidi muttered. "You guys don't know how hard it is to sit here and listen to you talk so nonchalantly about monsters trying to kill you."
Trent nodded his agreement.
"Sorry, Mom," Ben said. "We'll try not to bum you out by talking about the dangers of our lives." He said it sarcastically while smiling, but Andi felt a spark of anger inside of him. She gripped his knee to calm him down, and Mom shot him a look.
"Well, it's true," Heidi said. "I feel so helpless. I'm your mother, and I'm supposed to protect you, but I don't have a prayer of doing anything about any of this."
"And what sort of fatherly advice am I supposed to give?" Trent said. "I can't even begin to understand what my kid can do."
"If it makes you feel any better," Mom said, "they've outgrown our powers, too."
Dad gave her and Ben a stern look, but she could see the smile underneath. "Though I have plenty of advice for both of them."
Everyone had a hearty laugh at that, though Ben merely gave a polite chuckle. She found it amusing how Dad could still intimidate him. At least they got along now.
"Anyway," Andi said, "those shadow creatures came after us again when we were in the jewelry store. I guess the Nightmare Syndicate didn't like what we said to their little toady."
"They were easy enough to get rid of," Ben said. "Like the ones at Christmas."
"But these were different," Mom said. "You felt them, right, Heidi?"
"Yeah, but I didn't see anything. All I felt was a cold crushing heaviness in there."
"Everyone else did, too," Mom said. "When they were gone, everybody was in an instant good mood."
"These were different from the Shadow Spies," Andi said. "They're called Shadow Warriors, and they can attack normal people the same as they can magical ones."
"Really?" Dad said. He closed his eyes for a second, and then nodded. "Yes, those are quite formidable. I've never heard of them before. Another reason to not only secure the Demon of Dreams when the time comes, but to take down the Nightmare Syndicate."
"I wish we knew what Rico has planned for the two of you," Andi said.
Mom shrugged. "If it's something to help with the big rescue mission, it doesn't matter. As we've said before, he always gives us fair deals."
"How come you won't tell me what you had to do for him?" Andi asked. "Is it a big secret or something?"
Mom and Dad shared a look that was too quick for her to read.
"Of course it's no secret," Dad said. "We went on a retrieval mission and had to kill a demon to get it."
"We didn't tell you before because you two needed to concentrate on the task of the time," Mom said. "It was no big deal."
Both quickly went back to their dinners, and though Andi knew they were lying, she didn't call them on it. There was plenty of time to dig later. Maybe they didn't want Heidi and Trent to be any more spooked than they already were. That made sense. They'd tell her sometime when Ben's parents weren't around. With that thought comforting her, she joined everyone else in chowing down on dinner.
*****
Cassie gasped and found herself in Rico's realm. Lee stood next to her. The demon sat at his desk, smiling at them.
"Geez, Rico, a little warning would be nice."
"In my defense, Cassandra, I did tell your daughter and her mate to inform you I'd be calling soon."
"You know what I mean."
The demon chuckled at that and stood. "I'm happy to see you both. I have a task that should pose no problems for the great slayers, Leon and Cassandra."
"Our turn with a pirate necromancer?" Lee asked with a grin.
"No, he's gone for good," Rico said, more terse than he ever spoke to them. "Your little son-in-law saw to that."
Cassie hadn't
"They can try," Dad said.
"That's what I said," Mom said.
"Besides," Dad said, "it's not like we have a choice. Our pact with Rico compels us to undertake the mission whether we want to or not."
"Ugh," Heidi muttered. "You guys don't know how hard it is to sit here and listen to you talk so nonchalantly about monsters trying to kill you."
Trent nodded his agreement.
"Sorry, Mom," Ben said. "We'll try not to bum you out by talking about the dangers of our lives." He said it sarcastically while smiling, but Andi felt a spark of anger inside of him. She gripped his knee to calm him down, and Mom shot him a look.
"Well, it's true," Heidi said. "I feel so helpless. I'm your mother, and I'm supposed to protect you, but I don't have a prayer of doing anything about any of this."
"And what sort of fatherly advice am I supposed to give?" Trent said. "I can't even begin to understand what my kid can do."
"If it makes you feel any better," Mom said, "they've outgrown our powers, too."
Dad gave her and Ben a stern look, but she could see the smile underneath. "Though I have plenty of advice for both of them."
Everyone had a hearty laugh at that, though Ben merely gave a polite chuckle. She found it amusing how Dad could still intimidate him. At least they got along now.
"Anyway," Andi said, "those shadow creatures came after us again when we were in the jewelry store. I guess the Nightmare Syndicate didn't like what we said to their little toady."
"They were easy enough to get rid of," Ben said. "Like the ones at Christmas."
"But these were different," Mom said. "You felt them, right, Heidi?"
"Yeah, but I didn't see anything. All I felt was a cold crushing heaviness in there."
"Everyone else did, too," Mom said. "When they were gone, everybody was in an instant good mood."
"These were different from the Shadow Spies," Andi said. "They're called Shadow Warriors, and they can attack normal people the same as they can magical ones."
"Really?" Dad said. He closed his eyes for a second, and then nodded. "Yes, those are quite formidable. I've never heard of them before. Another reason to not only secure the Demon of Dreams when the time comes, but to take down the Nightmare Syndicate."
"I wish we knew what Rico has planned for the two of you," Andi said.
Mom shrugged. "If it's something to help with the big rescue mission, it doesn't matter. As we've said before, he always gives us fair deals."
"How come you won't tell me what you had to do for him?" Andi asked. "Is it a big secret or something?"
Mom and Dad shared a look that was too quick for her to read.
"Of course it's no secret," Dad said. "We went on a retrieval mission and had to kill a demon to get it."
"We didn't tell you before because you two needed to concentrate on the task of the time," Mom said. "It was no big deal."
Both quickly went back to their dinners, and though Andi knew they were lying, she didn't call them on it. There was plenty of time to dig later. Maybe they didn't want Heidi and Trent to be any more spooked than they already were. That made sense. They'd tell her sometime when Ben's parents weren't around. With that thought comforting her, she joined everyone else in chowing down on dinner.
*****
Cassie gasped and found herself in Rico's realm. Lee stood next to her. The demon sat at his desk, smiling at them.
"Geez, Rico, a little warning would be nice."
"In my defense, Cassandra, I did tell your daughter and her mate to inform you I'd be calling soon."
"You know what I mean."
The demon chuckled at that and stood. "I'm happy to see you both. I have a task that should pose no problems for the great slayers, Leon and Cassandra."
"Our turn with a pirate necromancer?" Lee asked with a grin.
"No, he's gone for good," Rico said, more terse than he ever spoke to them. "Your little son-in-law saw to that."
Cassie hadn't
Similar Books
