all. “I had a dream about Empress Malina. She said to be careful, because everything is not what it seems.”
Piper snorted and patted Gabriel on the back. “That’s the understatement of the century. Forget about the nightmares. Let’s get breakfast. We’re going to Eric’s lab later.”
“Good morning,” Flossie said when they entered the kitchen. She hovered over the stove, cooking pancakes. “How are you feeling?”
“All right, I guess.” Gabriel sat beside Brent, and Flossie set a plate of stacked pancakes with butter and syrup in front of him.
“Eric’s in the lab,” Brent whispered. “He said to come down when we’re finished eating.”
Gabriel shoveled in food so they could get going, eager to see what was happening with the captured gruock. As soon as he finished, he jumped to his feet. “Thanks, Flossie. Can we go now?”
“Sure.” Flossie passed him a mug of tea. “Bring Eric a hot drink, won’t you?”
Gabriel took the mug, smiled at Flossie, and followed the others to the lab.
As they walked down the long hallway, Brent turned to Gabriel. “What happened last night?”
“It was pretty scary, to be honest.”
Cedric frowned. “It wasn’t fair you got to go without us. I could’ve captured that thing, no problem.”
Piper shot him a look. “In between naps, maybe?”
Cedric sneered. “Oh, shut up. I bet you wanna get home to play with your Barbies, loser.”
Brent rubbed his hands together and held them in front of Cedric; they glowed redder by the second. “Don’t make me.”
Cedric’s eyes widened. “What’s with the hands, Brent?” he squeaked, backing away. “Something you guys wanna tell me?”
Before they could answer, Eric’s familiar, muffled voice called from the other side of the thick door. “Who’s there?”
Brent lowered his hands to his sides, sighing.
“It’s us,” Gabriel answered.
The door clicked as it unlocked and Eric pulled it open “Ah, there you are. Come in then.”
In the center of the room sat the cage from the night before. It looked the same, except now the creature inside no longer resembled a gruock. It looked like a human man, huddled in a ball in the corner of the cage, whimpering.
“Meet Raymond Adams,” Eric said. “He’s one of our foragers. Just as I suspected. He was a marvelous man—the kind who always had a sentimental story to tell at the Christmas bash. The sort of man who saw the good in everyone.” Eric sighed. “During the day, you see, gruocks live in a tortured state, feeling sorrow and pain—not human, yet not fully gruock. He only looks human now.”
He pointed to Raymond, who gazed at them with empty eyes. “Their bodies become ravaged by the virus, and they can barely remember who they are. At sunset, they turn into ferocious, gruock beasts. Instinct takes over and they will attack and capture—or kill—for Malgor.”
Gabriel handed Eric the mug, too stunned to respond, and walked over to the cage to take a closer look. Raymond stared blankly back, as if he had tons of things to say, but couldn’t remember what they were. “We should go, Gabe,” Cedric said, breaking Gabriel’s gaze away from Raymond.
“Where are you in such a hurry to run off to?” Piper asked.
“A little place called home , freak,” snarled Cedric.
“Watch your mouth, Morley.” Brent flashed a crimson hand. “Or you’re gonna be barbecue meat.”
Cedric grumbled something indiscernible under his breath.
“I hate to agree with him, but Cedric’s right,” Gabriel said.
“I really hope you can come up with a cure for Raymond,” Piper said to Eric.
Eric nodded. “I certainly won’t give up until I do.”
They all climbed upstairs to pack. Flossie gave them each hugs and a bag filled with tasty treats as they said their goodbyes.
“Goodbye,” Tratta meowed, weaving in and out between their legs. Piper picked up the playful cat, snuggling her face into its furry head. When she put the cat down, she
Piper snorted and patted Gabriel on the back. “That’s the understatement of the century. Forget about the nightmares. Let’s get breakfast. We’re going to Eric’s lab later.”
“Good morning,” Flossie said when they entered the kitchen. She hovered over the stove, cooking pancakes. “How are you feeling?”
“All right, I guess.” Gabriel sat beside Brent, and Flossie set a plate of stacked pancakes with butter and syrup in front of him.
“Eric’s in the lab,” Brent whispered. “He said to come down when we’re finished eating.”
Gabriel shoveled in food so they could get going, eager to see what was happening with the captured gruock. As soon as he finished, he jumped to his feet. “Thanks, Flossie. Can we go now?”
“Sure.” Flossie passed him a mug of tea. “Bring Eric a hot drink, won’t you?”
Gabriel took the mug, smiled at Flossie, and followed the others to the lab.
As they walked down the long hallway, Brent turned to Gabriel. “What happened last night?”
“It was pretty scary, to be honest.”
Cedric frowned. “It wasn’t fair you got to go without us. I could’ve captured that thing, no problem.”
Piper shot him a look. “In between naps, maybe?”
Cedric sneered. “Oh, shut up. I bet you wanna get home to play with your Barbies, loser.”
Brent rubbed his hands together and held them in front of Cedric; they glowed redder by the second. “Don’t make me.”
Cedric’s eyes widened. “What’s with the hands, Brent?” he squeaked, backing away. “Something you guys wanna tell me?”
Before they could answer, Eric’s familiar, muffled voice called from the other side of the thick door. “Who’s there?”
Brent lowered his hands to his sides, sighing.
“It’s us,” Gabriel answered.
The door clicked as it unlocked and Eric pulled it open “Ah, there you are. Come in then.”
In the center of the room sat the cage from the night before. It looked the same, except now the creature inside no longer resembled a gruock. It looked like a human man, huddled in a ball in the corner of the cage, whimpering.
“Meet Raymond Adams,” Eric said. “He’s one of our foragers. Just as I suspected. He was a marvelous man—the kind who always had a sentimental story to tell at the Christmas bash. The sort of man who saw the good in everyone.” Eric sighed. “During the day, you see, gruocks live in a tortured state, feeling sorrow and pain—not human, yet not fully gruock. He only looks human now.”
He pointed to Raymond, who gazed at them with empty eyes. “Their bodies become ravaged by the virus, and they can barely remember who they are. At sunset, they turn into ferocious, gruock beasts. Instinct takes over and they will attack and capture—or kill—for Malgor.”
Gabriel handed Eric the mug, too stunned to respond, and walked over to the cage to take a closer look. Raymond stared blankly back, as if he had tons of things to say, but couldn’t remember what they were. “We should go, Gabe,” Cedric said, breaking Gabriel’s gaze away from Raymond.
“Where are you in such a hurry to run off to?” Piper asked.
“A little place called home , freak,” snarled Cedric.
“Watch your mouth, Morley.” Brent flashed a crimson hand. “Or you’re gonna be barbecue meat.”
Cedric grumbled something indiscernible under his breath.
“I hate to agree with him, but Cedric’s right,” Gabriel said.
“I really hope you can come up with a cure for Raymond,” Piper said to Eric.
Eric nodded. “I certainly won’t give up until I do.”
They all climbed upstairs to pack. Flossie gave them each hugs and a bag filled with tasty treats as they said their goodbyes.
“Goodbye,” Tratta meowed, weaving in and out between their legs. Piper picked up the playful cat, snuggling her face into its furry head. When she put the cat down, she
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