by Ella Summers
There was a loud thump, one of the beast’s hooves stomping against the ground. It felt like an earthquake.
“What’s happening now?” Naomi asked them.
“We have engaged the beast,” Alex told her. “One sec.”
Alex ran to stand beside Sera. She added her own wind spell to Sera’s. Together their combined wind streams knocked the Behemoth back a few steps.
“We’re not making much headway here,” Alex said to Sera.
“I was reading about the Behemoth recently in the Book of Monsters,” Sera said, gritting her teeth against the strain of maintaining the spell. “Pretty rare monster. Some people call the Behemoth the Harbinger of the Apocalypse.”
Alex rolled her eyes. “Half the beasts in the Book of Monsters are called the Harbinger of the Apocalypse. Do you remember anything from the book that could actually help us?”
“I’m trying to remember.” Sera’s brow furrowed. “That book is over three thousand pages long, you know.”
The Behemoth had grown tired of their wind spells and broken away from the streams, circling back around. Stalking them. Alex drew her sword.
“I remember that Behemoths are not terribly social creatures,” Sera said.
“No kidding.” Alex slashed out with her sword, countering the beast’s jaws as they tried to snap down on her arm.
“So they appear alone, not in groups,” Sera said.
Alex hopped away from the beast. “Thank goodness for small favors.”
“Behemoths are invulnerable to most magic…but…right, you can ice the flames on their horns, then the horns fall off. And the beast dozes off to sleep to regenerate their horns.”
“Now that sounds like a plan,” Alex declared and blasted an ice spell at one of the beast’s flames.
Sera hit the other flame with her ice magic. The beast roared and began charging toward them. Ok, so they’d managed to piss it off pretty well.
Alex and Sera kept up the spells, pouring lots of icy magic into each horn. The Behemoth’s flames went out. The beast stopped in its tracks, looking around in obvious bewilderment. Its two horns snapped off. They hit the ground and rolled downhill. The beast yawned loudly, then plopped down to take a nap.
“The beast is down. Now let’s find those horns,” Alex said.
They searched the thick, tall grass and eventually found them. Alex loaded the heavy horns into her backpack.
Meantime, a team of five mages wearing Drachenburg Industries armor had surrounded the sleeping Behemoth and were chaining it up.
“Thanks, Sera,” one of them said.
“Hey, what about me?” Alex demanded.
The mage, a man Alex had seen around the office, looked at her and declared, “Thanks for not killing it, Alex.”
“Ha. Ha.”
“Behemoths are very valuable and very difficult to catch,” the mage continued. “The zoology department will be really excited to get this big boy delivered for observation—maybe even breeding.”
“To breed it, you’ll need to catch another one,” Alex pointed out.
He gave her a flat look. “Obviously.”
“A lady Behemoth,” Alex told him.
“The lady Behemoths are even tougher to catch,” Sera added.
The mage’s eyes were still locked on to them—but they’d taken on a speculative glimmer.
“Sorry, gotta go. Need to see a magic shop about a clue,” Alex said quickly, before he could drag them into a quest for another Behemoth.
Then she and Sera ran back down the hill. As they descended, Alex noticed the rather substantial crowd that had gathered just outside the park, right behind the line of armored mages posted along the perimeter of the park for their protection. The eager onlookers didn’t seem to care much about their own protection. Their phones out and recording, they kept trying to dart past the mages to get a better angle of the action. They watched with horrified delight as the five mages brought the napping Behemoth down the hill.
“It’s a good thing it’s chained and unconscious,” Alex commented. “Some people have a death wish.”
“Or just a wish for their five seconds of fame on the internet, no matter the consequences.” Sera pointed to the paved path. “Let’s avoid any unmarked trails on our way to The Magic Shop.”
“Sometimes the unmarked trails are faster.”
“They’re not faster if we encounter an angry grass monster or a giant fire ant.”
Sera had a point, so Alex stuck to the path with her, even though marked trails were so much more boring.
“From your flippant conversation, I’m going to assume you both survived the Behemoth encounter without sustaining any photo-ruining injuries,” Naomi said through their headsets.
“I lost a tooth,” replied Alex. “Does that count?”
There was a pause. Then Naomi said, a chill in her voice, “That’s not funny.”
Alex chuckled. “Oh, come on, Naomi. You know that it was.”
“I picked up your wedding dress from the Fairy Queen, Alex,” said Naomi. “I know you wanted a scarlet gown, but I told Nelly you’d changed your mind and wanted a pink one now. With lots of ruffles. And bows. Something like Glinda wore in the Wizard of Oz.”
Alex almost tripped over her own feet, which at the speed she was running, would have hurt a lot if she’d slammed into the ground. She might even have actually knocked out a tooth.
“You didn’t,” Alex said cautiously.
“No, I didn’t, but I still can,” Naomi replied. “The Fairy Queen opens early tomorrow morning.”
“That’s not funny.”
Naomi chuckled. “Oh, come on, Alex. You know that it was.”
Sera snorted. Even Alex had to laugh.
“In any case, ladies.” Naomi cleared her throat. “I have called you to discuss a very important matter, before we were so rudely interrupted by that Behemoth.”
“I’ll let the Behemoth know you’re annoyed with him,” replied Alex. “So what is this very important matter?”
“Gifts,” Naomi said.
Alex frowned in confusion.“I thought we’d agreed that we’re just going to ask every guest to bring a box of Wizard House Pizza for the afterparty.”
“Alex, there will be hundreds of wedding guests,” said Naomi. “What are we going to do with hundreds of pizzas?”
Alex looked at Sera, shrugged, and said, “Eat them?”
“Would make a nice midnight snack,” Sera agreed.
“It’s impractical,” Naomi told them. “Marek pointed out—and this is the one thing I do agree with him on—that many of your guests come from old magic dynasties and would be offended by the notion of bringing a pizza to a wedding. They expect to show how well-to-do they are by showering you with lavish gifts.”
“What kind of lavish gifts?” Sera asked, suspicious.
“Monogrammed towels, fancy dishes, and those really big meat forks that look like they once belonged to a demon.” Alex beamed at her sister. “That kind of stuff.”
Sera sighed. “Awesome.”
“Don’t you two worry about the wedding gifts,” Naomi told them. “I’ve got it all sorted for you. I’m making sure no one gives you a demon pitchfork.”
“Well, that’s…good.” One of Sera’s brows rose; the other dipped.
“Naomi, if you’ve got this all sorted, then why do you want to discuss gifts with us?” Alex asked.
“I’ve got the guests’ gifts sorted,” Naomi said breezily. “I need to talk to you about the bride and groom gifts.”
“What are bride and groom gifts?” Alex asked Sera.
“I think those are the gifts the brides and grooms give each other,” Sera replied.
“That’s a thing?”
Sera shrugged. “I was going to give Kai a jar of peanut butter. A gag gift, you know.”
“You cannot give gag gifts at a wedding,” Naomi gasped in horror.
“Sure you can,” Sera told her.
“Why pea
nut butter?” Alex asked Sera.
“Because it will be funny. Kai doesn’t consider peanut butter to be food.” She snickered. “What are you getting Logan?”
Alex thought back to one of her early adventures with Logan, the one that had set them on the path of their crazy romance. “A copy of Romeo and Juliet. Sera, we can stop by a bookstore during the scavenger hunt if we see one.”
“No need,” Naomi sighed. “I’ll take care of it. And I’ll get your peanut butter too, Sera. I’ll wrap it up with a pretty bow. That will make it seem more dignified.”
“Make sure it’s a bright pink bow. Kai loves pink.” Sera was clearly trying really hard not to laugh.
“Put a pink bow on my present too,” Alex told Naomi seriously. “And just a sec, Naomi…”
They’d reached The Magic Shop.
Sera stared up at the wooden sign, which creaked in the wind. “Such an original name.”
They pushed past the door. Inside, Callum stood behind the counter.
“Dude, what are you wearing?” Alex gasped.
She couldn’t take her eyes off of him. Dressed in a purple vest with puffy sleeves underneath and a pair of purple balloon pants and gold slippers, he looked like a genie.
“And what happened to your head, Callum?” Sera added.
His head was completely bald, except for the high black ponytail.
“It’s Master Zodiac,” Callum said in a deep voice.
Sera’s forehead crinkled in confusion. “What is?”
“My name.”
Alex looked at Sera, then at the commando. “No, I’m pretty sure your name is Callum.”
Callum folded his arms over his chest, the beaded strings attached to his sleeves jingling. “Look, do you want your next clue or not?
“Very well.” Sera snickered. “Master Zodiac.”
Alex opened her backpack. Sera reached in with both hands, then set the two behemoth horns down on the glass counter. Callum took them, then slid a dark, furry bundle back to them.
Alex lifted it up in her arms, and it unfolded. “A seal skin,” she declared.
“Selkies,” Sera told her.
“Right. Pier 39.”
Sera caught Alex’s hand as she tried to leave. “Much as I’d like to be walking for the next hour and a half, I bet the commandos put the next clue a bit closer.”
Alex glanced at Callum, who smiled.
She thought about it for a moment. “There’s a little strip of beach nearby where the selkies like to hang out after dark and bathe in the moonlight.”
“Then let’s go,” said Sera.
They started to leave, but then Alex turned back around. “You should really come dressed like that to the wedding tomorrow, Master Zodiac,” she told Callum. “Especially the hair. It will make for the best pictures.”
Then Alex and Sera left the shop, their laughter drowning out the jingling door chimes.
“I heard that,” Naomi said. “Is his costume as silly as his voice?”
“Sillier,” Sera told her.
Naomi sighed.
“Callum could tell I was joking,” Alex said.
“Alex, I’ve known you much longer than Callum has, and I couldn’t tell you were joking,” Naomi replied.
“Alex was totally serious,” Sera laughed. “But Callum won’t come to the wedding as Master Zodiac. Kai invited Callum’s parents, and under that badass commando exterior, Callum is totally a momma’s boy. He’ll wear a suit.”
“Hmm.”
“You weren’t so serious before you became a mother, Naomi,” Alex told her.
“Being a mother is serious business. You’ll find that out some day.”
“Na, I’m going to do the world a favor and not spread my crazy genes.”
Naomi’s laughter rang like a bundle of little silver bells. “Ok, next order of business. Kai’s sister Lara wants to release summoned dragons instead of butterflies after the ceremony.”
Alex let out a low, long whistle. “Cool.”
“Lara’s summoned dragons aren’t as big as Kai in dragon form, but they are big enough to totally trash the wedding site,” Sera reminded her, raining on her parade. “And all the food.”
Alex’s smile faded. “Oh, right. That would be bad.”
Sera nodded. “Yep.”
“Maybe instead of Lara’s fire-and-ice dragon pair, she could summon a bunch of tiny dragons about the size of butterflies?” Alex asked Naomi. “And could you remind her to keep the dragons away from the food?”
“Good idea,” Naomi said, relieved.
They had reached the beach, which was, as Alex had described, covered in moon-bathing selkies.
Sera held up the seal skin. “I guess we need to find the one missing this. It will be the one who looks human.”
They zigzagged through the lounging selkies, trying not to step on anyone’s tail as they searched for the one in human form. It was like a giant, real-life game of Where’s Waldo.
“While you’re searching, next order of wedding business,” Naomi said.
“Just how many orders of wedding business do you have for us?” Sera asked warily.
“Just a few more,” Naomi assured them. “This one is regarding the magic fireworks show at midnight. As you know, Marek is responsible for the fireworks. He asks if you have any requests. He says he can do traditional firework shapes, animal shapes, text, celestial shapes…”
“Celestial shapes?” Sera repeated. “Like suns and moons and stuff? Circles?”
“Yes.”
“Can he do a pizza?” Sera asked.
The line was silent. When Naomi spoke again, her voice had gone up in pitch. “A pizza?”
“Yeah,” Sera confirmed. “A pizza isn’t much different than a moon. Except for all the toppings.”
Naomi coughed. “You want firework pizzas in the sky over your wedding?”
“Lots of firework pizzas at once, if possible,” Sera added.
“Is there anything wrong with that?” Alex asked her.
Naomi chuckled. “Not at all. And I can’t wait to see the look on Marek’s face when I relay your request.”
“Now you’re getting into the wedding spirit,” Sera said with a smile.
“Next, we need to discuss—”
“Hold that thought, Naomi,” said Alex. “I think I just found our selkie. There,” she told Sera, pointing at a naked woman sitting among the selkies, looking very dour.
They walked up to her, holding out the seal skin in front of them. Immediately, a smile lit up the selkie’s face. She took the skin, pulling it over herself. There was a flash of magic, and then instead of a woman, a seal with a very ornate tail stood before them. The seal made a kind of barking, chirping noise, then happily nestled down onto the sand to enjoy the moonlight.
“Look,” Alex said, pointing.
The selkie’s happy dance had kicked up a seashell.
Sera picked up the small, white, swirly shell. “Our next clue?”
“I guess so.”
Sera took a closer look at the shell. “Hey, I know this kind of shell. It’s a summoning shell. They’re pretty rare. In all the world, they’re only found at Siren’s Shore.”
Alex perked up. “And that’s not far from here. Let’s go.”
“Still there, Naomi?” Sera asked as they followed the coastline north.
“Yes.”
“So what’s next on the wedding agenda?” Alex asked her.
“Cake.”
“Yes, please,” Sera said, grinning at Alex.
“So you ordered two cakes,” Naomi said. “One strawberry vanilla. And one extra-extra-chocolate.”
“Stop it.” Alex licked her lips. “You’re making me drool.”
“It says here on the schedule that you want the dessert served before dinner?”
“Naturally,” replied Sera.
“Sera, when we first set off down this wedding planning road, you asked me to make sure you wouldn’t do anything to offend
your snooty guests from the old magic dynasties.”
“Oh, right.” Sera’s smile wilted on her lips. “And I guess dessert before dinner would offend them.” She sighed and looked at Alex. “Mind if we move dessert after dinner?”
“Yes, I do mind,” Alex said seriously. She put on a smile and added, “But if you want to, fine with me.”
“It’s not like I want to, you know.”
Alex nodded. “Don’t worry. I still consider you a sister. Even if you’re becoming one of them.”
“I am not becoming one of them.”
Alex winked at her.
Sera sighed. “Naomi, put dinner first.”
With a smirk, Alex silently mouthed a single word at Sera: them..
“Actually, Alex you’ve changed too.” Sera met her smirk with one of her own. “You’re so responsible now.”
“No, I’m not.”
Sera nodded, her smirk growing wider.
“I’m still totally reckless, and you know it,” Alex insisted.
Sera winked at her.
“Oh, look, we’re here,” Alex said quickly.
Siren’s Shore. Up above, moonlight lit up the dark, clear sky. Down below, dark waves lapped against the sandy shore.
“And so are they,” Sera said, her body tensing.
She was right. Logan and Kai had beaten them here. The guys were running fast. They were nearly at the water’s edge.
“An island,” Sera said, running. “That’s the end of this scavenger hunt.”
Alex spotted the same island. “How do we get there by walking or running?”
“We have to raise the path by blowing on the shell. But we have to beat the guys there.”
“Leave it to me,” said Alex. “We just need to get close enough to them.”
Alex cast a magic tail wind behind her and Alex, allowing them to run faster. They were closing the distance to the guys.
Kai glanced back and saw them. The beginnings of a spell sparked on his fingertips. Sera waved her hand, summoning a spell to put out his light. He grumbled something incomprehensible but kept running.
Alex used a bit of earth magic to collapse the ground under him and Logan. The guys sank neck-deep in the sand. She hardened the sand around them to hold them there.