When the Chancellor marched away abruptly, Aspen breathed a sigh of relief and sagged against Sandy’s back. “Whew! What was that all about?”
“Just a friendly game of chicken,” Ginny answered. Her pulse flickered at the base of her neck, and Aspen realized that the encounter had rattled her just as much. They watched him until he turned into an alley and was out of sight.
“Well, now that you’ve seen one up close and personal, would you like a chocolate milk to calm your nerves?” Sandy smiled.
“Yes, thanks, that would be great.” Aspen let out a long exhale. The noxious odor had disappeared as soon as he’d left, and she desperately needed a sugar fix to soothe the tension.
Mona collected the clothes draped over Aspen’s arm. “I’ll wrap these up and send them to Leeman’s house. He told me I could send whatever you wanted there.”
“Thank you so much.”
“I’ve left some flavored milks on the table in the kitchen at the back. Help yourselves.”
“Mona, you’re the best. I was just going to ask if you had any left.” Sandy gave her a quick hug.
They left the retail area and entered a small room at the back of the shop. Three glasses of chocolate milk sat temptingly on a wooden table, and the girls wasted no time and claimed one each. They scooted their chairs around the table.
“How will we know if the Chancellors are making a nightmare or if they’re just defending their kind?” Aspen asked as she sipped at her drink.
“The Chancellors go into a dream state,” Sandy explained as she played with her straw, “and we can actually see the nightmare as it happens in front of them. That same nightmare gets sent out to thousands of children at the same time. If we can stop the Chancellor, the nightmare fades and the kids get a good night’s sleep.” She took a long pull on her straw and then pushed her empty glass closer to the middle of the table. “If we don’t get to them, they multiply because of the children’s fears. It seems to feed them and gives them strength to reproduce themselves as brand new, fully grown Chancellors.”
Ginny grimaced. “The Chancellors casting the nightmares are the dangerous ones. They can send the nightmare straight at you. You’ve got to be careful of them, they are the worst.”
“Yup,” Sandy said with a nod, “the nightmare starts in a bubble, but once it becomes big enough, it leaves the bubble and attacks you. We’ve tried to destroy the protective shield that surrounds the nightmare but we can’t, so we’ve got to wait until it’s fully formed and can get out. Your dad was the only one who could break the shield.” She kept her eyes down and played with the rim of the empty glass. “The nightmare can go back into the bubble if it needs protection. I’m talking about lions, tigers, spiders . . . anything.”
“Ugh.” Aspen shivered. “I know about the spider nightmare. That’s just terrible.”
The sky lightened and moments later, the room was bathed in yellow light again.
“Time for action, girls,” Sandy exclaimed.
They washed their empty glasses in the sink and thanked Mona for the milkshakes before leaving.
As they walked away from the village, Aspen tried to aim at stationary targets. A tiny shrub exploded instantly as it was struck by a well-placed bolt.
“Hey, watch it.” Ginny smiled. “You’re going to set the place on fire.”
“Sorry.”
“Let her practice, it’s okay. She has to learn how much juice she’s got before she can control it.”
“Well, in that case, how about that tree?” Ginny pointed to the side.
Aspen focused on a gnarled oak tree with a wide trunk and heavy branches. Tendrils of electricity zinged up and down the skin on her arms, and the hair on her head rose.
“Burn that sucker!” she snarled.
“Whoa!” Sandy shouted in amazement as the entire tree exploded instantly.
Jumping back in fright, Aspen dropped her hands in a hurry. Blue flames shimmered on her arms before they died out.
“Seriously, what was that?” Sandy stared at her in amazement and Ginny sat down on the grass in awe.
“What, was that not normal?” Aspen asked.
Pieces of leaves and small twigs floated around them in the air, and a huge hole was left in the earth where the tree used to be. The smell of charred wood floated around them.
“Not normal, not normal? That was absolutely mind-blowing!” Sandy cried and hugged Aspen.
Ginny glanced over her shoulder and announced calmly, “Don’t look now, but I think your blast got someone’s attention. We’ve got company.”
Chapter 12
Practice Makes Perfect
Aspen whipped around with fists clenched, ready for trouble.
The two sisters studied a stand of trees behind them and smiled at the sound of horses trampling through the undergrowth. Their hooves struck small rocks and stones while their bodies broke twigs and branches, and they whinnied in excitement as they got closer. A moment later three snow-white geldings trotted proudly into view.