The Hero Next Door Read online

  Spotting a break in the stroller formation, Everly darted forward, eliciting a shout of anger from one of the moms. She could still hear the loud complaints as she raced ahead and pulled up to a partially full bike rack.

  “Thanks a lot,” Max groused as he locked up his bicycle next to hers. “How come I’m always the one that gets yelled at?”

  “ ’Cause you’re too slow.” She slipped her messenger bag over her shoulder and hurried Max along, joining the eager throngs of people trying to enter the mall. Each turn of the revolving doors sent refreshing waves of cold air over them.

  “Hurry up!” Everly fanned herself. “I’m melting.”

  When it was their turn, the two friends piled into the revolving door together and pushed their way into the bliss of air-conditioned paradise, only to find themselves jam-packed with even more people. Families with little kids, tourists with their big cameras, and groups of bored teens were everywhere.

  “Great mounds of elephant dung balls! Now we don’t have time to hit the food court before the movie,” Max complained.

  “That’s okay, ’cause for some strange reason I’m not hungry,” Everly said with a pointed look at Max. “I wonder why.”

  “Uh, sorry.”

  Everly shook her head in disgust. “What is it with you and poop?”

  “It’s a natural thing. Like gas. Everyone has it.”

  “Don’t want to hear it.”

  “Like you don’t do it…”

  “Shut up.”

  The two friends bickered amicably as they shuffled along with the crowd and headed to the theater. After a short wait in the ticket line, they were heading to the concession stand to buy some popcorn, when Everly caught sight of something strange.

  The short man with the pointy nose who had just snuck into Theater 4 was most definitely a goblin. His hat gave him away. Goblins had huge ears that they could never disguise, so they relied on hats and other articles of clothing to cover them up. This goblin was wearing a black woolen skullcap on a scorching-hot summer day. And given his stealthy movements, he was up to no good. But then again, goblins usually weren’t.

  A rush of adrenaline surged through Everly’s body as she stared at the goblin. She tugged at Max’s arm, causing half his popcorn to spill out.

  “Turds on a stick! Look what you made me do.” He glared at her, blowing at the blond swath of hair that always fell into his eyes. “Now I’m definitely not sharing.”

  “Forget the popcorn.” Everly yanked on Max’s shirt. “You have to follow me.”

  She headed down the hall and approached the double doors to Theater 4. Suddenly nervous, she clutched the messenger bag she always carried with her. She could do this. She could stop the goblin if he tried anything. With a deep breath, Everly reached for the door.

  Before she could open it, Max pulled away and peered up at the small marquee sign above the doors. “Wait a minute! This is The Return of Lolly and the Dandelion Gang. That’s a little-kid movie. We’re supposed to see Furiously Fast in Space. Did you buy the wrong tickets?” He was digging his ticket out of his back pocket when Everly yanked the door open and shoved him in.

  “What are you doing?” Max whispered loudly.

  “We’re hunting,” Everly replied. Her eyes scanned the crowd for the goblin, while her ears were assaulted by the lollipop music from the large dancing possum on the screen.

  “Do we have to right now? In here of all places? You know I hate that rat. Used to scare me to death when we were little.”

  “It’s a possum,” Everly hissed.

  Max looked up at the screen and shuddered. “It still scares me. That’s it. I’m getting out of here.”

  He turned toward the door but stopped as Everly grabbed his skinny arm with a vise-like grip. Max flailed around a bit but succumbed to her greater strength. Everly had always been bigger than him.

  “One day I’m gonna hit my growth spurt and I’ll be taller than you, just you wait,” he said.

  “Stop being a baby, or I’ll tickle you.” Everly and Max had been friends for over ten years, and she knew exactly where to poke and tickle him for maximum irritation. Plus, if she tickled Max too hard, he always peed his pants.

  The threat silenced him. Everly maneuvered Max into the empty back row and forced him to sit next to her as she scanned every corner of the theater.

  Max cursed under his breath.

  “Watch it! There are little kids all around us,” Everly said.

  “Yeah, well, it’s your fault if they hear me. I shouldn’t even be watching a dancing rat in a tutu…”

  “Possum.”

  “…and its stupid gang of pukey giggling flowers. Man, I hate that rat….”

  Just then, Everly caught sight of the goblin and covered Max’s mouth.

  “Shhhhhh, right there, see him?” she asked, pointing at the short man who was fixated on a small family seated a few rows ahead of him.

  Max peered over, only to lurch back in horror.

  “That’s a goblin! And a nasty-looking one, too.”

  Everly nodded grimly. “And I think he just found a perfect target.” She pointed to a woman who was cradling a crying baby in one arm and trying to pass small cups of popcorn to her two other young children. Her little girl kept sneaking out of her seat and into the aisle so she could dance along with the music, her eyes locked on the screen.

  Suddenly the baby started wailing. The mother tried to soothe it, but the cries grew louder, disrupting the viewers around them.

  “Don’t do it, don’t do it,” Everly muttered under her breath. “Aw, come on, lady. Don’t leave those kids alone.”

  “She’s totally gonna do it,” Max muttered back.

  They watched as the mother said something to her oldest child. She pulled her young daughter back into her seat, and then left the theater with the crying baby.

  “She did it,” Max said.

  They shared a quick look of worry.

  “Don’t take your eyes off those kids,” Everly warned. Nervousness filled her stomach. She knew by the churning of her gut that the goblin was targeting this little girl.

  She slipped her hand into her messenger bag and gripped the handle of the torch that Max’s dads had given her. The torch was supposedly the world’s brightest flashlight, powerful enough to burn a hole through her bag in a minute. It was just the right tool for fighting goblins.

  Everly was six when she found out Max and his family were not human. Max was a shape-shifter, and his two dads were vegetarian werewolves. Everly thought it was the coolest thing in the world. She’d always adored fairy tales, and she’d wanted to believe they were true. When Max’s dads, Adam and Jeff Bennett, realized Everly could see through the masks of the Otherworldly, they taught her how to protect herself, specifically from the Buraku, which are Otherworldly that are considered dangerous. There was salt to repel magical creatures with evil intentions; a flashlight for goblins, imps, ghouls, and any folk who couldn’t bear the light of the sun; and silver or iron to drive them all away.

  With her flashlight, Everly felt confident about tackling an evil goblin.

  Well, sort of. Truth was, she’d never had to drive an evil Otherworldly away. Most of the magical creatures she knew were her friends. But this goblin was up to no good. Her churning stomach affirmed it.

  Everly took several calming breaths, willing herself to get up and approach the goblin. Maybe he was a vegetarian goblin who was only in the theater to watch the Lolly movie because he was a big fan of possums. Maybe he was only staring at the little girl because she was such a good dancer, and not because she looked delicious. Sweat dotted her forehead. No excuses. She had to get rid of the goblin.

  Just as Everly was planning her approach, the little girl jumped out of her seat and began dancing again in the aisle. Her older
brother was paying no attention to her; he was too busy laughing at the impossible gymnastics of the large possum, who was dancing, singing, and playing the banjo on the big screen.

  The goblin rose and approached stealthily. Everly jumped to her feet. There was no time to plan. She had to stop him!

  “Flying monkey turds!” Max shouted. There were frowns, and one mother loudly shushed them. Everly used the distraction to plop the little girl back into her seat. From her bag, she grabbed her torch, and was about to use it on the goblin when he disappeared.

  Everly turned to Max. “You stay here and make sure that the goblin doesn’t come back for her.”

  “Wait, Everly!” Max said, but she was gone.

  Goblins had the ability to teleport short distances. She scoured the hallway and caught sight of the slight swing of a nearby door. She tore through it and entered a dark, narrow hallway. Everly switched on her powerful flashlight and pointed it at the goblin. He shrieked frantically, covering his eyes.

  “What do you propose to do with me?” The goblin’s voice was sharp and high.

  That was a really good question. Everly was only trying to stop the goblin from taking the girl. She hadn’t thought beyond that.

  “You need to leave and never come back! If I ever catch you here again, you’re gonna be so sorry!” Everly said with more confidence than she really had, which was none at the moment.

  “Sorry? Worthless human. You have no power over me! You’re a mere mortal.” The goblin sneered, but his hands still covered his eyes.

  He surged forward, knocking Everly onto the floor. Her flashlight rolled into the corner. The goblin crowed as he wrapped his cold, spindly hands around Everly’s foot and dragged her toward him. She kicked at him wildly, connecting with his nose. Snap! He let out a keening sound of pain.

  Everly reached for her horseshoe magnet and stabbed the prongs into the goblin’s face. He gave a terrifying shriek and released her, steam rising from the two square marks on his cheek. Everly dropped the magnet into her bag and retrieved the torch. Then she scrambled to her feet. As she ran for the door, she pulled out a large container of sea salt.

  “Foul human!” the goblin shouted. He jumped up and charged after her.

  She could smell his rancid breath. Tucking the torch under her arm, she shook a handful of sea salt into her hand and threw it at the goblin, just as his clawlike fingers raked through her ponytail. The goblin fell away, yelping, the illusion of his human visage completely stripped away. Everly could now see his true form—pale gray, wrinkled skin covering a misshapen body and a gruesome face that was all sharp teeth and pointed features.

  Unnerved, Everly was backing toward the door when a silver net flew past her and dropped onto the goblin. It immediately tightened over the creature, immobilizing him.

  Everly whirled around and caught sight of two tall teenagers wearing forest green uniforms. One was a beautiful girl in rich shades of brown—dark brown hair, light brown skin, and medium brown eyes. She stood next to a tall, handsome redheaded boy with brown eyes. He held a golden trident in his right hand, and chains of the same silver netting wrapped diagonally across his torso. Golden rune symbols were embroidered on their left breast pockets. For the first time since chasing the goblin, Everly felt cold fear in the pit of her stomach. They were Shinobi Rangers, responsible for patrolling the Owari Gate, the only access point between their world and the Otherworld.

  Her eyes darted to the empty hallway behind the Rangers. If Max came back, he’d be in terrible danger.

  The Rangers stared down at the goblin, who was still shrieking. The girl spoke first.

  “The salt and flashlight were smart. But it was foolish of you to tackle a goblin alone. Especially this one.”

  The goblin finally went silent.

  “We’ve been following this scum for days now. You’re lucky to be alive.”

  Redhead pointed his trident at the goblin. A shining light gleamed from its three tips, surrounding the frightened creature.

  “What are you doing?” Everly yelled.

  The light intensified all around the goblin. Moments later, he was gone.

  “Did you kill him?” Everly asked.

  The older girl shook her head. “No, unfortunately. He has to go to trial first. We sent him directly to prison.”

  Everly was relieved. Even though the goblin was evil and had tried to kidnap a child, she didn’t want anyone killed. Just the idea of it made her queasy.

  “Tell me, how long have you been able to see the Otherworldly?” the girl asked.

  “Otherworldly?” Everly played dumb.

  “We police the Owari Gate between our worlds vigilantly, but some scum, like that goblin, find a way to sneak in. Normal people can’t see them. But you can, right?”

  Everly nodded cautiously.

  “What have your dealings been with them?” the boy asked in a clipped voice. “Are they your friends?”

  “No! They usually run away from me….”

  “You’re lucky,” he said. “You could have been kidnapped or worse.”

  Everly shrugged. “They seemed harmless, but some really scare me.”

  The Ranger glared at her. “You are dead wrong. They should all scare you.”

  Everly jutted her chin. “You’re kind of scary, too,” she said, then asked, “Are you an Otherworldly?”

  The Ranger’s glare turned icy-cold. “I’m nothing like them. I’m human. Cameron Morrison, captain of the Shinobi Rangers.”

  “Wow. You seem awfully young to be a captain….”

  The Ranger smirked. “You know nothing! Correction, you know a little something, but nothing truly important, which makes you a danger to yourself and others.”

  The other Ranger laughed at his words. Everly fought back her temper. “I was just curious because you are using magic….”

  “Just because I’m utilizing magical weapons does not mean I’m using magic,” Ranger Morrison retorted.

  Everly’s mouth formed into an O at his jerky attitude. “Er, sorry. I didn’t mean to offend.” She began to inch toward the door, desperately wanting to get away from them.

  Before Everly could make a run for it, though, the Ranger plucked the flashlight from her hand.

  “Hey, that’s mine! Give it back!”

  Cameron asked, “How does someone who has never dealt with the Otherworldly know how to use salt, iron, and a powerful flashlight?”

  Everly’s brain froze, her tongue heavy and thick in her mouth. Staring at his cold dark eyes, Everly got the chills. He wouldn’t hesitate to use his trident on Max and his dads.

  “The internet, duh!” She scowled. “If you saw weird, creepy things that no one else could see, wouldn’t you research it online to make sure you could protect yourself?”

  The girl Ranger chuckled. “I like you. I’m Darcy Watson, and I think you’re going to be a real asset.”

  “Asset to what?”

  “The Ranger cadet program.”

  “Huh?” Everly could feel her mouth gaping again. Forcing it shut, she looked at the two Rangers with a wary gaze. This was not good. She wasn’t supposed to catch their notice. The Rangers were just as much the enemy as the goblin was. She wondered how she could get away without making them suspicious.

  “Goblins are sneaky and dangerous,” Darcy said. “But you were able to follow him and immobilize him, at least for a little while. You’re brave, if a bit reckless, and definitely cadet material.”

  Darcy’s words made her extremely nervous. Before she could thank her, Cameron interrupted. “Don’t be so sure. There’s a fine line between reckless and stupid. I don’t think she’s Ranger material.”

  A fierce anger rose up Everly’s chest, burning her throat. That was the last straw!

  “You don’t know anything about me!” s
he spit out. “You think you’re better than me, but you’re not! You’re just a know-it-all teenage loser. I didn’t ask for your help, so why don’t you just leave me alone?”

  Darcy raised her hands to placate her. “He doesn’t mean any disrespect. He’s just suspicious of everyone. He doesn’t even trust his own grandmother.”

  With a snort, Everly began to walk away, but Darcy stepped in front of her.

  “Look, what we should have told you from the start is that anyone who has the sight has to be recruited into the cadets, because we need them,” she said. “Rangers don’t last past the age of eighteen, when we lose our sight. We need to recruit any potential Ranger to our cadet program.”

  “Thanks but no thanks,” Everly said, still angry with Cameron. “It’s not like my parents are going to let me join anyway.”

  Cameron humphed. “Let her go,” he said. “Told you she’s not cadet material. She doesn’t have what it takes.”

  “What’s that? Being a humongous jerk?”

  Cameron gave Everly a disgusted look, but Darcy cut him off before he could speak.

  “Everly, don’t listen to him. This is about keeping people safe. You do care about your family and friends, don’t you?”

  A chill went through her at Darcy’s words. “Of course!” Everly said. That was the problem. She was very worried for her friends.

  “Join the cadet program and fight for our human right to live free of dangerous Otherworldly creatures,” Darcy said.

  “But I’m only twelve,” Everly protested.

  Darcy exchanged amused glances with Cameron.

  “I was nine and Darcy was ten when we joined,” he said. “We knew it was our duty, and we were proud to do it. Not to join would have been unpatriotic.” He paused for a moment, looking her over. “But you probably don’t care about things like patriotism and civic duty.”

  At that moment, Everly would have given anything to have the magical ability to turn Cameron into a cockroach and stomp on him. Instead, she said, “I. Don’t. Like. You.”

  “Listen, don’t let him get to you,” Darcy said. “I promise the rest of us aren’t like him. Why don’t you come to headquarters tomorrow and meet the others and the chief? You need to do that before making any decision.”