07 The Return_ Midnight - L. J. Smith

“Or where,” said the old woman.
“Mrs. Flowers,” Matt said hastily, “you’d better stay here with the kids. Ava, here, is
reliable, and where’s Jacob Lagherty?”
“Here,” said a boy who looked older than fifteen. He was as tall as Matt was, but gangly.
“Okay. Ava, Jake, you’re in charge under Mrs. Flowers. We’ll leave Saber with you
too.” The dog was a big hit among the kids, on his best behavior, even when the younger ones chewed
his tail. “You two just listen to Mrs. Flowers, and—”
“Matt, dear, I won’t be here. But the animals will surely help to protect them.”
Matt stared at her. Meredith knew what he was thinking. Was Mrs. Flowers, so reliable
up until now, going somewhere to hide alone? Was she abandoning them?
“And I’ll need one of you to drive me to the Saitou house—quickly!—but the other can
stay and protect the children as well.”
Meredith was both relieved and worried, and clearly Matt was too.
“Mrs. Flowers, this is going to be a battle. You could get hurt or be taken hostage so
easily—”
“Dear Matt, this is my battle. My family has lived in Fell’s Church for generations, all
the way back to the pioneering times. I believe this is the battle for which I was born. Certainly the
last of my old age.”
Meredith stared. In the dim light of the basement, Mrs. Flowers seemed suddenly
different somehow. Her voice was changing. Even her small body seemed to be changing, steadying,
standing tall.
“But how will you fight?” Matt asked, sounding dazed.
“With this. That nice young man, Sage, left it for me with a note apologizing for using
Misao’s star ball. I used to be quite good with these when I was young.” From her capacious purse,
Mrs. Flowers pulled out something pale and long and thin as it unwound and Mrs. Flowers whirled it
and snapped it with a loud crack at the empty half of the basement. It hit a Ping-Pong ball, curled
around it, and brought it back to Mrs. Flowers’s open hand.
A bullwhip. Made of some silvery material. Undoubtedly magical. Even Matt looked
scared of it.
“Why don’t Ava and Jake teach the children to play Ping-Pong while we’re gone—and
we really must go, my dears. There’s not a minute to waste. A terrible tragedy is coming, Mama
says.”
Meredith had been watching—feeling as dazed as Matt looked. But now she said, “I
have a weapon too.” She picked up the stave and said, “I’m fighting, Matt. Ava, the children are yours
to care for.”
“And mine,” Jacob said, and immediately proved his usefulness by adding, “Isn’t that an
axe hanging back there near the furnace?”
Matt ran and snatched it up. Meredith could see from his expression what he was
thinking: Yes! One heavy axe, a tiny bit rusty, but still plenty sharp enough. Now if the kitsune sent
plants or wood against them, he was armed.
Mrs. Flowers was already going up the basement stairs. Meredith and Matt exchanged
one quick glance and then they were running to catch up with her.
“You drive your mom’s SUV. I’ll sit in back. I’m still a little bit…well, dizzy, I guess.”
Meredith didn’t like to admit to a personal weakness, but better that than crashing the vehicle.
Matt nodded and was good enough not to comment on why she felt so dizzy. She still