“How did you kill the Ashman in the forest last year?”“I shot him with an arrow.”“What kind of arrow?”“A sharp one.”Nate rolled his eyes. “Really, dude? A sharp one?”

“Gabriel shuffled around the trunk again, searching for faux arrows—arrows designed to injure but not kill. “All these arrows are sharp—and have blood on them.”“Yes, well, I left my cotton candy arrows at home next to my teddy bear.”

“Does this mean I get to be part of the team?” She clapped her hands again.“Yes,” Nate said.“No,” Gabriel said at the same time.“Duuuude,” Nate said to Gabriel between his teeth. “I really want to talk to this Mr. Brooks guy.”“Fine.” Gabriel sighed. “Let her help. I don’t care. But if you die,” Gabriel pointed at Heather, “or get cursed or something, that’s your fault.”Heather nodded merrily, still clapping. “Yay, I’m part of the team.”“We’re not a team,” Gabriel said through gritted teeth.Heather ignored him and looked at Nate. “I think we need a team name.”“Ooh! Good idea.” Nate pointed a finger into the air. “How about Team Awesome?”Heather wrinkled her nose. “Too vague. Team Super Secret Fountain Seekers?”“Too specific.” Nate shook his head. “Team Ash Guy Hunters?”“Ashman.” Heather shook her head. “Too hard to say.”Nate scoffed. “And ‘Super Secret Fountain Seekers’ is easy to say?”Gabriel huffed and started walking toward the door. “You guys can stay here and pick a name and a Team Captain or whatever, but I’m going to find Mr. Brooks.” He opened the door to leave, night falling on the forest around them.Heather said, “Mr. Brooks doesn’t open his door when it’s dark outside.” She shrugged. “So we’re going to have to wait until tomorrow after school.”Frustrated, Gabriel closed the cabin door on the setting sun. “Tomorrow then.”“Perfect.” Nate nodded, shifting his eyes from Scarlet, to Gabriel, and then to Heather.A moment passed.“I call dibs on Team Captain,” Nate said.Gabriel rolled his eyes.”

“You'd think I wouldn't even have to say that, but seeing as you two were halfway to Babytown when I walked in here-""Just shut up and go pack," Tristan said."Ooh, feisty." Nate shook his head at Scarlet. "Tristan doesn't like it when I talk about you guys having sex.""Neither do I. Geez." Scarelt was blushing as she shooed Nate from the room.Nate exited and Tristan and Scarlet spent the next half hour lacing arrowed in blood and not making eye contact.”

“Okay.” Nate took a deep breath. “Now that we’re all caught up on the new no-no’s of the house, what do you say we find a tarp and some duct tape and MacGyver ourselves a new window in the living room? Just, you know, to keep out the wind…and the leaves…and any sharp-toothed woodland creatures prone to attacking people in their sleep.”Tristan raised a brow.“What?” Nate shrugged. “Death by dragon? Awesome. Death by rabid forest squirrel? Not cool, man. Not cool.”

“Tristan was looking at him again."What are you looking at?" Gabriel snapped.Tristan was trying not to smile. "You tell me."Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Quit being a girl.”

“I don’t think so, dude. Gabriel would kill me. And then Scarlet would kill me. And they could just keep on killing me over and over again because I don’t ever die. Do you know how much that would suck?”