“Anybody worth bringing back is already in a better place.” I knelt in the grass growing over my grandpa’s grave, whispering the words he taught me until they felt as true as the first time I heard them. “Anybody worth bringing back is already in a better place.” I pressed my hands flat on the …
I woke up sprawled on my back, feeling like a crumpled soda can—drained dry and stomped flat. Something lay across me, weighing down my aching body. It was warm and fluffy as a cat but heavy as a tiger. Cracking my eyes open was harder than curling a barbell. I lay in a bed of …
Acrocanthosaurus plowed out of the Hemming’s front lawn. It shook green layers of sod off its humpback and powerwalked toward Haymaker. Martina, Pine, and I watched from up on the nearby hill. I’d asked Crow, nicely, to have my parents back. And this was what I got in return—an act of war. “Rip him a …
Nuke swooped out of the purple morning sky and landed by the truck, galloping to a stop in front of me. He pressed his big beak into my hand, puffing through his nostrils. “Good boy.” I hugged his head against my chest and gave him a scratch under his chin. Inside, I was as cold …
I hid my face in my hands, holding in a scream behind clammy palms. Blood roared in my ears like Niagra Falls. I wanted to cover my eyes, but I couldn’t move my fingers. Across the highway, Acrocanthosaurus hulked in the light of the burning chapel. My dad lay slumped in its mouth. All I …
Boyfriend snapped awake at my feet. His golden eye caught the moonlight, and fourteen claws scraped the metal truck bed with a grinding screech. Pine tensed, ready to flatten him. But before the raptor could have an original thought, I was in his head—tracing a path down the dark farm road, across the highway, and …
When I told everybody about our date with Crow at the chapel, we all agreed on one thing. It was totally a trap. Since everybody on Crow’s side assumed Mom was the mage, she’d have to be the one who went to represent me. If she didn’t agree to go with them and bring back …
We waited for Boyfriend to poof and went back to the house—and as soon as I opened the door, I heard my phone ringing. I rushed to answer in case it was Dad. But when I reached my cell, there wasn’t a name on the screen. Just the black eight ball emoji. My skin crawled. …
That night, I dreamed about a clutch of light-blue eggs with brown speckles, nestled safe in a scoop of soft soil, bark, and pine needles. It felt like I was guarding that nest for days—until I woke up to morning light shining in my eyes. I was back in Dr. Jacob’s house, lying in a …
Pine’s battle scars closed up after his first triple cheeseburger, which he ate lying down in the back of Dr. Jacobs’ Dodge. The second burger, and the cheese curds on the side, were just for fun. We drove back to Dr. Jacobs’ ranch, and once he got a chance to change into a ProRodeo T-shirt …