Jordan and Flora arrived at Slickback's house just before sunset.
The moment Jordan opened the front door, a warm smell drifted through the air.
Flora stopped walking.
"What is that wonderful smell?"
Jordan smiled.
"My grandma's cooking."
The house was filled with the rich aroma of Southern food. A large pot of collard greens simmered on the stove beside creamy macaroni and cheese. Fresh candy yams glistened with brown sugar, and the smell of black-eyed peas filled every corner of the house.
Grillo floated through the kitchen, sniffing the air.
"I think I've died and gone to heaven."
Suddenly...
Grrrrrrrr...
A loud rumble echoed through the room.
Flora jumped backward.
"Oh no!"
Jordan looked at her.
"What?"
Flora pointed at her stomach.
"There's a monster inside me!"
Jordan burst into laughter.
Grillo rolled across the floor laughing.
"It's not a monster," Jordan said between laughs. "You're hungry."
"Hungry?"
"When you don't eat, your stomach growls."
Flora carefully touched her stomach.
"So... it isn't trying to eat me?"
"No."
"It wants you to eat."
Flora smiled.
"I like this monster better." As everyone sat at the dinner table, Jordan couldn't stop staring at Flora.
"Can I ask you something?"
"You already did."
Jordan laughed.
"Can I ask another question?"
Flora nodded.
"Why don't you know what money is?"
"You didn't know what pain was."
"You didn't know what a hospital was."
"You didn't even know what being hungry meant."
He leaned forward.
"Did you lose your memory or something?"
Flora looked down at the table.
She had been hiding the truth for too long.
"I have something to tell you."
Grillo's ears stood straight up.
"No..."
He whispered urgently.
"Don't do it, Flora."
"He won't understand."
Flora took a deep breath.
"I..."
Before another word could leave her mouth—
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
The front windows exploded inward.
Glass scattered across the living room.
Everyone screamed.
Jordan, Flora, and Grillo turned toward the front door.
Jordan's grandmother slowly collapsed onto the floor.
Blood spread across her dress.
She had been shot. Standing in the doorway was Silas.
Behind him stood several armed men.
Silas smiled.
"You thought you could get away from me?"
"I don't think so."
Jordan rushed to his grandmother's side.
"Grandma!"
"No! Stay with me!"
Tears streamed down his face as he held her trembling hand.
Silas raised his gun again.
Jordan's grief instantly turned into rage.
He drew his gun and fired.
BANG!
One of Silas's men fell.
BANG!
Another dropped to the floor.
"Nyla!" Jordan shouted.
"Go upstairs!"
Grillo stood frozen.
His tiny body shook.
He couldn't stop staring at Jordan's grandmother.
She wasn't moving anymore.
"Grillo!"
Flora grabbed his hand.
"We have to go!"
Jordan looked toward the stairs.
"Go!"
"I'll hold them off!" As Flora reached the staircase, she realized Grillo wasn't beside her.
She turned around.
"Grillo?"
He was still downstairs.
His eyes filled with tears.
"I... I can't leave Jordan."
Suddenly...
He heard barking outside.
A large brown dog charged through the broken front gate.
Grillo remembered the strange gift he had never told anyone about.
"I have to do something."
He ran toward the dog and gently touched its nose.
A bright green light surrounded them both.
In an instant...
Grillo disappeared.
The dog's eyes suddenly glowed gold.
The dog stood taller.
It was Grillo.
"I'm in!"
he shouted from inside the dog's body.
The powerful dog sprinted across the yard and leaped straight at Silas.
SNAP!
Its jaws clamped onto Silas's arm.
Silas cried out in pain and dropped his gun.
Jordan didn't hesitate.
He grabbed the weapon.
BANG!
The bullet struck Silas in the head.
Silas collapsed to the ground.
For one brief moment...
Everything became silent. Jordan lowered the gun.
"It's over..."
Then—
BANG!
One of Silas's wounded men, still alive, lifted his pistol from the floor.
The shot echoed through the house.
Jordan cried out as the bullet tore through his shoulder.
He crashed to the floor.
"Jordan!" Flora screamed.
She ran toward him.
Blood covered his shirt.
His breathing became shallow.
Jordan looked up at her and forced a weak smile.
"You're... safe..."
Those words shattered something deep inside Flora.
She remembered Lea crying.
She remembered Enor mourning his sons.
She remembered Jordan standing between her and Silas without thinking of himself.
Now Jordan was bleeding because he had protected her.
The warm feeling inside her chest grew hotter.
Hotter...
And hotter.
Golden light burst from her body.
The walls trembled.
The windows rattled.
The air itself seemed to vibrate with power.
Grillo, still inside the dog, stared in disbelief.
"Flora..."
Her glowing eyes locked onto the wounded gunman.
Tears rolled down her face.
For the very first time...
Flora understood what she was feeling.
Not confusion.
Not curiosity.
Not fear.
Anger.
And with that anger...
The mysterious power hidden inside the goddess of Tropius finally began to awaken. To be continued