Page 12 of Searching for Thanksgiving

She sniffed and lifted her chin. “That doesn’t mean I wants to be in those two’s stupid clubhouse.”

“I’ll help you make your own clubhouse for girls tomorrow,” Alice promised.

Morah grinned, nodded, and began walking toward the kitchen with Alice.

It’s hard beings a leader.

She ignored her dragon’s snort of amusement.

Spring motioned for Jabir and her sister to follow her into the other room while the other kids were absorbed in the movie that was playing. Her eyes glittered with fire. If she had any doubt that Roam had been behind the destruction to her garden and the missing worms, it had disappeared when she saw the telltale green residue on his palms. It was proof of his dastardly worm-hunt.

With grim satisfaction, she watched Jabir retrieve the large jar of sticky worms he had hidden.

“You don’t think Roam will hurt them, do you, Spring?” Jabir asked as he handed it to her.

Spring snorted. “You can’t hurt sticky worms.”

“They are pretty much indestructible,” Phoenix agreed, laying her hand on Jabir’s shoulder.

“What if he tries to eat them… or use them as bait?” Jabir fretted, looking at the jar as if he wanted to grab it back.

“He won’t. You know that once he touches them, he won’t be able to pull them off without your help. You’re the only one of us who knows how to get them to release,” she said.

“I just talk to them really nice,” Jabir said as if this were obvious and anyone could do it. He bit his lip anxiously. "Remember, when you get done with them I need to put them back in their nest. I promised them I would.”

“You’ll have them back by morning. Roam won’t be able to get rid of them fast enough!” she replied.

“We’ll keep an eye on Roam while you go do your thing. I can’t wait to see Roam’s face in the morning,” Phoenix said with a grin.

Spring slipped out of the living room and onto the terrace. Shifting into her dragon, she clutched the jar of sticky worms to her chest and launched herself off the balcony. Within seconds, she was soaring across the garden toward the guest quarters which had been reserved for her Aunt Riley, Uncle Vox, Roam, Sacha, and Pearl. She pulled up, landing on the railing. Shifting back into her two-legged form, she jumped down and silently traversed along the long, narrow outer gallery until she came to Roam’s bedroom. Pushing open the French doors, she stepped into the darkened room.

He going to be mad at you, her dragon warned.

Let him! I’m mad at him more! she retorted.

Her dragon’s chuckle told her that she wasn’t upset about the plot underfoot. Spring walked over to the bed, pulled back the covers, and whispered quietly to the sticky worms before she released them.

She covered the worms, being careful not to pat the sheets and bedspread, before retracing her steps. She looked over her shoulder, a slight grin of mischief curving her lips. The worms wouldn’t hurt Roam, but they would make him think twice before hunting for any type of worm the next time he wanted to go fishing.

She placed the jar with a note inside it on the table next to the door before exiting the room. Tomorrow was going to be a very interesting day.

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