Danger! Turn Back!: Echidna's Darlings, #4

By Marianna Palmer

Gina Daniels has gone through a lot of stuff since she started Echidna's School for Monsters. But her biggest challenge lies ahead. Travelling to a fairy realm and a crazy city of clones is nothing as compared to going against the law itself. Gina's fate may bring her to the brink of destruction. With a little luck and help from her friends, she's going to go head-to-head with not only Clean Slate, the organization that hates all monsters, but also against the Shadowrots themselves who call themselves monster justice. But justice is in short supply these days. Join Gina on her most exciting adventure yet!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Marianna Palmer
• Release date: May 27, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224024766

Marianna Palmer

Marianna Palmer is a creative force who has been crafting captivating stories from the depths of her imagination since she first learned to dream. Encouraged by a dare from her sister, she bravely embarked on a journey into the world of writing, which became her sanctuary during years of solitude, personal challenges, and overcoming deep-rooted fears. With an unwavering passion for storytelling, Marianna pursued her education and proudly earned her BA degree. However, she didn't stop there. Preferring the enigmatic allure of privacy, she briefly disappeared from the public eye, resurfacing intermittently in the company of her sister before once again retreating into her world of words. Currently residing in the vibrant city of Tacoma, WA, Marianna draws inspiration from the beauty of her surroundings while reveling in the safety of her sister's presence. Determined to live life to the fullest, she fearlessly confronts the unknown, defying the daunting obstacles that once hindered her path.

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1 Troll in the Attic

Gina Daniels had seen some horrifying stuff in her life, but nothing was quite like what she came into on the Sunday morning after Echidna’s school had shut down for the summer. This time it wasn’t a vicious Hero or a weird dark fairy. It was worse. Way worse. George Daniels was in the kitchen making breakfast—pancakes by the look of it—and he was singing!

I’m a troll man, dun da dun. I’m a troll man, doo doo doo. He whirled around the kitchen wiggling his behind and waving the plates around as he put them on the table.

If she weren’t so mortified and had to stop her father before Helen or Valerie saw this, she would have been smiling. She had been wondering if George would ever get over his treatment at the hands of Clean Slate. But here he was.

So incredibly embarrassing. Dad! Stop now.

He froze and turned around. He smiled as he saw her. Ah, breakfast, Gina. I’m so proud of all your great grades.

Gina hadn’t tried. As usual. Being a troll came with a certain ability at almost all monster activities. Though this year she did a bit worse with some of the grades. George was still proud of every B.

You’re dancing. She put her hands on her hips.

Summer! he yelled. Where we’re all together. Vacations. Weddings. And trolls, oh my!

Gina stared at him. Dad, I’m going to walk back out of this kitchen and then I’m coming back in. When I do, you will not be singing. You will be somber faced.

Everyone’s a critic, he retorted. Fine!

Gina walked out and walked back in again. Now George was standing at the island and staring at her, his hands in a prim position and his lips pressed firmly together.

Hello, Gina. Good morning and salutations.

You are impossible! she grumbled. He wiggled his eyebrows.

Where’s Helen?

Gina rolled her eyes. She’s thrilled to have her own room again, so she barricaded the door. She’s impossible, too! What about Valerie?

George placed a pancake on Gina’s plate, and she tore into it. Losing her troll form hadn’t done much to curb her appetite. All it did was feel like part of her was missing. If she had been honest with her father, she would have probably had to explain where another girl was this morning. Over the school break, Eileen had been hanging out, enjoying her own break and practicing stuff to do as a troll. She was perfectly fine as long as she didn’t wear herself out.

It was Gina who felt vulnerable. What if a Hero popped up? Or even Shyrra Moore, the one behind Clean Slate? Then again what if a member of Clean Slate decided to put Gina on their hit list again?

Gina thought it was bad to be a troll girl, but that form and strength she had gave her some sense of security. Now she was weak.

Valerie is still in her room. After we marry, we’ll move into the same room together. What about that?

Gina groaned. Her father and Valerie were still as old-fashioned as you could get. Gina reflected how really good things were, though. Thanks to Gina’s troll, Eileen was safe from the Shadowrots who enforced monster law and said that she was the custody of Shyrra. As a troll they couldn’t find her.

Helen was happy about getting better grades than Gina and the fact that Valerie had taken them all out to celebrate only her daughter, not mentioning Gina at all. George didn’t even talk about Clean Slate, even though Gina knew he had been tortured at their hands. Now peace was here.

Too bad Gina didn’t feel it. But she was the major discrepancy in a house full of happiness. She looked out the front window and saw the horses galloping around on their acreage of grass.

Why is Valerie still sleeping? Gina asked, bringing herself back to the conversation at hand.

Her job. Warson Enterprises keeps her out late. Ohwee, I love a business woman, George said, and Gina rolled her eyes. There wasn’t much that George didn’t love about Valerie, dragon woman and CEO. In fact, Gina looked forward to the wedding just so he could become part of the happy married couple and not the honeymooning man.

A bang hit the attic. George looked upwards. I think we have angry fat squirrels up there, I swear it.

Gina jumped up. She knew who was up there. I’ll check. Again.

Gina, if you have a dog just tell me.

She gave him a sickly grin. No, no dogs. My new cat is all I can handle.

In fact, last night Sammy had kept Gina up all night telling her how many things could go wrong with harboring a fugitive who had her form.

George pursed his lips. Uh-oh, Gina recognized that expression. George knew she was keeping something from him. But if she told him the truth, she didn’t exactly know if he’d be on her side or not. He understood monsters, but he also was in love with their world now. If he decided Eileen needed to go back to Shyrra Moore, then the Shadowrots would be here lickety-split.

It’s homework from school. I have to ... split off from my troll from time to time. Gina grinned with sudden inspiration. Why not lie with a half truth?

George’s eyes widened. You’re telling me that ... big yellow other you is rampaging up in our attic?

Gina backed away. She hated lying to him, but she was getting used to it. She wondered if that was what growing up was, figuring out who you had to lie to and when. She ... I mean, it isn’t rampaging. I’ll go absorb it again, though. But first I need to bring her ... it some pancakes. Gina quickly grabbed a full stack and put it on a plate.

She left George gaping. As a Fragile, he was shocked, surprised, sometimes horrified, but mostly enamored with the strangeness that came with having a troll for a daughter. But he trusted everything strange. He didn’t suspect her lie. Good.

She practically ran from the kitchen and headed to the attic. The stairs that used to be there would have squeaked and creaked with her—the old would have been structurally unsound. But thanks to Valerie and her renovations, the staircase gleamed with a new wooden handrail that ended in a figurehead like the old ships used to have. It was a pretty woman with long sculpted wooden hair and hollow eyes.

Valerie loved it. Helen thought it was cool. Gina didn’t like it. It reminded her more of the Hero School and all those Heroes that were represented in stone, cutting off monsters’ heads. Every single time she climbed these stairs (which was a lot these days thanks to Eileen’s energy), she just thought of her enemies of Heroes.

The impressive carved wooden door at the top of the stairs opened to the same old attic that Gina was used to. Thanks to her fugitive, Gina had to keep Valerie out, so she had taken a stand. But she was glad she did. Only here could she find the bed she used to have, the one that was chewed on and blackened from Helen’s fire breath. The attic held the signs of her years passing—all the things she had destroyed as she grew into her troll status.

And the gigantic yellow being in the middle of the room was only more proof. Gina could understand why people would scream and hide when they saw it—except Heroes. Never Heroes. Eileen, in Gina’s troll form, was almost reaching the attic ceiling even sitting down. Eileen was lounging in a beanbag chair. She wore a big sweater dress that reached her yellow knees. But the legs were pure muscle and energy. The shoulders were wide. And the face? The troll form had like six teeth, with ones for tearing.

The eyes were so green they almost glowed.

You know, I’m getting freaked out by myself, Gina noted as she walked in and pushed the pancakes into Eileen’s hands, who gave an enormous grin. She still loved the ability to eat. Thanks to the dark fairy, Shyrra Moore, as a baby Eileen had been infected and turned into a dark fairy. She could only drink nectar now or she’d be sick. But, of course, all rules were out when she was in a form that needed food in huge amounts.

She downed the stack in seconds. It sure took you long enough.

Gina nodded. About three months ago, she might have gotten a thank you and not a reprimand, but Eileen was getting sick of being here. Unlike all of Gina’s other friends, Gina didn’t quite get Eileen. And the fact that right now she was in Gina’s form, just creeped Gina out. So, all she could do was just sit and nod.

Eileen punched her giant fist into the palm of the troll’s hand. "Gina. I need to finish this. I know this is the best right now. I get to see my parents sometimes, and that’s great. But I want to go back to my room. I want to be in school for the fall. I’m behind. I miss my teachers."

Gina nodded.

Eileen stretched out on the beanbag chair and tapped her gigantic yellow foot that had ...

"Hey! You didn’t paint my toenails, did you?" Gina wailed.

"They’re mine now! And I have nothing to do. Besides it looks nice."

Gina growled.

Eileen jumped up and grabbed the nail polish remover. Okay, okay.

Good. Gina still had her growl. Maybe Eileen was right. Maybe they did need to fix this. Gina had hoped over the summer she’d find a solution, but this couldn’t continue like this. As Eileen went to work, Gina thought.

The problem was the law was on Shyrra Moore’s side. Gina needed to get it back on the right side. To prove that Shyrra Moore was the leader of Clean Slate, an organization that wanted to destroy monsters. Oh, and Heroes, if that mattered. Anything different than Clean Slate was on their list, really.

It was quite the pickle she was in. Shyrra Moore wasn’t just another monster. She had a good standing in the monster community. She was respected. Nobody would believe she was in charge of such an evil organization.

And all the evidence had been crumpled in a desert so far away.

Any sane girl would just give it up and accept that Eileen was in a good enough place right now, and all they really had to wait was four more years, and then Eileen would have her own rights. She wouldn’t be pushed off onto Shyrra then.

But no one had ever accused Gina of being sane. Besides she was more than a little antsy this summer. Fenrir the wolf god hadn’t shown even a piece of his fur recently. He had promised that there would be a war and that Gina would be a top general. But he must have been off eating the moon or something. At any rate he wasn’t bothering Gina, which meant Gina had to set up her own chessboard.

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2 Planning Ahead

There wasn’t much Gina could do about the whole situation with Eileen. Gina pondered the issue. I’ve got an idea, she said quickly. Well, the start of one. Eileen’s borrowed eyes peered at Gina. Green orbs with black pupils and a whole lot of white around them.

Don’t stop until you’ve kicked Shyrra’s butt to space where Hercules is.

Gina had to laugh. But she was getting the reputation for fighting impossible foes. Too bad most of it wasn’t earned. She wants me. I mean, Clean Slate wants me. All I need to do is be in a conspicuous place where she will attack me personally.

Eileen made a very loud buzzer sound. Coming from a troll’s mouth, it echoed around the tiny attic. Shyrra is not an idiot. She’d only send someone. That’s it.

Gina sighed. Eileen was right. Maybe I should take the fight to her then. Where does she live?

Eileen nodded. Now you’re talking. I had to live there for such a short time. It’s in the dark fairy realm. You know that old second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning?

Gina scratched her head. Well, yeah.

Not at all like that. Eileen laughed. But it’s close. It’s actually through a wardrobe.

Gina banged her head on the floor. She felt like rolling around and punching it too, but she was a long way from her old tantrums. You have got to be kidding me.

Eileen stood up and started stretching her limbs. Gina opened her mouth in horrified surprise. What are you doing?

"Morning stretches. It keeps the body limber. And your troll body, no offense, is stiff.’

Gina wanted to remind Eileen that a troll’s body was supposed to be stiff. It was muscle and strength, not a dancer! But Eileen kept pushing all of the troll’s limbs into strange and unusual positions.

Eileen sunk to the floor, touching her toes. I miss my parents. Please let’s just do this. Look, the entrance is in a wardrobe, but that wardrobe is hard to get to. Once inside, the world will spin, and it’ll feel like you’re in outer space. I don’t know—maybe you are.

Gina rubbed her hands together. Okay. Then I’ll go. You’ll stay put.

Eileen gave her a green glare. She reached out and grabbed an old box of comics and threw them down her throat. Then she burped a dusty belch. Why did I do that?

Gina laughed. Because my troll likes eating inedible things. Strange and unusual. But, hey, I’m a troll! Or you are really.

Eileen glared again. This is disgusting. When I wanted to eat, it was hamburgers and ice cream, not paper.

Gina shrugged. I do hope those weren’t worth anything. As it is Dad will kill me.

Eileen turned the topic back to the serious stuff. Why wouldn’t you want muscle on your side?

How long do you think it’ll take to get to Shyrra and back again? Exactly?

Eileen shook her head. I don’t know.

Exactly. The last time I went off to fight against certain death, my dad grounded me! I don’t want that to happen again.

Gina went to the little attic window and stared down to the ground. Her father was there, sipping coffee and looking at the sun spilling across their forest backyard. He was finally himself. The recent events had almost been too much even for Gina. Usually, she was like carpe diem! Seize the day. After all, when you’re born strong enough to lift a house, you start taking things pretty well in stride.

But losing her father—that had hurt a part of Gina inside. She was a little more grown up and a lot worse for the wear. She didn’t want George to be affected by this new danger in any way, shape or form. That meant she had to protect him from it. And just like it had been when she took on a dinosaur in the long ago past, she would use her troll to do it.

I want you to be me. Say that your troll form is stuck or that you’re in training or something. Anything. I will take on Shyrra Moore. When the Shadowrots find out what she is, I will come back, and you will go home and get out of my body.

Eileen shook her head. Gina’s head, that is. One problem.

Only one? Gina asked. She saw the brown tuft on her father’s head. He was losing hair. By the time he was forty, he’d have a big bald spot. His mortality stared Gina in the face. When she had visited Troll Mountain, the trolls living there were ancient. Which brought a question to Gina’s mind. How old would she live? Past the Fragile life expectancy? Way past her father’s?

Or maybe she’d just one day lose against her many foes. That thought cheered her up.

The problem is you have no strength or invulnerability without your troll form. She lifted Gina’s scrawny arm. What will you take on Shyrra with?

Gina didn’t have any good answers. She just knew she had to do this.

I’ll give back your form, Eileen said decisively. Then I’ll wait in that weird world between.

No! I don’t want Dad to worry. I might not come back as quickly as I’d like. Please just listen to my idea.

Eileen sighed and lifted her leg into the air, doing some kind of ballet move. She looked ridiculous. The humongous troll doing pirouettes. Fine. Thank you by the way.

Gina grinned. Of all her new friends, Eileen was the most accommodating. If Betty, her gorgon friend, was in this predicament, she would give Gina an earful about being a maverick. Then her head of snakes would probably try to bite her.

You’re welcome.

Oh, and please take one of your friends with you.

Gina gritted her teeth.

But suddenly her own troll face was inches from her. I mean it. This is not a request. I know you hate the idea of making George worry when he’s been through so much. I can’t go. I get that. Not that I know how to use your strength anyway. But you and the group did so well at the football game. I was in awe. Truly. You’ve gotta have a sidekick.

Gina groaned, but Eileen didn’t back down. She would tell everyone if Gina didn’t have someone go with her. Eileen would ruin everything. No matter if Gina was going to help her or not.

Gina shook her head and agreed. She headed back downstairs to see that her new family had arranged themselves around the table. The topic of course was the wedding. It had been the subject of every conversation since George had come home. If it were up to Gina and George, the happy couple would have eloped and got it done with. Both father and daughter had seen too much recently and knew that life was precious. Each moment had to be grabbed. But Valerie was going to have a wedding that rivaled her first one.

That meant a whole lot of fuss, and nothing came quick.

Do you think you flying in formation with my sisters as I walked down the aisle is over the top? Valerie asked Helen as Gina slid into her seat and started in on her new plate of pancakes. George gave her a look and mouthed, Dog? making Gina roll her eyes. He obviously had dismissed her excuses and still thought she had had given the last stack to the imaginary dog upstairs.

I am just hungry today, she muttered.

Helen rushed to answer her mother’s question. Yes, way too.

Great. Then I want it. Valerie jotted down the details on her tablet next to her pile of pancakes. Oh, and my boss wants to lead off with a twenty-cannon salute. It’s his way.

Your boss? Gina asked. I thought you were like the top or whatever.

Valerie looked away from her tablet and favored Gina with her attention. She didn’t believe in looking at devices and not her children, and she had brought Gina into that role as soon as she had met her. I am the top. But there is someone who owns Warson Enterprises. He’ll be attending my wedding.

But cannons? Gina asked in horror. Twenty boom booming cannons?

Valerie grinned. He thinks highly of me. I wasn’t sure he’d do it. He likes staying behind the scenes. It’ll be good to see that god.

Gina slammed her hand down on the table. What?

Valerie bit her lip. Her shiny metallic green eyes, not at all covered by Face Mimicry, looked somewhat nervous. And Gina knew why! Gina had two dealings with gods so far, and each one ended badly. Hercules had nearly killed her with his hands, and Thor with his oversized weapons.

Yes, I guess I didn’t mention this. Mr. Warson’s first name is Ares.

The power of that name washed down Gina’s back. Ares. God of War.

Now stop that, Valerie scolded. But she was looking up and down Gina’s body for the telltale signs that she was going full troll. Little did she know that Gina didn’t do that now that Eileen had her form. He has a bad rep.

Doesn’t he make wars?

Not these days. Valerie tapped the table.

George had his elbows on the table, his chin in his hands, and he was watching this interchange with utter fascination. Ares. You don’t say. That’s cool. I liked him on that show with the warrior princess.

Daaaad! Gina yodeled. She was much better at lengthening his name now that she was fourteen, more lung capacity or something. I need to remind you that Thor almost killed me over the summer. He was a god! And Hercules. You saw him. God! And this god is the one that’s known as the bad guy! The most manipulative, seductive, cretin in existence.

Valerie held up her hand. She seemed pleasantly surprised that Gina wasn’t growing. You, Gina, watch too many movies.

The myths! Gina argued.

The myths have changed with every generation. First to give power to wars brewing at the time, then to blame someone for them. You know how Heroes like making up stories about everybody. Nowadays, Ares isn’t blamed as much, thanks to no Fragile believing in gods, so he has taken to business. He’s not bad either. He owns Warson, and he gave me my first job.

Gina’s head was spinning. Ares was her stepmother’s boss. Great. Terrific! Is he a part of Clean Slate? Does he hate monsters?

Helen groaned as if Gina was being an idiot. Hello! He hired my mom. I think he likes dragons at least.

Valerie pointed to her mouth to remind Gina that hers was hanging open, showing the bits of unchewed pancake. Gina rushed to swallow. He likes monsters, Valerie explained. He employs them. He agrees with Echidna’s. He even babysat a few of her children in the old days. So, no bias, Gina.

Gina sighed. What does Ares think about me? she asked directly. George laughed and downed his orange juice.

Of course, it’s all about you, isn’t it? he asked, but he was teasing, so Gina didn’t kill him.

Valerie waggled her finger in the air over the table. Not surprising, but he doesn’t really know much about you at all. He doesn’t pay attention to the news. I’ll have to tell him who you are before he meets you, though. His only ideas are business and crushing his competition. He’s talked about going to New York and taking on the real estate department. Real wars lie there.

Gina didn’t know how to answer that. So far gods had hated her. And Hercules, Ares’ brother, had done his best to destroy Echidna’s school. It was strange to find a god who didn’t really know about her one way or the other. A thud came from upstairs.

What, is there a secret bowling ball collection upstairs? Helen asked irritably. She looked like she was going to go check.

Yep! Gina said. But she knew why Eileen was pounding around up there. She wanted Gina to get on with what she was supposed to do. Secretly, Gina thought Eileen was way too eager to start playing Gina so she could get out of that attic. You caught on. I’m stacking bowling balls. And they keep falling.

You are? Helen asked. She didn’t get Gina, and it was getting worse. Gina couldn’t tell her. Helen would tell her mom. After years of neglect, Valerie had settled down and had become a hands-on mom. And even reaching into the teen years, Helen loved it. She’d snitch.

Whatever Gina was going to do, she had better get about doing it. It was a miracle no one in this family had discovered the dark fairy slash troll in the attic so far. It was thanks to the bad things that the family had gone through already. Everyone had lost George, and that Bloodlock that had kicked them around had finally let go recently. Soon, too many questions would be asked.

So, of her five friends, Helen was out. Gina didn’t want to endanger Betty again. Ryan was becoming impossible. He was becoming a real Mr. Goody Two Shoes vampire. That meant the only person Gina could let in on this was Jack. He would guard her secret.

The only problem in that area was that Gina wasn’t sure how good of friends they were anymore. When she had started Echidna’s Darlings school for Monsters, all four of her friends seemed like they’d be together forever. But slowly and surely, they were somewhat going separate ways. Was that what happened when you grew up? If it was, Gina didn’t care for it.

And Jack was the worst of all of them. He had adored Gina when he had first met her. He had followed her around, bragged about being her best friend, and more. Never was there a more loyal friend. But recently ever since he got his second father—the wolf father who could tell him what being a werewolf was like—he had drifted away.

They used to run together. Now they barely saw each other even though he lived across the street at least two days a week.

She needed Jack, though. Gina wanted her troll form back. She wanted her friend to be able to go home. More than that, she needed to do something with this feeling of war she had had since taking on Shyrra Moore. She was ready to fight. But there was nothing to fight! Even Clean Slate’s members who had come out of the woodworks in the fall had diminished to the occasional, I’m going to kill you, troll, and then the loser would run away as fast as possible. Gina had built up a reputation of fear for herself.

Too bad she couldn’t tell everyone that she had only tricked, dodged and run her way out of situations. She hadn’t actually defeated anyone. Still, that made her life more peaceful. Fear made enemies stay away. Now she needed them to fight though.

Being a troll had brought with it a lot of weird feelings—or maybe that was just growing up as well. Either way, she felt different than every time before.

Well, I’m gonna go visit Jack, she announced, standing up.

I want you back at eleven, Valerie told her. We’re going dress shopping!

Gina paused at the table, leaving her hand on the back of her chair as she pushed it in. But you already have arranged your ultra-white magnificent princess ball gown.

Valerie grinned and clasped her hands in front of her. I know! she squealed. Gina and Helen shared a look. Valerie was way too excited about all of this. She caught their look and cleared her throat. I mean, I know, she said in a much more somber voice. But these are for you. Bridesmaids! You two will be my bridesmaids. I’d make Helen my maid of honor, but my sister would rip the skin off my face if I did. So, both of my daughters will be bridesmaids. I want each of you to have a choice in what you’ll wear.

Gina nodded. Okay. But inside she writhed. She had very little choice when it came to Valerie and clothes. Valerie and Helen went around looking like models, but the clothing wouldn’t do well with Face Mimicry. Clothing worked differently for some reason and was much harder to keep concentration up. So, Valerie resorted to her million-dollar bank account when it came to choosing clothes. And every single one, Gina wouldn’t wear if you paid her.

But Valerie didn’t take no real well for an answer. And this wedding was her day. Gina could only shake her head as she ran out of the house. Valerie was just impossible.

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3 Jack and Gina

Outside, it was starting to get warm. There were no clouds in sight. As she jogged across the road that separated Jack and her houses, she started to worry. What would he say when he saw her? Did he still like her? Or was he going to refuse to help?

Maybe he had gotten tired of Gina. Lots of people did. The whole dynamic between them had changed. When she first met him, he was just annoying. But recently with his withdrawal, she was the one who most wanted his attention. She knew how crazy that was. Jack was a friend, nothing more. But she couldn’t help wishing that last year had never ended. That Jack still had no clue if he was going to end up with Will or remain with his parents. Then they’d both be running off their Bloodlock together.

Things just had become so much more complicated. Now Will got Jack a few times a week, and Jack hadn’t bothered to come over or anything since the new year began. Plus, he had spent his time in school withdrawing. He barely grunted a hello to her these days.

Gina crossed the yard. Her shoes sunk into the dewy grass. All across the green, she could see signs of two werewolves living here. The ground was torn up from their runs together, and there were a few patches of fur either coming from shedding or from a fight between Will and Jack. They sometimes really got into tussles. It was all the wolf thing, though. They transformed and