Ghoulies Abroad by Julie Steimle (bts book recommendations txt) 📖

get you to carry my bags?”

Peeking at him, Rick smirked. “Yeah… ok.”

Grinning, Tom hopped out of the seat and vaulted over the seat row in front of them, landing near the doorway for the flight attendants. The ladies jumped, but Tom politely asked them for more peanuts, and possibly some jam. Rick had no idea what he intended to do with that combination, but he never put it past Tom to have some ingenious (if not weird) idea always on his mind. He was like that.

They reached Shanghai in the afternoon on Sunday, exactly as Rick had arranged. The pilot announced their descent, made polite communication with air traffic control, and they were allowed to approach the runway. They touched down with the mildest of bumps. It was amazing nothing had gone wrong in the flight. Of course Rick’s family had paid their employees so well that he was sure they worked hard to maintain the airplane and everything associated with it that if anything did go wrong they would take it personally.

As they rolled across the tarmac, slowing down, the lights raised in the cabin and the flight attendants began to put all the things Tom had messed with back into position. The pilot turned on the intercom once more, giving instructions for their safety and departure from the plane. Those who were asleep—the intercom and flight attendants woke them. Eventually the gulfstream came to a halt near some far hangars where the Deacon family occasionally rented space.

An automated stair rolled up to the outside door.

“Ok,” Rick said, unbuckling his seatbelt and rising. “If you want to freshen up before disembarking, use the restroom on the plane. They’ll unload it afterwards.”

“What’s wrong with the airport toilets?” Eddie asked, stretching.

Tom smothered a laugh and looked away.

“Nothing,” Rick said. “I’m sure you can find western toilets in the airport, but this plane is at least a guarantee.”

“Western toilets?” Daniel rose achily, eying him.

James slapped Daniel on the shoulder. “Riiiight. They use squatters here. It’s back to the old war-time latrine method for us, gentlemen.”

“War time latrine?” Chen eyed him funny, still unsettled about their earlier tiff. His suspicions were clearly being confirmed.

Semour snickered. “Yep, fellas. It is another world.”

Chen made a disgusted face, sliding out of his aisle past them.

Daniel hurried to the toilet, getting there first as always. Andy rose, quietly going after Daniel. Rick watched, frowning. Andy hadn’t said anything since he woke. He was probably still in a bad mood.

Tom slipped next to him. “This is going to be fun….”

Shooting him a look, Rick wasn’t sure if he was being literal or ironic. “Don’t you have some vanishing and passport stamping to do?”

Nodding, Tom grinned. “In a minute. I need to drop a load also.”

Rick smirked, glad Tom was at least respecting the others’ space. He was so dreadfully impulsive, it was amazing he could control himself for this long. Then again, Tom had matured since high school.

Once Daniel was out Tom jumped the line and was in.

“Hey!” Andy shouted as the door shut in his face.

“Never mind that,” Rick said, reassessing his view on Tom again—he was still impulsive. “He’s got to leave earlier than the rest of us.”

“And why is that?” Semour asked, hand propped on hip, irritated frown fixing on his face.

“He’s CIA,” Chen said. “He’s not actually allowed in China—if they can stop him.”

Semour stared, then looked to Rick as if mentally asking why they brought Tom along then.

But Daniel snorted. “So he’s sneaking in.”

Rick shrugged.

Yet Tom was quickly done and out of the bathroom, skipping through the others to the doorway. It wasn’t open yet, but he went as invisible and immaterial as he could go, and he slipped through the solid door to the outside. In two seconds, he was gone and probably on his way to snatch a stamp for his passport.

James shuddered. “I am never going to get used to that.”

Eddie, though, looked thoughtful. “You know, I could still see him a little bit. It’s not like Eve. She could go entirely invisible.”

“Eve is different,” Rick said with a nod to him. “Tom is half human. Eve isn’t human at all.”

“Who?” Chen lifted his chin peering at them curiously.

Those of the Seven gazed at him then glanced to Rick, hesitant as they didn’t want another argument.

Daniel said to Rick, “Do only a few of your friends know about Eve?”

Huffing, Rick sighed and said to Chen, “A friend of mine in California. Eve McAllister. She’s half imp like Tom, but she is also half vampire. She’s a—”

“A demon,” Chen muttered, staring at Rick as if Rick had admitted to committing an egregious sin.

Moaning, Daniel shook his head. “So is Tom.”

“Half,” Chen retorted. “And it is not his fault.”

“It’s not Eve’s fault either,” Rick replied calmly.

Chen looked severely annoyed if not disappointed in Rick.

“Why does this matter?” Daniel asked, peering at him. “Eve was born to kill us. The Seven. What does this matter to you?”

Chen shot him a sharp look. “If she is your enemy, why are you allowing her to live?”

“Because she is good,” Andy said stepping out from the bathroom. “Like the Monkey King.”

Chen’s eyes whipped to him, confused. “Don’t you compare them.”

“I read the book,” Andy said, walking through them while James slipped into the bathroom next. “At least the first half and the end. The Monkey King was a supernatural being who caused a lot of havoc and was eventually tamed by Buddha and given enlightenment. Eve is the same.”

“Minus Buddha,” Eddie interjected.

“And the havoc,” Daniel added, feeling indignant on Eve’s behalf.

“Not exactly,” Semour countered, shaking his head.

They shot him a look.

“Previous vimps,” Semour explained, “Caused a lot of havoc, and carnage.”

“Previous incarnations,” Chen muttered almost thanking Semour with his eyes.

Rick huffed. “Ugh. Chen. I don’t know what your problem is today, but I can personally vouch for Eve McAllister. She saved my life—”

“Maybe she just likes you,” Chen said, not looking at him.

“She saved Matthew’s life,” Rick continued.

Chen stared at him this time, shocked really. “Matt met her?”

Rick nodded. “A couple years ago. And Matt vouches for her also. She also has a family which she loves and protects.”

“A mortal family?” Chen peered at Rick, still suspicious despite Matthew Calamori’s endorsement. Matthew, after all, could hear unspoken thoughts and Matt didn’t like lies.

“Of course,” Rick snapped. “They raised her. Otherwise she probably would be a dangerous angry demon we all should fear. I met her family. I know them. And good people can help against evil simply by being kind—which is what they did for her.”

Chen pulled back, looking confused now. “You think that’s all it takes?”

Moaning, Rick slumped against the seat next to him. “Chen! What is with you? You are judging a person you haven’t even met! And for that matter, has nothing to do with what is going on right now.”

Coloring, Chen pressed his lips together, nearly glaring at Rick. Then he replied, “The Bai Nian Clan were demon hunters of China. And yet you talk lightly about befriending a demon.”

“Like me,” Rick said.

Chen’s eyes widened and he paled. “You’re not—”

“In European folklore, he is,” Daniel affirmed, smiling appreciatively at Rick.

Rick closed his eyes, cringing.

“Werewolves are infamous for ravaging villages and countrysides,” Semour said.

“Man-eating monsters,” James added, coming out of the bathroom. He had heard it all. “Driven by the lust for flesh.”

Glaring those three, Chen snapped, “He can’t help what his father is!”

“And neither can Eve,” Andy said with confidence.

Chen pulled back from him. “That’s not the same. He hasn’t done anything wrong.”

Rick opened his eyes. “And neither has Eve.”

Wincing, Chen shook his head. “How would you know?”

Shrugging, Rick replied, “Because, the day she saved me from hunters, they went after her family. And when she had the opportunity to kill them, she didn’t. Eve has a good soul.”

“Besides,” Andy added with a nod to Rick, “The guy she is dating is seriously a saint.”

“She tricked him,” Chen snapped, pale with denial.

All of the Seven shook their heads.

“He knows what she is,” Rick explained. “Eve told me all about how he found out what she was—and it was long before they started dating.”

“When was that?” Daniel asked him, relaxing while decidedly ignoring Chen.

Chen frowned, unhappy in silent protest.

“Christmas vacation, her freshman year of high school,” Rick said, keeping one eye on Chen. “She has known the guy since forever though. But that Christmas, she said, she spent with his family because her grandmother—adoptive mind you—had thrown her out of the house when her family finally told the woman what Eve really was.”

“She told you that?” Andy smirked at him, probably wondering what else Eve had confided in Rick.

Rick nodded. “Well, yeah. I really liked her, you know. But she’s in love with that guy… and that’s the end of it. But we still email each other, you know—as friends.”

“Her and Hanz…” Daniel smirked. “It’s kinda cute.”

“It sounds like possession to me,” Chen muttered. “Besides, how do you know she isn’t lying?”

Rick rolled his eyes, clenching his teeth. If Chen kept this up, he was tempted to tell his pilot to take Chen back to the US.

The Seven groaned. Some were peeking at him, probably thinking the same as him.  

“Matt,” Rick repeated.

Chen cringed, coloring again. His shoulders dropped a little in defeat. He knew Matthew well enough not to question the veracity of his testimony. “Fine.”

Shaking his head, Rick headed to the airplane door. This trip was already wearying. Coordinating so many different people to get along was a lot more exhausting than he had anticipated.

Those who had not gone to the restroom fought to be the next one in.

Andy followed Rick to the outer door. “Thanks,” Andy said in a low voice.

Rick peeked back to him. “For what?”

“For reminding me what I already knew.” Andy’s eyes averted to the floor.

Not sure what he meant, Rick didn’t reply.

Andy whispered. “I knew Matthew wasn’t messing around with Jessica. I just…” He shook his head. “You’re right. I get blinded sometimes to what’s most important. I never would have made it back to this world if it weren’t for Jessica.”

“I hope that’s not the only reason you like her,” Rick said, taking down his carry-on bag from an upper compartment. He started to unload all the carry-ons, actually, just to keep occupied. He was still agitated about Chen’s attitude and the current conversation with Andy.

Chuckling, Andy shook his head more. “Of course not. But it really counts. I mean how many girls after only knowing you for a few days try to find you when you get kidnapped? Especially after hearing you have been kidnapped by a curse that had already taken so many boys…”

Rick smirked. Andy had a point. However, Jessica had not known she would end up sucked into an entirely different world. She was probably trying to do a Nancy Drew type of investigation—not actually attempting to catch a criminal.

The others eventually joined him in taking down their carry-ons, if they had any.

As soon as they packed their swords into the one bag Rick had brought for them, the flight attendants opened the outer door. Rick peered out to make sure the stairs were actually there. It had happened to a former president once, though Rick often wondered if that had happened due to poor scheduling on the part of the US rather than an actual political snub.

“Ok,” Rick said as stepped onto the stair, carrying both his and Tom’s laptops out into the cold air. “We should be met by another airport bus and taken to either baggage claim or to a door that leads to customs. We have to go through customs. We have nothing to sell, so you have nothing to claim. You all have tourist visas. They might ask for you to show them your tour packet or a contact address—which I put into your envelopes earlier.”

“Tour?” James opened his mouth in protest, heaving the bag full of swords down the stairs. They were all wrapped in blankets from the flight so they would not clink together. 

“It’s