WARNING: SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS OF DRAGONWATCH.
Description: A road trip was fun. Being the only one able to hear the whiny creature of darkness in the back was not so fun.
"Oh my god." Seth swung his feet and whacked them on the bottom of the dashboard. "He won't shut up."
"I know, Seth," sighed Grandpa. "But could you please stop kicking the car? I'm going to end up revoking your passenger seat to Doren and send you to the backseat."
Seth snorted. Newel and Doren had insisted they come along for the return trip to the Singing Sisters and had been snacking on junk food in the back seat the whole time. To go back there was to willingly go swimming in crumbs. Ruth was definitely going to be pissed when she saw the state of her minivan when they got home.
"Hey, I wouldn't mind," piped Doren. "Shotgun for me."
"Fat chance," Seth laughed, and tried cramming his earbuds in again. Like the seven other times he had done it, nothing happened. The wraith in the trailer behind the car could still project his voice straight into Seth's head.
It's so cold. It's always so cold. Will it be cold in my new location? I'd assume so, nothing ever becomes any better for me.
"Ugh." Seth felt like his eyes would roll into the back of his head. "And I thought you all could be depressing. I should've made being quiet a part of his deal."
"He won't do it if you command him?" Stan glanced at the trailer in the side mirror.
"Nah. I haven't got the same control over him that Kendra's got over fairies. He's still got his own will, he's just inclined to listen to me."
"Come on, shadow charmer!" Doren dropped his Burger King crown on Stan's head, earning a huff and a sigh. "Maybe you could go over and kick him."
Seth snickered. "Sure. And maybe he'll freeze up from magical fear."
"Or he'll freeze up from laughter!" piped Newel. With a flourish barely managed in the tiny car, the satyr tossed his paper crown and managed to land it on top of Doren's.
"Hey!" Seth kicked the dashboard again. "Maybe I'll give him goat meat and he'll shut up!"
"Give him some teenagers! All wraiths eat mean little boys!" Newel waggled his fingers. "Spooky!"
"Will you—" Seth twisted in his seat, boosted over the middle of the car, and went right for Newel. "I'll feed him you!"
Stan sighed and leaned away from his grandson's flailing feet. Just a few more hours.