Days have passed, but no one has heard from Fintan since he was abducted by dragons. And poor Pickles! As soon as this is over, I'm determined to visit her on Mt. Olympus, where Cupid has hidden her from her mother. But it's Halloween, and as the saying goes, the show must go on. We have to do this for the kidnapped merfolk and the oceans. Pickles and Fintan would want us to go ahead, but it's not as fun vanquishing a villain without all your best pals.

Today we will take down Darkins, rescue the merfolk, save the bay, and finally get back to the standard teen problems of dating, math homework, and overprotective parents.

So far, there are sixteen of us West Marin Heights students hiding behind a knoll near the dusty dirt road that leads to the Darkins compound. We're waiting for Cupid to bring the last group of students over in his chariot. Then we'll lay out the details of our plan for everyone.

My mouth is dry, and my stomach is twisted in knots. So much is riding on us today, but I'm excited too. We are doing this!

While we wait, Thunder and Lily-Bella have wandered off and disappeared behind an enormous eucalyptus tree. Pierce has gone ahead into the compound to scope out the positions and number of Darkins' guards. Shelly is sitting by herself in the meadow, picking at the grass. She's been a bit of a loner since abandoning me in the barrel that night. We haven't told her yet about her mom being here. We don't trust her not to do something rash.

A tractor rumbles by on the road beneath us, startling me. It's the same road where Pierce 'borrowed' a car last time we came here. The sun is high in the sky, and I'm sweating in my leather pants and black wig, but there's no help for that. Today I am Kelly Spring—party planner extraordinaire.

I wipe my forehead with the back of my hand. There's a sudden blissfully cool rush of fennel-scented wind as Cupid sweeps by and steers Apollo's golden chariot to a flat spot in the middle of a stand of trees at the top of the knoll. Four werewolves hop over the side—Gunther, Tamar, Charlotte, and Kiara. Vang, the cute vampire from art class, opens the door, jumps out, and offers his hand to Khione, goddess of snow. She takes it and steps gracefully to the ground, a flurry of snowflakes spiraling up and down her thin body. She seems oblivious to the way Vang is looking at her.

I walk over to greet the students and direct them to where everyone is waiting. Cupid winks at me. He's been teasing me all morning about my 'Kelly' outfit. He's wearing his Peter Gibbons suit, this time with a bow tie and a pink carnation in his lapel instead of a gerbera daisy. His curly blond hair is slicked back, and a pair of horn-rimmed glasses sits low on his nose even though I'm pretty sure gods don't need them.

"Does Apollo know you've 'borrowed' his chariot again? Or are we going to have to rescue you later from where you're pinned to a rock in Hades?" I ask.

"Of course he doesn't know! I'm not an idiot," Cupid says.

"That's up for debate," I say.

"There is something about gods that you do not know," Cupid says as he releases the alicorns from their golden harness.

"Enlighten me."

"We never learn from our mistakes! It's against our religion."

I snort. "Besides the likelihood of Apollo locking you up in Hades again, what if a guard from the compound sees magical winged unicorns chomping on their grass?"

"Do not worry, my dear. They have a glamour upon them that makes them look like ordinary horses to humans."

One of the alicorns whinnies in protest.

"What is it, Sprinkles?" says Cupid.

"She says, 'I am no ordinary horse, you arse,'" I translate for him. "Her words, not mine."

Cupid waves his hand, and the errant alicorn is now a donkey. Cupid glares at the other alicorns. "Anyone else have anything to add?"

The alicorns all whinny politely.

"Alright. Red Velvet, Mocha, 'Nilla, go have a nice graze," Cupid says, slapping each one on the rump. "Lay off the dandelions, Sprinkles! You're getting a bit plump." The equines take off toward a patch of green on the brown knoll in the shade of an oak.

I look around to see if I can locate Cyril, the stunt donkey, and his horse friends. I've worried about them since we had the meeting with Dirk. I really hope nothing happened to them. Could Darkins have discovered that Cyril helped me gain access to the facility? I transmit via tele-speak, "Cyril!" as hard as possible, but there's no answer.

"Okay, people," says Cupid. He's carrying a mundane clipboard rather than the magical scroll he used when we planned the party so long ago in his Mount Olympus bedroom/boudoir. "Gather round. Lily-Bella? Thunder?" They appear from behind the tree. "Oh, don't blush, you two. I am the god of love, after all. Anywho, time to explain what is happening here today. We're still having the Halloween party for the school, but simultaneously, we are also destroying the DOT Corporation by exposing their evil."

"Who?" says Vang.

"It's a long story, and we haven't got a lot of time. What you need to know is that the DOT Corporation is poisoning the bay with a toxic pollutant that is a byproduct of their manufacturing of a human beauty product. And they have been holding merfolk as prisoners. We need to stop them and put a permanent end to their scheme. The head of the company, one Dirk Darkins," Cupid waves his arm, and a holographic image of Darkins (embellished with devil horns) rotates on a little platform, "is going down tonight. We all have jobs to do. We need to execute them in the correct order and as efficiently as possible. We must also look like humans, as Darkins' guards will watch us constantly. So no magical funny business." Cupid waves his arm again, and the holo-Dirk erupts in red flames, then turns to holo-ash.

"You sure we're still having the party?" Charlotte says. "I have a costume and everything. I'm going as Little Red Riding Hood." The wolves all chuckle. Inside joke, I guess.

"Yes, we're still having a party," Cupid says. "The rest of the students from West Marin Heights will be arriving in time for the party. They will be joined by the merfolk royal family and the human press from all over the world. When everyone is here, we are going to expose Darkins. And to make sure he can't ever do this again, we're going to blow up his building, which contains all his research, equipment, and product inventory. Questions?"

Everyone talks at once. The wolves seem pretty happy about the prospect of blowing things up. Khione is cranky, but she always is. Shelly looks up at me, arching a brow.

"What's going on, Wave?" she asks. "What did Cupid mean, they're holding merfolk? Is my mom here?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, Shelly."

"We have to go get her. Right now!" She gets up, runs over to me, and grasps my shoulders.

"Not yet. We have to do things in the right order. But don't worry. You're going to be part of the rescue."

"Quiet, people! Now, where was I?" says Cupid.

"On Uranus?" says Vang hopefully.

"Don't think I haven't been there," says Cupid. "Uranus is a personal friend."

"Come on, guys. We need to get to work," I say. "Cupid, why don't you give out the assignments?"

"Of course. Wolf pack?"

"Yes?" says the wolf pack in chorus. It's kind of spooky how they are perfectly in sync.

"You are in charge of erecting the marquee, then setting up the tables and outdoor kitchen. Then finally, and most importantly: placing the explosives. Originally Fintan was going to torch the place, but as you all know, he was hijacked, and we cannot locate him. So Thunder has kindly stepped in and offered your services. He's been accumulating the dynamite over the last week and researching the best way to blow stuff up. Do as he instructs. I want no premature conflagrations. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," the wolves chime in.

"Lily-Bella, Wave, you're in charge of the haunted house."

"Got it," I say. "I'm going to need help with unloading the boxes of stuff I ordered off of the human interweb."

"Internet," Pierce says, appearing at my side like magic. I practically jump six feet in the air, my heart racing.

"Whatever," I say to cover my embarrassment.

"I'll help with the boxes," Vang says.

"Shelly, I have a special assignment for you," Cupid says. "How are you at flying a chariot?"

"I have my license," she says.

Cupid raises a golden eyebrow. "I won't even ask how you convinced one of the gods to teach you how to drive a chariot. You and I are going to liberate your mother and the rest of the merfolk. After they're free, they're going to need to be transported for medical attention. Chiron awaits their arrival back at school."

"Thank you," says Shelly. I can see she's worried about her mom not being well, but she is also thrilled about the impending rescue. And merfolk heal quickly. I've mentioned that, right?

Cupid checks his clipboard and asks, "Pierce, do you have a report on the guard situation?"

"It's not good. There are twenty-four armed guards policing the premises. They are linked to one another with a communication system. So what one knows, they all know."

"Pandora's plague," Cupid curses. "I'm going to have to have words with Hephaestus for starting this whole human technology craze."

"We could tie them to trees," Charlotte says. Apparently, the tree thing isn't only a favored pastime particular to Thunder.

Cupid holds up a hand. "No. We'll just have to enact Plan B."

"Which is?" says Vang.

"That haunted house had better be fantastic. Perhaps we can seduce our security guard friends into trying it out, and they may enjoy it too much to leave." Cupid has a scary glitter in his eyes. "Any of you without jobs will accompany me to the DOT Corporation offices to assemble the press kits."

"What's a press kit?" says Khione.

"Well, it's a little surprise I'm putting together for the event. Darkins had planned to give each member of the human press a folder containing information about the corporation and its new miraculous product. Mr. Darkins had personally overseen the production of these. However, I have assembled photographic evidence of Darkins' evil deeds to distribute in identical folders. We will switch them with the originals, and Darkins will not know until it is too late. Oh, and one last thing. Please refer to me as Mr. Gibbons. Pierce is Mr. Molar, and Waverly is Miss Spring. Now, let's head down to the compound."

"I'm in heels," Khione whines.

"It's a five-minute walk," says Cupid. "Deal with it." Cupid shakes his head and mutters, "Goddesses!"

Three hours later, I'm wiping the sweat from my brow, trying to ignore the ache in my arms from all the lifting and reaching and assembling I've been doing. To take my mind off of the discomfort, I watch the Woolfson pack finish erecting the marquee across the meadow from the barn. The male wolves are shirtless and have glistening, well-toned abs, which I admit I am now admiring.

Darkins' security team, all in black jeans, black leather jackets, and dark mirrored sunglasses, are peppered around the property like a pod of orcas circling their prey.

"Does that look okay, Wav ... I mean ... Miss ... uh ... Spring?" says Gunther, coming to stand next to me to view the completed marquee. It's enormous, almost as large as the barn. You could easily hold a circus under this tent.

"Yes, it's perfect. I can't believe you got the whole thing up so fast."

Gunther gives me a handsome werewolf grin. "Woolfson pack at your service." He actually bows!

Charlotte elbows him. "Wolf," she says. "Sorry about him, Wave."

"Not a problem," I say. "Gunther is a gentleman."

Pierce comes up behind me, puts his arms around my waist, and kisses the back of my neck. It's like he has secret vampire radar and knows when I'm innocently admiring a bunch of bare-chested werewolves. I turn around and kiss him. He smells of strawberries. Gunther and his fellow wolves have wisely made themselves scarce.

"Have you communicated with the merfolk in the tank?" he asks.

"Yes, Pier ... um, I mean Mr. Molar."

"They know the plan?"

"Yes. They are waiting for Cupid and Shelly to rescue them."

"We need to distract the guards," he whispers in my ear, then takes a little nip. No, Waverly! Bad Waverly, I reprimand myself when I have thoughts of Pierce biting me right in the middle of this mission.

"I know. Don't worry, Lily Bella and I will get the haunted house set up and then contain the guards. Have you seen Cyril the stunt donkey and his horse friends? I want them cleared from the site before anything, uh, explodes."

"Oh, yeah," says Pierce with a wry smile. "I saw them."

"Thank Poseidon!" I say. "Why the same? What's happening?"

"Let's just say that Cyril and the recently transformed Sprinkles seem to get along."

"Oh!"

"Anyway, Miss Spring, I'm going around the back to see if there's surveillance on the second-floor window. Near the ... uh ... lab. I'll check back."

"Okay, Mr. Molar. Good luck," I say, and kiss him. I think he sighed a little. I really like that I can make this boy sigh. And not just any boy, but Pierce Knightguard—a hot, dimpled, strong, flying vampire.

"That was you sighing," he says, grinning.

"Was not!" Why can't I remember to stop admiring Pierce when he's recently had my blood? Pierce is going to get a big head if I can't control my thoughts around him!

"See you later, Miss Spring," Pierce says, prowling off in his dark blue suit and skinny tie. Now I sigh. Yeah, I'm mermaid enough to admit this!

Thunder marches over, carrying a box of Halloween decorations the size of a refrigerator. "Where do you want this stuff?"

I point to the back of the marquee. "The haunted house will be in a separate section in the back, behind a thick canvas wall."

"Okay, Miss Spring. Oh, and Cupi ... I mean Mr. Gibbons ... says you're going to give us the signal when the guards are in the haunted house and distracted so the pack can lay the explosives. That barn is going to blow up like the Fourth of July!"

"That's great, Thunder," I say. "But remember not to blow anything up until after the press conference, once we've made sure everyone is out of the building."

"Even Darkins?" says Thunder, frowning.

"Everyone," I say firmly.

"But I can tie him to a tree later, right?"

"We'll see," I say.

Thunder lets out a low growl.

"It's okay, Thundy," says Lily-Bella, joining us at the marquee entrance. "I'm sure we'll find someone for you to tie up before the end of the party!"

Thunder kisses Lily-Bella's head. "That's why I love you! You know just what I like!"

"Keep unloading the stuff," I say. "And Lily-Bella, let's create that haunted house."

"You got it."

"Can you hand me another bowl of eyeballs?" I ask, yawning after an hour and a half of haunted house set-up.

"It would be a lot easier if you'd just let me wave my wand and finish the haunted house," Lily-Bella says. "Besides, I'm hungry. At least, I was hungry before I had to touch these gooey fake eyeballs. Why do humans like them?"

"I don't know why they like most of this stuff. But I ordered the most popular items, so obviously humans like fake blood, cackling skulls, chattering teeth, skeletons, black cats, and all the rest of it. And remember, Cu ... I mean Mr. Gibbons, said no magic. Darkins' guards are right outside the marquee watching everything we do."

Tires crunch over the gravel parking area, and car doors creak open and slam shut. Through the thin walls of the tent, I smell the most delicious aroma. The food for the party has arrived. My stomach growls. Garlic!

Lily-Bella rolls her eyes at me. "Come on, Wave. It's way past lunch. Let's eat."

I take a discerning look at the haunted house we've created. Plastic spiders hang from the top of the marquee alongside plastic dancing skeletons, fake cobwebs, dry ice machines, and tacky spooky music. "This looks ridiculous," I say.

"It'll be better in the dark," Lily-Bella says, trying to be encouraging.

"It will only be darker, not better," I say.

"The actors will help, right?"

I really wish Pickles were here. She was supposed to help with the haunted house and would've made sure I didn't mess it up. But if the haunted house is not good, we'll never distract the guards for long enough.

I look around inside the marquee, then pop my head out the doorway and check outside. There are no guards close by. "Okay, Lily-Bella. Go ahead."

"With what?"

"You know. Zap this thing, and then let's get lunch."

She grins. "You got it."

As she waves her wand, I have to cover my mouth not to scream at the monsters, missing arms, empty eye sockets, blood, exposed bones, living skeletons, torture devices, and stench that she so artfully creates with her magic. "Holy crab! Let's get out of here!"

I move so fast out of the haunted house that I wonder if some of Pierce's vampire speed has rubbed off on me.

Lily-Bella catches up with me. "You like it?" she says, eyes bright.

"It's the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life," I assure her. "And I've grown up in the ocean with blobfish, moray eels, seventeen older brothers and sisters, and shell bras!"

"Thanks, Miss Spring!" she says.

With one final flick of her wand as we approach the exit to the marquee, the main room is fully decorated. Orange and yellow fairy lights on the ceiling. Pumpkins and candle centerpieces on the round tables topped with orange and black organza tablecloths. The tent is bathed in purple and black light with tiny ghostlike images dancing on the canvas.

Wow! I've really got to get a wand.

Standing next to the makeshift outdoor kitchen, Lily-Bella and I wolf down something called kung pao chicken, which is chicken with garlic and chilies and peanuts and ginger. It's amazing. The werewolves and Cupid come over to us and grab plates. There is so much food for the party, I'm not worried about running out unless the werewolves decide cooked meat is edible.

"Everything ready on your end, Miss Spring?" says Cupid. He's picking the chilies out of his helping and eating them first.

"Yes, sir, Mr. Gibbons."

"Excellent," says Cupid in an extra-loud voice. "May I suggest you test the haunted house on some of Mr. Darkins' staff? Don't want to disappoint the press tonight at the party."

"Of course," I say.

After fifteen minutes of fruitless cajoling, Lily-Bella and I are standing at the entrance of the marquee, no closer to getting the guards interested in the haunted house. Where has Cupid gone off to again? Couldn't he just do some god thing and lock all the guards in the bathroom for a couple of hours? Or lift the 'no magic' ban so Pierce can voodoo them with his vampire juju? Gods are never around when you need them!

"What are we going to do?" Lily-Bella asks me as if I'm the source of all knowledge.

I'm not in a good mood, and I almost snap at her. But in my defense, I'm sweating so bad my makeup is melting and burning my eyes. I probably look as scary as the creatures currently residing in the haunted house. It's probably wise that I hold my tongue. After seeing what creeps around in Lily-Bella's subconscious, it would be stupid to anger her.