Shadows Between Us (Stella and Sebastian) novel Chapter 166

Chapter 166

Allan rolled his eyes.

He rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was hallucinating. Why on earth was Stella standing in the kitchen?

He sucked in a breath, totally stunned.

Allan gagged.

His eyes watered, and he almost choked.

He was one step away from meeting his great-grandma in hell.

With tears in his eyes, he turned around and looked at the two icebergs sitting at the dining table-one big, one small. He threw up his hands. ‘Are their noses broken or something?’ he thought.

Lucas suddenly sneezed, and two snowy white cotton balls popped right out of his nose.

Lucas was utterly shocked.

He looked totally panicked.

He peeked toward the kitchen to make sure Stella hadn’t noticed, then hurriedly stuffed the cotton balls back up his nose, acting like nothing had happened.

Allan was speechless.

Jake suddenly popped up out of nowhere, nudged Allan with his elbow, and held out his palm. Two snowy white cotton balls were just sitting there, totally chill.

He shot Allan a look, silently telling him to hurry up and stick them back in.

Allan rolled his eyes.

‘Thanks on behalf of my great-grandma!’ Allan thought, feeling dramatic,

Finally feeling alive again, Allan crept into the kitchen. “Stella, what are you doing?” He poked his head in and saw a bunch of weird-looking plants scattered across the counter.

And on the stove was a huge pot of something so black and murky it looked like it could swallow the world.

Stella didn’t even look up. Following the recipe ViperShade had sent her, she tossed another handful into the pot. “Making soup.”

Allan rolled his eyes.

The pot bubbled and gurgled.

It looked just like the kind of brew Gargamel made in the Smurfs-thick, black, and sticky, with every bubble looking like it was hiding a little ghost. This wasn’t soup; this was their death sentence!

‘If anyone actually took a sip, they’d probably drop dead on the spot, Allan thought.

‘Even my great-grandma wouldn’t be able to catch me in time, even if she flew in on a jet!’ Allan thought, feeling dramatic.

“S-Stella, w-who’s actually supposed to drink this stuff?” Allan stammered, his voice cracking. Clearly, this was a crucial question-John and Jake, still stone-faced at the doorway, couldn’t help but perk up their ears, totally on edge.

Stella looked up. “Want to try it?”

Allan rolled his eyes.

Stella grabbed another handful of mysterious herbs and threw them into the pot.

Allan was horrified.

‘Did I just see that right?’ Allan thought, his eyes wide.

‘Was that green smoke coming out of the pot?’ Allan was freaking out inside.

Stella checked over ViperShade’s recipe list one last time, making sure nothing was missing, then finally turned off the stove. “Bowls…” She started taking bowls out of the cabinet, one after another.

Every time she took out a bowl, Allan would quietly snatch one and stash it behind his back.

“Enough…” Stella looked down at the table.

The table was completely bare-no bowls in sight!

Allan’s hands were trembling like mad behind his back.

Stella glanced up, totally unfazed, and said, “Hand them over.”

Allan rolled his eyes.

‘Guys, I swear I tried!’ Allan thought, feeling utterly defeated.

He pulled the bowls out, head hanging low, and shuffled after Stella as she carried the pot.

At the restaurant, everyone got a bowl of soup, including even Snowball and Eggie. As an Al robot, Big Ben was spared. It watched the pot in the center of the table, and then played “Celebration” to set the mood.

Big Ben said, “Celebrate good times, come on!”

Stella, completely expressionless, said, “Big Ben.”

The music stopped instantly.

Big Ben said, “Love you!”

It made a heart with its robot hands.

Everyone was speechless.

‘Such a suck-up!’ they all thought.

“Sebastian, you…” Allan propped himself up on the table with one hand, feeling another wave of nausea hit him. Right then, Sebastian’s cold voice rang out, “You sure you don’t want another bowl?”

Allan had just managed to sit up when he instantly gagged and doubled over again.

He collapsed back onto the table, totally done for.

“Mr. Gray, please, you can’t let Ms. Carter cook ever again! I’m begging you!” Jake was nearly bawling. I’ve never suffered like this in my life, except for that hellish time with Red Shadow!’ he thought, feeling totally wrecked.

But in the very next second, a dinner knife came whizzing at him, and Jake snatched it out of the air on reflex.

Jake was speechless.

He stared blankly at the knife in his hand, dazed. ‘Wait, how did I even catch that?’ he wondered, still in shock.

Jake, never exactly the brains or the brawn of the Yates family, felt like the whole thing happened in slow-mo. It was the first time he’d actually seen a weapon coming.

“John!” he blurted out, whipping his head around to stare at John in shock.

John, his face as stone-cold as ever, frowned and decided to test his own strength. He threw a punch at the vase sitting nearby.

But before his fist even touched it, the force of the punch alone shattered the vase into pieces.

John said, “My strength and speed have gone up!” he said, totally sure of it.

Allan remained silent.

Sebastian was already calmly sipping his second bowl, like it was no big deal.

The rest of them stared in silence at the thin layer of soup left in the pot. Even though it was still as black and murky as a witch’s brew, to them now, it was worth a hundred times more than gold or diamonds.

The three of them all grabbed their empty bowls at once and started fighting over the last of the soup right there on the table.

Mid-sip, Eggie was suddenly hurled into the air with a whoosh. It arced like a rainbow over Lucas’s head and landed with a splat beside Sebastian. Before it steadied itself, a gust of force swept it right back over Lucas to where it started.

Eggie chirped angrily.

‘I’m furious, and payback is coming!’ it thought, absolutely fuming.

He flapped his wings wildly and launched himself straight at Allan, John, and Jake.

With one swift motion, it got flung right onto Snowball’s big forehead.

Stella came back, hauling the giant box Razorstrike had shipped over, and just stared, totally speechless at the mess in front of her.

Stella was utterly confused.

Suddenly, a call came in from the hospital. Sebastian picked up, and his expression shifted slightly.