Page 80 of Found Objects

I groaned, because she already had him right there in the palm of her hand. He was enthralled with her.

“Okay.” I smiled at him. “And listen, I want you to feel free to invite your friends from school here whenever you feel like it, during the week or on weekends.”

He almost stopped breathing for a moment, he went that still.

“Evan?”

“Are you sure, Merritt? Abel has a rule that only humans who plan to⁠—”

“Humans are amazing. I’m friends with a lot of them, and you should be too. I’m sure, okay? And you go to school right there in Lewisburg, which probably seems far, but really isn’t. Especially if they drive.”

“Yeah, I’ve been saving up for a car, and Cole says he’ll pitch in next spring. He doesn’t want me driving in the snow until after I’ve practiced with him this winter. I mean, I’ve been a subway guy my whole life, you know?”

“That’s probably for the best.”

“Yeah, but being the new kid who gets dropped off and picked up by his big brother… I have no aura, man.”

I just stared at him.

He grinned back.

“English,” I ordered.

“I need a car. Not to be cool, but just so I can do more things with my friends and I don’t need to bother my chauffeur.”

“Got it.”

“I want butter on that popcorn,” Ondine called down to him.

“Yes, ma’am.” He bolted for the pantry.

A couple hours later, he conked out, so Cole went up to Ondine’s room, collected his brother, and walked him down the stairs. I caught his expression as I was finishing up in the kitchen, having made bread, then making sure it was pristine and ready for the next day.

“What?” I asked softly, not wanting to wake Evan. He was basically sleepwalking, not all the way conscious.

“How does it sound like you’re underwater up there, and now there’s moonlight coming in from the ceiling but there’s no skylight?”

I just looked at him.

“Don’t say magic.”

I pressed my lips together and tried not to smile.

“Really? That’s the answer?”

“She’s a siren,” I reminded him. “Have you ever met a siren before?”

“I have no idea,” he muttered, leaving me to walk his brother to his bedroom.

When I went into my bedroom afterward and saw Cole’s clothing laid out, I was stunned. I stood there surveying the utter chaos that covered practically every surface of my room.

“What’s with your face?” Cole asked as he sauntered in, closing and locking the door behind him.

“I normally leave that open,” I told him.

“Well, I’ll open it later.”

I squinted at him, confused.