Page 28 of Seeking Shadows

Before I can say so, a noise from the other room makes me freeze. Glass breaking.

Seth and Laura hear it too.

“What was that?” Seth asks.

“Pigeons,” I say automatically.

“…Pigeons?”

“Violent pigeons. They’re kind of…revoltingaround here.”

Silence.

Then Seth grumbles, “I’m coming to get you.”

“Not a chance.”

“Laura, pack your bags.”

“Oh, come on! You’re gonna ruin my trip!”

“I’d rather ruin your trip than have to break in somewhere torescueyou,” Seth snaps.

If only he knew how painfully close he was to the truth.

“You always assume the worst of me.”

Laura sighs. “Maybe because the worst isusuallyhappening.”

I cross my arms, indignant. “That’s not true. Sometimes I just makecreative decisions.”

“That’s a euphemism for trouble,” Seth deadpans. “I don’t care much about trouble, sis, but Ijustgot you back. Try not to get yourself killed too soon.”

Too late.

“Aww, that’s sweet to hear.”

“She’s stalling. That means she’s in trouble.”

“Well,” I mutter, “depends on your point of view.”

“That means yes.”

“No! And don’t bother tracking me, Seth. I asked a hacker to leave my phone location in some random spot in Texas. I really want to enjoy this,” I lie.

Seth snorts, clearly not buying it. “Oh, please. You’re not fooling anyone. You think I can’t figure out your bullshit? I’m practically wired into everything.”

“Maybe you should stop worrying about my phone and more about keeping your own head from exploding,” I snap, adding a playful edge to keep him guessing.

Laura stays quiet for a moment, arms likely crossed, watching the show unfold in silence.“You two are ridiculous,” she mutters, barely hiding her smirk.

“You guys need to trust me on this, okay? Just promise you’ll let me go. It’s not fair—I deserve to live in normalcy.” I know I shouldn’t be playing the guilt card, but it’s the only one I have left.

Seth grunts on the other end, clearly annoyed. I hate doing this, especially knowing how much my brother feels the weight of what happened to me, even though it’s not his fault. I don’t really blame him, but that doesn’t make it any easier. It's the only way to ensure he stays away “Normalcy? Yeah, sure. Fine, whatever. You want your space? Take it. But I swear, if anything goes wrong... I’m coming for you.” His voice drips with irritation, and I can hear the barely restrained threat under the surface.

I can’t afford for anything to go wrong. If Seth finds out, he’ll come after me, no question.

“You’ll tell us if you need help, right?” Laura’s voice is softer, but there’s a quiet edge of concern that makes my heart beat faster.

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