Page 54 of Seer

“Oh! Uh, thank you, but my laptop’s in there, and I might need it.” I gripped the intact strap tightly.

She snapped her fingers then pointed again. “Ye’ll be in the book room, yeah? I’ll bring it there before ye have need of it. Give it over.”

I opened my mouth to protest again, but she glared at me. Her eyes were black with no white visible.

Right. This was a supernatural being. It was hard to see in the sunlight, but when I focused I could see the same glittery aura Greg and Edgar had. I shut my mouth and silently handed over my backpack.

She slung it over her tiny shoulder and patted the strap. “This was given with love. Ye’ve been having it repaired as ye go, yeah?”

“Uh, yeah.”

She gave me a sharp nod. “I’ll put some protections on it, so it’ll be more resilient. And dinna worry. I’ll treat it just like you would.”

Inexplicably, a lump formed in my throat. “Um, thanks.”

A new voice said, “Cal? Is that you?”

I turned to find a woman who could only be Delphia Shaw. She was almost as tall as Greg, with thick brown hair held back in an untidy braid. She had brown eyes instead of Greg’s gray, but her sharp nose and jaw were the same, as was the sparkling aura around her. I guessed she was around 70 years old.

“Hi, you must be Delphia.” I glanced around, but Aileen had vanished.

“Give me a hug, you, and welcome to the family.”

“Uh... family?” I couldn’t ask my question because she was in my arms, squeezing my ribcage harder than I would’ve liked.

“Hey, is that Cal?”

I looked up to see a big, muscled guy, even taller than me. He had to be Greg’s older brother Dominic. He’d gotten the gray eyes, but his features were a little rougher than Greg’s. His brown hair was cut short, and his face and arms sported several scars.

Delphia finally released me. “Yes! Cal, meet Dominic, my other son. Dominic, just look at this connection!” She moved her forefinger along an invisible line between me and Greg, who was standing in the middle of a mob of well-wishers with a desperate expression on his face.

Dominic raised his eyebrows, looking down at my gut then up to my face. “Wow, welcome to the family.”

Oh, shit. “Uh, I don’t think....”

“Come on.” Delphia grabbed my arm. “Dominic, go rescue your brother. We’ll meet you in the kitchen.” She started pulling me toward the front door of the house.

I glanced over my shoulder for Greg, but he was blocked by Dominic, who was wading through the crowd to get to him.

I barely had time to see the entryway of the house before I was dragged through a kind of great room with seating areas and tables scattered around. The kitchen was huge, and I could see a large dining room through a doorway at the other end.

Delphia sat me down at the enormous butcher-block island. “Coffee or iced tea?”

“Um, I don’t need anything right now, thanks.”

She made a dismissive noise. “You’ll be in a tiny room with the books the rest of the day. Beverages aren’t a good idea in there with all that old paper. You’ll get parched. I’ll get you some water.”

“Okay,” I said faintly. Holy crap, she was even pushier in person than she’d seemed on the phone.

I heard the front door open, the sounds of people shouting and laughing outside spilling through the house beforesuddenly cutting off. Two sets of footsteps echoed through the empty rooms as Dominic and Greg came closer.

“Boys, you want coffee, iced tea, or water?”

“Nothing for me, Mom,” Dominic said as he walked into the kitchen. “You know I’ve got to get on the road.”

Greg came in behind him. His face was pasty white, his eyes wide. He moved stiffly, and he had his arms crossed as if he were cold. Fuck.

I used my foot to shove the barstool next to me out a little, nodding at Greg to sit down. He gave me a quick smile and sat. He scooted the stool closer to the island, and I used my bulk to take up even more space than I usually did. I felt Greg relax slightly as my shoulder and upper arm pressed against his. Maybe he didn’t dislike me as much as he once had.