Silver Eyes by Nicole Luiken

remark she made as a personal criticism, shrinking further and further inside himself like a turtle. After a while, Timothy wouldn’t even look at her, gazing into his barley soup instead.
    Timothy and Rianne together made for a conversational black hole. From Rianne’s awed looks at the china and crystal, I gathered that she felt intimidated. And typically, she didn’t like the feeling and turned surly, rejecting Timothy’s suggestions on what to order.
    Thank God Mike was there to help me keep the conversation limping along.
    I wouldn’t have thought the evening could get worse, but it did. When Rianne and I came back from a trip to the ladies’ room, we saw Eddy standing at the table. We hung back a moment.
    â€œI just popped in to see how you were doing,” Eddy was saying to a delighted Timothy. “Everything looks great.”
    His compliment was generic, but Timothy glowed under it. “Thanks!”
    Timothy’s mother looked grim. When she’d tried to compliment Timothy, he’d started to mumble about how it wasn’t his fault the Martian waterways exhibit had flooded the floor below.
    â€œI thought you were tied up with the Ramsey merger,” President Castellan said, steel in her voice.
    â€œI was, I am,” Eddy said glibly. “I just flew down for the night; I’ll be back in New York in time for breakfast. I couldn’t miss my favorite nephew’s symposium, after all!”
    â€œBut if you fly back tonight, you won’t get to see any of it,” Timothy protested.
    â€œI wish I could see it, Timmy, but I’ve got to nail the Ramsey deal for your mother.” Eddy neatly slipped the blame onto President Castellan.
    Timothy looked pleadingly at his mother. “Couldn’t somebody else handle it?”
    President Castellan cast a scathing glance at Eddy, then turned to her son. “No, dear, I’m afraid not.”
    Timothy closed up again.
    Eddy smirked at his half sister, unconcerned by the murder in her eyes. “Well, I’ve got to run now. Bye.” Turning from the table, he saw me. He winked.
    The idiot! I felt my face freeze. He was going to blow my cover! Had anyone else seen?
    Rianne had.
    I bent closer to her ear. “ Please tell me that man didn’t wink at me,” I said through clenched teeth.
    Rianne’s lips twitched. “Sorry. He’s one hundred percent smitten. In fact he’s coming this way.”
    â€œArrgh!” Eddy was indeed coming closer, smiling greasily. “Don’t leave me alone with him,” I whispered furiously. I held tight to the back of Rianne’s wheelchair, chaining her in place.
    â€œHello, ladies. I’m Eddy Castellan, Timothy’s uncle.”
    I shook his outstretched hand. “I’m Angel Eastland, and this is Rianne Beaulieu.”
    â€œPleased to meet you. Hey, Timothy, why didn’t you tell me your new roommates were knockouts?” Eddy called over his shoulder.
    Eddy’s compliment unnerved me. My heart was rabbiting in my chest, and my hands felt icy. With a shock, I realized I was afraid. Of Eddy.
    I didn’t understand why. Eddy was a creep, and he had the power to fire me, but that didn’t explain my reaction.
    Timothy didn’t know how to answer his uncle’s rhetorical question. His fair skin flushed with embarrassment. “I didn’t think of it. That is—”
    Eddy cut him off, still beaming at Rianne and me. “Timothy’s been doing a great job running the symposium, don’t you think? He’s been run off his feet, so don’t keep him up partying every night, okay?” Eddy winked again, and then left the rest of the table sitting in stiff silence.
    Half an hour later, we returned to the Castellan house. President Castellan started to excuse herself when Timothy put an old science fiction movie— what else?—on the big screen in the living room.
    â€œWait,”