were something . Their eyes…I’d only seen something similar on TV. Vampires. What I’d learned from Dean and Sam Winchester was about the extent of my supernatural knowledge, except neither Zane nor Crash had pointy fangs or an extra set of razor sharp teeth, which ruled out vampires. Not ready to give up so quickly, I started a new search on paranormal abilities, and then narrowed it down by freakish eyes. Maybe I would find an article, a legend, or a myth that would shed light on what I’d seen. It was a stretch, but what else did I have to go on?
A half-hour later, I’d read several websites to no avail. My eyes were glazing over, and the words blurred on the screen as I scrolled through an online newspaper. Most of what I’d found was completely useless crap.
On a whim, I typed Raven Hallow . A few seconds passed before a name popped out at me. Rose Morain. I scooted my chair closer, tucking my legs underneath me, lured by the possibility of uncovering dirt on Grams. The mouse clicked on the link, and a moment later I was scanning the headline.
RAVEN MANOR UNDER FIRE
“Rose Morain, of Raven Hallow’s founding family, was interrogated by police in the recent deaths of three teenagers who were found on her beachfront property. The names of the eighteen-year-olds are being held at their family’s request. No charges have been filed against the highly respected pillar of Raven Hallow’s community.”
Rose was questioned as part of a murder investigation? It seemed preposterous. She might have been an absent grandmother, but it only took one look to see she didn’t have a murderous bone in her body.
“Are you looking a porn sites again?”
I jumped and whirled around in my seat at the sound of TJ’s voice. He was leaning against the doorjamb. “Hilarious,” I barked. “You’re the horny teenage boy, not me. Sex isn’t on everyone’s mind twenty-four seven, ya know.” I tried to cover the monitor with my body.
TJ pushed off the door, walking into the room. “And that, sis, is your problem. You need to get laid.”
I coughed, fumbling blindly behind me with the mouse. If I could just switch the webpages… “Excuse me. Just what do you know about getting laid?”
“More than you apparently if you’re searching…”
My fingers rapidly tapped over the mouse button. Click. Click. Click.
He laid a hand on the back of the chair, looking over my shoulder. “Mythical creature responsible for killing spree?” TJ read. “Pipe, you need help.”
In a kneejerk reaction, I elbowed him in the gut.
He gave a whoosh . “How did I get stuck with such a lame sister?”
“Funny. I was thinking the same thing. Why are you here again?”
He rocked back on his heels, averting his eyes. “No reason. I was exploring and ended up here.”
Guilt settled in the pit of my belly. Since we had arrived at this plush establishment, I’d been so caught up in my own worries, determined to dislike Rose and recently dissecting Zane, that I’d forgotten TJ was only fifteen. He was still my little brother who missed our mom as much as I did. We had essentially lost both our parents in less than a year. I manufactured a smile. “Have you made any friends yet?”
TJ belly flopped on my disheveled bed. “I haven’t really left the castle.”
The corners of my lips curved as I swiveled the chair to face him. “This place is crazy, isn’t it? I find it hard to believe that you’re already bored of all those video games.”
He gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Nah. Not really. Marco had to go eat dinner with his family. We’re getting back online in a hour for a one-v-one of CoD.”
“Huh? You know I hate it when you speak that gamer geek.”
A small snicker came from his lips. “Never mind. I don’t have time to educate you.”
Marco was TJ’s best friend back in Chicago. “You should try to get out and meet people. Who knows, you might find another dork like you.”
“What about you?” he pointed out,
A half-hour later, I’d read several websites to no avail. My eyes were glazing over, and the words blurred on the screen as I scrolled through an online newspaper. Most of what I’d found was completely useless crap.
On a whim, I typed Raven Hallow . A few seconds passed before a name popped out at me. Rose Morain. I scooted my chair closer, tucking my legs underneath me, lured by the possibility of uncovering dirt on Grams. The mouse clicked on the link, and a moment later I was scanning the headline.
RAVEN MANOR UNDER FIRE
“Rose Morain, of Raven Hallow’s founding family, was interrogated by police in the recent deaths of three teenagers who were found on her beachfront property. The names of the eighteen-year-olds are being held at their family’s request. No charges have been filed against the highly respected pillar of Raven Hallow’s community.”
Rose was questioned as part of a murder investigation? It seemed preposterous. She might have been an absent grandmother, but it only took one look to see she didn’t have a murderous bone in her body.
“Are you looking a porn sites again?”
I jumped and whirled around in my seat at the sound of TJ’s voice. He was leaning against the doorjamb. “Hilarious,” I barked. “You’re the horny teenage boy, not me. Sex isn’t on everyone’s mind twenty-four seven, ya know.” I tried to cover the monitor with my body.
TJ pushed off the door, walking into the room. “And that, sis, is your problem. You need to get laid.”
I coughed, fumbling blindly behind me with the mouse. If I could just switch the webpages… “Excuse me. Just what do you know about getting laid?”
“More than you apparently if you’re searching…”
My fingers rapidly tapped over the mouse button. Click. Click. Click.
He laid a hand on the back of the chair, looking over my shoulder. “Mythical creature responsible for killing spree?” TJ read. “Pipe, you need help.”
In a kneejerk reaction, I elbowed him in the gut.
He gave a whoosh . “How did I get stuck with such a lame sister?”
“Funny. I was thinking the same thing. Why are you here again?”
He rocked back on his heels, averting his eyes. “No reason. I was exploring and ended up here.”
Guilt settled in the pit of my belly. Since we had arrived at this plush establishment, I’d been so caught up in my own worries, determined to dislike Rose and recently dissecting Zane, that I’d forgotten TJ was only fifteen. He was still my little brother who missed our mom as much as I did. We had essentially lost both our parents in less than a year. I manufactured a smile. “Have you made any friends yet?”
TJ belly flopped on my disheveled bed. “I haven’t really left the castle.”
The corners of my lips curved as I swiveled the chair to face him. “This place is crazy, isn’t it? I find it hard to believe that you’re already bored of all those video games.”
He gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Nah. Not really. Marco had to go eat dinner with his family. We’re getting back online in a hour for a one-v-one of CoD.”
“Huh? You know I hate it when you speak that gamer geek.”
A small snicker came from his lips. “Never mind. I don’t have time to educate you.”
Marco was TJ’s best friend back in Chicago. “You should try to get out and meet people. Who knows, you might find another dork like you.”
“What about you?” he pointed out,
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