I grab the sketchpad from my bag and find a new spot on her bed, my back against the wall. Morgan lounges with her legs draped over mine as she reads another book. This one has armored hands grasping a glowing pink sword on the cover. I flip to a fresh page and sketch her as she reads, trying to capture the focused, earnest attention she gives the characters inside.
“Have you thought about homecoming on Friday?” Morgan asks, flipping to the next page in her book.
“What about it?” I sketch the basic shape of her face and focus in on her eyes.
Morgan lays her book down on her stomach. “Should we go?”
“Should we go to the aggressively hetero school dance when the world is falling down around us?” I ask, lowering my graphite pencil.
“Umm, yeah?”
I bounce the unsharpened end of the pencil against her knee. “If you want to go, then yes. We definitely should.”
She grins and dives back into her book. Homecoming is the last thing I want to do this week, but if it’ll make her happy, I can put on a smile and dance. I go back to my drawing, and once I’ve finished her expression, I move down to sketch the lines of her shoulders and forearms. I’m working on her delicate fingers when there’s a knock on the door.
“You girls decent?” her dad asks. The ten-day-old runes still mark the frame, and I have to suppress a shudder remembering Morgan’s panic and fear as she drew them in her own blood. Mr. Hughes waits for Morgan to call out an annoyedyesbefore he comes in.
Her dad has the same coloring as her, vivid red hair and a neatly trimmed red beard. He’s wearing jeans and a blue-and-white-checkered dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. “Excuse me for not wanting to break up true love.”
Morgan rolls her eyes. “What’s up, Dad?”
“Besides my blood pressure?” He chuckles to himself, clearly amused.
I’m... confused. “Is that supposed to be a Blood Witch joke?” I whisper to Morgan. I’m fairly certain their magic would prevent those kinds of medical conditions.
“Yeah. It’s easier if you ignore him.”
“Hey now, don’t sass your elders.” Mr. Hughes props his hands on his hips and gives Morgan what from my mom would be A Look, but from him makes me think I’m missing out on some inside joke.
“Oh, are we admitting you’re old now?” she asks, all innocent charm.
“Keep it up, missy, and you’ll be banned from reading.”
Morgan fakes a gasp. “Never!”
Her dad laughs and approaches the bed, his attention turning to me. “Since my daughter has failed to introduce us, I thought I’d say hello myself. I respond to Fitz, Mr. Hughes, Morgan’s dad, or Hey, You.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Hughes,” I say as Morgan groans like her dad is the most embarrassing person she’s ever met. It makes my heart ache in a way I can’t afford to indulge in, not in front of them. Not if I want to keep functioning. “Do you need help with anything in the kitchen before dinner?”
“Eleanor and I are all set, but thank you.” Mr. Hughes turns back to Morgan and ruffles her hair. “Twenty minutes, kiddo. We’ll see you out there. It’s nice to officially meet you, Hannah.” He slips out the door, leaving it open behind him.
“I’m sorry about that,” Morgan says when he’s gone. “He’s extra weird when there are new people around.”
“No, I like him.” I tip my head back against the wall and lose the fight against the sting in my eyes. “He reminds me a little of my dad. I bet they would have gotten along well.”
Morgan reaches for my hand and squeezes tight. Before she can say anything, the doorbell rings and one of her parents answers the door.
“Are you expecting someone?” I ask.
“No, I—”
“Morgan!” A woman’s voice calls through the house, presumably Morgan’s mother. “It’s for you!”
We share a glance, and she looks as confused as I feel. She slips out of the bed and motions for me to come with her. Morgan closes her bedroom door behind us, and I wonder if she’s thinking of the runes. If she wants to hide them from whoever has come to see her.
When we get to the foyer, Alice is standing inside the door, looking smaller than I’ve ever seen her. She’s wearing jeans and an oversized hoodie, her hair up in a simple ponytail. She scowls when she sees me.
“Alice, what are you doing here?” Worry makes my nerves brittle and rough. “How do you even know where Morgan lives?”
