16
A knock on the door brought me out of a peaceful, dream-less sleep. Voices floated through the house. My eyes flickered open, and I sat up and looked around. The couch cushion beside me was empty. The faint sound of voices drifted from the front door. I leaned forward and caught sight of Orion’s back at the door. In front of him stood a young woman I’d never met. She was about sixteen with long reddish hair and a stripe of orange down both her cheeks. Her eyes sported the strange feline contacts that were perennially popular with kids her age. Her dark complexion bespoke a mixed heritage of Western and Indian origins. A sweet scent of spice flowed from her clothes and hair.
“She just thought you would want to know.” She looked past Orion at me and cringed.
Orion half-turne
