Page 57 of Hallow Hill at Halloween: Part Two

CHAPTER TWELVE Medusa

I’d set my alarm, but hadn’t needed to. I’d looked at the clock over and over throughout the night, afraid I was going to oversleep. I don’t know whether it was from excitement, nerves, or fear. Whoever knows about these things? I just know that I hadn’t slept.

So, I was awake when Keir came creeping silently to get in bed before dawn. Though he didn’t need sleep, he’d made a habit of snuggling each night until I was soundly sleeping and returning in the mornings before I woke. It created an illusion that he spent the night in bed with me. I knew he didn’t, but I loved that he played the game.

He turned on his side to look at me. “You’re awake.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Everything alright?”

“Yeah. It’s weird. I just didn’t sleep. I was lying here thinking…”

“That can’t be good.”

“Stop it. I was lying here wondering why there are three of you.”

“Why I have brothers?” I nodded. The corners of his mouth twitched. “That’s what you were lying here thinking?”

“Are you stalling?”

“No. I’m enjoying feeling flattered that your thoughts were occupied with me on the first day of court.”

“Thinking about you is hardly unusual.”

“Good to know.”

“Are you gonna answer?”

“I can offer a cautious guess, but you’d have to ask Maeve if you wanted to know for sure.”

“Okay. What’s your guess?”

“You’ve heard the old saying about an heir and a spare?”

“I have, but I’ve never heard an old saying about an heir and a spare and a spare. Also, the only reason to have spares, so far as I can tell, is if something happened to you. And that is really, really, really unlikely.”

“True. There must be a better reason.”

“Well…”

“You’re holding out on me!”

“I’m telling the truth when I say I don’t know for sure, but…”

“But what?”

“Which one of us do you think is oldest?”

I searched his eyes before saying, “I’d always assumed it was you.”

“Wrong. I’m youngest.”

“Shut up!” He nodded. “Who’s oldest?”

“Kagan.”

“Kagan. Then Killian. Then you.” I thought about it for a second. “Is it what I’m thinking?”

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