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everything seem important, even me. But before the month was out, he’d made it clear that he thought me nothing more than some bratty, clueless kid—and he’d been bossing his way around my life ever since.
    So I didn’t feel bad. Instead, I scowled and copied his stance.
    Then my mother said, “Actually, Audrey, that’s what I was meaning to talk to you about.”
    I was busy trying to outstare Leon, so it took a moment for that to sink in. I turned, giving her a blank look. “Huh?”
    “We’ve been discussing it for some time now, and it really makes more sense for Leon to live here. With us.”
    “Funny,” I said.
    “I’m not joking. We have the room. And with everything going on—it’s just safer this way.” She broke off, turning toward the window. Leon straightened and lost his scowl. Outside, the drone of traffic and chatter of birds died away. The late sun flared through the panes, coloring the floor around us orange and red.
    A sudden, sharp awareness settled around me, not quite a Knowing. I glanced at them: my mother facing away, Leon silent and unreadable. Something unspoken passed between them—one of those secret Guardian exchanges that never signaled anything good.
    It’s just safer this way.
    I rubbed at my arms, feeling a sudden chill. “You two could not possibly be more ominous. What’s going on?”
    Mom gave me her standard answer: “Nothing you need to worry about.”
    An unsettling thought struck me. Strange that they’d brought this up today. It could be pure coincidence, but—“Does this have something to do with Kelly Stevens?”
    Leon’s gaze snapped toward me. “What do you know about that?”
    “I know she’s dead,” I answered.
    “This is about practicality,” Mom cut in, giving Leon one of those quelling glances she usually reserved for me. “It just makes sense for Leon to be here when I’m out, so I don’t have to worry about you being alone.”
    I didn’t believe her for a second, but it was useless trying to pry information out of Mom when she was determined not to give it. She seemed to think that if she didn’t tell me about the dangers she faced, I wouldn’t notice the occasional bruise, or the blood that dried on her clothing. She probably didn’t realize I’d stocked every room in the house with first-aid kits.
    Since she wasn’t going to tell me anything, I tried a different tactic. “I’m a little past the age of needing a babysitter.”
    “As your conduct today clearly proves,” Leon said.
    I ignored him. “It’ll be weird, Mom. As you two go to such pains to point out, keeping the secret is difficult enough without having a sidekick to explain away.”
    “A lot of people rent out their houses to college kids,” Mom argued.
    “But—”
    She turned her quelling glance my way. “It’s my decision, and I’ve made it.”
    My mind raced. Leon—living with us. How was I supposed to react to that? I didn’t know. My thoughts wouldn’t settle themselves, and I felt a strange, inexplicable surge of panic. Leon had turned away again, and I couldn’t see his expression. He was one of the few people I’d never been able to read at all, not even with my Nav cards, and now I wondered what he was thinking.
    I sighed. I felt scattered, out of sorts, but there didn’t seem to be anything I could do about it. “When’s he moving in?” I asked finally, trying to find out how much time I’d have to hide the really embarrassing things I’d left lying around the house, like romance novels and dirty laundry.
    They exchanged a look.
    “Pretty much now,” Mom said.
    I took a breath. “Right. How long did you say you were planning this?”
    Another look.
    “A while,” Mom answered.
    “And you waited until now to tell me.”
    “You won’t even know I’m here,” Leon said.
    I almost laughed. “Right,” I said. As though there was any possibility of that being true.

    ***

    Mom and Leon took the early evening to move his belongings. Since