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silently inside. Only deep breaths and the occasional quiet rustle of sheets drifted to him as he walked in, past the small living room and kitchenette and into the sleeping area the two girls shared, each on an opposite side of the room. Spotting Lucy’s pale head, he stepped wraith-like to the side of her bed, glancing once over his shoulder to ensure Ava was sleeping before lifting his hand and placing his palm on Lucy’s forehead.
    It took only a moment, only a few focused thoughts to blur the memories of the evening. Lucy would still remember seeing him at the bar, but not specifically what they spoke about. It would be a vague recollection, a thought on the tip of her tongue. And she’d chalk it all up to having had a little too much to drink.
    Caleb stepped back, and Lucy sighed, rolling over to face the wall. He rubbed a hand over his face, feeling dirty and invasive for what he’d done. It wasn’t the first time, though, and he knew it wouldn’t be the last.
    He started for the door, then hesitated and turned toward Ava, standing by the side of her bed before he even realized he was heading that direction. He looked down at her, soft with sleep, her light brown hair—darker in the room’s dim light—spread over the pillow. Caleb reached down, carefully brushing aside a strand caught across her mouth. He searched her features—the sweep of brows arched even in sleep, the spray of long lashes on her sleep-pink cheeks, full lips on a mouth some might find a little too wide, but when she smiled, it was really just perfect.
    Caleb shook his head. She was pretty—beautiful even—but he didn’t see anything that would support the Council’s claims. She looked normal. She looked human. Of course, that really didn’t mean much.
    Ava stirred, her eyelids fluttering slightly, and Caleb was out the door before her next breath.
    He heard her mumble, “Who’s there?” as he raced down the stairs.

    The next morning was . . . well, weird , for lack of a better word. Ava had the frightening dream again and woke in the middle of the night with a gasp, the terror of the dream fading to a rather disconcerting feeling that someone had been in her room. She’d slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Lucy, and checked the doors and windows, but there was no sign of any disturbance. Still, she remained vaguely unsettled and the rest of the night slept in fits and starts, only sliding into REM sleep as the first light of dawn filtered through the windows.
    Lucy was strange, too. After a night of singing Caleb’s praises and practically pushing Ava to jump his bones during their next tutoring session, Lucy said nothing. It was as if it never happened.
    “You feeling okay?” Ava asked her as she got ready to head to the library to study, and Lucy sat on her bed, flipping through a magazine absently. “You’re awfully quiet this morning.”
    Lucy shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I had too much to drink last night. I feel a little fuzzy.”
    “Fuzzy?”
    “I didn’t think I was that drunk but, to be honest, I don’t remember much,” she said, rubbing her forehead. “I don’t even have a hangover, so I couldn’t have had that much.”
    Ava slipped on her shoes. “You couldn’t stop talking about Caleb last night.”
    “Caleb?”
    “Caleb Foster? You ran into him at the bar.”
    Lucy thought for a minute, eyes squinted in concentration. “Oh, yeah. I did see him.”
    “Luce, you’re kind of freaking me out, here.”
    Lucy finally smiled, shaking her head slightly. “I’m fine, really. But I won’t be hitting the bars again anytime soon.”
    “Good, because you were about ready to marry me off to my physics tutor.”
    Lucy snorted and stuck out her tongue.
    “Seriously,” Ava joked, slipping into her coat. “You were putting together my dowry. I still can’t find my silver bracelet. And I think you had a goat around here somewhere.”
    “Shut up!” Lucy flopped down on the bed. “Don’t you