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"Yeah," Seth answered without turning to face lanced around the roory"

The room was all shadowy and dark, as you would expect at two in the ainst the wall "What’s up with the shades?"

"Light’s hurting my eyes"

I stared at him, all lean muscles, lankiness, and shirtless in his worn, holey jeans, sprawled out on the sofa, and shook ht There’s ry, and so"

"Yeah," he answered, and I couldn’t tell if he had even looked my way once

Sunday arrived like an ordinary Sunday I turned on the TV and heard thethat a woe street crew No details were given regarding the cause of her death, but the reporter described the woman to be in her early forties, and apparently she had been robbed I’d assumed murdered Police were on the case For so She, along with the ht before I heard his voice over and over in e reason, I liked it Don’t ask me why

Sunday was the only day of the week I closed Inkso with Estelle Seth seehtsHe never had a fever, so I didn’t run him to the ER But I watched him, and he just wasn’t himself Not sick, just not himselfWhenever he ake, he had his shades on, and he was quiet, aloof, andnot Seth Poe at all Usually reat sense of hue when puberty hits, but this was ridiculous The change had happened overnight Nohen he slept, he slept like the dead--literally I could barely rouse him And Chaz’s behavior toward Seth just didn’t rowled every ti but loving and faithful to all of us, especially Seth, and the dog usually slept on the foot of Seth’s bed It was just bizarre, and to be perfectly honest, it was starting to freak me out I wished Preacher were here to check him over, but he wasn’t due back from Da Island until Tuesday Until then, I’d nurse the peculiar feeling nagging the pit of uy fro for him, and yeah, it’d only been one day But he never stopped by again, and I admitted only toa little, too I had no idea why, but it did

Sunday afternoon I asked Estelle to keep an eye out for Seth while I picked up a few things at the grocery store I threw on a pair of button-fly jeans and a white Inksomnia tee (Okay--I self-proo is wicked cool) I pulled on my black boots and headed out Food Lion was packed, and I hurried through my list The moment I left the store, I feltwatched People pushed their grocery carts all aroundlot was full, yet out of all the eyes surrounding me, I sensed only one pair honed in on aze, I looked around I saw no one paying any particular attention to ilante watched froot home, Seth was still asleep I --and wandered outside with Chaz to the riverfront Capote was just a few yards up the walk playing, so I found a bench close by; he gave ment, and I listened while I nibbled on a praline fro with people, so I ended up sharing the bench with an elderly couple, Chaz atpeeks at me, and the suess roups

I decided to walk along the riverfront for a while, just to stretch ive Chaz a little exercise, so I threenty in Capote’s sax case He tipped his hat, and I waved, and Chaz and I wandered off There was a slight breeze blowing, the sun was starting to drop, and it see The Savannah River Queen was just pulling in fro The Shri scent of seared spiced h someone watched me, followed me I had a few quirks when it ca a sraveyard dust in ave me, and a special vial of protection herbs), but people did not frightenand very capable, with a six-pack that ain wondered whether the shadowy guy froht followed s braced, hands on hips, and probably looking a whole lot like a freakish version of a Charlie’s Angel, yet still--I saw no one Finally, as the sun sank, the crowds thinned, and I headed back ho supplies online, sent a few e-reed to do an exhibit at an ink convention in California in Nove out, sketching new designs and eating pizza Seth stayed in his roo roo at my brother "Be quiet, Chaz," I coed on the floor, sketch sheets spread out before me, and hurried over to where Seth plopped down on the sofa I felt his cheek and forehead Actually, instead of feeling warm, he felt a little cool

"Wow," Nyx said, her wide s each ear "I’ve never seen this lare and turned to my brother I moved to pull his shades off, and he jerked his head away The abrupt shift wasn’t anything like Seth’s usual demeanor

"Lay off, Riley," he snapped "Jesus, I’m fine"

This time, Chaz jurowling "Back," I snapped Chaz froze in his tracks, and I returned aze to my brother

No one, and I repeat, no one, had the power to hurt s Ever I just didn’t have that weakness in me anymore--except with Seth, and maybe Preacher And that small snub actually wounded me "Yeah, well," I said, and moved away "I’m worried about you, Seth"

"Don’t be," he said just as sharply He stood "And keep that freaking dog away fro ently "Take it easy on the kid, Riley He’s fifteen Hormones, remember? Just leave him alone for a bit" She patted the floor "Here, have another slice of spinach and n Looks wicked fab so far" She lifted a edge fro bite Nyx’s appetite was legendary, and hopefully it’d keep her busy for a while, because I just couldn’t let ht back," I said, and followed Seth His door was cracked, so I gently pushed it open and stuck my head in Seth stood by the , his back to me as he stared out over River Street "Can we talk?" I asked When he didn’t answer, I pushed "What’s going on, Seth? Talk to , and I moved into the roorow cold, and his posture stiffened, as though he couldn’t standclose It hurt like hell "Please?"

"Nothin’ to talk about," he said quietly "Just need space"

I moved closer "Seth, take your shades off and look atwhether or not to do as I’d asked, I supposed Then, with a heavy sigh, he did, but he stared at the floor, at the wall, out the --anywhere but at me For now, I accepted it

"Look--I don’t knohat you’re going through right now, butjust hear e, too, ya know, and not that long ago Sos I do understand I’ bothering you, tellme, Riley," he said sharply, and this tireen a shade or two lighter, and he slipped his shades back on and returned his stare to theAn instant dismissal

I stared at my brother’s profile for several seconds--noticed the tousled broaves, his straight nose and firm jaw--and suddenly, I couldn’t see uy "Okay," I said, and placed er or wait for a response, but simply left the room Inside, my heart hurt--literally ached--from Seth’s coldness, but I knew that to stay and try to pry stuff out of this new Seth wouldn’t do any good, so I put ht It wasn’t easy I’d gone frorown-up real fast, and I’d been responsible for Seth since I was nineteen I loved him more than life, and I nohatto her

When I walked back into the living roo at the TV, a shocked expression pulling her lanced at the flat screen to see what it was The local neas on, and the reporter, standing in front of the Cotton Exchange building, looked grave as he reported the brutal hts nearby, and the rapid-fire flash recoiled off the black plastic bag covering the body strapped on the gurney Then a picture of a handso with a nae nineteen "Zac," I uy who’d come in for the Celtic lizard tattoo Saturday, and a wave of sadness swept over lanced over at her "That’s two murders in one day I wonder what happened to hi through