Chapter Seven

Stephen POV

The twins run into the house, squealing and clambering to be the fastest, heading in the direction of the garden entrance. Lily remains close to me as we remove our shoes, discretely eyeing the house. She quirks her eyebrows in appreciation, turning on her heel to observe the large staircase to our right. "Nice place," she comments, "doesn't have the murderer vibe I was expecting."

"Sorry to disappoint, we only serve murderous vibes every second Thursday" She rolls her eyes at this and I suddenly feel dumb. What does one do while supervising a play date? "The twins are probably going to play outside in our garden. They can't really get into any trouble plus Jeremy would rat on them if they got up to anything they shouldn't be." Lily nods, rubbing her arm absently. "So, can I get you a drink?"

"That'd be nice," she agrees, trailing behind me as we enter the kitchen. I crack open the fridge as she props herself up on a bar stool by the island. She leans delicately on her elbows, watching me pour two glasses of lemonade. "Have you guys lived here long?"

I slide her glass towards her and raise mine to my lips. "Eleven years now, we moved after the war. Before we moved I used to live in New York with my mom and dad for a bit and before that I lived somewhere in the central states but I don't remember that very well." She nods, taking a shallow sip of her drink. I notice how her hands are in constant motion as she sits, tracing patterns on her glass or drumming silently on the island. "Where did you live before you moved?"

"Los Angeles."

"A Cali girl!" I offer her a smirk which she doesn't reciprocate. "What was it like?"

She shrugs, but I see the line of tension in her shoulders. "Hot I guess."

I decide not to press her for details. "Nice. Well, after this semester we find out if we're eligible for studying abroad. Maybe you'll get the chance to go back for a visit?"

"Not likely." She snaps, setting her glass down a little too heavily. Before I can reply, my brother slides into the room, Gabriel hot on his heels. They're locked in a heated debate which ends abruptly when they see Lily.

Gabriel, who is usually soft spoken, breaks his reputation. "Who's this?"

"My name is Lily Sedgewick, I'm a new student. I'm guessing you're one of Stephen's brothers?" Gabriel seems mildly taken aback but nods politely.

James, haughty as usual, rocks back on his heels. "I'm the brother actually. This is my parabatai but I'm the better one. I'm also the best brother; this one here is only famous for his magic hands." He exaggerates magic hands, causing me to roll my eyes. I resist the urge to dart forward and wrestle him to the ground which always ends up in yelling and cursing as he realizes that once again his idea of best brother doesn't necessarily mean strongest brother.

Lily smirks. "Nice to meet you both." They leave after that, continuing their debate once they are mostly out of earshot. She turns back to me, yawning slightly. "You have an interesting family. Four siblings can't be easy - I almost go nuts with two sometimes."

"Well, it isn't a walk in the park but at least I'm the oldest. That usually gives me some sort of leverage." Lily smiles at this, giving me a sense of joy. So, she does smile. "Did you want to check on the twins?"

She agrees and we make our way to the glass doors. Outside, on the back lawn, the twins run wildly, chasing each other. I watch with amusement as Owen does a perfect somersault, releasing from the roll with a hand spring that lands him smoothly on his feet. Josh attempts to copy the mouth but earns a mouthful of dirt when he under powers the spring. Lily tenses, a classic older sibling, wondering if she'll have to mend an injury or wipe away frustrated tears.

Josh, however, laughs and clambers to his feet. The girls, clearly tired of the chase, have flopped down amongst one of the patches of wild flowers my uncle Magnus insisted on planting during one of his creative phases. Lily drifts away from me, walking to a slightly shaded spot under one of the trees that are busy losing their leaves. I follow her, plunking down clumsily.

"What was your brother saying about magic hands?" Lily prompts, knocking her shoulder against mine. I avoid her eyes, hoping my cheeks don't flush too brightly. I can't tell if she's attempting to flirt with me or is genuinely curious. I go with the latter.

For a moment I'm hesitant on her to respond. It's not very often that I meet someone who doesn't know everything about me and family, including our weird angel blood. "Well, when I was younger it became apparent I could do things nobody else could. By things I mean I can heal people. With my, uh, hands." I awkwardly run my hand along my neck, thinking about the burning sensation that runs through my fingers each time I call on it to mend a minor scrape or ailment.

Lily lets out a whistle. "That's pretty impressive angel boy. So like, can you stitch a wound together or something with a snap of your fingers?"

I laugh. "No, not really. I have to like reach for the feeling and let it come naturally or else I lose it and can't do anything for the person. It's kind of like a burning sensation that comes up and through my fingers and - " I trail off, embarrassed. "Sorry, I'm rambling."

She smiles, squinting in the fall afternoon sun. "It's alright, it's nice to hear someone talk about something that isn't fake. You can't believe how long it's been."

I think about school, flicking through our mutual classes. I realize that she hasn't made any friends and although it would normally strike me as weird I feel pity for the girl beside me. If I didn't have Gideon I don't know what I would do. "You know you could sit with my friends and me if you wanted to. We don't bite."

"I don't mind alone time," she states and I sigh internally, "but I might take you up on that sometime. I'm pretty sure I ruled out the possibility of you coming from a family of murderers so I guess your friends probably aren't either." I find myself laughing.

At that moment Katie and Sophie remove themselves from the flowers they've been plucking, Sophie almost floating. "Stevie?" She croons, using the nickname for me she hasn't used in years. I know automatically she wants something.

"Yes?"

"Can Katie come over again on Friday? You know that the Fall Formal is this weekend and I have to go and if Katie comes with me we could have a sleepover after!" She's almost bouncing in excitement, her friend looking equally as enthused.

"You know you have to ask Mom or Dad," I remind her, "but they'll probably say yes." The girls yell in excitement, already planning their attack on the upcoming school dance. Lily stands up, stretching easily. I find myself watching her, noticing the way her body is toned and fluid, a result of intense training.

"I think it's time to go home," Lily says, ignoring the pout on her sister's face. "Dad will have supper on by now and you know he worries about us. Josh!" She calls, watching as her brother scampers back towards us. They say goodbye to their friends, promising to meet up at school tomorrow. When they're done I turn towards Lily, looking down at her in what I hope is a casual manner. "Well?"

"Well, I have to admit today was nice." She says, crossing her arms. "I might take you up on that lunch offer."

"I hope you do."

She quirks an eyebrow and then leaves, finding her way easily through the house. I watch her help her siblings put their shoes on and then they're leaving through the front door, starting the winding walk towards town. I watch them go until I can't see them anymore. For some reason I find myself drawn to the quiet girl with the mysterious past. I want to know more about her - it's a feeling I can't fight.