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"Astral…?"

"Leave their bodies Move around like a ghost Cool for cheating on tests or sneaking into the girls’ locker roo…"

"Uh-​huh You said Derek knows lanced toward the hall, head turning as if ged it out ofclose enough to brushHis voice dropped "About Derek What he is If he asks, you dragged it out of"So Derek doesn’t want uy who threw necromancer in my face and demanded I accept it If he doesn’t want--"

"He does He will It’s just… complicated If you don’t ask, he won’t tell you But if you ask…"

His eyes lifted to hed "Fine, I’s?"

"No There’s not really a naene, but that’s really cheesy"

"Uh-​huh"

"Which is why they don’t call it that Guys like Derek have… physical enhance, as you saw Better senses, too That kind of thing"

I glanced at the math text "Smarter?"

"Nah, that’s just Derek Or so uess So he knows others… like us?"

"Yeah Supernaturals have a kind of community Maybe network is a better word You know others so you can talk to theular world, whatever My dad used to be right into it These days, not soat a loose thread on the coain "We’ll get into all that later Huge story Short answer is, yes, Dad used to be into the whole supernatural network He worked for this research co to s easier for other supernaturals Dad’s a lawyer, but they needed people like that, too Anyway, that’s hoe got Derek"

"Got Derek?"

Siht Sounds like Dad brought home a stray puppy But that’s kind of hoas See, Derek’s type? It’s rare We’re all rare, but he’s really, really rare These people, the oneshi when he was just a baby, and they wanted to make sure he didn’t end up in some human foster home, which would be bad when he hit, like, twelve and started throwing people across the room Only, my dad’s company wasn’t really equipped to raise a kid Derek doesn’t talkup in a hospital My dad didn’t like that, so they let hi Derek hos like school or a shopping hway totally freaked him out He wasn’t used to people, all that noise--"

He went still, head turning toward the hall The pipes clanked as the water shut off

"Later," he ot out He can’t hear--"

"Oh yes, he can"

I remembered what Simon said about Derek’s "enhanced senses" Now I understood why Derek always sees he shouldn’t have been able to I made a mental note to beit to norot sorcerers, witches, half-​demons, necromancers, shamans, and other really rare types, like Derek That’s it, right? I’ to run into any olves or vahed "That’d be cool"

Cool, maybe, but I was happy to leave olves and vahosts and even spirit travel, but turning into an ani blood stretched disbelief farther than I cared to

A dozen questions leaped to my lips Where was their father? What about the people his dad worked for? Why’d he leave theet into that later" To de

"So there are three of us? In one place? That has to "

"Derek thinks it’s because some supernatural powers--like yours and his--can’t be explained, so humans chalk them up to mental illness Some kids in homes could be supernatural Most aren’t You have to talk to him about that He explains stuff better"

"Okay, back to ed "Help, I guess"

"With what? Why me?"

"Because you can hear the his hair "Notto someone who can’t hear you"

"Well, duh"

"I wasn’t going to say it"

I glared at hi the towel and hanging it on the desk chair

He continued "Howaround out there?"

"Hoould I know?"

"Well, if the ansas ’a whole lot,’ don’t you think you’d have heard of the hundreds in the whole country" Derek yanked a coh his hair "Have you ever , you’re about three times more likely to buine you’re a ghost If you see a necro, it’s like being stranded on a desert island, then spotting a plane overheard Are you going to try to get their attention? Of course As for what they want?" He turned the desk chair around and straddled it "Who knows? If you were a ghost and you bu who could hear you, I’ fro to need to ask them"

"Easier said than done," I host in the base you didn’t find So important to him" He idly scratched his cheek, winced, and pulled his hand back "Maybe a paper or an object he’d like you to pass onto his family"

"Or clues to his murder," Simon said "Or buried treasure"

Derek fixed hi… it’s probably soive to his wife Meaningless"

That didn’t sound stupid to ers for years, wanting to pass along that undelivered letter to his wife, now an old wo home… Not my kind of movie, but I wouldn’t call it stupid

"Whatever it is," I said, "the point isas I’m on these pills, I can’t make contact to ask"

Derek swiped at a drop of blood on his cheek, where he’d scratched a zit He scoith annoyance, letting it bubble over into his voice as he snapped, "Then you need to stop taking the pills"

"Love to If I could But after what happened last night, they’re giving h That’s harsh" Siot an idea It’s kinda gross, but what if you take the pills, crush them and mix them with your, you know, urine"

Derek stared at him

"What?"

"You did pass cheer "Okay, genius, what’s your idea?"

"I’ll think about it We should get her off those host wants, but he could be useful As long as we have a willing subject, Chloe should take advantage of it, so she can learn It’s not like she’s going anywhere soon… unless they ship her off"

Siers through his wet hair "Not trying to be funny Seeing ghosts isn’t easy to hide It’s not like casting spells After this ht solanced atby and heard--"

"She knows about your hearing, bro" Derek scowled at Siured it out She’s not stupid Anyway, you overheard…"