“First,' Dad said, giving me a stern look, 'Captain Griswold and you [Nora] and i must have a little chat.' I batted my eyelashes at him, even as my cheeks heated. Chas choked, and scrawled out, You stil ow me detales! Detales!!!”

“Nora-leggo it's choking me!! ow!”

“I gave [Nora] as long as she needed, all the while mentally designing my tombstone. 'R.I.P., Captain Abraham R. Griswold. He was completely useless and made girls cry.”

“I sigh, feel the heat rise in my cheeks, and look at the clock. Wolf asks me to play a game with him-me! out of all the girls at our table!-and I injure him. Flick him right in the eye.”

“Focus, my little Seer, you have time to contemplate my good looks at another time,” Khol said with amusement. “I’m not doing anything of the sort. You’re not a mind reader, so stop pretending to be,” I snapped as my cheeks heated. I was beginning to wonder if he really was able to read my mind and just wasn’t telling me.”

“What did you think?' I blurted out, heat rushing to my cheeks. 'Of what?''My writing.''Oh,'Ford said. He looked at me for a long moment before rising stiffly out of his lawn chair. 'I think the whole world should read your poems.”