Lukas raises an eyebrow, visibly surprised.
“You’re inviting me to read your mind?” He says, clearly unsure of how to react. His gaze shifts to me briefly, looking for some kind of reassurance, but I’m just as baffled as he is. Julian nods firmly.
“Seems like the fastest way to earn your trust.” Julian says earnestly.
“And Clare seems to trust you. If something is going on here, I want to help.” He explains. Lukas looks at me again, this time almost like he’s asking for my input. It’s a strange moment, Lukas is usually so self assured, especially about his abilities. But now? He’s hesitating. Maybe because I’ve been giving him mixed messages about how and when he should use his powers. One minute I’m insisting he respect boundaries, the next I’m asking him to snoop into someone’s thoughts for information. I sigh. Do I even have the right to tell him what’s okay and what isn’t? I wonder silently. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with me having an opinion, but should I be forcing it on him? Lukas, of course, is still eavesdropping on my thoughts and answers immediately.
“I like hearing your opinions.” He says with a small smile.
“My understanding of boundaries and privacy gets… A little blurry sometimes. It’s nice to get a reminder and have a second opinion occasionally, especially when you agree with me.” He adds. I blink, a bit taken aback by his honesty.
“Oh, well, in that case…” I pause, glancing at Julian.
“Julian gave his permission, so I don’t see any reason not to.” I speak aloud, mostly for Julian’s benefit. Julian stands there awkwardly, clearly aware that there’s a whole other conversation happening that he isn’t completely privy to. I can’t help but feel a little bad for him, but I also find myself oddly grateful. Letting someone read your mind IS very invasive. But he’s agreeing to it just to earn my trust? He’s never even really done anything to make me distrust him exactly. So this really isn’t fair to him. But I definitely have some trust issues with my family, especially right now. So I appreciate that he’s willing to do this for me.
Lukas nods and reaches for Julian’s outstretched hand, gripping it firmly. After a moment, Lukas releases Julian’s hand.
“He really does want to help.” Lukas says simply, turning back to me with a reassuring smile. I can’t help it, I grin. Relief floods through me like a wave, and I realise just how much I’d been dreading the possibility of Julian being involved in all this.
*This is such good news! Not only is my brother not involved in any of the demon or necromancer stuff, but this means he actually cares about me!* I mentally gush. Lukas smirks.
“You sound surprised.” He comments.
*I am surprised! I mean, maybe I DO have more than one sane relative. Maybe Julian can come next time Laura and I hang out to complain about how crazy everyone else is.* I am honestly thrilled. Lukas chuckles, but my thoughts quickly shift, and my grin fades and I narrow my eyes at him.
*I guess this wasn’t a waste of time after all. But I did tell you that no one was going to believe the fake dating act! You were laying it on WAY too thick.* I complain silently. Lukas just grins, completely unbothered.
“Everyone else believes it. Not being able to fool the brother you grew up with is hardly a reflection on my acting abilities.” He objects, but he doesn’t seem offended so much as smug. Before I can respond, Julian suddenly interjects.
“That is so weird.” He remarks. I blink, confused.
“What is?” I ask.
“This whole… Thing between you two. I’m pretty sure I’m missing a lot of what’s going on here.” He gestures vaguely between me and Lukas.
“Do you just, like… Read Clare’s mind ALL the time? Doesn’t that get confusing? Or exhausting?” He asks, directing the question at Lukas. Lukas shrugs casually, like it’s no big deal and we HAVEN’T had to have entire discussions about it.
“Not all the time. Only when she says I can.” He pauses, glancing at me with a small, amused smile.
“And… I find it interesting. I don’t often get to read the same person’s mind regularly, or even for more than a few seconds at a time. I’m having fun figuring out how it works in there.” He says teasingly. I raise an eyebrow.
“Why do I suddenly feel like some kind of weird science experiment?” I ask dryly. Lukas smirks.
“You kind of are.” He answers. Now he’s DEFINITELY teasing me. Julian shakes his head, a small smile tugging at his lips.
“Alright, fair enough. So… Are you going to tell me what’s going on now?” He asks, a little impatiently. I open my mouth to answer, but before I can get a word out, my mother’s voice cuts through the hallway.
“Where did you all go? Is there something wrong?” She calls out, her footsteps growing louder as she approaches. I curse under my breath.
“Later,” I whisper hurriedly to Julian.
“But the short version is that we need to talk to Aunt Daisy. Alone.” I tell him urgently. Julian raises an eyebrow, his expression skeptical but intrigued. Then, with a sharp nod, he straightens up.
“Right. I’m on it.” He says confidently. Without another word, he spins on his heel and marches off down the hallway to intercept our mother. What in the world is he planning?
We end up back in the living room, though it’s clear that’s not where we’re staying for long. Julian is already working his magic, maneuvering the situation like a professional strategist. It’s fascinating to watch.
*I had no idea he was so good at managing our parents. How did I not learn this skill?* I silently direct the thought at Lukas, even though I know he can’t exactly respond right now. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch him hiding a grin as he leans back in his seat, casually observing the scene unfold. Julian starts with Dad and Uncle Lance. He doesn’t just suggest they leave, no, that would be too obvious. Instead, he expertly plants the idea in Dad’s head by casually mentioning the herb garden in the backyard.
“Dad, didn’t you say you were working on those new planters? I bet Uncle Lance would love to see them.” The comment is light, almost offhanded, but it has the intended effect. My dad perks up immediately, his chest puffing out slightly with pride.
“Oh, yes! Lance, come on, you’ve got to see this. I’ve got some basil coming in beautifully, it’s the best it’s ever looked!” Dad declares enthusiastically, already halfway out the door. Uncle Lance, ever the agreeable one, just nods and follows, looking mildly resigned but not unhappy. And just like that, two of them are out of the way. I watch the whole thing in awe. Is Julian some kind of puppet master when it comes to our parents? How did I miss this growing up? I have to fight the urge to shake my head in disbelief. Lukas glances at me, his smirk widening.
“I’m guessing your teenage rebellion phase didn’t leave much room for learning these kinds of skills.” He whispers under his breath, earning him a quick glare from me. Two down, one to go. I glance at my mum, who’s still chatting idly with Aunt Daisy, entirely unaware of Julian’s next move. How on earth is he planning to get her out of the way? A moment later, Julian rises to his feet with an air of casual purpose.
“Lunch was so good, Mum.” He says warmly, more warmly than he usually would that’s for sure.
“I’m going to go start cleaning up the kitchen for you.” He announces. My mum immediately protests, just as he must have predicted.
“Oh, Julian, honey, you don’t need to do that! You’re a guest!” She exclaims, standing up and trailing after him as he heads toward the kitchen.
“No, no, I insist.” Julian calls back over his shoulder, his tone cheerful but firm.
“It’s the least I can do after such a great meal. You always say I don’t visit enough, so let me help out a little.” He marches off into the kitchen. I sit there, dumbfounded, as my mum follows him out of the room, still fussing and objecting.
“Honestly, it’s not necessary, sweetheart! Really, sit and relax!” She says, her voice fading as she disappears into the kitchen after him. Favourite child much? I think to myself bitterly. Pretty sure she wouldn’t have stopped me if I wanted to clean the kitchen. In fact, she’d probably just hand me a sponge and tell me to get to work. Lukas leans in close, his lips twitching in amusement.
“Jealous?” He teases quietly. I give him a sharp nudge with my elbow, but I can’t help the small smile tugging at the corner of my lips. Whatever irritation I feel is quickly overshadowed by a sense of relief as I glance around the now empty room. Finally, it’s just us and Aunt Daisy. She glances up from her cup of tea, her sharp eyes flicking between me and Lukas. There’s a flicker of suspicion there, though her polite smile doesn’t waver.
“Well, this is cozy.” She comments, her tone laced with just a hint of something that puts me on edge. Something tells me this conversation isn’t going to go nearly as well as the talk with my brother.