Dark Companion Read Online Free PDF Page B

almost sick with tension.
    “Hello, Lucian,” I said, my voice cracking.
    “Everyone calls me Lucky. Mom’s all excited about having you here. Come on in.”
    He led me through the foyer, where a large vase of burgundy dahlias was set on a circular table, and then past a sumptuous ivory and slate-blue living room. Although the interior of the house was dim, I glimpsed polished wood furniture, luxurious fabrics, and framed paintings. Thick rugs muffled our footsteps.
    “Mom thought you’d be more comfortable in the family room. That’s where we usually hang.” His voice was pleasant and clear.
    I followed him to a broad room with windows facing Birch Grove Academy below. The furnishings were casual and modern, and the dining area opened to a large kitchen, where Mrs. Radcliffe stood over a six-burner stove, checking the contents of a pot. “Jane, good to see you. Lucian, offer Jane a drink.”
    “Water or soda?” he asked.
    I didn’t know if Lucky would judge me on my choice. “Anything is fine.”
    Lucky took a bottle out of the wide glass-fronted refrigerator. “Try this lemon soda. It’s kind of tart. Makes your mouth go smack .”
    “Pour it into a glass for Jane, dear.” Mrs. Radcliffe opened the oven and pulled out a tray of breadstick-type things.
    Lucky tipped the soda into a glass, plunked in ice cubes, and chose a strawberry from a bowl on the counter and dropped it in. “There you go.” He winked at me.
    It was only a friendly wink, and a strawberry was only a piece of fruit. Most girls, pretty girls, were accustomed to attention. But I wasn’t one of those girls, and I had no idea what to make of Lucky’s gestures.
    I couldn’t even meet his eyes when I spoke. “Thank you.”
    “Lucian, please ask your brother to join us.”
    “I’ll try to drag him out of his den.” When Lucky looked directly at me, I felt my heart jump. “Jack’s a caveman, completely unevolved.”
    “No name-calling,” Mrs. Radcliffe said as her son sauntered off.
    I sipped the soda. It was a little sour, yet tasty. “Do you have more children, ma’am?”
    “Only Lucian and Jacob. Of course, I have all my Birch Grove girls, too.” She put the breadstick things on a platter. “Would you mind taking these cheese straws to the table, Jane?”
    I was glad I’d put the platter down before Lucky came back with his brother. The bicyclist, still wearing his dirt-smeared shorts, limped in with a bandage on his leg and a smirk on his face.
    “This is the bad little pixie who crashed my bike.”
    “Jacob!” Mrs. Radcliffe said. “That is no way to greet our guest.”
    “It’s not my fault she knocked me over.” He grabbed a handful of the cheese straws and popped one in his mouth. “Yow, hot!”
    “I did not knock you over! You were riding recklessly.”
    “She defends herself like a lawyer!” Jacob said. “She’ll probably want to sue me for libel with a talking frog as her witness and a troll king as the judge.”
    Lucky slugged his brother on the shoulder. “Don’t let Jack bother you. He’s an idiot.”
    “I believe I said no name-calling, Lucian, but, honestly, Jacob.” Mrs. Radcliffe inspected her grimy son from head to foot and crossed her arms. “Not everyone is entertained by your teasing.”
    He ate another cheese straw. “These are great, Ma.”
    I tensed, waiting for her to yell at him, but she only brushed his curls off his face.
    “Jane, this young man is Jacob, my oldest son. It’s no secret that a headmistress’s biggest challenge is her family. Jacob, say hello to Jane.”
    “Hello to Jane,” he parroted. He yanked out the pockets of his shorts and held them sideways as he dipped his knees in a curtsy.
    It was stupid, but I almost laughed anyway.
    “Jane can materialize out of nowhere, Mom.” Then he turned to me. “Also, I prefer Jack unless I am in trouble.”
    “You are in trouble, Jacob,” Mrs. Radcliffe said.
    He ignored her and kept talking to me. “Jake is when I’m