do, no matter how many times she’d seen him do it. “I believe it is human custom to give the birthday girl a token of one’s friendship, is it not?”
“Well … yeah, but….”
“Then when you have a chance to get away, go to your back porch and reach under the bottom step. No one but Kat and Zoe are to see it. I had to leave somewhat precipitously when I brought it over.” He wrinkled his upper lip, showing teeth. “I think Kat’s brother spotted me going around the house.”
“ Michael can see you ?” She didn’t realize she’d all but shouted until he shushed her. “Does that mean what I think it means?”
It hadn’t occurred to Penny that any of the boys in Dogwood might have the same latent abilities that she, Zoe, and Katie had, but now that the idea was in her head, it seemed kind of silly that she’d never thought of it before. After all, Tovar the Red, who had actually been the Birdman in disguise, had been able to see Ronan. She was pretty sure that even without his human disguise, the monster had been male.
“That depends,” said Ronan shiftily. “On what you think it means.”
Then the mirror clouded over, and he was gone.
* * *
If Ronan’s short surprise appearance had been a pleasant one, then the surprise that waited outside for Penny certainly wasn’t. She hadn’t thought there was a person in the world she wanted to see at her birthday party, or anywhere else really, less than Miss Riggs … well, maybe Rooster … but the scene she found on the front porch after her chat with Ronan made Miss Riggs’s visit seem almost jovial.
Katie’s father, red-faced and arguing, stood at the foot of the steps with Michael. Katie was between them, her face bright red, staring down at her feet. Michael had a hold on her left arm, her father her right. She looked like she wanted to find a deep hole to fall into.
“You knew she wasn’t allowed,” her father boomed at Michael. It was an impressive shout; Zoe jumped back at the sound, her back thumping against the wall behind her. Ellen looked appalled. Penny felt like slinking back inside. “You went behind my back ….”
“Father, you’re being stupid!” Michael was in full voice too, he leaned protectively over Katie. “You’re punishing Katie because ….”
“Because she disobeyed me!”
“Stop it, both of you!” Katie shrieked, pulling free from both of them. She rounded on her father, and Penny thought that if they were giving out prizes for loudest shouts, Katie would have taken second place at least. Her father reached for her but Katie slapped his hand away and ran for Michael’s Jeep. “I hate you!”
The silence that followed was perhaps more excruciating than the high-volume discussion had been.
Michael glared at their father, unblinking.
Mr. West stood where he was for a moment, perfectly still, staring at the place where Katie had been, his hand still hovering as if to grab the air in front of him. Then he turned and watched Katie climb into the passenger seat of the Jeep. At last, his gaze settled on his audience on the porch.
Michael snorted in disgust and stalked off toward his Jeep, leaving his father standing alone.
Zoe was wide-eyed and angry, chewing on her bottom lip as if afraid of what might happen if she allowed her mouth to open.
Jenny’s mouth was open, but she seemed beyond words. Her jaw worked up and down for a moment, as if she were trying to force speech, but nothing happened so she closed it and, a little weak in the knees it seemed, stepped to the nearest chair to sit.
Susan’s face was unreadable, but her brow was creased with deep lines that looked alien on her usually smooth face. Penny thought a storm might be brewing behind those lines.
At last, Mr. West broke the silence.
“Didn’t you even think to ask me if she was allowed to come over?” His voice was hoarse from shouting. He gave Penny
“Well … yeah, but….”
“Then when you have a chance to get away, go to your back porch and reach under the bottom step. No one but Kat and Zoe are to see it. I had to leave somewhat precipitously when I brought it over.” He wrinkled his upper lip, showing teeth. “I think Kat’s brother spotted me going around the house.”
“ Michael can see you ?” She didn’t realize she’d all but shouted until he shushed her. “Does that mean what I think it means?”
It hadn’t occurred to Penny that any of the boys in Dogwood might have the same latent abilities that she, Zoe, and Katie had, but now that the idea was in her head, it seemed kind of silly that she’d never thought of it before. After all, Tovar the Red, who had actually been the Birdman in disguise, had been able to see Ronan. She was pretty sure that even without his human disguise, the monster had been male.
“That depends,” said Ronan shiftily. “On what you think it means.”
Then the mirror clouded over, and he was gone.
* * *
If Ronan’s short surprise appearance had been a pleasant one, then the surprise that waited outside for Penny certainly wasn’t. She hadn’t thought there was a person in the world she wanted to see at her birthday party, or anywhere else really, less than Miss Riggs … well, maybe Rooster … but the scene she found on the front porch after her chat with Ronan made Miss Riggs’s visit seem almost jovial.
Katie’s father, red-faced and arguing, stood at the foot of the steps with Michael. Katie was between them, her face bright red, staring down at her feet. Michael had a hold on her left arm, her father her right. She looked like she wanted to find a deep hole to fall into.
“You knew she wasn’t allowed,” her father boomed at Michael. It was an impressive shout; Zoe jumped back at the sound, her back thumping against the wall behind her. Ellen looked appalled. Penny felt like slinking back inside. “You went behind my back ….”
“Father, you’re being stupid!” Michael was in full voice too, he leaned protectively over Katie. “You’re punishing Katie because ….”
“Because she disobeyed me!”
“Stop it, both of you!” Katie shrieked, pulling free from both of them. She rounded on her father, and Penny thought that if they were giving out prizes for loudest shouts, Katie would have taken second place at least. Her father reached for her but Katie slapped his hand away and ran for Michael’s Jeep. “I hate you!”
The silence that followed was perhaps more excruciating than the high-volume discussion had been.
Michael glared at their father, unblinking.
Mr. West stood where he was for a moment, perfectly still, staring at the place where Katie had been, his hand still hovering as if to grab the air in front of him. Then he turned and watched Katie climb into the passenger seat of the Jeep. At last, his gaze settled on his audience on the porch.
Michael snorted in disgust and stalked off toward his Jeep, leaving his father standing alone.
Zoe was wide-eyed and angry, chewing on her bottom lip as if afraid of what might happen if she allowed her mouth to open.
Jenny’s mouth was open, but she seemed beyond words. Her jaw worked up and down for a moment, as if she were trying to force speech, but nothing happened so she closed it and, a little weak in the knees it seemed, stepped to the nearest chair to sit.
Susan’s face was unreadable, but her brow was creased with deep lines that looked alien on her usually smooth face. Penny thought a storm might be brewing behind those lines.
At last, Mr. West broke the silence.
“Didn’t you even think to ask me if she was allowed to come over?” His voice was hoarse from shouting. He gave Penny
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