Read Online The Healing Power of Sugar: The Ghost Bird Series: #9 (The Academy Ghost Bird Series) by C. L. Stone - Free Book Online

“I’ve been working since I left Kota’s. I was waiting for someone to show up. Tony said she was here looking for Luke, so I came back to check it out.”
    “We need to find him,” I said, feeling the panic in my heart. What if Volto had taken him? He’d done the same to me. Luke had been alone on his way here. I turned to North and Nathan, my finger fluttering to the base of my throat. “What if he’s got him?”
    “Calm down,” North said, standing and pulling out his phone. He pushed a button and then held it to his ear.
    I eased closer to the desk. “Who are you calling?”
    “Him,” he said. He waited and then held it out so he could look at the screen. “He’s not answering.”
    “Track him,” Nathan said. “We should find out where he is. I don’t think he’s on any Academy assignment. Kota would have known.”
    “Should I call him?” I asked. “Maybe he’s thinking you’ll yell at him. I could try.”
    “Yeah,” North said, and then pressed at his phone. “I’ll track him. You call him.”
    I came deeper into the room to distance myself from the door, and then sat on the couch again to steady my shaking. I pulled my phone out but before I called Luke, I looked at Nathan for a brief second, feeling strange about the situation. I just hoped it would work.
    Nathan pressed his lips together in a grim expression. “Do it.”
    I looked at my phone, finding Luke’s icon—a stack of pancakes—and pushed the buttons that would call him.
    The phone rang and kept ringing. At first, I wasn’t sure he would answer.
    Right before a voice mail message would have started up, the phone clicked. There was breathing on the other end amid other sounds, but no voice.
    My heart stopped. Volto did that. I breathed out slowly. “Luke? Is that you?” I tried not to sound panicked, but my voice was soft.
    “Sang?” Luke said through the phone. “Everything okay?” His voice was concerned now.
    My heart crashed back into my chest at hearing his voice. I brightened a bit, looking at the other guys and nodding. “Yeah, I’m okay.”
    North started waving at me, getting my attention, and signaling that I shouldn’t let on that we were looking for him. “I just...came by the diner. I thought you were here.”
    “Oh,” he said. “I was going to, but...I don’t know. I got distracted.”
    “Oh,” I said. I didn’t want to get after him about not going to work. Hadn’t he had this same discussion with North where he’d promised he’d relieve Nathan? How could he skip out and make it sound like it was akin to daydreaming during class? “I was going to see if you wanted to...maybe...do something tonight.”
    “Tonight? Like what?”
    I bit my lip and looked at Nathan and then North. I couldn’t think of what to say, feeling awkward that they were watching me while I was trying to ask Luke out and find out what was going on at the same time. “Oh, I thought we’d get a pizza and watch a movie? Or maybe something else? Whatever you want to do.”
    “Are you asking me out? Sang, if you’re feeling threatened by that girl giving me her phone number, there’s nothing to worry about.”
    I swallowed and continued, unable to turn back now. Nathan was looking at me, a frown on his face and it was more than the situation. I was worried about jealousy. It made it more awkward to be sweet to Luke and try to lure him to take me along wherever he was going. “Maybe it’s a little bit of that,” I said closing my eyes so I didn’t have to look at Nathan. “But to be honest, I...thought we should hang out. We never get to. I haven’t gotten a chance since...”
    “Sang, listen, I want to, but I’m halfway across town right now and I might not be able to get back.”
    I sent a puzzled look at North. He looked at his phone and was shaking his head. “Oh,” I said, unable to hide my disappointment. “Where are you going?”
    “Academy stuff. You know how it is. Save some pizza for me? I’ll see