Paranormalcy by Kiersten White Page A

finally shocked me into giving him up.
    â€œLet’s go, now.” I pulled on her hand. The ambient light in the room had shifted; now everything seemed to glow with a red, menacing hue.
    We darted through the door and into the Faerie Paths. More frightened of what was behind me than around me, I kept my eyes open for once. Fehl squeezed my hand so hard it hurt; the look on her face was pure fury, tinged with a hint of smugness. I wondered if there was something going on. Those two had a weird dynamic. Whatever. I didn’t care as long as I got home.
    But then I had a brilliant idea. “Can you open a door to Lend’s room?”
    She gave me a glare so cutting I was surprised I didn’t bleed. A few more steps and the white lines opened in front of us. She shoved me out and disappeared into the black.
    The room was the same boring color scheme as the rest of the Center. A door to a small bathroom was open; other than that the room was a simple square with a gray bed against the wall. Lend, wearing me of all things, was sitting on it. He glanced over, surprise flitting across his/my features. Then he looked away, and I realized Raquel was talking.
    I backed up against the wall. She must have been standing in the hallway, because I couldn’t see her and was prettysure from the lack of reaction that she hadn’t seen me. Not busted. Yet. And now I knew where Lend was. Sometimes faeries came in handy, after all.
    â€œâ€¦would all be much easier if you’d just give us some simple information. I’ll let you think about it.” Raquel finished and I heard her pumps tapping away down the hall.
    Lend-as-me looked over and raised one eyebrow quizzically.
    â€œHey, no fair!” I whispered. I’d never been able to raise just one eyebrow at a time. And not for lack of trying, either. He looked confused, so I gestured to my own eyebrows and shook my head. He grinned in response and I melted away, replaced by the dark-haired dark-eyed hottie.
    â€œWhat are you doing here?”
    I shrugged, sliding down the wall and sitting against it. “Just thought I’d drop by for a visit.”
    â€œReally.”
    â€œYeah. I was bored.”
    â€œMe, too.” There was a long, awkward silence. “Are you planning on staying for a while?”
    â€œNot sure. I think I’m missing.”
    â€œRaquel did seem very on edge.”
    I sighed. “Yeah, I should probably let her know I’m not dead.” I didn’t get up.
    â€œYou look tired.” He briefly shifted back to wearing me, showing me my heavy eyelids and the dark circles under my eyes.
    â€œGee, thanks. I love hearing that. Why not just tell me I look like crap?”
    He laughed and switched back to the cute guy. “I still can’t get your eyes.”
    â€œI’m an original,” I said cheerfully.
    â€œMore than you know, I think.”
    â€œWhat’s that supposed to mean?”
    He shrugged. “Just that I’ve never met a human I couldn’t replicate exactly.”
    I stood, scowling. “Look, Water Boy, the only paranormal in this room is you.”
    â€œIf you say so.”
    I was too tired for Lend’s nonsense. The doorway was wider than a normal door and totally open. “What’s the security on this room?”
    He lifted the foot with the ankle tracker. “If I cross the threshold of the room, an alarm goes off and my ankle thing goes zap.”
    No problems for me then. “Excellent. I’ll see you later.” I walked out without another word.
    I didn’t spend much time in the security sections of the Center. By the time paranormals got here, my work was done. Guessing, I turned left and followed the hall to a familiar area. I was pretty close to Central Processing, so I went in and found Raquel talking frantically with Lish. “That’s not acceptable! The werewolves have to be able to find something !”
    Lish looked up, saw