Sam’s voice echoes throughout the room. “Has Stella already told you? I don’t have a vision power. I have invisibility. Don’t kill me for being so awesome.”
He comes into the kitchen area, and I smile. His hair is sticking every which way, and he looks totally adorable.
He quickly kisses me and looks back and forth between Costa and me. He frowns. “You okay, Stella?”
“Yeah, actually, I’m good.”
“Dude, can you seriously make yourself invisible?”
Sam kisses me again, and then with his hand in mine, he grins at Costa. I didn’t see him transition the last time, so I am in absolute awe as he fades away in front of us. His body becomes just slightly sheer at first and then slowly, slowly becomes entirely see-through. Costa rounds the granite island and inches to where Sam was—or is, rather. I can still feel his hand on mine, but it’s hard to reconcile his touch with the absence of the visual.
“Wow, Sammy. You’re going to knock this vision thing out of the park.”
Sam filters himself back into being visible. It’s the most fantastic paint job I could imagine, and Costa is noticeably impressed.
Sam, still not fully awake even after that, yawns. “We tried for vision. We got invisibility.”
“Your girl here figured it out. She might be more superhero than you are.” Costa is practically giddy.
“Huh? What’s going on? Last I knew everyone was miserable and hateful.”
“Grab a seat,” Costa says, pouring Sam a cup of coffee. “We’ll fill you in.”
Costa and I detail what we know—or really what we’re guessing.
I also tell them about my call to Amy. “It didn’t go well. The only thing I learned is that my father seems to be living off the grid.”
“I don’t want his help anyway,” Costa says quickly. “We don’t need him.”
“I hope not.”
“I’m not screwing around here. I don’t ever want to see that man again. I know he’syourfather, but he’smyenemy.”
I glare at him. “He’s not exactly my best friend either, CJ.”
Sam takes a sip of his coffee. “Ease up, you two. Do you still have enough pills, Costa?”
“You want to trip today? You’re ready?”
“I am. This is a good strategy, and Stella can send me into a good trip. Besides,” he says, smiling, “can’t you feel it? It’s a good day for death.”
