Meanmna: Book One of the Daearen Realms Read Online Free Page A

looking at me through the blinds. Smile. Okay, you can do this—you have to do this now. I took a deep steadying breath, got out of the car, and started walking toward the house. Maybe if I walk slowly enough, she’ll go to bed before I get there. I rolled my eyes at my own ridiculousness.
    When I reached the front door, I saw that someone had taped a piece of paper to it.  It had been folded in half, but I could tell it was handmade, the kind of paper you see at a craft show. My name was written on it in beautiful swirly calligraphy. The Scotch tape that held it in place ruined the aesthetics, but I guess wax would have been a pain in the ass to clean off later.
    I opened the note without removing it from the door; I’d hate myself if I ripped it. There were only two words on the inside : Good luck ! I carefully took it off the door and quickly looked around. I could see someone walking away from me about four houses down. He turned to look at me. It was Elwin and he was waving. As his outline started to blur, I heard in my mind, I can listen if you want me to. I might be able to help with the conversation .
    No, thank you , I answered back. I gasped when I realized I was communicating with him telepathically.
    See? You’re learning already .
    I heard him in my mind, and then he was gone. I was smiling when I walked in to the house.
    Mom was sitting at our huge kitchen table. She must have just oiled it because the parquet pattern was shining like gold , thanks to the light coming from the chandelier above. Mom had made that Mason jar light fixture. She is such a do-it-yourself-er—she prefers me to call her an “up-cycler.”
    “Hey, sweetie. You weren’t gone very long. Are you caffeinated appropriately?” Mom asked. She was wearing a bathrobe, her hair wrapped up in a towel. Her eyes were a still a little red. She looked back down to her iPad. She was playing Words with Friends; she must have already updated her Facebook status.
    I stood there, just watching her for a moment as she studied her board; then she looked up again and asked, “What’s up? You walked in with a huge cat-that-ate-the-canary smile on your face. Now you’re staring at me and frowning like you are a million miles away.” She clicked her iPad off. “It’s a boy, isn’t it? Must be someone I wouldn’t approve of.” She tapped her chin, deep in thought. “A biker. That’s it, isn’t it? I truly do not approve of the new no-helmet laws, so wear one, okay?”
    I couldn’t say anything. I must have made her nervous. Switching course, she started again. “Listen. I know sometimes it seems like I favor Mathew. But as soon as you have a date, I’ll give you fifty bucks, too . . . That sounded terrible. Let me try again—”
    “Mom!” I cut her off. “It’s about Dad; I think it’s about Dad. Elwin said family, not Dad specifically.” Mom looked like I had just slapped her. “I’m sorry.”
    She raised her hand. “I’ve told you everything I can about your dad. You know that. I have always been honest with you about your father’s time with me.” She looked so sad and mad at the same time. But then I saw a twinkle in her eye. “Elwin? I knew there was a boy involved. I just knew it!”
    I sat down acr oss the table from her and took a deep breath. “You know I’m quirky. I like my things certain ways. I have strange habits. I always think someone is watching me.” Her eyes grew large, but she didn’t say anything, so I began speaking fast before I lost my nerve. “I guess around the end of the school year last year, things got weirder. I can’t really explain it. That ‘being watched’ feeling was a bit more constant—an ever-present anxiety. I hear things—voices. Not random commands or anything Son-of-Sam like, but more like discussions. Sometimes answers to what I’m thinking just blurt out of thin air. I see things that aren’t really there. I became so worried that I looked up my symptoms on Web MD and it