The Healing Power of Sugar: The Ghost Bird Series: #9 (The Academy Ghost Bird Series) Read Online Free

on the floor in front of Luke. “Let’s just focus on getting this stuff off. If this doesn’t work, we’ll need to try something else.” He adjusted his glasses quickly. He shook the sunscreen can again and then picked up Luke’s arm. He started spraying the stuff thickly over the black marks.
    The ink started to streak, and at first, I was worried Gabriel was right. He’d end up with a coated partially blackened arm.
    Kota took a paper towel and started to wipe. The marker came off cleanly. I blew out a quick breath, relieved and hoping that this still worked when it was my turn to get cleaned up.
    “We might need more sunscreen spray after this,” Kota said.
    “I’ll put it on the shopping list,” North said.
    At least the marker was coming off easily. Kota continued to work on Luke by spraying carefully over his face and wiping away from his eyes.
    I got up, heading to the bathroom and checking the mirror, looking over the damage. Luke had lied about the curse word on my face. There weren’t any words at all. There were stick men, and stars and a moon and something that looked like an alien.
    And then I remembered my ear and I checked. There was a tiny heart, small and cute, right on my lobe.
    I smiled at it, and then combed out my hair a bit, letting the locks that frame my face hide my ear. I didn’t want Kota to get rid of it just yet. If I could get away with it, I’d keep it. At least for a little while.
    When I got out of the bathroom, Luke was wiping at his skin with a dry paper towel. Kota was collecting the stained dirty ones into a plastic bag. Gabriel was lying on the bed now, looking like he wanted a nap.
    “I smell like I’ve been to the beach,” Luke said.
    “Get over to the diner,” North said. “Take your shift back from Nathan.”
    “I know what I need to do,” Luke said. “You don’t have to tell me.” He got up and started walking toward the stairs.
    “You’ve been running off lately whenever you get a break from the diner,” North said. “Nathan needs a break. He doesn’t need you running off now.”
    “I never miss a shift. I’m always back on time,” Luke said, pausing to turn and look at him. He held his hands out. “I do my job. Just because I’m not a slave to it like you are—”
    “I’m not talking about working more at the diner,” North said. “I’m talking about you disappearing every day.”
    “I don’t go anywhere,” he said. North opened his mouth to reply but Luke waved him off in a very abrupt way and rushed to the stairs. His footsteps shuffled quickly over the carpeted steps. I listened to the noises he made going through the house, and finally when he closed the door as he left.
    I eased over to sit next to Kota on the floor, feeling odd about being there while North was fussing at Luke. Wasn’t North being a little harsh on his brother? I wasn’t sure what Luke might be up to, but unless Luke was really needed somewhere, like for the Academy jobs or for the diner, if he wanted to spend time alone, shouldn’t he be allowed? Just because North didn’t know where he went, did that mean Luke was going to get into trouble?
    And where was Luke going? I hadn’t noticed him disappearing anywhere. The boys were coming and going all the time, so it was difficult to keep track, and I always assumed they were either at home or on some Academy job.
    North scooted over across the carpet, heading my way. He took the sunscreen spray from Kota and motioned to me. “Let me get that shit off of you.”
    I checked in with Kota, who wasn’t looking at me, but at the window, as if he following Luke with his eyes. Absently, he passed over the supplies to North. “Just be careful around her eyes.”
    “I know, I know,” North said. He tried to look at my face while on the floor, but frowned. He got up and sat on the bed, nudging Gabriel over. “Don’t go to sleep. You’ll be up all night.”
    Gabriel rolled over and faced the wall, giving North more