Twisted Sisters (The Orion Circle Book 2) Read Online Free Page B

Their doe-brown eyes are wide, haunted. I manage to hide my shock when they both fall against my body and wrap their arms around me. Not that I’d normally complain about two pretty girls hugging me, but I’m here on Circle business. This is starting to look like some sort of sorority stunt rather than a real case.
    That all changes when I realize one of them is crying.
    “I’m Logan Finley with the Orion Circle,” I say while trying to decide what to do with my hands. When I give in and wrap my arms around them, the other girl starts sobbing too. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong.”
    “I th-th-thought…” The girl with short hair pulls away and gazes at me with teary eyes. “I thought it was a toy,” she blurts out before burying her face back against my shoulder.
    “What was a toy?” I ask, patting her back.
    “The b-b-board,” the other girl says.
    Tension spreads through my shoulders and up my neck. There’s really only one type of board that would cause a problem that I’d need to investigate. Any sympathy I had for these girls is quickly fading. I hate stupid. Only an idiot messes with something they have no clue about.
    “Let’s go inside and talk,” I say, biting my lip to keep from saying what I really want to say.
    “No!” they both shout together. The crows ruffle their feathers and flap their wings, but remain silent.
    “No?” I ask, glancing around. We’re going to attract attention at this rate. Lots of black birds, sobbing sorority girls… it’s like a bad horror movie.
    “ They’re in there,” the short-haired girl says.
    “How about we sit on the grass then,” I suggest, hoping to get this situation under control.
    Perhaps I’m a bit out of my league here. I sag a bit in relief when they both nod their agreement. For some reason, I expected the girls to let go of me so we could walk over to the small patch of grass in the front yard. No such luck. They continue clinging to me as I inch forward. Whenever I dreamed of having two girls hanging all over me, it was never like this. It usually involved a party and laughter, not ghosts and tears. We reach the patch of green, and I ease them both to the ground, thankful when they release their firm hold on my shirt.
    “Okay, let’s start with your names,” I say, hoping to bring them out of their panic with an easy question.
    “Kendra,” says the girl with short hair.
    “Melissa.”
    “Great. I’m Logan. I’m here to help you.” I channel everything I remember about my mother and her easygoing interrogation techniques. “Tell me what happened.”
    “It was just a toy,” Kendra says through a sob. “I mean I got it at a toy store at the outlet mall.”
    “It wasn’t supposed to work,” Melissa adds, putting her arm around Kendra.
    “A spirit board,” I bite out through a clenched jaw.
    I really hate those things. Dangerous supernatural objects should never be packaged for children. It’s a full on crime. I don’t give a flying rat’s ass whether you believe in the paranormal or not. What CEO says, Kids should try channeling spirits. Let’s put out a spirit board and stick it in with the board games . Utter crap on so many levels, I can’t begin to count.
    Kendra nods. “Yeah.”
    “How could we know it would work?” Melissa says with an angry glare. Good I can handle angry better than sobbing.
    “It said ‘glow in the dark’ on the box.” Kendra wrings her hands together. “I mean, that’s like a toy, right?”
    “This isn’t your fault,” I say, and actually mean it. “Nothing that dangerous should ever be marketed to children. You couldn’t know the consequences.”
    Kendra glances over her shoulder. “There’s something bad in the house now.”
    “Real bad,” Melissa agrees.
    As if to justify her statement, a loud crash sounds from within the sorority house. Several girls run out screaming. They collapse on the grass beside Melissa and Kendra, a tangle of limbs and