Astrid is the crown princess of Atlantis, but she barely has time to worry about the kingdom with six younger sisters to watch over, especially with the youngest coming into her powers as a daughter of the sea to navigate time. When Astrid fears tha...
"All right, you two have the same rooms as before."
I stand back and watch as Brandon leads the two Bens to the furthest rooms away from us.
Well, two of the furthest, anyway. I can only hope that Cecilia will be placed in the closet at the end of the hallway.
Cecilia, who is standing right next to me now, the chill seeping off of her dissimilar to the warmth of the ocean in every way.
"So, are you Brandon's newest friend?"
I glance side-long at the woman, not really wanting to give her more attention than that. Then I nod once.
"Oh. So just friends, then?"
At this, I shake my head.
She purses her extremely puffy lips. "So, you're friends with benefits?"
I'm not completely sure what that terminology means, so I just shrug.
"Huh." Cecilia narrows her eyes, as if by doing that, she can somehow see through me. "Do you ever use words?"
James chooses that moment to join us on the landing. "I'm afraid she's mute, Miss Wilson."
A flush creeps onto her neck, but misses her face. "Well. I'm sorry about that." With a toss of her hair, Cecilia walks past me and into one of the bedrooms like it's hers even without being told.
She goes into my bedroom.
Brandon turns from where the two Bens are apparently destroying their respective guest rooms to frown at Cecilia's retreating figure.
"I'm so sorry," he says, moving toward me. "That used to be her room before. I'll talk to her-"
Smirking, I shake my head at him.
Brandon stops, confused.
Cecilia seems to have overheard him, and moves to the doorway of my old room to lean against the wall smugly, as if daring the mute to speak up.
Glancing back to make sure that James is now distracted with the Bens, I point at Brandon's room, and then stride right in.
Brandon simultaneously looks shocked, pleased, and amused all at the same time with wide eyes, a smile, and an arched brow. There's also a bit of a blush.
Shrugging at Cecelia, he quickly glances to make sure for himself that James is still otherwise occupied, and then gestures at me. "There, no need for drama. Astrid and I can just share."
Cecilia opens her bow-shaped mouth, but for once, she seems as mute as I was. Then, she turns and strides back into her former room, leaving an icy breeze behind her.
Brandon barely contains the loud guffaw that tries to escape. Grinning, he turns to me with one hand raised in the air. "Give me one, Astrid."
I blink at him, confused about what manner of item I'm supposed to be giving him.
"Right." Lowering his hand and pursing his lip. "We're going to have to work on your social cues and maybe immerse you into the customs of this generation, but other than that, you were wonderful."
Smiling, I nod in the manner of response I give when one of my people bows.
Then the Bens ruin the moment by barreling toward us, one missing a shirt and the other one working toward that end.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Brandon says, tugging me closer to himself- and further away from the stairway that one of them could easily knock me over with my lack of grace. "What on earth are you two doing?"
"We're doing the one thing there is to do at a beach house," Ben One says.
"Yeah!" Ben Two adds, pumping a fist into the air. "We're going to the beach!"
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