Will illustrating it—about Ella the Cat Angel and her sidekick, Lacey Lovett, a human angel, battling forces of evil. Ivy's ten year old brother, Philip, had requested it.
"So, about this new villain," Will said. "it's a serpent," Beth told him. "A serpent." Will nodded. "That's good—kind of biblical."
"A serpent with feet," Beth added. "Excellent," he said, sketching quickly. "That gives us mobility. I'm exaggerating the head so I have room to draw in a lot of expressions."
Beth and Ivy leaned forward, watching the creature emerge from Will's deft strokes. "No, the head's big, but not like that," Beth said suddenly. "He has a human face. He has eyes with lids and a human mouth, though it can stretch horribly like a snake's." She slid her amethyst up and down its chain. "And tiny ears," she added. "He hears vibrations through his belly. He can hear emotions as well as words—that's what makes him so dangerous."
Will glanced up from his sketch at the same time as Ivy. It sounded as if Beth was seeing something and describing it, rather than make up a description.
"His eyes are gray," Beth continued, pulling on her pendant "I was thinking yellow or amber," Will said, "a color like fire."
"They're gray," she insisted. "I'm sure of it."
"Elizabeth!" Ivy and Will turned quickly toward a guy with dark curly hair and gray eyes. Although his tone demanded attention, Beth didn't reply until Ivy nudged her. "Hi, Chase," she said, pushing her hair behind her ear.
"You've brought friends," Chase observed. "Nice."
Will stood up and offered his hand. "Will O'Leary."
"And I'm Ivy."
"My two best friends," Beth said to Chase. "Nice," he repeated. Ivy studied Chase, trying to interpret "nice." Was he stating his approval of Beth's friends, or was he annoyed because she had brought them along? She suspected the latter.
The four of them sat down and a minute of uncomfortable silence followed. Will returned to his sketching, apparently unwilling to contribute any thing to Beth's romantic dialogue.
"Beth told us your family has a vacation house here," Ivy began. "How lucky!"
"Here, and the Keys and Jackson Hole," he said. "Water or snow, it doesn't much matter, as long as I'm skiing."
"Yeah, that's how I used to be," Will said.
Ivy blinked with surprise. Will hated snow, and his dream destinations were the Big Apple and Paris.
"Really," said Chase, but he didn't sound too interested.
"But that was before I had my three surgeries." Ivy knew that the only thing Will had on his medical record was childhood immunizations. Part of her wanted to kick him under the table, remind him to be polite; the other part of her wanted to laugh.
"Oh," Chase responded unenthusiastically.
"The doctors told me I could continue to ski, but if I fell, I might never walk again."
Beth stared at Will. Chase looked as if he didn't know whether to believe him or not.
Ivy shook her head. Will glanced at Ivy, smiling mischievously, and resumed sketching.
"So what beaches and trails do you like best on the Cape?" Ivy asked Chase. "If you come here every summer, you must know them all."
"I love Billingsgate Island. I'm taking Elizabeth there tomorrow."
"You are?" Beth replied with surprise. "Where's that?" Ivy asked. "In the bay, about six miles from Rock Harbor. It used to be occupied—had a lighthouse, homes, a school, and a factory—but it washed away years ago. Now the island surfaces only at low tide." He turned to Beth. "We'll kayak there and have a picnic."
"It sounds awesome," she said quietly, "but I have to work."
"On a Saturday?"
She nodded. "Weekends are the busiest time at an inn."
"Can't someone cover for you?" He looked at Ivy, as if she might volunteer.
"Aunt Cindy needs all of us," Ivy told him.
Will glanced up from his sketch. "So what kind of summer job do you have, Chase?"
He didn't seem to hear Will. "I was hoping you would surprise me with a fantastic lunch, Elizabeth—something you packed just for us."
Perhaps it was
"So, about this new villain," Will said. "it's a serpent," Beth told him. "A serpent." Will nodded. "That's good—kind of biblical."
"A serpent with feet," Beth added. "Excellent," he said, sketching quickly. "That gives us mobility. I'm exaggerating the head so I have room to draw in a lot of expressions."
Beth and Ivy leaned forward, watching the creature emerge from Will's deft strokes. "No, the head's big, but not like that," Beth said suddenly. "He has a human face. He has eyes with lids and a human mouth, though it can stretch horribly like a snake's." She slid her amethyst up and down its chain. "And tiny ears," she added. "He hears vibrations through his belly. He can hear emotions as well as words—that's what makes him so dangerous."
Will glanced up from his sketch at the same time as Ivy. It sounded as if Beth was seeing something and describing it, rather than make up a description.
"His eyes are gray," Beth continued, pulling on her pendant "I was thinking yellow or amber," Will said, "a color like fire."
"They're gray," she insisted. "I'm sure of it."
"Elizabeth!" Ivy and Will turned quickly toward a guy with dark curly hair and gray eyes. Although his tone demanded attention, Beth didn't reply until Ivy nudged her. "Hi, Chase," she said, pushing her hair behind her ear.
"You've brought friends," Chase observed. "Nice."
Will stood up and offered his hand. "Will O'Leary."
"And I'm Ivy."
"My two best friends," Beth said to Chase. "Nice," he repeated. Ivy studied Chase, trying to interpret "nice." Was he stating his approval of Beth's friends, or was he annoyed because she had brought them along? She suspected the latter.
The four of them sat down and a minute of uncomfortable silence followed. Will returned to his sketching, apparently unwilling to contribute any thing to Beth's romantic dialogue.
"Beth told us your family has a vacation house here," Ivy began. "How lucky!"
"Here, and the Keys and Jackson Hole," he said. "Water or snow, it doesn't much matter, as long as I'm skiing."
"Yeah, that's how I used to be," Will said.
Ivy blinked with surprise. Will hated snow, and his dream destinations were the Big Apple and Paris.
"Really," said Chase, but he didn't sound too interested.
"But that was before I had my three surgeries." Ivy knew that the only thing Will had on his medical record was childhood immunizations. Part of her wanted to kick him under the table, remind him to be polite; the other part of her wanted to laugh.
"Oh," Chase responded unenthusiastically.
"The doctors told me I could continue to ski, but if I fell, I might never walk again."
Beth stared at Will. Chase looked as if he didn't know whether to believe him or not.
Ivy shook her head. Will glanced at Ivy, smiling mischievously, and resumed sketching.
"So what beaches and trails do you like best on the Cape?" Ivy asked Chase. "If you come here every summer, you must know them all."
"I love Billingsgate Island. I'm taking Elizabeth there tomorrow."
"You are?" Beth replied with surprise. "Where's that?" Ivy asked. "In the bay, about six miles from Rock Harbor. It used to be occupied—had a lighthouse, homes, a school, and a factory—but it washed away years ago. Now the island surfaces only at low tide." He turned to Beth. "We'll kayak there and have a picnic."
"It sounds awesome," she said quietly, "but I have to work."
"On a Saturday?"
She nodded. "Weekends are the busiest time at an inn."
"Can't someone cover for you?" He looked at Ivy, as if she might volunteer.
"Aunt Cindy needs all of us," Ivy told him.
Will glanced up from his sketch. "So what kind of summer job do you have, Chase?"
He didn't seem to hear Will. "I was hoping you would surprise me with a fantastic lunch, Elizabeth—something you packed just for us."
Perhaps it was
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