01_-_The_Alchemyst

They didn’t share those feelings that identical twins often spoke about—
feeling pain when the other twin was hurt, knowing when they were in
trouble—but right now he could feel his sister’s distress. He only wished
there was something he could do to ease her pain.
Almost as if she could read his mind, Scatty said suddenly, “There is
something I can do that might help.” The twins picked up on the note of
hesitation in her voice. “It will not hurt,” she added quickly.
“It can’t hurt more than what I’m feeling now,” Sophie whispered. “Do
it,” she said quickly.
“I need your permission first.”
“Soph—” Josh began, but his sister ignored him.
“Do it,” Sophie repeated. “Please,” she begged.
“I’ve told you I am what you humani call a vampire….”
“You are not drinking her blood!” Josh yelled, horrified. His stomach
flipped over at the thought.
“I’ve told you before, my clan do not drink blood.”
“I don’t care—”
“Josh,” Sophie interrupted angrily, her aura winking into existence for a
second with her anger, filling the interior of the shop with the sudden
sweetness of vanilla ice cream. A display of glass wind chimes tinkled and
rattled in an unfelt breeze. “Josh, be quiet.” She swiveled in the seat to look
at Scatty. “What do you want me to do?”
“Give me your right hand.”
Sophie immediately stretched out her hand and Scatty took it in both of
hers. Then she carefully matched the fingers of her left hand to the girl’s
fingers, thumb to thumb, index finger to index finger, little finger to little
finger. “Blood drinking vampires,” she said absently, concentrating on
aligning their hands, “are really the weakest, the lowliest of our clan. Have
you ever wondered why they drink blood? They’re actually dead—their