''You know how they came up with the word Lunatic?'' he asked.
I shook my head, feeling like I probably didn't want to know the answer. His lips pulled up on one side in a mischievous, lopsided grin.
He stepped closer. ''Because all of the worst m...
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"YOU GAVE HIM THE CODEX OF WHISPERS?"
I winced as Tucker and I entered the Joy household and were met with a screaming, red-faced, wrathful ten-year-old. My brain pounded against my skull and I rubbed at my temples, ninety percent sure I had a concussion... again. Despite the abrupt nature of our greeting into the Joy home, my brain still processed the words. Lucas was in front of us fuming while the other Joys, Harry, and Gray stood in the living room staring at us.
"Do we really have to call it that?" I asked Tucker, pleading with my eyes. "It sounds so pretentious."
Harry snickered. "He's been yelling it for the past half hour."
My brother and I made eye contact and, despite his joking, he was relieved to see me. His eyes flitted to the dried blood on my head and he didn't have to speak for me to know what he was wondering. His eyes searched mine for some indication that I was okay and I simply nodded.
Tucker ignored his little brother and walked past him to the living room where the rest of the group stood. I was curious as to why Gray was there, but I wouldn't be for long.
"I can't believe you would do something so... nonsensical so... obtuse so..." Lucas struggled to find the right word.
"Stupid?" Noah offered, looking up from the stuffed gorilla in his hands.
Instead of answering his brother, Tucker looked at Gray accusingly. My eyes followed in confusion but Gray only smiled cheekily.
"He was yelling about this for thirty minutes and you didn't bother telling him you're the one who gave it to me."
Gray shrugged at Tucker's words.
"Didn't seem right to interrupt a rant like that. It was Oscar-worthy, really," Gray remarked, and I saw the ghost of a smile on Tucker's lips. As quickly as it had appeared, it was gone, and he was back to normal. I could almost see the outline of their old friendship between them.
Tucker faced his brother.
"We didn't have a choice, little man."
Lucas shot an accusing look at me, and I quickly realized that there was a choice. It was a choice between me and the book and Tucker had not chosen the book. Lucas seemed to be the only one who was upset about its new location.
"What's the big deal about this book anyway? Why would," Harry coughed, "our father want it?"
I swallowed. Poor Harry. He hadn't even met Johnathan and yet was hearing these things about a father he'd never met. I'd hardly processed any of the emotions and I couldn't imagine what he was going through.
"It's a book for daemons, right?" I responded, looking at Gray for confirmation. "That's what Anna told me."
Gray nodded. "It's an instruction manual, of sorts. Some of the first whisperers wrote it for their descendants."
