Nico appeared right next to me, as if the shadows had darkened and created him.

He stumbled, but I caught his arm.

 

"I'm okay," he managed, rubbing his eyes.

 

"How did you do that?"

 

"Practice. A few times running into walls. A few accidental trips to China."

 

Mrs. O'Leary started snoring. If it hadn't been for the roar of traffic behind

us, I'm sure she would've woken up the whole neighborhood.

 

"Are you going to take a nap too?" I asked Nico.

 

He shook his head. "The first time I shadow traveled, I passed out for a week.

Now it just makes me a little drowsy, but I can't do it more than once or twice

a night. Mrs. O'Leary won't be going anywhere for a while."

 

"So we've got some quality time in Connecticut." I gazed at the white Colonial

house. "What now?"

 

"We ring the doorbell," Nico said.

 

If I were Luke's mom, I would not have opened my door at night for two strange

kids. But I wasn't anything like Luke's mom.