The Lost Heir (Book I)- The Violet City

Black Birds and Fireflies

Isabella's grandmother had decent taste, but the fact that there was a big bow on the front of her dress was no testament to that. Isabella arrived at Betty's Basement, a replica of Brightwood Studio's commissary of the 1930s and 40s, and found a table in the back corner. She asked the boys to eat with her so she could ditch tea hour with Miss Johnna Johnson and feel the boys out a bit more to see if they could be trusted with her plan to investigate the secret passage she'd stumbled upon. She was fifty-seven percent sure that they couldn't, but she could be artful at blackmail.

She picked up the ice water a waiter named Holden brought out a second ago and saw a shadow dart across the wall from the corner of her eye. Her heart jumped. When she turned her head, she found Seth and Micah looming over her. "Did you just see that?"

"See what?" asked Seth as his brother sat down across from Isabella.

"Never mind." It was probably just one of the boys' shadows. But she could have sworn it was something else. It looked like a person, but it was a shadow. She chose to wipe it from her mind. She refocused her attention on the boys as Seth took a seat next to Micah. "You two look almost normal," she remarked, eyeing their outfits. 

"What's up?" asked Seth, distracted, as his eyes pinned down an attractive waitress serving a nearby table.

"She said we look funny," Micah echoed.

"I said you look almost normal."

Seth arched an eyebrow. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I just can't put my finger on it," she said, fully knowing what it was.

Seth shrugged. Micah looked perplexed.

After a moment of teasing her lip with her teeth in mock-contemplation, Isabella announced, "That's it! You don't match!" She folded her arms triumphantly.

Gray slacks on Seth and khaki on Micah.  Seth smoothed a hand down the arm of his dark sweater, and Micah picked at the edge of his light-blue, oversized one. The clothes made Seth look older, and Micah younger. That was probably because Micah's were a little too big for him, and Seth fit him just right.

"Har-har," Seth replied, looking over the menu. 

"The Foxtail Taco looks great!" Micah said.

"Yeah, delicious," said Seth, twisting his mouth like he might gag. "Don't they have burgers here or something? Yep. Burgers and pie and chow mein and soup."

"And tacos," said Micah. "This is LA. We should try a taco."

"Betty's corn and crab chowder is my favorite, but she's not in town to make it herself. No one makes it like her. But he's right. It's LA. Nearly every place makes tacos."

"And are they all good?"

"Sure they are," she lied.

Seth looked over the taco menu then stuffed it into the menu cubby at the end of the table. "I'll go with the ground beef hard shell. Thanks."

Isabella laughed.

"What?"

"I didn't say anything."

Twenty minutes later, they were halfway through their meals and enjoying every flavorful bite as they played with a few gadgets that Micah revealed he created himself.

Holding a metallic spherical object in her hand, Isabella spun the gear as fast as she could. A gentle pulse of light could be seen as the sphere began to rotate at a high speed. 

"You are good at this!" Micah exclaimed.

"So are you," Isabella said, impressed. She liked Micah. He was much nicer than his brother. Maybe she would ask him to go with her rather than Seth.