“Oof.” I staggered back, wincing. “Ow. Well, I was going to ask if you wanted to go check out the beach—” ...together. Where I can keep an eye on you, make sure you don’t Shift and fly off into the sunset, or lose your temper around a human and char them to ash... “—but it looks like you beat me to it.”

Ember grinned, that same wicked, defiant grin she’d challenged me with when we’d still competed with each other in everything. Not realizing she was always the favored one, and that I competed because winning was the only way I could make them see me. “Race you to the water,” she challenged.

“Come on, sis. We’re not in training any—” But she was already past me, flying down the stairs, and I scrambled to catch up.

Later, after dunking each other in the ocean and getting it out of our systems, Ember and I wandered down the beach, checking out our new home. Ember seemed especially fascinated by the surfers farther out in deep water, gliding down the waves on their colorful boards, and that was mildly concerning, knowing she would want to try it sometime. Swimming was one lesson we hadn’t gotten a lot of in the Mohave Desert. As we continued down the strip, Ember’s eyes were huge, looking at everything, but I was searching for something specific.

I found it a couple minutes later—a group of human teens, playing volleyball in the sand. I observed them carefully as we approached; most of them were attractive—for humans—athletic, obviously well-off.

Perfect.

I nudged Ember’s shoulder. “Come on,” I said, and began walking toward the group. She followed hesitantly, frowning.

“Um. What are we doing?”

I gave her a wink. “Fitting in.”

“What, right now?” She eyed the humans. “I mean, you’re just going to walk up to a bunch of mortals and talk to them? What are you going to say?”

I grinned at her and ambled toward the net. My sister, who had never backed down a day in her life, was shy. “I figured I’d start with ‘hi.’”

Warily, she followed. As if on cue, one of the human’s dove wildly for the ball and sent it bouncing right for me. Instinctively, I caught it, and five pairs of eyes turned in my direction.

“Hey.” I looked at one of the girls and offered my most charming smile, the one that could make my teachers believe whatever I wanted. “Need a couple extra players?”

The girl nearly fell over from staring at me, but one of the guys gave me a shrug. “Sure, dude.” He was, I noticed, looking at Ember even as he spoke to me. “The more, the merrier. Come on in and pick a side.”

I smiled and joined them, even as I bit down a snort. Too easy.

* * *