Abel’s hand stopped in mid-smack on its way back to his older brother’s chest.

“Hiren,”� she said again and lightly tapped her own chest with her fingertips.

“He–ren.”� Bram recovered his tongue first and repeated the girl’s name a few more times. She didn’t respond except to nod her head one time while looking Bram in the eye.

“Bram. Abel. Hiren,”� Bram said gesturing to each one of them in turn. Then he laughed once and...