Chapter 20

"What was it about?"

"Our history project was about researching our family's origins. We wanted to explore how long our families had been living in this town and trace it back as far as possible," he says, his gaze fixed on my hands. "I already knew about my family because it's impossible not to when you know you'll be shifting by the time you turn fourteen. But what I didn't know was that Azura's, and yours, was just as closely connected."

He takes my hand and turns it over, saying, "Azura discovered that while your father's family came from South Carolina, there was a branch of them that settled here on the West Coast at the same time as my family. It was actually the same date. It seemed like they had moved together. Your father's grandfather later moved back to South Carolina-"

"Yeah... my dad mentioned that was why he moved out here with my mom," I run my thumb over his wrist. His pulse is steady, and he's telling the truth. "The land my house is on has been in the family for a