Chapter Twenty-Three

Claire Claire stared out the window as they drove toward her childhood home. With each mile, she became more and more nervous. She knew Axel wasn't worried about meeting her family, but he'd never met Aunt Demetria. She was her mother's sister, and younger by three years, but more eccentric and … strange. Aunt Demetria loved crystals and fortunes. She always seemed as if she knew more than she said about everyone. She believed in ghosts and the other side. It creeped Claire out most of the time, but now especially, since she knew there was more to the world than she originally believed. She didn't want Aunt Demetria to get suspicious of Axel and dig deep into his family. She was protective since Claire had no mother to do so for her. "Your heart is beating really fast over there, Claire. Are you sure you're okay?" Axel asked. She chuckled and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "I'm fine." "Claire," he chuckled. "What do you think your aunt is going to ask me? Do yo