Chapter Eight
Howard was having trouble concentrating on his report at the Dragon Nest Academy. He'd risen early to familiarize himself with the grounds, stable, gymnasium, and huge mansion that housed the school and dormitories. He and Phil were the only security guards at the school now, and Howard had taken the day shift. Phil preferred staying up at night, since he was married to a vampire. Angus and Emma were already gone, having teleported to Mexico the night before to assist with the mission there.
Dougal had teleported Phil straight to the school, but Howard had asked to be teleported to the Draganesti house in White Plains, where he'd left his SUV. He'd packed up the rest of his belongings, including his stash of DVDs under the bed, and made arrangements for his furniture to be shipped to the school. Then he'd driven to the school, arriving later than expected. He'd been immediately instructed to go to the gatehouse.
And there he'd met Elsa.
Now he couldn't think of anything else. Her image kept filling his mind, her wild mane of hair, her forest green eyes, her scent so sweet and fresh like a spring rain.
Get a grip. You're acting like a silly young cub. He had a job to do. He glanced around the office, then started a list of supplies he would need. A file cabinet. The main office had files on every student and teacher, but he wanted his own copies. He also needed a secure place to store rifles and handguns. Every student over the age of fifteen should be trained in firearms so they could be called into action in case the school ever came under attack.
Ian had been in charge of security before this, and he and Angus had always assumed the school was safe as long as it was secret. In Howard's experience, the Vamps tended to be too lax in their security measures, probably because if things got too dicey, they could simply teleport away. But he was a firm believer in always being prepared for the worst-case scenario.
He made a note to check the kitchen and make sure they had a supply of water and food that would last six months if necessary. And dammit, they needed donuts. He wrote that down and underlined it three times. He'd had a rude surprise this morning when he'd discovered there were no bear claws in the kitchen.
How could a man work without donuts? He'd been forced to drive into Cranville at the crack of dawn to pick up four dozen. The donut shop had been across the street from the motel, and he'd spotted Elsa's rental car parked in front of one of the motel's sixteen rooms. Even from across the street, he could catch a hint of her scent, fresh as a forest in springtime.
It had been awfully tempting to knock on the door. He'd almost left a box of donuts on her doorstep, but a deer was close by, munching on the flowers in the pot beneath her window. The donuts might not survive.
And he might appear too desperate. He'd practically begged her last night to see him again.
With a muttered curse, he loaded the donuts into the passenger seat of his SUV, then ate two dozen of them on the drive back to the school.
It was now ten thirty in the morning - time for a coffee break. He settled at the desk, a box of donuts nearby and a cup of coffee in his hand as he checked his e-mail on his laptop. A message from Harry.
Howard, the news is hitting today. See the link.
He clicked on the link, and it took him to the online version of Northern Lights Sound Bites. The headline - "Rhett Bleddyn Donates Millions to Unlikely Candidates."
"Sweet." Howard bit into a donut and read the article. Rhett had to be livid. By now, he'd probably checked the disaster area that had once been his bank accounts. He'd probably also discovered more than half of the money gone from his embezzling account in the Cayman Islands.
Howard chuckled and finished his donut.
The office door cracked open and a little face peered inside.
With a smile, he stood. "Tino."
"Howard!" The little boy jumped inside, a wide grin on his face. "You're back!"
He strode over to the boy and wrapped his arms around him. "You're up early."
"I couldn't stay in bed, not when I knew you would be here in the office."
He tousled the boy's blond curls. "Want a donut?"
"Yes! I haven't had one in weeks, not since you left."
Howard feigned an appalled look. "That should be against the law." He strode over to the console and glanced back to find Tino mimicking his long-legged stride.
With a grin, he grabbed a bottle of water and some napkins and set them on the desk. "I missed you, munchkin."
"I missed you, too." Tino climbed into the chair in front of the desk, but his chin barely reached above the surface.
"Hop down a second." When Tino did, Howard stacked a few reams of paper on the chair, then deposited the boy on top of them. He grabbed a donut from the box on the desk, then placed it on a napkin.
Tino grinned. "Thanks!" He stuffed the donut in his mouth.
Howard sat behind his desk and closed his laptop. "So how have you been?"
"Bored." Tino licked his fingers. "Can I have another one?"
"One more." Howard placed another donut in front of the little boy, then helped himself to one.
"My mom was so excited last night." Tino struggled with the top to his water bottle, so Howard unscrewed it for him. "She said you got to meet your dream girl."
"Really?"
Tino nodded and drank some water. "She said it was magical."
"Really."
"It wasn't?" Tino bit into his donut.
"How did your mother know about Elsa?"
"I told her."
Howard sipped some coffee. "You told her about my secret tapes?"
"Yes."
"Do you know what secret means?"
"Yes." Tino stuffed more donut into his mouth. "It means you don't tell anybody." His eyes widened. "Oh."
"Indeed."
Tino gulped down his donut. "Are you mad at me?"
Howard smiled. "Just remember that a man should always respect another man's privacy."
Tino nodded. "Okay." He licked his fingers. "When are you going to teach me chess? You said you would."
Howard finished his donut. There wasn't much going on at the school in the morning. Most classes didn't begin until late afternoon, and then they ran into the night to accommodate the teachers who were Undead or the children who could only attend class after their Undead parents teleported them to school.
"We could play a little now," he suggested.
Tino grinned. "Great!"
Howard returned the donuts to the console and brought back the wooden box that contained his chess set. "First you need to learn how to set it up. You want to be white or black?"
"White. They're the good guys, right?"
Howard smiled as he set the board down on the desk. "When you're at war, the side you're on is always the good guys."
"Even if you're wrong?"
"Afraid so. Even the bad guys can believe they're the good guys."
"Huh?" Tino shook his head in disbelief, then reached for a white chess piece. "Sofia would like this one. It has a horse."
"That's a knight." Howard set up the black pieces on his end of the board. "The small ones are called pawns. They're your front line. They're . . . expendable."
Tino wrinkled his nose. "You mean they're not important?"
A vision of Carly's dead body flashed through Howard's mind. To Rhett, she'd only been a pawn. "They're important. All the pieces are. You don't want to lose any of them."
"Oh." Tino looked over the pieces, frowning. "But can you win without losing any of them?"
"No." He shoved Carly's image from his mind. "You take your losses like a man and press on."
"I don't think I like this," Tino mumbled, then picked up the king. "He's the most important one, right?"
"Even the king is expendable." Howard picked up his queen and ran his thumb over the top. "It's all about protecting the queen." The image of Elsa settled in his mind. Why had his touch caused her birthmark to burn? Why had it frightened her so much that she'd immediately called her aunt? "You'll do anything to keep her safe. If you lose her, then all hope is lost."
"You're worried about your dream girl."
Howard looked up, surprised. There were times when he wondered if Tino had inherited some of his mother's psychic abilities. He could be incredibly perceptive for a five-year-old.
"You should go see her," Tino suggested.
Howard finished setting up the board. "I don't think so."
"Why not?"
He shrugged. "I don't want to seem too pushy. Or desperate. I might scare her away."
Tino laughed. "You're not scary."
Howard smiled. "She doesn't know me like you do."
Tino nodded and fiddled with his chess pieces. "Oh!" He sat up suddenly. "I forgot. I have homework. For math class. It's due this afternoon."
Did he really? Howard suspected the boy was making excuses to get out of playing a game that hadn't lived up to his expectations. "Well, then you'd better get to it." He lifted Tino off the chair.
"Bye, Howard!" Tino grinned at him, then skipped out of the office.
Howard returned to his desk to finish reading the news article on his laptop.
He called Harry. "Great job."
"Thanks." Harry sounded excited. "Everything's going just as we planned. The mainstream news has latched on to the story."
"Really? That's good."
"Yeah. Rhett's in town today, and the reporters are all over him like vultures. He's denying he made the campaign contributions, but the candidates are saying he did and they can prove it. He's got a deer-in-the-headlights look, which is really funny on a wolf." Harry laughed. "I'll send you a photo."
"Good." Howard wished he could personally see Rhett having an anxiety attack, but it was better if he was far away. Out of sight, out of mind, hopefully.
"I'm running an article tomorrow on how he's harassing those bankrupt towns," Harry continued. "And I've got three more exposes after that. He'll never be able to run for office once I'm through with him."
"Great. But be careful, bro. Keep it anonymous."
"Don't worry. My editor agreed to leave off the byline." Harry paused, then his tone turned serious. "I started investigating what happened to our dads."
Howard blinked. "Why? It was a fire. A lightning storm."
"That's what we were told, but we were so young at the time, we never questioned it." Harry sighed. "I checked the records, and there was no storm that night."
Howard stiffened. If the fire had been man-made, then their fathers were murdered.
"I'll see what I can find out," Harry said. "Okay?"
Howard gritted his teeth. "Do it."
"Are you sure?" Alastair hesitated on the front porch of the gatehouse.
"I'll be fine here," Elsa insisted. "There's no point in both of us going."
"All right, luv. I shall return with a sandwich forthwith. Or whatever sustenance I can find." He headed to the rental car. "Cheerio."
"Mustard, no mayo," Elsa called out, then waved as he drove off toward Cranville.
He'd been wily enough last night to wheedle an extra key from Shanna, and they had spent the morning taking photos and documenting problems they found in each room. It was all part of their plan to show Shanna how excited and dedicated they were over the proposed renovation.
Elsa returned to her notepad in the old house's kitchen. There would be a ton of work needed there. New plumbing, new appliances, new countertops, new floor. The old cabinets were solid wood and salvageable, but she doubted there were enough of them to suit a modern owner. This was her area of expertise - woodwork. And it was the sort of challenge she loved. She could fashion new cabinets that were an exact match to the old ones.
Last night, she'd told Howard it was all about family. And it was. She could feel it most strongly here in the kitchen. How many meals had been prepared in this room? How many families had gathered around this old wooden table? Quite a few, since the gatehouse had been built in 1892. She ran a hand over the scarred table. If it was up to her, she'd make sure this old house continued to be a home for another hundred years.
She ventured into a small room next to the kitchen and halted with a wince. The boards were giving too much under her weight. She knelt for a closer look. Wood rot. The window was missing a few panes, so rain and snow had probably come inside. She noted a few huge washtubs leaning against the wall. The room may have been used as a primitive laundry room or bathroom, so there could be a history of spilled water. She exited and stuck a Post-it note on the door. Danger. Floor about to collapse.
She headed back toward the foyer and gasped. There was a little boy standing just inside the front door, gazing up at the cupola.
He spotted her and waved. "Hi!"
"Hello." She strode toward him. "You shouldn't come in any further. It's not entirely safe."
"Okay." He smiled. "I'm Tino."
"Pleased to meet you." He was an angelic-looking little boy with blond curls and big blue eyes. "I'm Elsa."
"I know. I came to see you."
That's odd. "That's nice." She peered out the front door but didn't see a car or anyone else. "Do you live close by?" When he nodded, she asked, "And you came here all alone?"
He lifted his chin. "I don't need a babysitter. I'm five years old."
She winced inwardly. That was much too young to be wandering about the countryside. "Where are your parents?"
"They're asleep."
She swallowed down a gulp of indignation that parents could leave such an innocent child on his own. Twinges of her own abandonment at the age of three needled her. She would take this boy home and have a few words in private with his parents. "Do you mind if I walk you home?"
Tino grinned. "That would be great."
"Just a sec." She wrote a quick note to Alastair on her notepad and left it by the front door where he would see it. Then she grabbed her handbag and ushered the boy outside.
She closed the door. "Do you know the way home?"
"That way." Tino pointed at the woods.
She winced. "You live in the forest?" The dark, creepy forest?
"That's just a shortcut. Come on." Tino took her hand and led her down the steps and across the driveway.
Sure enough, there was a path through the woods. She held onto the little boy's hand and gazed around. It was a bit darker, but not all that creepy. Very pretty, actually. The dimmer light seemed to make the colors brighter, not so washed out by the sun. It was cooler here, and quite pleasant to be surrounded by her favorite color, green. She took a deep breath. It even smelled good.
A noise behind her made her jump.
Tino giggled. "It's just a squirrel."
"Right." She smiled at him. There was nothing to be afraid of. She'd seen plenty of squirrels around their house in the suburbs of Minneapolis.
She glanced back. There were three squirrels now. Were they following them?
She exhaled in relief when they stepped out onto the main road. "Okay, which way?"
"Down there." Tino let go of her hand to point.
She started walking beside him. Wasn't the school Shanna had warned them about down this road? And she'd promised to never go near it. Maybe the little boy lived somewhere on the way. "How far do we go?"
Tino shrugged. "A few miles, I think."
She halted. "You walked miles?"
"No."
"Then how did you get here?"
He wrinkled his nose as if searching for an answer. "I'm special."
She smiled. "I'm sure you are, but that doesn't really explain how you got here."
"I'm not supposed to talk about it."
Huh? Maybe she should wait till Alastair returned with the car. She glanced back and gasped.
A small herd of deer was on the road, along with half a dozen squirrels and rabbits. They were all looking at her.
Tino laughed. "I think they like you."
Her skin prickled with gooseflesh. "I wouldn't know why."
"Maybe they want you to sing to them," he suggested. "Like Sleeping Beauty."
She snorted. "I'm more like Fiona, I'm afraid."
"But you have blond hair like Sleeping Beauty. And you're not green."
She smiled. No one had ever compared her to a willowy princess before. "I'm a bit on the large size."
"You're smaller than Howard."
Her smile faded. "You know Howard?"
"Sure. He's a really nice guy. He feeds me donuts and plays games with me. I like him a lot. You would, too, if you got to know him."
She narrowed her eyes. "Did he send you here?"
"No!" Tino hung his head. "He'll probably get mad at me for coming."
"Where is he?"
"At the school. He's head of se-secoowaty."
"Security?" Was this the school Shanna had warned her to stay away from? Was it such a dangerous place that it needed a huge man like Howard to keep the inmates in line?
"Come on." Tino motioned for her to follow. "I'll take you to the school so you can see Howard."
She followed reluctantly. "I'm not supposed to go near the school. I promised Mrs. Draganesti that - "
"My mom?"
Elsa halted. "Shanna Draganesti is your mother?"
"Sure." He kept walking.
She hurried to catch up. "Where is your mother?"
"At the school. My dad's there, too. We live there." Tino smiled at her. "Howard's there, too. He'll be really happy to see you again."
The little boy was matchmaking. Elsa shook her head. Why had Shanna said the school was full of juvenile delinquents? "I - I thought the school was for troubled children."
Tino's eyes widened. "Troubled?"
"Yes."
"We're not troubled. We're special."
"Special how?"
He frowned. "I'm not supposed to talk about it."
This was getting more and more strange, but it was all part of the puzzle she'd sensed the night before, a puzzle she wanted the answers to. She glanced back. The animals were still there, following them at a distance. "I thought your mother said she worked during the day. Your father, too."
"Oh." Tino nodded. "Yeah, that's right."
Earlier he'd said they were sleeping. "What do your parents do?"
"Mom is a dentist, and my dad is a scientist." Tino smiled proudly. "Mom says he's a genius. He invented syn-syn . . . fake blood."
"Synthetic blood?"
"That's it." He nodded, smiling. "He cloned it from real blood. And he made me and Sofia, too."
"Sofia?"
"My little sister. She's special, too."
"And you all live at this school?" That Shanna wanted to keep secret? A secret school in the middle of nowhere with a brilliant scientist who made special children? It sounded like something out of a sci-fi movie. "Are there any other special children?"
Tino nodded. "My aunt Caitlyn just had two. Twins. And Toni and Olivia will have their babies soon."
Elsa's skin chilled. "And do all these women live at the school?"
"Yes. Marielle's going to have a baby, too, but she didn't need a turkey baster like the other ladies."
"What?" Elsa stumbled, then kept walking.
"That's what Connor said. He said he was able to do it the old-fashioned way, but that made Toni and Olivia mad." Tino shrugged. "I don't know why. I like turkey."
"Where is this Connor?"
"He's on a secret mission."
Elsa took a deep breath. Good Lord, this was starting to sound like an X-Men school for children. "And when you say that you're special, do you mean you have special talents or skills that normal children don't have?"
Tino wrinkled his nose, then nodded.
She gulped and came to a stop. What on earth was she getting into? "I don't think I should go to the school. Your mother told me not to." And her aunt had warned her to stay away from the man who'd made her birthmark burn. She turned but found the road blocked with animals. All looking at her.
She dragged a hand through her hair. Damn.
"Oh, look! Raccoons." Tino moved toward them.
She grabbed him. "Don't. They might carry disease. Rabies or something."
Tino looked up at her, his eyes wide. "You're trying to protect me?"
"Yes, of course."
He smiled. "I know why Howard likes you so much. You're just like him. He keeps me safe, too."
"Does he?" He'd mentioned last night that he kept people safe, but could he really be trusted, when he was the one who'd made her birthmark burn?
"Howard's been keeping me safe all my life," Tino said. "He's a really nice guy."
"Is he . . . special like you?"
Tino scratched his head. "Well, sorta."
The animals suddenly scattered.
"What happened?" Elsa's blood ran cold when a half dozen feral pigs ran onto the road, their hooves clattering, their eyes glued on her.
She gulped and pulled Tino behind her.
"They look mean," he whispered.
They sure did, with their sharp tusks pointed right at her. She clenched her fists to keep from trembling. What to do? She could call on her cell phone, but it could take a long time for help to come. Visions of the little boy getting gored with a tusk flitted through her mind.
"I'll distract them," she whispered. "You run for home as fast as you can."
"No." Tino wrapped his little arms around her. "They'll hurt you. I won't let them hurt you."
"There's nothing you can do - " She gasped when everything went black.