by Rain Oxford
“For two months?” I responded. “Not likely.”
“No. Addison is building the trust of the students, but she does not have a very full schedule. She can watch him while I’m in class and I’ll take care of him for the rest of the time. In August, he’ll go to the children’s school.”
“Is it safe?” I asked. I knew the students who had been taken as sacrifices were returned, but it still worried me that they were taken in the first place.
“It has to be. Scott needs to be with other paranormals his own age.”
Darwin pulled a spare blanket out of his dresser and pulled his pillow down. “He can sleep on the floor tonight so that he doesn’t have to climb the ladder. In the morning, we can find him a little bed and introduce him to his new step-mummy.”
Chapter 11
I woke up, immediately suspicious of the peace and quiet. It was Saturday, which meant Darwin and Henry should be arguing over laundry and homework schedules. I sat up and looked around my room. Darwin was gone, probably with Amy since he knew that he could touch her. Henry was still asleep… on the floor, in his jaguar form. Scott was also in his cat form and looked like a little kitten next to his dad. That could have had to do with the fact that Scott was actually curled over Henry’s neck with his head on top of his father’s.
Henry must have sensed that I was awake because he opened his eyes and his cat ears flicked back. When his right ear moved in front of Scott’s face, the little cub opened his mouth and clamped down on the ear. Henry didn’t move or make a sound; a picture of patience.
After a few minutes, Scott shifted, went over to his father’s bed, and tried to reach the blankets. Henry, seeing that his son was too short, shifted, pulled down the heavy blanket, and dropped it on Scott. The boy grunted as it engulfed him completely.
“We need to get Scott some new clothes,” I said, pointing to the pile of torn garments on Henry’s chair.
The kid pulled the blanket off, which left his black hair a mess. “Who’s Scott?”
Henry moved the clothes and sat in his chair to be at eye level with his son. “When the bad people took you and put you in the orphanage, they didn’t tell anyone that your name was Scott. The orphanage made up a name for you, but it wasn’t what your mother and I named you.” He didn’t say anything more, obviously waiting for his kid to say something.
Scott shrugged. “I like the name Scott.”
I was impressed by the child’s understanding and awareness. Then again, he was a shifter, so that might have increased his mental and emotional development. A jaguar in the wild was dependent and probably already had offspring by the time they were five years old.
“You talk funny,” he said.
Henry showed nothing but patience on his face. “It is called an English accent. I had a family in another country once and they were very good people, so I talk like them. When I came back to America, I kept my accent because I wanted to always be the person they were proud of. Also, I can say anything I want in this country and people think it’s Shakespeare. We need to talk about where we are.”
I left them alone so Henry could explain the paranormal world to him. By the time I returned from my shower, Darwin was back and they were ready to go to breakfast. Scott had on his jeans and one of Darwin’s gray hoodies, which went down to his knees. Darwin frowned at it. “I tried to shrink it, but I was afraid to leave it in the laundry for long because someone might have mistaken it for Jackson’s.”
After Jackson made a very racial comment in the wrong class, his clothes were targeted. Everything he had was now pink and too small for him. Most of the students who put up with him before now stayed away from him in fear of being lumped in with him. Although we all knew the clothes-stainer was a member of Darwin’s pranks club, he was deemed “The Pink Avenger.”
When we walked into the dining room, it only took a couple of seconds for everyone to spot us. It fell silent. I knew a good portion of the students had children of their own who they missed dearly. All eyes were on Scott and the only sound was that of a few dozen motherly instincts being activated.
“Maybe we should have kept him a secret,” I whispered.
“Who’s this little angel?” Becky asked, being the first one to get up from her seat. She knelt in front of Scott and held out her hand. He shook it and tried to be discreet about sniffing her.
“I’m Scott, and I’m a jaguar shifter,” he said proudly, copying his father’s accent. Hearts melted all over the dining room.
We made it to the buffet, got our food, and sat down without too much trouble. After a few minutes, Amelia sat down next to Darwin and they held hands. Scott and Amelia studied each other before Scott lost interest and continued eating. That worried me; Scott gave his best smile to everyone.
“You must be Scott,” she said. “Darwin was telling me a lot about you this morning.”
He focused on his food and shrugged. “What’s wrong, buddy?” Darwin asked. Scott just shrugged again.
“He’s not getting an emotional reaction out of me,” Amy explained.
“Right, because you’re an empathy fae,” Darwin said, nodding.
“Huh?” I asked. Henry looked just as confused.
“Scott is communicating with everyone around him on a subconscious level,” Amelia said. “He is sending out ‘love me’ signals and everyone who has any fondness for kids is susceptible. He’s not doing it intentionally and he probably doesn’t even understand it, but he can feel who likes him and who doesn’t. It’s a perfectly natural ability that has probably helped him survive up until now.”
“That explains some things,” I said.
Henry growled. “You don’t like my son?” he asked her.
Darwin put his arm around her. “Of course she does! She just isn’t influenced by his aura. Because of that, he can’t understand her feelings. Think of it as they have the same power, only hers comes from her fae powers and his is from his shifter genes.”
“You do like me then?” Scott asked hesitantly. Amelia nodded.
“Is that a normal shifter ability?” I asked.
“Nope,” Darwin answered. “It’s just a talent he has.”
“Actually, I don’t think it has anything to do with his shifter genetics,” Henry said. “Zoe was always very perceptive of my emotions.” He grinned fondly as he remembered his wife. “If she was ever ashamed of something she did, she would act extra sweet and every heart in the entire city would melt.” He put his hand on Scott’s head. “I have some drawings and paintings of your mother I want to show you. Two days after you were born, it was raining and I thought it would never end, but then your mother smiled at you and the rain just went away.”
Scott smiled brightly.
“Wow. He looks just like you,” Addison said, approaching our table.
Scott studied her as she set her tray down beside him. He didn’t make any attempt to hide the fact that he was sniffing her. Then he stood up to face her. “You smell like my daddy.” She was at a loss for words, but Scott surprised all of us by wrapping his arms around her waist and hugging her.
Addie smiled and hugged him back. “Such a sweetheart!” Scott let her go and sat back down. Addison sat next to him so that he was between her and Henry. “Does Hunt know about this?”
“We haven’t seen him in a few days,” I said. “I pretty much expect him to be busy dealing with the remains of the council and the rest of the paranormal community after the tornado.”
“Actually, your attempts to keep the tornado quiet might have saved the school,” she said. “I’m not really in with the teachers because I don’t have students, but they are talking about it. Most paranormals outside the schools didn’t know about the tornado until after it came down, so they just assume it was no big deal. Of those who did know, most of them found out from the council, who apparently believe that Hunt put it up to protect the schools.”
“Really?” Darwin asked. “You mean something actually went right for onc
e?”
“We’re more than a month into the school semester and nobody died,” I pointed out.
Henry, Addie, Amy, and Darwin all considered it with something like shock on their faces. “You’re right,” Addie finally said. “Wow.”
* * *
The rest of the day was fairly calm. Scott enjoyed the loving attention from everyone and Henry never looked so happy. After breakfast, Henry, Scott, and Addison went to take a walk in the forest. Darwin, likewise, wanted alone time with Amelia, so they went to our room. I was never uncomfortable with being alone, but this time, I couldn’t stop thinking about Astrid.
I wandered the halls of the castle, not looking for anyone or anything in particular, and found myself outside of the headmaster’s office multiple times. The fourth time, I knocked on the door.
“Come on in, Devon,” Hunt said.
I opened the door. Vincent and Hunt were in the seats by the fireplace and Flagstone stood to the left of the headmaster. I entered and shut the door behind me. “How do you always know it’s me?” I asked, expecting some long explanation involving his mighty wizard powers.
“You are the only one who knocks,” he answered.
“You’re the headmaster.” I thought it was only right to show some respect.
He sighed. “I feel more like a governess sometimes. How is Henry’s son doing?”
“He’ll be okay. I think he has a lot of adjusting to do and I expect there’s going to be a problem trying to send him to school in August, but he’ll make it.”
“Good. There is a problem with the shadow pass. We have been having increasing problems entering and getting out of it.”
“Logan sent me talk to Maseré and I ended up in Beijing,” Flagstone said.
“Are you sure that wasn’t retaliation for Remington’s display in your class?” I asked. Hunt scowled and I realized I probably shouldn’t have brought that up. “I take it this means Krechea is doing something.”
“Perhaps, or perhaps not,” Hunt said, helpful as always. “We already discovered that the unclaimed key weakens the boundaries between the worlds. This may be the result. We tried to ask Keigan if he was having the same problem, but we could not find him.”
“We think he might have gone after the key himself,” Vincent said.
“Would it be so wrong if he got it? He’s willing to destroy the tower once Heather is back here.”
“Do you really believe that? Keigan was the ruler of a powerful organization. Do you really believe he wants to stay here as a teacher?”
“Yes. I think he knows Heather belongs here and that he’s going to stay here with her.”
“Well, you have a lot more faith in him than I do,” Vincent said. Hunt didn’t look so sure, though. I wondered if maybe Hunt trusted Langril more than he let on. I had no doubt he wanted to kill Langril, but that didn’t mean he didn’t trust the demon.
“We would never force you to get the key, but we must do something now,” Hunt said. “If you are going to get it, you need to do so before Krechea or Keigan does.”
I nodded. “I’ll do what I have to. How do I get the key?”
Hunt and Vincent glanced at each other. “You’d have to get to the tower, and since the shadow pass isn’t working…” Vincent said, trailing off.
“Can you help me get to the tower?”
“I have been trying to reach the tower since I bought this place,” Hunt said. “We have never gotten further than the fourth level down. As far as we know, Keigan is the only one who can do it.”
“Is it just the traps that keep you from getting further?”
“There are too many secret rooms and hidden passages. It was designed to hide the tower.”
I nodded. “Henry can navigate the traps and my instincts can detect the secret passages and triggers. I just don’t know if he’s going to be willing to do it.”
* * *
“Of course I’m going to help you!” Henry said loudly, startling both Darwin and Scott. It was three hours after my conversation with the headmaster and Vincent. Darwin, Henry, and I were sitting in our chairs in our room while Scott played on the floor with a toy that another student had given him.
I was a bit shocked myself; this was very different from the Henry I met when I first started at Quintessence. There were bound to be problems, but I knew it was better for him to have emotions again. “I thought you wouldn’t want to leave Scott.”
“It’s not the same thing. Addison can watch him for an hour while I help you. I wouldn’t even have him back if it weren’t for you.” He grabbed Scott and pulled him into his lap as if worried that the kid would suddenly vanish. Scott took the opportunity to grab his teddy bear from Henry’s desk.
“Okay. We’ll go first thing in the morning.”
“Why not now?” Darwin asked.
“I want to have another lesson with Langril and I want to ask him for some information on the test.” I went to talk to him, but I didn’t really expect him to be in his room. He wasn’t. Although it was Saturday, I also checked his office and classroom.
I knew part of me was just waiting for an excuse not to go after the key. Some part of me knew I would lose Astrid forever if I did, and I wanted to put it off for as long as I could. Unfortunately, I knew better; there were too many villains in the world who were ready to risk everything to win.
Langril was never going to win.
Krechea would if I didn’t stop him.
* * *
I felt her hot, smooth body flex against me and anticipated the warmth of her kiss. Twice, I felt her lips, but the first time, it was an undine disguised as her and the second time, she was under John’s control. This time, Remington was herself and very passionate. She was as warm as I had expected, and kissing her was a battle for dominance.
She tasted like cherries and mint.
I started to roll her over when she pulled away. Her body was still pressed against me; it was only her lips I couldn’t reach. “Is this everything you dreamed of?” she whispered slyly before writhing ever so slowly against me.
Too lightly, too slowly.
“My dreams are rarely this pleasant.” I brushed a lock of her hair behind her left ear. Considering Remington would never let me touch her in real life because she was faithful to Flagstone, I had no idea why my subconscious was entertaining the fantasy.
Then she wiggled against me and I reached out instinctively to steady her.
That’s right. That’s why. She was strong inside and out, but not an absolute bitch like Regina, she was undeniably gorgeous, and when she showed her soft side, I felt like I won an award. Too bad she was completely and irrevocably Alpha Flagstone’s.
“Tell me what you want most,” she said. She kissed my chest and I ran my hand down her back.
“Right this moment?”
“Always. What is most important to you? What can you not live without? What do you want more than anything?”
I thought it was her questions that were distracting me from enjoying her body at first. However, after a moment, I started to recognize it; it was my instincts. I pushed her off and sat up, startled to realize that I wasn’t dreaming. “What the hell is going on?” I was in my room with my roommates and Scott asleep. Remington kissed my shoulder. We were both naked, awake, and in my bed.
“Relax,” she whispered. “This is what you want.”
“Where is Flagstone?”
She leaned up to kiss my neck again. I pushed her away and pulled the blanket around her to cover her nudity. As much as I knew something was very wrong, she was still ridiculously beautiful and distracting. “Who cares?” she asked. “I want you.”
“No, you don’t. I’ve been in your head; I know what you want.”
She smacked my chest. “Why do you have to be so stubborn?” She vanished without another word, leaving me stunned and confused.
“Dev? You good?” Darwin asked, sitting up. “I thought I heard something.”
“You did. Go
back to sleep. I’m going for a walk.”
“Need backup?”
“Not yet. I’ll come get you if I do.”
“Okay. Luck, bro.” He rolled over and went back to sleep.
I got up, dressed, and went out into the hall. My intention had been to look for Remington’s room to make sure she was okay, but I found myself standing outside of Langril’s room instead. I knocked lightly, waited, and knocked harder. When I still heard nothing, I tried the knob.
Unlocked.
The room was empty. It was three in the morning and Langril wasn’t in his room. Langril’s words from the days before came to mind. I expected him to be here, so why wasn’t he? He was supposed to be here.
Something was very wrong. I pulled out my penlight to scan for any blood or sign of a struggle, and what I found was worse; Langril’s red ball was on the floor beside his bed. I had never seen him care for anything as much as he did that ball, so I knew he wouldn’t leave it lying around on the floor.
“Devon Sanders…”
I turned to see Adesra standing in the doorway, about five and a half feet tall instead of her usual six inches. “What’s going on?”
“Your time is up, Devon Sanders. The Shadow Master is about to get the key. You must get it now, or we will all be enslaved. Please help us.”
“How?”
“The gnomes will lead you to the realm where you will face a test. Only the balance of nature will help you pass this test. You will have to sacrifice what is most important to you.”
“Screw that. I’ll get the key, destroy Krechea once and for all, and then I’ll keep whatever is most important to me. I’m not going to take this lying down and I’m sure as hell not letting Krechea take Astrid or my friends.”
“Anger is not the way, Devon Sanders.”
“I’m not angry.” I walked passed her, went straight down to the bottom floor, and left the dorms. Yes, I told Darwin I would get him if I needed him, but my friends couldn’t help me with this. They did enough for me already.
I entered the castle, where the vampires and their teachers were in the middle of their classes, and went to the underground level. I didn’t get my sword out of its hiding place because I wasn’t willing to set off an earthquake under the castle. Instead, I found the stairs to the next level down. I pulled my penlight out because there weren’t automatic torches on this level, then stopped on the bottom step.
