by Juniper Hart
“Trev?” his mother sobbed. “It’s Mom.”
Time seemed to slow down as he heard the broken note to her voice, and he closed his eyes.
“What happened?” he breathed, feeling a rush of gooseflesh on his skin.
“It’s Chris. He and Elyse…” Annabelle took a shuddering breath, unable to finish her thought. There was only one reason his mother would sound so devastated. He had heard this tone in her before, once.
When Dad died.
“What? What about them?” he managed to choke out, even though he was sure he already knew the answer.
“They’re gone, Trevor. They’re dead.”
3
The funeral services were small but elegant, Annabelle having become an expert in planning such unexpected arrangements. The couple would be laid to rest in the Enchanted cemetery near Trevor’s father.
“I can’t believe this,” Tristan muttered, her face ashen as she clung to Addison’s small hand. “How can something like this happen?”
“That’s what happens when you marry a demon!” Annabelle howled so loudly that the guests all turned to look at her.
“Okay, Mom,” Tristan muttered, taking her arm. “Don’t forget Baxter is here, and that’s his mother you’re talking about.”
“His mother is a murderer!” Annabelle insisted. “She killed my precious baby and daughter-in-law!”
“Someone get her a sedative,” Johnny growled, his eyes darting about to look for Baxter. Luckily, he didn’t seem to be in earshot of his grandmother’s ranting.
“I’ll take her to lie down,” Tristan sighed.
“No!” Annabelle hissed. “We have to meet with the lawyer in a few minutes. He’s here to discuss Chris and Elyse’s estate.”
“Today?” Trevor demanded in disbelief. “We just buried them! This is the wake, Mom!”
“He insisted. For Ellie’s sake?”
Guilt immediately filled Trevor, and he nodded. “Yes, of course. Ellsbeth.”
Johnny nodded for Trevor to follow him off to the side and away from his mother-in-law, and Trevor gratefully followed.
“I have no idea what got into Damiana,” Johnny mumbled, taking a swig of his scotch and shaking his head. “What kind of venom was she harboring for all these years?”
“Enough to kill them both,” Trevor mused without any irony, but Johnny snickered anyway.
“Poor kids. What a shitshow.”
“Yeah,” Trevor sighed, turning toward the small crowd that had gathered to pay their respects to his brother. Harley and Will stood near the buffet table, Harley inhaling every morsel of food he could find like it was a party and not a funeral.
I wish he’d wipe that shit eating grin off his face, Trevor thought angrily, but he realized it wasn’t Harley he was angry at. He was furious with Chris for having died before they could finally clear the air between them. And now I’ll live for all of eternity knowing that Chris died hating me. It was a tough pill to swallow, and Trevor wondered if he’d ever get over it.
“Come on, guys,” Tristan said, appearing at their side. “Harry just arrived to read the will.”
Reluctantly, Johnny downed the rest of his drink and nodded for Trevor to lead the way. As always, the introverted dragon considered running from the crowd and far away from the misery he was facing.
There’s no running from this, he thought, feeling the burn of his loss in his eyes. This is never going away.
“Are you sure about this, Harry?”
The entire family gaped at the attorney in disbelief. Harry Burnes nodded, removing his glasses from the edge of his nose to rub at the bridge with his forefinger and thumb. They had gathered in an empty pallor room for a quick reading, and Trevor had barely been listening until the past two minutes.
He didn’t know why he was even included in the reading. He hadn’t put up a fuss only out of respect for his deceased brother. Now he knew why.
“It’s all right here in black and white,” the lawyer replied, shoving the file across the table in case they wanted to check on his work. “Ellsbeth will remain in Trevor’s care, as long as he is willing and able to care for her.”
Tristan sank back into her chair, shaking her head in shock and amazement.
“But Chris hates you,” she mumbled, looking appropriately hurt by what she considered a slight to her parenting skills. “Addy and Ellsbeth are the same age. They should stay together. They’ll grow up together, like sisters.”
Trevor felt himself bristle at the comment, his eyes narrowing.
“You don’t think I can care for my own niece?” he snapped with uncharacteristic sharpness. The family could say what they wanted about him, but Trevor knew they couldn’t say anything about the love he had for his nieces. He would be a great parent to Ellsbeth. What was Tristan going on about?
His sister’s face paled, and her spine straightened as she shook her head, realizing too late that she had insulted her brother.
“I didn’t mean it like that, Trev, but you have to admit that it’s weird they would want you to care for Ellsbeth. I have the experience as a parent. I’m the better choice, obviously.”
“Not really,” Johnny commented without being asked. “Elyse liked Trev better than any of us. I bet she did all the paperwork without Chris even knowing. You know how he was with adulting. Chances are Elyse did everything in that house that had anything to do with legalities, and he just signed off on them.”
“Even more the reason for Ellie to come home with us,” Tristan hissed, infuriated that her husband was sabotaging her chances for raising her niece. Trevor opened his mouth to bite back a response, but his mother, not to be upstaged, began to caterwaul again.
“What dragon expects to go out like this?” Annabelle moaned. “Killed by his hateful ex-wife. That’s what he gets for marrying a demon!”
Trevor was beginning to get tired of his mother’s kvetching, spewing the same words over and over, as if her pain wasn’t being acknowledged enough for her liking.
“Damiana has been detained by the Council of Seven,” Johnny reminded his distraught mother-in-law. “She’ll be dealt with by Raven and the others for the murders.”
“Thankfully the children were spared,” Annabelle muttered, dabbing her eyes with a hanky like some southern belle in the wild west. “And they should stay with me, not Trevor. That’s the best place for them.”
All eyes set on her dubiously.
That’s the worst idea I’ve heard all day, Trevor thought, wisely keeping his sentiments to himself.
“Baxter is old enough to care for himself,” Tristan interjected. “The matter is just Ellie, and she can come home with me.” She turned to Trevor imploringly, silently begging him not to argue.
“You’ve got a full enough house,” Trevor interjected coldly. “Or have you forgotten that you have a new baby dragon coming?”
A deep silence fell over the parlor as the words sunk in.
“What?” Annabelle choked. “You’re pregnant? Again?”
Tristan scowled angrily at her brother, and Trevor pretended to look apologetic, but inwardly, he was seething. They really don’t think I can do this!
“Yes, Mom. We’re having another baby.” Tristan’s tone was deadpan, her eyes shooting daggers at her brother. For a moment, Trevor wondered if she was going to shift right there and challenge him to a fight.
“The last thing Ellsbeth needs is more chaos,” Trevor continued. “Your house will be filled with newborn and toddler drama. I have more than enough room for her at my place. She hasn’t started school yet, so there’s nothing to worry about there—”
“And who’s going to watch her when you’ve got your nose stuck at the computer all day and night?” Annabelle cried. “Your bachelor pad is no place for a little girl to grow up. She needs attention and a woman’s touch. You can’t be her mother, Trevor.”
Defensiveness and ire filled Trevor, and he jumped up from his chair to glare at his family.
&nbs
p; “This isn’t your choice to make,” he snapped. “Elyse and Chris already decided when they wrote their will that Ellsbeth is meant to stay with me.” He turned to Harry, who nodded in agreement.
“Unless you want to drag this through the courts,” he added. “Which could take years, and it will take a chunk out of your savings, not to mention the strain it will put on Ellsbeth. Unless you think that Trevor is unfit to parent her, this will do a lot more harm than good, and when it’s all said and done, the little girl is going to resent the lot of you for it.”
“Stop it!” Tristan growled. “Of course we’re not taking this through the courts. We’re a family.”
The dirty looks dimmed around the room, and everyone paused to collect themselves, heeding Tristan’s sensible words.
“Yes,” Trevor agreed, reclaiming his chair. “We’re a family, and we need to think about what’s best for Ellsbeth and Baxter now.”
“Do you really think that you are best for her?” Tristan asked quietly, and more anger surged through Trevor.
“Yes,” he hissed. “I do. Is that so hard to believe?”
Tristan shook her head and darted her eyes away from his accusing stare to rest her gaze on her husband.
“I still think—” Annabelle started, but Trevor cut her off.
“It doesn’t matter what you think!” he barked. “Ellie is coming home with me. Can I count on you to help me or not?”
“Forget it, Mom,” Tristan sighed. “Of course you can count on us. She’s our family, too, Trevor, and you’re not alone, regardless of how much you might want to be.”
Wisely, Annabelle clamped her mouth closed as Trevor’s eyes widened.
Is that what they think? That I want to be alone? He didn’t respond, instead turning his attention toward the lawyer staring expectantly at him.
“What do you say, Trevor? Are you willing to be Ellsbeth’s guardian?”
“Yes. Of course. It would be my honor to raise her.”
“Then I’ll need you to sign here, and we’ll file the proper paperwork through the state.” Trevor leaned forward to oblige.
“Seriously, though, Trev,” Tristan murmured as he did. “You’re going to need help. It’s not as easy as it looks, particularly when you’re working from home and she’s not in school.”
As he finished scrawling his name across the legal document, Trevor drew his huge shoulders back and met her eyes with his stormy dark ones. Yes. I’m going to need help. She’s absolutely right.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she implored him. “I’m just telling you like it is.”
“Thanks for that, but you don’t need to worry,” he shot back.
“How’s that now?” Johnny asked in his usual offhanded way.
“I’ll just have to hire a nanny then, won’t I?” he retorted before storming from the room and leaving his family to gape after him.
4
Trevor shifted his weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably, craning his neck over the half dozen people in front of him, even though he towered over everyone. Despite his angle, he felt like he wasn’t getting a good enough view.
You’re not missing anything, he reminded himself for what felt like the hundredth time since he’d arrived. She’s just not here yet.
He was merely antsy and looking for something to do in his anxiousness. He had been over an hour early waiting for Marika’s flight, and he was the picture of impatience by the time the delayed aircraft had landed. Scrolling through Twitter had been futile, his mind unable to process anything he read. The thought of meeting the nanny was just too much for his brain to take after all that had happened.
From Chris and Elyse’s funeral, Trevor had gone immediately home to book Marika’s ticket and send for her at once. She had been excited at the unexpected announcement and surprised to learn that she would be commissioned as a nanny.
I hope you like children, he had written hastily. I’ve just been granted custody of my three-year-old niece.
To his immense relief, she had been amenable to the idea, claiming that she had experience tending to small children and that she enjoyed them at that age.
He felt sweat building under his arms as the passengers began to exit customs, some of them into the waiting arms of loved ones while others scurried past, clearly late for some important meetings. At first, they had poured out in a horde, but soon, Trevor was able to count the bodies as they made their way through, his apprehension mounting with each body that passed him.
The rush of people slowed to a trickle, and Trevor was aware that his brow was beaded in water. His heartrate increased in anticipation. Had he missed her? Maybe she hadn’t recognized him and walked right by. But Trevor was certain that no one even remotely resembling Marika’s picture had sauntered through the terminal.
He started to wonder if he had been conned. Again.
Have I been catfished or bait-and-switched? What if her profile picture really wasn’t of her? Maybe she is really a seventy-year-old man! Oh no, I fell for a catfish. No wonder I didn’t recognize her. “She” doesn’t exist!
The knowledge wouldn’t have bothered him so much if he hadn’t been expecting to bring home a nanny to his niece, who waited to be picked up from his mother’s house after Trevor collected Marika. What would he say? That she hadn’t shown up? That she had missed her flight? Then what? Should he find another overseas nanny, or call for a service?
Trevor loathed that he was already making excuses for this woman, and his face burned with embarrassment at his own stupidity. He didn’t even want to think about what his family would say if they learned the truth. He could almost imagine what Chris would tell him:
“You’re five hundred years old, and you don’t know when you’re being played by a woman?”
He was the last person in wait now, the remaining passengers seemingly off the plane. He stood, feeling idiotic as the sliding doors from customs remained closed.
Please, please come out, he silently begged, but his heart began to sink. When will you ever learn, you fool? Trevor told himself that he’d learned now, for certain. He wasn’t going to let anyone fool him ever again. He would find a nanny for Ellie through the proper channels and stay off the internet unless he needed it for work.
It had been fifteen minutes since the last person had walked out the doors, and Trevor knew he looked conspicuous standing there alone. A security guard for the airline eyed him when he walked by for a second time, but this time, he stopped to question him.
“Are you expecting someone, sir?” the guard asked, pausing in front of Trevor.
For a fleeting moment, Trevor’s hopes soared. Maybe the guard could help him!
“Yes,” Trevor said eagerly. “Her name is Marika Varga. Could you check if she missed her flight for me?”
The mortal man shook his head ruefully, even without bothering to do a thing, and Trevor’s heart sank. “I doubt that she missed her flight, sir. It was completely full. There were no stand-by seats available. I know because my sister wanted on this flight, and she’s trapped in Budapest until tomorrow.”
Trevor nodded, managing to choke out a thanks for his help. There was no doubt about it now—he had been played for a fool and was out $1200 for a plane ticket.
But why? Why did she go through all this? Did she change her mind because of Ellsbeth? Surely coming here as a nanny is better for her, isn’t it? She was advertised on a nanny site, and that would undoubtedly set her up for life in America if that’s what she’s looking for.
The problem was, Trevor had no idea what Marika was looking for. All he knew was what he’d learned over the past week of chatting with her online. How could something that had felt so right be so wrong?
Shoulders sagging, he glanced one last time at the frosted sliding doors. He couldn’t go over and over the issue in his mind. What was done was done, and he refused to dwell on it. All he could do was move forward and forget that he’d ever been such an idiot.
At th
e sliding doors, he tried to get the sensor to open, but when it remained firmly closed, he turned away, dejected. No one else was coming out.
His phone was buzzing in his pocket, and a surge of excitement flowed through him. He had given Marika his number, but as he glanced at the screen, he saw it was Tristan phoning. His impulse was to let the call go to voicemail, but he knew that his sister was still trying to make nice with him after what had happened in the lawyer’s office, and he didn’t want to make her suffer, not after the loss that they’d all suffered.
“I didn’t mean to offend or upset you, Trevor. I was just stunned by the news,” Tristan had said. “Of course, we all just want what’s best for Ellie.”
Naturally, Trevor had forgiven her, but he had decided to keep her at arm’s length, at least until matters were settled with Marika. Although he didn’t want to fight with Tristan, he also didn’t want to be too chummy with her, now knowing how she truly felt about him watching Ellie.
“Hey, sis,” he answered with forced cheer. “How’s the morning sickness? Puking up your guts yet?” He was wasting his talents in web design. He should have been an actor. No one could pretend as well as he did.
“No morning sickness so far. How are you doing?” He could hear the genuine concern in her voice, and it filled him with guilt. “I’ve been trying to reach you for the past couple days.” He’d known that, too, but he’d purposely brushed her off. Now he wished he’d answered her earlier calls. This was not the time he wanted to chat.
I’m great! I’m just going to go home and smother myself with a pillow now, he thought wickedly.
Trevor shrugged at the question and blinked, swallowing the bitterness in his throat as he pushed out of the terminal into the cold of the winter day. He paused, momentarily confused as to where he had parked. His head was a jumbled mess.
“I’m great, Tris. What’s up?”
“I was just calling—” She abruptly stopped speaking and paused.