by Krysta Scott
There it was. Mr. Hanover was a member of the Guild of the Celestial Night. One of Garrett’s kind, but more importantly… “Mr. Hanover, the fact that I don’t know who you are means that you are one of the dissidents. You’re the type that I, shall we say, take care of.”
“No, that’s not true.” Although Mr. Hanover was clearly attempting to keep his voice calm, panic crept around the edges. “Your mother sent me to you. We aren’t nonconformists. We follow the edicts of the Guild.”
“Then how is it your existence has escaped my notice?”
“We left the Guild shortly after our son was five. He’s always been temperamental and he didn’t respond well to the direction of the casters. We felt it best to raise him outside of our culture and leave him untrained. He is an isolate now.”
“I see.” An isolate. That could be a problem.
“No, I don’t think you do. But you will.”
Why had his mother left this family off the radar? He leaned back against the headboard, not liking the direction this conversation was taking. He’d always considered himself well versed on the secret workings within the Guild. One phone call from this stranger had dispelled that notion, leaving him as anxious as an untrained novice. He ground his teeth. There was no way he’d be able to take his seat at the council table with spotty information. “What does the Guild have to do with your son’s trouble?”
“There is a child. My grandchild. She is—talented. We tried to get custody initially, but they gave her to her mother. Now, the Department of Human Services has her. She hasn’t been traditionally trained. If she stays there—”
Now Garrett understood. The Hanovers had compounded one mistake with an even bigger problem. One that his mother wanted him to solve. An inexpertly trained child of the Guild.
Garrett sighed wearily. “Be at my office by seven-thirty.”
Chapter Two
Nikki rushed through the steel door of the juvenile shelter. As soon as she entered the waiting area, Officer Gunderson met her with a cup of coffee.
“Black, right?” His attempt at a smile faltered as his eyes met hers. She took the coffee from him, sipped the hot bitter liquid, and grimaced.
“It’s one in the morning.” She was still shaking off the fog of sleep. Her voice held a sharp edge, and she had a creeping sensation that she had been yanked from the rim of a deep abyss. It was that creepy dream. Her subconscious screaming at her for not being able to protect Lori Hanover. She would do better next time.
“Sorry about that, but your boss says you’re the assigned Guardian Ad Litem for Lori Hanover.”
“What?” Nikki blinked. “Are you sure you have the name right?” Lori couldn’t be here. It was too soon. Nikki pulled her free hand through her hair. She swallowed as the dream rushed back. Every thump. Every crash. The desperate scream as the butt of the gun came crashing down. She cringed. All of a sudden she was certain. Parker Hanover was a powder keg ready to explode. Nikki couldn’t fathom what had set him off so soon. Whatever it was sent Lori here. This morning she’d failed this small child. She sure as hell would not fail again. “What happened?”
Officer Gunderson opened the file. “The Hanover child was brought into the shelter an hour ago. The investigating officer discovered her in the backyard hiding in her playhouse. It appears the father severely beat the mother. He’s locked up, and the mom’s in the ICU at county hospital.”
“Wow, this is a tough one.” An image of a body slamming against a wall flashed into her consciousness. Nikki drew in a deep breath and grabbed the file from Gunderson. She flipped through the pages scanning the details of an incident that sounded all too familiar. Like that dark dream was real. Even though the idea was nonsense, a pall of impending danger clung to her like a shroud of darkness that wouldn’t let go. But no semblance of reason could shake the strange sense of déjà vu. It felt very, very real. “Mr. Hanover reconciled with his wife this morning. What could have possibly set him off?”
Officer Gunderson glanced at the floor. “No one knows. The mother is unconscious and the child won’t make a statement.”
“Poor Lori.” Nikki took another sip of coffee, as if the liquid had the power to grant her strength. “Where is she?”
“Right this way.” The officer motioned, and she followed him down the dimly lit hallway. Fluorescent lights flickered above her head like she was in a scene from a bad horror movie, but instead, she was en route to interview a traumatized child. And that was worse. Much worse.
Gunderson stopped in front of the third door.
“Well, I’ll leave you to your business.” He let out a long sigh. “Gotta hand it to ya, I wouldn’t be able to do what you do.”
Nikki gave him a half smile. Sometimes it took all the fortitude she could summon to do what she did.
Taking a deep breath, she forced her face into a pleasant expression before opening the door. She stepped into a tiny room that held only two chairs and a table. Nikki quietly closed the door behind her.
Lori occupied one of the chairs. Her golden curls hung limply down her thin shoulders hiding her face. In her arms she clasped a stained rag doll with a shock of red hair. The doll’s stuffing protruded at the seams of both arms and one leg. Memories assailed Nikki, the emotions so strong, she was nearly paralyzed by them. The child reminded her so much of Cassie, she wanted to reach out and take the little girl into her arms.
“Hi, Lori, do you remember me?”
Lori didn’t look up, or otherwise acknowledge Nikki, even when Nikki sat in the chair across from her. Nikki couldn’t really blame her. It’d been her duty to protect Lori from her abusive father. After what the child had been through tonight, there was no reason for Lori to trust Nikki. Searching for a way to get Lori to open up, Nikki’s eyes lit on the doll.
“Who’s this?” Nikki indicated the doll. Lori looked up, her blue eyes suspicious behind her veil of hair. She remained silent, so Nikki continued. “My sister used to have a doll like this when I was a kid. My mom told me that the spots and rips mean she is well loved.”
Lori sat up a little straighter. “My mom says that, too. Does your sister still have it?”
She couldn’t tell her the truth about Cassie—couldn’t speak as she recalled placing the doll in the coffin with her dead sister—so she just nodded. It wasn’t really a lie.
“What’s going to happen to Rags?” The girl’s face crumpled, and she burst into tears as she held the doll tighter.
Nikki guessed the question was more about what was going to happen to Lori than her doll. She chose her next words carefully to encompass both interpretations. “I’m here to help with that. Remember, I’m what’s called a Guardian Ad Litem. I’m going to help figure out what’s best for you and Rags.”
Lori’s eyes widened with hope and another emotion that rested between suspicion and relief. She cocked her head to the side and stared through Nikki, as if she were attempting to confirm her identity. “Mommy said my guardian would help me fix this. But you didn’t do so good last time.”
Uneasiness gnawed at Nikki’s insides. It wasn’t the accusation that unnerved her, but the weird sense that there was a deeper implication she was unable to translate. Lori watched her expectantly. With every second that ticked by, disappointment and distrust re-entered her blue eyes.
“No,” Nikki said. “I didn’t. I’m so sorry you had to go back. This time I will work harder at getting what’s best for you and,” she added at the last minute, “Rags.”
Lori squinted and pursed her lips. “Mommy told me about court and that she would send me a guardian.”
“It’s important for you to understand that I don’t work for your mommy or your daddy. I work for the court.”
“Oh.”
“What does it mean for your mommy to send you a guardian?”
“I just thought…” Lori shrugged. “Nothing.”
Lori’s gaze traveled to the table. Just like that, a door of emotional acceptance had opened and
slammed shut. Nikki didn’t know why, but the sensation that she’d missed an opportunity quivered through her. Ignoring the feeling, she opened the file.
On the surface, the Hanover case was the typical scenario of a fractured family. Mrs. Hanover filed for divorce two months ago. In the pleadings, she accused the father of committing domestic violence in front of her daughter. The photos of a black eye and bruises up the arms in the shape of fingerprints still made her shudder. No new photos of what happened this evening were available, but it still looked bad. The judge was right to suspend his visitation the first time. Then Amy Hanover went and dismissed her case and Nikki was powerless to stop it. Acid gnawed at her insides. This time she would make sure Lori was protected.
“Where’s Mommy?” Lori clutched Rags, as if her doll were the only thing that grounded her to earth. She was so alone and lost.
Dark depths of pity consumed Nikki as she searched for a way to answer the potent question. But there was never a good way to share this kind of news. “She’s in the hospital. The doctors are taking good care of her.” A lame response, but it was the truth. “I’m trying to figure out who will take care of you until your mother gets better. Is there a person you want to live with?”
Lori’s expression closed off. Her message was clear. She wasn’t going to discuss this topic. Out of everything that had happened to this small child, where she would stay should have been the easiest subject to approach first.
“Is there someone you would like to stay with until your mother gets better?”
Silence.
“I know this is hard, but I need to know what you want.”
“I’m not supposed to say.”
“It can be hard to talk to a stranger about private things, but I’m here to help you.”
“You wouldn’t get it.”
“Well, I haven’t been through what you have, but if you talk to me, I’m certain I can help you.”
“No, not the bad stuff. I told the other lady all about that. I mean you aren’t like us.”
Nikki couldn’t erase the impression there was something a little off with this child. Like there was a hidden message beneath every word she spoke. Lori’s responses weren’t unusual, but her reactions were out of sync.
“Someone has already spoken to you before you came here?”
“The other lady that came to my school.”
More than likely, she was referring to the DHS caseworker on the abuse action. Nikki took a deep breath.
“Did you talk to her about where you wanted to live?”
Lori nodded soberly. “I picked my mommy and now she’s…”
Realization shook Nikki. Lori felt guilty. She had chosen her mother, and now her mother was in the hospital. Maybe Lori wasn’t so unusual. “What happened to your mother wasn’t your fault.”
Lori’s only response was to curl up in her chair, hold her doll closer, and stare vacantly at the institutional wall.
“Lori, I want to help you.”
Still no response.
“Would it be okay for me to tell the judge to place you with your grandparents?”
Lori sat up straight, dropped her doll on the table, and shook her head. “I want to stay here, but Rags doesn’t.”
Nikki frowned. “Where does Rags want to stay?”
“She wants to go with you.”
****
For the second time that night, Garrett was ripped from a peaceful slumber by the insistent shrilling of his phone. “Hello.” He rubbed his free hand over his face to push away the last vestige of sleep.
“She is awake.” The familiar, raspy voice eroded any hope of a restful night.
“Mother.” Garret pulled his clock to face him. “It’s five in the morning.”
“I know what time it is,” she barked. “This is important. She is awake.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Garret pushed himself to a sitting position.
“The Shadow Dancer is awake.”
Garret’s mind instantly cleared. “The Shadow Dancer is just a myth.”
“I raised you better than that. Stop thinking like a fool, boy.”
His mother’s stern reprimand propelled him back to his childhood, when he was forced to listen to endless lectures about his family duty. Garrett squirmed as if trying to release himself from her grasp. But he wasn’t her protégée anymore. “This can wait. I need sleep.”
“Don’t you hang up on me. The Shadow Dancer is real. And now one is awake. I shouldn’t have to remind you how dangerous that can be. No one should be able to dream cast and alter events beyond the forty-eight hour window. That won’t only affect our kind. It will be catastrophic for everyone.”
“What makes you think the Shadow Dancer exists?” He hated himself for asking, but sometimes the best course of action was to let his mother’s tirades run their course, even if it was in the middle of the night. Especially in the middle of the night.
“Ever since the Hanovers contacted me, I have experienced a flux of energy. This pattern is strong and willful.”
“Really?” He stiffened.
“Yes. I think the granddaughter is the key.”
A steel cable seized his insides and wound itself tight around his gut. He’d taken care of dissidents before, but could he do that to a child? There had to be limits to how far his responsibilities went. “Are you sure it’s not Parker?”
“It couldn’t be Parker. He was removed from training and allowed to atrophy. I sense an expertly trained caster.”
“You think a child could be that well-trained?”
“Who else could it be? But perhaps you’re right. Look into the matter and report back to me.”
Garrett hung up the phone and headed to the kitchen to brew some coffee. It was unlikely he’d get back to sleep anyway, and now he had work to do.
****
Nikki drew her hand through the full length of her hair as she headed into the office building. The strange dream she’d had last night haunted her. She couldn’t shake the feeling an important connection had been severed, and she couldn’t articulate what had been lost. Whatever it was strained the edge of her nerves. She normally didn’t dream about the parents of a child she represented. She hadn’t been on the Hanover case long enough to have an intimate knowledge of the events, and nothing in the case file was as graphic as the dream.
She entered the elevator and pushed the button for the seventh floor. A man stepped in before the doors closed. He glanced at the panel, then to her. Leaning one shoulder against the wall, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his navy blue slacks, making his paisley gold tie tilt to one side against the open suit jacket. His short brown hair was moussed into wind-tossed perfection and was the same shade as his rich chocolate eyes. His penetrating stare was neither subtle nor innocent.
“Is there something I can help you with?” she said, conscious of the snippy tone and too tired to rein it in.
“You look familiar. Have we met before?” he drawled with an unrepentant air.
She crossed her arms in front of her chest and shifted against the side wall, taking in the full support of its steel structure. He looked vaguely familiar but she couldn’t place where or if she had ever seen him before. “I don’t think so.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be rude,” he stated smoothly, but the grin never left his face. Everything except his suit and the well-placed hairs on his head oozed nonchalance, as if nothing in his world was urgent. He maintained his casual pose and continued monitoring her with an amused expression. “But I need to speak with you, Ms. Angelus.”
Nikki’s pulse sped up. How did he know her name? Suddenly, she needed out. This stranger was crossing professional boundaries, his attention making her feel as if he were a hunter and she his prey. She watched the lights as the floors ticked by. Why did everything move in slow motion when she was in a hurry? Finally, the elevator stopped on her floor. The doors slid open, and she dashed off.
The man
followed. She spun around to face him.
“Should I know you?”
“No, Ms. Angelus. I only know who you are thanks to the kind lady at the information desk. She pointed you out for me.” He held out his hand. She reluctantly shook it, ignoring the warmth in his grasp. She took a minute to assess his grip. Strong. Solid but not overbearing. Probably not a threat. Maybe if he hadn’t come on so strong. Appeared so in charge, she wouldn’t have overreacted. That dream coupled with the connection to the Hanovers filled her with the jitters. Really, she needed to pull herself together. “I’m Garrett Nightshade, and I’ve been retained to represent Lars and Carrie Hanover, the paternal grandparents of the Hanover child. It’s my understanding you’re the Guardian Ad Litem in the custody case.”
“Yes, I am.” The sense of foreboding shot up a notch. She regarded him with a stiff dose of skepticism. Having an attorney as a buffer between the Guardian Ad Litem and the litigant was usually a good thing. In this case, Nikki wasn’t so sure. She drew herself up to her full five feet nine inches. But his tall well-built figure still dwarfed hers. “What can I do for you?” Garrett stood calmly, hands stuffed in his pants pocket unruffled by her lame attempt to claim the dominant position. She refused to appear disconcerted and met his wide set eyes head on. Their depths reflected a keen intelligence that would not easily be outwitted. Under different circumstances, his inconsistencies would fascinate her. Right now, it was the wrong place, wrong time, and wrong situation.
“My clients would like custody of the Hanover child. I need to know if you oppose their request.”
“I’m not sure. There is a maternal aunt also seeking custody.” She waited, shifting back and forth from foot to foot, increasingly agitated at his scrutiny. Fighting the urge to look away, she forced herself to meet his gaze.
“You do know she’s a stripper?” He raised an eyebrow to punctuate the question. She hadn’t been aware of the maternal aunt’s profession. The thought of him knowing something she didn’t irked her more than she cared to admit. Not to mention that little nugget didn’t fare well for the other side. A profession as unstable and chaotic as exotic dancing usually didn’t sit well with her either. But something about his confidence in his position weighed on her last nerve. She wasn’t ready to back down. Not yet, anyway.