“Does the school know we’re coming?”
“No, I think it’s better if we just show up. Plus, we can tell them we’re looking into different schools for our little monster.”
I immediately wrap my arm over my big belly. “I’m not sending her away to school!”
“Of course not, it’s just a good excuse to get into the school and tour some classrooms. Last time we were there, we barely got to even see the kids, let alone speak to them about dark magic and promises from a witch.”
The baby kicks, and I get a silly grin on my face. “It feels like she has claws when she goes at my guts. Do you think she’ll have sharp teeth?” I’m so excited to see her. When we went to the initial ultrasound, she looked just like any other baby blob on the screen. I wanted to get one of those 3D ones now that I’m further along, but the guys talked me out of it.
“Damiana, she will most likely be born a human baby. Even born shifters are born human,” Calix tells me, bursting my bubble.
“Gods willing, she will look just like you. Can you imagine a female version of us?” Gunnar shakes his head as if the thought is terrible.
“I think she would be lucky to have your teeth, or Calix’s ability to shift. Maybe even be able to portal like Grim.” We all talk about her like she will have a piece of each of them, and she will, just not genetically speaking.
“We’re here,” Gunnar announces needlessly, as we pull up to a gatehouse. A uniformed guard steps out of the little building. He gives the car a superficial onceover while Gunnar rolls down the driver’s side window.
“Help you?” he mumbles. His suit is generic, and so is everything else about him. Considering how many times I snuck out of this place as a child, I don’t think they put any more effort into the security staff than they did back then.
I lean across Gunnar and give my belly a little rub for emphasis before saying, “We’re here for a tour.”
The guard’s brows dip low. “Open house is in July.”
“Oh darn, we just returned to the area, and this is where I went to school, so…”
“You’re a legacy?” He scratches the side of his face with his stubby fingers.
“Can you just call us in and tell them we’re willing to make a sizeable donation to ensure the acceptance of our child?” Gunnar taps his fingers on the steering wheel. His patience is already waning.
The guard nods his head knowingly and steps back into the little brick building. I catch sight of a television as the door closes. “Takes his job seriously, that one.”
“Money talks,” Calix remarks from the back seat.
I turn and grab the seat so I can see Grim behind me. “You’re awfully quiet back there. Everything okay?”
“I’m horny,” he says, as if it’s the perfect time to divulge such information.
“Fucking hell.” Gunnar smacks his forehead on the steering wheel.
“Me too, Loverboy, me too.” I turn around in my seat and wonder if we could find a few minutes alone to remedy the situation for both of us. Then I remember it’s Grim I’m thinking about. He doesn’t understand the meaning of ‘quickie.’
Might be fun to live out some of my teenage fantasies though. I always had to sneak out to find some action when I lived here. I was never brave enough to bring a boy back with me. I was too worried I would get expelled and sent home to my parents, and that was a risk I wasn’t willing to take.
The guard pokes his head out of the door and waves us in as the little red and white striped pole lifts into the air, allowing us to pass under it. “We could be serial killers for all they know.”
“I mean, isn’t he like the original serial killer?” Calix points over at Grim.
“I don’t kill that many people, I just collect them,” he counters, then he tilts his head to the side. “Well, once you add them all together over the years…”
“I’m talking about people who do it for fun.”
“So, you mean the Berserker then?” I can hear the smile on Calix’s lips.
“You’re next on my hit list,” Gunnar grumbles.
“Okay, enough foreplay. We need our grownup faces on. We’re expectant parents and all that shit.” I flip down the visor and open the mirror to check my hair. I have it in a loose braid over my shoulder. I’m wearing a fitted dress that shows off my belly and clings to my ass. I don’t bother getting dressed up very often anymore, so I figured I’d do a little something extra, plus it makes me feel good.
“Who’s the husband, and who’s security?” Gunnar inquires, as he pulls into a parking spot right near the arched front entrance.
“Let’s play don’t ask, don’t tell. Keep them guessing.” I snap the visor closed.
“They’re so easily confused. It might not be the best way to gather information,” Grim cautions.
“It’s the kids we need to talk to anyway, a bunch of teenage girls.” I look my guys over as they line up after getting out of the car. “All of this will loosen lips. The ones on the face,” I warn. “The only thing they will be curious about is how they could get three fine specimens like yourselves of their own.”
“Might even feed into Antonio’s claim of her being a dark witch, if what the Bogman said is true,” Calix muses.
“Good, now, if it’s the same old bat…”
“Good morning!” I turn to see a chipper blonde hustling her way over to us, her hand is already lifted as if she’s ready to clasp any one of ours.
“Not the same old bat,” I say under my breath. “Hi!” I add louder and wave eagerly.
“I’m Head Mistress Anita Vogel.” She makes a point of looking around our group. “You’re interested in enrolling a child?” The way she’s squinting her eyes makes me think she’s suspicious.
I rub my tummy. “We left little Aeson at home.” Not a lie. “With the new little one coming, we wanted to plan for the future.” It makes more sense to want placement for an older child than already be looking into boarding school for the baby. I don’t think most people are that neurotic.
“Oh, I see. Forgive me.” She rolls her eyes in a self-deprecating manner. “Come on in. You mentioned you were a legacy?” She scans me again, keeping her focus trained on me as she stays near my side while leading us back into the all too familiar building.
Once inside, the smell hits me first: antiseptic, but somehow stale too. “Not much has changed.”
Anita—because I refuse to address her as Head Mistress—opens a heavy wooden door and holds it open for all of us to enter. There’s a secretary sitting behind the same nondescript desk that was here all those years ago.
“Greene retired?” I look around, wondering when the old bat finally gave up her position.
“Tragically, she died about six years ago,” Anita informs me and nods to the secretary. I figured it would have taken an act of God to get that woman to give up her power here. “Hold my calls, Martha. Why don’t we head into the conference room? There’s enough space in there for all of us to be comfortable.” It’s the first time she’s mentioned the guys’ presence. Once I took the lead by speaking, she’s kept her focus solely on me.
Anita stands near the head chair, waiting for each of us to take a seat before taking hers. Grim decides to stand behind me while the others each take a chair at my side. Her shrewd eyes catch it all.
“So, tell me about Aeson.”
I’m not too surprised she remember the name. Like Calix said, money talks. The run-down carpet and faded drapes tell me the school really needs some. Either that, or all the money it receives is being funneled elsewhere. “She’s a tiny thing, wild as they come.” I grin at the way the truth can so easily be twisted. “I was hoping we could tour the school, make sure it would be a good fit for our girl.”
Anita winces slightly but catches herself quickly. “We usually only allow visitors during open house, but…”
I raise my brow. “I’m not willing to pledge a donation when I can’t assure my girl’s safety and education
.” I move to stand, and Gunnar and Calix are so in tune with me, they rise as well. “I don’t have time to wait until next year.” I make a point to run my hand over my extended tummy.
Anita pushes her chair back and rushes to say, “I think we can make an exception. You are a legacy, after all.”
Chapter 23
“I can’t believe she pretty much gave us free rein of the school because she wants our money. Our kids would never come here,” Gunnar grouches.
“They wouldn’t anyway,” I remark.
“I know, it just pisses me off. Why the fuck do people even have kids just to ship them off for someone else to raise?” Gunnar’s comment hits a little too close to home. I don’t have an answer for him, but I completely agree with him on the sentiment.
“Where should we go first? It’s still early. I don’t want to interrupt a class, plus we wouldn’t get any answers from the girls then anyway.” I glance down the quiet halls as memories of how lonely I was here assault me.
“Let’s look at the facilities first, like the gym and pool,” Calix suggests, and points in the direction of the sports annex.
“How are we going to question the children?” Gunnar’s eyes are scanning the entire place as if he’s considering every security lapse, and there are plenty. I know from experience.
“Lunch will be our best bet, the commons outside is where most of the girls used eat.”
We spend a few hours walking around, nodding at teachers and students who give us double takes. Gunnar’s mood sours with every passing minute. “Well, now we know the witch wouldn’t have any problem infiltrating the school. All he would have to do is flash a little cash and this place would feed him the girls on a fucking platter.”
I reach for his hand as we make our way back toward the main school building. Instead of using the path we came on, I take a shortcut through the area near the dorms. My heart rate picks up the closer we get. “Dirty magic,” I whisper. The closer we get to the buildings where the girls sleep and spend their free time, the stronger the sickly feeling gets.
“I feel it,” Grim murmurs.
“Is he here?” Calix nearly growls.
“I don’t know. I just know someone is doing magic over there.” I point toward the dorms.
“Let’s keep going,” Gunnar says. “We can sneak back in tonight—it’s not like it will be fucking hard—and get some answers.”
“Should we still talk to the kids at lunch?” I’m more than willing to admit they know how to approach this better than me.
“Yeah, keep the questions about the school, but see if you can find anyone tainted with the magic.” Gunnar tightens his grip on my hand. It’s a solid plan. If we ask too many questions it might frighten Antonio away, or at least have the girls warning him we’re asking around.
“Maybe I should see if I can find Boogey and ask if he knows anything else?” I suggest, already knowing Gunnar is going to hate the idea.
“How would you find him?” Calix gazes down at me.
“When I lived here, all I had to do was hang my foot or hand over the bed. If he wasn’t busy, he would be there.”
“Busy doing what? Crawling up someone else’s skirt?” Gunnar mutters.
I swat his chest. “No, and slow down. I have to pee again.” My hand is still trapped inside his, so he’s damn near towing me along.
“Sorry.” He slows immediately. “If you hadn’t swallowed a basketball, I could carry you.” He stares down at my protruding belly and gives it a sweet caress.
“That’s not a basketball, it’s gallons and gallons of jizz,” I quip. Calix snorts so hard I think I see spit or snot go flying.
Gunnar tugs me to his side and gives me a sideways hug. “You’re so romantic.”
I smile up at him, because he no longer looks like he’s going to murder some unlucky soul who happens upon us. “What can I say? I’m a giver.”
He swats my ass and starts walking again. I can tell by the set of his shoulders my joke helped lighten the mood, which makes me feel good.
The shortcut feeds us right to the commons outside the lunchroom. The weather is cool enough that I worried the girls would all be inside, but I needn’t have. I forgot just how desperate they would feel to get away from the staff, so a little cold weather isn’t a deterrent.
The girls don’t hide their interest in our group. Almost every eye in the place is trained on us. It makes me feel a little better. If these girls were afraid, they wouldn’t make it so obvious. Even with us strangers among them, they still feel safe here.
Finding the magic users isn’t hard. Even without the goth modifications to their standard uniforms, I would have known it was those girls from a mile away. They’re all older, probably juniors and seniors if I had to guess. Stars, was I ever that young? I avoid their group, making my way over to the younger girls who are all sitting closest to the entrance of the school. Every year, the girls will move out a table until, like the girls tainted with smutty magic, they will be on the outside ring of tables, farthest from the teachers’ prying eyes and ears.
“Hey.” I blow out a breath, not having to pretend too much that I’m a little winded from my long walk. I swear my lungs have shrunk by half. This kid takes up a lot of real estate. Most of the girls chirp back with ‘hi’ and ‘hello,’ but a few are a little more shy and just stare at me.
I notice Grim keeps his distance, only staying close enough to hear us, but not encroaching. Calix takes over the lead spot next to me, while Gunnar steps to the side. His face is twisted up as if he doesn’t quite know what to do with himself when he’s not scowling.
“Mind if I take a seat?” I plop my butt down on the hard cement bench without waiting for a reply.
“Do you have a kid you’re sending here?” an inquisitive little girl with a brunette bob asks.
“I don’t know. Do you girls like it here?” I regret the question the moment it’s out of my mouth.
The same little girl shrugs. “It’s better than home,” she answers casually, the way only children seem to master.
Gunnar clears his throat. Hell, if I don’t get him out of here soon, there is going to be a whole hell of a lot of orphans, or I’m going to have to open up my own boarding school. Who knew the brute had such a soft spot for kids?
“Can I tell you a secret?” I mock whisper. Every little girl at the table leans in and holds their breath. There’s nothing more valuable than a secret in a place like this. “I went here when I was a little girl.”
“You did?” a blonde with a chubby little nose inquires.
I nod and purse my lips. “I just wanted to see the old place.” I don’t want to offend them and say I wouldn’t send my kid here, but I don’t want them to think of me as the kind of mom who would leave her kid here either. “It still looks the same.” I make a point to look around. “Do the older girls still sneak out and have parties in the woods?”
A few heads nod quickly. “Madalyn said she saw a boy!” the brunette who looks to be about eight confesses.
I bring my hand up and cover my mouth in pretend outrage for her. “No!”
“Uh-huh, they are going to get in soooo much trouble.” She shakes her head as if she’s so much smarter than the older girls.
I snicker but cover it by clearing my throat and nodding. “Boys are dumb anyway.”
“You have three with you,” the littlest one informs me on a whisper, as if I’d forgotten.
“Yes, but these boys are special. They’re very nice to me and take good care of me.”
“Are they your boyfriends?” another asks.
I bring my finger up to my lips to indicate I’ve got another secret for them to keep. “All three.” I raise my brows and smirk.
“I want three boyfriends to take care of me when I leave here,” the littlest one chirps.
“You have to make sure they’re special boys, like mine,” I caution. She nods knowingly and gets a far off look in her eyes. I bet she might just do it. “T
hanks for sharing your table, ladies. I have to get going.”
“Bye,” they chorus and wave. Their heads are already close together, whispering, before I’m even gone.
Once we’re out of earshot, I say, “We don’t need to stick around. I know which girls are messing with magic, they won’t be hard to find tonight.”
After a too-short nap, we’re back at the school. This time we don’t bother with the gate house. Gunnar parks the car up the road at a nearby convenience store, and we hoof it the rest of the way. My feet are actually tired from all the walking I’ve done today, but I’m not letting Grim blink me to the school, so sore feet it is.
The old worn trail through the surrounding woods is still here, proving that the girls are still being girls, just like I was, and sneaking out regularly. Grim is leading the way, while Gunnar brings up the rear of our group. As soon as we’re close enough, I feel the brush of dirty magic against my skin, so I grab the back of Grim’s shirt to stop him. I don’t want any of us wandering into a trap left by the witch. Which reminds me, Aeson is going to be pissed when she finds out we came here tonight without her, but she’s busy with some big job she won’t tell me about until the mark is dead. “Watch for a snare,” I whisper. My gut is screaming at me that we’re walking into a trap.
Instead of heading toward the dorms, I urge Grim down a path to the right. It’s the clearing most of the girls would hang out in when they weren’t brave enough to actually leave the school grounds. We’re only a few feet from the clearing when I hear muffled cries.
My heart slams against my ribs. Could he be here right now? Pushing even closer with a little more urgency, I hiss when I get a glimpse beyond the trees. There’s a small group of girls, maybe five, all dressed in black cloaks that look like they came from a Halloween store, forming a rough circle.
Inside the circle on the ground, tied up with bright yellow rope you might find in a gym for climbing, is the little brunette from this morning. Her hair is a mess from thrashing about on the dirty soil, and her face is tear streaked, but her eyes are angry as she fights her restraints. There’s a wide silver band of tape covering her mouth, which explains how they’re keeping her so quiet.
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