by J A Campbell
I shrugged. “Yeah, somewhat. At least I know the kids are safe now.”
He nodded. “I figured that was your main motivation. Tomorrow, you will take me to meet these children.”
I tripped over a tree root and would have fallen if Hawk hadn’t caught my shoulder.
“You do know their grandfather is a retired Hunter, right?”
“I do know this, but if we’re bringing humans into our House, I need to meet them. Do whatever you need to make the meeting safe for all involved.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Tomorrow night, then.” He vanished into the trees.
I swallowed. I had no idea how I was going to handle this. I supposed the first thing I needed to do was call Walter.
“It’s done,” I said when Walter answered the phone later that morning.
“Good.”
“The kids should be safe. You’re sure you want me to take them?” I almost hoped he said no.
“Yes, and the sooner the better. Margaret is causing problems already. I love both my daughters, but why did she have to get so strange?”
“I’m sure she thought Charity was the strange one.”
“You have that right. She didn’t inherit any Hunter abilities at all and refuses to believe any of this is real. I’d bet money that Jin has the full set, if not Kevin as well. They need to be raised by someone who can teach them.”
I had never been more tempted to tell Walter I was a vampire, and not actually a Hunter at all, but I didn’t.
“Okay, well, I have a friend who can finagle any legal difficulties we may encounter. This falls under the ‘don’t ask questions’ restriction.” I ran my hand through my unruly red hair and tugged. What was I getting into?
“Okay.” Walter didn’t sound as certain, but he agreed.
“He needs to meet the kids. He’s not dangerous to them, or anything, if you’re worried. He just insists on it. I’ve known him for a long time, and I trust him with my life.” I was babbling and snapped my jaw shut.
“Kat, I trust you. It’s fine. I won’t ask any questions. I’m guessing he’s not human if you’re trying this hard to convince me he’s okay.”
“Just...just don’t say anything, okay? Pretend like you haven’t noticed.”
He sighed.
“This is what it’s going to take for me to adopt them, Walter. It’s your choice. I can still teach them if you take custody.” I clenched the phone.
“I’m old, Kat. I still have enemies, though they seem to have retired from the hunt with me. They’ll be safer with you.”
“You don’t think I have enemies?”
“I think that if you do make an enemy, they die.”
“Fair enough. Okay, where do you want to meet?” I swiveled around in my office chair.
“Why don’t I bring them to your place?” He hesitated and I could almost hear him change his mind. “After dark?”
Shit, Hawk was really going to kill me for this. “Yeah, that’d be great. Why don’t you come by for dinner and we can get the kids used to the place while we wait for my friend to show up.”
“Sounds fine.” His tone made it clear he thought it was anything but fine.
The line went dead. I put down the phone and rested my forehead on my desk, praying this wouldn’t be a disaster. Of course, I’d just invited a Hunter who was good enough to live to retirement to my house for dinner, and I couldn’t eat any of it. At least I was a good cook, though I would have to go shopping.
“Kat!” Jin ran toward me and I wrapped my arms around her and lifted her into the air.
“Hi,” Kevin said, following more shyly. I gave him a quick hug after I put down Jin.
“You two hungry?”
They nodded.
I glanced at Walter. He had his jaw clenched tight, but he also nodded.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” he whispered.
“It’s a terrible idea, but it’s the only way.”
Walter sighed and sat down at the oval table.
“What is this place, anyway?”
“It used to be a bed and breakfast. Now it’s just my house. I made stewed chicken and dumplings. I hope that’s okay.”
“That sounds great.”
The kids sat down too, and I served everyone, including myself. Hopefully he wouldn’t notice I didn’t actually eat.
“Would you like some wine or whiskey?” I offered.
“Water is fine for now, thank you, Kat.”
I got the kids milk at their request and we ate mostly quietly. Or rather, they ate and I stirred my food around, pretended to eat, and sipped a small glass of wine.
“Grandpa says you’re going to be our mommy,” Jin said after she finished eating.
Kevin stared at me with wide, glistening eyes.
“Do you want to come live with me?”
Kevin stared at the table. “I want mommy and daddy back.”
“I do too,” I said. “If I could make that happen, I would, but bad men took them away.”
“Yeah, we went to the funeral.” Kevin shoved a little food on his plate. He had eaten, but not with the same energy that Jin had tackled her food.
“I’ll tell you what, Kevin. Let’s try it. You live with me and see how it goes. If you decide you want to go live with your aunt, we’ll make it happen.”
His eyes went wide and he shook his head. “No, we’d rather live here or with Grandpa. We talked about it with him. We’ll stay here.”
I glanced at Jin. Tears streamed down her face, but she nodded.
“Okay. You’re going to meet a friend of mine tonight. He’s going to help us with the legal side of things.”
Kevin frowned. “Is he a lawyer?”
I wish I had thought of that when I told Walter he was meeting a friend.
“Yeah, kind of.”
“Okay.” Kevin glanced at Walter who gave him a reassuring smile.
Jin pushed back from the table and hopped down. “I’ll get the door.”
Tilting my head, I glanced at Walter.
“She does that, constantly. Always knows when someone is about to knock.”
“Ahh.” Yep, definitely going to be a Hunter. I had sensed Hawk, too, but wasn’t going to say anything.
Jin opened the door as the rest of us went out into the living area.
“Hi. Are you Kat’s friend?”
Hawk stood in the doorway not looking very much like a lawyer at all, and I was glad I hadn’t thought of that excuse. He wore jeans, a ’90s band t-shirt, and had his long hair pulled back into a tail. Hawk’s mix of Asian and European features was striking and he currently had an easy smile on his face.
“Yes, I am.”
“Hi!” Jin threw her arms around Hawk in a tight hug.
Walter took a quick step forward before he stopped himself and snapped his jaw shut on what was probably something he shouldn’t say.
“Hello, you must be Jin.” Hawk knelt, dropping a backpack he carried to the ground, and returned her hug. “I’m very sorry to hear about your mother and father. Kat said they were very good people.”
“Yeah, they were the best, but Grandpa says Kat will keep us safe.” Jin wiped some tears from her eyes and grabbed Hawk’s hand, pulling him into the room.
Walter glanced at me and I shrugged. Though his jaw was still clenched, he took a deep breath, and I saw him relax his hands.
Kevin came forward a little more slowly and held out his hand. “I’m Kevin.”
“It’s nice to meet you Kevin. I’m Hawk.”
“Like the bird?” Kevin frowned.
“Yes.”
“That’s a funny name.”
Walter stirred again and I put my hand on his arm, hoping to reassure him.
“So’s Kevin.” Hawk messed up Kevin’s hair.
“Hey, my name is perfectly normal.” Kevin stuck out his lower lip.
“Not where I come from.” Hawk winked at him. “Hey, I have something for both of you.
”
“Now, Kevin, I know you’re a little old for stuffed animals, but I brought both of you horses from my homeland in Mongolia. They’re special, so I hope you’ll like them just the same.” He reached into his backpack and pulled out two beautifully designed colorful stuffed horses. They looked to be stitched from suede and embroidered by hand. The one he handed Kevin was dark purple and the one he handed Jin was light yellow.
Why hadn’t I thought to get them gifts? Oh, right, because I hadn’t had a normal childhood, and I’d never spent much time around children. Maybe Hawk should raise them.
Kevin clutched the horse to his chest. “Thank you. I actually like stuffed animals, I just don’t tell my friends.”
Hawk smiled. “Good.”
“This is great. Is it magic, does it turn into a real horse? Mom told me that magic is real. Kat does magic, did you know that? She made Kevin a magic flashlight.” Jin tucked the horse under her arm and rubbed its nose while she stared at Hawk with blatant fascination.
“Yes, I did know that.” He ruffled her hair too.
I glanced at Walter. He looked so conflicted that I couldn’t even judge his expression. I kind of wanted to laugh, but I knew that wouldn’t help things, so I kept my own face neutral.
Hawk stood and looked at Walter, though he didn’t offer his hand like he had with Kevin. “You must be Walter.”
“Yes. It’s nice to meet you.” His voice was forced, but Hawk’s easy way with the children had eased him a little.
“You will have to tell me what legal challenges you need overcome to make this a smooth transition.”
“The biggest problem is that while both Kat and I were in the room, I don’t believe Alex and Charity left any documentation about their wishes to give Kat custody of the kids should they die. I suspect they didn’t really think they would die before the kids were adults.”
“No one expects to die young.” Hawk shrugged. “I can create documents and arrange to have them slipped in with their will, as long as it hasn’t been read yet.”
“No, I was putting that off. They’re scheduled to go through that aspect of the estate on Wednesday.”
“So, we have a couple of days. Good. Now, I assume that Charity and Alex would have left all of their assets to the children. Do you know if they had a trust set up or anything?”
Walter shook his head. “I don’t believe so.”
“Then I shall do that as well, so their inheritance will be protected. You should be listed as the primary manager of said trust until they come of age.”
Walter nodded again. “I know Alex and Charity had money put away, and I have more than I need in my retirement. We should arrange a monthly allotment for the children’s care.”
Hawk shook his head. “No. Kat has plenty of money. Her estate will also contribute to the children’s trust. They will want for nothing for the rest of their lives.”
Walter glanced at me and I nodded. I hadn’t expected Hawk to contribute House funds beyond whatever I needed to support the children, but it was a drop in the bucket to set the kids up for life.
Jin was running around the living room making horse noises with her new toy. Kevin had sat in a chair and watched the proceedings while clutching his toy.
“Why are you helping us?” Walter asked finally.
Hawk shrugged. “Because Ekatarine asked me to, and I would do anything for her. I suspect she will also require lessons on how to raise children. I believe I have more experience in that regard than she does.” He smiled. “But I also suspect she will be a fantastic parent once she gets the hang of it.”
Walter glanced at me again. I gave him a sheepish smile.
“I will need some information from you, but I should be able to get the rest on my own.”
Hawk drew Walter away and questioned him for a while. I sat down on the couch, and Jin crawled into my lap and rested her head on my shoulder. Kevin stared at me and I gestured for him to join us. After a moment he sat next to me, and I put my arm around him.
“Hey, Kat, do you mind if I call you mommy?” Jin asked.
“Jin, honey, you can call me mommy if you want to, but you don’t have to,” I added the last when I felt Kevin tense. “You can call me Kat, or Ekatarine, or whatever is comfortable to you.” Kevin relaxed again.
I had to let the tears run down my cheeks, because my arms were occupied with the children.
Sunlight
South Carolina, Early 2000s
“You can come?” Jin clapped her hands together and jumped up and down. “Kevin has a great part and I’m singing.”
“Yes, honey, I know. I’ve helped you practice all month.” I smiled at Jin’s exuberance.
“Oh, right. Sorry, Mom. I’m just excited that you can come.” Jin’s blond hair was pulled back in a tail and she wore a cute little sundress over leggings since it was winter, which in South Carolina was generally relatively mild.
“I’m excited, too.”
“You know you don’t have to,” Kevin said, standing on the staircase. “Mary can take us like normal.”
“Kevin, I do want to go. I just can’t go outside until the sun is down. You know that.”
“They make sunscreen.”
I frowned at him. “Kevin, sunscreen isn’t strong enough.”
“Fine. Whatever.”
I glanced around, even though I knew the common room of the bed and breakfast was empty except for us. I had reopened the bed and breakfast as a convenient excuse for my apparent income and inability to get away during the daytime. Having a six-year-old and a nine-year-old was significantly difficult when you couldn’t manage sunlight. Mary was a lifesaver. Hawk had found her, and while she didn’t exactly know I was a vampire, she didn’t ask questions and was great with the kids. She also wasn’t around right now.
“Have I ever shown you what happens when I am in the sun?”
He crossed his arms in something of a challenge. His blond hair was a little long, and needed a cut, I noted as his bangs fell into his eyes.
Kevin and I generally got along really well, but he had been increasingly frustrated with me recently, and I couldn’t figure out why. They had lived with me for two years now and should be used to my restrictions.
I stalked over to the heavy blinds that kept the afternoon light out of the common room. I jerked open one side, wincing as I heard fabric tear slightly, and stuck my hand into the beam.
For a moment nothing happened, and then my hand started to smoke. I winced but kept it there as the kids stared.
“Mom, move you’re hurting yourself!”
Kevin’s jaw dropped as small flames licked along my hand. Ignoring the pain, I held his gaze.
Jin grabbed my other arm and pulled me out of the sun before shutting the drapes. I hadn’t noticed, but tears streamed down her face. Glancing back at Kevin, I saw him turn and run upstairs to his room.
It probably wasn’t the smoothest parenting move ever, but I thought I had at least made my point.
“You know, the kids are making fun of him because his parents are dead. They say it’s too bad his guardian can’t even show up for school stuff. I wasn’t supposed to tell you,” Jin said.
I sighed. “This isn’t easy for any of us.”
She pulled me into the kitchen and I put my hand under the sink. “I’ll heal, Jin. It’s okay.”
“Do you need anything? Mary has a first aid kit.” Jin looked at me hopefully.
“No, honey. I’ll go talk to Kevin and my hand will be fine after a while. Now, why don’t you go finish practicing?”
“Okay, Mom.” Jin headed up the stairs and I debated waiting to talk to Kevin until my hand healed or doing it now.
Finally, I settled on now and followed the kids upstairs.
“Kevin.” I knocked on his door.
He didn’t answer for a moment, but finally he opened his door and let me come in.
“I didn’t know, I’m sorry.”
His normally pale skin was
splotchy. I’d made him cry, too. I was still questioning why Alex and Charity thought I would make a good parent, except that I could keep them safe from supernatural dangers. I couldn’t exactly protect them during the day.
“It’s okay, Kevin. I shouldn’t have done that. I just, well, we’re all frustrated.”
“Yeah. You’re doing a good job, Kat. I think.” He smiled a little.
“Is there anything you want to talk about?” I hoped he would tell me about the kids bullying him, but I didn’t want him to not talk to Jin, so I didn’t bring it up on my own.
“No. People are just mean.” He stared at the floor.
“People? Kids? Are kids being mean to you?” I hoped that was enough of an opening.
“Yeah, they make fun of me sometimes. They tried to make fun of Jin, but I beat them up.”
I smiled. I had gotten that call. The principal hadn’t been completely thrilled with my response, but Kevin did what was right. Both kids were enrolled in martial arts, and I made sure they were active in clubs that taught them outdoors skills. They both agreed not to tell Walter and Margaret that I wasn’t with them most of the time, and Mary went along to their events when necessary. They also agreed not to tell anyone I was a vampire, or that I let them hang out with other vampires—mostly Victor and Hawk who were part of my House anyway. There was a lot about their lives that they couldn’t tell their friends, but Alex and Charity had instilled a fair bit of discretion in them before I adopted them. I was sure they’d slip at some point, but we’d deal with that when necessary.
“Is there anything you want me to do?”
“Beat them up for me?” Kevin smiled and I hoped he was joking.
“I’m not sure their parents would like that very much.” I sat down on the floor in his room, and he flopped into a beanbag chair.
“No, probably not.” His eyes danced with mischief. “I know you do your best. Is your hand okay?”
I held up my slowly healing hand. The blackened skin had given way to raw red, but that would soon be healing to a fresh pink, then my normal pale tones.
He winced. “Sorry.”
“It’s all right, Kevin. I should have shown you ages ago so you would understand.” I sighed. “I’m not really a very good parent.”