Chapter Thirteen

Dillan

Hide and Seek Isn’t for Kids

Kyle turned onto a dirt road with a sign that read Valley View Acreage as Charlie Boy by the Lumineers played. The soothing guitar plucking wasn’t enough to mask the sting of passing through wards. Dillan sat up and scanned the area. Tall pines and cedars lined both sides of the path, creating a green tunnel. His gaze darted to the car’s driver. He tried to recall the guy’s last name but drew a blank. If Selena and Constance weren’t in the car, questions could be asked. Because of the witnesses, he resorted to a different tactic. He cued up Rainer’s number on his phone and sent him a message.

Dillan: What’s Kyle’s last name again?

Boogeyman: Hilliard. Why?

He didn’t respond, caught in trying to recall if there was a Hilliard name listed in the Illumenari database. Without access to his laptop, he couldn’t log on to the restricted server. The wards were there. Powerful ones, too. They raised the hairs at the back of his neck.

Sunlight streamed through the green in soft orange rays. Making a point to explore the property and get to the bottom of why wards surrounded Valley View Acreage, he returned his thoughts to the missing dogs. Six more gone according to the news on the radio. He’d been up all night and still found no sign of the animals. Sebastian said they’d expand their search when he got back. The weekend being a complete waste of his tracking time bugged him. He’d rather be out there, helping his partner.

At the end of the tunnel, a stone monster came into view. It had huge pillars for bones and arched windows for eyes. Ivy crawled up most of the outer walls as if nature wanted to take back its territory from the invader.

Kyle eased into the driveway and parked his car outside a detached garage. Dillan slid out of his seat and headed straight for the trunk. He eyed Selena, who hovered next to him, as he and Kyle unloaded the bags and supplies. He half expected her to grab some of the bags out of his hands. She could try, but his grip would never let her. His mother taught him better. A few more seconds passed before she shrugged and closed the trunk. He caught a glimpse of her electric blue nail polish. Nice. She really got him with the National Geographic royalty and Taylor Swift dig. He half-respected her for it.

Grinning to himself, he followed the rest of their group toward a fire-engine-red door. It stretched wider than any two of them standing shoulder-to-shoulder. It reminded him of a bull’s-eye in the middle of an all-white background.

“Constance,” Kyle called, and she flitted toward him, “see that gold knocker? Will you reach in and ring the bell?”

“Why can’t we just walk in?” She eyed the lion suspiciously. “It’s you’re house right?”

“Because it’s more fun this way.” He winked at her.

Dillan rolled his eyes as Constance mastered her fear of being bitten by an inanimate object by shaking her hand before reaching in. Just as she pressed the button, Kyle poked her on the side, eliciting a girlish squeal. As a pleasant chorus of chimes echoed inside the house, Constance playfully slapped Kyle in the arm for scaring her.

In less than a minute, a woman in a navy-blue velvet dress with long, strawberry blond hair opened the door. She greeted them with a glamorous smile. Her cobalt eyes stood out from pale skin. He froze, almost dropping the bags, recognizing her immediately. Sometimes some Illumenari families used mercenaries as bodyguards. Her presence meant Kyle was an Illumenari son. He reached out with his energy toward his classmate. It was faint, but the telltale life force was there. Holy shit! Why did it take him so long to figure it out? Damn the restrictions to his powers and senses.

Beside him, Selena suppressed a chuckle. His teeth snapped when he closed his mouth. He hadn’t noticed it had opened until then. She was taking things out of context. God only knew what she was thinking.

“Hello, everyone! Welcome to Valley View Acreage,” the mercenary said in a singsong voice. “Kyle! Did you use the ring-the-doorbell-inside-the-lion-head bit again?”

“Everyone except Selena,” Kyle said, not acknowledging the question.

“Gee, thanks.”

He winked at her. “You know what I mean.”

She smiled.

Kyle cleared his throat and tried again. “I’d like to introduce Riona Hearth, one of my legal guardians.”

Legal guardian? He studied Kyle covertly. Well, that was convenient. Calling one of the most fearsome mercenaries a legal guardian? Many in the Illumenari knew of Riona’s prowess, especially in harnessing nature’s energy. Some referred to it as magic. Technically, it was called Channeling.

If Riona was in Valley View that would mean…

“Hey, Riona.” Selena gave her a rueful smile accompanied by a tiny wave. Like she was braced for something. He didn’t have to wait long to find out what it was.

Riona cupped her face with both hands. “How are you, my sweet?”

She wrinkled her nose. “The freckles are still there.”

“No, no, no, no! They’re a feature that brings out the sea in your eyes! You’re beautiful.” She kissed the tops of Selena’s cheekbones. When she finally let the clearly embarrassed girl go, she said, “And who is this handsome young man?”

The slight widening of her eyes told him she already knew. But they were playing Lets Blend In after all. “Dillan Sloan, ma’am.”

The boom of a deep voice from behind the door startled everyone but him. He’d been waiting for the other half of the fearsome duo to show up since recognizing her.

“What are you doing? Let Kyle’s guests in, woman!” A massive arm snaked around Riona’s waist and lifted her away. She laughed.

A bear of a man in his late thirties stood in her place. He wore his black hair clean-cut and short. He’d broken his nose enough times to give it a crook. A silver hoop glinted on his ear. He looked like a linebacker in an expensive suit. Garret Hearth. If the Illumenari had trading cards, Garret would be a collector’s item. Dillan did his best to hide his awe by keeping his expression passive.

“I apologize for my wife,” he said. “She gets excited when we have guests over. Come in, come in.” Garret stepped aside and let them through.

A circular table dominated the foyer with a centerpiece made up of flowers. The combination stung his still sensitive—by human standards—sense of smell. At times like these, his training literally hurt. He flicked his gaze up. A circular skylight sent afternoon sun streaming into the space. Ahead of them, a grand staircase curled upward.

“Garret,” Kyle said, “this is Dillan and Constance.”

Like a fan meeting an idol for the first time, he quickly lowered the bags he carried and reached out his hand a little too enthusiastically. Then he stammered out, “Dillan Sloan, sir.”

“Sloan?” A glint entered Garret’s gaze.

“Rainer Sloan’s nephew,” Kyle clarified. As if he didn’t already know.

“Ah! I see the resemblance. You have a strong grip, boy. Perfect for holding a sword, aye?”

He got the distinct feeling they were all bullshitting each other, especially now that he recognized Garret’s voice as the second speaker during Rainer’s “anonymous” introductions. He pulled his hand away and kept his annoyance in check. Despite the grin and wink, the bastard’s joke was loaded. He might as well have introduced himself as a mercenary instead of Kyle’s other legal guardian. In front of two humans, no less.

“I must apologize for my husband,” Riona said sympathetically. “Besides cars, he’s enamored with medieval weaponry.”

“I’m not that bad, am I?” Garret grumbled.

Riona smiled sweetly at him.

The situation got stranger when the big guy wrapped Selena in a bear hug. This kind of affection confused him. The familiarity seemed off. He got familial closeness…and something else. It frustrated him not to know. He really had to corner Kyle somewhere and get him to explain this charade. He calculated how long the god-awful task of beginning the diorama would take. The sooner they finished for the night, the faster he could get to the bottom of what they were hiding in Valley View.