Chapter 105

Sarah POV

The girls were due to arrive home about 3:30, so Zane and I made sure to be on the front steps to welcome them when Ollie pulled up. But when he got out, he sent us a look that made me worry. He opened the back door, and out slid Chloe and then Grace with sad smiles and sadder eyes.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, dropping to one knee to hug them as Zane did the same. “Chloe? Grace?”

“It’s OK, Mommy,” Chloe said, and though she was subdued, she wasn’t holding back tears. “It was just different from what we thought it would be.”

“Well, you both come in for tea and sandwiches,” I said and smiled when their eyes lit up a bit. Zane took Grace’s backpack, and I took Chloe’s, and we went into the villa.

In the sitting room, we went through the increasingly familiar routines of prepping our teas and taking dainty crustless sandwiches, even Zane, who I thought perhaps didn’t like tea all that much and tended to eat the tea sandwiches like popcorn.

“So, tell us about how things went,” Zane said, and was making sure the girls saw his kind and affectionate eyes.

“At first, it was like school was before at Pellum Kindergarten,” Chloe said. “We were just with the other kids, and they were telling us where to put our stuff and where to sit.”

Grace nodded and sipped at her tea.

“But then we were getting a lot of stares, and kids were pointing at us. The teacher, Mrs. Rose, she was really nice, but she was looking at us too, and when she said our names, a girl, Stephanie, she raised her hand and said she wanted to ask us questions.”

“I see,” Zane said.

“Mrs. Rose said it was our first day of level one, just like for everyone else, and that they should all let us get settled in a bit. Then we could all talk about ourselves.”

“That sounds like a good answer,” I said.

Chloe nodded. “I guess, but Stephanie said it wasn’t fair because we were going to report back to the pack alpha about them, so they should know more about us.”

Little shit, I thought.

“Chloe said we weren’t going to report about anything,” Grace said, then she stopped and frowned. “I guess we kind of are, though.”

“You’re telling us about your day, just like the other students are talking about their day,” I said. That’s not ‘reporting’ like you’re spies or something.”

Grace and Chloe exchanged a glance that looked like a giggle should come with it.

“What?” I asked.

Grace looked at her sister approvingly. “That’s what Chloe said. She said we were there to be students, not to be spies.”

“That’s right,” Chloe said proudly. “Mrs. Rose said it was a good answer.”

“It was,” Zane said.

“After that, things were better, but, well, all day, Grace and I just kept getting looked at, and the teachers and assistants kept having to tell the others to play with us.” Chloe looked up at me then, pleading for me to understand.

“My darling girls,” I said, stalling for time while I realized how out of my depth I was. “This is a hard one. It’s not like you’re being bullied this time. Bullies are easy to spot, and you can deal with them.”

“This is about your prominence in the pack,” Zane said, mercifully taking over. “They’re not scared of you, and it’s not that they don’t like you. They’re just not used to you, and with everything else that’s going on that’s new, they’re uncertain how to behave.”

The girls nodded.

Goddess, but it was easy to relive all the times when I had been taking care of Chloe that I’d had absolutely no idea how to help her. I could research all I wanted, but I didn’t know what werewolf pups were supposed to do when the moon made them “feel funny” or someone challenged me about Chloe’s non-alpha-like behavior in public.

I had people in the girls’ lives now who understood not just the werewolf thing but also about being rich and famous. I didn’t have to help the girls navigate their lives all by myself, and I felt so grateful for Zane, for Travis, and for Lainey in that moment I was in danger of bursting into tears.

“Remember, you’re alphas, and I know that most of your level is betas. The other kids will look to you whether you’re famous or not because they instinctively want you to lead them. Just give them and yourselves some time. I know from personal experience it gets better.”

“The other kids stared at you, Daddy?” Grace asked, looking amazed.

He smiled. “Of course they did. But we all got used to each other in time, and then I had great friends in school.”

“Like who?” Chloe wanted to know.

“Like Agent Travis. I met him in second level. Oh, and Bertrand Straus. He’s on the legislative board, and we’ve been friends since our first level.”

He set down his tea cup. “Now, come give your dad a hug, and then we’ll see what sort of homework you have.”

After homework, which was minimal, and dinner, which was full of the girls’ favorite foods courtesy of Chef Rachel, the girls made it clear they wanted to sleep with me, which I didn’t mind a bit.

We were nearing the end of the story, yet again, and I thought with some longing of the books I had bought, which the girls had liked the look of but hadn’t requested yet.

So then I read, “The poor Emperor could scarcely breathe; it was just as if something lay upon his chest; he opened his eyes, and then he saw that it was Death, who sat upon his chest, and had put on his golden crown, and held in one hand the Emperor’s sword and in the other his beautiful banner. And all around, from among the folds of the splendid velvet curtains, strange heads peered forth; a few very ugly, the rest quite lovely and mild.

“These were all the Emperor’s bad and good deeds, that stood before him now that Death sat upon his heart. ‘Do you remember this?’ whispered one to the other. ‘Do you remember that?’ and then they told him so much that the perspiration ran from his forehead.

“‘I did not know that!’ said the Emperor. ‘Music! music! the great Chinese drum!’ he cried, ‘so that I need not hear all they say!’ and they continued speaking, and Death nodded like a Chinaman to all they said.

‘“Music! music!’ cried the Emperor. ‘You little precious golden bird, sing, sing! I have given you gold and costly presents; I have even hung my golden slipper around your neck; sing, now, sing!’

“But the bird stood still; no one was there to wind him up, and he could not sing without that; but Death continued to stare at the Emperor with his great hollow eyes, and it was quiet, fearfully quiet!”

I thought the girls were asleep and made to put the book down, but then Grace’s hand was on my arm.

“Don’t end there, Mommy. It’s too sad there.”

I kissed her nose.

“Then there sounded from the window, suddenly, the most lovely song. It was the little live Nightingale, that sat outside on a spray. It had heard of the Emperor’s sad plight and had come to sing to him of comfort and hope. And as it sung the specters grew paler and paler; the blood ran quicker and more quickly through the Emperor’s weak limbs, and even Death listened, and said, ‘Go on, little Nightingale, go on!’

“‘But will you give me that splendid golden sword? Will you give me that rich banner? Will you give me the Emperor’s crown?’

“And Death gave up each of these treasures for a song. And the Nightingale sang on and on; and it sung of the quiet Churchyard where the white roses grow, where the elder-blossom smells sweet, and where the fresh grass is moistened by the tears of survivors. Then Death felt a longing to see his Garden, and floated out at the window in the form of a cold white mist.”

This time, I put the book down successfully and joined the girls in sleep. Zane was right. It would get better for them in time.