Secrets of the Night
Maizie arrived just as the sun was beginning to set. She was a rotund black woman with shells woven into her hair and eyes that said she'd seen too much. The woman carried a bag of supplies she referred to as goodies. When she stepped into the house her smile was lost and her face became more severe as she walked closer to the kitchen.
"You did let out the big bad didn't you?" Maizie asked looking at Brenna.
Brenna didn't know what to say, denying it seemed silly, but she didn't really want to take credit. To her it felt like the house had a life and history of its own totally separate from her. She followed the woman into the kitchen and eased slowly into a chair.
"The cavalry has arrived," Lily said hugging the woman warmly.
"Too skinny child!" Maizie shook her head at Lily.
"I ate a whole deer last week!" Lily laughed.
Maizie gave a loud dissatisfied humph. "Come help me with the shield. We've only got a bit of time left."
Brenna watched Lily and the other woman move outside, the woman spread her arms and looked at the house. She whispered some words and began to walk in a small circle. She stopped in the same spot she had begun, lifted her arms again and began to walk in a larger circle around the house.
"Evan your schoolingÂ…" Brenna gasped looking at him horrified. One day was forgivable, but two was not.
"It's nothing Brenna," William interrupted. "I want to warn you, there will be representatives tonight of various communities. It could get scary, but we'll stay with you no matter what. No one can enter Maizie's circle if they mean ill of us."
Brenna nodded, but not because she understood. On a scale of one to ten- ten being total understanding- she would rate herself a two.
"Papa?" Lily called from the front door. "David and Warren are here."
Two men with muscular arms poorly concealed under pressed dress shirts walked into the room. Both wore dark glasses, and had even white teeth, but while David had dark skin, Warren's was a crispy tan. The pair had model good looks, and graceful moves. Predators, or protectors, they could fill either role. Energy poured off of them. They both seemed to take in the room, but eyes settled on Brenna waiting, which was more a feeling she had than a certainty.
"Hello," Brenna said forcing a smile. "I'm Brenna Malone."
The first nodded, and the second one extended his hand with a smile that just oozed sex appeal from cheek to cheek.
"Hello boys," William said tiredly. Apparently these fellows were in his circle enough that he could show them his exhaustion. He'd hidden it from Brenna all day. She suddenly recognized the efforts he'd taken to conceal his need for rest and felt a wave of guilt. "I called you here to protect her. If anything goes wrong, someone has to be available to keep her safe. That's you two."
Brenna had never experienced her own security team before it was odd. One gigantic man took post on either side of her. At first they were very distracting for her, and she liked having them there. Half an hour later however, she was sure that one or both of them had gone to sleep. It was not comforting, but since nothing was happening she concluded that she probably didn't need them anyway.
"You did let out the big bad didn't you?" Maizie asked looking at Brenna.
Brenna didn't know what to say, denying it seemed silly, but she didn't really want to take credit. To her it felt like the house had a life and history of its own totally separate from her. She followed the woman into the kitchen and eased slowly into a chair.
"The cavalry has arrived," Lily said hugging the woman warmly.
"Too skinny child!" Maizie shook her head at Lily.
"I ate a whole deer last week!" Lily laughed.
Maizie gave a loud dissatisfied humph. "Come help me with the shield. We've only got a bit of time left."
Brenna watched Lily and the other woman move outside, the woman spread her arms and looked at the house. She whispered some words and began to walk in a small circle. She stopped in the same spot she had begun, lifted her arms again and began to walk in a larger circle around the house.
"Evan your schoolingÂ…" Brenna gasped looking at him horrified. One day was forgivable, but two was not.
"It's nothing Brenna," William interrupted. "I want to warn you, there will be representatives tonight of various communities. It could get scary, but we'll stay with you no matter what. No one can enter Maizie's circle if they mean ill of us."
Brenna nodded, but not because she understood. On a scale of one to ten- ten being total understanding- she would rate herself a two.
"Papa?" Lily called from the front door. "David and Warren are here."
Two men with muscular arms poorly concealed under pressed dress shirts walked into the room. Both wore dark glasses, and had even white teeth, but while David had dark skin, Warren's was a crispy tan. The pair had model good looks, and graceful moves. Predators, or protectors, they could fill either role. Energy poured off of them. They both seemed to take in the room, but eyes settled on Brenna waiting, which was more a feeling she had than a certainty.
"Hello," Brenna said forcing a smile. "I'm Brenna Malone."
The first nodded, and the second one extended his hand with a smile that just oozed sex appeal from cheek to cheek.
"Hello boys," William said tiredly. Apparently these fellows were in his circle enough that he could show them his exhaustion. He'd hidden it from Brenna all day. She suddenly recognized the efforts he'd taken to conceal his need for rest and felt a wave of guilt. "I called you here to protect her. If anything goes wrong, someone has to be available to keep her safe. That's you two."
Brenna had never experienced her own security team before it was odd. One gigantic man took post on either side of her. At first they were very distracting for her, and she liked having them there. Half an hour later however, she was sure that one or both of them had gone to sleep. It was not comforting, but since nothing was happening she concluded that she probably didn't need them anyway.