He knew Kurt couldn’t be corrupted. “What’s his name?”
“It’s…hum.” Kurt’s face screwed up in frustration. “I can’t remember. His mother was my daughter, so he’s got her husband’s last name. Huh. I guess I was a worse granddad than I thought.”
The memory lapse put Justin more at ease. “It’s okay, Kurt. What can you tell me about him?”
Kurt squinted at the sunset. “Redhead, like his dad. In fact, he looked a lot like his dad and hardly anything like me. Blue eyes. I think he wore glasses, or maybe that was his dad. Skinny. Didn’t think he’d ever be a Knight.”
Justin eyed Kurt, wondering if finding Drew with Claire had been an accident or not. “Last name Sanders, by any chance?”
“You know, that sounds fair familiar.”
“Then I think I know where he is. Jack is fostering a kid just like that. He’s my apprentice’s best friend.”
“Huh. Ain’t that a kick in the pants. Could you bring him by? I’d like to see the boy, see how he turned out. Maybe apologize if I need to.”
If Drew wasn’t Kurt’s grandson, bringing him here would cause no real harm. Kurt wouldn’t hurt him, and Drew would probably wind up seeing more than a ghost or two if he hung around Claire long enough. If Drew did happen to be Kurt’s grandson, though, he’d be reuniting them, which struck Justin as a good thing.
“Sure. I can do that.”
Chapter 10
Claire
Though she could have found a bus stop much closer, Claire jogged ten minutes to reach a furniture store recommended by the guy working at the gas station. She carefully tucked the dagger into the waistband of her skirt to avoid having the cops called on her and stepped inside the store with no idea how to use a foreign couch as her gateway into the Palace. She’d only ever used the one at Justin’s house before.
The huge space held rows of beds, a wall covered with television sets, full kitchen displays, a sea of dining room sets, a vast array of armchairs, and a horde of couches. White, black, brown, and beige dominated the room with splashes of color on the upholstered pieces and chrome in the kitchens. Claire figured familiarity might help and edged toward the couches, checking for a brown leather one.
“Can I help you?”
Not expecting to be noticed and accosted, Claire jumped. Enion dove for her hips and searched for a pocket, only to discover she had none. He wriggled under the back of her shirt.
“I’m so sorry!” The woman who’d addressed her touched the shoulder Enion had been sitting on only moments ago. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Claire waved her off. “Oh, no. I wasn’t scared. Just, um, yeah.”
The woman wore a green sweater over a white shirt with black pants and black heels. She smiled at Claire. After getting a thousand fake smiles in foster care, Claire thought she could pick them out pretty well, but this one seemed real. Her name tag read Isabella .
“Can I help you find anything?”
“Oh. Um.” Justin had never said anything about doing what they do in front of normal people. He hadn’t forbidden it and hadn’t said anything about how they would react or why no one knew about the Spirit Knights. His family all knew the basics, yet he avoided doing anything overtly magical in front of them. Claire had no idea if hopping into a couch while Isabella watched would cause some kind of disaster. Neither did she know if seeing a dragon would make Isabella’s brain explode.
Isabella’s smile faltered. “Are your parents still in the car?”
“No. I’m, um, sort of…advance scouting?”
“Oh, of course.” Isabella’s smile returned full force. “What are you looking for?”
As long as she had Isabella’s attention and couldn’t shake it, Claire figured she might as well use it. “A leather couch.”
“Have you come to the right place!” Isabella hooked her arm through Claire’s and guided her through the industrial carpet maze of furniture. The woman chattered
“It’s…hum.” Kurt’s face screwed up in frustration. “I can’t remember. His mother was my daughter, so he’s got her husband’s last name. Huh. I guess I was a worse granddad than I thought.”
The memory lapse put Justin more at ease. “It’s okay, Kurt. What can you tell me about him?”
Kurt squinted at the sunset. “Redhead, like his dad. In fact, he looked a lot like his dad and hardly anything like me. Blue eyes. I think he wore glasses, or maybe that was his dad. Skinny. Didn’t think he’d ever be a Knight.”
Justin eyed Kurt, wondering if finding Drew with Claire had been an accident or not. “Last name Sanders, by any chance?”
“You know, that sounds fair familiar.”
“Then I think I know where he is. Jack is fostering a kid just like that. He’s my apprentice’s best friend.”
“Huh. Ain’t that a kick in the pants. Could you bring him by? I’d like to see the boy, see how he turned out. Maybe apologize if I need to.”
If Drew wasn’t Kurt’s grandson, bringing him here would cause no real harm. Kurt wouldn’t hurt him, and Drew would probably wind up seeing more than a ghost or two if he hung around Claire long enough. If Drew did happen to be Kurt’s grandson, though, he’d be reuniting them, which struck Justin as a good thing.
“Sure. I can do that.”
Chapter 10
Claire
Though she could have found a bus stop much closer, Claire jogged ten minutes to reach a furniture store recommended by the guy working at the gas station. She carefully tucked the dagger into the waistband of her skirt to avoid having the cops called on her and stepped inside the store with no idea how to use a foreign couch as her gateway into the Palace. She’d only ever used the one at Justin’s house before.
The huge space held rows of beds, a wall covered with television sets, full kitchen displays, a sea of dining room sets, a vast array of armchairs, and a horde of couches. White, black, brown, and beige dominated the room with splashes of color on the upholstered pieces and chrome in the kitchens. Claire figured familiarity might help and edged toward the couches, checking for a brown leather one.
“Can I help you?”
Not expecting to be noticed and accosted, Claire jumped. Enion dove for her hips and searched for a pocket, only to discover she had none. He wriggled under the back of her shirt.
“I’m so sorry!” The woman who’d addressed her touched the shoulder Enion had been sitting on only moments ago. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Claire waved her off. “Oh, no. I wasn’t scared. Just, um, yeah.”
The woman wore a green sweater over a white shirt with black pants and black heels. She smiled at Claire. After getting a thousand fake smiles in foster care, Claire thought she could pick them out pretty well, but this one seemed real. Her name tag read Isabella .
“Can I help you find anything?”
“Oh. Um.” Justin had never said anything about doing what they do in front of normal people. He hadn’t forbidden it and hadn’t said anything about how they would react or why no one knew about the Spirit Knights. His family all knew the basics, yet he avoided doing anything overtly magical in front of them. Claire had no idea if hopping into a couch while Isabella watched would cause some kind of disaster. Neither did she know if seeing a dragon would make Isabella’s brain explode.
Isabella’s smile faltered. “Are your parents still in the car?”
“No. I’m, um, sort of…advance scouting?”
“Oh, of course.” Isabella’s smile returned full force. “What are you looking for?”
As long as she had Isabella’s attention and couldn’t shake it, Claire figured she might as well use it. “A leather couch.”
“Have you come to the right place!” Isabella hooked her arm through Claire’s and guided her through the industrial carpet maze of furniture. The woman chattered
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