A man hobbled down the road, walking his Dachshund.
“Evening,” I said, leaning against the iron fence with the river at my back.
He displayed his teeth in a smile that had to be dentures. “And to you, miss. Can I help you find somewhere in town? I’m afraid if you’re here for The Dens, they’re closed on a Wednesday. I hope you didn’t make a special trip over.”
“Uh, no. Not here for that.” This guy was a quarter of the way to dust and seemed like a local. If anyone remembered my mother, it’d be someone like him. I wet my lips. “I’m actually visiting because my mother was from here. I’m hoping to find out more about her during my stay.”
I leaned down to pet the wiggling Dachshund.
“What was your mother’s name?” the man asked, excitement painting his features. Couldn’t blame him. How many visitors could they really get here?
The name Booker hovered on my lips.
“Thana,” I said instead.
His eyes widened. “Thana? Sure. The Thanas own this valley. You don’t know them?” Before I could answer, he leaned in, scrutinising me. “Oh, a Thana for sure. Spitting image of Rhona. How bizarre.”
There were Thanas living here? For some reason, I didn’t expect that.
“What was your mother’s first name?” he asked.
I blinked. “Uh. Ragna, sir.”
His eyes nearly disappeared in his wrinkles as he squinted to ponder that. “Ragna. Ragna. Rings a bell. When about did she leave the valley for the big wide?”
No idea. “At least twenty-one years ago.”
He hummed. “My memory ain’t the greatest, I’m afraid. It’s why I started scrapbooking paper clippings. I’d be happy to dig through my records for you, but in all truth, the Thanas are the people to ask.”
The Thanas. Did he say it that way on purpose?
I rubbed my arm. “I don’t know. They might not know anything about me. I’d hate to just show up at this hour. I’d rather call—”
“We don’t stand on ceremony here, miss! You’ll see. Plus, on a Wednesday, the Thanas play laser tag.”
Uh… what now?
“Really?” That was… pretty random.
“8:00 p.m. Every Wednesday. There’s time to track down Hercules Thana before they start though.”
Hercules. Serious name o’clock.
Though, in saying that, Mum’s name was Ragna.
“Could you hold on a second, please?” I said quickly.
At his stupefied nod, I jogged to Ella F and reached into the glovebox. Returning to the old man, I unfolded the picture of Mum and cousin guy.
“Is that Hercules Thana?” I asked, slightly out of breath.
Angling the photo to catch the light of the moon, the old man pressed his large nose to the age-crinkled paper. “Sure is. Red hair. Blue eyes. About your height, maybe a little less.”
This Hercules guy knew my mother. With the resemblance, they had to be related.
Shit.
I brushed my hair behind my ear. “They really wouldn’t mind me showing up?”
The alternative was to sit in a car until morning. Might as well kill some time.
The man crossed his heart. “Really. Or my name isn’t Walter Nash.”
Was it though?
He recited the address, and I plugged the street into my phone. Another fifteen-minute drive. I’d get there twenty minutes before laser tag began.
Thanking the man, I slid into Ella F, biting back a grin.
Opening my messages, I typed to Logan:
Wth. The town plays laser tag on Wednesdays. LOL.
I checked the direction, pulling away from the curb. Their address was registered in Maps as The Manor, Deception Valley.
So that wasn’t intimidating at all.
Shoot, what was I wearing? Dark jeans and a black long sleeve. Gold necklace.
Could be worse.
Fussing with my hair as I left the stone building, I nearly missed the turn-off.
Gnarled trees lined the wide road. Beyond, the forest rose in a wall of impenetrable black. Huge gates rose up in the distance.
Oh my god. This wasn’t a road.
“No one needs a driveway this big,” I muttered.
The ominous gates blocked the way in a pretty clear witch coven statement of Unsolicited Visitors Will Be Cursed and Eaten. Except Walter Nash crossed his heart and assured me the Thanas would be welcoming.
Plus, these people played a game every Wednesday. This was probably a religious camp or something.
I slowed in front of the iron gates, noting the ornate crests on the stone columns. One of them could reimburse me the cost of this car.
I jerked at a tap on the window.
A torch shone on my eyes, and eyes watering, I made out a hulking man in uniform.
I cracked the window. “Hey.”
“Rhona? What’s with the car?”
He stepped into a hut covered by ivy, slapping his hand on a button. The gates opened as the man threw his hulking body into a cushioned seat and consulted his flashing tablet.
Okay.
Apparently, I had a twin called Rhona.
Shrugging, I wound up the window and drove on.
Wiping my clammy hands, I guided Ella F down the driveway, mouth bobbing when the house came into view.
House, my butthole!
I was in the wrong place.
These people would take one look at the Corolla and suitcases and think I’d come to swindle a chunk of their wealth. Of course, now the driveway was, indeed, of actual driveway proportions, turning around was impossible.
I idled outside the mansion. Should I write a letter to Hogwarts and tell them I’d found the building’s long-lost sister?
Stone and iron like the gate, soft lights illuminated the sheer size of the one, two, three… five-story building. A wide stone staircase lead to the front doors. One door wasn’t enough, clearly.
“What the hell, Mum?” I said, glaring at her urn.
I thumped my head back.
Fuck it. I’d come to get answers.
I locked the car—which was laughable considering the surrounding opulence—and marched toward the stairs. Jogging up, I tensed as the doors flew open and a crowd of people poured out.
Oh my god.
They had guns.
A scream hovered on my lips before I recalled laser tag Wednesdays. I swallowed hard as people of all ages streamed past, not pausing at my wide-eyed presence.
Catching a teen’s gaze, I fell into step beside him. “I don’t suppose you could tell me where to find Hercules—?”
“Herc? He’ll just be in the normal place.”
“And that is?” I asked.
He looked at me closely. “Who did you say you are?”
“Uhm, Andie… Thana.”
The guy stopped short. “No shit? For real? Are you playing tonight?”
Nope.
“I just need to talk with Hercules.”
“Always happy to help a Thana. Follow me. He’s probably there already.”
Walking beside him, I surreptitiously studied his gun. How real did laser tag guns look? I’d never played, but this one was hella lifelike. Each person had a flat backpack and torch too. I spotted coiled ropes, nets, and some shovels.
Whoa. Intense was an understatement.
They were dressed in black cargos and black tanks. Some wore leather jackets, but their happy chatter put me at ease that I wouldn’t be tied up and killed.