THE LAST SECRET KEEPER Secret Keeper series books 1-4

CHAPTER 24

Hans didn't join the group of hunters as they headed toward Toronto, the pastor and his wife with the children leading the way followed by Deiter and his sons, Storm riding shotgun. Focused on what they were up against with luck and the element of surprise on their side, they didn't stop, driving straight through until they reached the fair.

"We are just going to get set up but will keep an eye out for you. I'm not sure what the plan is until I get the program," Dieter announced, his fingers caressing his heavy ring of keys. "Wilhelm and I have got this covered. I think you should stay with the kids in case anything goes down. You've got my number?"

Storm nodded before leading the troop within the revolving gates but didn't make it past the first exhibition featuring goats, Lanecea already on her knees surrounded by straw and the cutest little baby goats.

"Oh, I just want so many kids of my own!" Lanecea announced, breathless as usual, but it still stopped Storm in his tracks, the towering man realizing she'd stopped.

Not catching onto the double meaning, or why Thorson's father had moaned, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked down at her, she focused on the squirming bundle on her arms, determined to give it love, but the goat wasn't as excited to get smothered in kisses.

"This one just wants its mamma. Will you catch another for me please, Thorson?" 

She didn't have to ask twice, Thorson holding two under his arms before plunking them down on Lanecea's lap.

"These are even cuter if that's possible! Thank you! Oh I just love them so much..." Lani rubbed her cheek against their little heads after raining kisses on their foreheads, laughing when they tried to munch on her hair. "I really need my very own collection of kids."

"You'll have them soon enough," Thorson grinned meeting his father's eyes over her head, the memory of them drowning her in cum at the festival very fresh in their minds.

"I will? Oh, that will make me so happy."

"There's a lot still to see. Come now, we can always come back and visit them again. The last time I was here, mind you, it was a few years ago, but they sold feed for the animals. We will return if we find some," the pastor attempted to keep his group moving, the hunt on his mind.

"Horses!" Lani squealed a moment later, once again captivated by the magnificent beasts.

"They will have a horse show later - we need to get a program. Let's keep moving..."

Disappointed, but obedient, Lanecea followed her pastor who held Darrell's hand, his wife holding Adelaide's. The building was crowded and, if her father was right, murderers could be hiding at the fair as well, blending in, but that didn't stop it from smelling positively wonderful.

"Oh look," the pastor's wife pointed to a display with live bees, beginning to read the sign that explained all about beekeeping, but it wasn't the bees that made Lanecea pale, her body trembling in earnest.

"What are you afraid of?" Storm crouched down until he was at eye level with the girl, brushing her dark hair out of her eyes so he could search them. "Tell me. What are you feeling? You can tell me anything."

Lanecea really wanted to tell Thorson's father, but she couldn't make herself form a single word, fear capturing her tongue.

"Point to what is upsetting you," Storm suggested a solution, watching as Lanecea obeyed, gesturing to a group of children snaking their way around them amid two other groups of school children wearing uniforms.

Storm drew her closer to his side realizing that she might be afraid of large groups of children as she had never been exposed to a normal school, but as he pulled her closer, he looked down at one of the children in the group she had indicated, seeing soulless eyes looking back at him.

The vampires had arrived and they were children.

This definitely put an unexpected twist on their plans.

"Good Girl," Storm stroked Lanecea's hair as he praised her while notifying Dieter. "There's a group of I'd say about fifty kids heading in your direction wearing dark blue blazers. We need to go ahead with the plan. Of course, they are trying to throw us off of our game."

Lanecea watched as Thorson tailed the group, Storm, Thorson, and Lanecea sticking together while the pastor, his wife, and the two other children headed to the right, keeping Dieter and Wilhelm up-to-date. 

"You did very well," Storm smiled, looking down at Lani as he wove through the throngs, but Lanecea remained tongue-tied, the excursion no longer fun for the girl who was prey. "Come here, we need to talk."

Storm waited for Thorson to notice he'd stopped, the boy standing close so he wouldn't be swept away in the crowd as well. 

"You are a huntress - a predator. It is inside your heart, that is how you are able to spot them so easily - even before I did. You don't need to be afraid, do you understand? They are the ones who are afraid of you."

"But no one is ever afraid of me," Lanecea pointed out, completely confused.

"That's what you think, but it isn't true. You aren't powerless or defenseless. You may never lift a weapon, but you have people who will take down your enemies for you. Great leaders don't do everything on their own, you know. They delegate. I'm going to prove something to you, but I need you to relax and trust me, alright?"

Lanecea nodded, not having a reason not to trust Storm.

"I'm going to put you on my shoulders and you're going to hold on tight and trust me not to drop you. When you see vampires, you're going to pull my hair - but not so hard that you make me bald, okay?"

Lanecea couldn't help but giggle as she nodded, envisioning Storm with two big bald patches on either side of the top of his head by the end of the day, but didn't protest when Storm set her on his shoulders, straightening once again to his full height. She was terrified out of her mind, of course, but wanted him to be proud of her. Something deep within her spirit was desperate for him to be very proud.

Thorson reached up, gently stroking her dangling leg as he looked up into her terrified eyes.

"You look like a queen up there, surveying your entire kingdom. You're very regal, Queen Lanecea. We need your help - I need your help if I'm going to reach that special number. Will you help me?"

"Of course," Lanecea promised but didn't look down, gazing into the distance instead while she mustered the courage of a queen on the battlefield - something that would never happen - at least, not with this particular queen.

"Take your time, Priestess. We have all day. Are you ready?"

"Yes, Sir, I was born ready."

"Yes, you were. That's my Good Girl."