I turned away from Hera, to find Soshi with her back straight. She took her position looking over the kids of Larkwood seriously. In fact, she certainly reminded me of Bowen. Not many dared to bother those under either of their protection.
“I gave them a tour of the school,” Soshi said.
“Good job.” I took a seat at the large table.
“Welcome to Larkwood,”Hera wrote and held it out for them to see.
The words chilled me like they always did for a moment. I’d heard them when I’d arrived—we all had—but they had been a threat back then. They’d been terrifying. They’d warned me that I had no future.
Now, however, we’d changed that. Shades came here because they wanted to. Sometimes they had no other place to go because they were kicked out, some needed help to control themselves, some simply wanted to be with others like themselves where they didn’t feel the need to hide anything.
Whatever the reasons, though, it was always voluntary, and they stayed only as long as they wanted to.
I nodded toward the newest children and introduced them one at a time. “This is Harriet Carrol, Mya Linchon and Jacob Rodgers. Today is their first day, so we’re doing all the introductions.”
“I showed them to their rooms and how to use the key cards,” Soshi said. “I introduced them to their staff advisor.”
“Who did they get?”Hera asked.
“Harriet has Layla, Mya has Brax, and Jacob got…” Soshi went quiet for a moment, as if she didn’t want to say the next part. After a moment, she finished, her voice softer. “Kit.”
I tried to smother my laughter as I asked, “Did you stay outside the room when you introduced them?”
Soshi shook her head. “No. It’s my job to make sure they know where to go, so I went in.”
“What did you think of him?”Hera asked Jacob, holding the writing pad out so he could read it.
He shifted slightly in the chair, but when he spoke, his voice was honest. “He’s scary, but he seems nice.”
Soshi’s gaze darted away as if she wanted to argue that but knew better. Then again, Soshi had been there during the big fight. She’d had a front-row seat to exactly how dangerous Kit could be. That sort of thing stuck with a person, especially if they didn’t otherwise know that person.
“He isn’t nice,” I said, to which Hera kicked me under the table in the shinhard.I grunted but otherwise didn’t let on what she’d done before going on. “But you couldn’t ask for a better advisor. He’s been helping shades here as long as this place has been around. He’s not much fun, and he never gets pop culture jokes, but you won’t find a person who will work harder to help you than he will.”
Hera went still, a line between her eyebrows appearing as if the words surprised her. Then again, none of us had had the best start, and if someone had told me two years ago that I’d end up in a relationship with not only a woman butthosefour men? I’d have asked for some of whatever drugs the person was on.
Yet, we’d ended up there, and I could admit the truth that Kit—along with the others—were good people I was grateful to be able to rely on.
Then, in true me fashion, I ruined all the goodwill I’d earned by opening my mouth. “Plus, if you make himreallymad, there is this vein on his temple that throbs. It looks like the Mississippi River.”
Jacob stared, eyes wide, before breaking into a laugh.
Because I was ridiculous, but I also knew how to put others at ease.
“So now you’re on a tour of the classrooms, right?” I asked.
“That’s right.”
“Well, Harriet, Mya, Jacob, if you need anything, you can go to your advisor or right to me. In fact, you can even talk toMrs. Westonhere anytime you want to.”
The kids nodded, then rose and followed Soshi out of the room.
“Her help has been indispensable,” I said, my gaze on the door they’d closed behind them. “I’m surprised Bowen is allowing her to stay here, but I’m not about to rock the boat. I don’t think I could have handled all the intake without her.”
Hera turned toward me.“You would have done fine.”
“Maybe,” I said, unconvinced. “But I’m still grateful. I think having someone around their age helps the process.”
I remembered how alone I’d felt when I’d first arrived at Larkwood, and all the old people in the world could have told me it would be fine—I wasn’t about to believe it unless I heard it from someone like me. That was why I was so passionate about my position as intake manager. I handled all new residents, but I always had a special interest in creating the programs for younger shades, after all I’d gone through.