All we have to do is keep her safe during the drive, Keller thought. First to the mansion, then to the meeting place in Charlotte. We can do that. I know we can do that.
She checked her watch.
"Come on, kid, it's after eight," she said. "We should be moving soon."
Iliana and Winnie were both ransacking the closet
"Pale blue," Winnie said, "pale lavender, pale pink..."
"It has to be white," Iliana said.
"I'm sorry I mentioned it."
A knock sounded on the door, and Nissa looked in. "We're back. You guys ready?"
"In a minute," Keller said. "How're things at the mansion?"
"Perfect. The witches say the wards are strong."
"Who's come in?"
"Caterers and a college band. That's all so far. All one hundred percent human according to the wards-and to Galen, who kept running up to the cars at the gate and trying to sell them Christmas Benefit teddy bears."
Keller almost grinned. Galen would be good at that. "The family must have thought he was crazy."
"They never came out and complained. Nobody's come out, in fact, which makes things easy on die surveillance team." She sobered. "Boss, why do you think the dragon hasn't tried something yet? He's cutting it awfully close."
"I don't know. I think..."
"What?"
"I think he must be betting it all on one throw of the dice. One all-out attack, fast and decisive."
"At the party."
"At the parry," Keller said. "So we'd better be on our toes."
"We've got him locked out, though. Those wards are secure."
"I hope so."
From the closet, Iliana squealed, "I found it!"
She was holding a dress almost the color of her own hair, white with some sort of sparkling thread woven in. It draped in soft folds across her hip as she held it up for Winnie's inspection.
"Perfect," Winnie said. "You can get engaged in that dress; you can go to a birthday parry; you can celebrate the Solstice-you can probably get married in it if you want"
"You can do whatever you want, but you have to do it now," Keller said, checking her watch again. "But do you like it? I think I bought it last year."
"It's beautiful," Keller said, and then, as she saw the hurt in Hiana's violet eyes: "Really. It's beautiful. You'll look wonderful in it, and Galen will be-very impressed."
Where had that sudden hitch in her breath come from? She had gotten over it quickly, but she noticed that Diana gave her an odd look.
"Now, come on, everybody,*' Keller said briskly, looking at Winnie and Nissa. "Are you two ready?"
They both looked down at their ordinary outfits, then looked back up and shrugged in chorus.
"Yeah."
'I guess they can think we're the help," Keller said. "Everybody check your transmitters. I want to be in constant contact once we get there."
"Right, Boss."
"Got it, Boss."
Iliana had put on the dress and was looking in the mirror. "My hair," she began, and then she glanced at Keller. "Ill just leave it down," she said. "Okay?"
"Down is fine, down is great." Keller glanced at her watch and tightened her belt.
"Down is just right for a Solstice Ceremony," Winnie said. She added in an undertone as Iliana started for the door, "Don't mind her. She's always like this before a big operation."
'It's a good thing I didn't ask her about my shoes...."
Keller looked around to make sure there was nothing they were forgetting. Then she looked at the other three girls. They smiled back at her, eyes alert and ready for anything. Even the smallest one, who looked like a Christmas tree angel somebody had taken down and brought to life.
"Okay, people," Keller said. "This is it. It's show time."
Galen was wearing a dark sweater and pants that set off his blondness. It was casual but still appropriate for the promise ceremony later on. His eyes met Keller's briefly as Iliana said good-bye to her parents, and they both smiled. Not fake smiles, either. Simply the quiet, undemanding smiles of comrades with a job to do.
"Kee-kee!" Alex said from the door as they went to the car in the garage.
That kid is up way too late, Keller thought She turned and waved.
"Blow him a kiss," Diana prompted helpfully. "He likes that."
Keller gave her a narrow sideways look and blew him a kiss.
"Kee-kee!" Suddenly, his round little face crumpled. "Bye-bye," he proclaimed sadly.
"Oh, that's sweet," Diana's mother said. "He's going to miss you. He probably thinks you're going for good."
"Bye-bye," Alex said, and huge tears rolled down his cheeks. "Bye-bye! Kee-kee! Bye-bye!" He began to sob.
There was a little silence among the group standing by the car. Winnie stared at Alex, then glanced at Iliana.
"He doesn't-he's never had any precognitions, has he?" she muttered.
"He's a baby," Iliana whispered back. '1 mean, how could you tell?"
"He's just tired," Keller said briefly. "Come on, let's go."
Chapter 15
But she could hear Alex's sobbing even when she got in the car, and it seemed to follow in her head even when they had left the house behind.
They checked with the "road crew" stationed right outside the Ashton-Hughes front gate. It looked extremely professional, with bright lights and all the accoutrements.
"All secure," the witch in charge said cheerfully when Keller rolled down the window. He shifted his reflective vest. "Thirty cars in, nobody out. There hasn't been one for a while-I think you're fashionably late." He winked.