The Magpie's Death

Welcome Home (1)

"Wow, sweetie..." The three stood outside the warehouse, staring at the used car the Magpie bought for the trip north. Squirrel barely held in their laughter. "This is a total piece of shit."

"I can't exactly show up in a Lexus," he pointed out, folding his arms at the insult.

Public transportation was out, since the sight of any adult male resulted in Ellie shaking, whimpering, and scrambling up his chest to curl around his neck. Buying a car was the only option left and Sam Miller was not a wealthy man.

Swallowing a giggle, Squirrel traced a finger around a large spot of rust. "True, but you still have to get there. Is this thing even going to make it that far?"

"It'll be fine." He had tested it himself that morning driving around the city, so he was pretty sure that was true. "It looks bad, but it runs well."

"You're hopeless." Their obvious teasing had no impact on him, so Squirrel leaned down and patted Ellie on the head. "I'm going to miss you, little mouse. But you're going to have fun with your dad out in the boonies."

Ellie blinked but gave no other response and Squirrel sighed. After throwing his suitcase into the back and shutting the creaking door, the Magpie lifted her into the passenger seat.

"Call me with any updates," he directed his friend, buckling Ellie in. The strap was too high to sit over her chest, so he moved it behind her back, then carefully closed her door.

Squirrel clicked their tongue against their teeth but smiled. "Of course, dear."

"The tiniest movement, I want to know about it." Walking around to the driver's side, he paused and added, "Don't get caught. The Suns aren't a group to mess with."

He ducked into the seat and started the car. It hitched as the starter caught, but the engine rumbled and he shifted into drive. With a wicked grin, Squirrel peered into Ellie's open window.

"I could sleep in the same bed and they still wouldn't know I was there." They blew a sweet kiss and winked. "I'll miss you, Maggie."

After a grunt and a quick raise of the hand, the Magpie lifted his foot from the break and pulled away. He couldn't guess how this would turn out, but he also couldn't spend any longer in this city.

* * *

The sight of the Victorian-style house looming in front of him made everything from the past few days suddenly feel real. A little hand tapped at his shoulder as he stared. The Magpie looked at the girl in his arms, her grey-blue eyes wide with curiosity. She pointed toward the three-story house, her gaze never leaving him, and he nodded.

"Welcome to your new home, Ellie."

He couldn't count the number of times he and Squirrel ran through this. Still, no matter how precise their plans were or how much of his days and nights were spent with a toddler attached to his hip, he hadn't let it sink in. Now, two days and a five hour drive later, father and daughter Sam and Ellie Miller were standing before their new, domestic life. Ellie pulled her hand back in, hooking it around his neck and staring expressionless at the house. At least that face was strangely familiar to him and he pulled her a little closer to his chest.

The plan was perfect and their backstory flawless. And all of it was useless if the Magpie couldn't maintain cover while caring for a traumatized child. In the end, he had no choice if he wanted to keep them both safe. Leaving the car parked on the street, holding his fake daughter in one arm and a single suitcase with the other, he trudged up the long path to the house.

The structure was old, but the light blue outer walls and intricately carved blue and white trim was fresh. He had never seen such a house in person and distracted himself by examining the details of its complicated, asymmetrical shape. Each story had a gabled roof and decorative tops, and everywhere were geometric embellishments and borders. It seemed unnecessary, but he supposed there was something charming about it.

"Hello there!" called a tall, slender woman as she skipped down the porch steps, hurrying toward him.

She couldn't have been more than twenty five. Her long, dark red hair swirled in the wind and her cheeks and nose were pink from the cold against her face. It didn't bother her and she gave them a warm smile as she approached.

"You must be Mr. Miller!" The title sent a chill up his spine. "We've been expecting you. How was your drive?"

Her sweet and friendly chatter was a bit too thick for him, yet it seemed completely genuine. Her smile grew as she turned to Ellie, receiving a vacant stare in return.

The Magpie cleared his throat. "It's Sam."

"Oh, Sam!" Her palms pressed together as if praying for forgiveness. "Sorry about that!" Then her hand extended out to Ellie in greeting. "You're very beautiful. And what is your name?"

Ellie didn't budge, not taking the young woman's hand or making a sound, only staring with big, distant eyes. Eyes that said there might be something of interest here, with this stranger acting so sunnily toward her, but not anything worth much effort.

The awkward silence persisted, so the Magpie cleared his throat again. Shifting her higher on his side, he answered, "It's Ellie. She doesn't speak."

"Oh?" The woman stared into Ellie's blue eyes, spending a moment in thought, then smiled again. Still speaking directly to her, she continued. "Well, I'm Jade Glass. My twin brother and I run this B and B, but I also teach preschool and run an after-school childcare. I think we'll be seeing a lot of each other." She reached out and took her small hand, giving it a gentle shake. "Won't that be wonderful, Ellie? I hope we can become good friends."

Now this strange woman was touching her. Ellie looked at the Magpie, curious again, then stared back at Jade.

"Well, anyway." Jade moved her gaze from daughter to father, giving up any hope of a conversation. "We have a room ready and I'm sure you're both tired from the drive." Glancing at the small suitcase in his hand, she added, "Is this all you have?"

It was subtle, but it seemed like she disapproved. His eyes darted to the single piece of worn luggage and he realized it gave off a "runaway" vibe. Which wasn't an incorrect assumption and fit the backstory. That was a good sign. If she could make her own guesses without needing to ask, Squirrel had done their job well.

He only grunted in response, so she gestured for them to follow her. Leading them up the wide porch steps, she pulled at the heavy, wood and stained-glass door. The colors popped in the low sun and the frame sat well above his head as he walked through. Inside, mismatched, antique furniture dotted a spacious foyer-turned-lobby. The carpet runner leading in was worn and frayed, to the point where it was difficult to distinguish the reds from browns from blacks. Ahead, a wide staircase with hand carved posts rose up to the left and a long, wooden check-in desk sat to the right.

Behind it, casually propped up on his elbows, was a young man wearing Jade's same warm smile. His matching long, red hair was pulled back into a messy bun, a few strands falling loose and brushing his cheek.

The Magpie panicked at the sight, clutching tight to the girl in his arms. It was absurd to think he could avoid all men and he'd already known of the twins from Squirrel's quick report. That didn't stop his lungs from seizing in dread. He waited, but the seconds passed without a sound. Ellie didn't react. Instead, her curious eyes darted between the two strangers and around the open house.

The man met the Magpie's cold gaze. The internal panic wasn't clear in his expression, but the twinkle in the man's dark green eyes showed he had still noticed.

"Welcome to The Glass House."