“No kidding. Guess that’s usually an asset in your line of work, huh?”
“Yes,” Shan said, though he didn’t sound happy about it. “But not in this case. I do not wish to frighten the children.”
“You, scare those five?” Leonie snorted. “They’re more likely to pepper you with endless questions about whether you have a secret base, and if you’ve ever had to defuse a nuclear bomb, and whether they can try on your special spy glasses. But to be honest, I’d rather they didn’t even find out you’re from Shifter Affairs. Like I said, I could do without gossip flying around the camp all summer.”
Shan gazed thoughtfully at a roll of construction paper propped in a corner. “In that case, I have a suggestion.”
Leonie had to admit, it was indeed difficult to look intimating while wielding a glue stick. Even Shan couldn’tquitepull it off. The kids still did a collective double-take when she led them into the nature hut, but that was understandable. You didn’t often see a fully grown man sittingcross-legged on the floor, solemnly sticking colorful paper butterflies to a banner reading WELCOME TO THE NATURE HUT.
“Thanks for helping me with these, kids,” Leonie said. She put the box of books down on a table. “I didn’t want Paige carrying anything heavy in her condition. Do you mind staying to give us a hand in here?”
With clear effort, Finley wrenched his eyes away from the special agent. “Of course, Leonie. We’d be happy to help.”
Beth, Archie, and Estelle were still openly goggling at Shan. Out of all the kids, Rufus was the only one who didn’t seem fascinated by the hulking stranger inexplicably doing collage in the middle of the hut. He lurked behind his friends, staring at his shoes.
“Kids, this is Shan,” Leonie said, since she could hardly introduce him as ‘Special Agent Zhao.’ Even ‘Mr. Zhao’ would have raised questions, as camp staff always went by their first names. “He’s helping me out with a few things today. Shan, these are the local kids I was telling you about. Beth, Estelle, Archie, Finley, and Rufus.”
“It’s nice to meet you, sir,” Beth said politely. She jabbed Archie with an elbow, muttering, “Stop staring!”
“Could you help Shan finish that welcome banner?” Leonie said to the kids. “Paige was going to do it, but she’s been called away. It would be nice to have it up on the wall by the time she gets back.”
Most of the kids were all too happy to join Shan on the floor, finding scissors and glue. Rufus, however, hung back. She could understand his hesitation. Rufus was acutely sensitive to anything out of place, and even wearing a staff T-shirt, Shan didn’t exactly blend in.
“Would you rather stay with me?” Leonie murmured to Rufus.
Rufus’s gaze flicked to Shan, then quickly away again. He nodded.
Well, it wasn’t like the agent would be able to learn much from him, anyway. Rufus rarely spoke out loud, and she assumed Shan’s ability only worked if he could hear what someone was saying. She wasn’t sure whether Rufus would even be able to communicate with a winged tiger. Generally, he could only speak telepathically with other mythic shifters or close family members.
“That’s fine,” she told her nephew. “Come on. You can help me unpack these books.”
She led him to a free table, deliberately picking one a little way off from the group gathered on the floor. Apart from a few murmured instructions to Rufus, she held her tongue, watching Shan out of the corner of her eye. Maybe she should have stepped in to help, but she was curious to see what he would do.
Apparently, the answer was ‘not much.’ He just nodded at the kids, shifting to one side to make room for them all around the half-finished banner.
“Sooooooooo,” Estelle said, drawing out the word. “Why are you wearing sunglasses indoors, Shan?”
“Estelle,” Beth hissed.
“What?” Estelle protested. She snipped her scissors closed, beheading a paper butterfly. “I’m just asking.”
If Shan was at all fazed by the question, he didn’t show it. “Necessity.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Archie asked.
“It means he doesn’t want to talk about it,” Finley said, shooting his friends a warning look. “So we shouldn’t pry.”
Shan inclined his head in silent thanks. He carried on sticking butterflies to the banner with the gravity of a brain surgeon performing an operation.
The kids exchanged glances. The silence stretched,broken only by thesnipof scissors, until Estelle finally burst out, “You don’t talk much, do you?”
“No,” Shan agreed placidly.
“Why not?” Archie asked.
“I prefer to listen.” Shan seemed wholly focused on the collective project. “The head counselor was telling me some of you had an interesting encounter recently.”
Estelle needed no further prompting. She perked up, as though she’d been waiting for an excuse to turn the conversation to this topic. “Oh, yeah! Beth, tell Shan about the ghost!”
