Josie remains seated after Alastair leaves, her hands returning to the handles of her bag even though the drive is no longer inside it. Maceo revokes her Ember House credentials from his laptop while Thane explains that she will be taken to the station for a formal statement.
“Your employment is suspended pending the legal process,” I tell her. “All access is revoked. Any further contact with residents will go through independent advocates.”
Josie nods without asking whether she can return.
Nicholas passes me an Ember House information pamphlet and the contact information for an independent legal advocate. I write the name and number across the back before sliding it toward her.
“This person doesn’t work for Keller Industries, Ember House, or Alastair’s foundation. Call before you answer questions you don’t understand.”
Josie looks at the pamphlet but does not reach for it. “After what I did?”
“This is information. It isn’t forgiveness, and it isn’t a promise of a room.”
Her eyes lift to mine. I do not soften the answer or take it back. After a moment, she reaches for the pamphlet and places it inside her bag.
Thane takes Josie and the drive with him. Wilson and Nicholas leave with the corporate records, while Luther, Grayson, and Maceo follow the warrant updates into the adjoining room.
Blake remains beside me. My rings click softly against the table when he covers my hand, and his thumb settles against the edge of the newest band.
“He built the place that nearly destroyed me,” I say. “Ember House helped expose what he kept building after I left.”
“And it’s still standing,” Blake says.
24
Blake
The front door opens before anyone finishes clearing breakfast from the table. Samuel runs through first, already talking before both feet cross the threshold. “Papa! Oliver made blue pancakes. We saw a toad too. Bartholomew said it might be a prince, but it was bumpy.”
He keeps moving toward the kitchen, carrying the story with him.
James follows more slowly, holding a piece of construction paper in both hands. He stops in front of me and raises it carefully.
“Bartholomew drew this. It’s for the wedding. It’s a security dragon.”
I take the paper from him and study the crayon creature stretched across the page. It has wings, several uneven teeth, and what appears to be a crown floating above its head.
“A security dragon seems useful,” I tell him. “We should find a safe place for it.”
James nods and carries it toward the living room.
Rosalie enters last with her pink crown tilted over one eyebrow and a feather boa trailing behind her.
“The visit was satisfactory,” she announces. “Oliver doesn’t have enough crowns. And Wilson said bad meetings need cake.”
Wilson steps through behind her with the overnight bags. “I said cake might help.”
“Same thing,” Rosalie says.
Samuel’s voice carries into the kitchen while Rosalie begins explaining where Oliver should store additional crowns. By the time James finds a safe place for the drawing, the house no longer feels suspended around yesterday’s meeting.
Grayson comes down the hallway and catches Samuel around the middle before he can run past a second time. Samuel twists in his arms, still describing the pancakes while Grayson kisses his cheek.
Luther takes the children’s overnight bags from Wilson while Maceo closes the front door behind them. Wilson sets the last overnight bag inside before leaving the family to settle back into the house.
Breakfast takes another hour because Samuel tells the pancake story three times, James needs tape for the dragon, and Rosalie refuses to discuss anything serious until someone confirms there will be cake.
Once the children carry Grayson’s blueprints into the living room with a fresh box of markers, Luther lowers his voice and gives us Thane’s first update.
