Page 67 of Break Out the Girl

Pepper and Sheena are having a tug-of-war over a ginger-cat-cross-stitch throw pillow.

And Ricky has one of those swinging-ball desk toys, which he is determinedly getting tangled into one big knot. Lil’ Hare, who is actually called Maisy, is watching him with wide eyes, nodding her encouragement.

They are acting like real kids.

I don’t know why, but I feel I’ve also reset.

For the first time since escaping, my spark is beginning to glow properly.

“Give it back, it’s mine!” Out of the corner of my eye, I see the orange cushion go flying and bite my tongue. I’m not going to tell them to knock it off, poor things can let off as much steam as they want.

With a loud screech, Ricky shoves his stool away from the table and grabs the cushion. The girls wail as he tosses it towards the window. Before I can even stop myself, my hand shoots out.

I twist my wrist and murmur a half-remembered levitation syllable.

The ginger cat pillow halts in mid-air, defies gravity for one perfect beat, and then bounces softly to land right back at Pepper and Sheena’s feet.

Oh, fuck. That felt so good.

Enjoying the feeling, I go back to the list I was making.

The kid’s full names, parents’ names, and whatever they can remember of their address.

Plus whether it's safe at home.

I need a map. I’ve no idea if any of these places are close by.

Heading into the office, I find Tally, Basil and London. They’re poring over a large local map.

“What are you guys doing?”

Tally looks up, giving me the sweetest smile. “Basil said older girls were sometimes taken to a house with a moat on the mainland. We’re scouring the maps, trying to find a place that fits.”

I give Basil a thankful nod. “Good info to have. Moats aren’t that common. I was also looking for a map. I’ve got the name of a town where Pepper and Sheena come from—Waddington.”

“I saw that, it’s on the other page,” Basil says, snatching the large, flat mapbook from Tally. He flips back a page then points his finger. “There.”

I scoot closer and try to figure out the scale. “OK, that’s maybe ten miles away? We need to get these kids somewhere safe, guys. They can’t stay with us.”

“Leave all the little peas in Waddington, is that what you’re thinking, Kitten?” London asks while standing on one leg.

“I think that would be best. Pepper and Sheena seem to have good parents. They could take the kids in and try to reunite them with their parents.” I look to Basil. “What do you think?”

Basil looks insulted. “I’m not going with those kids. I’ll stick with you fucking numbnuts—or fuck off on my own, whatever.”

“What? Why?”

He sneers. “I’m not going anywhere the authorities can get their stupid hands on me. I hate fucking foster-care, fuck that. I don’t need any ‘responsible adult’ twats in my life.”

Hmm, even though he has nowhere to go, it seems wrong to either drag the kid further into our mess—or abandon him. I look at Tally, hoping he’ll have an opinion.

Tally moves closer and takes my hand. “What do we know about the girl’s parents? Are they trustworthy?”

“As I can figure out, the girls weren’t sold by their folks. It seems like they got snatched walking home from school. Pepper says she misses them, so…”

Tally sighs deeply. “So sometimes we just have to trust that people are good, I guess.”

Basil mutters something about Tally being stupid.