He slipped quietly out of bed, threw on his clothes and shut her door, then went into the kitchen.

Pumpkin was already there and looked on the verge of a serious bout of meowing. He gave her a scratch on the head to pre-empt it. “I’m going to feed you first, how about that?”

He found her food, filled a bowl and set it in front of her before the crying begin. Pumpkin buried her face in it, happy and occupied.

Cole turned his attention to coffee next. Kaley didn’t need to be up just yet, but he’d have to take her home soon so she could get ready for school. He’d make her breakfast there, too. There was no way to do that quietly, and he wanted Pandora to rest.

While the coffee was brewing, he took the pad of paper by the phone and a pen and wrote Pandora a note. He didn’t want her thinking he’d just abandoned her. He scribbled everything he needed to say, folded it in half and went back to her bedroom.

She hadn’t moved, which just reinforced his thinking that she needed to rest and recover. He put the note on her nightstand under her phone, then went back to the kitchen.

Kaley trudged in as he was pouring himself a cup of coffee. She blinked at him, her eyes still thick with sleep.

“You don’t look awake,” he said softly.

“M’not.” She stretched. “Miss Williams still sleeping?”

“Yes, and we need to be quiet so she can stay that way. When you feel up to it, gather your stuff and we’ll go back to our house. You can leave on the pajamas you borrowed from Miss Williams. We’ll shower and eat at home. Okay?”

She nodded, yawned, and shambled back toward the guest room.

He wasn’t sure anything he’d said had registered through the haze of sleep, but a few minutes later she was back, flip-flops on, backpack in hand. She crouched down to pet Pumpkin. “Morning, kitty.”

“You ready?”

Kaley looked up at him and nodded. “Is Miss Williams going to be okay?”

“Yes. She just needs to rest. I’m going to come back and check on her this afternoon.”

Kaley stood and hugged her backpack to her chest. She looked younger than her thirteen years, and a wave of nostalgia swept through Cole. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed the top of her head. “I love you, Kaley-did.”

“Love you too, Daddy.”

By the time he’d dropped her off at school, he had a pretty solid list of what he hoped to accomplish that day. Corette had texted him to say she’d swung by Pandora’s and she was still sleeping, so he figured he could finally finish the last of the clean-out downstairs before he went back to check on Pandora himself. The more uninterrupted sleep she got, the better.

As he pulled into his driveway, his phone rang. He checked the number, thinking it was Pandora, but it wasn’t one he recognized. The area code was Georgia, though. “Hello?”

“Cole? This is Stanhill. Sorry for the early call, but you didn’t strike me as a man who sleeps in.”

“No, I’m definitely not that. What can I do for you?” Cole hadn’t expected to hear from the man so soon, but it was encouraging.

“Actually, it’s what I can do for you. I mentioned to Hugh about your teaching qualifications, and he and his brother Sebastian would like to meet with you. Are you available today?”

“Sure.” Wow, that was fast. “What time?”

“An hour from now. I’ll text you the address. Will that be enough time?”

“Absolutely.”

“Very good. Sending the address now.”

“Thank you.”

Stanhill chuckled. “You don’t have the job yet, son. And if you want to thank anyone, thank Corette. There’s no denying a Williams woman when she wants something.”

“I’ve noticed.”

“I’m sure you have. As much as Pandora wants you here, so does Corette. Right here where you can make her daughter happy. And possibly provide her with grandchildren.”

“I’ll make a note of that. And I’ll be sure to let her know how much I appreciate her strong-arming you into getting me this interview.”

“Now you’ve got it.” Stanhill laughed as he signed off.

Cole checked the text with the address. He brought up his GPS to check the driving time. Twenty minutes. More than enough time to shower and get on the road.

His drive took him to an enormous iron and stone gate. Worked into the iron over the entrance were the words Harmswood Academy. The school for supernaturals. The place his daughter could be attending very soon.

What would it be like to teach here? If things went well, he’d soon know. He stopped before the gate and a guard came out of the security building.

Cole rolled his window down.

“Can I help you, sir?” the man asked.

“Cole Van Zant. I have an appointment.”

The man checked a list on a tablet, then nodded and tapped the screen. The gate began to swing open. He nodded at Cole. “Have a good day.”

“You too.” Cole drove through.

The campus was amazing. Set in the hills, the woods alongside the drive eventually gave way to several large stone buildings and a few smaller ones. Most were three stories. The main building was four. This was the most impressive private school he’d ever seen.

He followed the signs for visitors, parked in the lot and walked in with a manila envelope containing his resume tucked under one arm. The place was swathed in dark wood and tapestries. Marble tiles provided flooring while shelves of books and framed maps lined the walls. In the center of the space sat an ornate globe about the size of a compact car. Very Old World. Very old money.