than Howard.”
Her smile faded. “You know Howard?”
“Sure. He’s a really nice guy. He feeds me donuts and plays games with me. I like him a lot. You would, too, if you got to know him.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Did he send you here?”
“No!” Tino hung his head. “He’ll probably get mad at me for coming.”
“Where is he?”
“At the school. He’s head of se-secoowaty.”
“Security?” Was this the school Shanna had warned her to stay away from? Was it such a dangerous place that it needed a huge man like Howard to keep the inmates in line?
“Come on.” Tino motioned for her to follow. “I’ll take you to the school so you can see Howard.”
She followed reluctantly. “I’m not supposed to go near the school. I promised Mrs. Draganesti that—”
“My mom?”
Elsa halted. “Shanna Draganesti is your mother?”
“Sure.” He kept walking.
She hurried to catch up. “Where is your mother?”
“At the school. My dad’s there, too. We live there.” Tino smiled at her. “Howard’s there, too. He’ll be really happy to see you again.”
The little boy was matchmaking. Elsa shook her head. Why had Shanna said the school was full of juvenile delinquents? “I—I thought the school was for troubled children.”
Tino’s eyes widened. “Troubled?”
“Yes.”
“We’re not troubled. We’re special.”
“Special how?”
He frowned. “I’m not supposed to talk about it.”
This was getting more and more strange, but it was all part of the puzzle she’d sensed the night before, a puzzle she wanted the answers to. She glanced back. The animals were still there, following them at a distance. “I thought your mother said she worked during the day. Your father, too.”
“Oh.” Tino nodded. “Yeah, that’s right.”
Earlier he’d said they were sleeping. “What do your parents do?”
“Mom is a dentist, and my dad is a scientist.” Tino smiled proudly. “Mom says he’s a genius. He invented syn-syn . . . fake blood.”
“Synthetic blood?”
“That’s it.” He nodded, smiling. “He cloned it from real blood. And he made me and Sofia, too.”
“Sofia?”
“My little sister. She’s special, too.”
“And you all live at this school?” That Shanna wanted to keep secret? A secret school in the middle of nowhere with a brilliant scientist who made special children? It sounded like something out of a sci-fi movie. “Are there any other special children?”
Tino nodded. “My aunt Caitlyn just had two. Twins. And Toni and Olivia will have their babies soon.”
Elsa’s skin chilled. “And do all these women live at the school?”
“Yes. Marielle’s going to have a baby, too, but she didn’t need a turkey baster like the other ladies.”
“What ?” Elsa stumbled, then kept walking.
“That’s what Connor said. He said he was able to do it the old-fashioned way, but that made Toni and Olivia mad.” Tino shrugged. “I don’t know why. I like turkey.”
“Where is this Connor?”
“He’s on a secret mission.”
Elsa took a deep breath. Good Lord, this was starting to sound like an X-Men school for children. “And when you say that you’re special, do you mean you have special talents or skills that normal children don’t have?”
Tino wrinkled his nose, then nodded.
She gulped and came to a stop. What on earth was she getting into? “I don’t think I should go to the school. Your mother told me not to.” And her aunt had warned her to stay away from the man who’d made her birthmark burn. She turned but found the road blocked with animals. All looking at her.
She dragged a hand through her hair. Damn .
“Oh, look! Raccoons.” Tino moved toward them.
She grabbed him. “Don’t. They might carry disease. Rabies or something.”
Tino looked up at her, his eyes wide. “You’re trying to protect me?”
“Yes, of course.”
He smiled. “I know why Howard likes you so much. You’re just like him. He keeps me safe,
Her smile faded. “You know Howard?”
“Sure. He’s a really nice guy. He feeds me donuts and plays games with me. I like him a lot. You would, too, if you got to know him.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Did he send you here?”
“No!” Tino hung his head. “He’ll probably get mad at me for coming.”
“Where is he?”
“At the school. He’s head of se-secoowaty.”
“Security?” Was this the school Shanna had warned her to stay away from? Was it such a dangerous place that it needed a huge man like Howard to keep the inmates in line?
“Come on.” Tino motioned for her to follow. “I’ll take you to the school so you can see Howard.”
She followed reluctantly. “I’m not supposed to go near the school. I promised Mrs. Draganesti that—”
“My mom?”
Elsa halted. “Shanna Draganesti is your mother?”
“Sure.” He kept walking.
She hurried to catch up. “Where is your mother?”
“At the school. My dad’s there, too. We live there.” Tino smiled at her. “Howard’s there, too. He’ll be really happy to see you again.”
The little boy was matchmaking. Elsa shook her head. Why had Shanna said the school was full of juvenile delinquents? “I—I thought the school was for troubled children.”
Tino’s eyes widened. “Troubled?”
“Yes.”
“We’re not troubled. We’re special.”
“Special how?”
He frowned. “I’m not supposed to talk about it.”
This was getting more and more strange, but it was all part of the puzzle she’d sensed the night before, a puzzle she wanted the answers to. She glanced back. The animals were still there, following them at a distance. “I thought your mother said she worked during the day. Your father, too.”
“Oh.” Tino nodded. “Yeah, that’s right.”
Earlier he’d said they were sleeping. “What do your parents do?”
“Mom is a dentist, and my dad is a scientist.” Tino smiled proudly. “Mom says he’s a genius. He invented syn-syn . . . fake blood.”
“Synthetic blood?”
“That’s it.” He nodded, smiling. “He cloned it from real blood. And he made me and Sofia, too.”
“Sofia?”
“My little sister. She’s special, too.”
“And you all live at this school?” That Shanna wanted to keep secret? A secret school in the middle of nowhere with a brilliant scientist who made special children? It sounded like something out of a sci-fi movie. “Are there any other special children?”
Tino nodded. “My aunt Caitlyn just had two. Twins. And Toni and Olivia will have their babies soon.”
Elsa’s skin chilled. “And do all these women live at the school?”
“Yes. Marielle’s going to have a baby, too, but she didn’t need a turkey baster like the other ladies.”
“What ?” Elsa stumbled, then kept walking.
“That’s what Connor said. He said he was able to do it the old-fashioned way, but that made Toni and Olivia mad.” Tino shrugged. “I don’t know why. I like turkey.”
“Where is this Connor?”
“He’s on a secret mission.”
Elsa took a deep breath. Good Lord, this was starting to sound like an X-Men school for children. “And when you say that you’re special, do you mean you have special talents or skills that normal children don’t have?”
Tino wrinkled his nose, then nodded.
She gulped and came to a stop. What on earth was she getting into? “I don’t think I should go to the school. Your mother told me not to.” And her aunt had warned her to stay away from the man who’d made her birthmark burn. She turned but found the road blocked with animals. All looking at her.
She dragged a hand through her hair. Damn .
“Oh, look! Raccoons.” Tino moved toward them.
She grabbed him. “Don’t. They might carry disease. Rabies or something.”
Tino looked up at her, his eyes wide. “You’re trying to protect me?”
“Yes, of course.”
He smiled. “I know why Howard likes you so much. You’re just like him. He keeps me safe,
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