He stared at the large, Victorian-style house looming in front of him, a sight that somehow made everything from the past few days suddenly too real, and a little hand tapped at his shoulder. The Magpie looked at the young girl in his arms, her big, grey-blue eyes wide with curiosity. She pointed toward the three-story residence, her gaze never leaving him, and he nodded.

“Welcome to your new home, Ellie.”

No matter how many times he and Squirrel ran through this, no matter how precise their plans were or how much of his days and nights were spent with a toddler attached to his hip, he hadn’t let it sink in. Now, two days and a five hour drive later, father and daughter Sam and Ellie Miller were standing before their new, domestic life. Ellie pulled her hand back in, hooking it absentmindedly around his neck and staring expressionless at the house. At least that face was strangely familiar to him, and he pulled her a little closer to his chest.

The plan was perfect and their backstory flawless, but it all depended on how well the Magpie could maintain cover while trying to care for a young, traumatized child. In the end, he had no choice if he wanted to keep them both safe. Leaving the car parked on the street, holding his fake daughter in one arm and a single suitcase with the other, he trudged up the long path to the house.

The structure was old, but the light blue outer walls and intricately carved dark blue and white trim was fresh. He had never seen such a house in person and distracted himself by examining the details of its complicated, asymmetrical shape. Each story had gabled roofs and decorative tops, and everywhere were geometric embellishments and borders. It seemed entirely unnecessary, but he supposed there was something charming about it.

“Hello there!” called a tall, slender woman as she skipped down the porch steps, hurrying toward him.

She couldn’t have been more than twenty-five. Her long, dark-red hair swirled in the wind, and her cheeks and nose were pink from the cold against her face, but she gave them a warm smile as she approached.

“You must be Mr. Miller! We’ve been expecting you. How was your drive?” Her tone was sweet and friendly. A bit too thick for him, yet it seemed completely genuine. Her smile grew as she turned to Ellie, receiving a vacant stare in return.

The title sent a chill up his spine and he cleared his throat. “It’s Sam.”

“Oh, Sam!” She quickly nodded. “Sorry about that.” Her hand extended out to Ellie in greeting. “You’re very beautiful. And what is your name?”

Ellie didn’t budge, not taking the young woman’s hand or making a sound, only staring with big, blue, distant eyes. They said there might be something of interest here, with this stranger acting so sunnily toward her, but not anything worth much effort.

The awkward silence persisted and the Magpie cleared his throat again, shifting her higher on his side. “It’s Ellie. She doesn’t speak.”

“Oh?” The woman stared into the girl’s blue eyes, spending a moment in thought, then smiled again, still speaking directly to her. “Well, I’m Jade Glass. My twin brother and I run this B and B, but I also teach preschool and run an afterschool childcare. I think we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.” She reached out and took her small hand, gently shaking. “Won’t that be wonderful, Ellie? I hope we can become good friends.”

Now this strange woman was touching her. Ellie looked at the Magpie, curious again, then stared back at Jade.

“Well, anyway,” she continued, giving up any hope of a conversation. “We have a room ready and I’m sure you’re both tired from the drive.” Glancing at the small suitcase, she added, “Is this all you have?”

It seemed almost like she disapproved and he realized it gave off a “runaway” vibe. Which wasn’t an incorrect assumption and fit the backstory. Everything fit together perfectly, and if she could make her own guesses without needing to ask, Squirrel had done their job well.

He only grunted in response, so she gestured for them to follow her. Leading them up the wide porch steps, she opened a heavy, wood and stained-glass door. The multitude of colors popped in the low sun and the frame was high, rising well above his head as he walked into a spacious foyer-turned-lobby. A mismatch of antique furniture sat off to each side and a runner of muddled reds and browns and blacks created a clear path. A wide staircase with hand carved posts rose up to the left, and a long, wooden check-in desk sat to the right. Behind it, casually propped up on his elbows, was a young man, wearing the same warm smile. His long, red hair was pulled back into a messy bun, a few strands falling loose and brushing his cheek.

The Magpie panicked at the sight, clutching tight to the girl in his arms. It was absurd to think that he could somehow avoid all men, and he’d already known of the twins from Squirrel’s quick report, but that didn’t stop his lungs from seizing in dread. He waited, but the seconds passed without a sound. Ellie didn’t react. Instead, her curious eyes darted between the two strangers and around the spacious house.

The man met the Magpie’s cold gaze. His internal panic was subtle and not obvious in his expression, but the twinkle in the man’s dark green eyes showed he had still noticed.

“Welcome to The Glass House.”