The Villain Keeper (27 page)

“You're surprised,” the janitor said. “You can imagine how it served me, the only liar in a world of truth tellers.” He looked to the side with an expression of pure shame, “and even now, humbled and aware of my atrocities, when I try to help, I return to my sordid ways.”

“I don't understand.”

“I want the girl found, so I lied about her backpack.”

“How does your lie help find her?”

“Hearing my story, a good policeman would eventually question the cafeteria staff. I saw them watching her days before she disappeared.” He bent down to pick trash from the ground. “Be careful,” he said. “They devour youth and suck life force. That is what they want to steal from Jane.”

When Caden arrived at the boys' restroom, Tito wasn't there. In his place was a stern, somewhat hungry looking Ms. Primrose. Her suit was printed with white and black lilies, and she looked out of place beside the urinals. “Why aren't you in class, dear?”

Caden kept her in his sight as he glanced under the stall doors. “I'm trying to save a life. Where's Tito?”

“I sent him to English. I like you well enough, but he's one of my shining stars. His grades better not drop because of you.”

Caden turned to her. She definitely looked hungry. “Ms.
Primrose,” he said, and used all the respect he could muster. “I believe I know who took Jane. The lunch witches—”

Before he could finish, she waggled her finger at him. “You must go to class. You need to do your job, and your job is school. My tolerance of you has its limits.”

Though small and old, she somehow seemed to fill the bathroom. He felt as if they were crammed inside, him and the massive thing that she was. Though she stood several paces away, he felt her cold breath near his cheek, and worried that unseen teeth were close to his flesh. Against the tiled walls, her shadow looked a shocking blue color.

Caden felt his heart flutter and his stomach turn. The Blue dragon was said to be ravenous. “Will you eat me if I miss class? Even if I do so to save a lost girl?”

In the dull bathroom lights, her skin started to take on the same bluish tint as her shadow. “Oh my, but you can be blunt. Yes, I will.” Her hunger seemed to flare; her anger, too. “Like my teachers, you can do what's in your nature. Search for all the missing girls you want.” The room grew colder. “But do not miss class. And if you think someone here took Jane Chan, you best prove it. First it's Mr. Rathis, now it's the lunch witches. Your baseless accusations on the matter are making me cranky. I get hungry when I'm cranky.”

“I see.”

“And don't embarrass my school.”

It seemed the school and her collections were all she
cared about. “I won't,” he said cautiously. He added one more thing because he thought it important. “If I find Jane and unmask her kidnappers, it will be they who bring shame upon the school and I who bring it honor.” He forced a polite smile. “Not only that, but if my suspicions are correct, they are greater in number than me. They would make a much better dinner.”

Ms. Primrose took his arm and walked him out and toward the computer room. Her skin felt like smooth, soft hide. Her shoes tip-tapped on the tiles. “Well, you do amuse me,” she said. “I'd prefer to eat someone less interesting.”

“I'd prefer you eat fruit.”

“Fruit gives me gas, dear,” she said. “But, Caden?”

“Yes?” Caden turned back around.

“If you are wrong in your accusations, it won't matter to me if you are interesting or not.”

It wasn't until science that Caden got to speak to Tito. Tito's relief was palpable when Caden scooted into the desk beside him. “Ms. Primrose bust you, too?” Tito said.

“She's hungry.”

Tito looked like he was in shock, like he was beginning to truly understand that there was a dragon at this school, and she was collecting villains like baubles. “Yeah, she told me if my grades fell, she'd eat you.”

“That's hardly fair.”

“Yeah.” Tito nodded. “And she'll eat us both if we skip
class. Bro, her stomach was rumbling.” He held his green pen and flicked it back and forth, back and forth. “I don't think we can get out of here before the end of the day.”

For Caden, though, the final bell would not mean freedom, not today. Today was Monday. “I have detention this afternoon.”

“Dude, if Rathis is right, we have to find Jane before moonrise tonight,” Tito said. Though he acted mostly normal, Tito's fears were beginning to show more and more. His voice had an edge. He kept flicking the green pen back and forth. “Get out of detention,” Tito said.

“I can't,” Caden said. He took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. “But I know who has her. We just need to find out where.” He explained the janitor's statement about the lunch witches, and hoped the janitor was right.

Tito took it as truth. At lunch, he stood in front of the mashed food tray and demanded to know where Jane was. “Where is she, Ms. Jackson?”

Ms. Jackson, her smile radiant, her skin glowing, laughed. “Brother, Sister,” she called. Decrepit Ms. Aggie and Mr. Andre shuffled over. “Tito is looking for someone. Who was it?”

“Jane.” The fury in his voice was startling.

From behind Ms. Jackson, Ms. Aggie let loose a low cackle. “No need for anger,” Ms. Aggie said.

Mr. Andre clattered the bread tray against the counter and smacked his lips. “No need at all,” he echoed.

Ms. Jackson offered Tito an extra large scoop of food. “Don't make a scene, Tito,” she said, and grinned. “We'd hate to have to report you to the vice principal.”

Their guilt seemed as thick as their stew. Caden had to drag Tito away then; he had to spend the rest of the lunch talking him down while other students insulted their brotherhood and Caden's sweater. The lunch witches weren't going to talk. They had no reason to do so. None. They'd taken Jane without conscience or caring. They wouldn't give her up now.

“Look,” Tito said, “instead of using your talky, talky on
me
, why don't you go back and get them to spill.”

“I can't make someone do or say something. I'm just good at getting my way. Their silence benefits them too much. There is nothing to be said.”

“And what? We're supposed to just let her die?”

“No,” Caden said. “Find out where the lunch witches live, how they have permission to leave the city. It may help us find Jane.”

Tito stirred his potatoes. His new hatred for the lunch witches didn't seem to translate to their food. He contemplated his carrots. “The cafeteria's all organic. They get food from local farmers.”

“Where are the farms?”

Tito swirled his spoon in a big circle. “All around. Some are outside the city limits, I'm sure.” Suddenly, he dropped the spoon and it made a startling clink. “How
are we going to find her by tonight?”

Caden nodded toward the teachers' table. “We have another source of information.”

Tito's eyes followed his.

“Do you think Mr. Rathis was telling the truth? He knows where she is?”

“I do,” Caden said, and his stomach turned at the words. “I'll go to him. We've no other option.”

D
etention was held in the math classroom. Caden sat in the middle front desk—Jane Chan's old desk. She'd etched a tree into this one as well. For his part, Rath Dunn was gleeful that Caden wanted to deal. “Let us come to terms, son of Axel.”

Caden feared the wolfish smile on Rath Dunn's face, the amused sound of his words. Whatever Rath Dunn asked for, it would come at greater costs to Caden than charming a dragon. Caden thought back to the strange vials in Rath Dunn's desk. The only thing Caden thought they could be were ingredients for a spell. Perhaps Brynne could figure it out. Magic could be strange at times.

Caden looked up at Rath Dunn. “What are your terms?”

“Well, well, well. What do I want? I still need that perfume. And I'm quite curious about your brothers. About
Chadwin, in particular.”

The name spoken aloud was a worse sting than the blood dagger. Caden was assaulted by memories. Chadwin happy. Chadwin laughing. Chadwin lying still with a dark blade sticking from his back.

His fears were replaced with hot anger, and he pounded the desk with his fist. “My brothers are none of your concern, tyrant.”

Derek, who had been successfully ignoring them to this point, looked up from his notebook. His mouth hung open. His pencil was gripped tight in his hand.

In front of Caden, Rath Dunn had gone still. He looked ready to strike out. For a moment, Caden feared he would do just that, but Rath Dunn was not one to do anything rashly. With jaw tight, he straightened to standing. “Watch your manners, prince,” he said. “If you don't want to tell me about dear Chadwin, you can get me the perfume. Or just let the little enchantress die. I'm giving you lots of options here. The choice is yours, but time is ticking by.”

As Caden considered, he knew he couldn't aid the infamous villain in the creation of any spell, and trying to charm Ms. Primrose when she was so hungry seemed foolish. But telling Rath Dunn anything current about his family and their tragedy felt like a betrayal. Caden's stomach felt heavy and his chest tight. Rath Dunn was an entire realm away from Caden's family. The danger to Jane Chan was near, was soon.

“Have you made your choice?”

Caden looked down at his desk. He looked back up and squared his shoulders. “What do you want to know about Chadwin?”

Rath Dunn stalked in front of him. He placed his palms on the desk and leaned into Caden's space. Likely remembering Caden's flinch at the name, he said, “Chadwin's dead, isn't he.”

Caden's throat felt tight. He nodded.

“Tell me how and who and when.” He leaned in close and grinned. “I want details. And, in exchange, I'll tell you who took Jane.”

The room was silent. Caden could hear the rain falling outside; some of it hit the window with a clink. Soon it would turn to ice and snow. Caden didn't want to speak of Chadwin's death—not to Rath Dunn, not to anyone. “I know who took her,” Caden said. “I want to know where she is, exactly where to find her. Tell me that, and it's a deal.”

Rath Dunn raised his brows. Slowly, his sneer turned to his predatory, relaxed smile. With a dramatic flourish, he raised his hand. “I'll draw you a map,” he said. He leaned in toward Caden as if they were sharing secrets. “Now, talk, prince.”

Caden spoke the words as evenly as he could. “He was stabbed in the back, in the north corridor of the Winter Castle.”

“Stabbed with what?”

Caden felt the words catch. “A rigging dagger.”

Rath Dunn seemed to contemplate that; he seemed to enjoy it. “Such blades are jagged,” he mused. “The mortal wound must have hurt. It must've taken time to do its duty. Was that so?”

Caden hugged his arms to his chest. Yes, the wound would have hurt. Yes, Chadwin was stabbed in the night and not found until morning. Maybe, had he been found earlier—

Rath Dunn slammed down his hands on Caden's desk. “Who killed him?”

Caden jerked and glared up at him. It sounded like that was what Rath Dunn really wanted to know, and it was information Caden didn't have. “I don't know.”

“You don't? Interesting,” Rath Dunn said, and his eyes lit up. “Were your other brothers in the castle that night?”

Caden kept his voice steady. He didn't like this conversation or what Rath Dunn implied. His brothers were honorable men. Elite Paladins. One day, Caden would follow in their noble footsteps. None would have hurt Chadwin. None. “Valon, Maden, and Jasan were there. As was I.” He raised his chin. “Now, tell me where the lunch witches keep Jane Chan.”

Rath Dunn laughed out loud. “Witches?” he said. “Is that what you call them?” He shook his head as if amused by Caden's ignorance. “Now, now, prince, don't insult them. They're ancient youth stealers, skilled in the darkest
ritual magic. I'd guess Ms. Jackson's nearly a millennium old. When they drain the girl, the old ones will regain their youth. It's elegant when you think about it.”

Still, the information felt incomplete. “Why Jane Chan? Why not another student?” Caden demanded. Even as he spoke, he still felt shaky from talk of Chadwin.

“Does it matter?” said Rath Dunn. “You didn't bargain for that information.”

Caden took two breaths and looked down at Jane's desk. There was the tree that Jane had carved. Suddenly, he noticed something he hadn't before. In the corner, scratched into the desk, were letters that Caden recognized—but not from this world. From his own. Next to the tree was a word written in Elvish.

It was the Elvish word for mom.

Caden felt Rath Dunn looming over him. Rath Dunn swept his hand across the desk and rubbed his thumb over the Elvish word. “I hadn't noticed that before. That girl was always writing in Elvish.”