Page 47 of Captured on Film
“You can’t just go around claiming people willy-nilly … canyou?” quizzed Josheb.
“Well, no.” Harmonious was mopping at the floor with thetowels Hesper brought over. “It’s usually considered a gift.”
“Sort of an honorary member of the family?”
“Nooo.” Shaggy brows furrowed. “Youwouldbe pack.Nothing honorary about it.”
Caleb asked, “Can the gift be refused?”
Harmonious looked entirely baffled. “Why would anyone dothat?”
Oaken and Hesper whisked away the basins. Warmed feet werefurther warmed by the friction of toweling. Then there were thick socks andfur-lined shoes with heavy soles, reminiscent of moccasins. Caleb’s feet werecomfortable for the first time in weeks. “Thank you.”
When the two remained on the floor before the Dare brothers’chairs, Caleb wondered if they were waiting for something along the lines of …apologyaccepted. Even though he still didn’t think he was owed one. This wholetrip had been disorienting and frightening and awkward as hell, but they’dfound a way past their differences. With a little help from a guiding star.
“Caleb Jonathan Dare.” Hisoka offered a card with bothhands.
For a moment, Caleb thought it was a business card, but itturned out to be his driver’s license.
“Josheb Benjamin Dare.” Hisoka repeated the process with hisbrother.
Harmonious cleared his throat. “We have to be so careful. Wechecked into you a little, and we were surprised by what we learned.”
“Good surprised or bad surprised?” asked Josheb.
“Good,” Harmonious quickly assured. “Verygood, giveneverything that’s culminating. I hardly know where to start, there’s so much toexplain. Hisoka …?”
“Caleb. Josheb.” With a whisper of a smile to offset thegravity of the moment, Hisoka Twineshaft said, “We have a proposition for youboth.”
At Home
“Does returning seem weird for you?” asked Caleb,staring up at his building.
“Every time.” Josheb stabbed the button for the crosswalk afew times, then shrugged. “You’ll get used to it.”
“I suppose I will. If I keep this place.”
“You’re thinking of moving?”
“Might have to, once everything goes down. For securityreasons.” Caleb had committed the timetable to memory. “Besides, if it’s bothof us, we’ll need more room.”
“You sure?”
“About our paparazzi potential? I’d love to be wrong.”
Josheb tugged at his beard. “About living together.”
“I’ll make it an official dare, if necessary.”
Opening the building’s front door with a doorman’s flourish,Josheb asked, “Better together?”
“Wherever we go,” agreed Caleb. And so one bloodhound and twomen in fur-lined moccasins scuffed across the foyer to wait for the elevator.
After months away, they were back where they’d started. However,this part of Caleb’s life felt like a distant memory. He and Josheb had acceptedthe terms posed by Hisoka Twineshaft on behalf of the clans. To serve on acommittee that was paving the way for the Amaranthine people to step out ofhiding. To take an active role in informing the world about their not-so-newneighbors.
The elevator opened on the twenty-second floor.
Nessie tugged on her leash, aiming straight for their door.
