Serafina and the Black Cloak - Robert Beatty Page 0,86
not say a word. She knew that her long hair was full of leaves and twigs, and that her face and neck were scratched and bleeding. The lovely dress he’d given her was stained with dirt and blood and torn in many places. But she could tell by the beaming expression on Braeden’s face in the warm light of the rising sun that he didn’t care about any of that; he was just immensely glad to see her.
“I like what you’ve done with the dress,” he said.
“I think this is going to be the new style this year,” she said.
Then they laughed and stepped toward each other and hugged. “Welcome home,” he said.
“I’m so glad I’m back,” she said. Braeden felt so warm and strong and loyal in her arms. This is what she’d dreamed of, to have a friend, to have someone to talk to, someone who knew her secrets. She didn’t know what the future would bring, but she was just glad that she’d have Braeden with her when it came.
After a few seconds, her thoughts turned to what had happened during the night. The next time they were alone she’d tell him everything, but she didn’t bother with that now.
“It’s over,” she said.
“Was it really Thorne?” he asked.
She nodded. “The cloak’s destroyed, and the rat’s dead.”
Braeden looked at her. “You’re amazing, Serafina. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.”
Feeling left out of the homecoming, Gidean barked. Braeden knelt down and hugged his happy, wiggling dog. “You did good, boy,” he said, rubbing his head.
“Thank you for sending him,” Serafina said, kneeling down with him.
“I knew he’d find you.”
“He found me, all right, just in time, and he fought like a champion,” she said, remembering Gidean’s heroic leap. Then she looked at Braeden again. “We did it, Braeden,” she said. “You and Gidean and I, we found the Man in the Black Cloak and we defeated him.”
“We make a pretty good team,” Braeden agreed.
As she was speaking to Braeden, she saw her pa standing on his own at a distance. He was looking at her in amazement, relief, and uncertainty all at once. It was obvious from his shocked expression that he couldn’t believe his eyes. Serafina could only imagine what he was thinking as he looked at her. His daughter, the girl he’d been hiding and protecting her entire life, was standing in broad daylight for all to see. She’d gone into the forest, deep into the wild. She’d stood with a lion. And now she’d come back home to him. She had led the lost children out from the forest, and now she was talking with the young master Vanderbilt like they were best friends.
She looked at her pa and thought about everything he’d done for her, all the risks he’d taken, all the things he’d taught her, and she loved him more than she ever had.
“It’s just like you told me, Pa,” she said as she approached him. “There are many mysteries in the world, both dark and bright.”
As she put her arms around him, he pulled her into his huge chest and embraced her. Then he swung her around in a great circle while she laughed and cheered and cried.
When he finally put her down again, he looked at her and held her hands. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, girl. I’ve been worried sick about ya, but ya done good, real good.”
“I love you, Pa.”
“I love you, too, Sera,” he said, looking into her eyes. He turned and gazed around at all the people and commotion and then turned back to her. “Not that it matters none, but I finally got the dynamo workin’ again,” he said happily. “And I put a good strong lock on the electrical room’s door.”
“It does matter, Pa. It matters a lot,” she said, smiling, thinking about how Mr. Thorne had sabotaged the dynamo to plunge Biltmore into darkness each night.
“I’m sorry, sir, I need to borrow your daughter,” Braeden said to her pa as he grabbed her hand and yanked her away.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked nervously as he pulled her through the crowd of people gathered in front of the estate.
“Aunt, Uncle, this is the girl I told you about,” he said, dragging her in front of Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt. “This is Serafina. She’s been living secretly in our basement.”
Serafina couldn’t believe it. He had just blurted it all out, her name, where she lived, everything!