She also spent time in the Little Room at Sabre’s warehouse. She was just thankful that when she was there, some of the other Littles would often join her.
Tonight they were at home. Jaxon had already fed her chicken nuggets shaped like little bats and a big pile of crispy tater tots. He’d washed her hair while she played in her bubble bath until her fingers pruned and the water turned cool around her.
Now she was curled up on the couch, her hair in two bouncypigtails, watching Beetlejuice cartoons. Lord Nightwing sat beside her, and she made him dance along to the theme music, waving his floppy arms in time with the cartoon ghosts.
In between shows, she talked to Lord Nightwing about how safe they were. The General had lost interest and, now that the house was so secure, she didn’t blame him. She knew that one of their strategies was to make her too much trouble to attack.
Jaxon walked in from the kitchen carrying two glasses, one with water and one with chocolate milk. When he saw her, his whole face softened with that special smile he saved just for her. He set the glasses down and dropped onto the couch, pulling her straight into his lap without asking.
“There’s my Darkling,” he said, voice low and warm. “You look so cozy all curled up like that, I almost hate to have to move you, but it’s time for bed.”
Once they settled in bed, she snuggled back against his broad chest with a happy sigh and tucked her head under his chin. “You’re so comfy, Daddy. This is the best night ever. The nuggets were perfect, and the bubbles smelled like strawberries. Can we do this every night?”
He chuckled softly, one big arm wrapping around her waist while the other stroked slow circles on her back. “We’ll see, little girl. But tonight you’re all mine. No more worrying about the General. Just you, me, Lord Nightwing, and Beetlejuice.”
She felt safe and small and completely loved. The steady beat of his heart lulled her until her eyes grew heavy. As she drifted off with Lord Nightwing tucked against her side and Jaxon’s warmth all around her, she whispered, “Love you, Daddy,” just as sleep took her.
What seemed like only a minute later, Jaxon shook her awake. His voice was low and urgent. “Tazzy, wake up, baby. Be very quiet. I need you to go into the special safety closet and stay there until I come get you. You can lock it from the inside now, remember?”
She blinked up at him, still half-asleep. “Wh-what’s going on, Daddy?”
He helped her sit up, and she could tell he was trying to keep hisvoice calm. “We’ve got a few visitors trying to get in without an invitation, Darkling. But you don’t have to worry. Daddy’s here, and Sabre is on the way. You’d better stay in the closet. Don’t come out, no matter what you hear.”
Her heart started pounding. “Are you coming in the closet too?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
He cupped her face with one big hand. “Our guests came all this way, Darkling. It would be rude for me not to greet them. Now, do what I say and stay here. I need to be able to work without worrying about you. I’ll wait outside until you lock the door.”
She clutched Lord Nightwing tight to her chest as he guided her into the closet. After pressing a quick kiss to her forehead, he closed the door. Doing as she was told, she made sure it was locked from the inside as soon as it shut. She sank to the floor as the darkness wrapped around her.
Why in the world had they not thought to put a light in here? She sank down onto the floor with her back against the wall. The thundering beat of her heart pounded in her ears.
She remembered what Jaxon had said about what he would’ve done to whoever tailed them a week ago. She couldn’t imagine what he’d do to the people breaking into their house right now. Fear twisted in her stomach. What if there were too many of them? What if he got hurt?
Tazzy pressed her back harder against the closet wall, Lord Nightwing crushed tight to her chest. The darkness felt thick and heavy, like it was trying to swallow her whole. She could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears, fast and scared.
Then the noises started.
A loud, splintering crash from the back door made her jump as something wooden cracked and gave way. Heavy boots stomped across the kitchen floor. Not knowing who was out there with her Daddy was maddening. Jaxon was alone against who knew how many people. It sounded like a lot of them.
Then she heard Jaxon’s low growl and the first sickening thud offlesh meeting flesh. Someone grunted in pain, followed by another crash. Maybe a chair slamming into the wall? She barely held back a shriek when glass shattered somewhere. A man yelled, high and sharp, before the sound cut off with a wet smack.
What was happening? Did he need her help? Everything in her wanted to go to him, but he’d told her to stay in the closet. If she went out there now, she might do him more harm than good. Unsure what to do, she squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face in Lord Nightwing’s soft fur.
A man’s scream rent the air again, this time followed by the gurgling sound of a man choking on his own blood. At least, that’s what her imagination said it was. The wall of the far side of the closet shook when someone crashed into it from the hallway. Then came the splat of another body hitting the ground.
The loud scrape of what could only be the couch skidding across the wooden floor, and then something smaller cracked. The men were destroying her house! Did that mean they’d done something awful to Jaxon? He would never let them break everything if he could stop them.
She couldn’t stay here.
Her Daddy was out there fighting for her, and she was hiding like a coward. Old Tazzy might have been able to do that, but not New Tazzy, not anymore.
Pushing herself up on shaky legs, still clutching Lord Nightwing to her chest, she unlocked the door and peeked into Jaxon’s old room. Nobody around. She crept out of the closet on tiptoe. Since she wore her footed onesie, her feet made no sound on the hardwood as she moved down the hallway toward the kitchen.
Surely they would hear her coming because her heart hammered so loud. An eerie quiet had settled over the house, but was that good or bad? When she reached the doorway, she froze. She would have screamed, but there was no air in her lungs.