When they finally stopped, it was in front of a big old mansion's locked gates. “Welcome to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children," Seth said with a smile. "Welcome to Giant Hill.” The house was a large manor on the far outskirts of Wallowdale. The property was located along a quiet dirt road overlooking an old quarry and sealed off with a big fence and a large gate whose ironwork was intertwined with the initials GH in large letters. Inside gate was a front courtyard. It was reminded Sal of a fortress, with more security than Fort Knox and the White House combined.
Seth pressed the buzzer on the gate, leaned into the intercom, stated his business, and the gate opened without a sound.
They continued up to the house where a double-staircase framing a large, potted plant pot gave the entranceway an elegant symmetry, leaving a striking first impression. Sal parked the bus and Seth, and he went up to the massive wooden door. Seth knocked three times.
There was a security camera hanging over the door, keeping an eye out for uninvited guests. The door seemed to open by itself, adding to the already ghostly vibe of the house.
The inside had been meticulously updated: the kitchen had top-of-the-line appliances; there was a marble floor in the foyer; a spacious, formal dining room with a fireplace and exposed beams; a wet bar; a den with a fireplace; and an entertainment room with another fireplace.
Upon entering the foyer, the mansion split off in three different directions. On the left side of the foyer, a door led into the dining room. To the left set of stairs, there was a walkway leading to a large library. The set of stairs on the right led to a hallway featuring ten bedrooms, each with their own, full bathroom. The guest house was an updated 1 bedroom with 1 bathroom and with custom kitchen, office and entertaining space.
There was a fenced-in backyard containing an in-ground pool and spa, a bluestone patio, and a huge greenhouse. There was a barn that might've once held farm animals, but none of them remained.
A tall man with a black silk shirt and black trousers approached them. He had the same black eyes as Sal and thick, black, tousled hair. He was just as tall as Sal and had the same distinct cheekbones and angular jaw, which, combined with his pale skin, made him look very handsome. He wasn’t a sophisticated beauty like Seth and his elfin features, but rather, more like a warrior. A scar ran across his cheek, and another scar ran across his neck as if someone had tried to cut his throat. “Darwin, there's someone I'd love to introduce you to.
"This is Sal,” Seth said, greeting the man.
“Welcome, Sal. It's great to finally meet you in person. I'm Darwin.” His face was one of utmost confidence. He smiled like a long lost brother and shook Sal's hand warmly with the perfect squeeze and eye contact. “I've heard a lot about you.”
“Yeah, I've been wondering about that," Sal answered politely.
Darwin laughed. “I guess I owe you an explanation, but first, come to the dining room and meet the others.”
The dining room was a grand space, boasting ornate chandeliers, a grand fireplace, and beautiful artwork. There was a huge, mahogany table, fourteen feet long, able to seat eighteen people situated on an expensive old rug next to large windows, accompanied by Chippendale, mahogany, dining chairs with upholstered backs. The place settings were made up of designer plates, glasses embossed with golden lace, and Georg Jensen silverware. The display was topped off with a golden candelabra. Also in the dining room was a rustic bar with a black granite countertop, zinc bar, wood cabinets, stainless steel fixtures, and LED backlighting. The bar further featured a keg tap, a wine fridge, a dishwasher, a refrigerator, and ample storage for glassware and other serving pieces. Behind the counter stood a bartender cleaning glasses.
Seven tall men, all with raven black hair and black eyes were standing at the bar, chatting and laughing. Sal ran a hand over his face. None of them had facial hair.
The chatter from the bar stopped as Sal, Seth and Darwin approached it. The men turned in amazement and inspected Sal.
“So, this is the mind-hacker we've heard so much about,” one of the men said, taking a step forward. “I’m Orion.” He shook Sal’s hand. Orion's long, black hair was pulled back into thin braids. His dark suit, made of the finest fabric money could buy, covered a strong, muscular body. He certainly looked successful, and like he wasn't one to be trifled with.
Sal had seen Orion, before but he wasn’t sure where. “Mind-hacker?” Sal asked.
Darwin quickly cut in. “It means that you can dig information out from people’s minds. They don’t even have to think about it for you to see it. You're not a mind-reader—you're a mind-hacker.”
Sal opened his mouth to ask another question. He could feel his body tense up with excitement. Sal would finally be able to have his questions answered.
"Let’s get some dinner first, and I promise I'll explain everything and answer all of your questions.”
Sal silently agreed by nodding his head. He was restless and uneasy at the same time. Sal hardly knew these people, yet they seemed to hold the key to everything. They knew him so well, and he'd only met most of them a short time ago.
Seth sensed his restlessness and put a hand on his back.
“Well,” Darwin said, putting his hands together. "Let me introduce you to the crowd.”
He directed his attention to Orion. “Orion you've already met. This is Aaron, Trent, Walcott, Hagan, Mack, and Dante." If he was certain he'd met Orion before, he was positive he'd met Dante before. Dante had stepped out of the crowd when Darwin spoke his name. He was a few years older than Sal. His black eyes stared suspiciously at Sal. Dante's black hair had been carefully arranged in a Mohawk. He was lean as a greyhound. His cheeks were hollow, and his face was stern. There was a tattoo exposed on his wrist when his green sweater slid back as he stretched out his arm to greet Sal.
The green sweater!
Sal had a flashback to the Strong Edge High locker room when he'd been slammed into one of the lockers. There also was his long sprint through town which had ended so clumsily in Serenity Park.
He looked Dante directly in the eyes. “It was you! You were in the locker room, and you were outside my school! Did you also send me those anonymous texts?”
Dante’s stern expression morphed into a wide, toothy grin. “Aw, you remembered.”
“What the hell, dude? You could have killed me!” Sal felt Seth squeezing his shoulder.
“Only I didn’t, did I?" Dante answered with unkind interest. “I knocked you into that locker, full-force, and you're still standing. That blow would've left anyone with a broken bone, at least.
"You didn’t even suffer much of a concussion, so stop your bitching. You’re a mind-hacker as well an absorber—that's freaking badass. I was only testing you, anyway.” Dante shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to the bar.
“What do you mean you were testing me?” Sal asked, puzzled and annoyed at the same time.
“I promise I'll explain everything, Sal," Darwin interrupted, "but first, let’s eat.”