She told Rowan that she planned to call her father this morning and ask for his assistance in repairing the house. She expected Khan would send his staff to their aid. Rowan thought this was a good idea. With magic, they could complete the big repairs today. “But first, I have something to show you,” she added as she selected a donut.
Rowan couldn’t believe his eyes.
“How did you find this?” An emotion he could not discern himself edged his tone.
Either Stacy didn’t notice it or chose to ignore it. She explained how she’d found the key inside her mother’s journal and wondered if it unlocked this door. When she tried, it worked. Now Rowan stood among books he had never seen before in a room he hadn’t known existed. Well, he’d known about the door and that it was sealed with enchantments. He hadn’t known this lay beyond, though.
Stacy pointed out the map, asking him about the wards and annotations in symbols she did not recognize. Rowan’s mind searched for answers. Before he could reply, a voice called from the library. “Stacy, are you in here?”
Kiera. “Go find out what she wants,” Rowan told her. “I’ll see what I can do about these wards.”
Stacy hesitated, then left.
Rowan was glad for the solitude so he could gather himself. New emotions rose to the surface. On the one hand, he should not be surprised Stacy had found this room. The seed of the daughter did not fall far from her mother’s tree. It filled him with relief to know Stacy was right for this place. Still, the long-time estate guardian couldn’t help but feel a keen sense of disappointment in Catherine for never telling him about this place. What other secrets had she held?
The wards weren’t difficult for him to unravel since they were similar to the security wards around the estate. Each sigil and symbol was familiar. He didn’t bother unwinding them over the map, his mind still on the symbols etched into the parchment.
Instead, he turned his magic toward the books, certain he might find something in them that would aid with grounds security. Catherine had left all this here for a reason, including the key inside her journal for Stacy.
Rowan shoved aside his disappointment. Catherine planned it this way. This must be right.
Then why did it feel strange?
The wards slipped, and Rowan reached for the first tome. It was old. He could tell by the condition of its cover and pages. It was also the ancient-feeling magic, like that which ran through the roots of trees. The books were enchanted for preservation.
Carefully, he opened one and began to read.
“How the hell are we supposed to fix this?” Miles asked from where he stood beside Stacy, arms locked over his chest. He surveyed the destroyed kitchen with a dubious expression, glad for once he was the groundskeeper.
Kiera, standing on the other side of Stacy, replied, “With magic, of course.”
Miles whistled. “We’ll need a shit-ton of magic to put this back the way it was. Ain’t like we’re fairies with wands to wave around.”
“I am fae,” Kiera pointed out.
“Oh yeah? Where’s your wand and your wings?”
“Not that kind of fae.”
“Exactly.”
Stacy wasn’t sure if anything would get done with these two bickering like siblings, and it hadn’t helped that Miles had already consumed a full box of donuts by himself. Stacy expected a sugar crash within an hour and a dramatic eye roll from Kiera in response. It amused her. These two were fitting in already.
“I’m going to call my father and ask him to send help,” Stacy spoke up. Kiera and Miles shared a glance. They’d heard of Khan, of course, but they only knew him as the Red Dragon. Stacy held in a chuckle. Wait until they catch him watching his favorite soap opera and ordering Chinese takeout.
A voice behind Stacy drew her from her thoughts. “What the hell happened last night that turned this place into a shithole?”
The three turned to see the human woman standing in the doorway. Amy’s arms were folded, brows furrowing as she took in the kitchen. She was still in a bathrobe and appeared to have showered as soon as she was awake.
“You’re back,” Stacy greeted, relief filling her. She’d known that from seeing Amy’s car parked out front, but it still felt good to see her friend standing there. “I’ll give you one guess what happened,” she added.
“You…threw a wild party, and things got out of hand?”
“I wish,” Miles muttered.
“Werewolves.” Kiera examined her fingernails as if they were far more interesting than the woman standing before her.
Amy shook her head. “When will we be done dealing with fucking werewolves?”
Stacy admired Amy for taking the supernatural world in stride, though there was a lot she still didn’t know. Like that I’m a shifter, too, though not a wolf. Stacy wondered if being a dragon was worse.
She sighed. “My thoughts exactly. Victor sent a pack, but they’re dealt with now. Only the mess to clean up.” She motioned at their surroundings. “Amy, I want you to meet the new members of our household. Kiera Swiftshadow is our housekeeper and cook. Miles Ironwood is our groundskeeper. They’re both old friends of Rowan’s.”
Amy shook their hands, smiling. “Pleased to meet you both.”
It was obvious Kiera and Miles hadn’t spent much time around non-magic-using humans in recent years, much less humans who knew about magic and seemed okay with it. Amy acted unfazed by their presence, though Stacy knew her well enough to see she was hiding her wariness, especially toward the sidhe fae.
Kiera’s response to Amy was as mild and unreadable as always, her violet eyes shifting to dark amber. Miles, on the other hand, gave her a jovial handshake and said he thought they would become good friends.
Stacy looped her arm through Amy’s and suggested they go out into the garden so they could swap stories about last night, leaving Kiera and Miles to brainstorm ways to fix the kitchen. On the way to the back door, Amy whispered, “I like the groundskeeper, but that woman’s eyes almost made me shit my pants.”
Stacy laughed. “Wait until you see her in combat. Someone has to be scary around here.” Once, Rowan had been the scary one, but that only lasted a few days. Now, he was like a dear old uncle to her and Amy.
The women sat on a stone bench against the exterior of the house, and Stacy insisted Amy tell her story first.
