Patti Larsen

I’m running, staggering, stumbling through the darkness, knowing he’s ahead. Alone. Doing the one thing I begged him not to.

It’s going to get him killed.

Panting breaths expel mist, the chill air of the silent forest engulfing, swallowing me whole, while the black beast ghosts past me, two more soaring by on wings. A shadow and his pale companion, gone into the night.

I’m too late, I’m sure of it, and yet I cannot slow my steps, will never retreat. Never abandon him though he’s left me behind.

He’s about to give his life to protect me. Why won’t he let me do the same for him?

The unexpected rush of power hits me, a blast of hot magic exploding outward with such force it strikes me like a blow, silent and invisible, bowing trees towering overhead with the same might as it impacts me. I’m unprepared, terror in control, leaving me open to the impact, throwing me back. The unyielding trunk of the tree stops my flight with a crunch of bone and bark. It takes my desperate breath, fading consciousness prickling with frenzied dread and the searing agony of burning power, as I claw toward the surface but fail, the dark taking me to silence on the other side.

All I hear is the rush of wings, the dog barking, barking.

And the sound of him screaming my name—

Chapter One

Who knew I owned so much stuff? Or that it would take up all this space in so many boxes I could barely navigate the rather substantial living room. Gathering things appeared to be one of my vices, though I hadn’t noticed when I’d packed up my old place on the East coast for this journey to the West and a new beginning.

Especially since I’d done so in a hurry and more than a little magic aided in the actual stuffing of my plethora of belongings into their temporary containment.

I’d told myself I wasn’t running away, almost believed it. Except, as I stood on the threshold of what was meant to be an open space with a spectacular expanse of the clifftop Pacific Ocean view (all there was to see from that vantage), said panorama had been so crammed with cardboard and plastic-wrapped furniture and the detritus of my last life I could barely glimpse the water. Surely such blockage wasn't an omen. More likely, I had to admit my rapid retreat from who I used to be really had been a bit of a scramble out of the way of everything I knew and my concerns about foretelling was just another excuse to avoid the truth.

I ran. So be it.

“I’m going to unpack the old fashioned way.” I glanced down at the giant, black mastiff, his huge, flat head higher than my waist, those dark eyes looking up at me with quiet confidence. “Take my time. Enjoy the experience.”

“Whatever you want, Mother,” Benjamin said in his deep baritone. “Will it be fun?”

I still thanked the stars and elements they’d rejected him from Black Hound Guard candidacy two years ago. That gave me the opportunity to swoop in and adopt him the moment he’d lost his standing. Benny had the heart of a sweet little boy, not exactly the kind of personality they were looking for in Guild Hades and the very reason he’d been booted from training in the first place.

My gain and joy. I grinned down at him, ruffling his fur, happy they didn’t get the chance to dock his ears or tail as was the order’s typical initiation for successful candidates. Made him look goofy rather than threatening, though his larger-than-average size didn’t help in the trust me, I’m a good boy department.

“We’ll make it fun,” I said. “Pick a box, Benny. Let’s see what we packed.”

His ears perked, tail wagging aggressively while he sniffed around the stacked boxes, but he didn’t get to choose. His giant head instead swiveled suddenly, soft woof escaping just as someone knocked on the door.

I guess unpacking was going to have to wait.

As I wound my way past the few boxes I’d discarded on the white and gray tiled floor, heading for my visitor and the kitchen door, Benjamin hung back a little, sitting within a few feet but keeping his distance. It always saddened me when he thought he needed to hold back, though it was in his nature to care that strangers—non-threatening ones, that was—weren’t instantly taken aback by his size and presence.

Something I rarely considered, I was so used to him by now. Did I mention he was a good and sweet boy?

The woman’s face on the other side of the glass seemed cheery enough, though I realized as I opened the way to her I’d forgotten to finish setting my property wards. Nothing overt, just a gentle repelling spell to keep my borders clear of unnecessary contact.

You’re already thinking ill of me, aren’t you? It wasn’t that I wanted to scare the normal neighbors off or anything, but I’d always had a penchant for introversion and this new start in human society without the surrounds of the paranormal powered meant special attention to my privacy so they didn’t see things that would send them running, screaming, and looking for torches and pitchforks.

Fitting in meant keeping them out, as weird as that sounded.

No luck with my present guest, however, the middle-aged blonde with her huge, green eyes and magnetic smile stepping across my threshold as soon as I gave her the opportunity, reaching out with her two hands, the casserole dish hovering hopefully between us.

“Hello there, neighbor!” At least she didn’t have that kind of piercing and irritating voice that could turn this conversation—and every one after—into torture until I was forced to take magical steps. “Welcome to Whitewitch Island.” She carried on rather quickly, turning to nod to the young woman I only just noticed at her side, equally cheery and with enough familial resemblance they had to be mother and daughter. “This is Holly,” she said, “and I’m Olive. We’re the Henry’s.” Again with the proffering of the dish. I reached for it with tentative hands, though the scent escaping it ensured the contents were surely delicious. At the very least, I could feed it to Benjamin and accepting a food offering seemed the normal neighborly thing to do.

Does this mean I have to cook for them now? I sent that frantic and yet amused question to my mastiff.

I think that would be lovely of you, he sent back. You’re so thoughtful, Mother.

That dog.

“Is that a mastiff?” Holly’s eyes lit up and, before I could answer, she rushed to Benjamin, offering her hand for him to sniff. He did so with the grace and elegance of his breed. That is, he slobbered on her, but she didn’t seem to mind, cooing to him and hugging him as he leaned into her and groaned his delight when she immediately rubbed his ears. Holly’s mother-matching green eyes met mine, wide and excited. “What’s his name?”

“Benjamin,” I said, unable to prevent my own smile at his happiness and her obvious love of animals. We’d get along, if that was the case.

“Holly, honey, don’t maul our new neighbor’s dog.” Olive eye rolled at me, but her perky grin told me she didn’t mean the chastisement. “She wants to be a vet someday.”

“An excellent career choice,” I said. Stood in the following silence, smiling and yet feeling the awkwardness grow between us while Olive looked at me with some expectation.

Mother, Benjamin sent, I think they’d like to know who you are now that they’ve introduced themselves. Is that right?

Legion and league, I was an idiot. “Georgia Drake,” I blurted, setting Olive’s dish on the counter before shaking her hand. “So nice of you to welcome us like this.” Fitting in was going to be more of a problem than I thought if I couldn’t even manage basic social conduct.

But Olive didn’t seem to take offense, her smile stretching further while she pumped my arm up and down with both of hers clasping my hand between hers. “We’ve been wondering who was moving into the old Miller house,” she said, “haven’t we, Holly honey? She was hoping for a new friend her age.” Olive looked around, blinking and smile fading. “Are you on your own, Georgia? Husband or kids?”

“Mom,” Holly said, clearly appalled at her mother’s forwardness, but I shrugged, accustomed far more than they knew to such direct questions. Normal humans were so careful with one another while paranormals tended toward the excessively nosy. Hard not to be in a society where hiding your truths meant lack of trust and magic made most everything impossible to disguise anyway.

“It’s all right, really,” I said, leaning one hip against the counter and watching Holly continue to give Benjamin the kind of scratches that meant I’d have a giant pile of black hair to clean up when she was done. “Just me, and Benny here. And I have two other friends, though they have feathers.” The ravens had flown off the moment we’d arrived, hardly surprising they wanted to check out their new territory.

Again Holly looked up at me with those huge, happy eyes of hers. “Is the white raven yours?” I nodded while she shivered. “She’s so pretty.”

“Conscio and Caprice kind of own me,” I laughed. “They should be home later and I’m sure they’d love to meet you.” The mated pair, one black, one white, were my only real concern moving to a normal community. Though I’d spelled them both—and they possessed protective magic of their own—if someone decided they were good target practice I might have to take steps and that would mean dead bodies and leaving Whitewitch Island under a memory erasing spell that would land me in prison.

“That would be amazing, wouldn’t it, Holly?” Olive clasped her hands together in front of her chest, her light knit sweater rolled to her forearms exposing a tattoo that had me frowning a little. But a quick and hopefully unobtrusive scan told me she wasn’t one of us, not at all. In fact, she was so human it hurt. Why then did she bear the mark of Guild Hecate?

I kept the question to myself as Olive spoke again.

“Sweetie, we should let Georgia get back to her unpacking.” Holly gave Benjamin one more pat and a kiss on the forehead to which he swiped her aggressively with his giant, pink tongue before she reluctantly left him to rejoin her mother. “Maybe we can take you for dinner tonight?” Hadn’t she just brought me dinner? I almost protested but second guessed and nodded back.

“Thank you,” I said.

“We can do a tour of Circe, of course.” Olive slipped her arm around her daughter’s shoulder, the matching set of green eyes and shoulder-length blonde hair over sweaters and tank tops and shorts and sneakers almost making me blink. “6PM? We’re just down the lane.” She pointed out my kitchen door to a blue cottage visible over the gentle crest of the hill. I’d noted it as my closest neighbor on the road that led into town. “Meet us at our place and we’ll walk into Circe together.”

“I’ll see you then.” I waved while they walked away, realizing while the visit was nice enough, I actually shut the door and backed off, feeling a little overwhelmed by all that normalcy.

“I like Holly, Mother,” Benjamin said. “She’s nice. And so is Olive.”

Of course he liked them. He liked everyone. I needed to take a page from his adorable book of sweetness.

Look at me, all friendly and accepting casseroles and living with normals and having dinner with the neighbors.

This had been the plan, after all, so I only had myself to blame.

Wouldn’t you know, Olive and Holly were only my first visitors?

Chapter Two

Well, not that the flapping coming from the open window in the living room heralded real visitors. The ravens lived here too, after all, their wings tucking smoothly as they dove in in a rush of warm air, Conscio landing elegantly on a tall stack of boxes, ducking his dark head though he was a distance yet from the cathedral ceiling, Caprice swooping lower to settle with a fluff of feathers on the upturned sofa’s plastic wrapping.

I smiled as they joined us, Benjamin trotting from the kitchen to wag his tail and pant his greeting at his winged siblings.

“How was flying?” He always sounded so wistful when he asked, his favorite question of the pair.

“Tolerable,” the white queen said in her lovely soprano, taking a moment to groom her right wing before fluttering it back into place the way she wanted it. “Water’s water, it seems.”

“I think we’ll like it here,” her partner said, croaking softly in between that statement and his next as though the raven in him took control a moment. “The island isn’t huge but it’s close to the mainland and there seems to be an abundance of fish.”

“Good hunting,” Caprice chuckled to her mate, shaking her head, silver eyes unblinking. She chattered her beak before fixing that intense and sometimes unnerving gaze on me, her head tilting to one side by almost half. “Lots of mice and rats, too.”

“Just stay away from people’s house pets,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest, grinning at the large birds who were so much more than they appeared. “We don’t want the neighbors coming after us because you two decide you have a taste for domesticity.” Literally. Though, neither had ever made such an attempt before. The fact most souls we knew weren’t just what normal humans would consider people exactly had a lot to do with that. But Caprice especially had a rather dark sense of humor despite her feather’s crisp white color.

“No thank you,” she insisted instantly, Conscio agreeing with a loud cooing. “Who knows where a sentient might be hiding?”

Fair enough. “Nothing else interesting?” Wait, was that my own pensiveness showing up? Had this impulsive choice to exit our old life been a terrible one after all?

“Not so far,” the gorgeous black raven said. “Humans are rather ordinary, George. Though, they’re also particularly cruel, so I’m certain we’ll find something to keep us occupied.”

Not exactly what I meant, so I waved it off. “Benny and I are about to unpack,” I said. “Feel like giving us a—”

They both chuckled and fled, hopping toward the window, Conscio barely wing spread when he threw himself out the opening, Caprice taking a more delicate approach, sliding down the side of a box with her claws scraping loudly over the cardboard before she nose-dived and headed for the blue sky above.

Chattering their laughter at us as they went.

“You didn’t really think they’d stay to help, did you, Mother?” Benjamin sat on his haunches, grinning up at me while I winked back.

“Those two lazy bums?” I laughed myself and shook my head, my long, black hair falling forward over my shoulder, forcing me to growl at it before bunching the pin-straight mass back into the rough bun at the base of my neck, already contemplating using magic to empty the boxes after all. I was fine with playing normal, at least I thought so. That had been the whole point to this relocation. No more living in the magical world, no longer investigating crimes for Guild Artemis, out from under the weight of my family’s name and standing. Just me and the flying and drooling playing just folks with the human locals.

I sighed as I once again took in the daunting task ahead. “I didn’t exactly ask you three to join me,” I said, reaching down to scratch Benjamin’s ears. “Tell me this wasn’t a horrible idea.”

“You know the ravens wouldn’t have come if they didn’t want to, Mother,” he said, so cheerfully optimistic I bent and hugged him, kissing his face. “And home is where you are.” He couldn’t really shrug, but I got that impression, tears stinging the corners of my eyes and tightening my throat. I knelt next to him and gave him a real hug, leaning into his warmth and strength and soft fur. “Conscio was right. We’ll find something to do. Won’t we?”

I nodded, let him go, squished his face because I could never resist doing it. Stood and confronted the pile of boxes and what amounted to the sum total of my life with a grim smile.

“We could always just start from scratch,” I said. Lifted one hand, prepared to do away with my entire history in a single gesture.

As someone knocked on the door.

I really had to get those wards built. Except, as I sighed my way through opening the door for the second time, I suddenly appreciated the fact I hadn’t as of yet. Because tall, dirty-blonde and deliciously handsome who smiled at me from the threshold was welcome to cross my borders anytime.

Oh dear. I’d been single far too long, it seemed, and it was starting to show.

“Ms. Drake?” What a lovely voice he had, all deep and sultry, with just the hint of gravel, the voice of a man who worked for a living. As were those hands, one of which rose to shake mine in that peculiar normal way, the palms not quite rough but certainly not the softness of the magic users I was accustomed to. His blue plaid shirt had been rolled up to expose muscular, tanned forearms, white t-shirt beneath a contrast to his faintly weathered skin tone. Add that to the gray of his large, smiling eyes, his square jaw with the hint of a beard and even white teeth and I was likely grinning with the enthusiasm of a desperate teenager in the presence of her crush. “I’m Sam Spencer. We’ve been emailing?”

Ah. My handyman. How divine.

(Yes, yes, go ahead and giggle, I could wait. Done? All right then. After all, I knew all about it and your teasing laughter wasn’t helping. Here I thought Benny drooled…)

“Mr. Spencer,” I said without making a complete flirt of myself (no magic involved, either, imagine that).

“Sam, please,” he said, finally releasing my hand. I instantly missed his touch because, yes, I was right, I had been on my own for far too long and perhaps not much longer…?

Georgia Drake. Carnal thoughts at a time like this. Really.

“I hope you had a safe trip?” He made no move to come inside, though I realized with a start I was standing in his way and, rather abruptly, (because it seemed awkward was something I could expect from myself now) stood aside and gestured for him to enter. He did immediately, gaze going to Benjamin, gray eyes suddenly wide as was typical of normal humans when they first spotted the mastiff. But, like Holly, he showed zero concern or fear, instead leaning forward and holding out one hand. “Hello there, big guy,” he said. “Nice to meet you, too.”

Benjamin stood, stepped forward, sniffed Sam’s hand. He smells like outside and wood and barbequed chicken, my mastiff sent before sitting again and panting a grin at the handyman. Can we keep him?

Oh, Benny. I snorted by accident at the comment then had to cover as Sam ruffled the dog’s ears while glancing up with a curious smile.

I couldn’t exactly tell him it was just something Benny said, could I? “Thanks for stopping by,” I said, only then catching motion on the doorstep, realizing Sam hadn’t come alone. The shorter, dark-haired man with him kept his head down, sullen expression closed as was everything about him. I didn’t mean to read his aura, but it was hard to miss the black miasma of old grief and anger that surrounded him in a faint cloud, radiating from him so powerfully I was surprised even normals didn’t pick up his discontent.

Or the distinct imprint of incarceration, and not for a short time period. Whoever he had harmed in the past to incur such a sentence, he held onto the despair of his term in confinement like he’d never let it go.

Sam straightened from patting Benny and turned, nodding to his companion. “This is Miles Williams,” he said, cheerfully enough it was obvious the two were as polar opposite as they came. “He’s been working with me the last few weeks.”

“Hello,” I waved to the silent Miles. “Georgia Drake.”

He just bobbed a nod, hands stuffed into the pockets of his work pants, while Sam went on.

“I’m in the middle of a job,” he said, regret rising in his tone. “But as soon as I’m finished, I’m all yours.”

I stared at him, knowing he didn’t mean it the way he said it, saw color rise in his cheeks and smiled at the reaction as he realized what his offer sounded like. As his attempted splutter to rephrase amused me further, my smile grew along with my interest.

How adorable. And such a far cry from the arrogant, powerful and conceited men I was accustomed to.

“That’s totally fine, Sam,” I said. “As you can see, I have unpacking to do.” I waved past the kitchen into the living room. He cleared his throat, nodded, seemingly relieved I’d rescued him. “I don’t suppose unpacking a new arrival is a service you offer?”

Again with the blushing and the stammering while I fought off the giggles. At my age, really. I hadn’t giggled in years. But there was a charismatic and genuinely kind allure to the tall, muscular man who coughed softly, grinning back at me, I really wanted the chance to get to know better.

A great deal better.

“Thank you for letting me tease you,” I said, lowering my voice, one hand on his arm. “I appreciate you taking the time to see me in person, Sam. I know how busy you are. Please, let me know when you’re ready to get started and I’ll have a list assembled for you.” All things I could have done with magic that would raise so many eyebrows it was easier—and clearly more delicious—to have him do them for me.

That’s what normal people did, right?

I had so much to learn. Hopefully Sam was a good teacher.

More giggling. Maybe this move was good for me after all.

“Sure thing,” Sam said, gaze going to Benjamin. He took one more opportunity to bend and ruffle the mastiff’s ears. “I bet we’re starting with a fence for you, big guy, right?”

Mother, do I need a fence? The dog looked up at me with surprise in his eyes. I don’t really want to be confined, is that okay?

Since he’d been caged as a puppy as part of his training—did I mention how much I hated Guild Hades Guard training?—my impulse leaned toward an emphatic no, never, which I sent to the mastiff immediately and with as much comforting love in my mental and physical touch as I could muster. I wasn’t sure if Sam noticed my emotional shift, the soft stroke I gave Benjamin’s ear, and it didn’t matter. Since I wasn’t sure how to answer his question without giving away the fact the idea horrified me, I let it go for now. I had research to do, clearly. While no sentient being would be fenced without good reason—criminal reason—did normal people corral their loved ones? How peculiar.

“Why don’t we see what I find and we’ll go from there.” I’d have been more inclined to invite him to linger if he’d been alone, though I really had no idea if he was single—he felt single, not that it mattered—or interested—he felt interested, divinely so. Instead, I nodded again to Miles, one hand on the door. “I’ll let you get back to what it is you need to do while I do the same.” I tilted my head toward the stack of boxes. “And we’ll talk again soon.”

“Sounds good, Ms. Drake.” Sam shook my hand again and this time I let my touch linger.

“George,” I said. “Call me George.” Looked down at the panting mastiff. “And this is Benjamin.”

I like Sam a lot, Mother, the dog said. Of course he did. Though as the door closed, the two men walking away, Benjamin paused. Growled softly under his breath. “But I’m not so sure about Miles.”

That made two of us.

Chapter Three

I didn’t even get to leave the kitchen this time, the sound of voices outside alerting me to a new visitor. I was already opening the door before the latest arrival could ring the bell, waving over his shoulder to the departing handymen, though it only took the dark-suited and broad-shouldered man on the other side a moment to lose the giant, commercial smile on his face when he turned to face me. His gaze dropped from mine to the huge dog at my side with a more typical response than that of my last few guests.

Nick Parks took a quick step back, gasping faintly, his fear palpable. I instantly soothed him with a whisper of power then withdrew it in an internal wince of regret. Sure, it was a minor act and wouldn’t get me in any kind of trouble as long as I covered my tracks. But using power on normal humans was one of a short list of things I really had to control if I wanted to live here.

And not be carried off some night by an inquisitor and hunter team sent to arrest me for illegal tampering.

“Mr. Parks,” I said with a smile, shaking his hand while he found his courage when Benjamin didn’t leap for his throat, though his smile didn’t have that beaming glow I’d noted on his real estate agent website. As for my dog, he sat and pretended to be smaller than he was, hunching, head down and tucking behind me, too late to back off and doing his best to be unthreatening.

Best boy ever.

“Ms. Drake.” Nick licked his lips, did his best to recover, shaking with what had to be additional vigor to cover his reaction because if this was how he normally carried out the traditional greeting between normals I feared for his frailer clients. “Welcome, so happy you made it safe, sorry I wasn’t here when you arrived, you found your keys?” I had to blink and sort through everything he’d said so rapid-fire I was the breathless one while nodding because it seemed the thing to do and satisfied him, apparently, because he carried on, a little more slowly this time. “My deepest apologies. I was with another client on the mainland.” He finally dropped my hand, taking another quick, nervous glance at Benjamin. “Nice dog.”

“He is,” I said, hoping my soothing pat for the mastiff reassured both him and the real estate agent who’d sold me my new home. “Benjamin wouldn’t hurt anyone, I assure you.”

“Good deterrent,” Nick said, going macho on me, how quaint. “Big dog, single woman, great choice.” If only he knew just how terrible a life choice it would be for anyone to try to break into my home or do me harm. Consequences that would have nothing to do with my dog, either. “I just wanted to pop by and make sure you have what you need.” He glanced at his watch.

I think that means he’s in a hurry, Mother, Benjamin sent. I don’t think he likes me. Does he want to go because of me?

No, Benny, I sent, fixed smile tight. He’s just busy. And a bit of a jerk, but that wasn’t a surprise since I’d gotten that impression from the moment I hired him. Not that I needed him to impress me. Now that our transaction was complete, hopefully this would be our final interaction.

“I have everything I require,” I said. Waited for him to leave because we were done, weren’t we?

“Well,” Nick said after a long pause that actually hurt a little it was so uncomfortable—who was I becoming?—smile now fighting for that same confidence. “Nice doing business with you, Ms. Drake. If you need anything further.” Was there supposed to be more to that sentence? Some kind of offer, perhaps? Nick’s discomfort only seemed to grow, probably because Benjamin finally looked out from behind me, opening his mouth to pant.

Nick actually took a step back. I sniffed internally, not exactly labeling him a coward, but close enough. An estimation that only decreased as he tripped over something and let out a girlish squeal of shock, backpedaling while I stared and fought off a truly insulting laugh.

Looked down to find a small snake had slithered across the path and was now hurrying its wriggling way out of sight into the grass.

Nick didn’t even try to hide his fear this time, sweat breaking out on his face as he pulled free his pocket square and dabbed at his upper lip. “I hate snakes.”

Indeed. “Thank you for your assistance in the sale,” I said, now closing the door. “Have a nice day, Mr. Parks.” He stared, fish lipping and stammering a little as I firmly closed the entry on his ebbing panic. Hesitated while I thought about my chilly wrap up. “Was that too cold, do you think? Or should I have offered some comfort to his worry, perhaps?”

Benjamin licked my hand. “I’m sure he’s a nice person, Mother,” the mastiff said, “but it’s a good thing he’s gone.”

I laughed. “Benny, my darling, I think you’re right.”

You better believe I took the next half hour to duck outside and circle the house, laying my wards and repelling spells, adding in a few tidbits of protection and the odd sniff at magical detection. The last I was fairly certain wouldn’t be necessary, but one never knew when paranormal persons of any race might decide to come knocking. Or try to knock, as it were. I’d been an inquisitor for many years, since I was eighteen, and had made enough enemies along the way I had no illusions about my safety if any number of them managed somehow to escape confinement. Not likely, but nothing was a surety these days.

Finally done, I returned inside, Benjamin padding next to me, facing off yet again with the giant wall of who I used to be waiting for my time and attention.

“It’s almost 5PM, Mother,” my mastiff said, saving me from myself. “You know how long it takes you to get ready.” Why, the cheeky devil. “You wouldn’t want to keep Olive and Holly waiting.”

Saved by dinner with neighbors? Perhaps this was a good thing after all.

I hated to leave him home, kissing his nose and digging out three of his favorite toys, leaving him on the giant dog bed I’d bought him, snuggling his big, pink elephant with a fresh bone to gnaw, content enough, I suppose, not to warrant the guilt I felt leaving him behind. It was weird to, though. Benjamin came with me everywhere in my previous life, as much my partner in the field as the ravens and—

No. I wouldn’t think of Elias tonight. My hunter partner was gone and I’d shed enough tears at his passing already. He’d made his choice and this was mine.

Enough.

I strode down the lane with my head high, shoulders back, my favorite pink silk shawl around my shoulders, kind of loving the flow of the long, flowered summer dress and freedom of platform sandals, a far cry from the typical black suit it felt like I’d lived in for two decades. I’d given up many opportunities to attend events with my family that would allow for more feminine dress in favor of the work, work I loved, work that consumed my life by choice.

Work I’d given up forever now. No regrets.

Not yet, at least.

They were waiting for me at the end of their walkway, Olive’s smile matching Holly’s, though the younger seemed disappointed I hadn’t brought my dog with me.

“It’s permitted?” Had I known that…

“We’re eating on the patio tonight,” Olive said, turning and leading the way down the lane, a lovely flower-edged two-way street that felt less as a typical road and more like a carefully crafted fantasy of how an English country drive should appear. “No one minds dogs here, not at all. In fact, the local coffee shop has an outdoor area specifically for pet owners.” That was lovely to hear. While they weren’t sentient, maybe Benjamin might have the chance to make a few friends. Not likely, since the conversation would be terribly one sided (snort), but play was always possible and, who knew? Our kind were everywhere in ones and twos and even small families.

“I’ll bring him next time,” I said with a smile, walking next to Olive, Holly on her other side, the pair in their own summer attire, though Olive’s flowing blue skirt and star-printed halter top, sweater over one arm held no resemblance to Holly’s white shorts, sneakers and black t-shirt.

“If you ever need someone to walk him.” Holly cut off abruptly as her mother gave her a look, but I smiled encouragingly.

“Benny would love that,” I said, both mother and daughter smiling at that assurance.

Our little lane ended as we neared the intersection taking us downtown, a short five-minute walk to Circe’s main street of brick storefronts and lovely period buildings, some painted in bright colors and the space between filled with strung lights dangling between rooftops that reminded me of visiting with the Seelie court. Circe had clearly been built for pedestrians, wide sidewalks embedded with stone flowers and cheery signs over each storefront beautifully crafted.

“We thought a tour after dinner?” I nodded at Olive’s suggestion, crossing the street when they did so, joining them on the patio of a lively restaurant already filled with patrons. Fortunately, Olive had thought ahead and our reserved table awaited us. I’d had a few opportunities to eat in normal human establishments, so the narrow variety presented didn’t surprise me. Not having to supply meals of sufficient variance to appease gnomes, gargoyles, witches, Fae and any number of paranormal folk certainly made things less interesting when it came to reading a menu, though how they managed in the kitchen without power was more magical to me than the real thing.

Perhaps that would be something for me to learn, a new skill to acquire, though I wasn’t even sure where to start to learn to cook.

As for the surroundings, I had to admit I was delighted by the lovely setup, the soft breeze from the ocean, more hanging lights adding a touch of mystery to the space. And, as I settled into my seat and perused the offerings, I realized I was rather looking forward to getting to know these two normals.

Imagine that. Now, as long as I didn’t get bored and go looking for some excitement I wasn’t prepared to handle…

Georgia Drake. You had to go and ask for it.