Chapter 1 #2
Finn shrugged, her purple hair, longer now, flipping with the movement. “No worries. He seems nice. We talked last night after the party. I stepped out of my room for some snacks after my game and he was drinking tea. He has a huge crush on your grandmother. It’s so sweet.”
Mia relaxed a little with Finn’s words. Finn already seemed comfortable around Dorian, now Damien.
Mia needed to start thinking of him with that name, so it shouldn’t be an issue having him in the academy.
“Well, if anything happens that feels weird—I don’t expect anything, but just in case—let me know. ”
Finn rolled her eyes. “Between you and Abigail, you’re both so sensitive to my feelings. I love being here, but you two need to relax a bit. I can deal with more than you think I can.”
Mia laughed and looked at her watch. “I guess I need to stop babying you then and get to work. I have a nine o’clock staff meeting at the Lodge. I’ll see you all tonight. Call me if there are any issues.”
The last statement she’d addressed directly to Abigail, who responded with a nod. She knew the undercurrent of the question. She would watch out for Damien and make sure he stayed put.
Sometimes being between two worlds made her life a little crazy.
She headed upstairs to change into her work clothes and head to her normal job. And she felt good about it. There, all she had to deal with were human issues, like holiday parties and a boss who liked everything documented in triplicate.
At least this boss didn’t want to fire her, unlike the last one.
Mia had just finished her last meeting when her personal cell phone rang. Trent Majors, Abigail’s son and Mia’s boyfriend, was calling. “I’m so happy to hear your voice. This day has just been weird,” Mia said.
“Sorry, then, it’s about to get weirder.
So, Cerby’s at-home training program has been approved and Sonja McMann is here to train him.
Sarah’s bringing over Tempest, Elisa Marie’s puppy, to see if he’s a hellhound too.
If so, Sonja says she can train both of them here.
” Trent explained the updated process. Sonja McMann was a member of the werewolf tribe that lived in the deep forest just north of Magic Springs in the Saw tooth Mountain Range.
When there were bigfoot sightings in northern Idaho, it was usually one of the McManns who had been out running with the moon.
“That’s great. I didn’t want you to have to send Cerby back to the training camp. You know he hated being away from you.” Mia rolled her shoulders and opened her calendar for the week. “When is she starting?”
“Now. And bonus, she’s staying here at the house.
Mom tried to get her to stay with her, but Sonja says for this to work, she has to be here with both dogs.
So Mark’s going to be mad at me because if Tempest is a hellhound sent by the Goddess, Sarah and the baby have to stay here with us.
Dad’s going to take charge of the store because I can’t leave the house for six weeks.
” He paused. “I’m sorry, I’m stuck here. ”
“Maybe I could come over.” Mia didn’t like these rules at all.
“Sorry, but you, Mark, and every other person is banned until the training is complete. Mom’s going to send over meals and groceries.” His voice dropped. “I’m sorry for disappearing on you like this, but it’s better for Cerby.”
“I know. I’m just going to miss you.” She made a note on her calendar six weeks into the future. “You’re going to miss Thanksgiving, but at least you’ll be off house arrest by Christmas. I have a new house guest too.”
Mia told him about Dorian staying at the academy and his name change, as well as his new living arrangements.
“I’m glad someone will be there for you guys.” Trent paused, then asked, “Do you think we’re overreacting? Maybe Cerby doesn’t need hellhound training.”
“Do you want him freaking out and changing in public?” Grans had been clear and very detailed when she’d told Mia why even a Maltese like Cerby needed training. “This is better, and it’s only six weeks. We’ll talk every night.”
He promised to call later and hung up. A few minutes later, she got a call from Mark Baldwin, complaining that his wife, child, and new puppy might have to be living at Trent’s for the duration of the training.
“I don’t know what I can tell you, Mark. I’m not happy about it either. Maybe you’ll get lucky and Tempest is just a dog,” she suggested, but then he went off again.
Fifteen minutes later, she got him off the phone and tried to return to her scheduling project. As soon as she settled in, her phone rang again.
It was Grans.
“Grans, I’m trying to finish something up so I can head home. Is it something we can talk about later?”
“No, Mia. It’s not. The National Office has sent over another testing expert. You’re going to be tested again at the end of the week.” Grans sounded stressed.
“I thought I had a year before I had to retest for Level Four. Why did they move up the test?” Mia sighed and closed out her computer. Obviously she wasn’t going to get anything else done today. She might as well head home.
“The test isn’t to move up. It’s your original test. They’re making you retake it because people have been complaining about the results.”
“That’s just stupid. I didn’t cheat. You know that.
What good does retesting do?” Mia pulled on her coat and grabbed her keys out of her bag.
It had been a horrible day. Grans and Dorian fighting.
Trent’s news. And now she had to retest to prove she could be a witch?
What else could go wrong. “What happens if I don’t retest? ”
“Don’t even joke about that,” Grans said.
“Anyway, I need you home. They’ve taken the protection of your sealing off.
They see this as a total redo. With the power you have, everyone’s going to be watching.
I tried to get the coven to keep the protection seal on, but Cleo said it’s impossible.
Once you go back in for a retest, the spell comes off automatically. You’re in danger. Again.”
“Great. Trent’s stuck in his house and I’ll be quarantined to mine.
This isn’t good on a relationship.” Mia locked her office and headed out to the parking lot.
At least her boss would understand when she told her the real reason she couldn’t work at the Lodge this week.
If Blake was human, Mia would have to make up some contagious disease.
“I’m more worried about your life than your happily ever after dreams,” Grans said before hanging up.