Chapter Three
Rowan placed a food order and drove home, not even slowing as she approached the gates. The wrought iron swung open, and she drove down the drive and toward the expansive house.
Rowan drove past the big house and to the carriage house. She dismounted from her bike and walked into the carriage house. “Aunt Aspen, Mell is free. She’s back to herself and is going to be fine. She’ll be here in an hour.”
A speaker softly played, Remember me?
“I don’t think she does. She will. From what I have heard, you are under the same kind of curse that a lady named Lucia was. She became an energy being; she communicated through cell signals.”
Songs about telephones by various artists played through the carriage house.
“None of the others mentioned what you did, though. I think that could have been the issue. You shattered the curse by cutting it out, but it was holding you together as a type of battery.”
Songs about surprises and ends to mysteries spilled out.
Help! I need somebody, help! Not just anybody.
“Two of the previously cursed are bringing Mell home. Should I bring them here?”
But we’re all in agreement; this is something I should hold on to.
“Yeah, Auntie Aspen. This is something you should hold on to. For me. Please.”
I will be right here for you; everything I do is for you.
Rowan blinked away tears and touched one of the microphones in the room. “We will figure it out. There are mages and elves and djinn and really angry women who can also bring their men along for extra boosting. We have help, Auntie Aspen. Finally, we have help.”
Make your whole life worth the sacrifice, every scream you cry worth the blood you’ve given.
“She will forgive us. Her mate might not.” Rowan was rueful. “If he acts up here, he will find himself outside this estate. If he is lucky, it will be in one piece.”
I believe I can fly.
“Exactly. I have to get to the house. I have groceries coming. Mell likes to eat.”
The classical music filled the room, followed by hip-hop and then some pop. Aspen sang to herself and played her own music. Rowan smiled, bowed, and headed to the house with Mell’s phone.
Rowan entered the house and turned on the speakers and microphones that would let Aspen communicate.
She always wanted to leave her Aunt Aspen the means to communicate.
Being a mind trapped in silence was a horror that Rowan couldn’t imagine, but since Aspen communicated with radio waves, her reach was limited.
They had tried boosters in the past, but they didn’t have the reach without installing a tower.
Aspen refused to have a tower installed.
She loved her house and didn’t want it wrecked.
Rowan checked to make sure everything was tidy and got the phone ready with the sparkly case, which looked like previous ones she had bought for Mellwyn. It was a joke, but all new phones started sparkly. The more sober phone case was tucked into the box.
She fussed in the kitchen and made some blueberry muffins.
While they were in the oven, she went upstairs and got changed into her comfortable clothing.
She quickly showered off the alpha stench and got into a sundress.
She pinned her hair up in a loose bun and wore some pretty pumps as she walked downstairs.
Being an omega was weird. She wanted to be cute and cuddly and soft, but physical contact hurt.
She didn’t know how other omegas could stand to have entire packs touching them. It must be agony.
Rowan got the muffins out of the oven and set them on a cooling rack.
She felt the vehicle pass through the gates and walked out onto the great steps outside. She watched the SUV approach and smiled. When the vehicle stopped and the doors opened, Rowan locked her hands together. She waited.
Mellwyn got out of the vehicle with a bright grin. “Ro! I’m home!”
Rowan smiled. “Hey, Mell. I made blueberry muffins.”
The other two mages got out of their vehicle and looked at her in surprise. Ted said, “Rowan?”
Rowan curtsied. “This is what I look like at home.”
Lucia looked at her. “Oh, wow. Okay, I see the omega now.”
“This omega has tea and muffins, if you would enter into my family home. I may even have cake.”
Lucia was hiking up the steps in a moment.
“Lucia, I have questions for you. Well, you and Ted.” She opened the door and led them inside.
Ted looked around and whistled. “This is an old pack house.”
Rowan heard her heels ticking as she walked through the space. “Sort of. It is an old clan house. Twenty-two large bedrooms, an enormous kitchen, a sizable living room. Two ballrooms, exterior gardens, and a haunted carriage house.”
Ted paused. “What?”
“A haunted carriage house.”
I put a spell on you, and now you’re mine.
Lucia paused. “What was that?”
“Let’s sit and have tea. This explanation involves a lot of sighs and some sniffling.”
Ted asked, “Do you have radios on in here?”
“Nope. Just microphones and speakers. Get a muffin and sit your ass down. I will bring the tea.”
She got the china, tea, milk, and sugar, and brought the tray to the huge kitchen work table. Mell reached for a muffin with a shaking hand. Rowan poured the tea and set the cups out. “Okay. Now, Lucia, how did you stay sane when you didn’t have a body?”
Lucia paused with a muffin in her mouth. “These are really good. Um, I stayed around my people, my family. I listened to their communications. It helped me remember who I was. Why?”
It feels like I’m under a spell. This is some kind of spell.
“That’s my Aunt Aspen. She’s concentrated in the carriage house.
She lost her body when she cut the curse out of her skin.
She has been a voice since, but for the last two years, she’s only been able to find songs and quote lyrics.
” Rowan smiled. “She was in music before, but while she could sing, she never wanted to perform publicly. She’s shy. ”
Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you very, very much.
Rowan chuckled. “It’s true. You never like to be stared at.”
Shut up, just shut up, shut up.
Rowan nodded. “I know. I know.”
Ted brought out her phone and typed.
Lucia put her hand on Ted’s. “Who do you want to send it to? Just dictate.”
“Fine. Contact Mik. Mik, we think we have another curse, but it is complicated. Can you come to the following address and do an assessment? She’s using speakers and microphones to communicate using snippets from songs for context.”
Lucia nodded. “Anything else?”
“Sure. Send the same thing to Win, Regis, and Arwell.”
“Done.”
Lucia said softly, “How did it happen?”
Rowan said, “I had just graduated from university and moved in with Aunt Aspen. I had been here with Mell for two months when there was a knock at the door. It was just me and Aspen home, and when she opened it, six men made of dark shadows came in and hauled Aspen to the back yard. One hauled me along to watch. They tore off her shirt and drew a circle around her neck and shoulders. When it turned black, Aspen froze, and they all threw their heads back, and lines of energy came out of Aspen and into them. They laughed and left. I ran to Aspen to hold her, and I was crying for being a stupid, useless beta.”
Dramatic music swirled.
Rowan laughed and wiped the tears that formed.
There was a soft ticking coming from Lucia, and Rowan blinked when she saw cut diamonds falling to the table.
“That is... unusual.”
Lucia blinked. “Right. I am also going to ask Yorwell to send something to Achilles. I need pictures of Aspen. If she needs a body, he’s an amazing sculptor.”
Rowan blinked. “Okay. I will find something. She doesn’t know this, but I kept an album.”
Rowan went to the pile of cookbooks and pulled out a photo album. She pushed it toward Lucia, and she blinked. “This is her?”
Rowan smiled. “Yup. Like me but with all black hair and six inches taller.”
Lucia lifted her phone and said, “Stand up.”
“Okay, but if she comes out in a dress, she’s gonna be pissed. She’s a leggings and long t-shirt kind of girl.” She walked around so Lucia could take pictures.
Lucia’s phone pinged. “How long is her hair?”
“Mid-back usually.”
“Nice. Achilles is on it. What colour is her skin?”
“Same as mine.”
“So, whitey white with extra white?”
Rowan blushed. “No, it’s opal.”
Mell looked at her with a muffin sticking out of her mouth. “Mopal?”
Rowan let the colour move beneath her skin. “Mopal.”
She pulled her skin into opaque and held out her hands. “Ta-da.” Rowan sat on one of the chairs around the table and sipped at her tea.
Ted said, “We asked Mell about the day she was attacked, and she is drawing a blank.”
“It was here. Again. They came in and grabbed Mell.”
Mell pressed her forehead. “That’s... oh god.”
“Stop remembering, Mell. Just stop.” Rowan said softly.
Lucia said softly, “They didn’t just let you go because you weren’t what they were looking for.”
Rowan poured tea for everyone and set the pot down with a thud. “No, they did not. But I kept myself. I didn’t lose my body or my sense of self. I just lost my urge to date forever. I don’t know how anyone would want to do that recreationally. It hurts.”
Mell smiled. “Well, as someone who has recently partaken, it can be a lot of fun.”
Rowan made a face. “Ick.”
“It makes babies.”
“I like the babies and will leave the ick to others.”
Mell looked sad. “Right. I am so sorry.”
Rowan held up her hand. “Nope. You have no reason to be sorry. I found someone who taught me how to defend myself, taught me how to be a witch, and I got good at it. Also, icky, but I finally had a weapon.”
Ted frowned. “Why did you put Mellwyn in a cave?”