Chapter Eight #2
She sighed and entered her garden, closing it behind her. She had to tidy up after her explosion the night before. It wouldn’t do for it to get overgrown.
She gathered the basket she kept out there and moved through the gardens, trimming and tidying.
When the knock sounded on the gate, she turned, and to her surprise, Aspen was standing there. “Oh, are you guys done?”
Aspen smiled. “They are on their way out, but I offered them a celebration dinner next Friday night. Some of the ladies wanted to talk to you, but I mentioned that you were a little overwhelmed with all of the tension lately.”
“Not untrue.”
“Rowan, can you come out here?”
Rowan frowned and left her garden. “What’s up?”
“I need to ask your forgiveness.”
“What? Why?”
Her aunt thudded to her knees. “I let them in. I saw what happened. It was my fault. I am so very sorry.”
Rowan stroked her aunt’s black hair. “I won’t say it’s okay, but it happened.
If it makes you feel better, Mell did the same thing.
She let them in. I have an intent ward on the gate now, but I had to learn a whole bunch of stuff from Grandpa’s old books.
I also learned stuff from some local witches. ”
Aspen wrapped her arms around Rowan and sobbed. Rowan held her and stroked her hair. When the storm passed, Rowan whispered, “There is coffee and those pastries with dark cherry and glaze. Well, there was. I am hoping the orcs didn’t get them all.”
Aspen blinked. “Orcs?”
“The greenish guys with tusks.”
“Who was the dark green guy with tusks?”
“He just moved in. Renyet Arthros. He’s a doctor.”
Aspen smiled. “He seemed... attentive.”
“Shut up. Oh, I put in a serious gym in the basement.”
Aspen leaned back. “How serious?”
“It caused four orcs to move into a house with a newborn in it.”
“Wow. Can I see?”
“Of course. I also have to show you your room. It has all of your favourite things.”
Aspen got gracefully to her feet. “Well, I need to see that first, and then the gym. Do I have sportswear?”
“You do. I have had it waiting. Your wardrobe has been updated, your accounts and identification are on your desk, and I have started renting rooms out in the pack house.”
“Renting?”
“Yup. The orcs are in love with the gym, and as long as you and the guys shower downstairs and minimize pheromones in the common areas, I will be a happy bunny.”
“Why do you want me out of the carriage house?” Aspen asked casually.
“First, you might have nightmares, but mostly, Grandpa and Grandma are about to return, and I think they might like privacy. They always did before.”
“Mom and Dad are coming back?”
“They are almost energized enough for the waking. I have been giving them more energy so they come back equal. Now that I am not working on you and Mell, I have spare power. I am going to start feeding it to them tonight. I want Avor to be here when they wake so that Grandpa can get the information on the Stronghold and the emperor sending mail-order mage husbands for the new mages.”
“Holy shit. I missed a lot.”
“Yup. Good thing that they want to come next weekend.”
“Did I say next weekend? I mean this weekend.”
“Ah, so the day after tomorrow. Nice. Housewarming it is. And we are going to throw Mell’s baby shower.”
“That fast?”
“May as well. I will make some calls today and line everything up. Regis has a dessert company, so I will pick up some dainties from her.”
Her phone alerted, and the text was full of details for Mell’s baby shower and the event with over fifty mages and dark elves.
Avor contacted her next, and he asked about her grandparents. She replied that tomorrow was a suitable day. He confirmed that he would arrive around noon.
She wrinkled her nose and arranged to work from home for the rest of the week. She got confirmation from her boss that he would be there for dinner on Friday with his mate and their second.
Her phone started to go off every few seconds, and she realized this was going to be a lot more than fifty people.
She walked Aspen to her room, down the hall from hers, and Aspen smiled. “So Renyet has taken the room next to yours?”
“Yes.”
“Is it adjoining?”
“Not yet. I know he’s angling for it.”
Aspen chuckled. “What’s holding you back?”
“Dignity? Self-respect? Will to live?” Rowan snorted and opened the door for Aspen.
Aspen inhaled sharply and said, “Oh, Rowan. You did an amazing job. This is perfect.”
“I have created a sound studio in the basement. You and Mira can still do collabs.”
Aspen turned to her with a smile. “You thought of everything.”
“I have tried. If you need anything else, I can set it up in a few minutes.”
“Rowan, how are you doing this?”
Rowan blushed. “I... have lost a lot of blood on the property. The binding to it is fairly solid.”
“Oh, Rowan.” Aspen carefully hugged her again. “I am so sorry, but I am proud you survived it.”
“Alora got me in touch with the people who could help me. She held my hand when I needed it. She doesn’t just calm alphas.” She laughed. “She had no idea we would have to do it all twice. The garden is now doing amazing.”
Aspen chuckled. “I can feel it from here. It’s like a prowling tiger in the back yard.”
Rowan smiled. “It defended me, pulled out the magic, and the bodies joined the maze in the back. We have some really well-fertilized box hedges.”
Aspen frowned. “Anything that can pop as human tissue?”
“No. They aren’t human. It reads as a weird mix of canine, feline, and avian, if it reads at all. It has been years.” She shrugged. “Did you meet Mell’s baby?”
“No, not yet.”
Rowan lifted her head and sensed all life signs in her house. “He’s napping but will be up when we finish in the basement.”
“Okay. This room looks great. How many of them are there?”
“Uh, total rooms are now twenty-four. I am adding them as I need them.”
“Dare I ask how?”
“It is part of me, and this feels like the right number.”
Aspen let her go. “So you are fused to the property, just like Mom said you would be.”
Rowan blinked. “Yeah. Grandma is good that way.”
“Are you a seer, too?”
“I only see what is needed for comfort. What can be done to correct a fault.” She shrugged. “This place is now being rented, and no structural changes have been made according to the blueprints.”
“But you have added a dozen pack-sized rooms.”
“And I have updated the historical blueprints every time. Just like when I put in the basement so I could have a nice gym without sweaty people in it, and now I have just invited them in. So I will set up a smaller gym for me.”
Aspen smiled. “Well, let’s see this gym.”
“Okay. Your name will appear on your door. Don’t freak out. You are also the only one who can open your room. That’s a new feature.”
“Locks and keys?”