“Don’t forget the power rule,” Deward prompted. “It tells you how to differentiate––”
“Yeah, I remember,” Tommy interrupted with a sigh. “It’s just all running together in my brain. Maybe we should have started with algebra.”
“A challenge will strengthen the mind faster,” Deward said, adjusting his glasses.
That was apparently the troll’s favorite saying. Tommy rubbed his eyes and tried to refocus. If he knew the rule, he should be able to do the math.
An enraged squeak broke his concentration and he looked up, realizing Woggy was no longer in his box. “When did he get out?”
Deward looked in the box as well and frowned. “I don’t know, I didn’t notice either.”
Tommy jumped to his feet and looked around, his ears straining to tell where the noise had come from. There was another squeal, then a shriek of pain. He took off at a run, headed straight for a bush near the edge of the house. As he rounded the corner he saw a swarm of pixies throwing small pebbles.
Woggy was on the ground, hopping and waving a stick furiously. The wingless pixie managed to deflect a few of the pebbles but most hit their target.
“Ah, a territorial fight,” Deward said, sounding unconcerned.
Tommy darted in and grabbed Woggy to the displeasure of the attacking pixies. “Well they can buzz off, this is Woggy’s yard,” he said, swatting at them to try and shoo them away.
The little monsters swarmed him. One of them bit his neck while three more attacked the hand that held Woggy. He yanked the one off his neck and threw it away. The pixie managed to get its bearings and fly back toward him. Their teeth might be small, but they were sharp. He shook his arm to get them off, belatedly realizing that was probably really jarring for Woggy.
Deward finally stepped in and plucked the pixies off, tossing them over his shoulder. He managed to throw them hard enough that they hit the ground. One struggled to its feet and stumbled around in a daze.
“Don’t hurt them,” Tommy said, watching them struggle back to their feet.
“If you take that disabled pixie away, they’ll feel they’ve won. You either have to kill them, or cede the yard to their control,” Deward said, crossing his arms.
He took a deep breath to keep from snapping at his tutor. “I’m not going to kill them, but I’m not giving up that easy either.” A pebble thunked against his cheek and he scowled at the attacking pixies.
Woggy was trying to escape from his hands, ready to fight to the death for his territory. The pixie reminded him of Amber. Fearless and full of rage. Unlike Amber, though, Woggy wasn’t strong enough to fight off his enemies.
Tommy could relate to that. When he and Ceri had arrived at the house while it was being attacked, she’d run inside. He had tried to help. Despite the wolf’s instincts, he simply hadn’t known what to do. Of all of them, he could shift the fastest, and had the most control. Maybe too much control. He wasn’t sure he could fight, even if he had to.
Deward shrugged. “Suit yourself, however, I consider it a waste of time.”
“Noted,” Tommy said drily, heading back toward the table where they’d left all their books.
Deward followed and began picking up his things, tucking them neatly away in his backpack. “My father suggested it would be polite to invite you over for dinner tomorrow evening.”
Tommy glanced at the troll, raising his brow. He wasn’t sure if that was an invitation, or if Deward was just letting him know his father had suggested it. Either way, he had no interest in going. “We have pack dinner tomorrow, if that was an invitation.”
“Of course it was,” Deward said, frowning at him as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. “I’ll let my father know and confirm a different time that will work for my parents.”
“Great,” Tommy said, already thinking up various excuses to get out of going. He had a feeling Deward would trap him eventually. Trolls were too smart to be fooled forever.
Deward nodded his head farewell and headed toward his car. It was pretty small for such a big troll, but Deward said it got excellent gas mileage which allowed him to save more of his tutoring income.
That reminded Tommy that he still needed to find a way to pay Gen back for his tutoring. Somehow. Without a job. Hopefully Amber’s brother would want to hire him.
The pixies started gathering together, looking like they were about to swarm him again. He piled his books in his free arm and jogged inside before they had a chance to attack. He checked on Woggy briefly, and the pixie was worse off than he thought.
He pulled out his phone and called Ceri, guilt already curdling in his gut for not watching the pixie closely enough.
Chapter 3
GENEVIEVE
Genevieve pinched the bridge of her nose between her finger and thumb and thanked every deity that her boss couldn't see her face. She’d taken this job because she thought this law firm cared more about pro-bono cases. She didn’t understand why her boss was fighting her so hard on this potential case.
A bitten werewolf had been attacked at a bar. When he’d defended himself, he’d put the other guy in the hospital. Because he was bitten, it was being called a ‘failure to maintain control’, which meant he could end up in the System even though he had a pack. She couldn’t let that happen.
“Look, I’m not saying we can’t take it on, but I think you misunderstand how the pro-bono cases work. If you think this is a worthy cause, then take the case. Do the work. However, you have to keep up with all your billable hours as well.”
“Is that even possible?” she asked.
“Of course it is, you’ll just have to work weekends. That’s what this job is, if you haven’t figured that out yet. It's actually a good opportunity to prove yourself if you're interested in becoming a partner in the next few years," Susan said, typing in the background. That woman never sat still. She was always doing two things at once and expected the same of every other employee. Especially the lowly associates.
Genevieve paused for a moment to steel herself for taking on another challenge. “Alright, I’ll do it.”
Susan shouted something at someone in the background, though the words were muffled. "Great!" she said, returning to their conversation abruptly. “Send Jorge all the information you find. The client interview needs to be done by Sunday evening, and then we can get into the rest Monday morning. Go ahead and come in early, maybe around seven a.m., so you can catch me up before the rest of the partners arrive."
"Alright, I can do that." She wasn't actually sure she could, but she had to try. She didn’t want to spend the rest of her life getting people out of parking tickets. She wanted to actually help people. Besides, if she couldn't do this basic grunt work she'd never make it as a lawyer.
When she gotten into college she'd chosen law because her dad had always called her his little lawyer. She argued her way out of every punishment and had enjoyed debate in high school. This was nothing like she pictured.
Susan ended the call without saying goodbye. Genevieve tossed her phone down on the table and put her face in her hands thinking, once again, that this had been a huge mistake. Someone's well-being depended on her ability to do her job. She had no idea how surgeons functioned. Hell, she wasn't even sure how Amber walked around all day like everything was fine when the pack's safety depended on her.
The door opened and she looked up. Tommy walked in with his arms covered in tiny cuts. They were already healing, so they must have been way worse a few minutes ago.
"What happened to you?" she asked in alarm.
He muttered something even her enhanced hearing couldn't make out.
She got up and walked over, grabbing his arm and inspecting one of the bloody spots. It looked sort of like a bite. "Did Woggy bite you?"
"No, but it was a pixie," he said with a sigh, lifting his other hand to show her Woggy. He was badly beaten, his gray body mottled with purple bruises. The tip of the pixie's ear was torn. "A whole swarm of them. I t
hink Woggy started the fight, and by the time I got there and got him out, he was already in bad shape."
The pixie rolled over in Tommy's hand, whimpering. He opened his big, watery eyes and gave them an utterly pathetic look.
She wasn't as enamored with Woggy as the others, but even she felt bad seeing him like this. "Did you call Ceri?"
"Yeah, she said to give him meat and that if he's breathing without trouble to wait on doing anything else until she gets back. They're almost here by the way," Tommy said, heading toward the kitchen.
Genevieve started packing up all the paperwork spread over the coffee table. She was a little embarrassed how excited she was to have Amber back but was trying to learn to accept the odd instincts that came with being a werewolf. She could take the cure, but...she felt braver when she was with the pack. If she left, she knew she'd just go back to avoiding her responsibilities and never challenging herself.
"What do you think her brother is going to be like?" Tommy asked from the kitchen as he cracked open a can of pre-cooked chicken. It was normally a treat they gave Woggy at dinner to keep him from trying to get into their food.
She zipped up her briefcase and snorted at his question. "Bossy, probably.”
He grinned at that. "As long as he doesn't run around worrying about everyone constantly."
"Oh my god, that would be miserable," she agreed with a laugh.
Tommy paused. "Do you think she'll be mad about...you know," he asked, gesturing down the hall.
"She's going to rage about it and demand to know who did it, and then whine about it, for days possibly, but she's going to be secretly thrilled."
He looked unconvinced. "I'm telling her it was your idea."
"You picked––"
They both stopped, their heads cocking toward the front of the house as the sound of tires on gravel drifted toward them from the driveway.
"They're here!" she said, running for the door. Tommy followed and they tumbled out onto the porch.
Ceri parked and the door to the truck opened. A tall man with dark brown hair, a thick beard, and a shirt that said It's Bigger Down South stepped out. She sucked up the drool threatening to escape her mouth as he hoisted a backpack onto his shoulders and smiled at her.
Amber hopped down from the truck and Genevieve forgot all about the newcomer. She ran forward, Amber meeting her halfway, and slammed into her alpha. Tommy got there a half second later and wrapped his long arms around both of them, turning it into a group hug.
"You're finally back!" Genevieve squealed, her words muffled by Tommy's forearm and Amber's shoulder.
Amber laughed and squeezed them a little tighter. "I'm glad to see I was missed. I was worried I'd get back and you'd all be gone."
"Never," Tommy objected.
They pulled back, but Amber grabbed her and sniffed her again, carefully. "Why do you smell like...I don't even know what it is." She paused, a low growl rumbling in her throat as her eyes flashed red. "Who marked you?"
Genevieve busted out laughing. "Don't worry, whatever you’re thinking is wrong."
Chapter 4
AMBER
This was so much worse than what she’d been thinking. This was very, very bad. She was never leaving the pack unsupervised again.
The mangy, one-eyed cat hissed at her again, arching its back to make its already massive form look bigger. The thing had to weigh at least forty pounds. It was possible it was mostly fluff though. It had long, ratty gray fur that probably needed to be shaved off. The animal was filthy.
Genevieve pet it soothingly. “It’s okay Captain Jack, she’s not as mean as she looks. Her face just does that naturally.”
“What the hell is that?” she demanded after a few moments of stunned silence.
“It was Gen’s idea,” Tommy said hastily, crossing his arms and taking a step back.
Genevieve glared at him. “Tommy picked him out.”
Amber turned to Ceri, who was feeding Woggy little pieces of chicken. “Why didn’t you stop them? And I thought y’all were planning on getting a dog?”
“Well, we saw this old guy in the shelter, and he’d been there for over a year,” Ceri said, her blue eyes getting watery, like she might start crying. “We couldn’t just leave him.”
Amber put her face in her hands and muttered threats she knew she wouldn’t follow through on. This was all part of her cosmic punishment for the bad things she’d done in her life. That was the only explanation.
She dropped her hands and faced the cat again. It was licking its leg now and ignoring her. Tentatively, she patted its head. It looked up at her and hissed. “Great, we’re friends now,” she said, wiping her hand on her leg.
Genevieve rolled her eyes and picked the cat up. Its legs hung down to her hips. She nuzzled her head into its fluff, which explained the smell on her, and the cat began to purr like a motorboat. “Captain Jack is the best cat ever.”
Derek clapped his hand on her shoulder. “At least it won’t bark. Now, where’s my room?”
“There are two free rooms upstairs, pick whichever you like,” she said, gesturing toward the stairs.
“So inhospitable,” Derek joked as he headed toward the stairs.
“I’ll show you around,” Ceri offered.
“That’d be great,” he said, his face lighting up in a smile.
Amber grimaced. She should have just done it. Genevieve caught her eye, then looked pointedly at Ceri and Derek heading upstairs. Genevieve’s smile grew, clearly amused by the obvious chemistry between the two.
Her stomach growled, distracting her from all that. “What’s for dinner?” she asked, looking at Tommy hopefully.
“I ordered pizza,” Genevieve said. “Tommy had tutoring with Deward today, so he didn’t really have time.”
“Sorry,” Tommy said, looking chagrined.
“Pizza sounds great, nothing to be sorry about. How’s tutoring going? Did you get your driver’s license?” she asked, eager to catch up.
“Yeah,” he said with a grin, finally straightening his shoulders. “Passed with flying colors.”
Amber heard someone turn down the driveway and tilted her head toward the noise. “Pizza guy?”
“What? Oh, I hear it now,” Genevieve said, hurrying toward the door. She grabbed her wallet from her purse and yanked the door open before the guy had a chance to knock. The smell of pizza filled the house.
“You aren’t too mad about the cat, are you?” Tommy asked, tugging his beanie down nervously.
Amber shook her head and looked at the beast. “No, I’m not mad. He’s probably the perfect mascot for us.”
Tommy laughed. “You’ve got that right. He’s definitely not your average cat.”
“Is he getting along with Woggy?” she asked.
“Yeah, surprisingly. We actually took Woggy to the shelter with us. He climbed on Captain Jack’s back and the cat just sniffed him, then laid down.”
“Huh, I would not have guess that’d be the cat’s reaction. Glad to hear it though.”
Genevieve walked back into the living room with the pizza. “DINNER IS HERE!” she shouted in the general direction of upstairs.
“Be right down!” Ceri shouted back.
Amber smiled to herself, she was glad to be home. Even if the cat was currently stealing a piece of pizza straight out of the box with its filthy paws.
Chapter 5
CERI
The house had gone quiet, and Ceri should be sleeping, but between the odd dreams and the anxiety she’d had since the Trials…well, she wasn’t. Instead, she’d been living on caffeine and naps. Sleeping during the day seemed to result in fewer dreams.
Covering a yawn with the back of her hand, she shuffled into the work room. She’d been investigating the wards on the house to keep herself from brooding over everything that had happened. It was fascinating how the house had moved them around during the attack. She’d never seen magic like it before. It was almost as if it had been left alone and
gotten unruly, coming up with its own ideas about how to protect itself. The only thing she knew for sure so far was that gaining new inhabitants had strengthened it and made it happy.
She lit a bundle of sage and began walking the perimeter of the room. Waving the smoldering herb gently, she directed the smoke with her free hand as she cleansed it methodically. It was important to make sure the space was clear of negative energies and spirits before she opened her mind to the magic of the house.
There were spirits in this world, born of pure magic, that were both good and bad. This was another thing her grandmother had taught her, all the while cursing people that lived their lives with a black and white view of good and evil.
Ceri rolled her eyes at the memory. Her grandmother had been wise, powerful, and vicious. And just as disappointed in her daughter as her mother was in her. Her grandmother had had such high hopes for her. She was probably rolling in her grave watching her now.
Setting the still smoldering bundle of sage in a bowl on the floor in the center of the room, she sat down in front of it. The scent surrounded her and cleared her senses. She crossed her legs and rested her hands on her thighs.
Her senses reached out and sank into the walls, the floor, and wards that were a part of the house. It looked back at her and she felt the air around her shift slightly.
The house was excited she was acknowledging it, almost like a happy puppy. The floorboards under her creaked and trembled slightly. A barrage of images flashed through her mind, too fast to process. A glimpse of the kitchen. The back door. The porch. The attic. Then, in a blinding burst, the wards themselves came into focus.
Her breath caught in her throat. Woven into every board, and into the air itself, were golden threads of elven magic. They burned as bright as the sun. Whoever had created them had been pure of heart and had poured love and creativity into them. She mentally snorted. That ruled out Thallan, the house’s owner.
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