“I’ll drive your truck and take Sallie and Azura with me. The boys and Leilani can take the Jeep.” I spun on the kitchen stool. “We leave in five minutes.”
Earlier, Maritza had gifted me a pair of black wool dress slacks. Bas chimed in with the suggestion I wear them with black ankle boots and a white shirt and then handed me a garment bag and a shoe box and wished me a happy birthday. I told him my birthday was months away. He ignored me and promised to take me to his aesthetician in Toronto “when all this calms down and things are back to normal.”
I laughed, then agreed I’d earned a spa day.
Tanner loaned me his laptop bag for the papers and whatever else I needed and shortened the shoulder strap so it became a handle. I felt very professional. “I’m going to the side yard to shift,” he said, holding my face and kissing my forehead. “I’ll ride in the back of the truck.”
The girls and I were buckling in when the truck rocked with the weight of a large silvery white wolf. He yipped twice, turned in a circle, and settled onto the old blanket Harper had tossed in.
“You two doing okay?” I asked, pulling out after the Jeep. Leilani blew us kisses from the back seat. Sallie was beside me, Azura’s hand clutched on her lap.
“I feel better now with a collar.” Malvyn had surprised Sallie with a simple choker of chrysalis shapes linked horizontally, each inscribed with a slightly different design.
“Mal did a beautiful job.”
Sallie beamed one of her rare smiles and sat up taller. Azura had insisted they both dress up a little and was wearing another of her vintage 1950s-style dresses with a full skirt. Sallie had reverted to wearing all black, but nothing was ripped and she had even polished and strung new laces through her favorite Fluevog boots.
We didn’t speak again until we pulled into the parking lot and disembarked. Wolf thumped his tail and I rubbed him behind the ears. “I have my pin,” I said. I showed him where I’d placed it, right over my heart. He thumped his tail again and lowered his snout to his paws. “You be good.”
Sallie and Azura stood to my front. Harper and Thatcher positioned themselves behind me, with Lei-li between them. I couldn’t resist joking, “Champagne’s on me if we come out of this alive.”
The Fae girls pulled the big glass door open and Thatcher held it until everyone was inside. We walked up the carpeted stairs in formation and repeated the door opening again at the landing. The same man as before was behind the reception counter. He stood as we entered.
“Calliope Viridis du Sang to see Odilon Vigne, scion of Clan Vigne.”
“And who is—?” he asked, waving his tablet at the teenagers. “Who are all these people with you?”
I stepped aside. Leilani came forward and offered her hand. “Leilani Margarita Brodeur, daughter of Malvyn Brodeur, Enforcer for the Board of Magical Governance, and James Brodeur, Botanist.”
The others followed her lead. “Harper Jones, first son of Calliope du Sang.”
“Thatcher Flechette du Sang, second son of Calliope du Sang.”
“Sallie Flechette, favorite niece of Calliope du Sang.”
“Azura Isadora, future ice mage and houseguest of Calliope du Sang.”
The man’s eyes widened with each teen’s introduction. “I shall let the scion know you are here.”
“Help yourselves to water,” I said, pointing to the waiting area.
“We’re good.” Thatcher moved to my side, and Harper and Leilani joined hands.
Inside, I was calm. I kept remembering what I had experienced during the Joining, the cellular connection to my land. I had a notion to try to do that with water, next time I had a free day and an ocean or a lake to float in. Nothing was going to be taken from me that I wasn’t willing to give.
Or negotiate away.
“Come with me.” We followed the man down the hall to Odilon’s office. The scion stood as we entered, papers stacked in three piles in front of him. He came around his desk, kissed both my cheeks, and introduced himself to my five cohorts. After, he indicated everyone could take one of the seats his assistant had brought in while introductions were being made.
“I wasn’t expecting anyone else at our meeting, Calliope.”
“They insisted on joining me.”
“And why is that?”
Harper stood and took the lead. “We heard you had professed an interest in our well-being, Mr. Vigne, and we came to let you know we are doing fine. I only recently discovered that not only do I have wings—a gift from my mother’s side of the family—but I have Fae-born talents, as well.” Facing me and Odilon, Harper demonstrated an ability he hadn’t yet shown me. In under a minute his facial features began to resemble those of the gyrfalcon he had chosen to emulate.
“Impressive,” said Odilon. Harper grinned and sat down. The scion turned to Thatcher. “And what about you?”
Thatch leaned forward, elbows on his knees and fingers interlaced and studied Odilon before speaking. “I know that you were caught off guard, seeing all of us arrive with my mom, and that you fully expected her to give in to everything you want from her, including your offer of a romantic partnership. I also know that you become deeply embarrassed when you misjudge people.” Thatcher paused, then added, “You rarely miss the mark in your assessment of their strengths and weaknesses.”
Odilon placed his hands on his hips. “I could use someone like you on my staff,” he said. “If you’re ever looking to go beyond farm work.”
“I will keep your offer in mind.”
After a protracted silence, Azura and Sallie looked at each other. Sallie nodded, and Azura stood, fluffing at her skirt. “My family sits low in the Fae’s clan rankings. I, however, think I have magic worth cultivating and a great deal of experience in the food service industry.”
“I would wager your talents
