“Except when they’re like Doug. And his brother.”
“They seem the antithesis of the kind of magical beings Cliff and Abi have been protecting.”
I nodded my head. We could agree on that point. “Those two are raising a field full of red flags. The boys were with Doug all weekend, and from what they told me, he appears to have no problems affording a new condo in Vancouver.”
“Money’s been an issue in the past?”
“Pfft, you have no idea.” My attention had been divided between talking with Tanner and keeping an eye on Harper. Kaz straightened and started to step away. I noticed a beat of hesitation before he came over to the couch.
“May I join you?” he asked, pointing to a side chair. He turned to Tanner and lifted the ice pack to examine the injured knee. “How’re you doing?”
“Knee’s going to be fine,” Tanner said. “It’s these three I’m worried about.”
“I’ve seen this before, in other teens who’re straddling that cusp between puberty and adulthood. They’ve gone through all those hormonal changes within a relatively small window of time, and now their bodies are trying to settle into the next phase, kind of like they’re figuring out who they are while being armed with all this terrific new equipment. That said, I’ve only seen this feathering phenomenon once before. Up on First Nations lands in the Northwest territories.”
Tanner grabbed the back of the couch and shifted to sit up straighter. “I need to hear more. I’ve had a trip up there on the back burner. Maybe I should move it forward.”
Kaz nodded and turned to me. “I think I know a good man for Harper to meet, but I have to speak with him first.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “I have to actually find him first, then speak with him. But this phenomenon is so rare, I think he’ll be willing to at least talk with Harper.”
“What do we do in the meantime?” I asked. “Can he start school? Is this a full moon-related phenomenon?”
Kaz rubbed his chin. “We just had the full moon, and you had your initiation ceremony, am I correct?”
I nodded.
“So, we have another month before the next one. I think Harper should go about his life, maybe keep his shirt on,” he suggested, his smile kind and full of understanding. “I also think he needs to stay open and willing to being closely monitored.”
“Hey. Guys. I’m right here.” Harper came up on his elbows and pushed his way into sitting on the edge of the table, his wadded shirt pressed to his chest. “This is happening to me, so I’d appreciate being included. And Mom,” he added, punching his arms through the sleeve holes. He winced and pulled the shirt off. “I can handle this. I just don’t want Dad to come back here. Did you see how he tried to take Thatch away?”
I had temporarily misplaced that piece of the evening’s excitement. I looked from Harper’s set and settled face to Kaz’s. “Kaz? What do you think we should do?”
“Operation Calliope’s Fortress,” he said without hesitation. “You’ve got Tanner here. He’s weakened, but don’t discount his abilities, especially once he’s mobile again. If you’ve got coffee, I can stay the night, add to the wards.”
“Can I do that with you?” Thatcher asked. He’d sidled closer as they spoke and was now bouncing on his toes expectantly as he looked back and forth between me and Kaz.
“It’s fine with me,” I said. “But if there’s any hint, even the tiniest, that Doug or Roger or anyone else from that side of the family is back, I want you in the house, okay? No heroics.”
Thatch nodded and tapped his brother’s thigh. “What about you, Harp?”
“I want to call Leilani, see how she’s doing.” He winced as he gripped the edge of the table. “Y’know, Mom, she’s eighteen too. Should she be here?”
I had no idea, but I was already strategizing how to talk to Leilani’s fathers about her potential and their plans for furthering her magical education. “Talk to her, see how’s she’s doing. No one’s leaving the property tonight, so no sneaking out. If she’s scared, or…”
“Dad knows about her. At least let me warn her.” Harper slid off the table, shook Kaz’s hand, and let him know he’d be upstairs.
I watched him walk away, shoulders drawn and the skin on his back a splotchy canvas in shades of red and pink. Doug knowing about Leilani could complicate things.
Kaz broke my train of thought. “Thatcher, if you’re going to help me add to the wards, we need to get your arm in a sling. Come here.”
“Mom? Where are you?” came Harper’s voice.
I poked my head out of my office. I had relinquished my bedroom to Tanner and unfolded the futon in my office to use as my temporary bed.
Harper’s feet landed heavily on the last couple of stairs. He’d donned an oversized flannel shirt and left it unbuttoned. “Lei-li’s freaking out. And Mal and Jim aren’t home.”
“Would you both feel better if she was here with you, with us?” I was on my knees, struggling to make a tight corner with a top sheet. The futon was winning.
“One-hundred percent better.”
The concern playing across Harper’s face sealed the deal. “Let’s ask Kaz to pick her up.”
He nodded, worry and relief scudding across his face like clouds over the water on a windy day. “And Mom, is it okay if she stays in my room with me? We won’t… I mean, we don’t…” He pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes. “Fuck.”
“Shh, it’s okay. Right now, we all need to feel safe. And I trust you and Leilani.” I rolled onto my feet and nudged him into the hallway. “And if there’s anything either of you need, don’t be shy about asking.”
My oldest son, the one who’d broken my heart open at the moment of his birth, blushed and drew me in for a hug. “Thanks, Mom, for understanding.
