“The alternative is to have you sleeping on this couch or renting a room at the Lodge, so I think we’ll make do with the guest bedroom in the apartment.” She stood and checked the security camera by the door. “Abigail, Finn, and Christina just arrived to start their day. I’ll let them know that Damien is staying with us on the second floor for a while.”
“You even said that with a straight face.” He chuckled as he pointed to her office. “Is the key to the classrooms in there?”
“Hanging on a red ribbon. My lab’s key is on a purple ribbon and the other rooms that Grans and Christina have appropriated for storage have a yellow ribbon. So any room the red ribbon key will open is up for grabs. I don’t think any of the remaining rooms have secret exits to the outside, but with the academy, you never know. Just let me know and we’ll rekey the rooms you choose. I’ll keep one of the keys, just in case, and you get to pick your ribbon color.”
“I’d love blue. Like your grandmother’s eyes.” He disappeared into the office as the front door opened and the three women came inside.
Abigail’s eyes widened as she saw Mia downstairs. “Oh, I figured you were at work already or I would have invited you to the house for breakfast. We just finished talking about our next week’s schedule. We have several additional deliveries, as well as two holiday parties, one that will be held here. I was planning on emailing you the monthly calendar in case you have room in your schedule to help us out.”
“That will work. I’m heading to work as soon as I change. I had a meeting with Grans and Damien, Dorian’s brother, this morning. He’s going to be staying here at the academy for a while. He’ll be living on the second floor,” Mia added, directing the information to Finn. “He shouldn’t bother you.”
Finn shrugged, her purple hair, longer now, flipping with the movement. “No worries. He seems nice. We talked last night after the party. I stepped out of my room for some snacks after my game and he was drinking tea. He has a huge crush on your grandmother. It’s so sweet.”
Mia relaxed a little with Finn’s words. Finn already seemed comfortable around Dorian, now Damien. Mia needed to start thinking of him with that name, so it shouldn’t be an issue having him in the academy. “Well, if anything happens that feels weird—I don’t expect anything, but just in case—let me know.”
Finn rolled her eyes. “Between you and Abigail, you’re both so sensitive to my feelings. I love being here, but you two need to relax a bit. I can deal with more than you think I can.”
Mia laughed and looked at her watch. “I guess I need to stop babying you then and get to work. I have a nine o’clock staff meeting at the Lodge. I’ll see you all tonight. Call me if there are any issues.”
The last statement she’d addressed directly to Abigail, who responded with a nod. She knew the undercurrent of the question. She would watch out for Damien and make sure he stayed put.
Sometimes being between two worlds made her life a little crazy.
She headed upstairs to change into her work clothes and head to her normal job. And she felt good about it. There, all she had to deal with were human issues, like holiday parties and a boss who liked everything documented in triplicate.
At least this boss didn’t want to fire her, unlike the last one.
Mia had just finished her last meeting when her personal cell phone rang. Trent Majors, Abigail’s son and Mia’s boyfriend, was calling. “I’m so happy to hear your voice. This day has just been weird,” Mia said.
“Sorry, then, it’s about to get weirder. So, Cerby’s at-home training program has been approved and Sonja McMann is here to train him. Sarah’s bringing over Tempest, Elisa Marie’s puppy, to see if he’s a hellhound too. If so, Sonja says she can train both of them here.” Trent explained the updated process. Sonja McMann was a member of the werewolf tribe that lived in the deep forest just north of Magic Springs in the Saw tooth Mountain Range. When there were bigfoot sightings in northern Idaho, it was usually one of the McManns who had been out running with the moon.
“That’s great. I didn’t want you to have to send Cerby back to the training camp. You know he hatedbeing away from you.” Mia rolled her shoulders and opened her calendar for the week. “When is she starting?”
“Now. And bonus, she’s staying here at the house. Mom tried to get her to stay with her, but Sonja says for this to work, she has to be here with both dogs. So Mark’s going to be mad at me because if Tempest is a hellhound sent by the Goddess, Sarah and the baby have to stay here with us. Dad’s going to take charge of the store because I can’t leave the house for six weeks.” He paused. “I’m sorry, I’m stuck here.”
“Maybe I could come over.” Mia didn’t like these rules at all.
“Sorry, but you, Mark, and every other person is banned until the training is complete. Mom’s going to send over meals and groceries.” His voice dropped. “I’m sorry for disappearing on you like this, but it’s better for Cerby.”
“I know. I’m just going to miss you.” She made a note on her calendar six weeks into the future. “You’re going to miss Thanksgiving, but at least you’ll be off house arrest by Christmas. I have a new house guest too.”
Mia told him about Dorian staying at the academy and his name change, as well as his new living arrangements.
“I’m glad someone will be there for you guys.” Trent paused, then asked, “Do you think we’re overreacting? Maybe Cerby doesn’t need hellhound training.”
“Do you want him freaking out and changing in public?” Grans had been clear and very detailed whenshe’d told Mia why even a Maltese like Cerby needed training. “This is better, and it’s only six weeks. We’ll talk every night.”
He promised to call later and hung up. A few minutes later, she got a call from Mark Baldwin, complaining that his wife, child, and new puppy might have to be living at Trent’s for the duration of the training.
“I don’t know what I can tell you, Mark. I’m not happy about it either. Maybe you’ll get lucky and Tempest is just a dog,” she suggested, but then he went off again.
Fifteen minutes later, she got him off the phone and tried to return to her scheduling project. As soon as she settled in, her phone rang again.
It was Grans.
“Grans, I’m trying to finish something up so I can head home. Is it something we can talk about later?”
“No, Mia. It’s not. The National Office has sent over another testing expert. You’re going to be tested again at the end of the week.” Grans sounded stressed.