He shrugged and handed it over. “I got a magical…summons, it felt like. It was like a tug, directing me here. I resisted for a while—my employer doesn’t like to share highly paid employees—but…” His smile was crooked, as though someone else were pulling at his lips. “It got the better of me, didn’t it? Here I am. You need some training or something, right?”
“Your employer…” I paused for a moment. “And who is that?”
He opened his mouth, as though to answer, and then drew in a breath. He shook his head. “Can’t tell, I’m afraid. Physically, I mean. It’s a gag spell put on us when we sign up. He’s more powerful than me or I’d find a way around it.” He shrugged. “It’s pretty standard practice for the higher-level employees.”
“Probably should’ve expected that,” Niamh murmured.
“Do you know the story about this house and who I am?” I asked.
He looked upward, leaning back to do so. “Creepy old house. It’s cool. But no, I don’t know more than that. This town is out of the way. Seems pretty small. Is it magical? I haven’t heard of it.”
“Not really. I mean, it’s becoming magical.”
I chewed my lip, feeling a strange sort of hesitation. Usually when someone answered my summons, I invited them in. Some of them got to live here until they were fired or accepted. But for the first time, I didn’t want to push the door wide and usher this guy through. Maybe it was all the failed mages before him. Maybe I’d learned not to be so welcoming to strangers. Whatever it was, I didn’t step back and play the nice host.
“You know what?” I said. “Why don’t I have one of my team get you checked in to the hotel in town.” I glanced back at Mr. Tom—a silent request for him to get Ulric or Jasper. “We can meet up at the bar in a few hours and chat. In the meantime, my person can fill you in on some of the particulars about this place.”
He dug his hand back in his pocket to match the other before stepping back. “I already got a room there. I wanted to put my stuff down and check out the town before I showed up.” He paused for a moment. “Precaution.”
“Right, so”—Niamh stepped forward, past me—“let’s go grab a pint then. C’mon, I’ll tell ye all about this miserable place and the whack jobs running it.”
A car rolled down the street slowly, a newer Ford in midnight blue, the figure inside scouting the houses he or she passed. When the car neared us, though, I nearly lost my stomach.
“It’s Jimmy! He’s here early!” Joy bubbled up through me, and I was shoving Niamh and the new guy down the walkway before I realized my rudeness. “Sorry, hey, what’s your name?”
“Sebastian,” the new guy said.
“Hi, I’m Jessie—”
“But you will call her ‘miss,’” Mr. Tom cut in.
I didn’t have time to get annoyed as Jimmy stopped in the street, looking through the windshield of his rental car before glancing down at the screen of his phone, trying to find the right house, not noticing me standing out front.
“Niamh, head to the bar with Sebastian and fill him in. I’ll…” I grimaced. This was the first mage that had made it to the door, and he might be the last. He could help me, but if left solely to Niamh’s devices, he might not stick around long enough to hear an offer. I had to meet them tonight to make sure he’d stick around.
Hopefully Jimmy would be tired from his journey. He’d come all the way from New York, a trip that would’ve taken a couple planes and a layover. He’d probably want to head to bed early. I could make the meeting work.
“Fill Sebastian in,” I started again as Jimmy recognized my car in the driveway and then noticed us all standing near the front door. He frowned. I’d told him about the house—I’d even sent him a picture—but only an in-person tour could do this place justice. Jimmy was seeing why, from the magical shadow that unnaturally shaded the place, to the glowing attic light (which was rarely on), to the sheer size as it sprawled across the carefully tended grounds. “Get some food, maybe. I’ll meet you all as soon as I can, okay? I just have to get my…visitor settled in.”
No point in letting a stranger know how precious my visitor was. I wasn’t important enough for someone to hunt Jimmy down all the way in New York, where he went to school, but if my son was on hand, and things went pear-shaped with this powerful visitor…
“He’s a day early,” Mr. Tom said, stepping farther out to see the car as it pulled into the drive. “Hopefully he didn’t bring a cooler full of food and cheap beer like your parents did.”
“Okay, see ye in a while.” Niamh motioned Sebastian ahead of her.
“Are we allowed to come out now?” Ulric called from inside the house. “Also, are we in trouble? I promise I wasn’t spying on you, Jess—miss. I did like feeling the spice, but I didn’t want to feel your wrath, so figured I’d better close it down.”
“Shh!” I batted at the air even though he couldn’t see me. “Mr. Tom, tell him and Jasper to head into town to watch Sebastian. Tell Austin about him, too. He’ll want to keep an eye on things. Don’t tell Austin I’m going to ring his bell the next time I see him. I don’t want to ruin the surprise. Hey, bud!”
I practically ran around the car to grab hold of Jimmy as he climbed out.
“Hi, Mom.” He groaned within my squeeze. “This house is huge! Is it really yours?”
I reached up to put my palms on both of my son’s cheeks, his scruff almost a messy beard, completely unkempt, and his sandy-brown hair falling past his eyes and over his ears. His hazel eyes matched mine, as did his thin nose, but he had his father’s wide smile and height, over six feet tall.
I frowned at the hoodie draped across his bony shoulders and the jeans sagging around his hips. “Did you stop eating? What happened to you?”
“It’s fine.” He twisted out of my grip. “Cooking sucks. But seriously, is this really your new house? I got the pictures, but…”
“Yeah, this is it. Come on.” I led him toward the front door as Sebastian and Niamh reached her house. She ran in to get something, and he turned to look at us, his gaze tracking me and Jimmy. I waved my hand, throwing up a magical one-way mirror, making it so nothing impeded my view of Sebastian, but he saw his own reflection instead of us.
“Well, hello, Master Evans.” Mr. Tom bowed, his wings fluttering.
Magic sparkled along my spell, and it took me a moment to realize Sebastian’s fingers had lifted from his sides, his spell work hardly noticeable. His magic and power filled in little spots and crevices in my spell that I hadn’t even realized were there, strengthening it but also changing it. Enhancing it.
I paused as Jimmy reached out to fist-bump Mr. Tom, turning back to see Sebastian’s handiwork.
The image of Sebastian crystalized, like I was looking at a computer screen, the shadows of early evening now tinged lime green. He’d added a nighttime effect in addition to cleaning up the haze from my spell.
“Just a sec,” I murmured, jogging out to the street. I couldn’t pass up the chance to look at it from the other side.