“I thought you had to register.”
“I do, but she can give it to me.Like a personal rental or a family home.”
He curled her against him, and she slumped.
They stayed like that until the kettle boiled.She sighed and left him to pour the water over the tea bags.
“Why do I think that that is not the way you prepare tea?”
“Uh, because I am a shaman?The bagged tea is for visitors.”
She handed him his cup, and they walked into the living room.“Yeah.This is my house.She likes things a bit more modern.”
“This is very comfortable.”
“I know.If she did what I think she did, I am drooling at the thought of my bedroom.”
“May I go looking?”
“Sure.Me and my tea are going to make out.”She cuddled up on the couch, leather squeaking.
He laughed and headed upstairs.She heard him moving from room to room, and he came down with a slight smile on his face.“How much is it rated for?”
“Two thousand pounds.”
His smile was beaming.“You don’t say.”
She laughed, getting further into the couch.
He drank his tea in some long gulps and looked at her.“Come on.You have worked hard; you need to rest.”
“Are you usually this caretakerish?”
He chuckled.“I am.Comes with being a speaker.The health and well-being of those around me are my concern.Also, you are a neighbour of the clan, so I am trying to keep you pleasant-minded.”
He followed her up the stairs without her teacup, directed her toward the shower, and grabbed a soft robe from her closet.“There.When you come out, I will make sure that you are comfortable, and then I will make an appointment to see you tomorrow.”
“I will need to sleep for twelve hours.”
She pulled her phone out of her suit and sent her sister a message.The response wasHappy Birthday.
She smiled and went into the bathroom, pulling off the layers of hardened leather.There were a few rough patches of skin, but she was in fairly good condition when she stepped into the shower and let loose the magic that bound her hair.It unravelled swiftly, and she groaned when she was able to dig her fingers into the crown of her head.She massaged her scalp, shampooed it, and went through her rituals to get her mind and body working together again.
After she conditioned her hair, she rinsed off and felt almost well and strong again.She was still exhausted, but she didn’t feel drained anymore.
A blast of magic combed and dried her hair.It was swirling at ankle-length, and she untucked it when she wrapped herself in her robe.
Tam-or was still here.She could feel him.“I am good to sleep.You can go and speak elsewhere.”
He emerged from her bedroom.“Just keeping it warm for...holy hells.”The last was said on a soft exhalation.
She looked at him and walked past him to her bed, a huge swinging platform with a bed on it, covered in pretty quilts and soft throws.She folded back the bedding and paused.“You lay in my bed?”
“It looked fun.I wanted to warm it up for you.”He stood in the doorway.“You look...pretty.”
She wrinkled her nose and let her robe drop before climbing into bed.
His hand on the doorframe made the wood crack.
