Page 59 of Curse of Ancients

“Agreed. We are headed to the helo now. I will see you in a few hours.”

Harlow clicked off the call. “That’s wonderful news.”

“It is if she’s telling the truth.” Carleigh turned her attention to the outside camera. Her tigers had shifted back to their skin. “Hang on a second, Low.” She muted her earpiece so she wouldn’t hurt Harlow’s ears and called out, “Juniper, hungry boys returning for lunch.”

“On it,” her sister replied.

Carleigh unmuted her side and continued, “Like I told Dad, I don’t want a stranger around Juni until we’re positive she’s on the up and up. Bayu just got one curse removed. I never want him to go through that again.”

“I hear ya, C.”

“The boys are returning from their walkabout, so I’m going to join them for lunch.”

“Have fun. Love you.” Harlow disconnected, and Carleigh removed her earpiece, laying it on the desk. Leaning back in her chair, she stared at the ceiling. If this Violet was being truthful, then Bayu’s problems would be solved. Except for the missing Nuhuala. She could still find Bayu, and they didn’t know her intentions. There was nothing to be done about that now, so she left the office and joined her little family.

Bayu finished his soup and sandwich before anyone else, so Carleigh placed half her sandwich on his plate. He hadn’t eaten his breakfast, and she wasn’t all that hungry, thinking about Violet. She needed to tell Bayu about the young witch, but it could wait. She focused on Juni who was shoving blueberries in his mouth. He loved fresh fruit, and they let that be his dessert. When there were no more, he held his hands out to Carleigh, and she wiped them with a damp cloth they kept ready for accidents. Juni was a messy eater, but he wasn’t super picky, so she counted that as a win. Messes could be cleaned.

“Me go wead?” Juni asking to read was code for naptime. They never made him lie down, but they did suggest it every day. Most of the time, he was ready since he played hard.

“May I take you?” Juniper asked.

“Yes, pease.” Juni was fine with someone else reading to him during the day, but he wanted his Carwee at bedtime.

Juniper lifted Juni from his seat, and he waved at everyone before running toward the staircase. “Careful,” she admonished. He shifted to his fur and bound up the stairs. “That’s one way to do it,” Juniper muttered.

When Gemi began clearing the table, Carleigh waved her off. “I have news. Some good and some that might be good. Dad called, and the compound has been dismantled. The only hiccup was a teenager there who begged them to help her. Her name is Violet, and she said her father was the head mage, and he made her abide by the ways of the Black Lotus even though it went against what her witch mother taught her. Erik voiced her, so Dad thinks she’s telling the truth. She overheard her father talking to the mage who had captured the Nuhuala, and she has escaped. Violet also knows how to shield you from any of the Black Lotus, even if they recapture the Nuhuala female.”

“Is he bringing her here?” Bayu asked.

“No. Dominic is taking her to Lilly. She and the twins will vet her. I don’t want anyone associated with that cult near you before we know they can be trusted. I especially don’t want someone like her around our cub.”

“Neither do I, but if she can shield me, I would be grateful. I managed to get through the first scroll, and there is a lot I don’t understand. It is like having a puzzle but some of the pieces are missing.”

“Maybe the other scrolls will make it clearer?”

“Maybe. Will you take a walk with me?” Bayu surprised Carleigh by not rushing back to reading the ancient text.

“Of course.” Carleigh insisted on helping clear the table. Bayu helped as well, with Kat loading the dishwasher. Once outside, Carleigh asked, “Where are we going?”

“If Silas is agreeable, I would like to walk over to see my property. I thought that maybe we could build Gemi a house since I am living with you. I haven’t had the chance to ask her, but she might like having her own space.”

“I love that idea.” Carleigh didn’t mind the female living with them, but she would prefer if it were just the three of them eventually. Then again, she also wanted to move closer to Sebastian at some point. “Silas, care for another stroll?”

“Beats sitting on my ass.” The Goyle had been lounging under an umbrella by the pool, reading a book.

“When do you get a day off?” Bayu asked when Silas fell into step with them.

“Eh, I guess whenever I ask for one. If I weren’t here with you, I’d be off on another job. I’d much rather be around Juni than someone like a twenty-something pop star diva. Besides, I took vacation about two months ago, so I’m set for a while.”

Bayu led them through the woods. He went first so he could hold tree branches out of the way. “I planned on cutting out all the brush and saplings to give the mature trees space. I admit I walked most of the property when deciding whether to buy it, and I did come close to your land. I assume I remained far enough away from the cameras, or you would have been alerted to my presence.” Bayu stopped at a creek.

“Oh, this is nice. It must cut south since it doesn’t cross onto my property.”

“It does. This is what sold me on saying yes.” Bayu spread his hands out, gesturing to the north. “If it was feasible, I was going to clear off this portion here and build the house close to the creek.”

Carleigh hesitated to tell him how she felt, but it wouldn’t do to keep it inside. “Before you came along, I thought about moving to West Virginia so I can be closer to Sebastian and Dakota. That is still something I would like for us to consider at some point in the future. For now, how about we build Gemi something here, and we stay next door?”

“Home is where you are, my Sayang. Before we decide anything, I need to finish reading the scrolls. If I am to be gone as much as my father was, I want you to be where you are surrounded by family. Whether that is here or West Virginia, I will let you decide.”