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“The ones we keep in the guild do. Those with basic skills that barely allow them to scry are usually un-magicked so they can live a normal life.”
“Were you ever tempted?”
“Hell no!” Mizuki laughed as we climbed the last set of stairs. “I like being different. As a teen, I got worried because I bloomed later than most.”
Her revelation led to me asking, “Were you attacked when your magic manifested?”
“Nope. I was always protected since I was born here. My parents were both guild.”
I heard the were and despite it being indiscreet had to ask. “They died? I’m sorry.”
“It was a long time ago. Fluke accident in the city. Runaway horse carriage ran them over.”
I blinked. “That seems rather uncommon.”
“Not for that century. It was a few decades before cars took over the roads.”
The odd remark had me blurting out, “Exactly how old are you?”
Mizuki grinned as stopped in front of a door and said, “One hundred and fifty-seven. And before you ask, I’m not the oldest here. That would be Nova, although don’t ask her the exact number. She won’t tell.”
Over a century old? My mind spun at the news while Mizuki flung open the door and announced, “Welcome to your new home.”
I walked in and fell in love.
11
Ever had a dream bedroom? Because I sure as fuck did, and I found it in a hidden castle for witches. I walked into a massive space, which I didn’t expect. Hearing that the castle acted as a dorm had me imagining cubicle-type rooms with single beds barely better than cots, scratchy wool blankets, and battered desks.
The reality? A king-sized four-poster bed with a canopy, the material creamy in color and texture. The comforter? A plush thing in various shades of blue with cream-colored pillows in different shapes. A blue carpet looked thick enough to lose my toes in. The nightstand, made of pale wood, matched that of the bed and the dresser, as well as the wardrobe. Quality pieces the likes I’d never been able to afford. A massive window drew me, and I looked out to see the garden I’d heard about. It wasn’t some tiny little plot but a vast field of tidy rows with trellises for the plants to climb.
“Do you like it?” Mizuki asked, having followed me in.
“This is incredible. Are all the rooms like this?”
She nodded. “Different styles of furniture and color schemes, but living here isn’t a hardship by any means. If you don’t like something, let us know. There are storage rooms beneath the castle with different furniture pieces, and we can order new bedding if this isn’t to your liking.”
“No, this is amazing. Thank you.”
“We also get our own bathrooms and a walk-in closet. Part of the renovation effort in the eighties to modernize this place. Given we had many empty bedrooms, it proved only a matter of blocking off every third one to split into two for the rooms to share. Come see.” She led me to a door that opened onto a tiled space. Big soaker tub in front of the window. Shower stall to the side. Toilet, sink, and shelves with fluffy towels. Even toiletries, still in their wrappings, waited to be used.
She pointed to a sliding pocket door. “Walk-in closet. No window but there’s a light switch to your left when you enter.”
“I don’t have enough clothes to fill the dressers in the bedroom let alone a closet,” I admitted somewhat ruefully.
“That will change. We have some accounts with various clothing boutiques. We just need to place an order online, and when it comes in, a reaper hits our package locker to retrieve it.”
“You have internet?” I ogled her.
“Well, yeah. How else would we keep in touch with the outside world?”
“It’s just, you’re so remote.”
“Remote, yes, but we have our ways of staying modern. We were one of the first to get satellite internet courtesy of Mr. Musk.”
“The Elon Musk?” Yeah, I said it in a tone of incredulity.
“Yes. He’s a reaper, but he serves the guild better on the outside.”
