Chapter 19 19
“Connor, check the perimeter. Someone’s been here.” I felt the alarms of my wards ringing out as soon as I stepped out of the portal onto my front porch. He put on his game face as he headed off around the porch. “Tristan, stay with me. “
“Can I help?” The pup was looking around with wide eyes.
“Can you use a gun or sword?” I was pretty sure of the answer as we walked inside.
“Um, no.” We turned into my weapons room. Scanning my arsenal I looked for something easy for a novice to use.
“Here. It’s easy to use. The pointy end goes in the other guy.” After handing him a short dagger I headed for center of the house. “Check the inside of the house. Give me a shout if you find anything out of place. Or anyone.”
He nodded before going into his room. I stood in the spot I knew was the absolute center of the house. Taking a moment, I listened for any heart beats that didn’t belong. A deep breath revealed the house smelled like it should. Satisfied the house was empty; I stretched my arms out over my head, and then reached for the wards. I needed to know what had been done to them. Carefully, I checked each of the wards that crisscrossed the house. They each had a specific purpose. Some worked as barriers to magic. Others zapped the hell out of anyone magical who tried to force them. My favorite was the one that made any human that stepped on my front porch suddenly feel the need to run home to clean their house to white glove standards. I call it the Human Repeller: Cinderella Edition.
The wards for the lower level were intact. The same could not be said of the upper. ….where Tristan was. I ran up the stairs as fast as I could, not stopping until I burst into my bathroom. The pup was standing in the center of the room, looking around with awe. Couldn’t blame him, it was an impressive room.
River pebble mosaic tiles covered the floor that slanted slightly towards the drain in the center of the room. The long back wall was mostly windows looking out into the woods behind the cabin. The gazebo along the tree line was all that was visible of the back yard due to the roof of the porch. For some unknown reason there was a small terrace off that wall. I figured the previous owners AKA the evil coven used it for some kind of ritual with the moon. The short side wall was also mostly windows looking into the grove of magnolia trees that grew on that side of the house. When I remodeled the bathroom I’d installed an extra wide Japanese soaking tub on that wall. Only time I’d used it was when Bask had gotten skunked and needed a tomato bath. Sadly, some smells are too strong for even magic to deal with. It had taken almost a week before I could walk in the house without gagging.
My toiletries and towels were on a freestanding teak shelf in the middle of the room with a shower head and shower controls mounted on the side panel. The plumbing was hidden inside the panel as well to run water to the shower heads mounted to the ceiling. I don’t know how the plumbers did it but, the shower’s water pressure was so high if I wasn’t careful it felt like I was power washing the dirt off me. Pushed against the back window I had a bench that matched the shelf. A girl needs a comfy place to shave after all. His and her opaque blue glass bowl sinks were mounted on dark wood floating vanities on the shared wall of my bedroom. Oil rubbed bronze fixtures completed the rustic spa look. Along the back was the water closet which currently had a shower curtain for a door. A barn door led into my closet on the interior short wall. The walls were covered in vertical wood panels of various hues. “Why doesn’t your shower have walls?” He paused and looked around again. “Or curtains?”
“Dude, it’s one way glass.” I was creeped out at the thought of someone watching me shower thru binoculars. Connor joined us and reported that he didn’t find anything of interest outside. “Makes sense. They attempted to breach the wards thru the window in the water closet.”
We all turned to look in the little room and at the even smaller window.
“That window? It’s tiny and on the second floor. Who could fit thru it?” Tristan had a lot to learn about the magic world. I knew the answer. I’d need to go outside to verify, but, it was pretty obvious.
“Vampire. They could mist up here and ooze thru the space in the frame.” Connor was quick. Knowing that the vamp had found themselves in a bug zapper instead of violating my inner sanctum was the only thing bringing me any happiness at the moment. “You can plan how to rip them to pieces after we figure out who they are.”
I crossed my arms and gave him a pouty look. “Itty bitty teeny weeny little pieces?”
“So little people will say you minced him.” He thought he was humoring me. Little did he know I was serious. “Now be a good Scooby and sniff for clues outside the window.”
I nodded towards Tristan. “He’s Scooby. You’re Shaggy. I’m clearly a Daphne/Velma combo. Hot and smart.”
“I could be Fred instead of Scooby.” I slowly turned my head to look at the pup. I’m not sure I cared for what he was implying. Connor busted up laughing. Bastard.
“We’ve already got a Fred. But, if you don’t want to be Scooby, you can be Scrappy.” Connor apparently had forgotten that he’s the straight man and I’m the funny one.
“We so do not have a Fred! Besides, I think you are comparing us to the wrong group. The monsters the Scooby gang chased after were never real. I’m Buffy, Tristan’s Xander, and Connor, well, you are Willow.” I am so the funny one!
“Shouldn’t I be Oz? He was a werewolf. I am a werewolf. Just makes sense.” Connor and I both stared at the pup.
“You do realize Oz dated Willow, right?” Connor seemed a bit uncomfortable. Couldn’t imagine why. However, I was shocked. Who knew he had been paying attention all those times I had forced him to watch Buffy with me?
“Oh way to go Tristan! He already thought he was god’s gift to women. Now he’s going to think he’s god’s gift to men too.” While the boys stared at me with their mouths hanging open, I swirled out of my clothes. Connor opened the window and told me they would meet me downstairs.