Page 51 of Witch Unexpected
“The east wing may not be covered by the main wards that protect the rest of the mansion, but we’ve made sure to place runic wards on all the windows and exterior walls.”
“Why do the main wards not cover this wing?”
She shrugged. “No one knows for sure. They always malfunction, which is why we’ve had to reinforce in other ways. We have separate ground wards too, but only The Elites and the elder council have access to the full map of those wards. They’ve been in place forever.”
I smiled at her. “I get it. I’m safe here.”
She smiled warmly. “Yes, you are.” Her gaze tracked over me. “The clothes fit well.”
She was about the same height and build as me. “Yours?”
She shrugged. “I’m a shopaholic. Buy way too much. Haven’t gotten around to wearing those items yet. They still had tags on, honest.”
“It’s fine. Hand-me-downs would be fine too.” I fingered the jumper, a deep blue that sat well against my skin and made my hair look even more golden than it was. “Although you might regret letting me have this one. It’s super comfy.”
She chuckled. “I know, I have it in egg-shell blue and dusky rose.”
I guess this darker blue would make her already pale complexion even paler. Good choice to give it away and keep the others.
“Come on,” she said. “I’m starving. Let’s go eat.”
I followed her out of my quarters and through the east wing, where several apparitions were busy dusting the surfaces. Looked like Anna was making good on her promise to have the wing cleaned and aired.
There was no sight of Meredith and her merry band of dead elder witches, though.
“They’re probably sulking,” Pen said.
“Huh?”
“The ancient elders.” She flicked a glance over her shoulder. “That is what you were wondering, right?”
“Don’t tell me, you’re psychic?”
“Hardly.” She scoffed. “Just intuitive. I mean, after your mini showdown with them yesterday, of course you’d be wondering where they were.”
“It was hardly a showdown.”
“Really?” Her smile dimpled. “Not the way Grandmother tells it. But then she’s always had a flair for the dramatic.”
We took the steps down to the main corridor, where there was now an actual view through the windows. Someone had done an epic job of removing the grime, and buttery-yellow sunlight streamed across the gray flagstones and highlighted dancing motes of dust. Pen hurried to the double doors exiting out of the wing, but I lingered a moment to look out at the grounds beyond. Woodland surrounded the mansion, stretching as far as the eye could see. A ledge jutted out to my left, and a figure was perched on it. Wait… Not a figure. A stone monster, hunched and forbidding.
“You found Bador’s perch,” Pen said from beside me.
“Bador?”
“Yes, one of the guardians of Grimswood. They turn to stone during the day, you know.”
“I’m not so hot on my gargoyle mythology.”
“Oh, the stuff you read in books won’t tell you shit about gargoyles. Humans have some lame version in their fiction, and not even outliers know much about them.” She lightly touched the window with her fingertips. “But we know the truth about these magnificent beings.”
Okay, now I was intrigued. “Which is?”
She blinked sharply as if coming out of a trance. “Goodness. Look at the time. We need to get you fed and to Charlotte.” She turned away and clipped across the floor to the doors. “Come along.”
She looked young, not much older than me, but she acted older.
“Hey, Pen, how old are you?”
