“There’s nothing wrong here,” Roman said, closing the small gray metal door. “And the lights came back on, by themselves, which means it wasn’t a circuit breaker.” Roman traced a thick cord made from multiple wires tied together that extended out of the top of the electrical box up into the open ceiling. His finger traced various wires as they branched off. “Was it one specific room that had trouble?”
“No. The main store retail space’s lights flickered earlier and then the upstairs later.”
Roman nodded. “Maybe the entire building lost power both times.” He switched over to another wire, following it along a wall to where he stopped. “Well, here’s your problem.” Roman laughed. He reached into a hole double the size of his fist and pulled out the fuzziest little creature ever. “You’ve got a rat problem.”
“A rat?” I shook my head, examining the little tan and white furball. “That doesn’t look like a rat.”
“Rat? Gerbil? Mouse? I’m not good with my rodents.”
I took the little guy from Roman, watching its twitching whiskers. “It’s only a baby,” I said, cupping the tiny cutie-pie between both hands. I opened my palms some, seeing the little stub of a tail. “It’s not a rat, mouse, or gerbil. This sweetie is a hamster.”
“Whatever it is, looks like its mama chewed through the wires.” Roman snapped his fingers, causing all the little pieces of wire and loose plastic coating that laid next to the hamster’s nest to weave themselves back in place, fixing the wiring problem. He pulled out two more little hamsters from the opening. “We’ll have to do something with these guys, and we’ll have to catch their mother…and maybe their father, too. How do you think they got in here?”
“I have no idea.” I looked at the little ball in my hands and my voice raised an octave. “I’d be happy to take care of you and your brothers and sisters.” I glanced up at Roman, reading his face for any sign of protest. I knew my husband, but didn’t know him that well. We had never had a conversation about pets. He didn’t flinch at my suggestion, so I went with it. I had just caught myself longing for a child and if I was going to take care of the motherly instinct that was kicking in, taking care of these little hamsters was exactly what I needed.
Roman helped me get the hamsters comfortable in a box while we combined our magic to move the giant wardrobe across the upstairs to the steps. While I was getting ready for the amount of magic it’d take to get the thing downstairs, Roman stopped and put a hand on his hip.
“Ya know, Ettie, this used to be an apartment.”
“Well, it’s filthy and…well…broken. I don’t know who’d want to live up here.”
Roman turned to me with a bit of a sparkle in his eye. “Dad would. I mean if we cleaned it up some, why wouldn’t he live here? He’d have his privacy, and so would we. With the ease he can magically transport himself wherever he wants, nobody would ever see him coming and going. He’d still have his secrecy about being a warlock.”
“It needs a lot of work.” I took in the torn linoleum floors covering old, worn wood and the cracks in the plaster from years of no heat, all covered beneath a pile of dust. My father-in-law hated that I had a magic shop that catered to mortals. Would him living above it cause any issues? I didn’t see that causing any more problems than him living in the same house as Roman and me…plus, we’d still get the rent he was paying us. That money was helping us get ahead of our bills. I took a deep breath, seeing the piles and piles of merchandise and…well…junk I had accumulated in a few short months. “Where would I go with all my stuff?”
Roman laughed. “Just put it all into one of your enchanted suitcases. That’s the easy part. Fixing everything? That might be a bit tougher.”
I could easily stuff most my things into an enchanted suitcase, as they were bottomless, and I could even keep it in the first floor store room, closer to the shop so I didn’t have to do all the steps when restocking. “Who’s going to fix this all up?”
“Me.” Roman puffed out his chest. “Sounds like lots of fun. I can work here, close to you, all day on Saturdays and Sundays when I’m not at the firm.”
“Well, it would be good to get Joseph out of the house. I’m in. I don’t know how to fix plaster or floors, but I can clean. I have a few magical fingers for that.” I smiled and snapped my finger, causing a layer of dust to fall off a kitchen wall and onto the floor. “I’ll get that later.” I winked. “Right now, we have a wardrobe to donate.”
Roman smiled, and I could tell he was as excited at the prospect of getting his father out of the house as I was.
The only problem?
How long it would take to turn these shambles into something livable?
Chapter Four
A few days after we donated the enchanted wardrobe to the Children’s Club, Roman laughed as he threw his keys on the kitchen counter after work and took a seat at our table. “Enchiladas? We haven’t had enchiladas since…”
I smiled. “Since our first day together as a married couple.”
He nodded, loosened his tie, and dropped the pile of mail on the table. “What’s the special occasion?”
“Oh…just that we have the house to ourselves. Your dad is out with Penelope tonight and the shop was closed today, so I had time to cook. These were made completely with my own two hands.” I lifted my hands and wiggled my fingers. “No magic involved!”
“Dad’s not here tonight?” His flat expression wasn’t what I was expecting. “Too bad. I was hoping to break the news about him moving into the apartment above Ettie’s. I thought he’d come help me work on the place this evening.”
I tried to seductively smile, but I probably just looked like I was having a leg cramp. “Oh, come on, Roman. That can wait. I’m sure we can find something else to do tonight.” I snapped my fingers, lighting the candles on the table and dimming the lights.
Finally, the smile I had been trying to squeeze out of Roman surfaced. “Oh, perhaps I could come up with something else for us to do.”
Good golly, I loved this man. I lifted the cover of the casserole dish and scooped out two enchiladas for Roman and one for me, laying them beside the salad already on our plates.
Roman went for his silverware, but then hesitated. “What’s that noise?”
I tilted my head, picking out the squeak I had tuned out all day. “Oh, that’s just the hamsters. I bought them a wheel down at Pet Palace.”
“Sure, we don’t have my father, but we have three little hamsters to cramp our style instead.” Roman laughed, finally picking up his silverware.
“Hey, I love those little guys.” I playfully stuck out a pouty lip. “I even took them along with me today when I worked on cleaning the apartment above Ettie’s. What nice little companions!”
Roman shook his head with a giant grin. “If they make you happy, they make me happy.”
The sound of creek-creek-creek-squeak-creek filled the air. “Yeah, but maybe the wheel is a bit noisy. I’ll be right back.” I headed out of the kitchen to adjust the hamster wheel a bit, noticing two of my three were toppling over each other as the wheel went around and around. I tightened the attachment and returned to the kitchen where Roman was opening the mail.
“You got a letter from the Children’s Club.” He handed over a big glamorous envelope that was made of a heavy, metallic silver paper with raised letters…and a wax seal.
“If they sent their mail in the plain white envelopes other businesses used, they might not need to raise so much money. I know Witch Way would never use such nice stationary.” I worked my finger along the seam to open the card, expecting a thank you for the donation of the enchanted wardrobe. “Hmmm.”
“What?” Roman asked.
“I didn’t expect an invitation to the Children’s Ball.” I handed the card that matched the fancy envelope across the table for Roman to read.
“Do you want to go?”
“Do I want to get all dressed up and bid on items we can’t afford?” A slow smile grew on my lips. “You betcha!
” When Roman looked at me confused, I clarified. “Not that I want to get dressed up and spend money, but if they’re inviting me…it means, I’m being accepted into this community. We have to go.”
“Ettie, you’ve already been accepted. Look at how busy your shop is getting.”
“That just means they’ve recognized my shop or at least see benefits from what I offer, but not necessarily accepted me yet. We haven’t been to anyone’s house yet or even invited to any parties.” I took the invitation from Roman and waved it in the air. “I know you’d been content with your routine of working and coming straight home every day before you met me, but I need a bit more. This is our key.”
“I was content, but something had been missing. I thought it was you, but perhaps I was just missing attending big fancy parties.” Roman laughed at his own humor. “Do you even own a dress?”
I dropped the invitation and cut myself a gooey bite of enchilada. “Of course, I own a dress! I actually own two of them.” I winked.
“Then it’s a date.”
“Like tonight? With the house to ourselves? Maybe I could model those two dresses for you.” I plopped a bite of enchilada in my mouth and playfully wiggled my eyebrows, but before Roman could react, the front door swooshed open.
“I thought he was out tonight,” Roman whispered.
“That’s what he told me,” I whispered back.
“Mmm,” Joseph called from the living room as his footsteps approached. “Do I smell Mexican?” Roman’s father grabbed a plate from the cabinet and pulled up a chair, giving himself a big scoop of cheesy goodness.
After snapping my jaw shut, I was able to voice my thoughts. “What happened? I thought you were seeing Penelope tonight.”
“Oh, I am…but later. She has some after-school conferences to attend to first.”
As Joseph ate away at my enchiladas, at least giving me a few moans and accolades at how good they tasted, I decided not to let his presence ruin Roman’s and my evening. Sure, we craved some alone time, but Joe would be leaving at some point tonight. In the meantime, we could take advantage of our time together.
“Hey, Dad.” Roman looked a bit hesitant with big eyes that waited until he had his father’s full attention. I filled my mouth with another bite and waited, hoping he’d make our proposition. “Do you know how long Ettie and I have been married?”
“Hmm, mm.” Joe looked back down at his plate while he filled his mouth, then shoved his food into his cheeks like my new hamsters did, to mumble, “A year or so.”
Roman laughed. “Try about half that long. We haven’t even gone on a honeymoon, yet.”
Joseph swallowed and pointed his fork between the both of us. “You haven’t gone on a honeymoon? What’s wrong with you two?”
Roman looked at me. “Neither of us wanted to spend the money, but that’s not the point.”
“Not the point? Come on Roman. You’re a warlock. All you have to do is zap the two of you somewhere.”
Roman and I looked at each other, then back at Joseph. It was like it finally dawned on him. “Oh, neither of you have that kind of power yet. I was a handful of years older than Roman when I married Ruth. Doesn’t matter. A honeymoon doesn’t have to be far away.” Joe smiled mischievously. “It’d give you two some alone time. Ya know what I mean?” He winked and chuckled.
Leave it to me to stand up to Roman’s father. “That’s exactly what we want to talk to you about. Alone time. We love having you, but Roman and I haven’t had much time alone since you moved in.”
“Nonsense. I’m gone all day long.”
“So are we, Dad!” Way to go Roman! There was his backbone. I waited for the rest of the argument, but it didn’t come.
“What we’re saying is that there is an empty apartment above Ettie’s that we’d like to offer you.”
“It’s not needed,” Joe said, filling his mouth again. “You have plenty of room here and don’t let me cramp your style! If you want to have a bit of hanky-panky, go right ahead. I don’t mind.”
“But we do!” Roman said.
My cheeks grew uncomfortably warm. “After dinner, I think we should all go to Ettie’s so you can see the apartment. It’s rough, but I think you’re going to love it.”
“It’s too small.”
“It’s not too small for one or two people. You haven’t even seen it.”
“Ettie’s is small, and I assume the apartment is the same size.” He quieted, looking back and forth between the two of us, then slowly arched an eyebrow. “You really want me to move out? I thought this had been good for us.” He specifically looked at his son. The rigid lines of his face melted and showed his age. “We hadn’t spent much time together since…well…since Roman took off on the family.”
Roman stood, throwing the napkin off his lap and onto the floor. “I didn’t take off! You kicked me out. After mom died, you couldn’t handle it when I told all my friends that I could do magic. You said you didn’t want someone who was open as a warlock living under your roof. And look at what’s happening now? You’re staying here.” With jagged movements, Roman swooped up the napkin that had dropped on the floor and moved to the far side of the kitchen, standing behind his father and twisting the napkin in his hands.
Joe’s voice softened. He twisted in his seat. “Nobody knows that I’m staying here other than Penelope. I transport to your front door when nobody’s looking. I wouldn’t want anyone putting two-and-two together.”
I might have huffed out loud, but Joe didn’t seem bothered by it. He turned back to the enchiladas and finished the last bite on his plate.
I caught Roman’s attention and jerked my head to his empty seat. Joe might be afraid to reveal his heritage to the mortal world, but I wasn’t going to judge him for that. If I expected him to be open and accept Roman and me, I had to be the same way about his beliefs. When Roman sighed and rejoined us at the table, I looked Joe directly into his eyes, ignoring the bit of fear I saw. “Just come and see the place. Please?”
Joe looked between Roman’s and my expectant eyes. “Okay. I’ll go see it.”
“Good. Thank you. We’ll go right after dinner.” I smiled at my husband, but the worry lines around his eyes told me he wasn’t quite as certain as I was that everything was going to be okay. Had his father’s words twisted his resolve?
Well, I wouldn’t let Joe change Roman’s mind. Roman and I were married and were entitled to having a household of our own. We had only agreed for Joe to stay with us while he got situated here in Watersedge, and a month had already passed. Yes, we enjoyed the rent he paid, but it’d be a different story if he helped out with chores, wasn’t as much of a homebody, and didn’t play that dang piccolo all the time.
Halfway through another serving of enchiladas, Joe picked up the invitation from the Children’s Club sitting beside me on the table. “Penelope got one of these, too. She’s helping host the event. I didn’t know you two were involved.”
“We weren’t…up to a few days ago when we donated an enchanted wardrobe for the silent auction.”
“You donated an enchanted wardrobe? Made from a charmed tree?” Joe’s jaw tensed, his eyes narrowed, and he shook his head back and forth. “That’s not something for the mortals to have. There’s only a finite amount of them in this realm.” His cheeks turned pink, and soon his entire face was red and it wasn’t from the spices in my dinner.
“Ettie can donate anything she likes.” There was my husband, standing up for me. Finally.
“But an enchanted wardrobe? Those must stay in the hands of the magical.”
“I don’t see what the big deal is. We all have extras, and all it does is clean clothes. It’s not like it can manipulate free will or anything.”
“But in a few generations, there won’t be enough for our kind.”
“In a few generations, there might not be many of our kind left, anyway!” I laughed at his absurdity. “And even if there were still enough pure-blood witches and not enough war
drobes, we’d just have to learn to do the laundry. It’s my piece of furniture and I can do with it as I please.” I shocked myself with the firmness of my voice.
I must have shocked Joe too, because even though the redness of his face didn’t lighten, he went back to eating his food.
After some uncomfortable passing minutes, we finally took the last bite of our enchiladas. Roman wiped his hands on his napkin and stood. “No sense in wasting time. Let’s see the apartment ASAP so we can get on with our night.” His firm look to his father softened when he gave me a shy glance, telling me exactly what he was thinking. I loved how quickly he could get over such a heated argument like the one we had had over dinner.
Joe didn’t disagree. His red face was gone, but his expression wasn’t as warm as usual. Maybe tonight wasn’t the best time to show him the apartment, but when would be better? We couldn’t wait forever. We had already broken the news to him.
The three of us gathered in a tight circle, and Joseph swirled his finger in the air, transporting us all to Ettie’s. Gosh, how nice it would be to have that kind of power. All Roman and I could do was transport ourselves, but never more than that. Hell, I couldn’t even transport myself out-of-town by myself. When the glittering magic cleared, we all fell silent while Joe took it in.
“This is it?” Joseph asked, his footsteps echoing in the empty space while he walked around. The floor was still dusty, with clean spots where all my stuff was piled. I had spent the past few days shoving everything into a few enchanted suitcases and hauling them downstairs. I hadn’t wasted much time sweeping yet, since every time I swept, the next day the floor would be piled with insulation from the walls and even some small piles of birdseed.
“I’ve been working on fixing it up,” Roman said, leading Joe to the kitchen to show him the new sink and faucet he had just installed—with no magic at all except to get the air out of the water lines when he was done.
“Seems like a lot of work.” Joe opened the main entrance door, peering down the steps to the street level. “Hmm. Too many steps. I have a bum knee.”
Magic Underground: The Complete Collection (Magic Underground Anthologies Book 4) Page 116