A little while later, I sat back in my chair at the table by the kitchen fireplace - which now had a small, cheerily-crackling fire burning in it - and stared at the remains of the meal I’d just devoured in vaguely horrified astonishment.

The plate before me on the table contained what was left of a decently sized t-bone steak, two stripped ears of corn, and the empty skin of a baked potato…a meal I ordinarily wouldn’t indulge in, but which I’d felt hungry enough to tackle when Ken had suggested it. Beside it was a bowl containing the remains of a salad, another smaller plate with the crumbs of two decently sized and delightfully crusty rolls, and a third small plate with a few little smears of chocolate frosting on it, which was all that was left of a slice of chocolate cake.

“Bloody hell,” I said. “I don’t think I’ve ever eaten that much at one meal before.”

Sparkle, back to her original size, made a happy sound of agreement. She was sprawled on another plate nearby, surrounded by the crumbs of her own (much larger) slice of chocolate cake. It had been something close to four times her size, yet she’d still devoured it in moments and with great gusto. I gave up on any hope of figuring out her biology and firmly assigned the matter to the growing ‘magic; will hopefully understand later’ category.

“Well,” Ken said, amused, “you both expended quite a bit of energy this afternoon. I’m not surprised you were both famished.”

I hiccuped a little and covered my mouth. “Excuse me. Is this going to be a regular thing?” I was a bit worried about my waistline after that meal.

Ken shook his head, smiling. “No, your body will adjust eventually. Though anytime you expend a large amount of effort on spellcasting, you’ll probably be pretty hungry afterwards. That’s natural.”

“Whew.” I mimed wiping my forehead and then stretched a little. “Actually, I do feel a lot better now. I’m still tired, but not exhausted, and definitely not as wiped out as I was yesterday.”

Sparkle belched prodigiously, a surprisingly deep sound for such a dainty little thing, then giggled.

Ken and I shook our heads and tried to hide our smiles.

“Well,” Ken said, “you’ve improved quickly. It’s a good sign that your body is going to take to casting spells very well.”

“Some don’t?” I asked curiously.

“Some don’t,” Ken said. “Some people have no innate ability for it at all. Others do, but can’t…metabolize energy easily, so to speak. You’ll find most of the people in town who have some ability are like that…talented, but not able to handle the energy requirements for more complex spells. Other people can manage enormous amounts of energy, but don’t have the drive or discipline to become really skilled.” He spread his hands. “As with any talent or skill, not everyone is equally able to learn or accomplish it.”

I nodded a little. “That makes sense. Speaking of the town, I would like to go down to the Oak and Ivy tomorrow night, so try not to completely wear me out tomorrow.”

Ken chuckled. “We’ll take it a bit easy tomorrow anyway. As with most exercise, it’s best if you don’t push hard every day.”

“Thank goodness.” I stretched again and yawned behind my hand. “All right, before I collapse, you said something about an aquarium?”

Sparkle sat up, suddenly interested in our conversation again.

Ken smiled. “Oh yes. It was one of your mother’s favorite rooms. Come on, I’ll show you.”

Out of the kitchen and down the hall we went. Not very far this time, before reaching a heavy oak door with a simple fish icon engraved on it. Perhaps the House knew I was tired, because as much as I wanted to see this room, I wasn’t up for a long walk to get there.

I unlocked and opened the door onto a well-lit but narrow shaft that went straight down and was completely filled with a fascinating spiral staircase that appeared to have been fashioned out of different types of coral. However, as I touched the railing, I realized that it was exquisitely carved and painted wood of some sort.

“Amazing,” I said quietly, bending to examine it in closer detail.

Ken laughed softly. “Wait until you see what’s at the bottom. Go on!”

Sparkle, once more riding on my shoulder – perhaps she felt too full to fly after that meal – gave my neck a gentle nudge. “Come on! The best stuff’s at the bottom!”

I started down the spiral staircase. There were lights shaped to look like seashells embedded in the wall every few feet, but it didn’t look like there were light bulbs inside...or any source of light I was familiar with. It took all of my willpower to resist the urge to stop and examine one of them in closer detail.

I quickly discovered that stopping to examine one of the lights would’ve been a complete waste of time. Just as I was about to give in, we descended into a room that was...

Well...it was a reverse fishbowl, really. It was a glass sphere with a flattened bottom, onto which we descended, and which was about twenty feet across. Around the edge on the inside was a padded bench, broken up by hardwood sections clearly meant to act as small tables. And that was the extent of its decor.

Anything else would’ve been wasted, because outside the glass sphere was ocean in every direction, including up, a fact that made my eyes ache a little and twisted my brain. The spiral staircase literally vanished into a dark hole in the glass ceiling, around which the ocean was clearly visible.

And it was a gorgeous sight. I guessed that it was a tropical region, wherever the ocean was, not only because the water was sunlit and crystal clear, but because I could see types of coral that I believed were of tropical origin, along with a ridiculous variety of small, colorful fish. As I watched, a stingray glided past, and beneath my feet an octopus emerged from a gap in the coral.

Sparkle started giggling and pushed my chin up, at which point I realized that I was kneeling on the bench with my hands and nose flattened against the glass and my mouth hanging open. In my defense, it was probably the most astonishing thing I’d seen since arriving, and that was really saying something.

“What...where...how?” was all I could say.

Ken laughed. “Welcome to the aquarium, Mistress. To the best of my knowledge, nobody has ever figured out where, exactly, it is. Since we can’t see the sky, we can’t judge by the stars, but there is a day/night cycle. The aquarium lights up the water around itself at night. Most of the species of fish and coral have been identified, so we’re reasonably certain that it’s on Earth somewhere.

“As to how,” he chuckled. “Well...the House is magic, Mistress. I think this probably qualifies.”

“I’ll say.” I turned my full attention back to the display outside, shaking my head a little. “This is just…this is amazing.”

A brightly colored fish about the size of my hand swam up to the glass scant inches from my face and seemed to stare back at me before darting away again. I was absolutely enchanted…and then realized that this too was an aspect of magic that I hadn’t considered. A room like this might be possible to achieve using technology, but there would undoubtedly have been ventilation ducts to circulate fresh air, and a structure above blocking natural light…

This room simply could not be achieved, as it was, without magic. After a few minutes, I turned and settled on the bench, curling one leg under myself and leaning back against the wall. “Thank you.”

Ken blinked a few times. “You’re welcome. What for?”

I smiled. “For reminding me that magic is more than just what we’ve been studying so far. I mean…it’s all around me every day now, but this…” I gestured to the room in general. “This is magical.”

Sparkle sighed, a distinctly happy sound. “Mistress Chessie loved this room for that exact reason.”

Ken nodded. “True. She used to say pretty much the same thing you just did.”

I sat and watched the ocean for a little while, too tired from the day’s work to really do much of anything before bed. But this amazing room was a perfectly place to just sit and be, thinking about nothing in particular and just letting the world stay at arm’s length. I let my subconscious do its own thing while I stared out at the fish and felt the tension seeping out of my muscles.

It was…meditative, for lack of a better word. I wouldn’t say relaxing, though it definitely was, but it was deeper than that. There was a peace and tranquility to the room that was just what I’d needed.

After a few minutes of peaceful non-contemplation, my mind informed me that it knew how to chart its course, and I turned my attention back to Ken. “Before I go to bed, before it's too late in the day, I think I need to make a couple of phone calls.”

As it turned out, the only telephone in the house was the old rotary phone on the desk in my father’s office. So I went there straightaway, making a mental note (the list was getting rather long) to see about buying some wireless phones. And to find out if there was even any place to plug them in.

I really needed to start keeping a written list.

I settled into my father’s old desk chair and stared at the ancient Bakelite phone, wondering how it even still worked, and feeling a growing sense of finality as I considered the calls I was about to make. Curiously, there was no unease to the two decisions I’d made in the aquarium. Though I was a little bit nervous, as one is with new things, there was mostly just…a knowledge of things that needed to be done, and a feeling that I was turning a corner in my life and settling onto a new path.

I opened the small notebook in which I kept important phone numbers, pulled out the business card Margrave had left me, and dialed his number. The phone rang three times before it was picked up.

Margrave’s gentle voice said, “You have reached the offices of Summers and Winters. This is Margrave speaking.”

“Good evening, Margrave,” I said with a smile, “this is Caley Reid.”

“Ah yes!” he said, sounding pleased. “Good evening to you, Miss. Have you found everything in order?”

“Very much so,” I said. “The Caretaker has been of enormous help so far, and the House is simply extraordinary.”

“So it is, and I’m very glad to hear that. For my records, have you chosen a name for the Caretaker yet?” Margrave asked.

So, he did know more than he’d told me during our brief meetings. Of course, that made sense. Honestly, I wouldn’t have believed a word of it without seeing it first. “I have. I’ve named him Ken.”

There was a short pause, and I thought I heard the scratching of an old-fashioned fountain pen in the background. “Excellent, Miss. And was the automobile to your liking?”

I smiled. “It was lovely to drive, and the on-board GPS was much better than a map.”

Margrave chuckled softly. “I’m pleased to hear you enjoyed it. Now, how may I be of assistance to you this evening?”

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and let it out. “I need help closing the lease on my apartment, and arranging to have my remaining personal possessions there delivered here to the House.”

“I was hoping that was why you were calling, Miss,” Margrave said, sounding a bit relieved. “I shall make arrangements for both to be taken care of immediately.”

“Thank you,” I said, then added, “there isn’t much, so hopefully the fees won’t be -”

Margrave cut me off gently. “Do not concern yourself with the cost of handling these matters, Miss. You must adjust to the idea that you have more money than you can actually spend. Which reminds me, I have made a substantial donation to the orphanage where you grew up - in your name - as you requested, and have assembled a list of charities I believe you will find worthy of donations. I shall send it to you anon.”

Anon? I couldn’t remember ever actually having heard anyone use the word in a conversation before. Weird. “Ah…yes, thank you. I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around that.”

“That’s not a bad thing,” Margrave said, a bit of amusement in his voice. “As I recall, your mother never truly understood money. Better, I think, that you understand both its value and its scarcity for some people. Such understanding makes us better able to appreciate the resources available to us.”

I had no idea how to respond to that, but I agreed. “Definitely. Oh, could you look into the possibility of having high speed Internet of some sort run to the House? There’s a lot for me to learn here, but I don’t want to lose contact with the outside world.”

Again, I heard the sound of a fountain pen nib scratching on paper. “Very wise, Miss. I shall do so at once, and have it set up as quickly as possible. Will you be needing a wireless router?”

I blinked. For a man who used the word ‘anon’ in a sentence, he was surprisingly up to date on his technology. “I’d like wireless, if it’ll work in here.”

“There should be no difficulties, as long as the House is agreeable. You might need to set that up yourself, of course.”

“Of course.” I wondered what that would entail. Probably just asking the House politely.

“But I will see to it that appropriate equipment is sent to you when the connection has been established.”

“I’m starting to think I’ll be lost without your help before long, Margrave,” I joked.

He laughed softly. “Hardly, Miss. But we at Summers and Winters do our very best to be indispensable to our valued clients.”

“You’re doing a stellar job so far,” I said seriously.

“Thank you, Miss. Is there anything else I can do for you today?”

“I can’t think of anything right now,” I said.

“Very good, Miss. Please do not hesitate to call me any time of the day or night.”

I blinked. “Any time?”

“Any time,” he said firmly. “I am at your disposal should you need my help.”

I got the distinct impression that there were depths to that statement that I didn’t comprehend yet. But he sounded very serious, so I responded with matching gravity. “Thank you, Margrave. I’ll try to keep it to regular business hours whenever possible.”

His voice took on a tone of amusement again. “That is, of course, appreciated, Miss. Have a good night!”

“You too, Margrave.”

I heard the line click and hung up myself.

Sparkle, who was pushing one of the pens back and forth in its brass desk set, idly observed, “Margrave is a good person, and very trustworthy. For one of the Sidhe.”

I blinked a few times. “Margrave…isn’t human.” It wasn’t a question, it was pieces falling into place.

Sparkle looked up at me. “No, Mistress.” She giggled. “Didn’t you realize?”

I smiled at her. “Dear Sparkle, until I met you, I never realized I’d actually met someone who wasn’t human. Or who at least hadn't been human at one time." Somehow, Ken didn't quite count.

She blinked a few times in astonishment. “Really? Wow!”

“So,” I said, “can I trust Margrave? I don’t know anything about the Sidhe yet.”

“Oh yes,” she said without hesitation. “The deals made between your family and Summers and Winters go back centuries, and are literally iron-clad. You can trust him without reservation.” She planted her hands on her hips. “But don’t go trusting any other Sidhe just because your only experience with them is through him. He’s not a good example of what they can be like. You just let me do the talking if we encounter any other Sidhe before you’ve learned more about them!”

I suspected that might be disastrous, but since I didn’t think I was likely to run into any in the near future, I just smiled and nodded. “Thank you, Sparkle.”

She beamed up at me with that ‘I’m helping!’ look on her face again. It was adorable. I smiled, picked up the handset again and started dialing. I was even more nervous about this call.

“Professor Levin,” a woman’s voice said after two rings.

“Sheila? It’s Caley,” I said slowly.

“Caitlyn Reid,” she said in a gently chastising tone, “I’ve been waiting to hear from you. Are you okay? Are you in some kind of trouble?”

She sounded genuinely worried, and I felt guilty as a result. She was a good friend, maybe the only real friend I'd had before meeting Ken and Sparkle. “I’m fine, honest. I hope I'm not bothering you this late…”

“Not at all,” she said. “I wouldn't have given you my private line if I didn't want you to use it. Now, tell me everything so I know you're really all right.”

So I told her - in broad, non-specific terms - about my father, and my inheritance, and the town. I was careful to leave out anything…weird.

When I finished, she whistled softly. “So, what, you’re like the local laird or something?”

I laughed. “I don’t think so, though I do own a ridiculous amount of land out here, and the House is enormous. And…I think there are some things that the people in town are expecting me to take care of. I’m still figuring everything out. It’s a big estate, and a lot of responsibility.”

“I guess it must be,” she said. “And I’m guessing you want me to withdraw you from classes this semester.”

“Definitely,” I said. “I’d never make it back in time to catch up, even if I wanted to.”

“Found a new passion, eh?”

“Yes,” I said firmly. “There’s so much to learn here, and I have some distant relatives in town…” I trailed off, not sure how to explain without getting into specifics that she wouldn’t believe for an instant.

“You’re not feeling trapped by all of this, are you, Caley? If you are, there must be some way you can hand those responsibilities off to someone else, whatever they are.”

I sat back in my father’s big, comfortable chair, surprised by the question and equally surprised that I hadn’t asked myself the same thing yet. “I…” I hesitated and thought about it. Really thought about it.

Shelia let me, staying on the line in supportive silence.

Was I? I didn’t feel trapped. Overwhelmed, yes, but not trapped. And the idea of leaving Ken - and probably Sparkle, since I wasn’t sure if I could safely take her with me back into the mundane world - was just awful. Not to mention the House. How could I possibly leave this incredible House and everything it had to show me?

Finally, I said, “No, I don’t think so. You’d think I might, but I don’t feel trapped. I feel the weight of responsibility, even though I don’t completely understand it yet, and I’m a bit overwhelmed by everything…” I looked at Sparkle, now sitting cross-legged on the blotter and watching me. “But I have some people around to help me adjust, I’m making new friends, and the idea of leaving now when there’s so much to see and do and learn…just feels incredibly wrong.”

Sparkle beamed up at me.

“Does that make any sense?” I asked.

Sheila laughed softly. “Yeah, it kinda does. And it’s very you. I want you to promise me that you’ll keep in touch, though, and let me know if you start feeling trapped there.”

“I promise!” I said earnestly. “Just as soon as I get an Internet connection hooked up out here, you’ll start getting regular emails from me. Until then, you might have to settle for a letter once in a while.”

“A letter?” she asked in feigned ignorance. “What’s that?”

“Ha ha,” I said, smiling.

I could almost see her shaking her head. “All right, kiddo. I hate to lose you as a student, but you do you. I am glad to hear you’re making new friends, though. I always said you were too isolated. I’ll have to come out and see this house of yours when there’s time. Maybe over the summer.”

“I’d like that,” I said, even as I wondered if it was a good idea. “I can promise you that this place will blow your mind.”