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The kid, my son, opened up the conversation. “Rose, I’m am not sending my eleven year old daughter all alone to that woman. We also both know I’m not welcome there.”

The witch nibbled at her cookie and smirked as she made my son wait for her answer, up until she realized everyone else in the room was looking at her. Wide eyed, she hastily swallowed.

So maybe not totally rude, just used to messing with my boy. I guess they were like brother and sister.

“She needs to be trained Johnny, and my mom is the best around. Plus she’s got the whole local coven to fill in for her when she’s busy. Or when Ami just needs a break from her. Even she knows how she is, and the mistakes she made with your mom.”

That got a brief silence from everyone. As well as some questions I hoped to get answers to one day, without having to actually ask.

“She’s my daughter Rose. I’m not giving her up. Can’t you and mom just teach her?”

The witch shook her head. “Mom won’t believe I’ll do the job right...” She gritted her teeth as she said it. “...and your mom is still excommunicato. There is no way the “Witch queen” is going to let anyone else train her granddaughter other then her, let alone the rebel daughter.”

While my boy was mulling that over. His wife spoke up. “My family had their own magic workers once.”

That got a curious look from the witch.

“Seven generations of writing and rituals from our family. In addition, that which was won, bought, or taken as prizes from other lines. All available, to an outer magician… of our line.”

“We would never share such with an outsider. But the head Onmyodo of the family has the discretion to share the resources entrusted to them. Say with a beloved teacher related to her by blood. Say, like a trusted aunt who seeks to impress her own elders, or rise above a rival...”

Rosaria Caine narrowed her eyes as she stared at the phone, the straw of her drink box forgotten on her lips. “Oh you’re good...”

My daughter in law, who I now a little scared of meeting, continued. “Of course such documents would not be available outside of our family’s home, at least not unless our child was there, as the rightful guardian of the red room. Maybe once she was of age, she would be free to share? But by then she might have grown very resentful of anyone involved in taking her away from her family at such a young age.”

She paused. “And angry. With access to two cultures worth of mystic knowledge. My Ami did not get her father’s hair, but she can have the temper of a redhead, along with your families ability to hold a grudge.”

The witch set her drink box down on the table and turned in her seat to face a wide eyed Ami. “Are you in for this Ami. Will you share everything of your inheritance with me if I take your side? If I act on your behalf?”

The way she spoke made it sounds like the words had some weight to them. Something ritual. And, I noted, did not mention the grandmother. This was a private agreement.

Ami licked her lips nervously. Looked at the phone, which remained quiet. Her parents letting her make this decision. She looked to her sister, to me, and then to Aran as he laid his hand on hers as she clenched at her leg.

Finally she looked to her aunt. “If you treat me like family? Like me and my parents… and my grandfather treat their family?” She nodded to herself. “Then I will treat you like family, and families help each other.”

The witch looked a little taken aback, but after a moment started to nod, only to have the tiny little girl raise her hand in a stop motion, and look a little uncertain. “…and you have to be nicer to my grandma. She’s used to how you treat her. But I hate it when you’re so mean. I don’t think I can trust someone who so mean to their sister just to make some old witch happy.”

Rosaria looked a bit stunned while Yuki sounded alarmed and upset. “Ami Rose Caine! You do not call your great grandmother an old witch. Show respect.”

My son was too busy laughing to say anything. But his aunt? Did I have that right? She had a nervous little grin on her face. “I think your great grandmother would love if you called her an old witch. She is old, and a witch. And she would rather have some cheek from you rather then have you half paralyzed with fear.”

She leaned forward and held up a finger in warning. “Just don’t over do it, or call her that in front of any men, even your father. If we pull this off, then me and your grandmother will teach you as a child, but at some point you will want to study with my mother. If for no other reason then others looking down on you for passing up the opportunity.”

Ami thought that over and quickly began to nod.

The witch pulled the phone closer to her. “So what did you have in mind? My mom isn’t willingly going to let anyone but herself teach her. She also isn’t going to lower her pride to walk into someone else stronghold like a potential hired tutor, or let someone else’s family keep her like a pet.”

My son spoke up again. “Not the nicest way of putting things Rosey.”

Rosario stuck her tongue out at the phone. “Mom if far from being nice Johnny, and you know that’s exactly like how she would see it.”

I had a possible solution, or at least a step toward it. But I had held off on saying it in the hopes someone would come up with something else.

Nope. Yuki had the same idea. “What if we could get both sides of the family talking to each other, face to face. Somewhere neutral but still interested in the best outcome for Ami.”

The witch thought that over and began looking around the room as she realized what my daughter in law meant.

A man hating witch, and a mystic warrior, grandfather of assassins, “not” a ninja. Both set in their own ways like most old people, but with a few hundred years old of attitude added on. Each.

And I had only been worried about a visitor setting my house on fire.