81)

In the morning, I dragged myself out of bed. Slunk my way into the bathroom to talk care of business. Washed my face afterwards, and otherwise set myself to rights.

Then I made my way downstairs and started up the waffle mix.

Magic warriors in the night. Strange witchcraft in the air. Not a concern. Right now I had family to feed.

I had picked up a second waffle iron on sale at Redd'Smart the night before and I soon had both of them going. Plain on one, blueberries on the other with a batch of butterscotch chip ones ready to fire up. Sausages in the frying pan. Orange juice in a pitcher with another tube of concentrate defrosting on the stovetop getting ready to mix up.

Upstairs I could feel people starting to stir as the smell of frying food made its way throughout the house.

At least today would start well.

Breakfast was a little subdued until my brother began to get the conversation going. Looking over to Sara, he posed the number one question all children learn to hate.

“So, Sara. What are you planning to do when you grow up?”

She gave him a suspicious look. “I want to be a courier. You don’t have to bargain with people. Just pick up, deliver, and get paid.” She nodded to herself. “I just have to get my reputation established by beating up some people in the games like mom and dad did.”

Her parents both looked surprised. Then they gave each other a long look as they had one of those silent conversations. My son either won or lost the debate about who had to talk to her about her future plans. “Ah, that isn’t necessarily the safest job Sara.”

She grinned at her dad. “That’s what will make it fun.”

As he mentally chews that one over, Ami piped up with “I’m going to be an actress!”

Her sister gave her an evil look. “Not if you’re going to keep eating like that.”

Ami’s eyes went wide as their mother made a “tsk” sound at the older girl. Then Ami gave her sister a big wide smile. “I’ll get your boyfriend to bite me so I can eat whatever I want, and be just as strong as you without all your stupid training.”

Sara half stood up and hissed at her sister. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

Her father looked back and forth in concern. “Boyfriend?” While his wife looked over at me with raised eyebrows.

I shrugged. “Local boy. His family owns the local grocery store. Good pedigree.” My brother and his son chuckled. It appeared my son got the pun as well, but he seemed more concerned about the boyfriend part instead of the werewolf part.

Yuki broke up the incipient fight between the sisters. While the adults kept the rest of the conversation light as the food was finished. Then the dishes were cleaned off and put into the machine. The kitchen was cleaned up, and the children were dragged upstairs by their mother to be dressed up in the best they had available.

The men folk began to set a luncheon.

Cold cuts and sandwich rolls. Several condiments each in their own little dishes. Coffee was set to brew and bottled water and juices were set out in a large bowl filled with ice. Fruit was arranged in a woven basket. While my boy placed the contents of several boxes of chocolates out on a serving platter.

I had thought my guests would pull some kind of power play by trying to make us wait for them to arrive. But just before noon I could a group pulling up to my front gate.

The kids had barely been powerful enough for me to be aware of some presence at my front gate. Other werewolves had felt like someone walking up behind you, their weight pressing down on the floor beneath their feet. Adora even more so than the others.

Kind of intrusive

My son and his wife had been like someone lurking just out of the corner of your eye. You knew they were there, but you couldn’t quite make out the details. Elusive.

Otaru Ichiban felt like when you woke up in the middle of the night knowing someone had walked into your bedroom and was leaning over you in the dark. Obtrusive? Something like that.

I could barely even feel the other two with him since they were so close to him.

Yelling out to everyone. “Go time.” I used my phone to open the front gate just as the big white SUV turned off the street. I could see a rather dignified looking old asian man in the back seat looking at the blue helium balloon tied to the front gate with a curious look.

...if anyone asks. I left it there from last night so they would know it was the right place.

Then, as their truck drove up the driveway. The witches made their entrance.

The edge of my property… wasn’t there anymore. It was like someone had just cut away the edge of my land right along the borderline, and two people crossed over it.

One I recognized as Rosaria, and I could guess that the other person whose presence was seeming to twist around in place was Brianna. The two of them felt like something impossible for me to clearly perceive. But in between them was an empty spot. Not like no one was there, but like it was a blank space. I could seance nothing there at all, not even my own land. But I knew it was looking back at me.

I pulled back on whatever ability let me feel things on my land. “Well. Ain’t that disturbing as all hell.”

My son gave me an odd look. I gave him my best reassuring smile. “Your grandmother is one scary… person.”

He nodded. “Yeah, and today I have to tell her she isn’t going to get her own way. Fun.”

Me and Drew were wearing our funeral and wedding sport coats over white shirts, ties, and matching slacks. Charles was in a rather well cut lawyer suit.

My son had on something similar but with a light blue shirt that looked like silk.

Yuki joined us in the front lobby wearing a blouse matching her husband's shirt with a string of pearls. But her shoes were simple slipper like flats rather than anything fancy that would be hard to move around in.

Or fight.

Sara looked very adult in a matching outfit, including the pearls, but with her blouse in red. Her sister had on a rather severe black dress with a pendant on a chain. While Aran looked very disgruntled in a dress white shirt and dark blue slacks. Pulling at a miniature tie that was too tight around the neck for a kid to tolerate.

It looked like my son and his wife had picked up some things for the kids on the way here.

Everyone looked grim.

I tried to think of something cheery or funny to say. But the best I could come up with is. “Nothing to worry about folks. The house is insured.”

Then I opened the front door to welcome my guests.