Family Matters: The Society Book 4

Chapter 1

Ivy's arm itched. "I will not scratch it, " she told herself trying to concentrate on the pages she held in her hands. Her nose twitched as she tried to ignore her arm. "Scratching won't make it heal faster, " she reminded herself. "In fact, it might slow it down."

A few weeks prior, Ivy was working in one of the reading rooms on the archival level of the building serving as the headquarters for the Shadow Council. Even though the council itself was disbanded as the Seers, Vampires and Fae pulled their support, the building continued to function as part of The Society's government. Each floor housed the headquarters for one of the hidden clans, whether mage like her, Shifter, Fae, Vampire or Seer and deep below ground was located their various archives.

During her time researching, the human security guard betrayed the hidden clans of The Society and let members of the Brotherhood, an organization bent on destroying all of the hidden clans, into the archives. While the damage was contained, the archives only losing two golems before the invaders and traitorous guard were dispatched, Albert had his leg broken by one bullet while a second one grazed Ivy's left arm.

"Hamilton fared worse, " Ivy recalled as her eyes drifted from the pages she was trying to read to her still healing arm. Her long sleeved shirt hid the shiny and still tender patch of healing skin. She found the wound easier to ignore if she couldn't see it and adjusted her wardrobe accordingly. If the itching would just stop she would be fine.

The leader of the Mage Clan, Hamilton Bridges was still healing from several stab wounds to the abdomen, incurred in a previous attack by the Brotherhood, when this attack occurred. Having a large rampaging golem throw him across a lobby filled with broken tile not only added to his injuries, but reopened his still healing wounds. When she and her brother Danny left town, Hamilton was recovering in the Eaglebrooke medical facility.

As she never used their services, Ivy wasn't entirely certain, but she suspected the facility was accustomed to dealing with injured members of The Society. While mages, unlike Shifters, didn't heal any faster than regular non-magical humans, when injured their magic occasionally bubbled to the surface in unsuspected ways as pain and medication affected control. When that happened, it was better to have them far away from the norms who generally thought that all of the hidden clans were more myth than reality.

When she and Danny left Eaglebrooke, Hamilton planned to spend a couple of days in their care, but for reasons Ivy was not privy too, his stay was extended. Ivy wondered if it was because his injuries demanded it or because his doctor didn't trust him to stay out of harm's way without the confinement.

"The doctor did seem rather upset with him for re-opening his wounds, " Ivy recalled. "Admittedly he wasn't thrilled with the rest of us either." The attack in the archives consisted of two separate incidents. The first was just her and Albert, where they were both shot. Ivy managed to get Albert up to Hamilton's office after that. That is when the doctor was called in the first time. Ivy was unconscious at that time so she missed his initial visit.

When Hamilton wanted to assess the damage, Ivy went with the group back to the archival level, where a second attack occurred. The doctor was once again called to deal with the injured, thus proving no one listened to his advice about bed rest and healing.

"If you scratch it will take longer to heal, " Russell said from the doorway.

Despite her best efforts as she thought about Hamilton, her hand crept towards the itch on her healing arm when her thoughts became distracted. She frowned at her arm then looked up as she moved her hand away.

"How would you know?" she asked. "Shifters heal so fast you can't even be bandaged properly."

"I've been around enough mages to catch the gist, " he told her. "Have you reached the grumpy stage of healing then?"

"I reached the grumpy stage last week, " Ivy told her husband. "Now I can still get some work done, but am still itchy and annoyed." She smiled at her husband Russell as he stood leaning in the doorway. His shirt was only half buttoned, his blonde curls windblown and, despite the cold, his feet were bare.

"Just in from a run?" she guessed. She eased her hand away from her arm despite the itch as he walked over and bent down to kiss her.

Bugsy, their half English Staffordshire and half god only knew what dog bounded in, his entire body wriggling with excitement. Russell pulled back with a laugh as Bugsy pushed his way in, shoving Ivy's papers aside. She kept them from sliding off the coffee table with one hand while using the other to rub his head and ears then scratch him along the spine as he liked. "Have fun chasing squirrels?" she asked him. Bugsy wriggled with joy at the mere mention of the creatures.

"He went after the deer again, " Russell told her. "But they were down wind and too fast for him."

"Uh huh and you didn't participate in any of the chasing, " Ivy said. Russell was a Shifter of the wolf variety and despite the fact that dogs in general didn't like wolves, Bugsy adopted Russell and his entire pack as part of his own on the day they moved in. Ivy suspected Bugsy thought he was a wolf as well.

"Just for a little while, " Russell admitted. "Then we ran into Hackett and headed back."

"Hackett's here then?" Ivy asked. She closed her notebook and set it on top of the files she was researching. While she was off dealing with the Brotherhood in the archives, Russell and his pack were trying to determine leadership. Russell's Uncle John wanted to retire from the position of packmaster and both Russell and his brother Simon were considered acceptable candidates.

Ivy knew that Simon was a wolf favoring an isolationist policy and who harbored a deep prejudice against mages. She also knew that while she was gone, Russell was made packmaster of the Isliton Pack. Thus far Simon had not returned to the house and no details of what Russell's change in status meant were discussed.

"So why is he here?" Ivy asked, wondering if she would actually find out about what was going on with the pack. While Russell was now their leader, Hackett was the Shifter representative on the Shadow Council prior to its disbanding. She knew Hackett was a part of the Isliton pack and held some authority, but not the details. Somehow she never got around to ferreting out the details.

"I believe he wants to talk to you, " Russell said as he settled himself on the couch.

"In here?" she asked looking around.

They were in what was designated as their private sitting room. The building started off life anticipating a future as a high end resort catering to the hunting and fishing crowd. While the sportsmen went off to hunt and fish, those they brought with them could luxuriate in the pool and spa. Or at least that was the plan. The man who dreamed up the plan ran out of money and then died, leaving the property to a son uninterested in pursuing the goal. Ivy purchased the house and land from the disinterested son.

Now the house was divided up into family suites and guest spaces. While most of the building was taking on a more lived in feel, there wasn't really time to set up the sitting room she and Russell used. Ivy spent more time thinking about the shared spaces than the private ones once the bedroom was set up. Here mismatched furniture was mostly shoved against the walls, boxes of personal goods were piled in corners, on and even under furniture and at the moment, files, loose papers, notebooks and books were scattered across their coffee table.

While there were several framed prints stacked against one wall, the only item actually to actually make it to the walls was a large square of paper Ivy taped up to aid her in her current task. On it was sketched a family tree. As she pulled names from the files, she added them to the page, trying to figure out who was who and how they were related. As several names were changed to hide their identity, it was not a straightforward process.

Russell laughed. "No, " He assured her. "I think he is planning to meet with you in the kitchen. That way he can speak with you then see what Winston has cooked up."

"It's Tuesday, " she warned. "The cookie jar gets filled on Wednesdays so he is probably out of luck for sweets." Whether it was their high metabolism or some other genetic quirk she didn't know about, since marrying Russell and spending increasing amount of time around the Shifters, Ivy learned that all of them possessed rather substantial love of sweets. Cookies in particular were highly cherished commodities.

"Is he in the kitchen now?" she asked. While their cook, Winston was good about the sweet seeking shifters, if they spent too much time lurking in his kitchen he tended to get a bit grouchy.

"No, he wanted to meet with Eric first, " Russell told her. "I told him I'd bring you down in a bit."

"I see, so does this mean I am being let into some Shifter secret?"

"I think he is more concerned about bringing Seers into the area, " Russell said.

"As pack leader wouldn't that be more your concern?"

"If you agree to let them come, I'm sure you will keep them in line, " Russell said. "I'd only be concerned if they cause trouble. And then I'd come talk to you about it and let you handle them. I just need to warn the pack not to drink tea with them."

Ivy chuckled to herself thinking of Irina's first visit to the house. Ivy had been friends with Irina's grandson for years and considered them part of her extended family. She also considered them norms and Irina's penchant for reading tea leaves a quaint little quirk. Ivy always kept some of Irina's favorite tea in the cupboard for her visits. It was then that Ivy found out that Irina was raised as a Seer and was once married to a Shifter who was a wolf. The revelation came as a bit of a shock, not only to her but to her grandson, Nick, as well. While the tea was designed to relax a mage so that a Seer could get a more accurate reading, the same blend tended to make Shifters somewhat intoxicated.

"You were quite amusing when you were that giggly, " Ivy told him. "Even if you did sing off key. Although, I'm not entirely sure 'I'm a little teapot' has a correct key."

"True, " Russell said. "Speaking of Irina and her teas, when are she and Nick arriving?"

"This afternoon sometime, probably no earlier than three, " Ivy told him.

When she was in the city, prior to getting shot, two Seers approached her asking to join her House. While the Shadow Council functioned, the Seers clan kept apart from the others, their separation part of the agreement forming the council. With it disbanded, the laws reverted to the old ways. Ivy was reading through the regulations and still trying to get a handle on the changes, but knew prior to the council, mage houses could take Seers under their protection. As a former Seer, now officially claimed as part of her House, Irina agreed to come and help interview the two Seers before Ivy made the official decision to accept them or not. If she did they would be living in the apartments over the retail store in Isliton rather than at the house.

"The tea is safely locked up and the guest rooms are ready for them, " Ivy told Russell.

"Was that what the morning call was about?" Russell asked. "Their arrival time?"

"No, " Ivy said. "That was Albert."

She felt Russell tense automatically at the sound of his name and then waited as he forced himself to relax. Ivy couldn't blame him. Albert was practically a law unto himself. In return for some unspoken services to the Shadow Council, he was pretty much free to do whatever he wished. He took care of problems the council had no other way to address and his appearance generally struck terror into those around him.

Recently Ivy, and the rest of the household, learned that he was also her grandmother's twin brother. It was a secret they were holding as tightly as they could. Outside of the immediate family, only Hackett and Jerome knew of the relationship. Claiming The Society's boogie man as family was causing a lot of mental re-alignment on everyone's part.

"So, " Russell said, when he pushed back the knee-jerk reaction to Albert. "Did he want something in particular?"

"Well, he has reached the irritable stage in his healing, " Ivy told him. "With his leg being broken he is much less mobile and I think it is beginning to wear on him." After their adventure in the archives, Ivy was growing more comfortable with Albert as a person rather than as a harbinger of doom, even if she wasn't at the stage where she could think of him as Uncle Albert.

"He called to tell you he is grumpy?" Russell asked.

"No, " Ivy said with a laugh. "He called to tell me Hamilton is getting out of Eaglebrooke today."

"The medical facility?"

"Yes, " Ivy confirmed with a nod.

"That took longer than expected. How long before he is back in the office?"

"I wouldn't put it past him to drive straight from Eaglebrooke to his office, " Ivy said. "Even if he doesn't get back to work immediately, he'll want to make sure I left everything as he wants it."

When both Albert and Hamilton were unconscious, the golem who served as Hamilton's secretary and looked like Jane Russell, recognized her as the mage in charge. At the time it was convenient to have Jane taking her orders without complaint since so many things needed to be done. Ivy tried to put everything to rights and leave the office looking as it normally did, all bloodstains and bandages removed from the premises. While Hamilton's visitor's couch would be missing a chenille throw, Ivy didn't think she did too badly in restoring normality. She was more worried about his reaction to the files she took home with her.

'I'm pretty sure there are rules about taking files out of the archives, ' she thought.

She looked at the files scattered around the room. Before leaving, she asked her assistant to box up all of the files on any family member she could name. While the files were helping her fill in the missing spaces on the branches, they were also providing a wealth of information new to her. At the moment, she wasn't sure she wanted to return some of the files.

'I could probably cover up taking the files though, as long as he doesn't find out about the keys.'

While Ivy was fairly certain she could talk her way around taking the files, she knew the keys were a whole other concern. There was no way she could legitimately justify having a copy of Hamilton's mater key which could override the system in lockdown mode, or keeping the guard's keys which she picked up once he was unconscious.

'Hopefully he won't find out about those.'

"That I wouldn't doubt, " Russell agreed. "Does he think you moved his furniture around while he was gone?" Russell asked.

"I think he will just want to make sure everything is as it should be before he takes his doctor's advice and goes home to finish recuperating." Ivy said.

"Hmmm, " Russell said. "I suspect once he's back in his office, no one will be able to pry him out. Have you eaten lunch yet?"

"No, " Ivy said. She looked around for her cell phone, pressed a button and checked the time. "Oh, it is getting to be that time isn't it?"

"Why don't we see what we can find?" Russell suggested. "I'm sure by the time we are finished Hackett will be ready to talk to you. Besides if I go with you, Winston will be less likely to snap at me."

"If you didn't mess up his meal time plans, he wouldn't snap, " Ivy told him as she stood.

"He still likes you better, " Russell said as he joined her.

Ivy slipped her phone into her back pocket. "That's because I cause him less trouble."

"Uh huh, " he said. He lifted an eyebrow as Ivy rubbed her arm.

"I'm rubbing not scratching, " She told him irritably. "And I'm rubbing my arm above the injury. My muscles get sore from moving strangely to compensate from the injury."

"Fair enough, " he replied. He rubbed her shoulder as they moved towards the door. "Maybe we can take some time and soak in the hot tub later tonight after everyone is settled in."

"Sounds like a plan, " Ivy agreed. While she found it strange to have a complete spa located under her roof, and as a fire mage had little love of the pool and its related activities, since her injury she had been using the hot tub much more often. She got off lightly as far as injuries, but it caused her to move her muscles in different ways and to be much more aware of the movements in her arm and back. The hot tub was proving quite therapeutic.

"Good, " Russell said. "It's a date."

Chapter 2

"I don't see why, I can't take just a little, " Eric's voice drifted out of the kitchen and into the corridors.

As soon as they left their quarters Ivy was aware they weren't alone. Thumps and bumps sounded showing that there were definitely others in the building. The closer to the kitchen they moved, the more prevalent those noises became. Ivy reminded herself to thank her brother Alex for his soundproofing efforts when renovating the shell of a building. After living so long alone, Ivy still found the presence of so many others a bit surprising. She also found the fact that even though shifters could move with the silent grace of a shadow, they tended to rocket around the building like rampaging puppies.

They entered the kitchen and saw Eric trying to claim one of the containers of left overs. Even from the doorway Ivy could see the label marking it as reserved by the cook. Eric was offering a winning smile to Wildwood's cook but Winston was having none of it. One hand was on his hips, the other firmly grasped the container, somehow managing to keep it just out of Eric's reach, despite his being nearly a foot shorter than the wolf.

"I have plans for that, " Winston said. "And as you can see it is clearly marked."

Eric was about to respond when he saw them standing in the doorway. He frowned at Russell's grin. "I was just trying to get something to eat for lunch, " Eric told them.

"What a coincidence, so were we, " Russell replied.

"Although I think we'll stick to the unclaimed food, " Ivy added.

"Thank you Ms. Ivy, " Winston said. He shot Eric a dark look and turned towards the fridge, container in hand. "We have plenty of cold cuts if you'd like a sandwich."

"I didn't see any cold cuts, " Eric said as he looked over Winston's shoulder while the cook slid the contested container pack into place.

"You didn't look, " Winston said. "You just saw the remains of the roast and tried to claim it."

"I'll bet you hid the cold cuts, " Eric said, still trying to peer into the fridge's depths around the solid mass of the man. He gasped in mock astonishment. "You put them in Ivy's fridge. That's why Hackett went in there. You want me to starve."

"You are hardly starving, " Winston said.

"And there is no food in my fridge, " Ivy said. "Anything in there is not for consumption." She frowned. "Not that it actually stops any of you from trying. Wait, did you say Hackett was in there?"

Ivy turned and walked out of the main kitchen and across the small corridor separating the main kitchen from what was dubbed 'her' kitchen. Their home, Wildwood, was set up to act as an out of the way place where she could make the various creams, unguents, potions and lotions that others in The Society wanted to buy from her. The property was set up as small farm, predominantly to provide her with the ingredients to make the things she needed. While many items were starting to be moved outside and planted in the ground as spring took a firmer hold on the world, their warren of green houses were still packed with the more tender varietals awaiting their turn in the sun and their hot house filled with citrus and other trees, shrubs and plants that would only be rolled out into the world during the summer months.

Her kitchen was where all of the raw ingredients were turned into concoctions, many of which were definitely not suitable for consumption. It was thought that by keeping the kitchen completely separate, everyone would realize there was no food in it. Instead, most of the Shifters seemed to believe it was where she kept the most delectable edibles and routinely snuck a peek to see if they could find them.

"It's like some bizarre culinary treasure hunt, " Ivy muttered to herself as she looked around her kitchen. Because so many of the wolves clung to their belief of hidden food, she started adding warning labels to various jars, bottles and jugs.

"Wow, " Russell said as he moved into the doorway. Since nothing on the counters looked out of place, Ivy moved to her fridge to see if anything looked nibbled. "You are serious about your warning labels."

"Last week I caught Nathan taking a spoon to a container of topical hex remover, " Ivy said as she tugged open the fridge door.

"Is that the thing that smells like blackberries?" He asked. His smile widened as he continued to look around.

"I use blackberry leaves, " Ivy said. Her eyes scanned the shelves. "There are no berries in it. It is not as Nathan believed, my hidden stash of pudding." Everything in the fridge looked as she left it. Ivy started to close the door and then she noticed the small silicone molds on the bottom shelf.

While her cream based hex remover was good for most general hexes, sometimes a Hex slid right under the skin. There were several that were currently quite popular among those seeking to even scores. It caused a rash and about twenty four hours after the infected treated the rash and thought they were in the clear, a new outbreak would start. The silicon molds contained tablets designed to be dropped into a bathtub filled with hot water. The heat opened the pores and the tablet dissolved, absorbing into the skin and flushing out anything that was hidden beneath the surface.

"Someone's been nibbling my anti hex tablets, " Ivy said as she looked at the edge. It showed the clear marks of teeth along the edge. Russell walked over, bent down and inhaled deeply.

"It smells wonderful, " he said. "Sweet and kind of fruity."

"It doesn't taste nearly as good as it smells I can assure you, " a voice said from behind them. Both Ivy and Russell turned and saw Hackett standing in the doorway. Ivy sighed. She and Russell both straightened and he moved back as Ivy closed the refrigerator door.

"It's not food, " Ivy said. She gestured to the many warning signs posted throughout the space. "Food is in the other kitchen.

"Well, the cookie jar was empty, " Hackett said. "And it smelled like food. Didn't taste like it though, I spit it out right away. It tasted like something you'd find in the bath."

"It is something for the bath, " Ivy pointed out. "You drop it into your bathwater like a bath bomb. It dissolves and if you have a hex under your skin it removes it, if you don't it just makes your skin really soft and removes the remnants of environmental contaminants so your skin is healthier.

"Then why is it in the fridge?" Hackett asked.

"So it can set up in a temperature controlled environment, " Ivy told him.

"You shouldn't put bath stuff next to food, " he scolded.

"I don't, " Ivy said. "The food stuff is all in the other kitchen. There is only bath type stuff, and laundry type stuff and other non-food type stuff in here."

"Well, you should have said something, " Hackett said huffily. "Then I wouldn't have tried tasting them."

"Looks like you need more signs, Ivy, " Russell teased.

"Clearly, " she replied. "And the cookie jar gets refilled on Wednesdays, " she told Hackett. "It's almost always empty on Tuesdays."

"True, " Hackett conceded. "But I didn't want to delay and miss talking to you before the Seers arrive." Ivy heard a low growl and Russell rubbed his stomach.

"Can we talk over lunch?" he asked.

"Excellent idea, " Hackett said. He looked around as though he expected Ivy to pull food from some hidden corner.

Ivy sighed. "The food is in the other kitchen, remember." She started towards the door and Hackett looked slightly disappointed as he backed into the hallway. "You guys really think I hide special treats in here don't you?"

"It seemed like a logical possibility, " Hackett said.

"Do you hide food at your house?" Ivy asked as they all moved back to the regular kitchen.

"Only the things I don't want to share, " he said.

"So you were looking for things that I didn't want to share?" Ivy asked. Hackett had the grace to blush. Russell looked as though he was swallowing a laugh.

"It was more out of curiosity than anything else, " Hackett said.

As they were investigating the other room, Eric wandered off somewhere. As Winston didn't look upset, Ivy suspected he hadn't taken the container he wanted with him. Also in their absence, Winston put together several sandwiches.

"I figured Hackett would be eating with you, " he said as he moved three plates to the table. He then added a pitcher of lemonade and three glasses to the table.

"Thank you Winston, " Ivy said. She still found it strange when someone waited on her.

"That's what I'm here for, " Winston said, waving off her thanks. He left them at the table and moved back towards the stove. Ivy saw several large pots containing various liquids all simmering away on the stove top burners. As she sat down, she reminded herself that she was no longer running the kitchen and turned her attention back to Hackett.

"Russell said you wanted to talk to me, " Ivy said as she settled in her seat. She picked up half of her sandwich and took a bite. It was fixed exactly as she would have done herself. She looked over and saw Russell sliding a tomato slice out of his sandwich and onto the plate.

"Told you he likes you better, " Russell muttered under his breath, making sure Winston couldn't hear him. Ivy rolled her eyes.

"It's about these Seers, " Hackett continued, ignoring Russell's comment. "I have reservations."

"So do I, " Ivy admitted. "That's why I've set up an interview."

"But is an interview really worth bothering with? I can't see how the pack would be improved by their addition to our community, " Hackett said. He shook his head and took a bite of his sandwich.

"They aren't looking to join the pack, " Ivy told him. "They are seeking sanctuary within a mage house. It has nothing to do with the pack. It's just mage business." Ivy took another bite of her sandwich while Hackett mulled her statement over. Like any Shifter he could scent the truth of her words, but he wasn't really worried about her lying.

Ivy continued to eat her lunch as Hackett puzzled his way through what he thought he should say next. When Ivy and her siblings moved to Wildwood, the pack was grateful for the mage assistance in securing their homes. As her mate, Russell was one of the Isliton pack and they looked forward to having a trusted mage they could call on in times of emergency.

However, they all made it quite clear that as much as they appreciated the fact that they were willing to help, the pack didn't want her or her siblings to get involved in what they called pack business. Somehow it never occurred to any of them that there would be anything happening in their area that could be called Mage business, let alone that as they were not mages, they would have no say in it.

From everything that Ivy learned, pack hierarchy was very strictly structured. It was the wolves who were accustomed to being in charge currently having issues coming to terms with a sector in their territory they couldn't control. As Ivy thought about pack hierarchy, something occurred to her.

"Isn't this more of a Russell problem anyway, " she asked. "I mean, he now leads the Isliton pack and you sort of arbitrate between the different packs and groups of other shifters. " Again color crept up to Hackett's cheeks and Ivy got the feeling his worries caused him to overstep his bounds.

"Yes, well, there is only concern because they would be living under the same roof as the pack master of the Isliton pack and that could potentially cause some issues, especially since a lot of pack business also takes place under the roof. Which makes it pack business, not just mage business. And since we discuss more than just the Isliton pack here, it is my business as well."

Hackett looked proud of his reasoning and he nodded. Ivy watched him take a bite of his sandwich.

"If the two Seers are accepted into my house, they won't be living under this roof, " Ivy told him. They'll be living in town. Since there are quite a few people in town who aren't part of the pack, it is less of an issue and not pack business."

Hackett blinked in surprise and stared at her while he processed the information. Ivy could tell he desperately wanted to take charge, but was left with few avenues for doing so. Ivy finished her sandwich, and downed the last of her lemonade.

"Well, if that was all, " Ivy said. "I need to check on our guest accommodations." Ivy stood and Winston stepped over to take her plate and glass before she could walk it to the sink. "Thank you, " she told him. He nodded as he moved back to his bubbling pots.

"I thought you said they weren't staying here, " Hackett said, a note of triumph in his voice.

"They aren't, " Ivy said. "Nick and Irina are. They will be here this afternoon and will be helping me with my interview."

"But they...they, " Hackett began unsure how to deal with the duo.

He knew Irina was once a Seer who was married to a Shifter, but Ivy hadn't given him any greater details, believing those were Irina's to either keep or share. When she researched the names Nick gave her in the archives, she provided the information to him and no one else. Hackett didn't like not having a name for the Shifter Irina was married to. She suspected once he had the name he would do his own research by contacting various members of the appropriate pack leaders. As Irina was currently listed as dead no one was looking for her. If questions started to be asked, that might change.

"They have been a part of my house for years, " Ivy said, stretching the truth only a little.

"Oh, " Hackett replied. "Then you...have their details?"

"I do, " Ivy said. He stared at her and when she didn't offer any details, he nodded slowly.

"Well, if you are satisfied, " Hackett said. He looked somewhat deflated.

"I am, " She told him. "Now, I'll leave you two to pack business while I see to their rooms."

Ivy moved away from the table and Russell winked at her from behind his sandwich as she left the kitchen. She smiled back, feeling pleased about at least getting Hackett to back off.

Chapter 3

Ivy's pleased feeling lasted as she walked down the corridor to their guest wing. A few of the rooms were set up for the occasional Shifter to use, but Ivy didn't think of them as true guest spaces. They were places for people who arrived without any luggage and who tended to do no more than use the bed to pass out for a few hours before resuming their wolf form and running off into the woods. This would be the first time Wildwood saw intentional overnight guests.

"I doubt the showers have even been used, " Ivy said as she double checked the towels in each of the guest bathrooms. She sniffed them to make sure they were fresh and not musty. They smelled of the laundry detergent and the tracker remover packets Ivy made up. Even though the property was shielded and fitted with a blocker that stopped any trackers from being active while within the shielded area, all of their laundry, from socks to sheets, was washed with the packets as a matter of course.

Ivy finished looking over the bathroom, checked the beds for clean sheets, made certain the drawers and closet were empty and not used for random storage and decided she was certain the room was ready for use. Satisfied everything was as prepared as she could make it, Ivy left the rooms and tried to decide if she had enough time to create more of the tracker identification spray or if she should return to her files and notes as she stepped out into the hall.

'With Hamilton out of the hospital, he could call for the return of the files at any minute, ' Ivy thought. As she stood in the hall debating, her cell phone rang. Ivy pulled it from her pocket and looked at the screen.

"Speak of the devil, " Ivy said as she saw Hamilton's number come up onto the screen. She pushed the button to answer it and lifted the phone to her ear.

"Hello, " Ivy said politely into the phone.

"Ms. Chambers, " Hamilton replied. His tone had a sharp edge to it, the words hard and crisp. "This is Hamilton Bridges."

"Mr. Bridges, " Ivy said. "I'd heard you were released from Eaglebrooke. I hope that means you are feeling better."

"It does, " Hamilton replied, his tone softening somewhat with her differential tone. "I hope you are on the mend as well."

"Feeling better every day. I hope I managed to leave everything as you wanted it in the office. After getting Jane to send in the custodial staff to clean and temporarily re-staff the guard and archive receptions desks, I told her to just maintain whatever status quo you had going."

Ivy winced at her own words and instantly wished she hadn't mentioned the golems. While she could claim that the guard attacked her and then fell victim to a marauding vampire thus leaving his position vacant, Ivy had no such cover for the receptionist on the archival level. Albert asked her to create a distraction while he dealt with the invaders and Ivy targeted the golem. She snapped the spells holding the bits of her together and had her chase the invaders around the room. In a matter of minutes she went from looking like a Marilyn Monroe knock off to a shambling zombie shedding rotten bits as it chased the terrified men around the room. Ivy told Hamilton she was working under Albert's direction and really hoped he didn't remember that she was the one who destroyed his precious Marilyn. He was quite proud of her and devastated by her loss.

'Even if Jane thought she was inferior, ' Ivy mentally added. She shook the thought away for later.

"It is about my office that I am calling, " Hamilton said, snapping Ivy's thoughts away from the strange flash of golem pride the receptionist displayed. "I'm standing it in now."

"Oh, " Ivy said. "I didn't realize you were back in the office."

'He must have gone straight from the hospital to the office, ' Ivy thought. Albert called her around ten to let her know Hamilton was being released. It was not even one when she left the kitchen to check the guest rooms. She tried to remember how long it took to drive from the office to the hospital.

"We have a problem, " Hamilton continued.

Ivy thought of the blood streaked floor tiles and elevator. She thought of the chenille throw and the couch cushions. "Did I forget something?" she asked.

Ivy thought she got all of the blood and gore out of his office. 'I imagine after a few weeks sitting anything left behind would stink to high heaven, ' she thought. She wondered if Jane would notice and take care of it or if the stench wouldn't even register. Golems were not her specialty and had no idea what they were programed to notice.

"No, you appear to have been quite thorough. There is still a problem, " Hamilton said. There was an odd tone to his words and Ivy couldn't tell if he was annoyed or simply tired. "I will need you to come into the office as soon as possible."

"Well Sir, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to get there for a few days, " Ivy said. She kept her tone carefully polite.

"Days, " he repeated. This time there was no mistaking the annoyance.

"I'm afraid so, " Ivy fought the urge to explain herself. "Perhaps if you told me the problem I could help with a solution without coming in." Dealing with an annoyed Hamilton from a distance sounded like a very good idea to her. 'Much better than driving in to be yelled at in person.'

"That will not be possible. The issue is with the golems and will need to be dealt with in person."

"Golems?" Ivy repeated. She wondered what happened to Jane and hoped nothing was wrong with her assistant, the animated stick figure known as Fig. Seven.

"They are malfunctioning."

"But I don't know anything about golems, Sir, " Ivy said. She frowned wondering why he would be calling her to fix malfunctioning golems. They were created using earth magic. The only information she had was a fire mage trick that let her destroy them.

"You dismembered one fairly effectively, " he replied, his voice dry enough to catch fire.

Apparently, he remembered Marilyn.

'Crap.'

"I followed Mr. Winter's instructions, " Ivy said trying not to sound like a liar.

"Then I would suggest in your spare time during the next few days, you read up on Golems. I'm certain you family library will be more than adequate to the task. In a few days, when your schedule allows it, " Ivy could hear him fairly bite the word off with a snap of his teeth. "Contact me and we will arrange for you to come in and deal with the situation. Do not tarry overlong, Ms. Chambers. It is necessary to get this office back to proper functionality as quickly as possible."

Ivy thought of her current schedule and fought down her own snap of temper. She had her own business to take care of. She spent the bulk of her life avoiding any involvement with the Shadow Council and its members and wasn't thrilled Hamilton seemed to think she was at his beck and call now. She could feel her fingertips grow warm and didn't want to fry the cell phone. Replacing it would throw her schedule even more out of whack than Hamilton's request. She began reciting the multiplication tables in her head to push back the anger.

'Irina and Nick will be here today, ' she thought as the numbers helped settle her temper. 'The Seers, Lee and James will be here at ten the next morning. Hopefully, the interview will be done in one day and if I accept them I can pass them off to Alex to get the details of the apartments.'

Her one involvement with the apartment and the store below was to add a fire mage's protection to the layered protections already on the building. The store wasn't as secure as Wildwood, but it was close. 'Irina and Nick will be leaving the next morning, so I can follow them out. Not a bad idea since they were kidnapped the last time they left my place. It would be nice to make sure they got home safely this time.'

So far there was no indication The Brotherhood was still watching Wildwood and this time they took precautions with Irina and Nick's travel, but she would still feel better making sure they reached home safely. 'Especially since Howard Carlson wants Irina so badly.'

"Thursday is the earliest I will be able to leave, " she told Hamilton. She hoped her silence hadn't stretched too long.

"I suppose it could be worse, " he conceded. "I will expect your call on Thursday then."

Ivy opened her mouth to reply, but realized Hamilton already cut the connection. "Well, " she said as she slid her phone back into her pocket. "So much for the well-mannered leader of the mage clan."

Ivy cast her eyes back to the guest rooms, but knew there was nothing else that needed to be done there. Everything from the clean sheets to the small vase of posies placed on the night stand was done and ready for the arrival of company.

"You know that's the second time he's mentioned the library, " Ivy said. Instead of returning to her private sitting room and files, Ivy turned her steps towards the shared library.

The room set aside for books was big. Growing up they always had a large collection of books around the house. There were books on magic and history, both from the point of view of the society and that of the norms. There was a collection of conspiracy theory books and fiction suitable for nearly any age or interests. When their grandmother died, all of the books in the house were packed up and stored away. In the years they were separated, each of them started their own collection of books. When they combined their belongings, the books all ended up in the library.

Ivy was certain that when they got around to organizing, they would find duplicates of certain books and a winnowing would be done. For now, whenever anyone got time, they emptied out boxes, placing whatever was removed from the box onto the nearest available shelf.

"Most of the boxes are emptied now, " Ivy said looking around. As she was trying to rest her arm while it healed, she hadn't been unpacking many of the book boxes lately. Someone else clearly took on the task. "And most of what remains is mine, sort of, " Ivy said as she looked around.

Enough of the boxes were cleared from the floor to allow an area rug to be put down and several over stuffed comfortable reading chairs to be installed. Her personal reading chair had been destroyed when her apartment was broken into by a man calling himself Walter Garett, but Ivy was pleased to see the large leather one she favored from her grandmother's house.

"I forgot that was in storage, " she mused as she ran a hand over the comfortably worn leather. Like the books, the furniture was taken from different places and while none of it matched in color, style or even material, each was built to comfortably cradle a reader. The various card board boxes were emptied and carted away. Those left for her to deal with were in old trunks, neatly stacked off to the side in front of a set of still empty book cases.

The trunks were delivered to the house after the death of Ivy's instructor and fellow fire mage, Ms. Mooney. After doing some research she now knew that Ms. Mooney was in fact Emily Thorne nee Matthews, wife of William Thorne, sister to Albert and her paternal grandmother. When they were sent to the house, they were stowed away since their family library was already over stuffed and it was believed Ivy would be taking them with her when she left home. Ivy remembered looking into the trunks when they arrived at the house, and knew both of them were filled with old books.

"Both, " she repeated. She looked at the stacked trunks. There were seven of them. "So not just Ms. Mooney's things." Ivy walked over and studied the trunks. Two had the initials E.M. burned into the lids with fancy lettering. "Those would be Emily's." she said.

The trunks were stacked in three piles. One pile held three trunks and each of the other two were comprised of two of the larger trunks. Emily's two trunks topped two of the stacks. Ivy looked at the top trunk on the third stack. The in initials T.C. were stamped in gold bold faced letters on the front of the upper most trunk.

"Theodore Chambers, " Ivy said. "And it's on top." She did a little wiggling happy dance, pleased she wouldn't have to move any of the heavy, book filled trunks. A laugh sounded behind her. Ivy turned to see her brother Alex standing in the doorway laughing at her.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people, " she told him.

"If I didn't I wouldn't get to see such displays of grace and poise, " her brother countered. "What made you happy enough to dance?"

"The fact that I don't have to move any of the boxes to start looking for what I want."

"You weren't going to try to move one of those trunks alone were you?" He frowned at her.

"I just told you I don't have to, " Ivy said skirting the question.

"Uh huh, and what did you need in Old Ms. Mooney's books?"

"Actually, I didn't need her books, I needed Theodore's, " Ivy told him.

"Theodore, " Alex repeated. He squinted as he tried to place the name.

"Grandmother Elizabeth's father, " Ivy supplied.

"And you need his books why?" Alex flopped into one of the reading chairs and stretched out his long legs. Ivy could see he was wearing work boots and the clothes he tended to favor on construction sites.

"Did you just get back from town?" Ivy asked.

"Yup, " Alex said. "The retail place is as finished as we can make it and ready for whatever merchandise you plan to put into it. The apartments are likewise ready for occupancy."

"Melisa is in charge of setting up the store. Lee and James both have retail experience so if we do take them on they will be helping with that as well as moving into the apartments."

"Which means we are as done as we can be at the moment, " Alex added with a nod. "But that doesn't explain why you need Theodore's books, unless he was a retail wizard and I just didn't know it."

"He was an earth mage, " Ivy told him.

"Like me and Max?"

"Yup, " Ivy said. "Except that he was also once the mage representative on the Shadow Council."

"Really?" He quirked up an eyebrow and Ivy nodded. "Huh, I wonder why Gran never mentioned that."

"Probably because we were avoiding having anything to do with the council at the time and she didn't want to put out ideas about following in his footsteps or maintaining a legacy."

"We're not really the political type. And the only thing I lead is a construction crew. You are more of the leader than the rest of us, " Alex said. "Luckily you are more of a leader of the resistance than the council type."

"I don't lead the resistance, " Ivy said. "As far as I know there isn't a resistance. At least not an organized one."

"And yet they all come to you for help, " Alex added. "So why are you looking for an earth mage's books?"

"Well, in addition to being a clan leader, Theodore created a bunch of the golems in the Shadow Council building. Including Jane and the super scary archival guards."

Alex looked at her in surprise. "You're joking, " he said.

Ivy shook her head. "Afraid not."

"I thought Hamilton made them, " Alex said.

"Hamilton made the receptionist who looked like Marilyn Monroe and the one that sat outside the council chambers. Theodore made the scary ones and then to prove that he could make something other than the super scary ones like Crush and Stab, he made a Jane Russell look alike. Hamilton decided to continue the theme with Marilyn."

"Didn't you destroy Marilyn?"

"I did. Hamilton almost cried, " Ivy told him. She stepped away from the trunks and sunk into one of the other reading chairs. "Then Vlad attacked and he forgot about her for a while."

"Did Theodore make Vlad too?"

"I think so."

Alex shook his head. "We have some seriously twisted family members on our tree, " Alex decided.

"True, but I have to admit, as scary as they are the monstrous looking ones aren't as ...creepy looking as the ones made to look like real people." She thought of the barely blinking secretary who gestured to the doorway like a game show diva displaying a prize and the way that the golems never realized that Ivy, Ivy Chambers, and Ms. Chambers were the same person. Ivy shivered in revulsion.

"Until they attack anyway, " Alex added.

"Well, then they are so terrifying you don't have time to worry about them being creepy, " Ivy said. "I'm still surprised I didn't get any nightmares."

After the fighting in the dark subbasement, Ivy expected to have nightmares about rotting corpses and things that attacked out of the darkness. While she still had the occasional bad dream featuring Ron Corwin the now deceased leader of The Brotherhood, Vlad and Marilyn hadn't put in any appearances in her dreams. She still occasionally heard the sickening sound of Ron's knife sliding into Hamilton's belly making her wake up feeling ill, but didn't fear the golems. Ivy didn't know why that was, but decided not to poke it too much in case it ended up causing her nightmares.

"I wonder why Gran was so against us learning anything about golems then, if her father built them, " Alex wondered.

"I think because she thought Hamilton might see it as a threat, " Ivy said. "He seems to have been better at it than our fearless leader. At least according to Jane."

"Jane?" Alex looked amused.

"Hamilton's secretary, the Jane Russell look alike. She thinks she is better than Marilyn. She seemed quite proud of herself for it too."

"Well, I've always liked her better, " Alex said. His smile faded. "She thinks she's better?"

"Yeah, it came as a shock to everyone else too as golems aren't supposed to have things like pride or any other thoughts they weren't programed with. And she was definitely proud of herself for being better. I wonder if that's part of the malfunctioning Hamilton was talking about."

"Malfunctioning?"

"Yeah, that's why I was looking for Theodore's books, " Ivy said. "Hamilton said his golems are malfunctioning so I need to come in later this week to deal with them."

"No offense Ivy, but you aren't the first person I'd call to deal with a malfunctioning golem, " Alex said. "It's earth magic. Hamilton would have a better chance at fixing it than you would."

"I know, " Ivy said. She allowed her worry to show. "The only thing I can do is break them, and I don't think he was calling me for that."

"But he wants you to come in because the golems are malfunctioning?"

"Yeah, he suggested I read up on them since he was certain our library had the necessary information."

"You aren't thinking of going alone are you?"

"I hadn't really thought about it to be honest, " Ivy said. "I just got the call a few minutes ago."

"Well, as much as the Intrigues like you, I doubt Russell will let you go without either him or a wolf he trusts since the cats let you get shot last time, " Alex said. "And if you are dealing with golems, earth magic you should probably take either me or Max too."

"Youi think Max would risk leaving his animals?" Ivy asked. Their brother Max was not only an earth mage like Alex, but he was their in house veterinarian. While all of their pregnant animals had given birth, there were still newborns to look after and the general well-being of the creatures to see to. As Ivy generally didn't deal with the animals until they were ready for slaughter and the kitchen, she wasn't entirely certain what his every day duties entailed but knew there were a lot of them Max wouldn't trust to anyone else.

"Probably not, " Alex said. "I guess you are stuck with me then. Good thing construction is finished for the most part. And the things left on Wildwood can stand waiting a few more days."

"That would be helpful, especially since Hamilton didn't exactly say how they were malfunctioning, " Ivy told him.

"It's not like him to be vague, " Alex replied. "He isn't very nice, but at least he is specific in letting you know what he wants you to do." Alex looked over at the trunks. "Is that the only one that's Theodore's?"

"I have no idea, " Ivy said. "I just knew that Ms. Mooney only sent two over. I was just checking to see where the other five came from and got excited about the T.C. on the front."

Alex sat up and looked the trunks over. "It's the only one that is marked T.C."

"True, but that doesn't mean the others aren't his. He could have trunks that don't have his initials."

"Well, why don't we start with the labeled trunk and if we don't find what we need there, we can look at the others." Alex stood up and walked over to the stacked trunks. With great effort he managed to life the loaded trunk down from the top of the stack. He placed it on the floor in front of Ivy.

"We?" she asked as he straightened.

"Well, if I'm going to help you deal with the malfunction I might as well help you with the research."

"Thanks, " Ivy said, relieved to have the help.

"No problem, " Alex said. "I don't mind helping, as long as I don't get shot."

"Hopefully no one will get shot this time, " Ivy said as she bent forward, reaching for the latches on the trunk. "Not getting shot sounds nice."