Page 60 of Charming Her Monsters

After a sigh and wistfully longing to join them, I climb the stairs to see if Calder indeed intends to teach me a damn thing.

I just hope he doesn’t either attack me verbally or physically. Although, I highly doubt even with his crazed anger toward witches that he would actually hurt me.

Just as I’m about to knock on the door, I glance down the hallway and wonder if Flint might help me with shielding my mind. Although, it seems unlikely since I’m sure Maxum would have told me to work with the gargoyle instead if he was an option.

Calder’s door flies open before I have a chance to knock. He gives me a quick once over and asks flatly, “Why are you lingering out here?”

Do I tell him I’ve been working up the nerve to talk with him? Or would that only feed his ego?

“I was debating whether this was a good idea.” Yeah. Honesty. That could work. “If you don’t want to help me with my shields, then I can buzz off.”

“I didn’t say I wouldn’t help,” he grumps and steps aside as an invitation to come into his room.

“You’re okay with me in your space?” I ask, a bit taken aback.

“Your spy already invaded my room. I don’t see how it’s sacred anymore.”

I flush pink with the reminder that I had a spy with me for the last few years. “If I would have known… Well, I don’t know what to say. Just that a week ago, I didn’t even know it was possible for a hamster to be anything more than just a cute ball of floof.”

Calder grunts and waves me in. “I know.”

“You believe me now?” I ask as I take a tentative step inside his room.

It’s nicer than the one at the temporary safe house. But I suppose that makes sense. Maxum intended for this place to be a proper home for them.

Calder’s space is filled with burnished wood and beautifully intricate wrought metal—not iron, but another metal I’ve never seen before. I assume this metal is fae-born friendly since I know iron had hurt Osen.

His room is a mix of deep reds and rust orange—exactly as I might expect a fire being’s color choice to be.

I realize I’d like to see Arran’s personal room, and Flint’s if he’d let me. What would Osen’s room reveal that I don’t know yet? Perhaps it might draw him forward if there is anything personal he might attune to.

But the most precious thing to Osen that’s here might be Calder himself.

Trouble and Sage gaze up at me from a thick shag rug.

I titter over them and squat down to give them a pet. “Hey, are you both doing okay?”

“Birdman gives good ear rubs!” Sage announces.

I peek up at the phoenix, who blushes slightly and turns away quickly, busying himself with something on his desk.

“I bet he does,” I agree. “How are you doing, Trouble?”

“I’m mad.”

“Oh?” I worry he will say that I’ve been ignoring him. I haven’t meant to, but when I think about it, truly, not much time has passed since my life was turned upside down. Knowing how wild it’s been, I relax a bit. Besides, Calder has been keeping an eye on them, and it sounds like he might be a better caretaker than I’ve ever been.

But Trouble isn’t mad at me when I hear him say, “Floofer was lying to us.”

“It sounds like that’s the case. Did he ever do anything to hurt you?” I ask.

“Uh, no. I don’t think so. Not when we were awake.”

I sigh with relief, and I hear Calder echo me. He really has a soft spot for the little ones. I just wished he wouldn’t be so hard on me because I’m a witch. I never asked to be born this way or have the power to channel spirits.

Well, I suppose it’s time to bite the bullet and have him help me. I give each of the fur babies their favorite petting. Sage likes her ears rubbed and Trouble likes a rump scratch.

“You sure you want to help me?” I ask the phoenix. “Maybe I should wait until Maxum gets back.”

---