Page 69 of My Haven
Nigel scooped up a little girl and Neil was talking to a trio of boys.
“Are you back now?” one boy asked.
Neil shook his head. “Just visiting. We wanted to show our sister where we grew up.”
“You have a sister now?” a girl asked.
Nigel pulled Meryn forward. “She looks after us.”
“Nigel and Neil Morninglory! How could you visit and not let me know you were coming!” a warm, but irate female voice complained.
“Sorry Nan, it was last minute,” Neil explained.
“Nan?” Meryn asked.
“Nanette Hedgeflower, we can her Nan. She used to live a street over and would help us out when she could. When the former orphanage director..uh… expired, she took his place,” Nigel said, setting the girl down.
“I don’t want to speak ill of the dead, but may he rot in hell,” Nan said, folding her hands in front of her chest. Around her the children did the same and said ‘Amen’.
“That was freaking awesome,” Meryn said, laughing.
Nan stepped forward and took Meryn’s hands. “May you be twice blessed, once each, for both boys, for taking them in. They deserve a good family.”
Meryn looked over at the boys. “They’re not hard to love.”
Both boys blushed furiously.
Neil to turn attention away from them, introduced Pip. “This is our little brother Pip, he’s from Noctem Falls.”
Nan took one look at Pip and pulled him into a hug. “Such a fine young man. I bet you’re a big help to your brothers.”
Pip bobbed his head up and down, then leaned in. “I’m older, but I like being the little brother,” he whispered.
“It suits you,” she agreed.
Genevieve was watching the children closely. It wasn’t obvious, but to her trained eye, she saw multiple signs of malnutrition. “Nan, what do the children eat?” she asked.
Nan sighed. “Better now, than before, but still not much. We don’t get a lot of support from the Witches’ Council,” she admitted.
Genevieve looked up at Caiden. “Can’t we help?”
Caiden shook his head. “Private funds are not allowed to be used for public endeavors. It’s one of our oldest laws.”
Meryn groaned. “We ran into the same problem trying to update the clinic in Lycaonia.”
Genevieve took in the gaunt faces and skinny legs. “What if I were to ask for volunteers to test meals I create for nutritional value?”
Nan stepped forward eagerly. “No money changing hands?”
Genevieve smiled and pointed to her chest. “I’m going to be moving to Storm Keep, so I’ll need work to keep me busy. Mymate here will buy the ingredients and we can drop the food off for the kids to test.”
Nan had tears in her eyes. “Aye, that could work.”
Caiden picked her up and swung her around. “You’d be willing to do this? What about your videos?”
He set her on her feet. “I can take what I’ve learned on the road and help the kids.”
“What about Arlo?” he asked.
