Page 22 of Severed By Magic

“The clinic is the first building. Right there.” He pointed to the left of the cabin to another large, but more understated, log building. “If she’s not at the front, just ask whoever is working the desk for her.”

“Thanks.” Theo waved to us, then jogged down the stairs.

“And where do you need to be, Saige?” Rodney’s smile widened, looking at his niece. At least one of her uncles wasn’t angry about our appearance.

“I’m working in the service department with––”

“Gloria,” he finished before she could. “The office is in there. Head straight down the hall and take the first right. They usually have the double doors propped open.”

“First right. Got it. Thanks.” She said goodbye and went back inside.

“Ready?” he asked me and Kaden.

“Sure.”

We followed him back in the direction where he’d come, but he slowed to make sure we stayed together.

“How have your first couple of days been?”

“Good. Our room is nice.” I wasn’t sure what else to say.

We hadn’t done much besides relax, which was what we all needed. None of us realized how long we’d been living in a state of high anxiety until we had a moment to accept we weren’t in danger anymore.

“That’s good. If you every need anything, just ask. Not everything is readily available, but we can usually get it shipped in within a few days.”

“Thanks.” I glanced at Kaden, hoping he would step up and join in this conversation.

He was too busy yawning. “Do you know what we’ll be working on today?”

“Our first stop is clearing the snow and ice off part of a roof and the gutters. The Venalis are an older couple and can’t reach it safely, so they asked for help.”

“So we go around and do whatever people need help with?” That sounded like the service department.

“There’s a list of routine work we do daily, weekly, or monthly to keep the compound running, but occasionally, things like this pop up.”

“So if someone clogs their toilet, they call you?” Kaden asked while smirking at me.

“If they can’t fix it on their own, then yeah, we can try, but in that case, I would probably call Tanner. He’s a licensed plumber.”

“Oh, so there are professionals?”

Rodney smiled. “Yeah, there are a few. They also work outside of the compound, so they might not always be available. We don’t always have welders or smiths or electricians on staff, but we help anyone who’s interested in those professions get the training or certification they need. In exchange, they help with things around here as needed.”

“But I thought everyone had to have a job here,” Kaden cut in.

Rodney slowed a bit. “They do, but not all of them are full-time. Like Tanner, he works a rotating night schedule on the security team, but that leaves his days open. He’s free to work outside jobs. There are a few dozen pack members who do similar things.”

“Huh.”

That was all Kaden said, but I knew him enough to know he was storing this information for a reason.

“I have experience in enough areas that I can act as a handyman while doing my regular job,”Rodney continued.

“So you’re a jack of all trades?” I liked the idea of being able to do an array of things, rather than specializing in one area. I wouldn’t get as bored as fast.

“I guess,” he grinned, then froze mid-step.

I was about to ask what was wrong when I heard it too.

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