Page 51 of Spring L.A.W.
“Oh wow,” Daniel said slowly. “We leave you alone for one night…”
Rayna held up her coffee like a peace offering. “Say the words ‘walk of shame’ and I’ll hex your favorite playlist into sea shanties.”
Major Payne stood up, all coiled power and polite menace. “Gentlemen. Breakfast?”
Michael blinked. “You… you stayed?”
“Apparently, all night,” Daniel muttered, then grinned. “Honestly? Respect.”
Rayna rolled her eyes but didn’t deny it. “Coffee’s on. Granola’s tactical. And yes, he made the bed. Want to bounce a quarter off of it?”
Michael walked to the fridge. “This is going to be so weird when we debrief later.”
Daniel raised a brow at Payne. “You’re still terrifying. But now, in a hot way.”
Major Payne sipped his coffee. “Noted.”
Rayna flipped a pancake with magic, Daniel raided the fridge, and the storm on the horizon grew a little closer.
Joell ledthe graffiti-marked boy to the lounge, getting him set up with the VR headset before heading to the library to join the team. Meanwhile, Michael and Daniel were making their rounds, collecting the witches' weapons for safekeeping before the mansion would uproot itself and move to Tennessee for Ostara—the spring equinox.
Michael was at the vault, carefully inspecting each weapon before tucking it away in a duffel bag. “Alright, we’re almost ready. Another six-week move. Witches are off to the mountains,and we stay here to keep things in check.” He gave Daniel a pointed look. “No off-the-grid nonsense this time.”
Daniel smirked. “You say that like I’m notconstantlykeeping things under control.” He adjusted the straps on a sword hilt and tucked it neatly into place. “The witches will have their time in Tennessee to do whatever… meditate, write, or cast the spells they do when they’re away. We’ll just hold down the fort.”
Michael grinned as he closed the vault. “Right. And we can keep the mansion’s grounds from randomly falling into a sinkhole or being sold to a developer while they’re gone.”
Daniel tossed a few enchanted trinkets into a bag, making sure nothing was left behind. “I’m just going to give out these charms to make sure no one gets possessed by evil spirits. Or worse, gets caught up in someemotionalwreckage.”
Meanwhile, in the library, Joell entered just as the witches began their conversation about Ostara. The table was filled with papers, magical texts, and half-empty mugs, while Katie, still absorbing everything, looked a little overwhelmed.
Michael and Daniel dropped the weapons they’d been collecting onto the table with a thud. “Weapons secured,” Michael announced, giving the witches a knowing look. “We’re good for the week. The mansion’s ready to make its move to Tennessee.”
Daniel shrugged, clearly unbothered. “And we’re stuck here. Enjoy your magical retreat. We’ll be keeping the brownstone running smoothly, as per usual.”
Katie blinked, still processing. “Wait, you’re not going with them?”
Michael shook his head. “Nope. Someone has to stay behind to make sure everything doesn’t implode while the witches go off and pretend they’re recharging.”
Joell rolled her eyes. “We don’tpretendto recharge. It’s a real thing, Daniel.”
She turned to Katie. “The mansion moves every six weeks, so that quarterly we’re in sync with the rhythm of our bodies. Then we have another four weeks of vacation, not spoiled by our feminine functions. The witches will take the time to rest, and we’ll… What’s the word, Rayna?”
Rayna smiled wryly. “Try to relax.”
Daniel raised his hands in mock surrender. “Right. Relax. We’ll just be holding down the fort.”
Katie chuckled. “Seems like you have the easy job.”
Michael gave her a knowing look. “Trust me, if something goes wrong, we’ll hear about it and respond accordingly.”
After picking up the weapons on the table, Michael and Daniel shared a quick, knowing look before they walked over to Rayna and planted a quick kiss on each of her cheeks, simultaneously.
“Stay out of trouble,” Michael said with a wink, then turned to Daniel, who grinned and added, “Don’t worry. We can come back in case you accidentally summon a storm or set the mansion on fire before you leave.”
Rayna grinned, holding up a hand. “I can assure you that no storms will be summoned. But thanks for the kisses. It’s nice to be missed.” She waved them off. “Go. Have fun with the mundane world.”
With one last glance, Michael and Daniel exited, hauling the weapons out of the mansion, then heading back to Rayna’s Brooklyn brownstone.
