have one or two like that here." Fortunately, Fisher's Cove no longer sported very many outhouses. She smiled at their guest. One more thing to find out before she put up her detective shield for the day. "How long are you staying?"
"Not sure. A few nights, maybe a week."
The casual words of a traveler. Sophie tried not to protest - ten hours of straight sleep deserved better than that. She picked up her scone and took a bite.
And watched bliss hit Cass's face as she did the same.
Sophie grinned and made a little wish. It wouldn't be the first time Aaron's cooking had turned someone's short visit into a much longer stay.
Someone had cleared out all traces of pink bunny from his keep. Marcus looked around - only one Realm player had that kind of power.
The one who had created them in the first place.
"She's still eating lunch," said an amused voice from over by the tree.
Marcus raised a reflexive shield and then relaxed it again. If The Wizard had meant to behead or bespell him, it would have happened already. In the gaming world, Nell Walker took very few prisoners. He glared her general direction. "I thought we were dueling." Morgan was napping under Lizzie's careful watch. He didn't have all day.
Nell's eyes flashed, mostly with humor. "Want a fight, do you?"
No. He was simply here to honor his commitments. "I heard the old guard was coming out to play. Someone has to teach the younglings to keep their shields up."
The Wizard's robe glittered.
Marcus snorted - some things never changed. Nell had always been more than willing to blow game points on flagrant displays of nothing useful. "Parlor tricks."
"Says the guy whose game points have probably molded from lack of use." The robe was doing something fancy and swirly now.
"Some of us have children to raise." Belatedly, Marcus remembered who he was talking to. "All of yours know better than to eat carpet fuzz or feed dirt to the kitty." Morgan had been very insistent and Hecate had been very unimpressed.
"Yup." The Wizard leaned back against a sturdy tree. "My life is all leisure and sunshine."
He didn't want to know what trouble they got into past the age of two. "You've got time to duel."
She grinned. "Kevin asked nicely. What's your excuse?"
He had no earthly idea. "Who recruited Daniel?" There weren't that many kids in the witch-only levels, and most of them weren't nearly smart enough to find the tough old librarian, much less convince him to don his gaming shoes.
Unease entered The Wizard's eyes. "Moira."
Oh, hell. "How is it she's become one of the more frightening denizens of Realm?" A couple of years ago, his aunt had needed assistance to find the Internet at all.
"Never underestimate the Irish, I guess."
Or old and sneaky witches. Marcus leaned against a neighboring tree. And hoped like heck that his partner had a plan.
The Wizard dimmed her robe, parlor games over. "How's it going with your visitor?"
Marcus turned a sharp eye on the fields of his keep. "Where?"
Nell snorted beside him. "Brown curly hair, green eyes, small talent with a fiddle?"
Oh. That visitor. "She's not my anything. She's a guest at the inn." One whose music had the entire village chattering and his daughter trying to dance like the fleet-footed Lizzie. Which so far had only bruised her bottom and her ego.
"There really is life beyond parenting," said his companion quietly.
Marcus blinked. That had sounded entirely too much like empathy. "I'm aware of that."
"Good." Nell pushed away from the tree. "Then let's head to town so I can crush you and that upstart daughter of mine into dust."
That was more like it. Marcus grabbed his sword, suddenly very glad to be back in Realm.
A world with simple rules. And empty of Irish witches who walked through life with a head of easy joy.
Chapter 10
Such haste, these young people. Moira smiled at her magical pool's latest arrival.
Nell slid into the warm waters, slightly out of breath. "Okay, gimme the scoop. I only have about ten minutes."
That was plenty of time for a nice soak and catching up on the latest gossip, too. The chatter had been flowing thick and fast this morning, and it wasn't all about their new arrival's magic fingers. "She's lovely, our Cass."
Nell snorted. "She's smoking hot and probably has guys falling at her feet all over the continent."
That was likely true as well. "Her beauty shines, but I was more speaking of her heart. She's made friends with half