Phantom of the Library - Lidiya Foxglove Page 0,4

I were just wishing something would happen.”

Oh, it will, I thought. Be careful what you wish for and all…

“So many handsome men,” said a woman with thick black curls streaked heavily with gray and a lot of spangly jewelry as she emerged from the back of the group. “Are they all taken? I have granddaughters. For that matter…some of you look old enough.”

Old enough…? For her? Yikes.

“Yes,” Gaston said. I didn’t even realize he had snuck out here after we kicked him out back to smoke. “We are all taken. I’m with the little redhead.”

“And the rest of you are with the blonde then?”

When no one immediately denied it, Cougar Grandma said, “My my. Do you know, dear, that I, Zuzana, am the master of charms and seductions and all the spells of love. If you end up needing any help managing this madness, you know where to find me.”

I wanted to melt into the floor. Jake looked at me as if reminding me that if I wanted this, I had to be brave and own it. I was finding it very hard right now. So many old people eyes and all of them were locked on me.

“I’m just here to work,” I said, a little faintly.

“And then you’re all moving in?” Hepzibah called. “Or are you just going to tear up poor old Sam’s house before he’s cold in his grave!?”

“We’re giving it an update and we’ll find some new owners,” Graham said. “I am honored to inherit this house but I’m not a west coast guy. Maybe some of you have children looking for a house in your neighborhood.”

This idea sparked some interest but Zuzana was still eyeing me up.

“Four men is too many, girl. I don’t think you can handle that without magic or they’ll just fight over you all the time. But I have spells that will open up your sexual chakras,” she said.

“I’m good.”

I stepped inside the house, feeling very exposed. This was the first time anyone outside of my little circle knew I was in a bond relationship. Jake and Jasper came inside with me, flanking me with their reassuring presence.

“Hey,” Jake said. “Don’t let them get to you. They’ll all die before we even finish this remodel.”

“Some of those witches were looking at me like I was ruined as a person.”

“Maybe Helena von Hapsburg is ruined as a person,” Jake said. “But you could be reborn as a better person. Helena Sullivan.” He spread his hands like the name was going to be on a marquee. Or maybe, more likely, the side of a work van.

“Eye roll,” I said, but what I thought was, Aw, a shared van?

Graham escaped back into the house, looking pissed off. “You left me with them again!”

“Well, you’re a politician. You’re good at public speaking, right?” Jasper said.

“I was always prepared for my statements,” Graham said. “I am not prepared to answer their questions about what we’re doing with this house and whether I plan to live here forever and have babies and whether I know how to share and…”

“Well—let’s—let’s check out the rest of the house,” I stammered.

The bedrooms were fairly standard—one master suite, two guest rooms. They were small for modern day standards, a common problem with midcentury houses, and I hoped there was another bedroom downstairs. If so, I wanted to combine the two guest bedrooms into one grand master suite with a walk-in closet, because the current one just didn’t cut it for such a large house. There was also the pleasant surprise of no wood paneling. I totally expected wood paneling.

“Bets on the bathroom color,” Jake said, before we opened the door.

“Avocado,” I said.

“Pink,” Jasper said.

“I’m betting some shade of gold,” Jake said.

“Judging on the rest of the decor, I feel like Sam liked vivid greens,” Graham said. “I’m going with that.”

“One of you is close,” Byron said.

It was turquoise and white. Intensely so. Floor, tub, and shower, all the same bright tiles with white grout. “Point to Graham,” Jake said. “You get to shower with Helena in the remodel.”

“What!?” I cried.

“Never mind. She doesn’t want to.”

“I didn’t say that either, I just—!”

Graham chuckled. “All right, I’ll take the win.”

They’re all making a real effort to get along, I thought. Could this actually, really work? I was getting anxious just looking at the bedrooms while surrounded by the four of them. When you added them all up their presence was so overwhelming that I could hardly think. I swear I could smell their