I wondered if maybe my soul had experienced magic before for me to be so calm about it now.
I sighed as Damian pulled into his driveway, the old iron gate closing behind him. This home truly was amazing. I also knew this home was worth megabucks.
I followed Damian into the house. He was all but skipping to get inside and see it. I was anything but excited. Reticent, if I was being honest.
Sure enough, the moment we walked in, the pocket doors were all standing open, allowing us to see all the rooms at once. I groaned when I saw the Irving Shapiro watercolor my grandfather had left me in his will, now hanging over the fireplace. The painting hadn’t even come to Seattle with me. My mom was going to come unglued when she found it missing.
I groaned when the little bronze statue of a unicorn, something I knew I’d given to charity, sat on the mantle in the library. Ugh, again and again, as I saw my personal belongings interspersed throughout the rooms. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Damian,” I said again when I turned and saw his smiling face.
“Come upstairs. I want to see my stuff up there,” he said, and I reluctantly followed him.
Whereas my stuff shouldn’t be in the house, the transformation to this floor was amazing. It was like some home design star had come in and planned the space, reupholstered his old furniture, and placed it in the rooms to maximize their beauty, making the space a comfortable mix of rustic and modern.
I didn’t say anything, but I was so happy the first floor was traditional again, although I sure as hell intended to get help moving all my own stuff back to my freaking place soon.
“It’s beautiful, Damian. It feels so, well, like you? Can I say that after only knowing you a few days?”
Damian came over and embraced me. “You can say it over and over ’cause it’s correct. This is better than I ever could’ve hoped for, and I think I owe you for it all.”
I sighed but felt happy for him. “Come on, let’s go to the attic.”
I let him pull me up the stairs. I stared at the space. It was exactly how I’d seen it in my mind. I didn’t linger, only went toward the bedroom and new bath before slipping into the gigantic closet. “Ugh,” I groaned again. “Damian, my clothes are here,” I said. “I’m so sorry.”
Damian laughed and again embraced me from behind, “Don’t worry, I’m sure we can work it out,” he said as my phone rang.
I saw it was my landlady and cringed. “I better take this. She’s going to be wondering why all my belongings disappeared, although I have no idea what I’m going to say to her.”
“Hello?” I answered.
“Oh, hi Owen, good news. A couple just viewed your apartment and want to take it tomorrow. I already had them sign the lease. I was surprised you wanted to move after such a short time, but I guess this was just serendipitous. Congratulations! I’ll return your deposit and the prorated rent. Oh, and thanks for doing such a good job cleaning it out. I swear it’s better now than when you moved in.”
She hung up without waiting for a response, and I stared at Damian, my mouth hanging open.
“What’s wrong?” Damian asked.
“Um, I guess you just got a roommate.”
Chapter seventeen
Damian
The words of theparchment came back to me. “I have planted the seeds of companionship for you.” It looked as if Owen was about to cry, but I just shook my head.
“I think you’ve been set up. I think we’ve both been set up. I went to the parchment, picked up the quill, and gestured Owen over. “Come, I’ll try to get the parchment to show me the words from before.”
When Owen stood beside me, I touched the quill to the parchment and said, “Show me the message from before.”
As if the parchment understood what I was asking, the paragraph I was talking about came up where it would’ve been in the message. The rest of the message was blank.
Besides struggling with financial concerns, I have suffered great loneliness during my service as the Legacy Wizard. I do not wish that upon you. I have planted the seeds of companionship for you. However, no one, not even a wizardas powerful as us, has the power to force someone to love another.
“I think you’re the seeds,” I said, and when I glanced at Owen, I noticed he was pale. “Are you okay?” I asked.
He swallowed hard, then nodded. “I-I’m not ready to marry you or be a companion. I mean, I like you, but you know, we’ve not even had sex. I-I just… This is a lot.”
“Wait, don’t freak out yet. Even the old wizard admitted no one can force you to love me or anyone for that matter. I think the old man wanted there to be companionship. Come back downstairs. Orville,” I called, and the ghost appeared.
“Your former employer seems to have a sense of humor and had all Owen’s belongings sent here and, of course, rented his apartment to someone else. I don’t want him to feel like he has to sleep with me. Is there a space where Owen can have his own room?”
