Taranis sighed and pulled him into a hug. "It's always going to be worth that risk. I think she is perfect for you, and she will be an excellent mate when you cross that bridge."
"Thank you, Taran," Cosimo said, releasing him. "I just need a little bit more time, and I will tell her."
Taranis nodded. "Getting her into your territory is a good idea. It will keep the dragon happy, and if she causes you to shift, the mansion can handle it."
"I don't know if I am ever going to shift. The boys and I tried. I can do partials but not the whole thing."
Taranis only smiled. "That was before you had a mate who could charm your beast to come out. I bet if she asked sweetly with those big eyes of hers, it would happen."
"What about Maria? Can't you bully her into shifting?" Cosimo asked, wanting to stop talking about himself.
"Ha! We aren't going to worry aboutherbeing as hesitant as you. I had to convince her not to try to shift until she gets to the safety of the Greatdrakes mansion. She doesn't like that she hasn't done it already. Competitive to a fault, that girl," Taranis replied.
Cosimo sighed. "That sounds like Maria."
After breakfast and a lot of good-natured ribbing directed at Cosimo, everyone gathered their luggage, and Taranis opened a portal into the Greatdrakes mansion. Valentine set off a cleaning spell in the villa to ensure that it was pristine for the next time the owner decided to return from Corfu.
"You miscreants better not have touched any of my shit while I was gone," Maria declared, heading up the staircase and toward her tower.
"Sekhmet hasn't come to get revenge on me," Cosimo called after her.
Maria threw back her head and laughed evilly. "Not yet, she hasn't. I'm going to go study this bracelet I found some more, so if I don't come down for dinner, come and check on me. I don't want to be stuck in a stasis spell for another thirty years."
The family scattered just as quickly. Taranis and Quinn said they needed to check in on Killian and Bron, and then they disappeared out of the front door.
"Alone at last," Marcella said and kissed Cosimo. "Are you going to show me to my room?"
Still a bit dazzled by the kiss, Cosimo nodded. When he went to take their bags, they were already gone.
Marcella frowned. "Should I be worried that all of my things just vanished?"
"I don't think so. It might be the house's way of helping," Cosimo said, taking her hand. "Let's see where they have gotten to."
Cosimo made his way to the tower and almost missed his stairs because they had changed entirely. The runner that used to be blue was red with a rose pattern. The banister was now a dark ebony, and every few steps was a carving of roses and skulls. If Marcella noticed, she didn't say anything.
What the hell was happening?The house hadn't renovated the stairs in decades. They came to a landing that definitely hadn't existed before, with a carved wooden door that had a baroque flair. It wouldn't have looked out of place in a cathedral.
"These must be your rooms," Cosimo said and gestured to the door. He knew Marcella would need her own space, but he had hoped to convince her to share his bed at least. He kept the disappointment from his face.
"My rooms? You mean you don't know?" Marcella asked, not noticing his mood change.
"They are new," he replied, shrugging as if he wasn't unnerved by the house's machinations. "The house likes you. It knows you want your space, so it's accommodating you."
"Magic house," Marcella said in awe.
Cosimo moved aside. "You had best go first. I doubt it will open if I try it."
With a bemused expression, Marcella opened the door and let out a little gasp. "Oh, it's lovely."
Cosimo walked in and looked about at the suite. It had a four-poster bed that he tried not to scowl at. No bed-sharing for him, apparently.
There were pretty Persian rugs on polished wooden floors and Renaissance paintings on the walls that he had never seen before. To the right was a study with a desk already laid out with Marcella's laptop and books.
Marcella opened the door to a wardrobe and laughed. "It's hung my clothes for me." She leaned in further and felt around the back of it.
"What are you doing?" Cosimo asked curiously.
"No Narnia. What a shame."
