The stone slab walkway and stairs leading up to the house were surrounded by various shades of green, and more dense moss covered boulders and rock surfaces as well as being spread out like a lawn in the front of the house. It not only gave the house a fantasy feel, it looked as if no matter the temperature outside, the inside would stay cool—which it did. It was one of the reasons there were three fireplaces.
When Fenja had purchased the house, it was stone and wood inside. She didn’t spend money on new things, but always kept repairs up. As Silke grew up and began making her own money, she made updates to the interior of the house. Little by little, over the years, she had replaced floors and modernized the kitchen. She also had an indoor spa put in one of the rooms with a fireplace. It was the height of luxury to have after battling demons, when every muscle in her body ached.
She kept the stone flooring in the room. The spa was circled with stone and had two pools. The first was small with a little water feature, the water spilling down the three large stone steps into the much larger pool. The water feature’s sound was soothing to her when she sank into the hot water. If she had a fire going in the fireplace, the room would glow a golden color.
Silke had done a great bit of the stonework herself. She liked working with her hands and learning new things. Some of the stones were far too large for her to maneuver on her own, so she’d hired Clayton Wiesma, a villager with a stone business. His father before him had owned the business, and Clayton knew every trick there was to preserve and enhance stone when he built anything with it, from houses to spas.
Clayton had kept all the stone around the fireplace but added a large area for neatly stacked wood so it was always dry and ready to use. There was a second, smaller space above the wood for kindling, and she kept a large copper two-handled pot to put the kindling in so she could easily carry a small supply to the fireplace.
The spa room rivaled her bedroom for her favorite room. In her bedroom, she had a large round window framed in stone, reminiscent of a hobbit’s door. Her bed was set close to the window, giving her amazing views of the garden. Behind her bed was a tall bookshelf with all her favorite reads on it. The stone fireplace with the stone hearth was positioned in the middle of the room. The heat from the fireplace warmed the stones, making her room cozy. On the floor she had a cherished round rug Fenja had woven for her. She loved her room. It was spacious, unique and a fantasy lover’s dream come true.
She found Fenja in the expansive sitting room, where they greeted most of their guests. Dark wood complemented the stone. The third fireplace was located there, enhancing the feeling of warmth, even when it wasn’t burning.
“I made you a cup of tea.” Fenja indicated the steaming cup sitting on the end table. “You should have slept longer, Silke. You can’t let yourself get run-down.”
That was Fenja, always worrying about her daughter even when Fenja wasn’t feeling her best. She would never complain or let on. If Silke didn’t know her so well, she might buy into her sweet smiles and soft looks. She knew all the little tells Fenja was unaware she had. That slight hesitation after getting up from her chair. Her hands trembling as she cupped them around her tea mug. The biggest signal to Silke that Fenja was in pain was when she pushed at her thick gray hair. She always wore it neat and tidy, pulled into a knot at the back of her head. When it was messy around Fenja’s face from her fingers continually pushing into it, she knew Fenja was really hurting.
“I think you’re right,” Silke admitted. “Thank you for making the tea. It’s the perfect thing to pick me up. Gesina asked me to take a group of tourists through the gardens. We’re the last stop on the tour, which just gives me enough time to drink a cup of tea and clean up before I show the tourists around. Then Gesina will come by with Milan. She’s pregnant and hasn’t had anyone check her out. I told her we would make sure everything is going fine.”
While she made seemingly casual conversation, she studied Fenja, trying to assure herself that she wasn’t losing her adoptive mother. She never thought of being adopted. She didn’t know her birth mother. She knew Fenja. She loved Fenja and thought of her as her mother. Losing her would be intolerable.
“When I was talking to Gesina, I came to the realization that I do want children. I wouldn’t know what to do with them, so I’ll have to rely on you to help me.” She wanted to convey to Fenja that she needed her. She didn’t want Fenja neglecting symptoms or refusing to get assistance from Tora.
Fenja didn’t like Tora to waste strength on her. After any healing session, Tora was always pale and weak. She needed sustenance immediately. Fenja, more than any other in the village, knew about Tora’s differences. She didn’t like it when the healing took such a toll on the Carpathian woman. Tora might be centuries old, but she had appeared as a child, an older sister to Silke. Fenja thought of her as another daughter. In her mind, she protected both girls, not the other way around.
Silke knew Fenja’s thought process, but she wasn’t willing to lose her mother simply because she didn’t want to admit her body was wearing out. She was going to insist again that Tora see exactly what was happening with Fenja’s health.
“I’m happy you decided you want children after all.” Fenja beamed at her. “I would welcome a baby in my arms. Did you decide on this man coming to claim you as the father of your children?”
Silke had been open with Fenja about the Carpathian male coming to their village for more than to aid them in the coming battle. She didn’t hide things from Fenja. They had always discussed everything, and Fenja had always demanded honesty between them.
Silke sighed and took another drink of her tea. “I’m not certain. I’m not just going to be a partner to some man when I know nothing about him. I’m not going to just jump on board with marriage and children. He might be the most overbearing, arrogant jerk in the world.”
Fenja smiled at her. Serene. Sweet. With a raised eyebrow. “From what you told me, this man expects that you will be his wife.”
“I don’t know what he expects. From what Tora told me, the other demon slayers married the men they were promised to. That doesn’t mean I have to. I go my own way, Fenja. You taught me that.”
Fenja’s soft laughter filled Silke’s heart with joy.
“I did, didn’t I?” Fenja admitted. “I stand by that teaching. Always be true to yourself. That doesn’t mean you should be inflexible or unable to compromise. In any relationship there is compromise, but you know that, Silke.”
Silke rested her head on the back of the chair. “We’ll see.”
“I can’t imagine you were promised to anyone unworthy of you.” Fenja regarded her over her tea mug. “Have you found another man? Has someone caught your eye?”
“I grew up with everyone here. I know too much about them all. Too much history.”
“Sometimes that’s a good thing.”
“Not when I think of them all as siblings. Or I’ve friend-zoned them. They’re going to stay in that zone no matter what they want. I would lose my mind being married to any of them.”
Fenja pinned her with a stern eye. “There are many good, single men in the village.”
“I wasn’t saying anything against them,” Silke defended. “It’s just that I’m not in the least attracted to them. I like them as friends, but it doesn’t go any further than that, and I know in my heart it never will.”
Fenja nodded. “I can understand. I had a difficult time with the idea of taking any of the men I grew up with for a partner. I was too independent. I knew I wanted to be a midwife. I also loved plants and learning about their medicinal uses. When I was a young woman, it was expected I marry and have children.”
“Do you regret your decision?”
