That was a slightly weird statement, but Leonie’s warm smile seemed genuine. “I’m glad to meet you too. And I apologize on my brother’s behalf for whatever he might have done last summer. I’ll ensure he behaves himself this year.”
“I wouldn’t make any promises,” Leonie murmured, glancing sidelong at Conleth. “I have a feeling this is going to be quite a summer.”
“I certainly hope so,” Conleth said. “I take it you got my note, Leonie?”
“Why, yes, Conleth.” The smile that Leonie turned on Conleth was a lot less friendly than the one she’d given Paige. She thrust the clipboard at him as if it was an edged weapon. “I did receive your note. Along with some veryunexpectedandlast-minutechanges. Perhaps you would care to discuss them?”
Conleth took Leonie’s clipboard, flipping through the pages. “It seems self-explanatory to me.”
Leonie folded her arms. “I’m sure it does.”
Paige looked between the pair. “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing you need to worry about.” Taking a pen, Conleth wrote something on the clipboard before handing it back to Leonie. “But I need to speak with the director on a matter of some urgency. Leonie, can I ask you to look after Paige while I sort this out? We seem to have something of a crisis brewing.”
“Oh, Zephyr is definitely having a crisis,” Leonie said under her breath, her eyes flicking over what Conleth had written. “He just doesn’t know it yet.”
“Is this about Archie?” Paige asked in alarm. She didn’t know how fast gossip traveled through camp, but her brotherhadlunged for Conleth in front of multiple witnesses. So far, he’d been remarkably good-humored about the whole incident, but the camp director might not be nearly so understanding. “Should I come with you?”
“No need.” Conleth flashed her a confident smile. “Don’t worry. I can handle Zephyr.”
CHAPTER 6
An hour later, Zephyr—the Thunderbird’s Chosen, bringer of storms, destroyer of demons, and summer camp director—was standing in a woodshed.
“I see,” Zephyr said, in the tones of a man who did not see at all. “And how long do I have to stay here?”
“All summer,” Conleth replied, busy picking up logs. “Consider it an upgrade. As the director, it’s about time you had a private office.”
“There’s no Wi-Fi. Or power.” Zephyr surveyed his surroundings. “Or walls.”
“It’s open-plan.”
“Conleth, if it was any more open plan, it would be a field.”
“I don’t see why you’re complaining.” Conleth carried the logs to what was nominally outside, adding them to the growing pile next to the crude structure. “You’re a summer camp director. You’re meant to enjoy getting back to nature.”
“I do enjoy getting back to nature.” Zephyr removed a curious spider from his dark hair, returning it to the web-strewn rafters. “I’m not sure my paperwork will, though.”
“You don’t do paperwork. You ignore paperwork. Paperwork piles up in your general vicinity until I lose patience andforge your signature. This is simply optimizing our workflow to remove redundant steps.”
“And also, I note, my desk.”
“For a man who spent a substantial portion of his life as an incorporeal spirit, you are remarkably picky about interior decor.”
Zephyr stepped aside to allow him to collect more logs. “And why, exactly, do I now have to run the camp from the woodshed?”
“Because I met my mate. Keep up, Zephyr.”
“I’m trying. It’s just something of a jump from ‘I met my mate’ to ‘So now I need you to move into the woodshed.’”
“I don’t understand why you’re having so much trouble with this. Paige is going to help with the camp admin. That means she needs a desk. I can’t fit an extra one into the office, and anyway, it might tip her off we weren’t expecting her to be working in there. Therefore, you need to move out. And since we’re already utilizing all our current buildings to full capacity…” He waved a hand at the woodshed. “This is the best of our limited options. See? All perfectly logical.”
“You and I have very different definitions of that word.” Zephyr let out a resigned sigh. “Can I at least have a chair?”
“Stop looking so martyred. I’m not going to make you perch on a log all summer. I’ll get our contractors in tomorrow to convert this space into something more weatherproof. And I’ve already ordered you a new desk and chair.” He picked up another piece of firewood. “Trust me. I have a plan.”
“That’s what worries me.”
