She felt a flare of defiance rise within her. "With all due respect, Bas, I think keeping Chad in the dark would be more dangerous. He needs to be prepared, and I trust him."
Bas's eyes narrowed. "You think you know better than me? Better than generations of witches who have upheld these rules?"
Brianna took a deep breath, steeling herself. "In this case, yes. I do. I've seen the future, Bas. I know what's at stake."
A heavy silence fell over the room. Bas studied her intently, her expression unreadable. Finally, she spoke, her voice low and measured.
"You can time travel, that’s why we recruited you, but you’re not supposed to go off on your own adventures. Tell me what you've seen, Brianna. Everything."
She hesitated for a moment, then launched into her tale. She told her about the emails, about Chad's mentor, about the funeral. She explained her fears about what might happen if Chad remained ignorant of the supernatural world swirling around him.
As Brianna spoke, Bas's expression remained impassive, but the younger witch could see a flicker of something… concern? interest? When Brianna finished, Bas was silent for a long moment, her fingers steepled under her chin.
"You've taken quite a risk, Brianna," she said finally. "But I can't deny that your actions may have some unforeseen benefits."
She blinked, surprised by her response. "You're not angry?"
A ghost of a smile played at Bas's lips. "Oh, I'm furious. But I'm also intrigued. Your connection to Chad, and his to Professor Emerson, could prove useful. Perhaps even critical. When are you seeing him again?"
“Tomorrow night, for dinner.” She felt a wave of relief wash over her. "So, you're not going to punish me?"
Bas's eyes glinted dangerously. "I don't punish, but you'll be on probation for the foreseeable future. No solo missions, no unsupervised time travel. And you'll be personally responsible for Chad's safety and discretion."
She nodded, accepting the terms. It was better than she'd hoped for.
"There's more," Bas continued. "I want you to bring Chad here. To the mansion."
Her jaw dropped. "What? But outsiders aren't allowed. Won’t the mansion prevent?—"
Bas cut her off. "Exceptional times call for exceptional measures. If Chad is as important as you believe, he needs to understand exactly what he's getting into. You may not know all the details. And we need to assess him ourselves."
She stood there, stunned into silence for a moment. Bringing Chad to the L.A.W. mansion was beyond anything she'd imagined. It was unprecedented. Duke didn’t count, because even though they had never met him, he was the L.A.W. librarian and knew more about them than they knew about themselves. He kept the most dangerous occult books in a hidden location.
"When?" she finally managed to ask.
"Tomorrow night," Bas replied, her tone leaving no room for argument. "You said you invited him to dinner. Bring him here instead.”
Her mind raced. "But, he's not prepared for this. I've barely scratched the surface of explaining things to him."
Bas's eyes glinted with a hint of amusement. "Then I suggest you start preparing him, Brianna. We can whip up something delicious and even add a little calming spell to the food. You wanted him involved. Now he will be."
She nodded, recognizing the dismissal in Bas’s tone. As she turned to leave, Bas spoke again, her voice softer this time.
"Brianna. Be careful. Your feelings for this man... They could cloud your judgement.”
“How do you know I have feelings for him?”
Bas gave her a knowing look. "My dear, I've been around for centuries. I recognize the signs. Just remember, our work must come first. Always."
She nodded, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and defiance. "I understand."
As she left Bas's office, her mind was already racing with how to prepare Chad for tomorrow night. How do you tell someonethat not only is magic real, but that he’s about to enter a secret magical society?
She made her way to her suite in the mansion, collapsing onto her bed with a heavy sigh. The magnitude of what she'd set in motion was starting to sink in. Chad's life was about to change irrevocably, and it was all because of her.
She pulled out her phone and stared at Chad's contact information. Should she warn him? Give him some kind of heads-up? But what could she possibly say that wouldn't sound completely insane?
She tossed her phone aside with a groan. No, she'd have to wait until tomorrow night. She'd pick him up, explain things on the way, and hope he didn't freak out too badly until they arrived at the mansion.
