“That’s when most of us write our steamy novels,” Magda added proudly.
“Wait,” Chad said. “Are you telling me they can’t be trusted with weapons during that time of the month, due to PMS?”
Bas smiled. “See? I knew you’d understand.”
Rayna slapped her hand over her eyes. “I forgot to gather the weapons and give them to my pets.”
Bas nodded. “You’ve been a little busy. Don’t worry, I took the liberty of locking them up.”
“Here? In the mansion? You know most of us can open any door…”
“No, dear. I gave them to your pets right after you and Brianna left for Washington.”
“Oh, thank goodness.”
Chad raised his hand. “Excuse me? Are you saying Rayna’s dogs or cats are babysitting dangerous weapons?”
Everyone laughed. “No, Professor Patterson,” Rayna explained. “I have man-pets. They’re ex-military friends who live with me and are completely loyal to me and to the L.A.W., and before you assume the worst, no, I’m not a dominatrix or a reverse chauvinist. I love them, platonically, and treat them very well.”
“Oh,” he said. Everyone waited for that to sink in or for follow-up questions. Instead, Chad just shrugged. “Whatever floats your boat.”
As the group was breaking up, Chad pulled Brianna aside. “When you took this job, did you know that you’d be getting a week’s vacation every month?”
She chuckled. “No. It’s actually four times per year. We’re all on Seasonale, a medicine that fixes it, so we all have our periods once every three months. Magical rhythms make sure we’re all on the same schedule.”
“Oh, so you only get a week off every three months… Well, I guess four weeks per year isn’t that unusual. Still, wouldn’t it be great to have 3 weeks on and a week off every month?”
“Not really. We need to be in top fighting shape as much as possible. We may be powerful witches, but we’rewomentoo. Frankly, I’m happy to only be ‘on the rag’ four times a year.”
“So, what happens if?—”
Brianna cut him off with an energetic kiss.
21
Now nestled in the Tennessee mountains, Brianna and Chad stole a moment alone by the babbling brook under the moonlight. The air was crisp and clean, filled with the scent of pine and snow in the air. They sat side by side on a large fallen log. The sound of the rushing water mingled with the distant hoot of an owl.
"It's hard to believe how much has changed," Chad mused, gazing up at the star-filled sky. "Just a few months ago, I was worried about grading papers and publishing articles. Now I'm learning to manipulate reality with words and help to save the world from interdimensional invaders."
Brianna squeezed his hand gently. "You've been thrown into the deep end, that's for sure. But you're handling it amazingly well. I'm really proud of you, Chad."
He turned to look at her, his eyes soft in the moonlight. "I couldn't have done any of this without you, Bri. You've been my anchor through all of this craziness."
She smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder. "We're in this together. Always."
They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, listening to the soothing sounds of nature around them. But there was an undercurrent of tension, questions left unasked.
Finally, Chad spoke. "Bri, there's something I've been meaning to ask you. About the future you saw."
Brianna stiffened slightly. "Chad, you know I can't?—"
“I wasn’t going to ask about anything new. I was just hoping you could elaborate on what you meant when you said we were closer… How close?”
“Are you asking if we’re not only partners in magic, but also partners in life?”
“Yeah. That sums up my question pretty well.”
She smiled. “I think you know.”
