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“Just in time for dinner,” said a man walking down the staircase towards them.

“Dad!” Bear leapt forward to embrace his father.

“Good to see you, son,” Mr. Ronnigan said, hugging him back tightly. He looked exactly like Bear, just older, with the only other difference being a dangerous-looking scar that ran down the side of his face from his temple to his ear.

When he finally released his son, Mr. Ronnigan reached over to pull Jordan in for a hug. “Good seeing you too, kid,” he said, messing up Jordan’s hair as he let him go.

“Kid? Really?” Jordan huffed, but Alex could hear the affection in his tone.

Mr. Ronnigan then turned her way with a big, welcoming smile. “You must be Alex,” he said, holding out his hand. “I’m Bear’s father, William.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said, grasping his firm, calloused hand. He caught her off-guard when he yanked her forward and embraced her just as tightly as the boys.

“You three look frozen to your socks,” he said as soon as he released her. “Let’s get some food into you.”

They followed William into the dining room just as Gammy and Dorothy walked out of the kitchen carrying steaming trays of roast chicken and vegetables. Alex felt her stomach rumble appreciatively and she heard Jordan moan with delight.

Evie skipped over to grab Alex’s hand, leading her to a seat where they could sit next to each other.

“I see you’ve already made a friend,” William noted, taking his place at the head of the table.

Alex thought he was talking to her, but it was Evie who answered.

“Yup,” she said. “Lexie and I are bestest friends forever!”

Alex blinked. Lexie? When didthathappen?

“But I thoughtwewere best friends forever?” William asked. He was pouting comically and Alex had a hard time hiding her amusement.

“Silly, Daddy,” Evie said. “You’re my bestestdaddyforever!”

“Oh,” he said, smiling indulgently. “I guess that’s okay.”

Dinner with the Ronnigans was a blur of questions as the family all caught up. Soon enough the interrogation eased and Alex had the chance to ask a question of her own.

“Bear mentioned that you commute to work each day,” she said to William, ignoring the fact that commuting wasn’t exactly a difficult feat thanks to the convenience of Bubbledoors. “What is it that you do?”

“I’m a Warden,” he said, spearing some broccoli onto his fork. “I work out of our headquarters in Tryllin. It’s challenging, but rewarding at the same time.”

Tryllin was the capital city, if Alex remembered correctly, and it was located on the far north-eastern coast of the continent. From what Bear had told her during their tour of the village, Woodhaven was located somewhere in between Akarnae and Tryllin. Those Bubbledoors were amazing if William could use one to travel thousands of miles and back every day.

“What’s a Warden?” Alex asked.

William had been in the process of lifting the broccoli to his mouth when he paused and placed the fork back on his plate. “You don’t know?” he asked, with surprise—and suspicion—in his eyes.

“I—”

“Alex has grown up with overprotective parents,” Jordan jumped in before she could say anything else incriminating. “She’s been kind of… sheltered.”

Alex was pretty sure Jordan had just managed to imply that she was daft. Knowing that he was only trying to cover for her, she kept her mouth closed and speared a carrot on her plate a touch more aggressively than normal.

“Still, it’s strange that she hasn’t heard of us,” William said.

“They didn’t want her worrying about things that had nothing to do with her,” Bear added, looking at her meaningfully. Clearly she was meant to go along with the story.

“Yeah,” she said, half-heartedly. “I’ve learned a lot since starting at Akarnae.”

“Thatwouldbe a culture shock,” William said. He was still looking at her curiously, but the suspicion was gone from his eyes. “To answer your question, a Warden is a peacekeeper. We’re officers of the law, responsible for upholding justice and protecting the innocent. We act on behalf of the royal family and we’re held accountable for the safety of the kingdom.”