Page 6

"Taxidermy?" he hissed. "I have never been so insulted. I am a living work of art, not some stuffed conversation piece!"

Chloe's tension finally broke as she dissolved into giggles, the sound making my heart skip. It was the first genuine laugh I'd heard from her all day.

The gas station mishap left Frosty grumbling for the next twenty miles, occasionally muttering phrases like "common barnyard fowl" and "philistines wouldn't know quality poultry if it pecked them."

I glanced at Chloe, who had relaxed enough to roll down her window, letting the wind tousle her light brown hair. The afternoon sun caught the subtle lavender in her eyes—a trait unique to witches of her lineage, though few mortals would notice.

"We're about ten minutes out," I said, turning onto a private road lined with ancient oaks. "Just a heads up—Grandfather tends to be a bit... excessive."

"Excessive how?" Chloe's shoulders tensed again.

"You'll see."

As we rounded the final curve, the trees parted to reveal the estate. I heard Chloe's sharp intake of breath.

"Holy Jezfucnuboobles," she whispered.

The Sands estate sprawled across fifty acres, the main house a sprawling Tudor-Gothic fusion with turrets, expansive windows, and stonework that seemed to shimmer in the sunlight.

Fountains dotted the landscape, their waters defying gravity by flowing upward in spiraling patterns.

Gardens stretched in every direction, blooms in impossible colors tracking our car's movement like curious spectators.

"You said estate. This is a small kingdom." Chloe's voice had gone flat—her defense mechanism when overwhelmed.

"My grandfather believes in making an impression." I reached for her hand again, feeling her pulse racing beneath my fingertips. "The staff are all magical beings. You don't have to hide anything here."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" She withdrew her hand to tuck her hair behind her ear.

As we pulled up to the main entrance, a line of staff stood at perfect attention—the butler, housekeeper, groundskeeper, and several others I recognized from childhood visits.

Frosty leaned forward between our seats. "Now this is more like it. A proper reception committee."

I parked and came around to open Chloe's door, but she sat frozen, staring at the assembled staff.

"I can't do this," she whispered. "This is... this is..."

"This is just a house, Chloe. And they're just people."

"Your definition of 'just' needs serious recalibration." Her breathing had quickened.

The butler, Nathaniel, approached and opened her door with a formal bow.

"Miss Woolsworth, we are delighted to welcome you to Sands Estate.

Master Sands is eagerly awaiting your arrival in the conservatory.

" His gaze shifted to the backseat. "And this must be the distinguished Frosty we've heard so much about. "

Frosty puffed up his chest. "Finally, someone with proper manners."

I offered my hand to Chloe, watching the color drain from her face as the full reality of where she was sank in.

I gently squeezed Chloe's hand as I helped her from the car, feeling her trembling slightly beneath my touch. The poor woman looked like she might bolt back down the driveway at any moment.

"Breathe," I whispered. "I promise no one will turn you into a toad."

"That's reassuring," she muttered. "Because that was definitely my primary concern."

Nathaniel led us through the grand foyer with its soaring ceilings and ancient tapestries that subtly shifted scenes when no one was looking directly at them.

I watched Chloe's eyes dart everywhere, taking in the enchanted artifacts and portraits of stern-looking Sands ancestors whose eyes followed our movement.

"Before meeting Grandfather, perhaps you'd like to freshen up?" I suggested, noting how Chloe's knuckles had gone white around the strap of her bag.

"Yes. Goddess yes." The relief in her voice was palpable.

"Nathaniel, please show Miss Woolsworth and Frosty to the East Suite."

"Of course, sir. This way, if you please."

As we ascended the grand staircase, Frosty strutted alongside us, examining the ornate banisters with a critical eye. "Not bad craftsmanship. Mahogany?"

"Rosewood, actually," Nathaniel replied without missing a beat. "Harvested during the full moon of 1887."

"A man who knows his wood. I approve." Frosty nodded sagely.

Nathaniel paused before an intricately carved door. "Your accommodations, Miss Woolsworth."

The door swung open, and Chloe froze in the doorway. I placed my hand gently on the small of her back.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"This... isn't what I expected."

The East Suite had been transformed. Instead of the formal, antique-filled space I remembered, the room now featured floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled with leather-bound volumes.

A reading nook with plush cushions sat beneath a bay window overlooking the gardens.

The four-poster bed was draped with linens in soft lavender—the exact shade of Chloe's eyes.

"My grandfather insisted on preparing this himself," I explained, watching her face. "He's been... researching."

Chloe ran her fingers along the spines of the books. "These are first editions of my favorite authors. How did he?—"

"I may have mentioned your reading preferences."

Frosty wandered to the corner where an elaborate perch stood, crafted from polished bronze and inlaid with moonstone. "What's this contraption?"

"Your sleeping quarters," Nathaniel explained. "Master Sands the Elder enchanted it himself. It maintains perfect temperature, massages tired talons, and—" he pressed a small button "—dispenses these."

A compartment opened, revealing golden biscuits.

Frosty's eyes widened. "Are those..."

"Honey-butter biscuits from Carpe Diem Bed & Breakfast. We had their recipe magically replicated."

Frosty looked at me, then at Chloe, then back at the biscuits. "I take back every skeptical thought I had about this place."

Chloe turned to me, her expression softening for the first time since we'd arrived. "Your grandfather did all this?"

I nodded. "He wanted you to feel at home."

She glanced around the room again, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "I might have misjudged this visit before it even started."