Page 28 of Ogre on Patrol (Monsters, PI #5)

Chapter 28

Ellie

T hain carried Nana Bea inside with worry tightening his jaw.

Crouton’s barking reached a frantic pitch the moment we pushed through the back door. He bounded up to us, his tiny paws skittering on the floor. When he saw my grandmother limp in Thain’s arms, his barks shifted to distressed whines.

“Shh, it’s okay, Crouton,” I said, though my voice trembled.

Thain headed to the living room, where laid Nana Bea down on the sofa, propping her head on a small pillow. For a moment, he just knelt there, one large hand resting over hers, his face clouded with concern.

I dug my phone out of my pocket and swiped in to search for the number for the local witch healer.

Nana's eyes fluttered open, and her gaze sharpened quickly as she looked at me. “Ellie, put that away.”

“But you passed out. We need?— ”

She raised a hand and waved me off. “I’m fine. Just give me a minute.”

Thain leaned closer. “Passing out isn’t fine.”

She glared at him, using a look that would've flattened a lesser male. “I didn’t ask for commentary from you.”

His worried expression didn’t budge. “Commentary’s what you get after that scare.”

“He caught you before you fell,” I said. “Carried you inside.”

“Then thank you, Thain,” she grudgingly said. I needed to fill her in on what Ophelia did and soon. He wasn’t to blame for what happened.

And we were together now, moving forward. I wanted to share that with her.

Crouton, his whines now soft whimpers, finally built the courage to leap onto her lap. She welcomed him with a gentle hand, absently stroking his scruffy fur while her other hand rubbed her temple.

“Are you sure you don’t need a healer?” I asked, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt.

Her eyes flicked to mine, sharp as ever despite her frailty. “I’m fine, Ellie. Truly. Thank you.” She closed her eyes with a sigh. “I'm not as young as I once was.”

Thain shifted, his gaze darting between me and Bea. I could sense his frustration, his need to insist someone check her over, but he held his tongue.

Finally, Bea sat up. Crouton tried to crawl up her chest.

“Calm yourself, little one. I’m not going anywhere.” She pressed a kiss to the top of his head. She looked troubled. “That rune is bad.”

Thain leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “What does it mean?”

“It’s a chaos rune.” At our blank looks, she nodded slowly. “An ancient witchmark. Nasty thing. It’s designed to throw everything in its vicinity into disorder. It’s not just a harmless hex, Ellie. It’ll do more than make your plants wilt. In time, it could destabilize the magic of the greenhouses themselves. It’ll turn customers away without them even knowing why, draw pests, cause plants to rot from the roots up. If left unchecked, it could destroy everything you’ve built.”

Her words hit like a fist to the gut. The greenhouse wasn’t just my livelihood; it was something I’d always dreamed of doing. I glanced at Thain, whose frown was carved so deep it looked like it might never lift.

“But can it be stopped?” I asked, my voice shaky. I clenched my hands together.

“Yes, but this is beyond even my skills. We need an expert rune breaker. Someone with the skill to dismantle it entirely without letting any residual magic sink deeper. If tampered with incorrectly, it could rebound and cause even more harm.”

Someone had done this deliberately. It wasn’t enough for them to attack my reputation, or my plants, or spread lies about me. They wanted to annihilate everything. My vision blurred, but I blinked the tears back. I wouldn’t cry here. I wouldn’t give whoever was behind this that power .

Bea reached out and took my hand. “Listen to me. Do not try to handle this on your own. Do you understand? No matter how tempting it is to fix this quickly, it’s dangerous. I’ll return first thing in the morning with someone who knows what they’re doing. Until then, you leave that rune alone.”

I nodded, though my heart pounded with the urge to storm straight to the greenhouse and scrub that cursed rock clean. Or bury it. Anything to keep it from working its horrifying spell. “Okay. I promise.”

“We’ve got this.” Thain's solid reassurance made all the difference. “You’re not facing this alone.”

“Thank you.”

Bea’s gaze shifted between us, her keen eyes narrowing. Crouton yawned and flopped into her lap like a king on his throne.

Bea leaned forward, her tone soft. “Granddaughter, someone is trying to break you. You need to protect yourself. And your heart.” Her gaze flicked to Thain.

Her meaning was quite clear. Thain straightened but didn’t let go of my hand, his thumb brushing across my knuckles. He didn’t bristle under Bea’s watchful stare, even when her eyes narrowed further, weighing him with every ounce of her protective instincts.

“My heart’s right where it belongs.” I squeezed his hand in return. “And it’s safe.”

Bea’s expression shifted, a flicker of worry coming through her usual sternness. “I hope you’re right, Ellie. And I hope you know what you’re doing.” Standing slowly, she cradled Crouton in one arm while her free hand steadied herself against the side of the couch. Thain offered her his arm, but she waved him off. “I can manage, young male. Don’t fuss over me like I’m ancient.”

Nodding, he remained near her just in case.

“You need to know about Ophelia,” I said. “She lied about everything. Thain never hurt her. She's still denying it, of course, but she cast spells that kept us from discovering the truth.”

Bea’s hand tightened on Crouton. Her lips parted, but no sound came out, a rarity for my formidable grandmother. Finally, she handed Crouton to Thain.

“How dare she do something like that?” Her voice came out brittle, like ice before it cracked.

Thain’s jaw tightened. “She manipulated Ellie, used the story to drive a wedge between us. And it worked.”

Bea’s expression darkened, and raw anger blazed in her eyes. “Ophelia Thorncroft,” she said slowly, her voice cold and deliberate. “She’s disgraced her craft, her coven, and the trust that comes with both. Manipulation like that? Using magic to deceive and destroy? It’s unforgivable.”

Thain's face tightened. I sensed he was replaying those lost years.

“We confronted her,” I said. “We're putting this behind us and moving forward. I love him, Nana. Always did. Always will.”

“I love Ellie,” Thain croaked. “I've missed her so much. ”

“If you'll allow me, I’ll handle this,” Bea said. “This endangered the witch-ogre truce!”

“Alright.”

She gave me a pert nod. “The council will hear about this. Doing something like this crosses every line we uphold.” Her gaze swept across us both, and her expression smoothed. “I'm glad you two have been able to put this behind you.” Her posture stiffened. “I’ll be back in the morning. Don’t go near that rune and keep a sharp eye out for any further attempts at sabotage.”

“I have cameras everywhere,” Thain said grimly.

“You're a good male, Thain. I'm sorry I doubted that. Take care of Ellie.”

“Always.”

We escorted my grandmother out to her car and watched as she drove away.