Mother of Magic

Healing

Safe inside the city Ward, Ava, Stephanie, and Le slept well. The morning brought showers and a late breakfast. It was difficult to eat given all the people who kept dropping by the table to thank Stephanie and Le for stopping the storm.

No one had the details of what it took to stop the storm. Only Ava, Stephanie, and Le knew about the three battles, All Collins residents knew that the couple and Ava had stopped the rain, thunder, and lightning. Not everyone had known that the water level had been rising outside the ward. That would have required being at the edge of the Ward to see it. The water was never allowed to get much deeper than when Stephanie and Le first saw it. Between the work Ava did damaging the outer Ward and the slackening rain, it was never high enough on the inner Ward to be seen from a distance. Collins never became Atlantis. The same could not be said for the land outside the Ward.

"Don't see hardly no Witches flying around out there either" several patrons of Miriam's commented. Correct English of the comments and praise varied as usual. Collins is a melting pot of educational levels. University and trades and farming. Agricultural majors and people who never went to school and preferred working with the animals and fields. Le and Silena's shop was spawning new trades all around them. Places prototypes were turned into production.

Miriam would shoo people away and pour coffee for the couple without asking if they wanted more. "Scat! Thank them later! They had a long night. Let them eat in peace!" usually followed by "Want another cinnamon roll? You look hungry. Sleep OK?"

Miriam always thought they looked hungry so this was nothing new. She was also always worried her guests slept well.

"Slept like rocks. The regular kind. Not Namer or Lodestone. Just rocks." Le assured Miriam.

"And yes. I'll take another roll if you still have some." Stephanie said

"Oh, honey. I set some back just for you! Be right back." Miriam scuttled off happy her foresight was paying off.

Ava and Tasha joined them halfway through breakfast and it all started over again. Thanking followed by shooing and more coffee and warmed rolls. Ava and Tasha had taken a room at Miriam's as well. They slept in even longer than Stephanie and Le.

Fifteen minutes after that, Silena joined. "Nice work Boss. Bosses chick." She casually flipped a hand up at the roof. "I see a few got away but the good news is that hardly anyone is up there this morning. The bats have fled the belfry."

"We were never going to get them all." Le looked up. "Between us, we have four Namber doses left. If they get pissy again, going to have to change tectics. That or go see your Mom and see if we can snag her hidden Namber stores."

"Boss: I can figure out where it is. No worries." Silena assured.

Stephanie stopped sipping her refreshed coffee and gave Silena the evil eye. "Bosses chick? I am your parole officer too you know."

"Sorry. Stephy buns? Stephy Cinnamon buns today I think. No nuts. Appropriate. Better?"

"Nuts are never appropriate on a Cinnamon roll" Stephanie muttered and went back to her coffee. There was no dealing with Silena when she was in a good mood.

"Singing to the choir on that one." Silena agreed. "I hope Miriam has more of those back there!"

"Le? Where are you on the nuts on rolls issue?" Tasha asked.

"I like nuts. I like Cinnamon rolls. They should remain separate. A cinnamon roll should be soft, yeasty, and absolutely buried in cinnamon. Putting chewy nuts in there messes with the texture." Le said.

Silena raised her coffee cup in salute. "Hear hear! I like my nuts to be served separately."

"So I hear." Stephanie shot.