Chapter 9. Welcome Home

Talia Stillwater's POV

"Thank you," I said, nodding my head to the young maid as she entered and sat on a chair at the small desk by the window. I closed the door behind me and followed him down the back stairs, and through a keypad-locked door. The door closed before the next door in the vestibule opened, ensuring that sunlight could never reach inside. From there, we went down the stairs to the expansive basement, formed from poured concrete walls with no openings.

It was the perfect place for a coven.

"Talia," the deep voice said as I came into view. Jarrod was standing at the base of the stairs, standing in tailored dress pants and a white shirt open at the collar. "Welcome home."

I jumped off the fifth step from the bottom, and he caught me and spun me around. "Thank you for taking us in," I said.

"You are family, even if you are more like the family dog," he teased as he let me down. I smacked his arm lightly, then was caught up in hugs by Eduardo