Georgia knew just as much as Anna that this place had undergone a series of changes. Anna had been home once in the expanse of five years but Georgia had not set foot here in seven years; especially after Anna had gone to other parts of the country.
Anna had left Blue City to go work and study more at the John O'Hale Paranormal Institute; a leading institute for the treatment of werewolves, vampires, lycans, bats, sirens, demons and other paranormal species that might need treatment and that was why she was summoned home; her sister deserved the best care and so, she was to be given.
In the five years, Georgia had gotten herself certified in managerial and secretarial skills, working as an air hostess for two years before settling to be a chef and then an hotel manager; she also runs a restaurant on the side. She thanked God that she had decided to hire assistants to oversee her duties in case she had to be absent; and then this popped up.
They were ushered into the sitting room and it was obvious that Anna's father had spared no expense in making this place opulent. Tall, cavernous sitting room with adorned ceilings and imported, colored chandeliers gave the place its own kind of vibe. Plush furniture that invited and tempted the guests to sit down also adorned the place, a fur rug lying positioned in the center. Hung on the wall was the largest television set Georgia had even seen and when she looked closely, the television seemed to be inside the wall. She had a glance at it and it gave her the most mesmerizing display ever.
Scattered in different directions of the room were pots of flowers, which gave off a soft, subtle scent that calmed the senses, inviting the guests to wander farther into the house. As they were just getting to sit down, Riya, Anna's sister came rushing down from the kitchen, already opening her arms to both of them.
Georgia smiled widely and realized how much Riya has grown in a matter of time, how fast these kids grow. She threw her arms up and brought the three of them together in a tight, warm hug. She looked beyond Anna and saw one of the guards carrying a mini bed; it caught her eye instantly.
She disengaged from the hug faster than expected and walked towards the kids. "Oh my, they are so cute. Can I keep them all?"
Georgia smiled naughtily, "I hereby give them to you."
She lingered for a while around them, hovering round the mini bed like a guardian angel but using all the strength in her to resist touching their face.
"Okay then, let's get you settled, but before then, I made some pancakes!!" she announced and danced off in an oscillatory motion towards the kitchen.
Despite the number of cooks and chefs in the house, Riya made sure that no one assisted her when making her pancakes; she made and served them all by herself, adding a hint of sweetness to it.
"Where are mum and dad?" Anna asked as Riya led them to the dining table.
"Where else would they be?"
"Dad would probably be at a security council or monitoring another high class military operation while mum would probably be monitoring the city supply council."
"You're just right, sharp – witted as ever. I know I'm supposed to let you take your bath and rest well before shoving the pancakes down your throat but you need to take a bite before it runs cold."
She brought a tray and started handing out pancakes to them, giving some to the guards who politely refused it.
"What? You are rejecting something from me, you guys?"
"No ma. We are not in the position to take something that took your time and energy to prepare."
"That's why you have to take it. It contains all my sweetness and goodness."
The head guard bowed in respect. "Sorry ma'am. We'll head back to the duty post now." He whistled and motioned to his guys around.
"Andre! Come and take these pancakes this instant! That's an order!"
Andre, the head guard, stopped short in his tracks and shook his head briefly before turning back to the basket of pancakes that Riya had arranged for him and the other guards and he took it, bowing in appreciation.
The other guards did a short bow and they all turned in uniform precision, moving to the elevator while obviously taunting Andre. The tension between him and Riya was palpable and the tension in the room was so thick it could be cut by a butter knife.
When they were out of sight, she stole to where the babies are knelt beside them, cooing like a dove. "You guys take care of yourself, I'm sticking with these angels, and yes, they are sleeping in my bed tonight."
Georgia raised up an eyebrow, "Trust me, you don't want do that. Especially when there is a life sized Annabelle doll in the mix."
Riya looked at her in confusion, "what do you mean?"
"The female," Anna responded, forking the last bite of pancakes down her throat, "she packs a punch."
"I will be ready for whatever she wants to throw."
"Okay, wishing you godspeed."
"Ask any of the maids around, they will take you to the rooms we've provisioned for you. I've prepared the conjoined room for both of you with a door in the middle for enhanced privacy and you can just flip it open for the gist. You guys take care of yourselves, I'm tucking these angels in bed. Goodnight."
"Goodnight." Anna and Georgia responded in unison.
"Don't bother, she's obsessed with little kids. Remember the saying we used to muse about her?"
Georgia racked her head, "you don't need rowan ash or wolfsbane to capture Riya, you only needed a baby face."
"I guess that saying still sticks into her nature till the present day. She can give her life for the little ones." Anna commented.
One of the maids came over to the table and attempted to pick up the plate they have used when Anna noticed something in her hands. It was bandage and there was caked blood beneath it.
"What happened?" Anna asked, grabbing the wounded hand by the wrist."
"Displaced claw," she answered, shakily.
"Tell me about it."
"I was just learning how to tame the wolf. My parents died when I was young and there was no one in my tribe willing to teach me because my parents were outcasts of no footing before they died. I learnt on my own but made some mistakes.
"So one day, three years ago, when I was hunting for practice, I dislocated one of my bones in the process. Of course, it healed before the next day, the bone shifting back to its original position but then every time I wanted to wolf out, the claw would come out at a wrong place, ripping my flesh."
"Since when has this been happening?" Anna asked, her medical curiosity kicking in.
"Happened quite a lot of times but since I got employed here and transferred to the kitchen, there's not much need for wolverine skills and I had almost forgotten about it until yesterday, when I had to switch mode to look for a rat that was disturbing my foster mum's apartment."
"Oh, you must be in pains."
"The pain is only severe when it comes out wrong. I don't know why it doesn't heal faster like my other wounds."
"That's because wolf claws contains some certain elements that might be harmful even to the owner of the claw itself." Georgia replied, absentmindedly, much to the amazement of Anna.
"Come see me tomorrow, we'll find something to do about it."
She muttered her appreciation and packed the plates, disappearing out of sight. Anna looked at Georgia suspiciously then it changed to surprise.
"How do you know that?"
"C'mon, you're not the only one cursed with knowledge," Georgia teased.
"Don't tell me you just quoted a superhero action movie for me."
"What else would I do?" Georgia raised up her hands.
Before long, they found themselves yawning and stretching lazily. One of the maids took them to their room upstairs and they were lost in its beauty, marveling at the amount of work Riya must have put into it.
When she was drifting to sleep, a landline that had been positioned near her bed rang, springing her awake. She picked it up,
"Hey, sorry to disturb you, Georgia. I knew I rushed off earlier. Is there anything else you feel I should know?"
"Um, nothing really. Are they asleep already?"
"Like angels."
"Make sure to take off their shoes and get rid of any extra clothing. Also, make sure Keira is holding her doll. Keeps her from crying when she wakes in the morning."
"Thank you very much."
"I should be the one thanking you. You don't know how big this favor is."