The lights of comprehension switched on. So this was how Trev felt, back then. No, to be fair, it must’ve been worse for him because she was his wife. While Vanessa might be Leanne’s bestie, she didn’t share her life in the same way. But still, it hurt when someone chose not to hear you out. She hadn’t meant to hurt Trev, just as Vanessa hadn’t meant anything bad either.

More to the point, she couldn’t confide in Vanessa or anyone in their coven. There was one person at the Yule festival she could talk to, however. Leanne didn’t follow Vanessa; instead, she veered toward Gladys, who was peeling chestnuts and laughing at something Ethel said. There was a beautiful fire blazing up toward the ink-black sky—amazing that all this could be concealed by a bevy of skilled illusionists.

“Can we chat for a bit?” Leanne asked, trying to sound casual.

Apparently, subtlety wasn’t her strong suit because Ethel shot her a sharp look and rose from the fireside. “I could use a pork pie or some fried honey bread, or…oh hell, why bother making excuses? I’m out.”

“Let’s walk through the ice palace?” Glady suggested.

The older witch was bundled against the cold, almost as wide as she was tall with all the layers. Leanne followed Gladys into one of her favorite features, the garden of ice sculptures. Deer so vivid, they looked like they could leap into motion at any moment in the localized snowfall cascading over this one spot in the festival.

“This should be far enough,” Leanne said.

“What’s on your mind?”

“I have a serious question to ask, and the answer matters to me a lot. Depending on what you say, it could change…well, everything.”

Gladys smiled faintly, her eyes crinkling beneath a fine dusting of snow. “That’s quite a lot to rest on a conversation carried out beside two frolicking penguins.”

Just then, the penguins in question began to move, spinning and sliding on the ice. Leanne never stopped feeling delighted by this display, but she had to focus. “Still applicable. So here’s the question: How do you feel about me proposing the great reveal when I become a council member?”

“I suppose that depends on what you mean.”

“Okay, laying all my cards on the table, I plan to do it anyway, but I want to take your temperature on the idea first. I intend to suggest we change our codicils regarding nonmagical partners and announce ourselves to the world. This is my wheelhouse, so I’ll do my best to control the spin.”

“And how do you foresee it unfolding?”

Leanne began with confidence, “Two stages. First, we ratify the motion to permit witches to tell their nonmagical partners the truth. I think it’s important our loved ones are looped in before we move to the next phase.”

“And then?”