“Jenks…” I protested. “Get off Ceri. That’s disgusting.”

“Sorry, sorry,” he slurred, almost falling. “Damn, that’s good honey. Gotta take some of this to Matalina. Matalina would like it. Maybe help her sleep a little.”

Clearly concentrating, he had sparkles sifting from him thick and furious as he wobbled down to the table. I sighed apologetically, and Ceri smiled, snagging Rex as the cat padded past her, headed for Jenks. The cat settled herself in Ceri’s arms, purring.

“Kitty, kitty, kitty,” Jenks slurred as he landed next to me and his honey. “Kitty wants some honey? S’ good hu-honey?”

Yeah, my life was weird, but it had its moments.

Ceri leaned against the counter while she waited for her water to warm. “How have you been sleeping lately?” she asked as if she were my doctor. “Any more sneezing?”

I smiled, flattered she cared. “No. I didn’t sleep much this morning, but that wasn’t Minias’s fault.” Her eyebrows rose, and I added, “Do you think Newt will show up again?”

She shook her head solemnly. “No. He will watch her carefully for a time.”

Fingers gripping my cold coffee, I thought that if Newt did show up, there wasn’t much I could do about it, seeing as she had taken control of Ceri’s triple circle with the ease of opening a letter. Remembering me taking Tom’s circle. I went to ask her about it, then didn’t. It had to be because I’d walked into its construction. That’s all. I was sure I’d read somewhere that this was possible. And I didn’t want to risk hearing her say it was unusual.

Singing the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction,” Jenks sat cross-legged before his one-ounce jar, ladling honey into himself. “I will protect you, Rache,” he said, cutting his music short. “I’ll give that demon a labiotomy, boobotomay, lob, lob, lobotomy if he shows up again!”

I made a wry face, watching him fall over, laughing merrily at himself, then sitting up with a loud “Ow.” Depressed, I pulled a ribbon of dough from the pastry. It was dry, but I ate it anyway.

Ceri’s water started to steam. Managing to fill her teapot with Rex still in her arms, she brought her brew to sit on the table. Jenks staggered to the teapot, wings a blur for balance as he put his back to it and slid down with a heavy sigh.

“May I ask you something?” Ceri asked, her eyes on her empty cup.

I didn’t have anything to do until about six, when I would start getting ready for my run, so after putting the top back on Jenks’s honey, I pulled a foot up onto my chair and clasped an arm around a knee. “Sure. What?”

A faint hint of pink on her cheeks, she asked, “Did it hurt when Ivy bit you?”