“Talismans lose their power eventually.” Witchety reached under her shawl, to the small bag she kept there, and pulled out her threaded trinkets. “You have to cherish them, value them, if you want them to keep working. Otherwise, all the strength bleeds out of them and they become just another pile of junk. Your parents had the Watcher for years. I hoped it would last longer than this, but…”

Margot swallowed, knitting her fingers together. She hoped she wasn’t asking too much. “Witchety…could I borrow your talisman? Just for tonight? And could you show me how the blessing works?”

Something that might have been a raspy chuckle escaped Witchety but was swallowed by coughs before it could fully form. She slipped her talisman back into her bag as she caught her breath. “This won’t do you much good. You’d be better making one of your own. It’s got to be something special to you, understand? Keys to things or places you care about. Your favorite spoon, the one you use every morning. Bones from animals that lived free and wild around your home. Buttons that belonged to a good friend.”

“I…” Margot’s mind was racing. She swallowed. “I don’t have any of that.”

“Child, it doesn’t have to be those exactly. Just whatever has meaning for you. Small things that make you feel something. They can be happy feelings or bittersweet ones, just as long as they’re strong. Thread them together with love and care. Treat it like it’s powerful, and it will be powerful.”

“Thank you. And…the blessing. Is that something I can learn to do? I still have the bottle of holy water.”

Witchety’s laughter was loud and rough this time. One of her bony hands came out to grip Margot’s wrist to steady herself. “Mercy. There’s no method to it. If you try very hard, and if you believe it works, it does. I never studied these things. They tend to run on instinct more than anything, I’ve found.”

She gave Margot’s wrist a final squeeze, then pushed away, Marsh at her heels as she turned back to the drive.

“There’s no method to it…” Andrew muttered as soon as Witchety was far enough to be out of earshot. “And all these years I really believed she knew what she was doing.”

“The blessings do have an impact,” Kant said mildly. “So maybe she does.”

“Mm.” Andrew’s eyes narrowed behind his glasses. “I thought you were resting.”

“I am. In my own way.” Kant gently patted his shoulder, then glanced back at Margot. “Would you like some company until sundown?”