And that, that didn’t sound young at all. Gods, he was complicated. And amazing. “Oh, yay. Another deadline. You know, if I didn’t already like you too much . . .”

His smile twisted as he cut her off. “Good thing you do. If it was me feeling stuff all alone, well, plain old unrequited liking too much wouldn’t be twisty enough for the Courts. But being kept from someone who completes me . . .”

“Completes you?”

“Totally.”

“Fuck, Jack.” Not the best choice of profanity, she realized.

The cloud of smoke came a heartbeat behind the sound of the apartment door opening. Charlie tried not to think of squids and ink. It was possible she watched a little too much Discovery Channel.

“Honestly, Jack . . .” Auntie Gwen’s indignation led the way. “. . . if I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a hundred times. You can’t smoke around the babies.”

Barely able to see Jack, Charlie stepped back, a hundred thousand performances keeping her hands from shaking as she poured her coffee.

“But they’re in their room.” The smoke moved toward the windows. “With the door closed.”

“That’s them. We’re talking about you.”

“Sorry.”

Auntie Gwen closed the window as the smoke dispersed, invisible in the steady rain. “Don’t be sorry, stop doing it. Is that coffee?”

“It is.” Charlie took a long swallow, then asked, “Would you like some?” She was a little impressed by how normal she sounded.

“No, I was inquiring for interest’s sake. Of course I’d like some.”

Jack passed over a World’s Greatest Auntie mug, and Charlie resisted the urge to hum a charm in as she filled it.

“Are Alysha and Graham still in bed?” Mug in one hand, Auntie Gwen checked her watch. “It’s almost nine and we need to start finding houses for sale around the park. If enough of the family is moving west, we’ll need charms in place early to keep the situation under control and out of the papers.”

“I thought Auntie Jane wanted us to wait until after the ritual?”

“The ritual . . .” Aunt Gwen frowned at the rain on the window for a moment. “While I agree that we need to make every attempt to ensure the family’s survival, I have no idea what Jane thinks the ritual will do.”

“Beyond what the ritual always does?” Charlie asked flippantly.