“You’re so Wild you can’t come in for a cup of tea like a civilized woman?”

“The tea would be charmed and we’d spend the entire time jostling for position.” She’d stepped outside those petty power struggles a long time ago and she had no intention of stepping back in.

“You’ve Seen that?”

“I know you.”

Jane clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “Fair enough. Why are you here, then? Or more precisely, what have you Seen that’s brought you home?”

“I’ve Seen Ruby’s death.”

“Please, we’ve all seen Ruby’s death. Ruby’s seen Ruby’s death, she’s just too loopy to recognize it.” Steel-gray brows drew in. “While I think of it, Meredith says if you’re not coming home for pickling next summer, she wants Auntie Martha’s recipe for bread and butter pickles. She’s given up trying to replicate it.”

“Auntie Martha left the recipe to me.”

“That’s why I’m asking you, Catherine.”

And just like that she was fifteen again, at her first ritual, watching Jane, already in second circle, blazing like a comet across the night sky.

Which reminded her of why she was there.

It must’ve shown on her face because Jane sighed, shoved her hands deeper into her jacket pockets, and said, “Out with it.”

Because she’d never been about making it easy for Jane, she smiled and said, “The sky is falling.”

CHAPTER THREE

AUNTIE GWEN PUT THE LAST FORK AWAY, closed the drawer, and turned with enough deliberation in the movement that Charlie dropped Evan into the curl of Jack’s tail with his brother and stepped in front of them. Jack shoved her out of the way with his muzzle.

“Call your mother, Alysha.” Auntie Gwen sighed as she pushed Jack’s wing aside with her foot—even at a fraction of his full size, he took up most of the floor space in the apartment. “You have sixty seconds, then I’m calling Bea. You don’t want your mother to find out from Jane, and Bea will waste no time calling Jane to gloat.”

“Auntie Bea has nothing to gloat about.”

“Do you honestly believe that will matter?”

Allie picked up her phone. “I should open the store . . .”

“Joe’s got it. Call your mother.”

Charlie thought of the likely fallout should Auntie Bea be the one to spread the news and shuddered. “She’s right, Allie.”

“And your acknowledgment of that has made my day, Charlotte. Don’t chew on the dragon, Edward.” She reached down and pulled the tip of Jack’s tail out of Edward’s mouth. “You don’t want him to chew on you. Fifty seconds, Alysha.”