“It was at Jamie’s insistence, but I must admit he didn’t have to do much to persuade me.”

“Oh! Was that when they came and picked you up after you saw Primrose?” Altamira asked, and immediately followed this up with a fervent, “Damn it, Primrose,” as if the mere mention of Primrose’s name was such an ill omen that it necessitated the latter to dispel the curse.

Dinnertime conversation was familiar, mundane, and comforting: Lucie wanted to spend the weekend reading a stack of deliciously steamy historical romances she’d found at the charity shop, but Ian wanted her to help him build a beehive instead; Ken settled this argument by reminding Ian that he was almost out of his beloved flamingo pink wool, so Ian immediately made plans to drive to his favorite wool shop, The Lost Sheep, to stock up on supplies; Altamira and Terracotta tried to negotiate an extra hour of screen time out of Jamie, who was unmoved and reminded them that the only reason Rosetta was getting an extra hour was because she had actually cleaned her bedroom without being asked; and Mika said she’d be spending her Saturday in the woods, foraging for ingredients she’d noticed she was running low on.

“The Winter Solstice is just a few days away,” she explained, neglecting to point out the obvious fact that this meant Edward’s visit was only a few days after that. “It’s one of the most powerful days of the year for witches, so I try to get as much potion-making done as possible.”

“Not too much this year, I hope,” said Lucie. “You can’t possibly shut yourself away in the attic all day! We don’t do much for Christmas at Nowhere House, but we always make the Solstice as festive as possible. In fact,” she added, with a pointed glance in Altamira’s direction, “Santa’s even been kind enough to adjust his schedule and bring the girls their presents on the Solstice!”

“Really?” Excitement and delight coursed through Mika. “I mean, I suppose I should have expected it, considering this is a house full of witches, but I’ve never celebrated the Solstice with someone else before.”

“So you have to join in,” Rosetta said earnestly.

“How could I possibly refuse?”

“You should take the kids out foraging with you tomorrow,” Jamie suggested. “They always enjoy that.”

“A very good idea,” Ian approved, and added innocently, “You could go, too. To, er, keep an eye on things.”

Mika raised her eyebrows at this, amused by such a shameless lack of subtlety, but Jamie only said, “I can’t. I’m away tomorrow.”

“Away?” Ian blinked. “Away where?”

“I’ll probably be back before the girls are in bed,” Jamie went on, ignoring the question.

Ken and Lucie exchanged wary looks, which suggested to Mika that such caginess was unfamiliar to them. Ian eyed Jamie askance. “But where are you going?”