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“Did I fucking stutter?” Xiomara snapped. “Yes, Australia. Boomerangs. Kangaroos. All that happy shit. Oh, and warmer weather. Lots warmer than where you are now. So fucking warm you’ll wish you were back at the Averoigne, rolling around in the snow.”

Kara let out a happy sigh. “Warmer than here? I’m i

n,” she said. “When do I leave?”

“Later today,” said Xiomara. “And not ‘I’, LoPresti. ‘We’. The both of you. I need you both down there.”

Kara’s stomach twisted again almost instantly.

Both of us…

“Do you think you can handle it?” Xiomara was saying. “Another assignment together, without scratching each other’s eyes out?”

She shot Logan a sideways glance. He was actually smiling.

“I’m game if she is,” he shrugged.

“Good then it’s settled,” said Xiomara.

Kara’s mouth dropped open. “But—”

“There’s a car already on its way,” the Head of the Order said. “Gather your belongings now. You’ll be heading straight to the airport.”

Australia!

“You know,” Kara said carefully, “we just finished this assignment. And we rocked it, might I add.” She leaned back and crossed her own arms. “It might be nice to have a day or two off.”

On screen, Xiomara laughed again, this time loudly. “Sure,” she said, “no problem.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Let’s see… you’ve got a two hour car ride and an eighteen hour flight. Add in some time on the customs line and there. That’s your day off.”

Kara dropped her chin to her chest. Logan sighed in obvious defeat.

“Enjoy your fucking day off,” Xiomara smiled back at them pleasantly.

Forty-three

“You sure you’re okay with us ditching you like this?”

Kara’s question wasn’t even a question. Even so, she had to ask it. She owed that much to Jeremy at least.

“Of course,” he smiled down at her. “I’ll be fine.”

“Because if not, I’ll make that little chocolate-eating witch give us some more time here. Help you wrap things up here.”

Kara was jostled from behind, and immediately apologized to. The Averoigne’s lobby was bustling again. Guests checking in and out. Cars pulling up and driving away. Luggage carts being pulled across its carpeted halls.

“It’s all good,” Jeremy said. “Really.” He let out a tired but exhilarated sigh. “It’s gonna be a while here anyway. I’ve got reports to write, loose ends to tie up. I told Radcliffe he can open the third floor again, but he still doesn’t believe me. Xiomara’s going to talk to him though. And she wants me around to supervise that whole thing, so…”

He trailed off with a shrug. “At least I’ll get to have a white Christmas.”

Kara looked outside. The snow was beautiful now that it had stopped. Her eyes shifted to his, and it was almost like he knew what she was thinking. Jeremy took her by the hand.

“You know,” he said, “I never apologized for what happened. I never got to tell you—”

“It’s okay,” she said.