Page 65 of The Witching Hours

“Do you have reason to think someone did this to Catherine? Or was it just a stupid blunder?” Daphne asked in her signature indelicate way.

“There’s no reason to think somebody did it. It was an accident,” I said.

Nick said, “She was a child. Calling it a stupid blunder is stupid.” Aunt Ceija smiled at his passionate defense of me. Daphne rolled her eyes. “The point is,” Nick continued, “I should be the one with her.”

“I agree,” Aunt Ceija said. Daphne opened her mouth to argue, but Ceija held up her hand. “Nick will learn his part and accompany Catherine.”

Wait! That sounded like a decision had been made. Did I miss something?

“Before I begin internal deliberations about attempting a permanent solution,” I said, “can you quote me the odds?”

Aunt Ceija chuckled. “As a matter of fact, I can. I had uncles who organized betting in the city back in the day. I know something about odds. Odds are a guess you understand, but I’d say fifty-fifty.”

That was less than encouraging. I released a long, slow breath then wished I’d used the minty mouthwash sitting on the glass shelf in my bath.

“Could we get the barrier erected for now while we consider a more permanent solution?”

As if she’d anticipated that, Aunt Ceija said, “Yes,” then pulled a blue vial from the pocket of her draped jacket and set it on the table.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the Cheshire Cat pad into the room, tail straight up like a flag, twitching slightly at the end. He wore the signature grin that always made my stomach juices churn. He circled the table like he belonged there.

“One of your ‘characters’ I take it?” Daphne said without emotion.

Aunt Ceija, however, looked incensed. “How dare you come into my home uninvited!” she told Cheshire Cat. He stopped and looked at her like she was a curiosity. She took a deep breath and said, “SHOO!”

Cheshire Cat’s eyes bulged, and his fur stood on end just before he faded to invisibility.

“Wow.” I hoped that word was infused with all the admiration I felt for Aunt Ceija. “I’ve never seen anything more amazing. Or satisfying.”

She nodded her head ever so slightly in a gesture of accepting my compliment then moved the vial closer to me. I got the message.

The little bottle looked identical to the one Mike Caras had given me ten years earlier. The good news was that I remembered how well the potion had worked. The bad news was that I’d forgotten how bad it tasted. I uncapped the vial and drank it down.

Awkkkkk. Awful.

Seeing my reaction, Nick invited himself to run to the kitchen and steal a bottle of water from refrigerator. I normally don’t drink ice cold water, but in a pinch I can be flexible. “Thank you!” I exclaimed. Even after downing most of the bottle, there was still an aftertaste. “What is in that?”

“You don’t really want to know,” Daphne answered.

“Yeah. Probably not. Bottom line is thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me another ten years of freedom.”

“You’re welcome,” Aunt Ceija said.

“That’ll be two hundred dollars,” Daphne said. “Cash. As agreed.”

Nick withdrew his wallet and handed over two crisp Benjamins. “A bargain,” he said simply.

“If you decide to go ahead with a permanent eviction,” Aunt Ceija said, “we’ll prepare you properly.”

“How much for that?” I blurted.

“Five thousand,” Ceija said.

“Friends and family discount,” Daphne added.

“That’s thediscount?” I was thinking maybe I did choose the wrong line of work.

“It’s a good thing I’m a tech giant,” Nick said.