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‘I think she will. I didn’t know what I was looking for when I came in here, but I have a feeling these will be perfect.’

‘I think so too,’ Aiden agreed. ‘Most people tend to find what they’re looking for in Glimmers – whether they know it when they walk in or not.’ As he saw the customer out and shut the door against the spring cold, he realised what he’d said wasn’t quite right: it wasn’t most people. It was everyone. He couldn’t remember the last person he’d seen walk out empty-handed – even if it was just a free crystal or samples Ophelia or Rayenne pressed into their hands. Which was weird. He was still wondering about that when a clattering thump and some very interesting curses emanated from the book nook.

‘Oh dear.’ He tried not to laugh when he found Ophelia halfway up a bookshelf, clinging on like a spider, while clutching a book to her chest. The upended chair on the floor told him how she’d got up there, and what had caused the thump. And why the air seemed oddly thick and heavy with occult swearing. ‘“Cackling cauldrons” is a new one.’

‘Are you going to help or just laugh?’

‘Well, it is pretty amusing…’

‘Do you ever want to have matching socks again? Because it’s pretty easy to hex your washing machine to eat one of every pair.’

‘Really?’

‘They like doing it anyway, so it’s barely a spell. More like encouragement.’

He filed that thought away for contemplating later. ‘Most of my socks are black.’ He picked up the chair. ‘I’m not convinced I’d notice the difference.’

‘Miscast cauldron stain! Will you just get me down already?’

‘Chair’s back in place.’

‘I’m not trusting it. It already moved by itself once.’

‘Chairs don’t move by themselves, Ophelia.’ Aiden reached up to wrap his hands round her waist. ‘You probably just kicked it as you were climbing. Come on down. I’ve got you.’

‘Thanks.’ She clambered down, still cradling the book.

‘What is it that was worth nearly hurting yourself for?’

‘A book.’

‘I can see that.’ Aiden dragged his hands through his hair. ‘I meant what book?’

‘Ficklepot’s Menagerie and Meanderings. I’ve been looking for it for days. It’s a brilliant book, but it does have an annoying habit of wandering off.’

‘Forgetting where you left something doesn’t mean it wandered off. Just like the missing stapler that was in the fridge.’

‘That was Rayenne. This book moves itself.’

‘Ophelia,’ Aiden replied patiently, ‘books, like chairs and staplers, don’t move themselves…’

‘Oh, bless you, sweet summer child, for believing that still.’

‘They’re inert objects. It’s Newton’s first law of physics: objects at rest stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force. You must have knocked it.’

‘I swear on the moon’s shadow that I didn’t. And what makes you think I’m the only “outside force” in the room?’

‘Because I have eyes and can see you’re the only one here.’ He chuckled.

‘And since when does that mean anything to the price of newts’ eyes?’

‘So, you’re blaming the invisible man?’

‘Don’t be daft. That was a comic-book creation. Sci-fi nonsense. Our ghosts are far more real.’

‘Ophelia, don’t you think it’s a little bit more likely that you just knocked the chair while climbing than imagining Glimmers is haunted?’

‘Haunted can be a very emotive word… Hollywood’s done a lot of damage to it.’