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You tell him. You enjoy this more than I do.

‘What she means,’ Ophelia explained, ‘is that the magic in Hudsbury, which is all around us, is far older than modern science. The skills and spells and lore we know and work to – the traditions we still honour – date back many centuries. The place we call Hudsbury today was an ancient magical settlement, and we still see that history in the bones of our home now. In most places, people forgot about magic, and it disappeared. But that didn’t happen here – and magic never left. It wasn’t forgotten, so it remained and faded into the background. It still hums in the daily lives of those who pay attention. When you open your eyes – and heart – to it, you’ll see magic everywhere. It seeped into the fabric and traditions of Hudsbury. You must have noticed things like the remembrance ribbons in the yew tree.’

‘And how people still knock three times on the wishing post,’ Rayenne added. ‘And that flowers bloom earlier here than in other places?’

‘For some people,’ Ophelia added.

‘Right. Some people.’ Rayenne smiled.

‘This is really real?’ Aiden felt the hum that had been buzzing through him increase, leaving goosepimples over his skin.

‘My hand to the goddess, yes.’

‘By the moon and waters I swear it,’ Rayenne murmured her own oath.

‘Huh.’ Aiden sat back and folded his arms across his chest.

‘Are you OK?’ Rayenne asked softly.

‘I think so… just processing…’

‘We’ll give you some time, OK? Unless you have any questions?’

He looked up. ‘The day we first met, you were yelling at Mist for bringing in brownies again…?’

‘They can be incredibly helpful – in the right homes. But they don’t really like cats. Especially ones who catch them.’

I don’t hurt them. If Aiden didn’t know better, he would have said the cat sounded miffed. Just play with them a little.

‘They still hate it,’ Rayenne chided. ‘And as helpful as they can be, when they put their minds to it, they can be destructive little pests and cause a huge amount of damage.’

‘Brownies are real?’ He let that thought sink in and settle, threading itself through everything and every part of him. It should have been impossible, yet it gathered up all of the loose ends that he’d been trying to explain away for so many months. The knowledge that had rooted in his gut bloomed outward, a slow, spreading warmth that soothed and steadied him as it set the world back right side up.

‘Huh. So brownies are real, Mist can talk…’

‘Not just Mist. Most animals, if you’re willing to listen, can talk to you if they choose.’

‘Right. So brownies are real, animals can talk, and magic isn’t just in fairy tales.’

‘Precisely.’

‘You probably have a lot of questions,’ Rayenne added.

‘Just a few. Does everyone else know?’

‘On some level, probably,’ Ophelia answered. ‘But it varies. Like, if you were completely honest with yourself, you’d probably admit that you’ve always known Hudsbury is a bit different. It’s the same for everyone: people who want to listen, who can look with an open heart and mind, who are willing to see… they know.’

‘That’s not really an answer.’

‘I’m afraid it’s the best we can give you.’ Rayenne pulled a face.

‘Is that…?’ He took a deep breath. ‘Is that why you didn’t tell me sooner? Because you didn’t think I was ready to hear?’ He dragged his hands through his hair. ‘Actually, never mind. When you offered to tell me, I always found an excuse…’

‘But you’re ready now.’ Rayenne smiled. ‘And now you know.’

‘I do.’

‘What about Katie, and Mia?’