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‘Keep winding me up and I might break my rule about spelling colleagues…’

‘Oh, so I’m a colleague now? That’s an improvement on underling.’

‘I could listen to you two bicker all day.’ Katie laughed. ‘But I’ve got to get going.’ She placed a sweet kiss on Ophelia’s lips. ‘Oh, Aiden? She probably won’t tell you, so I will – we had a bit of trouble with Father Michaels last night. Keep an extra eye?’

‘Will do.’

‘It was hardly trouble,’ Ophelia grumbled.

‘Not so loud as the last one, then?’ Aiden grinned, remembering when the very traditional priest had tried to ‘exorcise’ Ophelia’s store – with a water gun filled with holy water – drenching both them and two customers, and sending a batch of their newly finished Valentine’s bath bombs fizzing pink and red hearts all over the place. Not to mention soaking a couple of grimoires, which had given off the oddest smells while drying on the radiators.

‘No, this was much quieter. Just a few of his friends and a bunch of pamphlets. He left… quickly.’ She glowered.

Aiden wasn’t convinced that was all of it, but it was clear that was all she was willing to share, so changed the subject. ‘So, is it Easter decorating today? You promised Rayenne we’d get the decorations up.’

Mist glared at him, grumbling a warning.

‘Ostara.’

‘Sorry?’

‘It’s not Easter, it’s Ostara. Spring equinox and a time for balance, renewal and rebirth.’

‘OK. So, no Easter eggs then?’

‘Nope. But plenty of Ostara ones. And hares. And lots of garlands and flowers.’

‘Sounds pretty.’

‘It is. But it feels like a lot of work. We could leave them and do something more fun. I’ve had a great idea for a new bath soak recipe, and you could use more practice with your herbology…’

‘That sounds great, but you did say we needed to decorate.’

‘I don’t fancy climbing around ladders and things right now.’

‘If Rayenne comes back and they’re not up, she’s going to be unhappy.’

‘Rayenne doesn’t own Glimmers. I do.’

‘But she rents her room, and I don’t really want to upset a reiki master. Especially as she’s training me.’

‘She’ll be fine… Maybe a bit sarcastic.’

‘Ophelia…’

‘Aiden…’ She matched his tone, but he folded his arms and met her gaze evenly, patiently.

‘Ugh. Again, you do remember I’m the one paying you, right?’

‘Yup. And I remember one of the things you pay me for is helping you keep on track with tasks and not getting distracted when it comes to things you should do but would rather not.’

‘I can fire you.’

‘I know.’ He grinned cheerfully. ‘But then you’d have wasted the last ten weeks training me to deal with you in moments exactly like this. Katie would rehire me anyway. And Mist likes that I remember to feed her on time.’

‘Mew!’

‘You being right doesn’t make you any less annoying.’ Her glare would have made most people suddenly remember urgent appointments, or other reasons to be anywhere but in front of a grumpy Ophelia.