“Fine,” Ramona said. “We’ll go to breakfast. This weekend.”
“Deal.” Zara held out her hand for Ramona’s phone with the calm confidence of someone who already knew the answer. Ramona handed it over. She wasn’t sure when she’d started doing that.
Zara scrolled, found the contact, started typing. “I’ll tell her we’d like to visit. That we have something to discuss.”
“She’s going to think we’re getting married.”
“Let her think whatever she wants.” Zara was already composing the message with the focused efficiency she brought to everything she decided was happening. “As long as she invites us over.”
“This is a terrible idea.”
“Most of our ideas are terrible,” Zara replied. “But they usually work out.”
“Name one time.”
“The severance ritual that created this whole mess technically worked. We didn’t die. The tether is still intact.” Zara looked up, her expression softening. “And I got to stay with you. I’d call that a success.”
Ramona’s chest felt too full for a Thursday night in a bar. “You’re ridiculous.”
“I’m strategic.” Ramona’s phone buzzed on the table between them. Zara glanced at it, smiled — the real one, the one that was still new enough to be startling. “Your mother says Saturday morning works. Breakfast at nine. She’s delighted we want to visit.”
“She’s already planning the wedding,” Ramona muttered.
“Then we’ll have to disappoint her.” Zara slid the phone back across the table. “We’re just there for breakfast and larceny.”
“Grand larceny,” Kashvi corrected, still pointedly not looking at either of them. “Stealing an enchanted access key from a senior coven member is definitely grand larceny.”
“Temporary requisition,” Zara amended.
“Felony,” Kashvi countered.
“This is really terrible,” Ramona said. But she was leaning into Zara now, into the warmth of her, letting herself be held in the small sideways way that had become ordinary somewhere in the last few weeks without her noticing.
Odette appeared, replaced all three of their glasses without being asked, and disappeared again.
“Saturday morning,” Zara murmured against Ramona’s hair. “Breakfast with your mother. Acquire the key. Then we meet the others at the convergence point to confirm what the fox showed you.”
“And then we plan the actual Thornwood break-in,” Kashvi added. “Which will require significantly more preparation than just stealing a key.”
“One felony at a time,” Ramona said weakly. “My mom will be busy with the Ostara Gala for the next couple weeks and probably won’t notice it missing.”
Zara’s laugh was warm against her temple. Ramona felt a pulse of affection through the tether. “That’s my girl.”
The jukebox shifted into something that sounded almost celebratory, which felt pointed. The hedge witches had resolved their argument or abandoned it — either way, the corner had gone quiet. Parliamentarian had relocated to the end of the bar closest to their table, which from him was practically an endorsement.
Saturday was coming. The Thornwood grimoire heist was coming. And somewhere underneath all of it, the growing,terrifying, completely inconvenient suspicion that she was in love with a demon and had absolutely no idea what to do about it.
Ramona finished her drink.
“Another round?” Kashvi asked.
“Obviously,” said Ramona and Zara at the same time.
Odette was already there.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The manor lookeddifferent in morning light — softer somehow, less imposing than it had been during Imbolc. Or maybe Ramona was different. Maybe walking into this house with Zara’s hand in hers and a plan in her pocket changed everything.
