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“Where did you find her?” my sister asks.

“Online.”

Rose looks genuinely offended. “And none of you told me about this?”

Of course that is her concern.

“Can we stay focused?”

“I am extremely focused.”

So I tell her.

Not all of it at first, because there is something particularly humiliating about explaining to my younger, carefree sister that after several glasses of wine I paid a stranger on the internet to investigate the possibility that my romantic failures might have supernatural origins. Unfortunately, my friends are there to supply every detail I attempt to leave out, and within five minutes, Rose knows about The Third Fairy, the custom ritual, the bracelet that hasn’t even arrived yet, and Phillip’s sudden interest in me.

“I just can’t believe you paid four hundred and eighty-nine dollars for a spell when you have a hot barista just down the street.”

“That’s not⁠—”

“So why do you think it didn’t work?” my sister asks. “I mean, obviously you are not going to date a man, but you met Flora.”

That isn’t at all what I expected from her.

“Those things are unrelated, Rose.”

“Maybe.” Rose reaches for her pizza again. “I’m just making sure I understand.”

“Well, don’t.”

My phone buzzes against the coffee table before she can answer.

We all look down.

The Third Fairy sent you a message.

“Oh, shit,” Dani says.

Rose immediately abandons her pizza again. “Is that her?”

“Yes.”

“Open it.”

“Okay, everyone calm down immediately.”

Except my own pulse has picked up, too, which feels like a betrayal considering I’m still annoyed at this person. Somewhere between asking for my money back and arguing about whether the spell worked, I’ve become embarrassingly invested in what The Third Fairy has to say next.

“Merry.”

I pick up the phone. The message is longer than the last one.

“I’ve given your request some thought,” I read out, and Rose slides down her seat and sits on the floor, looking at me with her big, blue eyes. “I still can’t refund a custom order once the work has begun, and I can’t reverse another person’s feelings because those were never mine—or yours—to control.”

I glance up. “She’s really holding the line on this refund.”

“Keep reading,” Veronica says, gesturing with her hand as to move the thing forward.

I scroll. “However, if you’re still inclined to reverse the spell, I can work with you to attempt it. But this isn’t something I can do for you. It will require you to take active steps yourself, and I need you to agree to follow them, even when they don’t seem directly related to what you think you’re trying to undo.”