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“You make up four options for each category, where you’ll live, who you’ll marry, how many children, and then fate decides.”

Tempest stared at her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t have a lot of friends as a kid. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Never mind.” Priya sighed. She set the dust jacket down with great care and patted it. “Just tell me about the Regency attire fantasy.”

What followed felt, in the best possible way, like being fourteen again. Tempest told her about Dan’s intensely aquamarine eyes, and the way he’d dismissed Vance. She mentioned the pained look on his face the last time she’d beaten him.

“I have to admit something,” Priya said, as they worked through the taffy. “I’ve been hearing some bits of gossip about Dan Wilder.”

Tempest looked up.

“There was a fire. At the pub he was renovating. The whole place had to be rebuilt practically from scratch.” Priya unwrapped another piece of taffy. “Word is he went back to the local trivia circuit to earn the money for the repairs. And now apparently there’s a big opening planned. A party, a trivia event, the whole thing, all on Samhain night.”

Tempest was quiet for a moment, turning this over.

“Samhain,” she said.

“Same as your birthday,” Priya confirmed.

The pained look on Dan Wilder’s face both times she’d beaten him came back to her now with new context. She’d taken that money without a second thought. It hadn’t crossed her mind that he might be counting on it for something.

“I didn’t come to Massachusetts for another trivia tournament,” Tempest said. “I came here for Fortune.”

“Of course you did.” Priya’s expression was serene. “And yet here you are, right before your thirty-third birthday, two hours from Primrose Court, having just learned that a man who kissed you in Bloomington is opening a magical pub on the same night.” She held up one hand. “We are absolutely going.”

SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATURAL MAGIC

Office of Artifact Integrity and Timeline Assurance

[DATE REDACTED]

RE: MNM-EXH-0042 / UF-7—Outstanding Disposition Report

Dear Director Berman,

We write to follow up on the matter of the UF-7 frequency signature recorded from artifacts recovered from The Tufan wreck site, currently on display at the Museum of Natural Magic’s Alexandria exhibition.

Our records indicate that your on-site assessment was completed on [DATE REDACTED]. However, we have not yet received the requisite Disposition Report, without which we are unable to close file MNM-EXH-0042 or formally classify the UF-7 signature in the Registry of Known Resonances. We would also note that the Museum has been in contact separately, as the exhibition opened without Society certification and they are keen to resolve the matter at their earliest convenience.

A brief written summary of your findings would suffice for the purposes of closing the file, with a full report to follow at your convenience.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Respectfully,

H. Utagawa Senior Assessor, AITA Society for the Protection of Natural Magic

SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATURAL MAGIC

Office of the Director

This reply has been generated automatically by a standing correspondence charm. Director Berman is currently away from her office and has not read your correspondence. She will respond personally upon her return.

Amrita Berman Director, Society for the Protection of Natural Magic

TWENTY-EIGHT

FATE INTERVENES