Page 137 of Smoke, Mirrors, & Misdemeanours

“I know you’re not. I’m telling you because I trust you. And because I need your help.”

That caught him off guard. His brows pulled together, eyes narrowing like she’d spoken in a language he didn’t quite believe.

“My help?”

She nodded. “You’re everyone’s older brother, Devlin. Even when you think they’re not paying attention. Especially Imogen. When she doesn’t know how to feel, she copies you.”

His throat moved as he swallowed.

“I can’t be in every room at once,” she said. “But you can be there for them, the way you always have been. I need you to hold them together while I do what I have to. Can you do that for me?”

He looked at her for a long beat, then finally nodded. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

Cassia rested her hand on his shoulder—not a light, careful touch. A steady one, like she was trusting him with an important task.

“You’re one of them,” she said quietly. “But now, you’re also part of what holds this place up.”

His jaw tightened a little. But when he walked away a moment later, it was with straighter shoulders. Cassia drew a long, steadying breath. When she turned, Opalina and Lilibeth were already behind her.

“What do you need us to do?” Lilibeth asked, her tail flickering anxiously.

“I’m going to ask Mrs. Thimble and Matilde to help the children start packing their things,” Cassia said, voice clearer now. “In the meantime, I need both of you to come with me. To the seaside.”

Their brows lifted in unison, but neither needed to ask why.

Opalina gave a sharp nod. “We’ll head home, gather supplies.”

Lilibeth added, “It’s going to be a long night.”

Cassia managed a faint smile. “Yes, it is.”

At home, Cassia moved quickly, gathering what she needed without thinking. Dried herbs. Candles. Salt. Her mother’s ritual knife, its silver edge dulled but still sharp. Everything went into the wooden box, then into her bag, alongside the notebook that always found its way there.

She stepped into the kitchen and made a few calls. She kept her voice steady, but her grip on the phone was white-knuckled. She asked about timelines. Paperwork. How quickly things could move. Each answer made her stomach clench, but she didn’t let it show.

When she hung up, she stood still for a moment, dizzy with the decision already made.

Anuck lifted his head from the armchair and blinked at her, thoroughly unimpressed. He had watched her bustle around the house with the deep offence only a cat could muster. When she finally lifted him into his traveling crate, he gave a grumpy grunt and refused to look at her.

“It’s just for the night,” Cassia tried, closing the grate. He glared at her through the bars, ears twitching. He was off to Mrs. Tilly’s, as he often was when Cassia had to be away.

She set the crate down and patted it. “I’ve packed your favourite treats. Mrs. Tilly promised to set out the pillow you like best on the windowsill. Think of this as a vacation.”

Anuck sniffed and turned his back on her entirely.

It was nearly two in the afternoon when she returned from Mrs. Tilly’s. The sun had emerged from behind the clouds, the day finally warming up.

Her friends were already waiting in the driveway. Lilibeth waved from the driver’s seat, while Opalina leaned against the open passenger door, the wind tugging at her coat. For a moment, when their eyes met, Cassia caught something in Opalina’s expression—a flicker, gone before she could name it. Her jade-coloured eyes looked away too quickly.

But she had no strength to question it. It was probably all in her head anyway.

“Ready?” Opalina asked, sliding into the passenger seat.

Cassia nodded. “Let’s go.”

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