Daniel waggled an eyebrow hopefully. "What are your plans for the afternoon?"
Nell laughed - with eight creatures under the age of ten in the house, that particular activity was highly unlikely. "Off to chat with Moira and Sophie. Moira's itching to fetch a new witch again."
"She's trouble, that one."
Her husband's deadpan delivery had Nell giggling like one of her daughters. Their elder witch would never admit it, but she had an inordinate fondness for stirring the pot.
"Hopefully we can get her to postpone trouble for a couple of weeks." Just until they got past the holidays, the birthdays, and whatever mischief had happened in Realm during her five-day absence.
"Don't make her wait too long." A hint of sorrow tinged Daniel's eyes. "She feels her own mortality these days, I think."
That was the last thing Nell wanted to contemplate. "More likely she's just got cabin fever. Nova Scotia's pretty cold and dark at this time of year."
"Hmmm. Dark is good." Her husband shifted gears smoothly, eyebrows dancing hopefully again. "Maybe we can borrow that pond of hers for a midnight rendezvous."
"Absolutely." She grinned at the sexy man she loved. "But odds are pretty good Moira would lace it with a fertility spell first."
The horror on her husband's face wasn't entirely feigned - Kenna's antics were reminding them all too well of Aervyn's first years.
Nell reached for his hand. "How about we lock all the kids in The Dungeon with Sierra instead? Throw a movie and popcorn down after them?"
He snorted, amused. "That might work."
It probably would - her herd loved Sierra. And when you had five kids, "might work" was about as good as it got. Nell kissed his cheek and picked up her keyboard. "Give me an hour to chat and then I'll make dinner." If Sophie's terse instant messages were any indicator, Fisher's Cove was a little cranky at the moment.
"I'll make dinner." Her husband headed for the kitchen, tossing a grin over his shoulder. "And lots of popcorn."
Nell pulled up a transport window for the Witches' Lounge, well aware there was a goofy grin on her face. She finished the login spell just as a parade of children ran through the living room again, this time wearing turbans. And had to laugh. The one on Aervyn's head was red and had a slinky strap hanging over his left ear.
So much for her red silk nightie.
She was definitely home.
Chapter 2
Nell took a seat in the Witches' Lounge, marshaling her thoughts. The email missive from Fisher's Cove had been very clear. Talking Moira out of fetching a new witch right this minute was going to take a mighty act of logic, and possibly bribery as well.
She waited patiently as Sophie beamed in, clutching a cup of tea and looking fairly harried. And hoped reinforcements arrived in time. Not that Lauren knew she was reinforcements. But when you had a tough negotiation, you called in the best.
They didn't have to put it off for long - Daniel's words had made it a lot easier to understand the impatience of an old witch who still wanted to make a difference. A new witch in the new year was fine. Just not this week.
Moira landed with a happy thunk, a cup of tea and plate of brownies in her hands. "A bright and sunny afternoon to you all, then. Nice to see you, Nell, darlin'."
Uh, oh. The thicker Moira's Irish got, the more trouble she generally ended up causing. Nell reached for a brownie - life was always easier with chocolate. "Does the sun still come up in Fisher's Cove at this time of year?"
Delighted cackles from the couch suggested perhaps it did. "Of course, my dear. And we watch it from that lovely, warm pool of mine."
Sophie grinned and sipped her tea. "Moira's been holding court. Her back yard's a regular tea house these days."
"And isn't a wee bit of time outside good for all the young ones?"
"Good for the old and cranky ones too," said Sophie, with an edge to her voice that suggested she'd had her fill of certain grumpy elders lately.
Nell shook her head and wondered why anyone lived in a part of the world that deprived them of light,