She flips casually past a few pages, landing on a picture of fairies near a lake. They have dainty faces with rosy complexions and blond hair that’s nearly white. Exquisite wings sprout from their backs. I press the pages down to inspect the picture more closely.

“What are these? They’re enchanting,” I ask.

“Tylwyth Teg fairies. Welsh, of course.”

“I’ve never heard of them. Are they malicious?”

Ashley pauses for a few seconds. “No. Not really. The lore says they’re mischievous, but they are actually quite sweet.” She glances at Aidan, checking on him.

“I’ve taken you away from your son long enough. They are little for a very short time. You should cherish every minute you can with him.” I stand and put on my fleece jacket.

“Thank you again for babysitting. Aidan, say goodbye to Miss Gwyn.”

“Bye-bye,” he says, waving.

I stare at him and glance back at the time-out corner.

“Is something wrong?” Ashley asks, her brow crinkling.

“No.” I grab my purse and backpack and walk to the door. “You have a great evening.”

“You, too, Gwyn,” she says, waving goodbye.

On the stroll home, I recall the strange illusion surrounding Aidan. Did Nuada’s fairy magic continue to thrive in his old apartment? If so, is his essence after the child?

Chapter eighteenUnconditional Love

By Tuesday afternoon, a frigid blast of air has moved in, prompting me to pull out my puffer jacket again. Despite layering with a sweatshirt and wearing thick jeans, the bitter wind cuts across my face and through my clothes. Winter keeps sticking its fingers into the fall weather like a mischievous child. It may need a time-out, too.

When I arrive at the trailhead of North Basin Creek Park, Archie and the young witches are huddled near the water, chatting. I haven’t talked or sent him a text since I left in a huff Friday night. This is the longest period we’ve gone without speaking to each other since we got back together. I should have patched things up before the hike, like Shane suggested.

“Hi, everyone,” I say, getting out of my Prius. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

I grab my crossbody bag from the passenger side, lock my car, and walk toward them. Archie locks eyes with me, but his expression betrays no emotion. The others wave to me.

“Hi, Gwyn,” Zoe says, jumping up and down. “It’s so cold, I can’t feel my ass.”

I chuckle. “You’ll warm up as we hike the trail.” I hug Tyler. “Hi, dear. Work going well?”

He glances between Archie and me. “Yeah. We’re working on never ending updates.”

“Why don’t we get moving?” Archie asks. “We can chat while we walk.”

“Let’s not drag this out with chitchat.” Skye stuffs loose strands of her red air back into her DUB beanie. “It’s too fucking cold.”

Tanner, Spence, and Skye follow Archie while Tyler and Zoe join me in the rear. Occasionally, Spence turns around and spies on me. When we catch up with them, the conversation returns to my prior experiences.

“We all have intuition,” Tanner says. “But so far, I don’t recognize any magic residue here. Do you sense it now, Gwyn?”

“No. Not like before,” I reply. “Perhaps when we get closer to the bog.”

Spence throws his hands up. “I receive signals all the time, but none of them points in a particular direction.”

“I wonder why?” Skye says with a husky chuckle.

“You’re hilarious. I bet Zach thinks you’re ready for stand up.”

“I’m just fucking with you, Spence.” She slaps his arm with the back of her hand.

“Skye isn’t wrong, dude,” Tanner says. “But I love you, anyway.”

Spence hugs his partner. “Unconditional love is the best, isn’t it, Gwyn?”

My head snaps up. Why is he asking me? “Of course. No matter what mistakes Tyler made growing up, he always knew I loved him.”

“I can vouch for her,” my son replies. “Except for the time I took the VHS player apart. You were really pissed.”

I crack up. “I forgot about your ‘inspection’ of the video machine. Never worked after that. We had to buy a new one.”

Archie smiles at the two of us. “Inquisitive. It’s why you’re a successful ancestral witch, Tyler. Never stop learning. Your power will grow beyond anything you could imagine.”

“He shot past me months ago,” Zoe says, her puffs of breath turning white in the air. “But I’m holding my own now.”

I give her a one-armed hug. “You certainly are.”

Spence looks at Archie and then back at me. “So, witches, have you noticed two of us aren’t speaking today?”

Our eyes dance around from one face to another, but no one answers him.

“Let it rest, Spence,” Tanner says, nudging him.

“No fucking way.” He swings a finger back and forth between Archie and me. “You haven’t said a word to each other on this hike. Are you guys having a fight?”

Tyler frowns. “Spence, let it go. Sorry, Mom.”

“Gwyn and Archie are being cordial,” Skye says. “Plus, we’re on an important mission today. They’re focused on that.”

Archie interjects. “Not that it’s anyone’s concern, but we’ve been taking a slight break. All couples need their individual space at one time or another.”

Spence snickers. “Yup. They’re fighting.”

I scowl at him. “Can we concentrate on why we’re here?”

“Yeah,” Zoe says. “Dr. Hughes gave us this assignment, and I don’t want to screw it up.”

We arrive at the bog, and our footsteps slow. A stream of fog drifts across the warmed pond, a reaction of the recent warm temperatures to the frigid air. The lily pads have turned yellow, and the water is a murky brown dotted with sludge. But the gnats and mosquitos have fled—one point for Old Man Winter’s early visit.

“Gwyn, when did you sense magic on the trail?” Tanner asks, rubbing his arms through his jacket.