of our family gathering.
‘In America,’ Harry said. ‘She’s got some family stuff on.’
Her face was unreadable but I got the definite impression she didn’t want to talk about Nat. That was weird. They’d been together since Harry did her Masters in the States years ago and, though Natalie wasn’t a witch herself, she was a regular fixture at McLeod family events. More regular than me, in fact.
Sensing an atmosphere, Mum clapped her hands.
‘Who’s hungry?’ she said. Suky made a face – she’d lost her appetite since starting treatment – but Eva, Harry and Allan all agreed they were starving.
‘Shall we get a carry-out?’ I asked. ‘I saw some menus by the front door. Indian? Chinese?’
Harry laughed.
‘Bless you, Ez,’ she said. ‘We can do better than that.’ She waggled her fingers and silvery sparks flew round the kitchen. Even her colours were better than mine, I thought glumly. Everyone’s colours were better than mine actually – my pink sparks were twee and hard to disguise. Harry and Suky’s silvery shimmers could be passed off as a heat haze, Mum’s cloudy grey sparkles often looked like a trick of the light, and Eva’s earthy brown glitter was simply beautiful.
Suddenly the table was full of food – curries smelling delicious, warm scented naans and crispy poppadoms.
‘Well done, Harry,’ Eva cried, pointing over her head with a flourish and making plates appear in front of everyone. There was a real celebratory atmosphere even though the reason we were all together – the fact that Suky had cancer – was not happy and I was like the spectre at the feast. I just couldn’t loosen up enough to enjoy myself properly. I was worried about Jamie and the empty tables in the café, though thanks to Eva and Allen’s presence I felt less awkward around Mum and Harry.
‘I am stuffed,’ said Harry a while later, pushing her plate away. She’d polished off an enormous amount of curry, despite her skinny frame. I didn’t know where she’d put it.
‘Are you OK, Ez?’ Mum said. I had eaten barely anything, pushing my chicken tikka round my plate.
‘Fine,’ I said. ‘I’m just tired.’
Harry looked at me sharply and I pushed all thoughts of Jamie out of my head. I didn’t want her poking around in my thoughts uninvited.
‘How’s the café?’ she said instead. ‘Are you doing OK with your magic?’
‘Not bad,’ I said. ‘I’m rusty though. I’ve been trying to read my spell book but I keep falling asleep.’
Harry waggled her fingers over the dishes and they all rose from the table and stacked themselves in the dishwasher.
Then she leaned across the table and took my hand.
‘I need a project,’ she said. ‘Let me give you a refresher.’
‘Oh no,’ I said. ‘No, no, no.’ The one thing worse than doing magic was doing it under Harry’s guidance.
‘It’s not a bad idea,’ Suky said. ‘It will be nice for you two to spend some time together.’
‘No,’ I said again. I waggled my own fingers in the direction of the wine bottle. It flew across the table and poured a neat, wineglass-amount of liquid right next to where my glass actually was.
As one, Harry, Mum, Suky and Eva looked at the puddle of wine on the table then up at me.
‘Go on,’ Harry said. ‘Please.’
I was wavering. It was certainly true that I needed help with my magic. But if Harry was back then she could be the Third.
‘I’ve got some stuff going on,’ Harry said, her bottom lip quivering. ‘Helping you would really take my mind of it all.’
I looked at her suspiciously, knowing from bitter experience of childhood battles that she could cry on demand, but Mum, Suky and Eva all melted.
‘Go on,’ Mum said. ‘You could do with a bit of a refresher.’
‘Where would we do it?’ I said. ‘There’s not enough room in the house. Magic lessons – especially where I was concerned – really needed space.’
‘My studio,’ Allan said. Disloyal, evil Allan.
‘In America,’ Harry said. ‘She’s got some family stuff on.’
Her face was unreadable but I got the definite impression she didn’t want to talk about Nat. That was weird. They’d been together since Harry did her Masters in the States years ago and, though Natalie wasn’t a witch herself, she was a regular fixture at McLeod family events. More regular than me, in fact.
Sensing an atmosphere, Mum clapped her hands.
‘Who’s hungry?’ she said. Suky made a face – she’d lost her appetite since starting treatment – but Eva, Harry and Allan all agreed they were starving.
‘Shall we get a carry-out?’ I asked. ‘I saw some menus by the front door. Indian? Chinese?’
Harry laughed.
‘Bless you, Ez,’ she said. ‘We can do better than that.’ She waggled her fingers and silvery sparks flew round the kitchen. Even her colours were better than mine, I thought glumly. Everyone’s colours were better than mine actually – my pink sparks were twee and hard to disguise. Harry and Suky’s silvery shimmers could be passed off as a heat haze, Mum’s cloudy grey sparkles often looked like a trick of the light, and Eva’s earthy brown glitter was simply beautiful.
Suddenly the table was full of food – curries smelling delicious, warm scented naans and crispy poppadoms.
‘Well done, Harry,’ Eva cried, pointing over her head with a flourish and making plates appear in front of everyone. There was a real celebratory atmosphere even though the reason we were all together – the fact that Suky had cancer – was not happy and I was like the spectre at the feast. I just couldn’t loosen up enough to enjoy myself properly. I was worried about Jamie and the empty tables in the café, though thanks to Eva and Allen’s presence I felt less awkward around Mum and Harry.
‘I am stuffed,’ said Harry a while later, pushing her plate away. She’d polished off an enormous amount of curry, despite her skinny frame. I didn’t know where she’d put it.
‘Are you OK, Ez?’ Mum said. I had eaten barely anything, pushing my chicken tikka round my plate.
‘Fine,’ I said. ‘I’m just tired.’
Harry looked at me sharply and I pushed all thoughts of Jamie out of my head. I didn’t want her poking around in my thoughts uninvited.
‘How’s the café?’ she said instead. ‘Are you doing OK with your magic?’
‘Not bad,’ I said. ‘I’m rusty though. I’ve been trying to read my spell book but I keep falling asleep.’
Harry waggled her fingers over the dishes and they all rose from the table and stacked themselves in the dishwasher.
Then she leaned across the table and took my hand.
‘I need a project,’ she said. ‘Let me give you a refresher.’
‘Oh no,’ I said. ‘No, no, no.’ The one thing worse than doing magic was doing it under Harry’s guidance.
‘It’s not a bad idea,’ Suky said. ‘It will be nice for you two to spend some time together.’
‘No,’ I said again. I waggled my own fingers in the direction of the wine bottle. It flew across the table and poured a neat, wineglass-amount of liquid right next to where my glass actually was.
As one, Harry, Mum, Suky and Eva looked at the puddle of wine on the table then up at me.
‘Go on,’ Harry said. ‘Please.’
I was wavering. It was certainly true that I needed help with my magic. But if Harry was back then she could be the Third.
‘I’ve got some stuff going on,’ Harry said, her bottom lip quivering. ‘Helping you would really take my mind of it all.’
I looked at her suspiciously, knowing from bitter experience of childhood battles that she could cry on demand, but Mum, Suky and Eva all melted.
‘Go on,’ Mum said. ‘You could do with a bit of a refresher.’
‘Where would we do it?’ I said. ‘There’s not enough room in the house. Magic lessons – especially where I was concerned – really needed space.’
‘My studio,’ Allan said. Disloyal, evil Allan.
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