“No, I’ve got it.”

“Coffee, coffee, coffee,” Riley mumbled as she staggered in. She poured a mug, inhaled the scent, took a gulp. “Bang!” she said. “That’s coffee.”

“It’ll put hair on your chest,” Sawyer said. “Oh, right, you just need the moon for that.”

“You’re a riot.” She grabbed Annika’s crepe, folded it into her mouth, said, “Good,” around it.

“Give me fifteen minutes, you’ll get better than good.”

Sasha took plates outside, came back in for glassware, got caught up in a kiss as Bran came in. By the time she went back out, Annika was at work.

She had the plates in a semicircle around a little tower of empty flower pots. From the top one spilled napkins in bright colors with folds and ripples. At the base of the flower blossoms and leaves, a few pretty stones formed a pool.

“It’s a rainbow waterfall,” Sasha guessed.

“Yes! And its water feeds the little garden. It’s water that blooms, so you can swim in the flowers.”

“That’s a beautiful thought.”

“It’s a happy place. The dark can’t go there. There should be a place, I think, where the dark can’t go.” She looked down at the bracelets circling her wrists—the magick Bran had fashioned for her. “A place where no one has to fight.”

“We’ll push the dark back, Anni. It may be all we can do, but it matters.”

“Yes, it matters. Friends matter. We friends will have a pretty breakfast on our first day of our quest for the Water Star.”

With a rainbow waterfall.

They spoke of practical things over the meal. Getting the lay of the land—and the sea. Divvying up the household chores.

“We’re not as isolated here,” Bran pointed out. “We could use a basic cover story. Friends on holiday?”

“Say a working holiday for me.” Riley scooped up eggs. “Sticking close to the truth always helps. I’m an archaeologist, doing a paper, some research. So questions I might ask are covered there. I’ve got more Italian than Greek, and can talk the talk. Anybody else?”

“Io parlo italiano molto bene.” Doyle cut into a crepe.

Riley’s eyebrows arched. “Oh, yeah?”

“Sì. I’ve had considerable time for languages.”

“That’ll be handy if we need another interpreter. I’m going to make some calls, tug some lines. We’re going to need a boat and diving gear.”

“You wheel that deal,” Sawyer told her. “You’re good at it.”

“One of my specialties.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to have a car or van on tap,” Bran pointed out. “We may need to go farther afield.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“Might as well leave my bike inside where it is, unless we need it. I’ll set up a training area in the grove. We can use the trees for cover,” Doyle speculated. “Plenty of hills for hiking.”

“I like hiking.” Annika ate the last of a honey-drizzled bite of peach. “Can we hike down to the beach?”

“Maybe later,” Bran told her. “I have some work if Sawyer can help Doyle set up the training area.”

“I’m on it.”

“Annika, you could help me while Sasha and Riley deal with the cleanup here. We want to replenish the medicines. You’ll make your calls,” Bran said to Riley, “work your own brand of magic.”

“We need to go over the maps for this area,” Doyle pointed out. “And work out some strategy.”

“Agreed. Could you do another assignment chart, Sasha?”

“Right after KP.”

“Okay, go team.” Riley clapped her hands together. “Let’s get started.”

She liked working with Bran, not only because of his patience, but the delight of his magicks. She had no skill as a witch, but he’d shown her during their time on Corfu how to crush leaves or petals, how to measure.

He could and did make weapons, like the potions of light and power that had defeated Nerezza and her beasts on Corfu. He could call the lightning and use it as skillfully as the others used gun or bow or sword. She had witnessed what he could do, and believed his power greater than any witch she’d known. Even greater than the sea witch or sorcerer.

But he would spend much time on the healing arts as well. Though she understood some felt fear or illness at the sight of wounds and blood, Annika saw a need. And felt pride when Bran told her she had a skill for healing.

She had no wish to be a warrior, though she accepted the war. Her weapons were her speed and agility—in and out of the water. And the bracelets that shot power or blocked it.

When Sasha joined them, Annika made an excuse to leave them. Because they were in love, and time between lovers was precious. She wandered the house, familiarizing herself with its chambers—rooms, she corrected.

Following Riley’s voice, she stepped into one flooded with light, where Riley paced and talked very fast on the phone in a mix of English and Italian.

“Che cazzo, Fabio! What kind of deal is that? Two weeks minimum, and likely four or six weeks. Stronzate. Don’t try to hose me. I could go to a stranger and get a better rate. Okay, that’s what I’ll do. Oh, and I’ll be contacting your mother while I’m here. She and I really need to have a nice chat because I find my memory about that night in Naples is coming back. Same to you, amico.”