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I did ’

‘You have that look in your eyes’

‘I don’t knohat you’re talking about’

Winter persisted ‘Yes, you do It’s the sa off the sofa to do crazy things like answer the door or go out to work in order to pay your bills’

I drew myself up ‘Well, you have that look in your eyes too The one that says you just had to speak to the Order and you secretly wish you were still with them so you could feel ie to wave at everyone’

Winter frowned at es’

‘I bet you wish they did though That hen you went to talk to so just that Then I deepened my voice ‘“Raphael Winter That’s Adeptus Exemptus Raphael Winter to you Arcane Branch That’s Arcane Branch in the Hallowed Order of Magical Enlightenlower at everyone who dares to look atinto buildings where there’s a good chance I et blown up”’

Somewhere behind me, Clare snickered

Winter tilted his head, so in his blue eyes Then he let his body sag and his shoulders sluher-pitched tone than normal ‘“Can’t be bothered to form sentences or to shake hands with you because it’s too much effort”’ He froze ‘“Wait,”’ he said with a sudden toss of his hair, ‘“do I smell pizza?”’

I put my hands on my hips ‘Ha Ha Ha’

‘“I ht have to sit down,”’ Winter said ‘“I’ve walked at least twenty steps already today and it’s been a bit too much”’

I stuck out rinned ‘Actually,’ he said in a low voice as if he were afraid soestion to get them for everyone when I first joined Arcane Branch’

I winced ‘In the shape of witch’s hats?’

‘Not quite that bad They needed to look official, not ridiculous’

‘Of course,’ I ser to hang around our building and help with deliveries You know, escort takeaways up to our door, that kind of thing’

Winter’s eyes danced with amusement

Clare peered at us ‘I don’t get it,’ she said finally

I dragged lanced at her ‘What do you mean?’

‘That was…’ she hesitated as if searching for the right word ‘…mean You were mean to him and he was mean to you’

I tapped the corner of my mouth We’d needed a moment of levity amid all this serial-killer stuff but I understood what she meant ‘It wasn’t mean,’ I said finally ‘It was honest We know each other very well I suppose e’re really saying is that we know the worst about each other and it doesn’t ardless of our faults’

Winter reached across and squeezed my hand while Clare stared at me ‘I think I hate you both’

I beamed back at her cheerfully ‘I would hate us both too’ I liftedto be the easiest?’ I pointed at one on the second floor ‘That looks large enough to wiggle through’

‘It’s sealed shut,’ Clare said ‘The only one which opens is that one’ She floated upwards until she was hovering in front of the highest – and smallest –in the house

Winter followed ht?’ he enquired

‘Apparently it’s the only one that will open’ I flicked him a look from under my eyelashes ‘We should definitely wait for the bomb squad’

‘Clare?’ Winter said, looking in the wrong direction ‘Can you check whether there are any more booby traps?’

She nodded eagerly and disappeared back through the walls of her house

‘She said she can’t,’ I told hiht upset the spiritual ato us all to smithereens’