“Lovely to meet you, dear. Don’t mind if I’m a bit short tonight, we’ve only just arrived and it was a long flight.”
“On a private plane.” Matthew rolled his eyes and looked fondly at Lottie. “Where it was hard to tell who was snoring more loudly, you or the dogs.”
“Oh hush.” Lottie swatted his arm. “I do not snore.”
“Mmmhm, must have been the dogs then.”
I loved these two.
“And speaking of dogs…” Her voice brightened as she looked down at the Scotties. “This is my chaotic crew.”
The dogs all stared at me.
“Hi,” I said weakly. “I don’t have any treats, sorry.”
One of them trotted forward and sniffed my ankle, then sneezed. Within seconds I was surrounded by scruffy, enthusiastic Scottie affection.
“You’ve been accepted,” Lottie declared. “They only do that to people they deem worthy. Or people who smell like food. Which, in this crowd, is most of us.”
“Speaking of food,” Sophie said, practically bouncing. “We need to get inside. The girls are already in Grasshopper.”
She linked her arm through mine and started hauling me toward the castle doors. “Lottie and Matthew are joining us tonight, by the way. I told them it was ‘girls’ dinner,’ but Matthew is an honorary girl, and Lottie obviously counts.”
“I have always counted,” Lottie agreed serenely, following with her Scottie parade. “Also, I brought wine.”
Matthew sighed happily. “And I brought emotional baggage and the desperate desire for a life change. Should fit right in.”
“Oh good,” I said faintly. “Because I was worried we might not have enough of that already.”
The restaurant was glowing.
The castle’s restaurant had been transformed into a witch’s version of a Sunday night dinner. A long table was set near the big windows, candles flickering in mismatched holders, greenery twined down the center, and what felt like a hundred tiny fairy lights draped along the stone walls. Did they put all this on for just us? I was in awe but then remembered Brice and how quickly he managed to get work done.
A group of women surrounded the table and all beamed at me.
“Matthew!” Lia cried and rounded the table. There were a few hugs and then Sophie clapped her hands.
“Right, everyone. I have three introductions to make tonight, instead of just Liora.” Sophie waved at me. “This is Matthew, my bestie from home whom some of you already know, along with the best second mom in the world, Lottie.”
Lottie bowed and the table clapped.
“And Liora, an astrologer, and our newest member of the Order.” Sophie waved to me and I smiled at everyone. “Okay, let’s do this quickly. Pay attention, Lottie. You know Agnes.”
Agnes waved from her end of the table, curls in a messy halo, paint-smudged hands wrapped around a wine glass.
“Next to her is Shona.” A woman sat with pink cheeks, blond hair in a messy braid, a small posy of winter greenery tied with twine at her plate. Lia moved around the table with a dish towel slung over one shoulder, hands in perpetual motion as she set out little dishes of olives and something that smelled cheesy and sinful.
“Next to her is Orla, the one in her usual builder chic, canvas overalls and boots.” A tiny woman with a wide smile waved.
“Next to her is our fashionista, Willow.” The woman next to Orla wore a leather shirt dress, cinched at the waist with a wide belt, and huge doorknocker earrings.
“After that, we have Kaia, our lovely metalsmith, and next to her is Faelan, our vet.”
I waved at Kaia and Faelan.
“That’s everyone. Please, talk among yourselves while I find Lachlan and thank him for this gift.”
“Ugh, please, thank him later. You won’t get back in time for dinner,” Matthew groaned.