"But it would be foolish to not consider all possibilities." She fidgets anxiously with the hem of her sleeve. "If it's my sister, then it's a very good thing I accepted your invitation when I did."

"Yes."

Miles hugs Yvette.

She leans into him, attempting a smile and not quite managing it.

"Well. Nothing for it now except hiding in the basement. Keep us updated?"

"Of course."

"Thanks."

She nods, and goes back upstairs.

Yvette lets herself have a minute of leaning comfortably on Miles. He's just so nice to lean on. He's just so nice in general.

And then she takes a deep breath, smiles adoringly at him, and gets back to work.

Up on the ground floor, Liesel invites Serafin into her house.

He steps over the threshold and stops in his tracks.

"...Wow," he says. "I was all set to say 'you realize I could kill everyone in this house now, right?', but now I realize I was seriously underestimating your aunt."

"It happens," she says from the living room. "Welcome to my humble yet fortresslike abode. Yvette and Miles are downstairs."

Liesel starts down the stairs to the basement.

"That was a masterful pickup on the cover story, by the way," she says over her shoulder.

"It was a brilliant cover story!"

"I hope you'll forgive me if I don't ask you on a second date."

She knocks on the door to Yvette and Miles's basement room.

"Come in," calls Yvette, clicking her laptop closed and setting it aside.

In they go.

"I have successfully retrieved Serafin." She glances back at him. "Was that Cyrille?"

"Yep. So that'll be fun," he says dryly.

"Ugh," says Yvette, eloquently. "Of course she wouldn't be busy elsewhere and give me time to design the spell to soul-snipe her."

"Well, at least you've got help, right?"

Smile. "I do, yeah. Speaking of - thank you. Both of you."

"You're welcome."

"Is the spell ready to talk about, should I bring in Chris?"

She considers. "Eh. Close enough. I have enough to work with, anyway, if not everything."

She goes to fetch her aunt.

Serafin looks consideringly at Miles.