Page 91 of Jingle Spells

“Our first-slash-last date . . .” She was quiet for a moment, then nodded. “Well then, we better make it count.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Jasper said, reaching over to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “And afterward . . .” He took a breath, suddenly nervous. “Afterward, we’ll have the best night of our lives. Something worth remembering, even if I can’t.”

“I’ll remember for both of us,” Delilah promised, her voice catching.

Jasper pulled her close, breathing in the scent of her hair, committing it to whatever part of memory might survive the forgetting spell. The steady beat of her heart against his chest, the warmth of her breath on his neck, the curve of her body fitting perfectly against his. These sensations felt more real than the entire life waiting for him back in the “real world.”

Tomorrow, he would retrieve the spell and set in motion the events that would save Oak Haven and, in all likelihood, separate him from Delilah forever.

But tonight . . . tonight they still had time. And Jasper intended to make every second count.

Chapter 26

If the Fates Allow

It was Christmas Eve-eve in Oak Haven, and the old folks said son, she won’t see another one. And so they sang some songs, rare old holiday tunes. They turned their eyes away . . . and dreamed about winning the annual Christmas Karaoke Cup.

Delilah nursed her mulled wine at a corner table in Double, Double Boil and Trouble, watching as Earl Nine and Ten took stood up to introduce the next performer. The pub was packed with witches and non-witches alike, all apparently determined to pretend everything was normal, despite the influencer invasion and the conspicuous absence of Kelly Melrose, Belinda Chatterjee, and several other Oak Haven witches.

“Next up,” announced Nine, squinting at a handwritten note, “is Sam Chatterjee with his rendition of ‘Jingle Bell Rock’!”

Jasper leaned closer, and Delilah could feel his warm breath against her ear. “Is it weird that he’s so cheerful?” He nodded at Sam, who bounded onto the stage with alarming enthusiasm. “What with his wife missing and all?”

“It’s weird for him to be so cheerful when she’s not missing,” Delilah replied, frowning. “Mr. Chatterjee’s not a cheerful guy in general.”

And yet, Sam grabbed the microphone with the confidence of a Vegas headliner. With a deep breath, he sent the opening notes of the holiday classic echoing through the pub. What followed was a performance that could only be described as aggressively joyful, complete with TikTok-inspired dance moves.

“Who wants to rock around the Christmas tree with me later?” Sam called out during the bridge, which earned him shocked looks from longtime residents.

“His wife is literally trapped in trans-dimensional limbo,” Delilah whispered to Jasper. “What is he doing?”

Jasper’s expression turned grave. “He’s forgotten.”

“Forgotten? No, that’s not—” But Delilah’s protest died as Sam took a theatrical bow, his face showing not a single hint of worry or grief.

“You know what,” Delilah said, “I’m sure he’s just putting on a brave face. He knows everyone is thinking about Belinda having been taken. He just doesn’t want people to worry about him.” Delilah watched as Sam rejoined his friends, accepting high fives and backslaps as if he were celebrating a promotion rather than enduring his wife’s unexplained absence.

“Thank you, thank you!” Sam called as he left the stage. “Merry Christmas to all! Best holiday ever!”

Jasper turned to Delilah, one eyebrow arched. “That’s pretty damn brave.”

She shook her head. “It’s fine.” Jasper might be right, but Delilah wasn’t ready to admit what that would mean. Because if the forgetting spell was breaking down, it meant their time was running out. Not just for retrieving Agnes’s spell, but for herself and Jasper, too.

Still, where others saw failure in their various attempts to get Agnes’s spell, Delilah saw progress. They knew exactly where the spell was hidden now. Behind Agnes’s portrait in Jasper’s office. They just needed to figure out how to retrieve it without losing him along the way.

“You know,” she began, “I’m thinking . . . Maybe we could⁠—”

But Jasper’s attention had shifted to the stage, where Aphra was now setting up for her performance.

Dayo appeared at their table, sliding another round of drinks in front of them. “On the house,” she said with a wink, and she slid into the empty seat beside them. “Thought you might need fortification for what’s coming. You guys were drinking scotch, right?”

Delilah and Jasper glanced at one another. They were absolutely not drinking scotch, but who’s going to complain about a free round? After all, Delilah thought to herself, it wasn’t like Dayo could be expected to remember every drink order, right?

But inside, she knew. Dayo absolutely could be expected to remember every drink order. Usually, Dayo could remember who had ordered what last week. Not tonight, though. The forgetting spell was never supposed to impact people who stayed within the town limits, but now it was spreading like a virus.

“Much appreciated!” Jasper forced as much cheer into his voice as he could. “But is Aphra going to be that bad? Like, double-scotch, neat bad?”

“Without her magic? Catastrophic,” Dayo confirmed. “But we love her anyway.”