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‘It works best when we are off on our own,’ she said.

Jarrod leaned across her to scratch Drayco. ‘Just the three of you?’

She laughed. ‘That’s part of it. The trickiness. I’m not a simple witch with a simple life. I have deep connections with others, my familiar, you…’ She nuzzled his neck and gave him a nip. ‘Lately I haven’t had a body. That’s been a real damper on my affairs.’

He grinned at her. She was so beautiful. ‘No worse for it,’ he said, tracing the curve of her cheek.

She turned to face him square on. ‘Jarrod, I seem to have spent a great deal of time in, well, other times. The results are not conducive to a solid, predictable relationship with anyone. Grayson and I haven’t had a chance to discuss it, but I sense it might be too much for him.’

Jarrod took a deep breath. ‘Rosette, first of all, there’s no such thing as a simple witch and you would be bored as a toad on dry land if you had a “predictable” and…what was the other word you used?’

‘Solid.’

‘A predictable and solid relationship. That’s never been your “feel good”.’

‘You’re right, but it’s never stopped me from loving.’

‘Of course not. No reason for it to. The question is, will it stop you from having a child?’

Rosette stiffened. ‘What?’

That was subtle, Jarrod. The temple cat seemed to be chuckling as he spoke.

I don’t actually have a plan for this, he said to Drayco.

Pity. A bit of scripting would have been wise.

Rosette was up and pacing. He ignored her familiar and patted the seat again. ‘Sit with me. Let me explain what I meant.’

‘I’m fine.’ She stood in front of him, arms crossed. ‘What are you talking about reproduction for now?’

‘I tried to bring it up in Timbali, before we were called, but then it didn’t seem so urgent.’

‘Urgent?’

‘I’m just saying that we nearly lost you. We nearly lost the spell and…there’s no backup.’

She clamped her hands on her hips. ‘That’s what this is about? You need me to brood like a mare in a paddock to make sure your key-codes pass on?’

‘Not quite like a mare in a paddock.’ He caught her look. ‘I mean, nothing at all like a mare in a paddock!’

‘Like what, then? And with whom? Have you picked him out for me too? Demons, Jarrod!’ She looked around as if the walls held the answer.

‘Rosette, I haven’t picked anything out and I have no hidden motive. I’m not telling you what to do or what must be done. I’m only saying that in the past, the Richter line has naturally passed down the quantum key-codes in their DNA—without prompting, I might add.’

Without prompting? Smart tag, Jarrod. I’ll bet you wish they’d programmed you as any other sign but Aries right now. Perhaps the diplomacy of Libra? Or maybe the compassion and poetic subtlety of Pisces? You seem to possess neither.

Drayco, can you hold off on the commentary, please? I’m having enough trouble getting this out as it is.

I see that. The temple cat yawned.

Rosette’s face was turning red. ‘I’m not going to have some random child, Jarrod, just because you think it’s time to run a backup program for your operating determinants. Why would I want to set aside my training and my chance to take on an apprentice of my own now that I’ve actually made it to Temple Los Loma? I just got my body back, for flaming demons’ sake. I’m not turning it over to some little tyke for the next few decades. Not now. I’m not ready. Forget it.’ She started to pace again. Drayco’s tail lashed as she spoke. Jarrod realised his timing was terrible.

Perhaps it would have been good to ask Kreshkali to run a chart for the most opportune moment to broach this topic. Clearly this wasn’t it, Drayco said.

Clearly.

Rosette didn’t stop talking. ‘I’d love to know who you think I’m going to have this child with!’ She sucked in her breath. ‘Is that why you asked about Grayson? You think he’s the one? Have you examined his DNA? Are we well-matched lab rats?’

‘Lab rats?’

‘I’ve read the journals. I know how this all started, back when Luka Paree was dabbling with an extinct species and