25. The Season of Giving （Up） #2
“We found your office,” Zahir continued. “Everything was going according to plan. We located Agnes’s portrait and were examining it when we heard voices upstairs.”
“Turns out,” Aphra said grimly, “Toby was giving a tour to two police officers who were there about a missing person case.”
Jasper’s stomach dropped. “About me?”
“Yes, about you!” Zahir exclaimed. “You haven’t shown up for work or called in sick. They were concerned.”
“We overheard them talking about checking the basement,” Aphra continued. “And James Bond over here lost his shit.”
“I lost no such thing,” Zahir protested.
“Oh really? When the officers called out, ‘Anyone down there?’ This genius yells, ‘No one, Officer!’”
Jasper stared at them, momentarily speechless.
“In my defense,” Zahir said, “I’m a chef, not a spy.”
“We had to make a run for it,” Aphra concluded. “Out the emergency exit. The alarm went off.”
“Which was actually helpful,” Zahir added, “because it masked the sound of us knocking over a shelf of county tax records from 1973. But look at the upside: people do actually miss you at work.”
Aphra nodded but added, “On the down side, we are definitely on a watchlist now.”
Delilah laid a comforting hand on Jasper’s arm. “We’ve still got Scarlett and Nate.”
Indeed, Scarlett had insisted on making the final attempt, dragging a reluctant Nate along. “If anyone can pull off a heist, it’s me,” she’d declared. “I’ve been training for this my whole life.”
“Repeat viewings of the Ocean’s Eleven series doesn’t count as training.”
“Oh ye of little faith. Sit tight, folks. Nate and I have got this.”
The waiting stretched out, minutes bleeding into hours. The basement grew quieter. Through narrow windows near the ceiling, everyone could see the sun going down. The day was nearly over, and the clerk’s office would be closing soon.
Jasper found himself staring at Delilah’s profile. Her pointy chin, the slight furrow between her brows, the way her hair curled against her neck. He was memorizing her, he realized. For all the good it would do.
The coal chute rattled, interrupting his thoughts. Scarlett slid down first, her face flushed with excitement that quickly turned to disappointment when she saw their expectant faces.
“We almost had it,” she announced.
Nate followed, his hands wrapped in what appeared to be improvised bandages made from his own shirt. “Sorry, Jasper. Really sorry.”
“We were brilliant,” Scarlett began. “First, we ditched your car two blocks away and approached on foot.”
“Clever,” Jasper admitted.
“Then we noticed the police were still there,” Nate continued, “so Scarlett created a distraction.”
“What kind of distraction?” Delilah asked suspiciously.
“I may have broken a window, which set off some sort of alarm.” Scarlett shrugged.
“But it was for the greater good. While everyone rushed over to see what set off the alarm, we slipped in through the back door. Found your office exactly where you said it would be. Agnes’s creepy old portrait was right there on the wall.
I swear, Jasper, she was watching us. Her eyes followed us around the room. ”
“That’s just a trick of the paint,” Jasper said, though he’d made the same observation many times.
“So Nate checked behind the portrait,” Scarlett said, “and there it was! A secret compartment with an old parchment inside.”
Jasper leaned forward. “You found it? The spell?”
“The parchment is behind Agnes’s portrait, just like you thought it might be,” Scarlett explained. “But when Nate tried to take it, it... rejected him.”
“Painfully,” Nate added. “He unwrapped one hand to reveal angry red burns across his palm. “When I tried to touch it, this happened. It was like trying to grab a hot coal. I tried with my gloves on, too, but my gloves just caught fire. I’m definitely not allowed to touch that thing.”
Jasper hadn’t felt so ashamed in a long time. “God, Nate, I’m so sorry. I hate that you got hurt over this.”
“I’ll be all right—don’t you worry about it. Sorry I couldn’t grab it for you.”
The group fell silent. There was no way around it. The spell wouldn’t allow itself to be retrieved by just anyone.
“It has to be me,” Jasper said quietly. “It can only be me.”
“Yep.” Nine nodded. “The sentient coat rack has point.”
“ Hey , Nine,” Delilah said sharply. “I don’t care if you are a billion-year-old pirate, don’t talk about him like that.”
Jasper smiled sadly. “It’s okay, Delilah. And thanks for trying, everybody. I can’t even express how much I appreciate it. But I’ll go to the office tomorrow, first thing. The clerk’s office opens at nine.”
“Hold on a sec,” Nate said suddenly. “He can’t go alone. By the time he gets to his office, he’ll have forgotten what he’s doing there.”
The group fell silent as they all simultaneously (and unsuccessfully) tried not to look in Delilah’s direction.
Scarlett raised her hand. “I’ll do it.” Her usually snarky tone was replaced by something different, something protective and kind. “Me and the radiator will go get the spell—it’s no problem. Right, Jasper?”
Before he could agree, Delilah wrapped one arm tightly around his. Her voice was barely above a whisper. “I’ll take him.”
Jasper turned to her. “Delilah... maybe it’s better if?—”
“No, it should be us. We found Agnes together; she told us about the spell together... we should finish it together.”
Scarlett shook her head. “No, no, don’t either of you put yourselves through that. I can take him out there, get the spell, bring it back. Del, you shouldn’t have to watch it happen. You don’t have to do every shitty job, you know.”
“I don’t,” she agreed. “But I do have to do this one.”
“Hey, guys,” Zahir said, desperately trying to change the mood. “We’ve all noticed the forgetting spell being a bit funky, right? We wouldn’t be glutted with tourists otherwise. So... you know... maybe it won’t be as bad as we think.”
“Oh I agree,” Jasper lied. “I’m sure it’ll all work out.”
“Well, uh...” Zahir cleared his throat. “It’s Christmas karaoke tonight. I know we’re not exactly in a karaoke headspace right now, but the whole town is expected to participate. So, shall we head over?”
“I’m sorry, did you say karaoke ?” Jasper asked. “Now? With all this going on?”
“It’s a tradition, every year on the night before the night before Christmas,” Delilah explained. “Usually, the witches use their magic to enhance their performances. Special effects, perfect-pitch spells, that sort of thing. But this year...”
“This year we’ll be singing au naturel,” Scarlett finished. “It’s going to be a beautiful disaster. Plus, Zahir’s right: it’ll look majorly suspicious if we don’t show up. Plus, we could all use a break from this basement, don’t we agree?”
Nate rolled his eyes. “You just want to hear Polly butcher ‘O Holy Night’ without magic.”
As the others made plans, Jasper settled beside Delilah on the basement steps, both seeking a moment of privacy.
“So, karaoke,” he said, trying to sound casual. “Are you going to sing?”
“Without magic?” she said with a grimace. “That sounds like a terrifying idea.”
“I bet you’re not that bad.”
“Trust me, I am. What about you? Will you serenade us all with a Christmas classic?”
“I was thinking something less seasonal,” Jasper replied, surprising himself. “Maybe something from the Eighties.”
“You’re full of surprises, Hopkins.” Delilah gave him a sidelong look. “A closet karaoke enthusiast?”
“I wouldn’t go that far. But it seems like a perfectly reasonable first date.”
“A date?” Her eyebrows rose. “You’re asking me on a date to a Christmas karaoke contest?”
“I am.” He adjusted his glasses. “What do you say?”
“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.