Kevin looked up from his book. “Minutes aren’t as long as hours.”

Lizzie brushed off irrelevant details. “Uncle Aaron had to carry him to his bed, and he says he’s not feeding Uncle Marcus any more blueberry scones.”

Sophie tried to keep her giggles quiet-that bit was news to her. Lizzie had very good ears and a storyteller’s flare for the right details.

“He’s going to be hungry as a bear when he wakes up, though.” Their small teller of tales grinned. “I sleep-spelled him.”

Lizzie’s spell had been strong enough to knock out a giant for a week. Not that Marcus had allowed it to hit him, but they’d have to work a little more on dosing-her talents were growing exponentially, and that required more care on the spell volume.

“So what was the special message?” Sean was whispering now, and Kevin’s nose wasn’t in his book any longer. Sophie kept hers studiously pointed at the herbs-she was curious what her pint-sized assistant had picked up.

Lizzie reached for another cookie. She was still reveling in the unlimited-cookie access that came with her healer role. “It was kind of spooky. Something about a baby and a dead body under the church steps.”

Sophie rolled her eyes and made a mental note to have Marcus test Lizzie for mindreading again.

“The church steps?”

Sophie looked up at the odd tone in Kevin’s voice. He and Sean both seemed distinctly unsettled.

“Yup.” Lizzie nodded sagely and scarfed down the rest of her cookie. “Uncle Billy watched a movie once where they hid a body inside a freezer and somebody ate it on accident, so it’s probably smarter to put it under a church.”

Sophie grimaced and scratched Uncle Billy off her future babysitter list.

“Eww.” Sean looked anything but revolted. “You think Uncle Marcus would eat a body?”

“No way.” Lizzie grinned and blew bubbles in her milk. “Gran says he’s an awfully picky eater for a witch.”