Lumian completed the ritual on his second attempt. He cleared the wooden table and opened Aurore's grimoire. Under the glow of the carbide lamp, he thumbed through the relevant sections.
In under fifteen minutes, he sensed something. He looked up and fixed his gaze on a spot near the window.
A folded letter lay there, undisturbed.
That fast? Lumian, surprised, reached out and took the letter.
Hela's response, vice president of the Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society, had arrived sooner than expected.
Lumian unfolded the letter and skimmed the elegantly written words.
"I'm sorry to hear that. Ever since Muggle missed last month's gathering, I've had a bad feeling.
"There are too many dangers in this world. Sometimes, we can't avoid them just because we want to unless we can control everyone around us.
