Moffitt entered the operating theater to find Millington and another white-coated man looking over a series of radiographs that had been taken of the sedated krait. Seeing the krait lying motionless with a tube in her mouth reminded him again of Anah, though he also remembered it took a while for Anah to actually be sedated due to her being magic. Moffitt stopped near them, swallowing his anxious memories to ask, "What are we dealing with here?"

"Well, as I suspected, the krait has eggs, but she also has pockets of infection under several of her scars. Wouldn't surprise me if those were bite wounds from a predator. What concerns me more are these foreign bodies here, in most of her lower body."

Moffitt grimaced under his mask. "They're parasites, aren't they?"

"Without a doubt. I told you the ocean is merciless, didn't I? This is part of why I said that. I'm going to warn you that I'm going to remove as much as I can here, then leave the rest of her recovery to medication. Think you can handle it? It won't be pretty."

"I'll do my best."

"Alright. Let's get started."

Moffitt's stomach turned as the krait's operation progressed. The smell of infection was powerful, as was the smell of dud eggs. He feared the worst with the eggs, but relief and hope managed to prevail when Millington removed an egg that still looked fertile and intact. Moffitt was gentle when touching the krait's head to check her consciousness. She was deeply sedated, but he could still feel the gentle pulsing of life within her. He just couldn't communicate with her, and he wished he could, to at least tell her that her eggs were safe. Half of them. He feared her reaction when had to tell her that some of them wouldn't have made it, as he remembered Zeresh had been upset when one of her eggs turned out to be a dud.

He noticed Millington wore an expression of disgust, but the older doctor maintained his professionalism while clearing parasites from the krait. Moffitt, on the other hand, found himself fighting surges of nausea each time he looked, much like he had done with Anah.

"Are you going to chunder?" Millington asked.

"I hope not." Moffitt blinked, trying not to see Anah lying there on the table. The krait was definitely in worse shape.

"How the bloody hell is she still alive with all of this?" Millington muttered.

"Weren't we asking the same thing about Mahlah when he was brought in?" Moffitt asked.

"Mahlah's survival was a miracle. I didn't give up on him. I'm not giving up on this krait."

Moffitt was quiet unless asked to check how the krait was faring. He struggled to keep the tide of nausea rising from his stomach under control, like he had to do when helping with Anah. He drew in a breath, but in the process, took in the awful, putrid smell that had filled the room. His stomach lurched hard, and he tried to suppress a gag while bracing himself against the table.

Millington glanced up at him. "Easy, Moffitt. I know, this isn't pleasant. It never is."

"I'll be alright."

"Are you sure? If you think you're going to be sick, you need to leave the room immediately."

"No. I'm alright. I offered to help, so I'm going to help."

"I'm not saying you can't help, but I don't want you throwing up on my patient. Focus, or out."

Moffitt gave him another nod. "I can do it." He touched the krait's head again. "She's still with us." He paused, confusion and nerves suddenly coming over him with a much stronger force than before. For a moment, he thought he was experiencing déjà vu. He swore he or Millington said the same thing about Anah still being with them when repairing her injuries three years ago. He blinked when he saw Anah's terrified expression in front of him. Has this all been a dream? The last three years… have they all been a dream? He released his breath. No, they can't be. He swallowed, thinking back through every prominent memory over the last three years. Confronting his grief over his brother's death. Getting over his dislike of dogs with River and Livna. Celebrating his twentieth anniversary with Vanora. Helping Jules learn to drive. Observing Jules and Antheia's first real kiss under the mistletoe last Christmas. Going to Greece with Troy and confronting a flock of vampiric owls known as strix. It all felt too real to have been just a dream.

He kept fighting with his memories, and nausea, over the course of the krait's operation. It felt like a great deal of time had passed when it was over, when Millington could suture the krait and let her rest under observation. Once Moffitt was allowed to leave the room, he was ordered to undergo decontamination, as the krait had been infested with worms that had the potential to infect humans. Everything went from stinking of infection to stinking of strong, ruthless cleaners. He was checked over thoroughly before he could put his regular clothing back on. His clothes still smelled a bit like the sea. Sometimes, that smelled pleasant, but it was the final straw for Moffitt's stomach. As soon as he was free to leave the laboratory, he ran for the nearest restroom to throw up. He remained there for a while, unable to move until every muscle across his body stopped shaking. After he stood, Moffitt washed his hands and rinsed out his mouth. He then left the restroom to find Millington sitting on a bench in the hallway, fresh from decontamination, but wearing a new lab coat.

"Are you doing alright?" Millington asked.

"I think I'll feel better when I'm in an area that doesn't smell foul," Moffitt replied. "How are… How are you?"

Millington was still and quiet for a moment, then sighed. "I'm alright. I should apologize for being frustrated in there."

"It was necessary. Don't apologize."

"Still. I've been thinking about how… that was the first time you assisted with a surgery since Anah's."

Moffitt sat next to his friend, and nodded. "It was. I was having a difficult time because of it. I kept seeing… her. I kept hearing her panicking. I started wondering if this had all been a dream."

"Combat fatigue can be a real…" Millington hissed out a curse. "A real bitch sometimes. I've dealt with massive infections in snakes before, but… none that bad, and I was finding myself transported to Burma over and over again, with the smell."

Moffitt understood the feeling completely. He stayed quiet, in case there was more that Millington wanted to talk about. When his friend said nothing more, Moffitt let out a sigh. "Is the krait going to be alright?"

"She should be. We drained every abscess we could find. Removed every worm we could see. She needs to be on several medications, but I'm going to use caution to not overwhelm her. She's in no shape to incubate her surviving eggs. At least not now. Right now, the most important thing is keeping her isolated from other animals and making sure the eggs we did save are still good. They appeared to be ready for laying, and they'll definitely be little miracle snakes if they hatch."

"That won't be for months, though."

"No. We'll decide what to do with them once the krait starts recovering. If she makes a full recovery, I think it'll be best that we put her and the eggs back on their home island. If not, we'll take her back to Britain, with the eggs."

Moffitt nodded. He was starting to feel a bit better, and turned to Millington again. "She needs a name."

"We'll think of one. I have some books from home back in my hotel room that I like to browse when choosing names for snakes."

"Alright. I'm sure you'll pick a good one."

"Thanks." Millington looked at his watch. "I'm going to stay for another couple of hours to make sure the krait is stable. I think you should go find Jules and Anah."

Moffitt cursed under his breath. "Bloody hell, I forgot about both of them."

"Well, we've been a bit busy."

"I know, but it's getting quite close to teatime and Jules is probably still out on the beach."

"Try calling the hotel first. He may have taken a bus back."

Moffitt figured that was the most likely thing to have happened. He didn't think Jules had stayed on the beach for the last several hours, but he found he was wrong when he placed a call to the hotel and learned no one was in the room. He went back to Millington, saying, "No one's at the hotel. Jules is still in Port Waikato."

"Take the rental car, then. I'll be here. Did you want me accompanying you to dinner?"

Moffitt made a face before touching his stomach. "Frankly, after everything I saw in that operating room, I'm not interested in eating for a little while."

"But you want tea."

"Yes, I do."

Millington sighed. "Oh, well. Whatever makes you happy. Don't be surprised if Anah throws a fit over you not eating."

"It wouldn't be the first time." Moffitt glanced out the nearest window, watching traffic for a moment before looking back at Millington. "Alright. Hopefully, we will be back in Auckland in a few hours. Take care."

"You, too."

Moffitt stayed focused on navigating Auckland traffic for the first part of his drive, and he was glad that driving in New Zealand was similar to driving in Britain. He had many a confused moment whenever he attempted to drive when visiting Troy, Hitch, or Tully, and nearly got in trouble for it several times. Once traffic thinned out and Moffitt was driving down a rather quiet road west toward Port Waikato, he allowed his mind to wander. He recalled earlier that day feeling somewhat nervous about Jules, but calmed himself by saying that Anah was with him. He could always trust her to look out for him. While driving, though, that nervousness returned, and a part of him wanted to dismiss it as residual nausea. Something deep inside was telling him it most certainly was not, and he found himself praying that Jules was alright.

He was still nervous and uncertain when he reached Sunset Beach over an hour and a half later, and it didn't help that he couldn't find Jules or Anah after doing a quick search of the area. Where could he have gone? Moffitt started heading back to the car, pondering asking to everyone he saw if they had seen Jules and Anah. He paused when he heard the raspy, high-pitched caw of a rook, and looked up to see a pair of black birds with white beaks perched in the branches of an evergreen tree nearest to where he had parked. The two rooks flew from their perch to a different tree on the other side of the parking lot. Moffitt watched them for a moment, wondering if they were trying to tell him something. About a minute later, one of the rooks flew down to the roof of the car. It stared at Moffitt for a few seconds before returning to the tree with its companion.

Okay. So you are trying to tell me something. You want me to follow you. Moffitt got in the car, turned it on, and moved it until it was parallel to the tree with the two rooks. The rooks hopped to the end of the branch, looked down at Moffitt as if to ensure he was paying attention, and then flew eastward, down a road running alongside the Waikato River. Moffitt followed, hoping that the birds would lead him to Jules and Anah.

Jules couldn't focus on anything other than his racing heart and panicked breathing. He was still covering his head and hidden under the shrub at the base of the hill, barely noticing Lysander sprinting down toward him.

"Jules! Jules, hey, you alright, mate? The magpie's gone. You can come out." Lysander pulled the branches of the shrub away. "You okay? Bird spooked you that bad, eh?"

Jules squeezed his eyes shut, tears running down his face. "I want Dad," he whimpered. "I want to make sure… everyone's okay… th-that the magpies didn't hurt anyone else."

"There was just the one bird, Jules. Everything's alright. What's wrong?"

Jules's fear and anxiety was slow to release and let him return to reality. He noticed Lysander eyeing him with concern, and looked away, a mix of embarrassment and frustration knotting inside him. "It's… fine."

"No, it's not fine. What happened?"

Jules wasn't sure where to start, or even if he wanted to. He was shaky as he stood up, using the shrub for leverage. "Ask Anah," he grumbled.

"Anah's not here. Jules—" Lysander took his shoulder. "Hey, whatever the problem is, I'm not going to laugh at you."

Jules pulled his arm away, storming back up the hill to the horses.

Lysander came running up after him. "Okay. You want me to ask Anah? I'll ask Anah. Whatever makes you feel better."

Jules whirled around, snapping, "I don't know how to bloody explain it, alright?! And honestly, I don't want to! So just drop it until we get back to your place!"

Lysander held up his hands. "Alright. I won't say anything until I ask Anah." He stayed quiet until they were both with the horses. "Apart from that, this wasn't a bad ride."

Jules said nothing while looking over Astor's tack, then climbed into his saddle. There was no conversation between him and Lysander as they rode back to Lysander's home, nor did they talk when they returned and were taking the tack off their horses. Jules remained focused on taking care of Astor, but once they were inside the house, he hid in the bathroom for privacy. He could hear Lysander, Anah, and Zeph's voices in another room, but couldn't quite make out what they were saying. When he only heard Anah's voice for a while, he knew that she was explaining the magpie prophecy to them.

Great. Now that's out. Jules sighed, remaining seated on the side of the bathtub. When someone knocked on the door, he didn't respond at first.

"Jules? You doing alright?" Lysander asked.

"I'm… fine," Jules muttered.

"That is nonsense and you know it, young man," Anah said. "Open the door."

Jules stood and unlocked the bathroom door, seeing Lysander standing outside with Anah wrapped around his left forearm. The cobra stretched out to get to Jules, who let her crawl over to his arm.

"Go out to the living room, both of you," Anah said. "Sit down. Jules, set me on the counter so I can make a cup of tea for you."

Jules hesitated. "I don't want—"

"Set me on the counter, dear. No arguing." Anah faced Jules once she was on the counter. "Now, go sit down and talk." She looked past Jules into the living room. "Lysander, where do you keep your tea, dear?"

"You see the cabinets above the stove? Tea's in the first big one on the left of them," Lysander replied.

"Thank you. I will be out with you in a few minutes."

The first minute or so was completely silent aside from the sounds of Anah making tea. Jules sat in a chair by the couch, which both Lysander and Zeph were seated on. He glanced at them, unsure of what to say. "Well? What do you want to know?"

"I'd like to know why you're acting so ashamed when you had no control over what happened," Zeph said.

"It's not that. It's just… not something I've ever had to talk about with strangers before, nor do I like talking about it, period. I know nobody actually died, but they came close. Watching everyone, you know, worry and fuss and all that, while I couldn't really do anything. I didn't want to do anything because I didn't know what to do. All I did was run away, make everyone even more worried, and… I never saw Mum and Dad that distraught before."

"I hate to say it, but dealing with the magpies here is a part of life," Lysander said.

"Yeah, and don't go to Australia, because that's where the bloody things came from," Zeph added. "I told you earlier to be careful of them."

"If I had known they had a nest there, I wouldn't have had us stop on that hill. They're incredibly territorial."

"That. No magic with this type of magpie. Just unbridled aggression."

Lysander nodded. "Now, we're not trying to be dismissive. We're just saying, dealing with angry magpies is all part of living out here by the bush."

"All you really can do is get used to it and take steps to not get attacked."

That didn't make Jules feel better. "That's basically what we had to do with our magpies. Get used to it."

"At least ours are just territorial. Yours were giving people nightmares and making them experience their worst fears," Lysander said.

"Well, that's also going to be the case with these magpies," Jules muttered.

"I mean, he has a point in his case," Zeph said.

"I wasn't going to say that he's wrong," Lysander replied. "It's just not deliberate with our magpies."

"I don't know. Have you seen the looks in their eyes when they come swooping at you?"

"No, because I'm always running for cover."

"I had one hit my surfboard once when I was heading to the beach. He hit the board hard enough to get his beak stuck. I look at him and say, 'Serves you right, you absolute—'"

What followed was a string of profanities that Jules reckoned even Troy would blush at. He was glad his parents weren't there to hear Zeph's colorful choice of words to describe the magpie that got wedged in his board, and it only got worse when Zeph described the fact that the bird left a hole in the board that had to get repaired. Admittedly, though, it got Jules to smile a bit.

Zeph then reached over to playfully nudge Jules's arm. "Look, as long as you stick with people who know what they're doing, you won't have to worry about Aussie magpies."

"Yeah," Lysander added. "They're not nearly as bad as what you had to deal with. You won't have to take up your sword again to slay one in a castle."

"Although, the fact that you have a magic sword makes you, quite possibly, the coolest person in the world. Makes me feel bad for thinking you were just another idiot pom tourist."

"Well, if you ever come up to Britain, I'd gladly show it to you," Jules said.

"Next time I'm on holiday, I'll give it some thought," Lysander replied. "Hey, you can show us your Arabian horses."

"Not just show. You can ride one if you want."

"What else do you do for fun?" Zeph asked. "It's too bloody cold to surf, and I'm not interested in drinking tea all day and whinging about how to make a proper cuppa."

Lysander elbowed him. "Oi, be nice."

Zeph elbowed him back. "Make me."

"I can promise we don't just sit around drinking tea," Jules said. "Well, Dad does when he gets time off from work. He's very particular about tea. His way consists of the 'Rule of Ones'—one spoonful of sugar and one dash of milk."

Lysander raised an eyebrow. "Really? That little milk?"

"Yeah. That little milk."

Zeph shook his head. "That's… not how you make a decent cup of tea. Does he have a biscuit that he claims is better than all other biscuits?"

"I'm not sure it counts because he doesn't proclaim his is the best biscuit for dunking, but he doesn't really eat any other biscuit with his tea. Still, tea is very special to him and trying to convince him that he's wasting his time will land you in a world of trouble."

Anah slithered out to the living room with a cup floating above her. "You seem to be feeling better, dear."

"I am, actually," Jules said. "Thanks."

Anah looked over at Lysander. "I do apologize for taking over the kitchen, dear."

"Hey, I don't care as long as you clean up after yourself and don't use up everything we have," Lysander replied.

"Still. This is your house. I am a guest."

"Honestly, I like guests who don't just sit around expecting me to wait on them. Make what you want, miss."

Anah grinned, then raised her head to look at something out the window. "Is that… No, it could not be…"

"What is it?" Jules asked.

"I… think I see the vehicle that Millington rented outside."

Jules stood to look out the window. "You're right, it is. How did they find us?" He went outside, seeing the car had stopped and his father was getting out of the driver's side. "Dad!"

Moffitt closed and locked the vehicle, looking around at the vast fields surrounding them and the horses occupying them. "Is this heaven?" he asked.

"In a way," Jules said. He opened his arms to give his father a hug.

Moffitt smirked a little. "What did I do to deserve this?"

Jules wasn't sure how to answer. After letting go, he said, "I'm sorry about not being at the beach. Are you angry?"

"Do I look angry?" Moffitt asked.

"No, but… I still should've tried to reach you."

"That was a bit difficult for most of the day. Fortunately, there was a pair of rooks down by the beach who decided to lead me all the way out here." Moffitt looked over his shoulder down the driveway. "I must say, I'm a little annoyed at how far away from Port Waikato the nearest bloody bridge is. I came all the way from Auckland, then had to go all the way back to Tuakau just to cross the river and come back west to here."

Jules shrugged. "I didn't design the roads here."

"I can't complain about how lovely it is, though."

"No, it's beautiful."

"Jules! Is this your old man?" Lysander called as he came outside.

"Yeah!" Jules called back. "Grab Zeph and come say 'hello!'"

Lysander and Zeph were soon outside and approaching where Moffitt had parked the rental vehicle. Lysander was the first to hold out his hand. "Pleasure to meet you, sir. Don't worry, we took good care of your son. I'm Lysander Wilkins."

"You were on the beach earlier today, right?" Moffitt asked. "I thought I recognized you."

"Yeah, we were." Lysander gestured to Zeph next to him. "Zeph Ainsley. Jules crashed into him."

"Why would you tell him that?" Jules hissed through clenched teeth.

"Anah was probably going to tell him if you weren't," Zeph said. "And I would've said something, too."

Moffitt folded his arms over his chest, looking at Jules. "Now, why, may I ask, weren't you going to say something to me?"

"Well, neither of us got hurt," Jules muttered.

"There was a… tussle afterward, though," Lysander said.

"Nothing overly serious," Zeph added. "We've made up and we're all friends now."

Moffitt's expression hadn't changed, and Jules felt his stomach slowly start to sink the longer his father glared at him. He looked at the pavement when Moffitt said, "Jules, we're going to talk in private."

Jules said nothing as he followed Moffitt around to the back of the car. "Dad, I'm really sorry—"

"Define 'tussle' for me."

Jules sighed. "Zeph was angry I crashed into him and stole his wave. He acted like he wanted to fight me, but… I hit him first. Lysander managed to get the situation under control, but Zeph is right—we talked, apologized, forgave each other, and he started teaching me how to actually surf."

Moffitt was quiet for a moment. The sound of birds and insects chirping, along with the occasional whinny from a horse could be heard. "I hope you understand how lucky you are that these two seem like nice people, because such a confrontation could have ended much, much worse."

"Anah was there. Zeph even complimented me on my punch. I could hold my own."

"You do still have a bit to learn, but do you understand why I'm a bit miffed?"

"You're trying to figure out how to explain this to Mum."

"Exactly." Moffitt leaned against the car. "I love your mother a lot. When you love someone that much, it's not exactly ideal to hide things from them, even unpleasant things like this."

"If we tell her, then she'll never let me do anything until I can actually move out."

"I don't think so. That's why I said I'm trying to think of the best way to discuss this with her."

Jules wondered if it was a good idea to say anything about his encounter with the Australian magpie now. He kept quiet for a moment. I usually tell Dad everything. There's no reason I should stop now, and… it would really hurt him if I acted like I couldn't trust him. "I… Th-There's something else… you should know. Um… earlier, Lysander and I took a ride out just north of here, and we had a run-in with a… a magpie. Not a Eurasian magpie. An Australian one."

"I had forgotten Australian magpies were here," Moffitt said. "They're notorious for their aggression."

"Yeah, and… I panicked. I started seeing things from when we were dealing with our magpies back home. I didn't know how to explain things to Lysander, so I told him to ask Anah. She told him and Zeph about the prophecy. They're really understanding about what I'm… going through."

"That's good."

Jules nodded in agreement, but kept looking at the pavement. "I just know that if we mention this to Mum, she won't be happy."

Moffitt stood quietly for a moment, sighing as he thought. "Well, we don't have to say anything right away."

"Thanks."

"To be honest, I think your mother will be happy if we go home with the news that you actually have friends closer to your age now."

"There's that."

They both looked toward the house when Lysander called out, "Hey! Are either of you hungry? Anah's cooking sausages in the skillet!"

"I'm not sure if I've got my appetite back yet," Moffitt muttered.

"Everything okay?" Jules asked.

"I helped Millington operate on the krait. It was… quite gross."

"Isn't surgery in general gross?"

"Yes, but this was made worse by the fact that the poor krait was infested with parasites."

Jules shuddered. "Is she going to be okay?"

"So far, it looks like she'll make a full recovery, but it'll take time. A lot of time. Millington had to take the krait's eggs out himself. Half were duds, but the other half may have a chance." Moffitt became quiet again. "Standing there, helping, I was thinking about what happened to Anah three years ago, when she was attacked by that eagle."

"I guess we were both pretty badly ambushed by the scary things that've happened to us today."

"We were." Moffitt squeezed Jules's shoulder. "We just can't quit in the face of those memories. Trust me, it's tough, but you'll eventually learn to live with them and not let them hurt so much anymore."

Jules nodded. "So, I take it you're not having anything to eat, then?"

"Well, I'd very much like a cup of tea."

"I had a feeling you'd say that."

The two went inside, and Lysander was quick to close the door. "It's that time of day when the damn mozzies start coming out. They can stay outside where they bloody belong."

"The what?" Jules asked.

"Mosquitoes," Zeph replied.

"It is still a bit strange that it's summer here, but it's January," Moffitt said.

"Well, we would be outside, but I've been told I'm not allowed to use Dad's grill anymore," Lysander said.

Moffitt raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Lysander pointed at Zeph. "He set it on fire."

Zeph glared at him. "That was an accident! You're the one who forgot to get more charcoal."

"You didn't have to create an inferno just to light the bloody grill, though."

"I wasn't sure how much fire to make since we had nothing else to use."

"What were you using?" Moffitt asked.

"Magic." Zeph went into the living room to get his wand from the coffee table. "Nice, eh? Carved from a tōtara branch."

"Ah, so you're a warlock," Moffitt said, looking over the wand. "Do you specialize in anything, or is this a general purpose wand?"

"General purpose. Never really showed much proficiency in anything growing up."

Moffitt handed the wand back. "So, Lysander, this is your parents' place?"

"Yes and no," Lysander replied. "There's a bigger house southeast of here. That's where they live. I was allowed to have this little place built when I started going to uni so I can stay on the property without driving them bonkers."

"I wondered why the house was so small," Jules said.

"Yeah. It's nice, but I'm not planning on staying forever."

"What are you going to university for?" Moffitt asked.

"To be a horse vet."

"How many years left do you have?"

"I have this year to finish at Auckland, and then I'm transferring over to Massey for the next five."

"I take it Jules has already told you that we have horses of our own back in Britain?"

"You have Arabians. Some year, I'd like to see them."

"That could be arranged." Moffitt looked over at Zeph. "What about you?"

"Me?" Zeph asked.

"Yes. Are you in university?"

"No. I'd rather teach toddlers how to surf than waste days on end in a classroom."

"I can guarantee you'd give yourself a stroke if you decided to teach toddlers how to surf," Lysander said.

"I would. But I'd still rather do that than go to university." Zeph glanced at Moffitt. "I work here. Help take care of the horses. If I'm not doing that, I'm entering surfing tournaments."

"Ah. So, do you live here or elsewhere?"

"Here. The couch has been my bed for the last two years."

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"Do you have parents?"

"Yeah. We're not on speaking terms."

Moffitt nodded, not saying anything more about the subject. He turned to Anah, who was holding a pair of tongs in her tail while she made sure the sausages were evenly cooked on all sides. "I take it you've been keeping everything civil?"

"As best I can, dear." Anah looked at him. "Have you eaten anything since breakfast?"

"No. I helped with the krait's surgery, so I don't quite feel like eating yet."

"It is nearly dinnertime, dear, you need to eat."

"Anah, I threw up at the university. I'd like my tea and nothing—"

"That means your stomach is most certainly empty, and that is even worse!"

"Anah—"

"I will not hear of it. You are not having just tea."

"Well, of course not! I was going to have biscuits, too."

"You are not having just tea and biscuits. You need more than that, for you are—"

"Skin and bones. Yes, I know, Anah, you've only been reminding me for twenty-five years."

"Dad?" Jules said.

"Hm?" Moffitt looked over his shoulder at his son.

"Why are you even bothering to argue with Anah? You can't win. Everyone knows that."

Moffitt sighed heavily. "Can I at least have a cup of tea with dinner?"

"Of course you may, dear," Anah said. "With dinner."

Jules turned to Lysander and Zeph. "I did tell you Dad really likes his tea."

"Tea is essential," Moffitt said. "Tea forces you to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life. No day can be started or completed without a good cup of tea. Where do you keep your tea and biscuits?"

"The cabinet right in front of you," Lysander replied.

"Thank you." Moffitt turned to open the cabinet, and Jules held back a laugh when he saw his father's face pale at the lack of organization in the cabinet. "Did… D-Did a bloody tornado hit your tea cabinet?"

"No."

"What… What is this? What…" Moffitt's face reddened. "Why do you have two boxes of the same bloody tea open?! Why do you have herbal tea and black tea on the same shelf?! This box was opened upside-down! Where are the custard creams?!"

"Dear, let me make your tea," Anah said. "Go sit before you hurt yourself."

"That's a bloody nightmare." Moffitt closed the cabinet.

Jules gave Lysander an embarrassed look. "I'm sorry—"

Lysander stopped him with a wave of his hand. "No, don't apologize. You did warn us."

Jules still sighed and turned back to his father. "Come on, Dad, at least they drink tea here. They're not like Troy."

"I will give them that, but before we leave, I'm still teaching Lysander how to properly organize his tea," Moffitt said.

It wasn't before long that Anah served dinner, though there wasn't a table for everyone to sit at. There was room around the counter for them to sit and enjoy what the cobra prepared. Jules was about to take a second sausage roll when his father said, "We should probably head back to Auckland when we're finished here."

The disappointment sapped Jules's appetite. He set the package of rolls down. "Blast."

"You can stay if you want," Lysander said. "The chair in the living room reclines."

Jules looked at his father.

"If you want, I can stay with him," Anah said.

Moffitt went quiet, then said, "Let me call Millington. If he needs me, I'll go back to Auckland. If not, I'll stay. I wouldn't mind spending a day with horses."

"One of my professors did tell me spending time with a wide variety of experienced horse owners is good for learning," Lysander said. "I'd be happy to show you around, sir."

Shortly after dinner, Jules followed Lysander into his bedroom to get extra blankets from the closet. Lysander's room wasn't nearly as neat as Jules's, but it was still decently kept. Like Jules's, there were pictures of horses adorning the wall, along with a large map of the Waikato region. There were also frames containing various awards for either horse shows or surfing. In the corner nearest to the door was a stack of three cardboard boxes, labelled with Zeph's name.

"Is that everything Zeph owns?" Jules asked.

"Yeah," Lysander replied. "He claims it doesn't bother him, and he's grateful to have a roof over his head and food in his belly, but sometimes we'll argue over stupid things, and I know what it stems from. I know he wants his own space."

"Couldn't you build an attachment to the house?"

"Can't afford it." Lysander glanced toward the door. "Like I was telling you before, I want to see Zeph find success in his life. I'm not sure being here is it."

Jules nodded. "I'm sure Dad can help him if they can get talking about things."

"I hope so." Lysander took a couple of folded blankets down from a shelf in his closet. "By the way, even with his little tea outburst earlier, I like your dad."

Jules smiled a little. "Thanks. I was worried… you were going to find him weird. And me."

"Nah. I've met weirder people. Your dad's a bit quirky, but that's okay. He's a good person and that's really all that matters. I can see why you look up to him." Lysander handed Jules the blankets. "I do apologize for the lack of sleeping space. I'll have to get sleeping bags at some point. Apart from Zeph, I never have company over, and especially not company that stays the night."

"I don't want to feel like I'm intruding," Jules said.

"No, you're not. This was unexpected, but…" Lysander shrugged. "I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Jules maintained his smile. Making friends who seemed to genuinely enjoy his company hadn't been something he expected, either.