A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping

Someone rushes up to Albert, whispering in his ear, and he leaves. However, his home is only five minutes away from Bertram-Mogg’s. Luke and Sera find the library but get distracted by their mutual attraction. After a passionate kiss, they locate the essence of sunlight, and Luke places three droplets into a vial. Just then, Albert storms in and says that he saw Clemmie disappearing into the woods at his house, figured out what Luke and Sera were up to, and rushed back. Albert has bound Matilda with invisible ropes, but when he tries to remove the vial from Sera’s hands, Luke creates a shield between them. Albert hurts Luke, and Sera asks Luke to let the shield drop. She then hands over the vial. Francesca arrives and allows Sera to leave, overruling Albert’s arguments because she is the Chancellor.

When they get back to the inn, Sera and Luke tell everyone what happened. Clemmie cries that it wasn’t her fault that she was seen. Luke reminds Sera that the spell is “adaptable,” so there will be other ways to fulfill the requirement of a “strand of sunset” (248). Posy starts brainstorming ideas while Matilda reassures Sera that they are all there for her, regardless of what happens with her magic.