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“They’re not for sale,” she said. “But you can take whatever you’d like. And maybe another time we meet, bring something back to leave on the shelf.”

“Really?” Nell stepped forward. She caressed the spine of a leather-bound collection of pirate legends. The crossed swords on the cover looked a lot like her earrings.

“Really,” Tempest said. “It looks like those found you.”

Asha reached down and unclipped something from her bag’s strap. She held it up: a decorative chain with three small articulated skeletons dangling from it. One held a rose. One held a sword. The third held a compass. Just like the images on the back of the three women’s jackets.

“A souvenir.” Asha smiled. “Hang this from the rearview mirror. It’s always brought me luck. Think of it as us riding along.”

“Oh, I love that,” Zara called from outside, brush still in hand. “It’ll be like we’re with you for your whole adventure.”

Fortune chose that moment to wake up. She opened one eye and regarded the three women with a surprised look.

“Bubble, bubble!” she said, staring through the window at Zara. “Toil?” She squinted tentatively at Asha. “And trouble.” She jerked her head at Nell. Then she tucked her beak under her opposite wing and resumed her nap.

“That parrot nailed it,” Zara snorted.

“Who are you three?” Tempest asked. “Where did you come from?”

Nell gestured vaguely at the open road beyond the lot. “We’re the Hell’s Belles, ma’am. At your service.”

SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATURAL MAGIC

Office of Staff Welfare

[DATE REDACTED]

NOTICE OF ACCUMULATED LEAVE AND FORTHCOMING EXPIRY

RECIPIENT: A. Berman, Director

Dear Director Berman,

We write to bring to your attention the current status of your accumulated annual leave entitlement.

Our records indicate that as of the date of this notice, you have accumulated 287 days of unused paid leave over the course of your 37 years of service with the Society. Of these, 94 days fall within the scope of the Board’s newly adopted Leave Expiry Policy under which unused leave exceeding a rolling two-year window will begin to lapse on the 31st of December of the current year.

We would encourage you to give this matter your earliest attention.

The Office of Staff Welfare wishes to remind all senior staff that sustained professional engagement without adequate rest has been linked to a range of wellbeing concerns, including but not limited to: existential fatigue, chronic misplacement of one’s keys and wallet, persistent ennui, debilitating déjà vu, and a peculiar tendency to get irritating songs stuck in one’s head.

The Board takes the magical mental health of its practitioners seriously, and we hope you will too.

To support our staff in making the most of their entitlements, the Society has established exclusive partnerships with several exceptional retreat providers. Current offerings include:

The Channel Islands Restorative Program. An Ordinary-style retreat in a coastal sanctuary. Enjoy sing-alongs, hiking, arts and crafts, and complete freedom from Society communications for the duration of your stay.

The Ojai Sanctuary. A magical retreat nestled in the hills, offering spa treatments, bodywork and seclusion for practitioners seeking quiet recalibration away from the demands of metropolitan magical life. Includes a complimentary sound bath.

The Djinn Nightmarket Experience. Available to senior Society staff members only. One evening of guided access to one of the magical world’s most celebrated markets, with a dedicated concierge to assist with navigation, negotiation, and the recovery of any lost items.

Full details of all partner programs are available from this office upon request. Advance booking is strongly encouraged.

We remain, as always, entirely at your service.

Office of Practitioner Wellbeing and Staff Welfare Society for the Protection of Natural Magic

Special Note: A copy of this message has been filed with your personnel record. Please do not ignore it, Director. We have sent it four times.