Word of the Day Challenge

[Britwitch]

Today's Word of the Day is....

hackneyed
adjective | HAK-need


Definition

: Something is considered hackneyed when it is not interesting, funny, etc., because of being used too often; in other words, it's neither fresh nor original.


Weekly Theme

Comedy


Did You Know?

In his 1926 tome A Dictionary of Modern English Usage, lexicographer H. W. Fowler offers a good deal of advice under the heading “Hackneyed Phrases.” While some of the phrases he cautions against (“too funny for words,” “my better half”) will be familiar to most readers today, others (such as “hinc illae lacrimae”) have mostly fallen into obscurity. Fowler was not the first usage writer to warn against the overuse of hackneyed (that is, trite or clichéd) phrases; a number of authors in the late 19th and early 20th century had similarly (hackneyed phrase alert) taken up the cudgels against trite and banal turns of phrase. In 1897, for example, Frederic Lawrence Knowles advised against using “agitate the tintinnabulatory,” and in 1917 Margaret Ashmun and Gerhard Lomer discouraged “the dreamy mazes of the waltz.” Were these hackneyed phrases so objected to that they became obsolete? This is unlikely, as the same manuals which object to long-dead expressions also object to “blushing bride,” “bated breath,” and “one fell swoop,” all of which have survived. Perhaps a more plausible explanation is that phrases come and go with time. This is, in a way, a pleasant explanation, for it means that the seemingly ubiquitous phrase you detest stands a fair chance of, ahem, falling by the wayside. Only time will tell, as they say.

[Britwitch]

Today's Word of the Day is....

parlay
verb | PAHR-lay


Definition

: To parlay something is to use or develop it in order to get something else of greater value. Parlay is often used with the word into.


Weekly Theme

Comedy


Did You Know?

The word parlay originally belonged exclusively to gambling parlance, where to parlay is to take winnings from a previous bet, along with one’s original stake of money, and use them to make another bet or series of bets. The verb comes from the noun paroli, a borrowing from French—itself borrowed from Italian—that refers to a system of such betting. After decades of this specific use, not only did parlay start to be used as a noun synonymous with paroli, but English speakers upped the ante by using the verb figuratively in situations where someone uses or develops something—such as a skill or hard work—for the purpose of getting something else of even greater value.

[LaCroix]

word: hackneyed
theme: comedy

The knight burst into the dragon’s lair, sword raised and speech prepared. But as he launched into his practiced monologue about courage and destiny, the dragon sighed deeply and tossed him a chest of gold.

“Just take it and go,” it rumbled.

The knight hesitated, lowering his sword. “Wait, you’re giving up?”

The dragon shrugged, reclining on a pile of scorched novels. “Monsters losing to scrappy underdogs is so hackneyed. Frankly, I’m tired. Just don’t tell the villagers I didn’t fight.”

[Wolfling72]

word: parlay
no theme
(a boi can't DO comedy)

It only took ten years, three months, and four days but eventually, Nika managed to parlay all of her hard work into opening her dream- a small used book store. Sure, she had scrimped on luxuries and survived on ramen noodles more than she should have but, as she walked along the gleaming wood floors and gazed into the many nooks and crannies of her small shop, all she could do was smile. This was it! She had done this--without help and it was all hers. 

[Britwitch]

Today's Word of the Day is....

apprehension
noun | ap-rih-HEN-shun


Definition

: Apprehension most often refers to the fear that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen; it’s a feeling of being worried about the future. The word can also refer to seizure by legal process.


Weekly Theme

Comedy


Did You Know?

There’s quite a bit to comprehend about apprehension, so let’s take a closer look at its history. The Latin ancestor of apprehension (and of comprehend, prehensile, and even prison, among others) is the verb prehendere, meaning “to grasp” or “to seize.” When it was first used in the 14th century, apprehension could refer to the act of learning, a sense that is now obsolete, or the ability or power to understand things—learning and understanding both being ways to “grasp” knowledge or information. It wasn’t until the late 16th century that apprehension was used, as it still is today, for the physical seizure of something or someone (as an arrest). The most commonly used sense of apprehension today refers to a feeling that something bad is about to happen, when you seize up, perhaps, with anxiety or dread, having grasped all the unpleasant possibilities.

[Britwitch]

Today's Word of the Day is....

minuscule
adjective | MIN-uh-skyool


Definition

: Something described as minuscule is very small. Minuscule can also mean "written in, or in the size or style of, lowercase letters," in which case it can be contrasted with majuscular.


Weekly Theme

Comedy


Did You Know?

Minuscule comes from the Latin adjective minusculus ("somewhat smaller" or "fairly small"), which in turn pairs the base of minus ("smaller") with -culus, a diminutive suffix (that is, one indicating small size). The minuscule spelling is consistent with the word’s etymology, but that didn’t stop English speakers from adopting the variant spelling miniscule, likely because they associated it with the combining form mini- and such words as minimal and minimum. Usage commentators generally consider the miniscule spelling an error, but it is widely used in reputable and carefully edited publications, and is accepted as a legitimate variant in some dictionaries. (Our own dictionary identifies miniscule as a "disputed spelling variant.")

[Britwitch]

Today's Word of the Day is....

virtuoso
noun | ver-choo-OH-soh


Definition

: Virtuoso is used broadly to refer to a person who does something very skillfully, and is often used specifically to refer to a very skillful musician.


Weekly Theme

Comedy


Did You Know?

English speakers borrowed the Italian noun virtuoso in the 1600s, but the Italian word had a former life as an adjective meaning both "virtuous" and "skilled." The first virtuosos (the English word can be pluralized as either virtuosos or, in the image of its Italian forbear, as virtuosi) were individuals of substantial knowledge and learning ("great wits," to quote one 17th-century clergyman). The word was then transferred to those skilled in the arts and specifically to skilled musicians. In time, English speakers broadened virtuoso to apply to a person adept in any pursuit.

[Britwitch]

Today's Word of the Day is....

inimitable
adjective | in-IM-it-uh-bul


Definition

: Inimitable describes someone or something that is impossible to copy or imitate.


Weekly Theme

Thriller


Did You Know?

Something that is inimitable is, literally, not able to be imitated. In actual usage the word describes things so uniquely extraordinary as to not be copied or equaled, which is why you often hear it used to praise outstanding talents or performances (or uniquely talented and incomparable individuals). (The less common antonym imitable describes things that are common or ordinary and could easily be replicated.) Inimitable comes, via Middle English, from the Latin adjective inimitabilis. Be careful not to confuse it with inimical or inimicable, two adjectives meaning “hostile” or “harmful”; those words come from a different Latin root.

[Wolfling72]

word: apprehension
theme: none
(again, a boi can't DO comedy)

Step by step, yard by yard, a diminutive form-small and frail with a wild cloud of curls obscuring barely there features- moved toward the inevitable outcome of their demise. Apprehension caused full lips to frown, a mark of fear hidden in the downturned expression. Of course, the situation could end differently. The world was not always black and white, good or bad, right? However, the note hadn't left much wiggle room. It had demanded sacrifice and self-awareness. It underlined the need to make this journey alone. Eventually, the small form approached the battered door. A delicate hand clenched tight and rose before descending in a brisk knock.

"I'm here..."

[Britwitch]

Today's Word of the Day is....

gourmand
noun | GOOR-mahnd


Definition

: A gourmand is a person who loves and appreciates good food and drink. Gourmand can also refer to someone who enjoys eating and drinking to excess.


Weekly Theme

Thriller


Did You Know?

When gourmand first appeared in English texts in the 15th century, it was no compliment: gourmand was a synonym of glutton that was reserved for a greedy eater who consumed well past the point of satiation. The word’s negative connotation mostly remained until English speakers borrowed the similar-sounding (and much more positive) gourmet from French in the 17th century to describe a connoisseur of food and drink. Since then, while the original, unflattering sense of gourmand has remained, it has picked up an additional, softer sense referring to someone who appreciates, and has a hearty appetite for, the pleasures of the table. More recently, gourmand has expanded beyond cuisine and into the world of perfumery: fragrances that evoke edible pleasures are called "gourmands."

[Britwitch]

Today's Word of the Day is....

opine
verb | oh-PYNE


Definition

: To opine is to express an opinion about something.


Weekly Theme

Thriller


Did You Know?

We are not opining—that is, expressing our opinion—when we say that opine is not a back-formation of opinion, though the two words do share a common ancestry. A back-formation is a word formed by the subtraction of part of an existing word; for instance, the verb bartend is a back-formation of the noun bartender. Opine and opinion, however, both entered English independently, taking different routes from their mutual roots in the Latin verb opīnārī, meaning “to have in mind” or “to think.” Opinion arrived in the 14th century, while opine followed about a century later.

[Britwitch]

Today's Word of the Day is....

wanderlust
noun | WAHN-der-lust


Definition

: Wanderlust refers to a strong desire to travel.


Weekly Theme

Thriller


Did You Know?

"For my part," writes Robert Louis Stevenson in Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes, "I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move..." Sounds like a case of wanderlust if we ever heard one. Those with wanderlust don't necessarily need to go anywhere in particular; they just don't care to stay in one spot. The etymology of wanderlust is a very simple one that you can probably figure out yourself. Wanderlust is a lust for wandering. The word comes from German, in which wandern means "to wander, hike, or stray" and Lust means "pleasure" or "desire."

[Britwitch]

Today's Word of the Day is....

divers
adjective | DYE-verz


Definition

: Divers is an adjective meaning "numbering more than one."


Weekly Theme

Thriller


Did You Know?

Divers is not a misspelling of diverse—it is a word in its own right. Both adjectives come from Latin diversus, meaning "turning in opposite directions," and both historically could be pronounced as either DYE-verz (like the plural of the noun diver) or dye-VERSS. Divers (now pronounced more frequently as DYE-verz) is typically used before a plural noun to indicate an unspecified quantity ("a certain secret drawer in the wardrobe, where were stored divers parchments" — Jane Eyre); it's a rather formal word and not commonly encountered. Diverse (usually dye-VERSS) is frequently called upon to emphasize variety. It means either "dissimilar" or "unlike" (as in "a variety of activities to appeal to the children's diverse interests") or "made up of people or things that are different from each other" (as in "a diverse student body").

[Britwitch]

Today's Word of the Day is....

nomenclature
noun | NOH-mun-klay-cher


Definition

: Nomenclature is a formal word that refers to a system of names that is used in specialized fields and especially in science. Nomenclature is also used more broadly as a synonym of name and designation.


Weekly Theme

Thriller


Did You Know?

Nomenclature has everything to do with names: it can refer to the act of naming, a name itself, and even a system of names—you name it! The term comes to English from the Latin word nōmenclātūra, which means “assigning of names to things.” One may marvel, for instance, at the nomenclature—that is, names—of towns in the United States, from Ninety-Six (South Carolina) to Frankenstein (Missouri). Or one may be required to learn the nomenclature—the system of naming—of a particular branch of science. If nomenclature reminds you of a term you heard in biology class, you know what we mean. Binomial nomenclature refers to a system of nomenclature in which each species of animal or plant receives a name of two terms, of which the first identifies the genus to which it belongs and the second the species itself. For example, the scientific name for humans according to this nomenclature is Homo sapiens.

[Wolfling72]

word: wanderlust

He moved on, often, as no place felt quite right. Every distant town, large city, mountain peak? They sufficed until the need to discover what lay beyond the next horizon took up residence and badgered him into leaving. It was more than
wanderlust. It was a calling, of flesh and bone, of soul and heart, until he had to pull up stakes, leaving behind empty places that became flotsam the moment he crossed into somewhere new.

[Britwitch]

Today's Word of the Day is....

circuitous
adjective | ser-KYOO-uh-tus


Definition

: If something—such as a path, route, or journey—is described as circuitous, it is not straight, short, and direct, but rather takes a circular or winding course. Circuitous can also describe speech or writing that is not said or done simply or clearly.


Weekly Theme

Thriller


Did You Know?

In J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, the titular hero Bilbo Baggins takes a circuitous route to the Lonely Mountain, which he helps to reclaim from a monstrous dragon. Although he successfully arrives there—and returns home again—we do not use the adjective circuitous to suggest that his path traces a perfect circle. We’ll get straight to it: although both circuitous and its relative circuit share roots in circus, the Latin word for “circle” (and ancestor of the English words circle and circus), neither need conjure something shaped like, say, a ring. Just as the noun circuit can refer to an indirect route, circuitous describes routes which can appear circular when mapped, but can also be jagged, squiggly, etc. The point is that a journey such as Bilbo’s is not straight, short, or direct, but rather rambling. When used figuratively, circuitous describes something that is not said or done simply and clearly; an example might be a rambling speech about manners in dangerous situations when a direct “Never laugh at live dragons” would suffice.

[Britwitch]

Today's Word of the Day is....

edify
verb | ED-uh-fye


Definition

: To edify someone is to teach them in a way that improves their mind or character.


Weekly Theme

Thriller


Did You Know?

When you edify someone, you’re helping them build character. This figurative "building" is key to understanding the history of edify. This word is an evolution of the Latin verb aedificare, originally meaning "to erect a house" and later (in Late Latin) "to instruct or improve spiritually." (The word edifice, which usually refers to a building and especially to a large or massive structure, comes from the same root.) Aedificare, in turn, is based on aedes, the Latin word for "temple." Edify shares the spiritual meaning of its Late Latin root, but it is also used in general contexts to refer to the act of instructing in a way that improves the mind or character overall.

[Mtpersson]

Word: 27-01-25 - Edify
Theme: Thriller

The factory reeked of rust and rot, its shadow swallowing the faint light of Mia's flashlight. She crouched behind a crumbling pillar, her fingers trembling around the USB drive in her pocket. Every instinct screamed at her to run.

"You didn't have to come," Ellie's voice crackled softly through her earpiece.

"And let you handle this alone?" Mia hissed back. "No way."

Ellie's calm confidence grated against Mia's nerves. She loved it about her, but right now, it felt reckless. Their quiet lives had spiraled into chaos as soon as the drive had turned up on their doorstep. And now, they were being hunted for it.

"What do you think's on this drive that's worth our lives?" Mia whispered.

Ellie's reply as steady, as always. "Corporate corruption, experimentation, missing people - we need to let the world know. The truth can edify people, Mia. It's why this matters."

Mia clenched her jaw, scanning the vast, decaying space. A metallic clang echoed from deeper in the factory. Her pulse spiked. "Ellie, there's someone here."

"I know," Ellie whispered. There was a trace of something unusual in her voice: fear.

A beam of light cut through the darkness as to figures emerged from the far side of the room. Their movements were precise, deliberate - hunters, not guards.

"Stay hidden," Ellie murmured. "I'll draw them away."

"No!" The word escaped before Mia could stop it. "You're not doing this alone."

Ellie didn't answer. She didn't need to. Mia knew her well enough to hear the determination in her voice.

The hunters advanced, their flashlights sweeping closer. Mia forced herself to move, inching toward Ellie's last known position. Her heart pounded, but her resolve kept her steady.

She found Ellie crouched behind a rusted conveyer belt, her hazel eyes fixed on her tablet. When their gazes met, relief flickered in Ellie's expression before vanishing into focus.

"You should've stayed back," Ellie murmured.

Mia crouched beside her, their shoulders brushing. "And let you get yourself killed? Not a chance."

Ellie smiled faintly, but the moment was short-lived. The hunters' voices grew louder. "Signal's close," one barked.

Ellie's hand hovered over her jamming app. "When I say run, you run. No looking back."

"Ellie..."

"Promise me."

Before Mia could argue, the hunters rounded the corner, their lights locking onto Ellie. She stood, a deliberate target. “Hey!” she shouted, bolting into the shadows.

Mia’s heart twisted as she clenched the USB drive. She knew Ellie was giving her a chance to escape, to make their fight worth something. And though every fiber of her wanted to follow, Mia did what Ellie needed most.

She ran.

[Lilias]

'It's good to see you again, like the good old times', said Anna, pouring hot water from the kettle into the teapot, releasing a fragrant cloud of steam before the lid went on. 'It's crazy how we can be so busy we can't even meet for tea in months, despite living only a few miles apart.'

'Not so crazy if you factor in how much travel we've both had to do, but certainly time waits for no one', replied Faith, rubbing her nose. It was itching, now that feeling was returning to it. She should have known better than walk from the train station on such a gelid day, rather than take a cab to Anna's door.

'Facts', agreed Anna, bringing the teapot to the bay window where Faith was sat, then fetching two mugs and a tin of biscuits from the dresser on the side. The view was nothing like the cityscape Faith was used to seeing from Anna's apartment windows. Here it was all clear cerulean sky over frost-covered fields, rolling softly all the way to the distant glimmer of the sea; the cottage stood at the very edge of the village, and not another soul could be seen around.

Anna poured Faith's tea and recovered the pot; she liked her own stronger. Faith took a ginger snap from the tin and nibbled thoughtfully, enjoying the quiet. For a few moments, only the chiming of the wall clock and the crackling of the wood stove filled the room. 'How long do you plan on staying here?' Faith asked eventually.

Anna shrugged. 'Maybe until spring thaw? It's a great place for study. People keep to themselves around here, and even the internet is pretty good, for the area.' She poured her own tea and faced her friend again squarely. 'Why don't you just say what you came all the way out here for?' she challenged.

Faith raised her palms in surrender. 'I should have remembered not to be cryptic with you. An invocation out of Sister Marie-Chantal's archive has popped up in the city. Given that only a handful of people have access to it, and they're all accounted for, there's something fishy going on. I've brought some notes and photos, thought you'd like to have a look.'

Anna's eyes narrowed. 'I will assume Madame Vera knows nothing, or she would have called.' She paused for Faith's nod. 'I will also assume it's something about blood magic, if I'm supposed to be the authority.' Another nod. 'It's not at the bad juju place, is it?' Even in the 21st century, Whitechapel was not a name to evoke lightly.

Faith shook her head forcefully. 'There would have been psychic sirens if that were the case. The air is bad enough as it is around there.' It had been so since the pandemic, without an obvious cause, which made most sensitive people jittery.

Anna nodded grimly. 'There's only one train a day, so I hope you came prepared to stay overnight. Time enough to review what you've brought.' She gave a crooked smile. 'Just like the good old times.'

[Britwitch]

Today's Word of the Day is....

sward
noun | SWORD


Definition

: Sward is a literary word that refers to an area of land covered with grass.


Weekly Theme

Thriller


Did You Know?

Sward sprouted from the Old English sweard or swearth, meaning “skin” or “rind.” It was originally used as a term for the skin of the body before being extended to another surface—that of the Earth. The word’s specific grassy sense dates to the 16th century, and lives on today mostly in novels from centuries past, such as Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles: “The sun was so near the ground, and the sward so flat, that the shadows of Clare and Tess would stretch a quarter of a mile ahead of them, like two long fingers pointing afar to where the green alluvial reaches abutted against the sloping sides of the vale.”

[Britwitch]

Today's Word of the Day is....

facetious
adjective | fuh-SEE-shuss


Definition

: Facetious is used to describe something, such as a remark or behavior, that is meant to be humorous or funny but is sometimes instead annoying, silly, or improper. It can also be used to describe someone who is joking, often implying that they are doing so inappropriately.


Weekly Theme

Thriller


Did You Know?

As many puzzle fans know, facetious is one of a small group of English words that not only use all five vowels once, but use them in alphabetical order. Other members of this exclusive club include abstemious (and abstemiously), and arsenious. (There is also an odd class of words which contain each vowel, used once, in reverse order: Pulmonifera, Muscoidea, and subcontinental.) Facetious comes from the Middle French adjective facetieux, which traces to the Latin word facētia, meaning "cleverness or wit." In English, it is used to describe speech or behavior that is intended to be playfully cheeky.

[Mtpersson]

Words: 28-01-25 - Sward; 29-01-25 - Facetious

The broad sward of green beneath them was cool, the fresh scent of damp earth lingering as Maya flopped onto her back with a theatrical sigh. "I can't believe you talked me into this."

Amanda, lying beside her, turned her head with a knowing smile. "Stop being so facetious. Just admit it, you're enjoying yourself."

Maya huffed, but the tiny smile tugging at her lips betrayed her. "I just don't see why we couldn't stay inside like normal people. The whole point of a Sunday is doing nothing."

"We are doing nothing." Amanda plucked at a blade of grass between her fingers. "We're just doing it here."

Maya cracked open one eye, watching Amanda twirl the green strand like it held the secrets of the universe. The sun dappled over her face, catching in the loose strands of her hair, and - okay. Maybe this wasn't the worst way to spend an afternoon.

Amanda sighed contentedly, stretching out. "Feels nice, right?"

Maya didn't answer right away. Instead, she reached for Mia's hand, threading their fingers together against the soft grass. "Yeah," she admitted. "Yeah, it does."

Amanda squeezed her hand gently, and Maya swore she could hear the smile in her voice when she murmured, "Told you."

[Lilias]

'There are eyes out there', said Faith. She was standing before the window of the loft bedroom, wrapped in a quilt, and didn't turn to face Anna.

Anna looked up at her friend's back and frowned. Faith had kept her tone carefully neutral, but Anna knew apprehension when she heard it.

'I know', she said. 'Don't look at them. They're not looking at you.'

This did make Faith half-turn and stare incredulously. 'I thought I was seeing things – half expected you to laugh at me! They're real?!'

'Yes.' Anna rolled her eyes. 'You're tired, but not that tired. You're just used to the city, where there are too many human eyes around and you can't quite get far enough from anyone to see the gleam.'

It was past midnight. They had had an early dinner, spread out the photos and notes on the cleared table, and sort of lost track of time. Anna had made Black Forest hot chocolate, drizzled chocolate sauce over the whipped cream, because the cherry syrup was just enough to line the cups, and they had exchanged speculations and made even more notes of their own until the fire in the stove started to die down and it grew too chilly for comfort. They had banked the fire, ready for the morning, turned off the crock pot where a citrus and spices potpourri had been simmering, and gone upstairs to continue while huddled in bed, wrapped in a seemingly endless array of quilts and blankets.

'You're right there, I'm not the countryside person', admitted Faith, rubbing her eyes. 'And I should probably call it a night.'

'We both should', agreed Anna, beginning to gather up the papers into a file box. It needed some pressure on the lid to secure it. 'See, we've written an entire tome, and I'm not even sure how much of it will make sense in daylight. Or rather, under the lights of the vault. I sure as hell am not opening this on the train.'

'So you're going to interrupt your studies and come back with me?' asked Faith, starting to burrow under the covers, grateful for Anna's body heat that had seeped into the layers.

'Cases like this are not interruptions to my studies – they are the reason for the studies. Not all of us are made for academia, not that you lot would know.'

Faith laughed. 'I missed you. I can never remember to swing first and ask questions later.'

Anna stuck out her tongue at her and turned the bedside lamp off. They were safe, and warm, and soon they would be hunting together again.

Outside, on the white-covered fields, some of the eyes came closer.

[Mtpersson]

Word: 26-01-25 - Circuitous

Sienna leaned against the kitchen counter, her fingers wrapped around the stem of her wine glass, watching Eva move around her small apartment like she belonged there.

It had started as dinner plans - something normal, something casual. But then Eva had shown up looking like that, with her deep red lipstick and her loose silk blouse that dipped just enough, and now Sienna couldn't remember a single thing they'd planned to cook.

Eva smirked, clearly aware of the attention. "You're staring," she said, reaching past Sienna for the bottle of wine.

Sienna didn't move. Didn't even blink. "Am I?"

Eva's smirk deepened as she poured herself another glass, her fingers brushing Sienna's wrist like an afterthought. "It's cute. You trying to pretend you don't want me."

Sienna huffed out a laugh, finally setting her own glass down. "Maybe I just like watching you work for it?"

Eva leaned in just a little, the space between them electric. "Then why," she murmured, dragging her nails lightly along Sienna's forearm, "are we still in the kitchen?"

It was a good question. One that Sienna should have had a quick answer for, but her brain was occupied by the way Eva was so casually undoing the next button of her blouse.

"You like the chase," Eva continued, like she knew exactly what she was doing. "You like the circuitous route. The tension." She reached out, trailing a single finger up the column of Sienna's throat. "The tease."

Sienna exhaled slowly, her pulse jumping. "Is that what you think this is? A tease?"

Eva's gaze flicked to her mouth. "Mmm. Could be. Unless you do something about it."

Sienna didn't need to be told twice.

In a single, fluid movement, she gripped Eva's hips and lifted her onto the counter, stepping between her legs as Eva let out a surprised laugh that melted into a pleased hum the moment Sienna's mouth found her neck.

"I knew you'd get there eventually," Eva sighed, fingers tangling in Sienna's hair.

Sienna smiled against her skin. "You were the one taking the long way around."

Eva tilted her chin up, exposing more of her throat, a dare in the moment. "I didn't mind the journey."

Sienna nipped at the soft skin just below her jaw. "Neither did I."

[Lilias]

The day dawned bright and clear, but even more frigid than the one before, because the wind had picked up. That kind of weather was called 'sun with teeth', Anna informed, and Faith could certainly feel the bite as they trudged to the train station. At least Anna's impeccable timing made sure they didn't wait more than five minutes on the platform.

Even after the train started rolling, Faith kept staring out of the window, as if trying to spot any of the eyes following them, while Anna settled back and dozed off. Or seemed to, at least, because she opened one eye as soon as Faith finally dropped back into her seat. 'Better?' she asked.

Faith nodded. 'They just disappeared. What happened?'

'We're not in Kent anymore, that's what. They're local. They're going back to watch over the house. Of all people, I would expect you to know about genius loci, Fifi.'

Faith grimaced, then smiled. 'It's been a fun little excursion into the wild, regardless. Not least for your hot chocolate.'

'City slicker and gourmand. The perfect prey', deadpanned Anna.

'Oh, pipe down!' Faith punctuated the words with a punch to Anna's arm. 'I know we deal with spooky things all the time, but not all spookies are created equal.'

'You're right there', admitted Anna. 'Atavistic horror gets to everyone. Don't go researching Russian folk tales if you know what's good for you.'

'Noted. Are we going straight to the vault?'

'Yes. I don't want to drag the paperwork all over the place and risk losing it.' Anna pressed her legs together, to confirm that the file box was still in the backpack where she had put it. 'I texted Sarah to meet us there, but she hasn't replied yet.'

'At best, there's a lot of work at the office', said Faith. 'At worst, she's out investigating the field. Neither bodes well.' Anna pressed her lips together. This was going to be messy, she was sure.