"That's because you weren't supposed to," Verity said, sounding annoyed but not at him/ "Looks like we're definitely having that conversation now."

She stepped over the mice, who scattered, vanishing as if they'd never been, and Verity marched out into her wreck of a kitchen and started putting together the coffee.

At least as kids, they hadn't any interest in having some of that, so the coffee machine had remained unscathed by their pint-sized rampage.

"Come out whenever you're ready," she called into her room.