The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

Two weeks later, Mika investigates this mysterious job offer, which she received via her social media account with the headline “WITCH WANTED.” While Mika is usually cautious about responding to social media messages, the magic gave her a nudge toward this one. As she pulls up to the residence—a property called Nowhere House—Mika becomes aware of magic in the air. She’s concerned but too curious to leave.

The gardener, Ken, greets Mika, and Ian emerges from a cottage. They’re an elderly married couple who live in the cottage, separate from the property’s main house. Mika asks for explanations, but Ian is still cryptic. Ian and Ken are thankful for her arrival because they’re desperate to find a tutor for the three girls living in the main house. They lead Mika to the house.

Nowhere House is owned by an archaeologist named Lillian Nowhere, who spends large spans of time away on travels for her profession, leaving the house and children in the care of Ken, Ian, Jamie, and Lucie. The children are Lillian’s adopted wards, but she’s an absent guardian.

Gardens surround the main house, and several plants are blooming long past their seasonal limits. Mika believes it’s because of the heavy presence of magic. She, Ian, and Ken dance around the topic of real magic, trying to gauge what the other knows. Ian introduces Mika to Lucie, who greets her warmly, and Jamie, who is standoffish.

Ken explains that, between the four of them, they can meet most of the children’s educational and developmental needs. Ian needs Mika to teach the girls magic because Mika is a witch. Mika approaches the conversation carefully. She asks if they’ve brought her in to humor the girls’ witchy interests, but Ian takes a serious tone, indicating that he knows about real magic. Mika worries that if they know she’s a real witch, Primrose will be angry.

Mika asks if the three girls are real witches. When Ian says they are, she grows doubtful. So many witches in one place would never be allowed to stay like that, not if Primrose knew of them, and the girls’ magic would be uncontrollable at such a concentration. Ian confesses that he, Lucie, Ken, and Jamie all know about real witches because Lillian is also a real witch who told them about magic. Mika understands now. She grew up under Primrose’s watch in a similar manner, complete with enchantments to keep Mika’s profile low. It’s the same as what she felt when she came up the driveway.

Through the window, Mika watches the girls play in a treehouse. They’re clearly not blood relatives. She learns that Lillian found the oldest, Rosetta, in London after a fire killed her parents; the middle child, Terracotta, in Vietnam after a virus killed half her town; and the youngest, Altamira, in the rubble of a Palestinian hospital. Mika has mixed feelings about Lillian raising these girls the way Primrose raised Mika. Outside, Altamira climbs down the treehouse ladder, igniting it in green flames.

Mika is shocked that the girls are ignoring the “witchfire,” which Ian says takes them several blankets to put out. Witchfire won’t harm anything; it only works in cauldrons but will burn indefinitely until put out. Lillian didn’t give them any tips for dealing with magic. With a gesture of her hand, Mika douses the witchfire, impressing the group, but the girls, who are still outside, hardly notice. Mika asks how Ian knew she was a witch. Ian says he saw the aura around her in her videos. Mika decides to discontinue her videos. If Primrose knew of these girls, she’d take over and separate them all instantly.

Mika explains what Primrose taught her: that a large concentration of magic in one place draws attention and cites history to show that such attention is dangerous. She says that witches survive best alone. Ian begs Mika to stay and help them, but Mika is still uncertain. Between the three girls is a lot of uncontrolled magic. It takes a very strong magic force to wrangle that much of it. With the addition of Mika and her own magic, the potential for accidents and danger rises. Ian thinks Mika is strong enough to help the girls. He argues that it’s even less safe to leave the three girls uninformed of their power without help to control it. He explains that they’ll never be able to leave Nowhere House and live independently if they’re not taught properly how to control their magic.

Another pressing issue is Edward, Lillian’s solicitor—her lawyer that handles her documents. He’s due to drop by the house in a few months to collect some documents for Lillian, who is too busy to come by the house herself. Edward adores Lillian but loathes the rest of the house’s residents. He hasn’t been to the house since the girls were much younger, and no one wants him to find out that the girls are witches. Lillian won’t let anyone else collect the documents because she’s a very private person.

Mika thinks trying to teach these girls to control their magic in the next seven weeks is a daunting task. She can’t promise anything because of how risky the situation already is without the addition of her own magic. She says she’ll consider the offer.

In the driveway, Mika recalls her own upbringing. She doesn’t remember the nannies and tutors who came in and out of her life but does remember the loneliness of growing up in isolation with no permanent caretakers. The girls at Nowhere House have a chance to learn about their magic from a mentor—something Mika never had. Mika goes back inside and accepts the job.

Mika loves the sea. In the many places she has lived, she has always required a view of the sea. Its consistency brings her comfort. She’s happy that she can see the sea from Nowhere House. Ian emails a contract, informing Mika that she’ll initially be hired for a two-week trial period. Mika feels responsible for helping these girls however she can.

Mika’s neighbor and dog-sitter, Noah, returns with her dog, Circe. Mika and Noah have been friends since Mika moved in, and Noah sometimes takes Circe out for Mika during the day. Mika invites Noah to stay for tea. He’s surprised to learn that she’s moving. He says how he’ll miss Circe. Mika serves Noah lucky tea—his favorite. Mika doesn’t tell him, but the tea is magic. Mika has long concealed her identity as a witch, not just for safety but to fit in. Mika has worked so hard for so long to mask her true self that she can’t fathom showing it to anyone.

In Nowhere House, Terracotta argues with Jamie about bringing in a new tutor. Terracotta doesn’t feel that they need a new tutor at Nowhere House. She pesters Jamie, joking about disposing of the new tutor in violent ways. Jamie insists that they give her a chance, as neither of them know her. Terracotta points out that Jamie did meet her. He acknowledges that Mika was unlike what he expected when he saw her all made-up and glittery in her videos. She was more ordinary than he thought she’d be. Jamie encourages Terracotta to give Mika the benefit of the doubt because Mika is risking a lot to come help the girls out.

Mika arrives at Nowhere House on Friday morning. She used magic to make the trip shorter. Ian, Ken, and Lucie greet Mika, trailed by Rosetta and Altamira. Mika notices that Terracotta and Jamie aren’t present.

Mika feels nervous, realizing that she’ll influence these children. Mika doesn’t want to be their Primrose. Circe runs to check out the girls, helping break the ice. Mika tells the girls that Circe is friendly and they’re welcome to pet her, which they do. Rosetta introduces herself and her sister. She says that Terracotta isn’t feeling well. Mika is gentle with the girls. She asks for help unloading her car, which they enthusiastically agree to.

Mika uses magic to unpack the car, showing that she had fit much more inside than expected, including her koi pond, which floats out of the car intact. Mika has a large assortment of witchy items, including a large collapsible greenhouse. Altamira is so excited that she curses—a habit she picked up from Ian and Jamie.

Rosetta and Altamira show Mika through Nowhere House’s cozy interior. Mika notices very few photos of Lillian. Rosetta comments that Lillian doesn’t like to be photographed. This isn’t uncommon for witches.

Altamira shows Mika the bedrooms. Lucie and Jamie’s doors are cracked, so Mika can’t see inside. Altamira’s bedroom has a play tent, a game console, and lots of stuffed animals. Rosetta’s room is more muted colors and is filled with books. Terracotta’s colorful room is full of Pokemon plushies, but she isn’t there. Rosetta admits that Terracotta isn’t sick; she just said that to protect Mika’s feelings because Terracotta didn’t want to meet Mika. Mika says that Terracotta can meet her when she’s ready.

Mika’s room is the attic. Rosetta was worried Mika wouldn’t like the attic, but Mika loves the balcony and view. The attic is large—larger than any space Mika has lived in before—and pristine for Mika’s arrival. Mika is flattered by the effort.

Altamira begins floating in a seated position, magic sparkling around her. She doesn’t notice that she has left the ground. Mika learned to control her own unexpected floating quickly after the first incident when she was five. She worries that Altamira will have a harder time because of all the magic around. Altamira can’t get down by herself but isn’t concerned. Mika explains that it’s unsafe for Altamira to levitate without control. She asks if Altamira has ever cast a spell. Altamira recalls trying to get fruit from a tree. She asked the tree to drop the fruit into her hand, and it worked. Mika explains that that’s how magic works. Spells have intent, and good spells have directions to get the desired result. Most witches’ spell books are just notes about conversations that the witches have had with magic. However, it’s sometimes hard to get magic to listen, and it’s harder when there’s more of it.

Altamira asks the magic to put her down, but she continues to float, so Mika uses her own magic to bring Altamira to the ground. Mika explains that magic is like a puppy—it loves witches and wants to be around them, but it’s also a lot of unruly energy, so it needs to be handled and controlled by the witches near it. Mika has been keeping the magic around herself in line for so many years that she hardly noticed she’d begun doing it at Nowhere House too.

As they return to the car, Rosetta asks Mika if she’s sure she likes the attic. It was Rosetta’s idea to give Mika the attic because witches dislike feeling closed in. She thought Mika would like the balcony. Rosetta says Ian also knows that witches like open spaces. Mika wonders how Ian knows so much about witches.

The girls show Mika the rest of the house. Lillian’s bedroom is unused, but her office is a disorganized mess. Outside, Ian is happy to learn that Mika is already helping the girls with their magic. He bombards Mika with questions about her magic. Before she can answer, Altamira asks where the pond will go. With Ken’s guidance, Mika settles her pond and greenhouse into empty spaces in the backyard. When she sets them down, she can feel the magical weight lift from her.

While the girls play with Circe and help Mika unpack, she shows them her spell ingredients. Mika explains that using magic requires energy like everything else. Holding a spell for a long time by oneself is impossible, so spells can be bound to other objects with magical properties, like the warding spell Lillian has put in place. Mika speculates that she anchored the spell to the biggest, oldest trees around the house. Rosetta says that Lillian goes into the forest every spring to recast the spell. Lillian must be very powerful for her spell to last a year. Mika shows the girls a peppermint oil spell to keep bugs out of the attic.

At lunch, Terracotta joins, wearing a black dress. Mika compliments her dress. Terracotta says she’s attending a funeral later and makes death threats toward Mika. Jamie interrupts and jokes with Terracotta. Mika banters back with Terracotta, saying that Circe is very protective and will guard her. Mika jokes that Terracotta and Jamie have the same scowl.

Over lunch, Lucie explains that the girls will have lessons with Mika each morning, starting tomorrow. Mika is nervous, as no guides exist for teaching magic.

Mika invites the girls to join her on the beach that afternoon, but Jamie says he needs the girls’ help in the library. Mika maintains her positive demeanor, but she can tell that Jamie doesn’t want to let the girls go anywhere with her.