Trying to distract herself from the panic-inducing spiral  that  train of thought was almost certain to send her into, she focused her attention instead on the work before her. It was a tricky bit of magic. Technically novel, though not altogether unheard of. Given her strong background in arithmancy and her substantial exposure to a dizzying array of magical artefacts that she’d encountered through her work, she was certain it was  possible. Whether or not she could make it work before Christmas was another question entirely. She had two or three ideas, all of which should only take a few days to complete. If any worked, it would be ready. If not, she would need to consult an expert, and that would take much longer... she bit her lip, frustrated. Dammit, she had no other ideas for a gift to give him! It would have to work.