Page 187 of Magical Mission

I froze.

Then I heard the unmistakable voice of Stella, drifting cheerfully from the entryway like a warm gust of lemon tea and mischief.

“Maeve, you willnotbelieve what Mara just found on the garden path! A perfectly smooth quartz chunk the size of a tea cake, totally humming with grounding energy. I told her if it’s humming, it’s either cursed or blessed, and you know which one’s more fun—”

I whirled around just in time to see her stride into the kitchen, arms full of herbs and cheeks flushed from excitement.

“Stella!” I hissed.

She stopped mid-step, blinked at the smoke, at me, at the sausage trying to climb out of the skillet. Then she sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose. “Are you summoning cursed breakfast meats again, and why do I smell…?”

I dropped the rag, barely keeping my voice low. “Shh—Celeste and Skye are here!”

Stella blinked. “What do you mean,herehere?”

I pointed to the living room.

Her face changed in an instant, joy melting into wide-eyed alarm.

“You meanyour daughterdaughter? Andyour best friendwho doesn’t know anything about this life?”

I nodded frantically.

“Does she know that’s a haunted spice rack?” she whisper-hissed.

“No!”

“And that this cottage is semi-sentient?”

“Also no!”

She put the herbs down with care. “Maeve Bellemore, you absolute loon. What in the name of herbal harmony were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t! They just showed up!” I whisper-shrieked. “Skye said Luna gave them directions—Luna!—and the Ward let them through!”

Stella whistled low. “Well, that explains the humming. That place only opens for people it wants. But wedefinitelyneed a cover story for the sausage sorcery.”

I turned back to the pan in time to see the last one give up its noble escape effort and collapse, defeated, into a puddle of enchanted sauce.

“I was just trying to make snacks,” I muttered.

Stella patted my arm. “Next time, maybe stick to crackers and cheese.”

“Too late now.”

“Should I pretend to be a neighbor who makes herbal ointments and has no magical talent whatsoever?”

I arched a brow. “Stella, you sparkle when you walk. You cannot hide your magical aura.”

She sniffed. “That’s just citrus balm.”

“It’s literally glowing.”

We both turned toward the doorway just as Celeste’s voice rang out.

“Mom? It smells like something exploded in here... is everything okay?”

I turned to Stella, wide-eyed.