Page 24 of Seven Secret Spellcasters (Kitchen Witch Mysteries #7)

“Okay, so I’m not ratting anyone out to the coven about hidden skills.

” Mia stirred the pot with a wooden spoon.

She moved back and started pulling the ingredients for the relaxation oil that would be administered right before she made her vows to keep the light and use it to brighten the dark corners of the world.

She wasn’t quite sure what that meant, and she hoped she wouldn’t have to go out looking for evil to smite it.

She was a kitchen witch, not a medieval knight.

And she’d gotten yelled at for going to talk to Mark today.

“I’d like to ask Sarah to join the circle. ”

“Oh, she’s a lovely choice. I wish your mother would change her mind. Theresa’s so narrow-minded about all these things.” Grans picked up each of the new bottles and looked at them. “You should put away the ingredients from your last potion before starting a new one.”

“I did, well, except the rosemary. I wasn’t sure you were done adjusting.” She didn’t mean to call her grandmother out, but she was supposed to be making these potions on her own. According to Grans, many witches didn’t nowadays, using ones bought in the coven store.

Grans handed her the container of dried rosemary. “I’m only trying to help.”

“I appreciate you.” Mia put the container away on the herb shelf. They were all stored in alphabetical order, and she was trying to keep them that way. “How’s the research going?”

“Well, I’m verifying some records, but I should have Christina’s genealogy chart finished tomorrow.

When are you going to tell her she was adopted?

” Grans sat in one of the lounging chairs that they’d found in the second-floor office as well.

Whoever had had that office, they’d liked nice furniture.

“After the ceremony, I guess. I’d like to wait until the engagement parties are done so she doesn’t blow up on her mom for not telling her, but I’ll have to trust that Christina is going to handle the information like an adult. Are either of her birth parents still alive? Maybe in the area?”

“Not in the area, and it doesn’t look like she has any full siblings.” Grans paused, then stopped. “Let me finish up, and I’ll give you a copy of her chart. That way I can make sure it’s valid.”

“Sounds good.” Mia was only half-listening now. She’d started the next potion. After mixing all the ingredients, she grinned at her grandmother. “Two almost done. So, what about Finn?”

“Her background is a little harder to verify, but I think we can expect great things from our newest Magic Springs resident. The Goddess is pleased that you gave a stranger a place to stay in a storm.”

“One, she wasn’t a stranger. She’d been working for Abigail for over a month.

Two, there was no storm, and three, I couldn’t bear the idea of her sleeping in that van.

It’s not done. Not when we had an extra room we could turn into a bedroom.

” Mia only had the two cauldrons, so now she had to wait for one to cool so she could clean it and put the potion away.

She put away her ingredients and then went to sit next to her grandmother.

“I kept thinking about how angry Christina was when she came to live with me. She hid it well, but she was so mad at her mom, at Isaac. I think the only reason she came here was that she didn’t hate me because she thought I hated Isaac. ”

“As you should have. That man was horrible to you. And he wanted to get married? You dodged a bullet there.” Grans took her hand and squeezed it.

“We were good, for a while. But even on our best days, Isaac and I weren’t close to what I have with Trent. He gets me. Anyway, I need one more at least for my circle. Any ideas?” Mia could feel the minutes ticking past her. She was on a time crunch. “What happens if I only have five? Or six?”

“We’ll find someone. Don’t you worry about it.” Grans hugged her and went to leave.

Mia wouldn’t have been worried except for the worried look on her grandmother’s face. “Don’t tell me not to worry when you look like the world might end.”

This kitchen witch ceremony was beginning to feel more like work than a good way to transition from one reality to another.

She opened her phone and scanned for any new text messages. Nothing from Baldwin or Carol, but since she had a few minutes, she updated him on the information she’d received from Carol this morning.

Then Mia texted Sarah and asked if she would be part of her circle.

She gave her a way out, explaining that if she was too busy with the baby and life, not to worry about it.

When she pressed send , she wondered if she should have called instead.

Was this like breaking up over text messages, a no-no?

The quick response she got back could only mean one thing. No.

Bracing herself for the letdown, she was pleasantly surprised when not only was it not a no, but Sarah said she’d bring Mark and the baby along to help celebrate. And her famous chocolate cake.

Mia smiled as she responded. Then she texted Abigail to let her know of the increase in the number of people at the ceremony, as well as the cake.

From knowing no one when Mia had first moved here but her grandmother and Adele—her grandmother’s best friend who died soon after Mia arrived—Mia had built a small community.

She had both witch and human friends. She felt like she was part of Trent’s family.

And she had kept Christina when she’d broken ties with Isaac and his parents.

Not a bad place to be. Even without joining the coven for support and friendship.

She knew Sabrina would be arriving at any time to chat about her possible initiation on Friday at the apex of the party.

Abigail had said there were three others who were joining on Friday.

She got the coven newsletter, News from Magic Cove’s Witch Central .

The lead reporter had left three messages, trying to get an interview with Mia since her test results had come out.

“I wonder if the tests could have been wrong?” Mia asked as Mr. Darcy jumped on her lap. He must have escaped from the apartment when Grans went back upstairs a few minutes ago and he’d come looking for her.

He didn’t get to move around quite as freely as when Dorian had been residing in his body. He’d thanked the cat for housing his spirit by opening doors and getting down treats whenever Mr. Darcy wanted one.

Now Dorian’s spirit lived in a golem body somewhere near Boston and was rebuilding his almost-human life.

She wondered if he was having as much trouble with his life transition as she was with hers.