Eight Enchanting Elixirs

Book 8: Kitchen Witch Mysteries

by Lynn Cahoon

Genres: Ghost; Mystery; Culinary Cozy Mysteries

Synopsis

Mia the kitchen witch has her hands full dealing with her grandmother's undead ex, her boyfriend's (Maltese) hellhound training, and investigating the death of a coven rep in New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon’s irresistibly witchy cozy mystery for fans of Auralee Wallace, Eva Gates, Bailey Cates, and Esme Addison.

Mia’s grandmother is feeling stress about an ex who’s returned . . . from the dead. Mia’s boyfriend is confined to his home for six weeks in a desperate attempt to get his fluffy Maltese pup, Cerby, trained as a hellhound. And Mia herself is being hassled by the coven, which is suddenly questioning the validity of her witch credentials!

Suspected of cheating on her exam, Mia is pressured to retake it. When she not only passes but moves up two levels, national coven rep Suzanne Parker is furious. Parker, a relative of a witch hanged in Salem, threatens Mia with a witch’s worst nightmare. When she’s found dead the very next day, the coven suspects the kitchen witch’s potions contained an extra, very lethal ingredient.

With all this toil and trouble, Mia has no choice but to prove that she’s a good witch—in every sense of the word . . .

Release date: July 28, 2026

Publisher: Kensington Books

Print pages: 304

Sample

What is the making of a man? His body or his soul? Mia closed her eyes, trying to block out the argument going on in the next room with her grandmother Mary Alice Carpenter and Dorian Alexander. She refilled the coffee carafe and grabbed more cookies from the pantry. In a few hours, Finn and Abigail would be in here, getting ready for deliveries. From what she’d heard, Christina might hang around too.

All because a golem with Dorian’s mind and soul had walked into Christina’s engagement party with a smile and a wish—for Mary Alice to marry him, instead of Robert, her betrothed. The problem was, too many people in Magic Springs knew that Dorian had been killed in town a few years ago. The coven members might accept his return without question, but there needed to be a cover story for the more human townsfolk. Maybe Dorian could have a twin brother and go by Derek. Or Doug. Or even Dean.

She’d talk to Mark Baldwin, the town police chief, who was now aware of the magical parts of the town and considered magic-adjacent through his wife and daughter, who both had some power. Power that, according to coven canon, they shouldn’t have. This sharing of power was getting more common.

The world was just getting weirder and weirder.

She headed back into the waiting room and called out, “I’ve got more coffee.”

“That’s very nice of you, dear. You’ve blossomed in the last few years into such a remarkable woman.” Dorian looked down at Mr. Darcy, who was curled on his lap. “Your cat is quite taken by the changes you’ve made. Especially with your suitor.”

“Mr. Darcy should stay out of my love life. As should you,” Mia said as she set down the tray. “So, what have we decided, if anything?”

“He can’t stay at my house, so you’ll have to find a room for him here.” Grans refilled her coffee cup.

“I can get a room at the Lodge.” Dorian leaned back, focusing on Mr. Darcy, rubbing the top of his head.

“You will not. You’ve already put the coven in enough danger of discovery with your shenanigans when you showed up for Christina’s engagement party. You need to keep out of the public eye for the rest of your stay. My word, Dorian, don’t you ever stop?” Grans rolled her eyes as she concentrated on her ex-boyfriend. “Even dead, you’re a pain in the butt.”

“One, I’m not dead. Well, maybe my original body is, but I’m fine with this new one you created. You did a very detailed job making this body, Mary Alice.” The smile he gave her grandmother made Mia blush. “And two, I understand your concern. I don’t agree with it, but I understand. I’d love to stay here at the academy because it feels like home anyway. If that’s okay with my hostess.”

An old John Denver song about home and country roads played from the speaker system.

Dorian frowned as he listened. “Have the house ghosts been more active since I’ve been gone?”

“It’s not the ghosts. That’s Gloria. My kitchen witch familiar? At least that’s what I thought she was. Recently we found out she’s one of the elders. Did you have contact with her when you were in the spirit world?” Mia shook her head. Gloria was the academy’s resident kitchen witch spirit, tethered to a doll, probably here to either watch out for Mia or train her in some way. Grans wasn’t certain yet.

“Nice of you to frame it that way rather than when I was a cat.” Dorian rubbed Mr. Darcy’s ears. “But no, my time-sharing Mr. Darcy’s body felt more like waking up from a long sleep and then being different. I didn’t communicate with the ghosts. I saw them, but I think that was more of Mr. Darcy’s power than my own. I’m telling you, I don’t think I died.”

“Well, you did.” Grans let out a long breath, then turned to look at Mia. “I hate to ask, but is it okay that he stays here?”

“Sure, but we need to change his backstory. Finn lives here, and I can’t explain the whole you-made-a-golem-for-your-ex-boyfriend-who-was-sharing-my-cat’s-body-for-several-years-after-he-was-killed story.” Mia broke a cookie in half. “I think that’s just a bridge too far. She knows she has witch blood in her veins, but I think right now, she sees that more as a cool party trick than the power she may or may not develop through her training. Call it my sixth sense.”

“I chatted with Finn last night when we came back from the party. She’s very bright. And I believe she’ll train into an exceptional witch.” Dorian tapped his finger on his lips, pondering the issue. “But you’re right about the need to change my name. What about Damien Alexander? I can be a cousin, or a slightly more attractive younger brother.”

“As long as you don’t invite your kids to visit, I think that might work with the people in town.” Grans stood. “I need to go home. I have to call Robert and deal with this debacle.”

“I’d rather not see or talk about my children. They were a disappointment in how they handled my demise.” Dorian gently took her hand. “Mary Alice, just promise me you’ll think about my proposal. We would make an amazing partnership and I still love you.”

Grans stared into his eyes and just when Mia thought her grandmother was going to succumb to Dorian/ Damien’s charm, she jerked her hand away. “It’s not a good time for me to be getting married anyway. I will postpone the engagement with Robert. He’ll be hurt, but I’m sure he’ll see my side in this chaos. But don’t think that means you’ve won me over. I still haven’t changed my mind.”

And with that, Grans stood and headed to the door. Mia stayed at the table, watching her. So much had gone on in the last month, having Dorian back was just par for the course. She waited for Grans to leave, then turned to ask, “Where do you want to set up a bedroom? I have a guest room in the apartment, or we can update a room on the second floor.”

“Let’s do the second floor for now. When are you moving in with Trent? With a dragon to consider, I’m sure you’re already thinking about the next step in your relationship.” He pointed toward the hallway to where Finn’s room was located. “Make sure she’s okay with me staying here. I don’t want to scare her.”

“The house ghosts like her,” Mia said, then added, “and the library.”

He smiled as he turned back. “What’s not to like? She’s very much one of your tribe already. I always wondered about your ability to collect people. Maybe it’s one of your gifts from the Goddess to help you in the fight.”

“If there’s a fight, I’m not going to be leading it. All I want is to run my catering company and be part of the community. I don’t want to become some magical Joan of Arc, fighting for the rights of the downtrodden.”

“Sometimes what we want is superseded by what is the right thing to do. Don’t build your box until you know all the things you want to let in and those things you want to keep out.” Dorian tapped his finger. “I wonder if I’ve been called back for something more than just my love for your grandmother. Has she been doing all of your training?”

“Yes. The coven says I need to keep training so I can test out for level four next year. But I’m not sure I want to level up. Even just being level three hasn’t been much of a blessing so far,” Mia admitted.

“I’m going to look over Mary Alice’s training plan. And I’ll have furniture sent over to set up living quarters on the second floor. I may need to do some remodeling, if you don’t mind. All at my own expense, of course.” He tapped the table with the palm of his hand. “It’s time to get things moving. Where will I find the keys to the second floor? I need to get busy on my space. I may need a bed upstairs in your apartment for a few nights, if that’s okay.”

“The alternative is to have you sleeping on this couch or renting a room at the Lodge, so I think we’ll make do with the guest bedroom in the apartment.” She stood and checked the security camera by the door. “Abigail, Finn, and Christina just arrived to start their day. I’ll let them know that Damien is staying with us on the second floor for a while.”

“You even said that with a straight face.” He chuckled as he pointed to her office. “Is the key to the classrooms in there?”

“Hanging on a red ribbon. My lab’s key is on a purple ribbon and the other rooms that Grans and Christina have appropriated for storage have a yellow ribbon. So any room the red ribbon key will open is up for grabs. I don’t think any of the remaining rooms have secret exits to the outside, but with the academy, you never know. Just let me know and we’ll rekey the rooms you choose. I’ll keep one of the keys, just in case, and you get to pick your ribbon color.”

“I’d love blue. Like your grandmother’s eyes.” He disappeared into the office as the front door opened and the three women came inside.

Abigail’s eyes widened as she saw Mia downstairs. “Oh, I figured you were at work already or I would have invited you to the house for breakfast. We just finished talking about our next week’s schedule. We have several additional deliveries, as well as two holiday parties, one that will be held here. I was planning on emailing you the monthly calendar in case you have room in your schedule to help us out.”

“That will work. I’m heading to work as soon as I change. I had a meeting with Grans and Damien, Dorian’s brother, this morning. He’s going to be staying here at the academy for a while. He’ll be living on the second floor,” Mia added, directing the information to Finn. “He shouldn’t bother you.”

Finn shrugged, her purple hair, longer now, flipping with the movement. “No worries. He seems nice. We talked last night after the party. I stepped out of my room for some snacks after my game and he was drinking tea. He has a huge crush on your grandmother. It’s so sweet.”

Mia relaxed a little with Finn’s words. Finn already seemed comfortable around Dorian, now Damien. Mia needed to start thinking of him with that name, so it shouldn’t be an issue having him in the academy. “Well, if anything happens that feels weird—I don’t expect anything, but just in case—let me know.”

Finn rolled her eyes. “Between you and Abigail, you’re both so sensitive to my feelings. I love being here, but you two need to relax a bit. I can deal with more than you think I can.”

Mia laughed and looked at her watch. “I guess I need to stop babying you then and get to work. I have a nine o’clock staff meeting at the Lodge. I’ll see you all tonight. Call me if there are any issues.”

The last statement she’d addressed directly to Abigail, who responded with a nod. She knew the undercurrent of the question. She would watch out for Damien and make sure he stayed put.

Sometimes being between two worlds made her life a little crazy.

She headed upstairs to change into her work clothes and head to her normal job. And she felt good about it. There, all she had to deal with were human issues, like holiday parties and a boss who liked everything documented in triplicate.

At least this boss didn’t want to fire her, unlike the last one.

Mia had just finished her last meeting when her personal cell phone rang. Trent Majors, Abigail’s son and Mia’s boyfriend, was calling. “I’m so happy to hear your voice. This day has just been weird,” Mia said.

“Sorry, then, it’s about to get weirder. So, Cerby’s at-home training program has been approved and Sonja McMann is here to train him. Sarah’s bringing over Tempest, Elisa Marie’s puppy, to see if he’s a hellhound too. If so, Sonja says she can train both of them here.” Trent explained the updated process. Sonja McMann was a member of the werewolf tribe that lived in the deep forest just north of Magic Springs in the Saw tooth Mountain Range. When there were bigfoot sightings in northern Idaho, it was usually one of the McManns who had been out running with the moon.

“That’s great. I didn’t want you to have to send Cerby back to the training camp. You know he hated being away from you.” Mia rolled her shoulders and opened her calendar for the week. “When is she starting?”

“Now. And bonus, she’s staying here at the house. Mom tried to get her to stay with her, but Sonja says for this to work, she has to be here with both dogs. So Mark’s going to be mad at me because if Tempest is a hellhound sent by the Goddess, Sarah and the baby have to stay here with us. Dad’s going to take charge of the store because I can’t leave the house for six weeks.” He paused. “I’m sorry, I’m stuck here.”

“Maybe I could come over.” Mia didn’t like these rules at all.

“Sorry, but you, Mark, and every other person is banned until the training is complete. Mom’s going to send over meals and groceries.” His voice dropped. “I’m sorry for disappearing on you like this, but it’s better for Cerby.”

“I know. I’m just going to miss you.” She made a note on her calendar six weeks into the future. “You’re going to miss Thanksgiving, but at least you’ll be off house arrest by Christmas. I have a new house guest too.”

Mia told him about Dorian staying at the academy and his name change, as well as his new living arrangements.

“I’m glad someone will be there for you guys.” Trent paused, then asked, “Do you think we’re overreacting? Maybe Cerby doesn’t need hellhound training.”

“Do you want him freaking out and changing in public?” Grans had been clear and very detailed when she’d told Mia why even a Maltese like Cerby needed training. “This is better, and it’s only six weeks. We’ll talk every night.”

He promised to call later and hung up. A few minutes later, she got a call from Mark Baldwin, complaining that his wife, child, and new puppy might have to be living at Trent’s for the duration of the training.

“I don’t know what I can tell you, Mark. I’m not happy about it either. Maybe you’ll get lucky and Tempest is just a dog,” she suggested, but then he went off again.

Fifteen minutes later, she got him off the phone and tried to return to her scheduling project. As soon as she settled in, her phone rang again.

It was Grans.

“Grans, I’m trying to finish something up so I can head home. Is it something we can talk about later?”

“No, Mia. It’s not. The National Office has sent over another testing expert. You’re going to be tested again at the end of the week.” Grans sounded stressed.

“I thought I had a year before I had to retest for Level Four. Why did they move up the test?” Mia sighed and closed out her computer. Obviously she wasn’t going to get anything else done today. She might as well head home.

“The test isn’t to move up. It’s your original test. They’re making you retake it because people have been complaining about the results.”

“That’s just stupid. I didn’t cheat. You know that. What good does retesting do?” Mia pulled on her coat and grabbed her keys out of her bag. It had been a horrible day. Grans and Dorian fighting. Trent’s news. And now she had to retest to prove she could be a witch? What else could go wrong. “What happens if I don’t retest?”

“Don’t even joke about that,” Grans said. “Anyway, I need you home. They’ve taken the protection of your sealing off. They see this as a total redo. With the power you have, everyone’s going to be watching. I tried to get the coven to keep the protection seal on, but Cleo said it’s impossible. Once you go back in for a retest, the spell comes off automatically. You’re in danger. Again.”

“Great. Trent’s stuck in his house and I’ll be quarantined to mine. This isn’t good on a relationship.” Mia locked her office and headed out to the parking lot. At least her boss would understand when she told her the real reason she couldn’t work at the Lodge this week. If Blake was human, Mia would have to make up some contagious disease.

“I’m more worried about your life than your happily ever after dreams,” Grans said before hanging up.

As she walked to her car, Mia called Blake Sandburg, her boss at the Lodge, to explain her inability to be at the office until this testing fiasco was dealt with.

After Mia finished telling her about the new examiner coming into town, Blake let out a big sigh. “The coven does what it wants to and the rest of us are just pawns. I still need you to be available by phone at all times. I’m sure you can video chat with your staff in the planning processes. We have holiday parties scheduled throughout the month. I’ll tell everyone you have the measles.”

“They’re going to believe that?” Mia had been vaccinated against all of the normal human childhood diseases as a kid and the witchy ailments, like dragon breath, this year. Grans hadn’t insisted that Mia’s mother do the extra immunizations because at that time, everyone thought her mom would be the next kitchen witch.

Except, Mia thought, Gloria. She’d known long before her mother had broken the news to Grans that she was abdicating. Mia wondered if her mom thought she might turn away from the craft as well. Especially when Mia had her own life and goals to work in food service.

She tuned back into Blake’s reciting of all the parties in the next month, even though Mia knew the schedule because she’d been the one to develop it. “Blake, I’ll do all I can from home. I just can’t step in and fix something on-site. I’ll need you or one of the other department heads to deal with any emergencies that needs someone in person to fix.”

“Okay, I guess we’ll just have to deal with it, won’t we? You’re lucky I understand how fickle being part of the coven can be when you’re trying to be as normal as possible. Most members either work for a coven-owned business or are self-employed.”

Mia could hear Blake typing as they talked. She was already in her car and pulling up to the academy. As she got closer, she could feel the protective wards surrounding her. She hadn’t noticed her angst until she arrived home and it started to ease. “One more thing, my retesting is Friday, so I’ll be unavailable by phone that day.”

A loud sigh came over the phone’s speaker.

“Fine, I’ll cancel my weekend plans for the spa treatments in Sun Valley. I should have guessed that something like this would happen. I never get time to just relax,” Blake said before ending the call.

As Mia tucked her phone into her tote and headed to the academy building, she heard chirping in the tree behind her. She looked back and saw Buddy watching her.

“Hey, I thought you all were stuck at home.” Mia walked over and reached out to rub the baby dragon on the nose. He leaned into the affection, then held out a bouquet of flowers with a note attached. Several of the blooms had been crushed, but it was the thought that counted, right?

Trent must already know about the retesting. She opened the card and read his message aloud. “You did it once, you can do it again. Teach them a lesson and test out higher. Level four, here you come!”

Buddy chirped his agreement with the message. She could swear the purple dragon was smiling.

“Tell Trent thank you. And be carefu. . .