CHAPTER 1
“Transmogrify. To transform in a magical or surprising manner.” Christina Adams set down her English language textbook from her class and reached out to pet Mr. Darcy, who was purring on her lap. “Dude, you were part of a transmogrification?”
Mia Malone looked up from the cookbook she’d been flipping through. One of the bonuses about having Christina in school was that she had access to the college’s library in Twin Falls, along with the larger library system in Boise. Christina brought home several different cookbooks every week. And because Christina was in the hospitality /culinary program, they had a lot of interesting and unusual options. Currently, Mia was reading a book that claimed to have recipes that had been brought over on the Mayflower. But if that had been true, she didn’t think the library would have it in general circulation. “Are you trying to increase your vocabulary?”
“Yeah, the professor gives us a list of words every week. Then we have to find the definition and use it in a sentence. Bonus points if we can modify it.” She pulled back her currently
electric-blue hair into a clip. “Don’t worry, I won’t rat out Mr. Darcy as being a human/cat hybrid. I’ll probably use it with those brownies we made yesterday. They were so good, they were magical.”
Mia crossed up her legs underneath her, going back to scanning the roast duck recipe. “I’m not worried about you outing my magical side. One, who would believe you besides someone in Magic Springs, and most of them already know. And two, Mr. Darcy isn’t a human/cat hybrid. He’s a cat with a human soul trapped inside. It’s a technicality, but a hybrid is a result of two things mating. Mr. Darcy was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Mr. Darcy opened one eye and glared at Mia across the room.
“And Grans hasn’t figured out a way to get him out, yet,” Mia added, hoping the addition would calm the feline. She checked her watch. “I can’t believe it’s after eleven. What are you doing here with me on a Saturday night? Is Levi working?”
“He’s got night shifts all week. Bethanie was having dinner with a friend from the coven who’s getting married. Bethanie is her maid of honor.” Christina set the book on the table and rubbed Mr. Darcy’s ears. “But you should hear how Bethanie talks about her. I’m beginning to think she must
say horrible things about me when I’m not around. I don’t know why this girl would ask her to be in her wedding.”
“Sometimes people don’t realize that the way they treat others will catch up to them.” Mia wasn’t one of Bethanie’s biggest fans, but she wasn’t Christina’s mother either, thank the Goddess. She was just her friend and her boss. “Who is getting married? I’m surprised I haven’t heard about the catering for the reception.”
“The wedding planner decided the Lodge would be a better fit for catering. I don’t think she even asked for a proposal from us.” Christina yawned and stood, putting Mr. Darcy back down on the chair. “I’m going to bed. I’m glad Bethanie couldn’t go out tonight. I don’t think I could have kept my eyes open after today’s event. I didn’t even know they had a spring Mother’s Day tea here in Magic Springs.”
Mia didn’t look up from the recipe. “Grans has been the chairman for years. I really need to send her a bunch of flowers, or maybe just stock her freezer again with some made-for-one meals. She’s been getting us a ton of bookings lately.”
“Well, she’s introducing you to the right people. Your food is getting the bookings. Even Bethanie said that Amethyst’s planner was stupid going with the Lodge. Mia’s Morsels is becoming the go-to catering business in Magic Springs.”
Christina picked up her book and strolled out of the living room. “Talk to you in the morning. I’m going to call Levi and say good night.”
Levi Majors was a local EMT and Christina’s boyfriend. They’d had a few issues last year, but now they were solid. Mia figured they’d start talking about marriage once Christina finished school and decided where to look for work. Levi had stayed in town so far for the skiing, but Mia had a feeling he’d follow Christina to the Arizona desert if he had to. The boy was in love.
Mr. Darcy jumped off the chair and hurried after Christina. Alone, Mia glanced over at the gas fireplace. Early May wasn’t a time for hot summer temperature in the Idaho mountains, especially at night. Mia snapped her fingers and the fire roared to life. She cuddled back into her chair. Sitting reading next to a roaring fire was a perfect way to spend an evening. Maybe she should make some cocoa too.
Her musing was interrupted by the front doorbell ringing. She stood and glanced at the display. Bethanie stood there looking into the camera. Mia buzzed her inside and opened the apartment door. It would take Bethanie at least a minute to get up the three flights of stairs. Mia went and knocked on Christina’s door.
“Come in,” Christina called.
Mia opened the door but stayed out in the hallway. “Bethanie’s here.”
“What?” Christina stood and spoke into her phone. “Levi, I’ll call you back. Bethanie just showed up.”
Christina walked past Mia and went straight to the doorway to greet her friend. “What are you doing here?”
“Oh, my Goddess. Christina, you won’t believe what I just found out.” Bethanie plopped down on the couch, her silver, sparkling dress and black leather boots making her look like she should be at a holiday party, not a girls’ night out. “Amethyst’s cousin isn’t going to be able to attend the wedding. She’s got her med school graduation or something stupid like that the same weekend, so she needs someone’s who’s a size four to replace her. So guess what?”
Christina shut the door behind Bethanie and then sat back on the chair she’d just vacated. She glanced at Mia when she saw the fire, but then focused back on her friend. “Okay, what?”
“You’re going to be in the wedding with me! Isn’t that the best? You’ll love her. She’s so much fun. She was part of Kappa Si when I attended U of I before I lost my funding. The dresses she picked out are from a new designer out of New York. You’re going to love it. And Tok’s groomsmen are all to die for.” Bethanie bounced on the couch. “This is going to be the party of the year.”
Mia picked up the cookbook from her chair and nodded to Christina. “I’m heading to my room. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Christina nodded, but even from a distance Mia could see she wasn’t happy about being a replacement bridesmaid for a woman she’d never even met. Oh, the joys of being friends with someone who just didn’t get the friendship part of being friends. Bethanie always had her own agenda, even when she told you it was all about you.
Mia’s phone rang as soon as she closed her bedroom door. “Hi, Grans, how are you tonight?”
“I’m good, dear, but is something wrong over there? I’m feeling some negative vibes coming from the school. Did Isaac try to call you? Or is Christina’s mother visiting?”
“Neither, Grans. I think you’re attaching to Christina’s emotions. Her friend Bethanie is over and she’s trying to talk Christina into standing in for a missing bridesmaid.” Mia sat cross-legged on the bed and leaned over to grab the novel she’d been reading last night. She’d probably be able to finish it tonight.
“Well, shoot, I knew something was going on. I haven’t felt Christina’s emotions before. I wonder if she’s starting to develop some of her innate talents.”
“She’s magical?” Mia stopped reading the book’s back cover, focusing on her grandmother’s words.
“Oh, heavens no. She just is starting to tune into her own power. She’s been under her mother’s thumb for so long, she didn’t really develop her own sense of self until this last year. I should have thought you’d picked up on that.”
“Well, yeah, but—” Mia bit her lip. Fighting with her grandmother never did anything. “Anyway, I don’t think she even knows this girl that’s getting married.”
“I’m sure she’s met Amethyst before. Mia, it’s a small town. Everyone knows everybody. I’m just not sure whether Christina wants to be part of this wedding. There’s a bit of a feud going on between the coven and the groom’s tribe. I’m sure it will be fine, but you know how things are when there’s alcohol involved. Tempers flare.”
“Wait, how did you know what wedding we were talking about? Oh, never mind. Anyway, you said the groom’s tribe. Is he a witch too? Or is she marrying a mortal?” This was getting more interesting by the minute. Maybe she’d have to see if Bethanie could get her and Trent invited to the wedding. Mortal and witch weddings were always fun to watch because most of the time either the bride or the groom wasn’t honest with the other until after the vows were cast. Then the
bond makes the witch’s true self apparent to the mortal spouse. It made for some interesting arguments during the reception.
“No, dear. Tok’s tribe is from the northern Idaho woods. He’s a shape-shifting wolf.”
Grans’s pronouncement wouldn’t have surprised Mia more if she’d said an alien from outer space. “Shape-shifters aren’t real. Besides, the only modern sighting of a werewolf was in Wisconsin. We’re a long way from there.”
“They’re cousin packs. Although the main tribe—or is it a pack? Anyway, the main branch of the family came originally from Europe. But when the black plague ran through the Continent, they packed up and moved to North America for health reasons, as well as freedom from persecution. It’s not much different from the witches’ story who came to America with the pilgrims, looking for a less judgmental land. Instead, they got England across the pond.” Grans yawned. “Anyway, if you’re all right, I’m heading off. I’ve got my potions to stir before heading to bed.”
“Okay. I’ll come by and see you tomorrow.” Mia hung up the phone and thought about what Grans had told her about Magic Springs. And about her own magic. If she as a magical creature existed, what other nonhuman people were on planet earth? Were they all low risk and easy to get along with like she was? Or were there darker forces at play that she could only dream about?
Either way, it wasn’t something she was going to solve tonight. She might as well work on the problem of feeding the homeless or world peace. She might have better luck solving those issues.
She picked up her book and curled up on the bed, falling into the story right where she’d left off last night.
An hour later she heard the door open and shut, then the sound repeated a few minutes later. Christina must have walked her friend down to the first-floor exit and she was back now. A small knock came on her door.
“Come in.” Mia set the book down. Christina would probably want to talk about this. She braced herself for what she was going to hear. “What’s going on?”
We hope you are enjoying the book so far. To continue reading...
Copyright © 2024 All Rights Reserved
Please log in to recommend or discuss...
