Charms and Chocolate Chips: A Magical Bakery Mystery by Bailey Cates Read Free Book Online Page B

and has been riding on my shoulder or in my pocket ever since. He’s still a bit shy, but Colette adores him.” Colette was her six-year-old daughter.
    “I’m so happy for you,” Jaida said.
    I leaned down to pocket level. “Welcome, Puck.” Straightening, I took the basket from Bianca and gestured toward the kitchen with my chin. “Help yourself to some wine if you’d like.”
    They liked. When they’d returned, I said, “Now listen, everyone. We’re going to celebrate tonight. Right?”
    Wren solemnly nodded her agreement as we all exchanged glances.
    I grabbed one of my three kitchen chairs to add to the six already set up around the fire. “At least we’ll celebrate the best that we can under the circumstances. Now I’m going to go out and get the fire going. Grab your jackets, ladies.”
    Cookie’s eyes met mine, holding my gaze for a long moment before looking away. I realized that she hadn’t said a word since her initial greeting. Her face was a careful mask, but I could tell something was bothering her.
    “Cookie—,” I began.
    “Let’s get this party started,” she said, and led the way outside.
    •   •   •
    The crackle of the fire warmed my mind as much as the flames warmed the surrounding air. I respected all of the elements, but nothing was as comforting as fire, especially on a cold night after seeing cold death.
    Usually I cast in the relative privacy of the gazebo, but tonight we used salt to cast our circle deosil around the fire, beginning and ending in the east and encompassing all the chairs and the small table I’d added at the last minute. The tabletop held a small vase of snowdrops—sometimes called the maids of February and a traditional symbol of Imbolc—which Mimsey had also chosen to represent snow. The bundle of cinnamon sticks tied with a ribbon the color of bright sunshine also rested on the table, along with a felted woolen lamb Cookie had bought from Annette Lander, who owned the knitting store next to the Honeybee, and the cut-glass bowl containing several packets of organic heirloom flower seeds I’d been hoarding for this night. All the items represented the coming of spring and light and the birth of new plants and animals—especially lambs.
    On the southern side of the table a mason jar half filled with sand shielded Jaida’s yellow candle from the night air. The bottle of champagne Bianca had brought from Moon Grapes was on the western side. She’d gone totally overboard with the Dom Perignon, but I wasn’t exactly surprised. Bianca had a talent for making money in the stock market, and tended to spoil us a bit when she could.
    Our glasses of wine had been traded for mugs of hot cider, which now balanced on the gravel next to each chair. The bannock cakes filled a tray on the ground in front of the makeshift altar. Puck reappeared and wrapped himself around the side of Bianca’s neck. Anubis and Mungo lay between the chairs Jaida and I had chosen, and Heckle perched on the back of Mimsey’s chair. He was uncharacteristically quiet after his outburst, concentrating on preening his brightly colored wings. Honeybee stretched out as close as she could get to the fire, almost touching the copper bowl. Purring, she did that squinty thing with her eyes, which made me smile. It was too bad I was so allergic to her.
    After the circle was cast, everyone else took their seats around the fire. Looking around at my friends, I realized yet again how lucky I was to have them.
    “Katie,” Lucy said, “how would you like to proceed?”
    I hesitated, unsure if what I was about to propose was a good idea now. Might as well find out. “I was thinking that I’d like to add a twist to the usual incantation.” Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out several sheets of handmade paper and a variety of pens. “I do have something short and sweet to recite, but I’d like to incorporate some burning magic as well. What do you all think about writing down our wishes as