Page 57 of Even Beneath the Stars

"You're seriously scaring me now," he grumbles, but turns away.

"Geez. Have a little faith," I call over my shoulder as I enter the ginormous walk-in pantry. "My mom swears it's why I healed so fast that time I broke my arm falling out of Mrs. Krawn's giant backyard tree."

"You fell out of a tree?"

"I was trying to rescue a cat."

"Of course you were." There's something that almost sounds like amusement in his voice.

"And by cat, I mean a cat stuffy," I admit. "And by tree, I mean cedar hedge."

"Christ…"

"It was still wildly heroic of me…" I prance back into the kitchen, totally invigorated by the task at hand. "Trust me."

"Un-huh."

I grin as I start mixing ingredients. "Anyway… Just you wait. You're about to experience the healing powers of the LeClair family's secret recipe."

Three minutes later, my concoction is finished, and the result is even better than any of my mothers' attempts. I sweep back into the sitting room, holding my creation high like a waiter presenting a prized dish. "Ladies and gentlemen—but mostly just you—I present…" I pause for dramatic effect, "the Bruise Buster Boulder!"

Xavier's eyes widen—even his swollen one manages to stretch. "What the actual hell is that?"

"This," I announce, lowering the colorful marshmallow Rice Krispies and sprinkle ball onto the coffee table, "is your golden ticket to a speedy recovery."

"Gotta be honest… it looks like a rainbow threw up a hairball."

"That's part of its charm." I gesture to the massive treat. "Five bites. That's all it takes for guaranteed faster healing."

A laugh bursts out of him, then he winces and grabs his ribs. "There's no way I'm eating that thing."

"Come on, live a little." I break off a piece. "I promise you'll like it."

"Is that… are thosejellybeansmixed in there?"

"Maybe." I wiggle the piece in front of his face. "Only one way to find out."

He eyes it suspiciously—this boy who’ll fight a guy three years older than him but hesitates over a melted jellybean. He sighs. "If I die from this, I'm haunting you."

"Ohhh… Sounds fun."

He chuckles again, then takes the piece and pops it in his mouth. His eyebrows shoot up.

"Well?" I ask.

"Okay, fine. It's actually… not terrible."

"Not terrible?" I break off another chunk. "It's amazing and you know it."

"It's better than it looks," he admits, reaching for more. "Which isn't saying much, considering it looks like a unicorn's fever dream."

I grab a bite for myself. "Hey, respect the boulder. This is premium healing magic right here."

"Right. Magic." But he's already working on his fourth piece, a hint of a real smile playing at the corners of his busted mouth. "Did your mother really used to make this for you?" he asks around a bite of gooey goodness.

"Yup. Every time I got badly hurt."

"Huh. Your mother sounds like a cool woman."

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