Page 7 of Must Love Scones and Secrets
“And you,” I replied, squeezing her. “Don’t let Mother set her eye on you while I’m gone.”
“I certainly will not.” Asa kissed me on the cheek, then slipped from my grasp.
“Still my least favorite,” she called, waving to me as she hurried off.
“Stillmyleast favorite!” I turned to Smoke. “Well, you menace, are you ready for an adventure?”
Smoke tipped his head to the side, eyeing me curiously, then wagged his tail.
The Summerlands waited, and for the first time in a long while, I felt excited. Let the adventure begin.
CHAPTER 3
ROSALYN
The aroma of orange and thyme lingered in the air as the Crowd Pleaser scones in my oven browned to golden perfection. I inhaled deeply, relishing the sweet smell. I loved baking. Coming up with new magical recipes to nourish my customers and bring peace, comfort, and a little whimsy totheirlives, filledmylife with unending bliss. And I didn’t mind tasting my creations either. To say I loved sweets was an understatement. Why bother eating if sugar wasn’t involved? I was not a plate of carrots kind of girl, no matter what Grakkar thought.
I lifted the order Primrose left for me, checking it again. The Elders of Moonshine Hollow would be meeting today to plan the Midsummer celebration and address any other issues concerning our fair city. Primrose, half-elf caterer extraordinaire, had enlisted me to cater their breakfast. Crowd Pleaser scones, which always put people in a good mood, were sure to help.
Through my shop window, I saw Primrose entering Winifred’s flower store next door. I wished her luck. Winifred would corner her, regaling her with all the town gossip. Hopefully, we’d still make the meeting on time. My nosy butlovable neighbor never missed anything, including somehow already knowing about my spectacularly awful date last night. My blue wings fluttered in annoyance at the memory.
It was half an hour before opening time. Zarina, my apprentice and a promising young kitchen witch, would be here to cover me soon. Once the final batch of scones was ready, I’d have everything prepared for the elders’ meeting. I gazed lovingly around The Sconery and Teashop. It had taken time to come together, but now it was the perfect cozy spot. Small round tables topped with vintage tablecloths and old teapots filled with flowers graced the room. Antique teacups hung from the walls, and weathered teapots lined shelves that sparkled with just a hint of pixie dust. My window displayed all my fresh baked goods of the day. From cookies to golden bread loaves to my signature scones, the place exuded what I hoped felt like comfort and love to all my patrons.
This morning, I’d been busy. I’d already brewed several blends of magically refreshing iced tea, mixed teas and herbs for enchanted and comforting hot teas, and baked a dozen varieties of scones—all lovingly made with spells for good vibes of one sort or another. The good thing about being a pixie was that we needed little sleep. We ran differently, which left us with boundless energy. Being a baker was the perfect job for someone like me.
Merry tiptoed along the counter, heading to his warm spot in a basket close to the oven. “And where have you been, you little troublemaker?” I asked. The caticorn ignored me and continued on his way. The magical chime dinged, and I went to the oven, opening the door to reveal the delicious orange-and-thyme scones. I pulled them from the oven and set them on the counter to cool.
As I turned to package up a batch of bloomberry scones, Merry suddenly stopped mid-step. He had a strange look on his face. Was he going to be sick?
“Merry?” I asked. His small horn suddenly glimmered with a blinding light, and he sneezed. A cloud of glittery air enveloped us both. To my confusion and surprise, my orange scones floated off the tray. They glimmered brightly for a moment, lifting just a few inches off the pan, and then, with a popping sound, they dropped back down.
Merry, clearly taken by surprise, arched his back and leaped sideways, looking at me as if this was somehow my fault.
“Merry…”
He arched his back higher and lifted his body up on the tips of his toe beans, his eyes going wide.
“Oh, no, Merry. Please don’t.”
It was too late.
Merry hopped sideways down the counter and met my gaze.
I knew then I was in for trouble.
He meowed loudly, his glimmering golden wings appearing.
Zoomies.
The shop’s bell tinkled as Primrose entered with baskets of shimmering Whisperbloom sunflowers. Winifred followed close behind, carrying a small bouquet of Moonlight Daisies, flowers known for their ability to lift spirits with their soft, pearly glow.
“Rosalyn!” Winifred called cheerfully, her petite gnomish frame peeking around the arrangement. “I thought you could use a little pick-me-up after that date disaster. I have Moonlight Daisies for you. Oh, the nerve of that orc, ruining everyone’s dinner. The Kettlestops said everyone is talking about it. Honestly, some people have no sense of proper?—”
“Winifred, Primrose, look out!”
Merry made his move.
The caticorn jumped off the counter and began launching himself from table to table, kicking over vases and making chairs teeter. With his little iridescent wings, which only appeared when he had zoomies, he flew around the room at lightning speed. He catapulted off the side of the wall, narrowly missing Primrose and Winifred.
