Page 25 of Entranced By the Basilisks

The air becomes heavy and fragrant with the smell of the brew and the blanket of comfort tightens around me like a hug. Memories of my aunts and cousins laughing around Abuelita’s table, the scent of coffee filling the whole room, giving me the reset I need.

Ma breaks the routine after the coffee starts to boil to gesture at me. “Start talking.”

“I thought I got coffee first.”

She raises her brow at me, and the scolding look has my lips twitching. It won’t matter how old I am; she will always be the boss.

“I got cursed by a magic book. Well, I guess not exactly cursed,” I say, my nose scrunching. I don’t think I can use the wordblessedto describe this situation, no matter what Ari said. “And now I have snakes for hair and turn people to stone with my gaze.”

The pot clatters on the oven as Ma spins toward me, her eyes widening in alarm.

“How was your day?” I ask.

She blinks, and the alarm falls away to show her usual confident self. “My day was good.”

I bark a laugh and her lips curve in a small smile. There’s silence while she finishes the coffee. As if she knows I need the time to process everything before she interrogates me. Sometimes Ma knows my quirks better than I do.

A cup and saucer of coffee and milk with the perfect amount of sugar are placed in front of me. Ma takes the seat next to mine. I turn the cup, focusing on the soft sound of porcelain on porcelain as I bite my lip.

Ma ends my contemplation with a shake of her head. “I don’t know how your father would feel knowing where the love of books he gave you has brought you. I think he was always relieved that you would live a quieter life than a nurse.”

My smile is sad. I miss Dad too. I hold up my hands, weighing the options. “Curses or having to tackle misbehaving patients, I don’t know. Right now I can’t tell which is worse. Ah, never mind, it’s the vomit I can’t handle.”

Ma shrugs. “You get used to it.”

She always tried to get me interested in the medical field. The attempts had been earnest in my childhood, but when I’d discovered my love of books and restoration, she knew that I wouldn’t be happy doing anything else. Now it’s more of a way to tease each other.

“So, snakes?” Ma asks.

I nod. “They are covered with magic right now.”

“Ah, a glamour, like the Bramblewicks wear. And the glasses are for…”

My laugh is humorless. “To keep from turning people to stone. I turned poor Agnes to stone, but luckily the director revived her.”

Ma nods. “Director Adder is a good sort.”

I furrow my brow. “When did you meet Jasper?”

Ma’s brows rise. “Jasper is it?”

My cheeks heat. “He’s helping with this whole business. It would be silly to keep up with the formality.”

Ma tilts her chin, smug. “Whatever you say. I met your director during the holiday party. He kept me company while you were saving Grace from a date.”

I shudder at the memory.

“Oh yeah, that was the last time she told a guy about working at the library. Until she met the right ones anyway.”

My mother nods. Ma is not easily scandalized, not even by polyamorous magical creatures. I envy how well she’s adapted to all of this.

The holiday party had been a formal party with a plus-one. Other people may scoff at bringing their parent, but it wasn’t even a question for me. If Ma will enjoy it, she’s my plus-one. For every sacrifice she’s ever made for me, showing her a good time is the least I can do.

“He’s a very striking man… very handsome too,” she says.

“Ma!”

“What? I have eyes.”

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