Page 5 of Magic and Muffins

Ignoring her, I glanced up at Cross. “This looks nearly finished. How long until the contractors are out of here?”

“Not long at all. The bathrooms are almost ready, and the tables and chairs will arrive in a few days. The contractors are finishing their work on the third floor, but that should be done in a few days as well. We could open next week if we have everything in place.”

“Next week?”

He saw my panic and rubbed my back in response. “There is no timetable on this. I simply want it finished for when you’re ready. Let me know what you need, and I’ll make it happen.”

“I need fluffy pancakes and lots of bacon,” Vena called out from the commercial kitchen.

“Which reminds me, I need to make an order for grocery delivery for us,” Cross said. “I bought a few odds and ends to get us through, but nothing you might require for baking.”

“We require chocolate,” Vena said, detaching me from Cross. “Focus, Everly. We need decorating ideas. You’re the go-to for that unless you want shrunken heads and poisoned tribal arrows.”

I cringed. “Growing up with horrible archeology gifts from your parents doesn’t excuse your atrocious decorating skills.”

Vena’s phone and mine pinged with an incoming message, distracting her from a rebuttal.

“No, don’t look,” I said. “Every time we both get a message lately, it’s not good news.”

She laughed and pulled out her phone.

“It’s from Miles. He wants to know where the book is.”

“What book?” I asked, having a bad feeling it was the one we found and re-hid in Grandpa Hunter’s old desk.

Her phone pinged again. “Mom says his part in what happened at the dwarf mountain is eating at him. He needs to research the importance of the rings to understand why he was used to kill Prince Hakon.”

She gave me a look that confirmed my fear.

“He wants the book Grandma and Grandpa Hunter hid.”

CHAPTERTWO

I watchedmy best friend’s expression fill with fear and hurried to hug her.

“Hey, none of that,” I said. “It’s understandable that Miles needs answers, isn’t it?”

“It is, but the book won’t give him those. All that book brings is death. Look what happened to my grandparents after they started researching.”

I patted her back, hating that she suspected a connection between her grandparents’ disappearance and that book; the last thing they were researching before they disappeared. But I couldn’t deny that since finding the thing, she and I had run into trouble again and again.

“You don’t know the book’s to blame for that, Vena,” I said diplomatically.

She pulled out of my arms and met my gaze.

“You’re right. But even if it isn’t, what good will it do for Miles? We read it, Ev. There’s nothing in it but weird old stories and vague warnings about otherworlder creatures that we already know about.”

“The book is much more than weird stories,” Cross said. “It’s the first written history of otherworlder encounters back before they were as known as they are today. In terms of rare books, it’s among the most rare and precious books in existence.”

“Why are the first encounters so important?” she asked.

“I believe Miles will want to be a part of this conversation as well,” Cross said. “Let’s go upstairs and call him.”

Vena didn’t look happy about it but didn’t argue as the four of us headed to the second floor.

Cross led us to a large study tucked away on the other side of the bookshelves that lined the living room wall. A desk sat in the middle of the space, with a sofa and two chairs positioned in front of it. Nothing had plastic on it anymore.

“Have a seat,” Cross said, closing the door behind us. “Any conversations we have in here will be private.”

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