A Mixture of Mischief by Anna Meriano

Author:Anna Meriano
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2019-12-08T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 14

SPICE MAGIC

Brent, Caroline, and JP practiced their spy skills by exiting the bakery without anyone noticing—sneaking past Mamá while she was putting two giant cake pans in the oven for a lamb-shaped Easter cake, and waiting until Daddy was distracted by a customer to make a run for the front door. Leo had given them instructions for staking out the site of the future Honeybees Café and researching the O’Rourke family. Caroline was on magical component watch, keeping an eye out for candles, herbs, or symbols that would hint at brujería at work in the half-remodeled building. JP was in charge of searching for the mixing bowl, and any sign of Abuelo Logroño. Brent was in charge of note-taking.

The second part of the mission was to find out a way for Leo to spy on Belinda O’Rourke. That part might even be more important; Leo wasn’t sure if the dark, dusty Honeybees building would hold many useful clues. But she didn’t want to leave it unexamined. Besides, sending her friends ahead meant they could get the plan started while Leo cooked up a special spice-magic herb pouch with Isabel. Then she would be ready to act on their information.

“Mamá, are you good for another minute?” Isabel asked. “Leo wanted to practice spice magic, so I thought I could show her a few things.”

Mamá looked up from dropping food coloring into dough for the top of Easter-egg-colored conchas. “What a good thing to practice! I’m so proud of you, Leo. Yes, I’ll be fine here for a while. Go ahead.”

Leo felt a twinge of guilt. Mamá thought that practicing spice magic would keep Leo out of Abuelo Logroño–flavored trouble, when really it was the opposite.

Marisol grumbled about doing all the work in the bakery, but when Leo tried to whisper in her older sister’s ear to let her know about the plan, she held up a hand.

“I saw you hiding with all your friends, cucaracha. I know you’re up to something. But I’m perfectly happy to keep the bakery running while you and Isabel mess with whatever magical mischief you’ve got cooking.”

“I was going to tell you,” Leo promised, afraid that Marisol might feel left out in spite of what she’d just said.

“Somehow I suspect I’ll find out about it soon enough.” Marisol gave her a teasing smile. “Try not to . . . I don’t know, create any rifts in the space-time continuum or burn anything to the ground. Be careful.”

Leo stuck out her tongue. “I always am.”

Isabel climbed precariously onto a rolling chair to root the wolfsbane out of the highest cabinet in the least accessible corner of the office. Leo pulled down the molcajete. Lastly, Isabel fetched a mostly empty bag of sugar.

“Sugar is one of the most basic touchstones of our magic,” she explained, rolling down the sides of the large paper bag to reach the white crystals at the bottom. “We have an affinity for it that stretches beyond its typical use in love and attraction spells.

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