“Will!” Maida exclaimed. She frowned. “What are you doing here? I thought you left already! You’d better get a move on if you’re still planning to go to the airport to pick up Zani.”
Zani peeked her head out from the mudroom. “Surprise! Will already met me at the airport and convinced me to port in with him to avoid rush hour traffic. It was wild, Maida! Have you done it before? Five seconds andbam! We were here.”
Maida looked from Will to Zani and back to Will again. She was not only surprised to see them, she was clearly confused.
“How?” she asked.
“We ported!” Zani said again, imitating an ice skater gliding across the ice as she slid into the hallway to embrace Maida.
Just then, the mantel clock above the fireplace in the foyer chimed.Bong … Bong … Bong!
“But that’s impossible,” Maida said, still staring at them in disbelief. “It’s only three o’clock. Your plane hasn’t landed yet.”
“Ha ha,hilarious,” Will said. And then he began to stagger. He’d hit a wall.
Item No. 212-F | For faux pas and social blunders
The Forgettable Fan
Unearthed at a Hollywood prop auction, it was mixed in with feathered accessories from a silent-era film. The fan’s craftsmanship stood out. The auctioneer couldn’t recall its provenance. I took that as a good sign.
Its true function became clear at a dinner party, when I accidentally revealed the host’s surprise birthday party plans—in front of her. I opened the fan nervously and gave it a flutter. She blinked, smiled, and carried on as though the moment had never happened.
The Forgettable Fan erases the last thirty seconds from a bystander’s memory with three specific, practiced movements. No sparks, no haze. Just a clean, quiet lapse. Useful for minor magical exposures, accidental name-dropping, or brief encounters with your Aunt Meredith’s unsolicited political opinions.
Elegant. Discreet. Surprisingly forgiving.
Includes a silk carrying case and instruction scroll.
Legal Notice (Per the Arcane Code of Conduct, Sect. 9, Clause 4):
The Forgettable Fan may not be used to obscure criminal activity, coercion, or contractual deception. Attempts to misuse the fan will result in immediate spell nullification and possible notification to local magical authorities. The fan is remarkably good at discerning intent. You have been warned.
Chapter6
The Way The Cookie Crumbles
“Thank you, Rosie. Will definitely needs to eat something.” Maida nodded at the pretty teenage girl who had rushed into the quiet reading room with a plate full of warm cookies and a cup of tea. The cookies smelled of cinnamon and were topped with a crackled, hardened caramel glaze.
Will peered up from the velvet chaise lounge where he’d collapsed and was currently resting. He still looked pale and a little sweaty. But his hand was steady as he reached out to snatch a cookie off the plate. He popped it into his mouth and silently reached out for a second. He didn’t seem up to speaking just yet.
After helping Maida get Will settled, Zani had placed her empty train case on a side table. She dropped her satchel onto the floor and sank into a tufted leather wing chair beside Will’s chaise. Maida sat perched on the ottoman. She placed a hand on Will’s forehead and rolled her eyes when he shoved it away.
“Is he going to be okay?” Rosie mumbled to Maida, darting a look back at Will. She set the plate of cookies down next to the train case and handed the tea to Maida. “I put in three sugars and a little milk, just like you said. I couldn’t think of anything else to add to ease time-travel sickness.”
“Perfect. I’m sure he’ll be fine once he gets his blood sugar back up,” Maida reassured the girl. But judging from the look of consternation on Maida’s face, Zani wasn’t sure her friend entirely believed what she was saying. Something was definitely bothering her. Did Maida really think they’d time-traveled? The idea seemed ludicrous. There had to be another explanation.
“I’ll check back in a few minutes,” Rosie said, slipping back into the hallway. “I don’t want to leave the cafe unattended and Granny has her hands full minding the till in the bookshop. There’s a family of pine marten shifters that just got here from the Pacific Northwest. Apparently they got into it with the squirrels in the park and now they’re arguing over who has first dibs on all the adaptations in the graphic novel section. I might have to pass out some free samples of the cookies again before it gets ugly. Just holler if you need me?”
Maida nodded and thanked the girl. Then she passed the teacup to Will. “Here, have a sip,” she said.
“I’mtotallyokay,” Will spat out before draining the entire cup in one go. He set the empty teacup down with a little too much force, making the saucer rattle.
“Is it always so crazy around here?” Zani asked Maida quietly.
This wasn’t her first trip to the Mudpuddle Bookshop and Cafe, but she was still getting her bearings. As far as she could tell, not much had changed at the Mudpuddle since her friend Maida had taken over. Coffee, crumpets, and old books still perfumed the air of the semi-sentient bookshop. The floorboards creaked, and the chairs were inviting. The bell on the front door tinkled merrily and often as a steady stream of customers came and went.
Arriving at the Mudpuddle always felt like coming home—even to an inveterate nomad like her. It was no wonder the magical mansion that housed the bookshop and cafe felt familiar. Zani had visited Primrose Court many, many times as a child. Buried beneath the popular bookstore and cafe were the Arcane Archives—the largest collection of magical artifacts on the east coast. Its wards required constant upkeep. Naturally, Zani had always begged her Aunt Minodaura to bring her along when she went to check the wards. Any excuse to leave the lighthouse…
