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Nadine climbed off of me and returned to her seat. “Thanks, Grammy.”
I tried the applesauce, and all kinds of flavors burst in my mouth. “This is our best batch yet. What’d we do differently?”
Nadine snickered. “I snuck in a pumpkin spice blend.”
I frowned. “You’re trying to convert me.”
“I am not!” she insisted with a giggle.
At Helena’s feet, the cats continued to yowl.
“All right, all right,” she said impatiently. “But only one for each of you.”
Helena reached into the pocket of her apron and tossed three cat treats on the ground. Isa gobbled hers gone, then shoved Oliver out of the way and ate his, too. Oliver just licked her ears, like he didn’t care. What a doormat.
Helena turned back to us. “I brought something for you two as well. Picked it up on my last supply run.”
She reached into her apron and set several large boxes on the table. All I saw was the big bold letters reading Value Pack! Then I realized in horror what it was.
“Condoms!” Nadine gasped. “Grammy, what makes you think we need that many? Wait… how much sex were you having when you were our age?”
Helena scowled. All it took was one sharp look to know she wasn’t about to answer that question. For someone who walked in on us every freaking time we tried to get it on, she seemed pretty encouraging of our physical relationship. I must’ve turned the brightest shade of red.
“They’re not just for you,” Helena said. “Your friends are coming back today. We all know Chloe and Miles will need a whole pack to themselves. I want everyone to be safe.”
I laughed. “You’re not wrong.”
“Now finish up,” Helena pressed. “You’re scheduled to portal everyone in soon.”
Helena left the room, and Nadine and I quickly finished our tea before heading out into the living room. The room was large, with a ceiling that reached two stories and a balcony from the second level. A sectional sofa faced the fireplace, along with a large TV mounted above the mantle. Helena was already sitting on the couch, and the cats surrounded her, purring in her lap.
“Are we ready?” Helena asked.
I checked the clock on the wall, then nodded. “Ready.”
I lifted my hands, and magic surged down my arms as a portal bloomed in front of me. It was like a hole had been punched straight through reality. The fireplace was replaced with the image of a forest lit by the rising sun. A warm breeze rustled my hair, and it smelled like pine trees. A couple holding hands stepped through the portal. Their cats followed, and they hopped onto the couch beside the others, looking excited to see them. I closed the portal behind them.
“Chloe. Miles,” I said, nodding to them. “How’s life in Hok’evale?”
“It’s a lovely town,” Miles said. “Last week, we rode a dragon!”
My face fell. His enthusiasm really rubbed me the wrong way. “This isn’t a theme park, Miles. You’re supposed to be out there hunting down clues for the Oaken Wands, or did you forget about that while you were on vacation?”
Chloe’s jaw dropped. “Whoa! Someone’s in a mood. It’s better to be on vacation than to hang out here, where you’re either moping around or hounding us for answers.”
“That’s not all I do,” I shot back. “We canned a batch of pears yesterday.”
Chloe scoffed. “Forgive me if I’d rather be sipping mimosas on the beach.”
“Mimosas on the beach—” I nearly choked on the words. “Dear Goddess, we’re never going to find answers.”
“Actually, the mimosas paid off,” Chloe said proudly.
“Yeah, I’m sure the afterparty was a blast,” I replied flatly. “Hopefully someone else found something.”
I turned, then lifted my hands again, forming another portal. The air was cold, and I smelled a fresh sea breeze. A girl with purple hair stepped through the portal, along with her cat.
“Welcome back, Onyx,” I said. “Learn anything from the merfolk?”
