Josephine pulled herself up, her face turning the same fiery red as Agnes’s hair. “You will not ruin this! You’re a liar … just like your mother!”
Sylvie wanted to tell Josephine she was wrong. But instead, she kept blowing. Another blister bubbled up. Josephine lunged for Sylvie. But Sylvie was quick. She pulled the sphere off the pump and ducked beneath Josephine’s elbow.
A burst of adrenaline shot through her as she yanked Josephine’s Blade off the table. Sylvie lifted the ball of sugar into the air.What was the spell Fernand used?His voice echoed in her head:Cericum.
Josephine fixed her with a steely gaze. “Don’t ruin this.”
Sylvie clenched the knife tightly. A violent jolt of electricity shot up Sylvie’s arm as the Blade resisted. Sylvie took a few steps back. “Sorry. But I have to.” Pain seared her hand.
Josephine smiled knowingly at her. “It doesn’t want to work for you… . Don’t you remember what I told you?Never touch another chef’s knife.”
Sylvie’s fingertips turned painfully hot. She tried her best to ignore it. The knife wriggled, recoiling from her touch.“Cericum Skybox!”Sylvie forced her hand, pulling the Blade down.
“You fool! No!” Josephine’s scream spread across the space like a layer of ice.
The floor gave a violent shudder. Sylvie tried to steady herself, but it was no use. The skybox wasn’t shrinking. It was crumbling.
Sylvie didn’t have time to think about all the possible mistakes she’d made with the spell. The next thing she knew, the ground gave way. She toppled through the air, like a stone flung into the abyss.
Do You Speak Carrot?
THE ONCE FLOATING KITCHEN LAY SLUMPED ON THE GROUNDlike a beached whale. A river of cream spewed out. The scent of butter and soured dreams was gone.
Sylvie pulled herself from the rubble. Her shirt was torn. Bits of mushroom were flecked in her hair. But other than that, she was all right.
Lights flashed as people in the arena snapped photos. White static flickered across the giant rice paper scroll. Sylvie tried to get her bearings.Did I destroy the curse?
“Sylvie!” cried a voice she knew well.
Sylvie spun around. A hand poked out of the skybox. “Mom!” Sylvie rushed over.
She looked tired and a bit bloodied, but she was moving.
“You’re alive!”
Her mom lifted her bloody arm into the air and wrapped the other around Sylvie. “Looks like you won’t be the only one in this family with a battle scar.”
Until this moment, Sylvie hadn’t realized how much she’d missed her mom’s hugs. They were warm and always a bit too tight. Sylvie fought back tears. If she cried now, she’d probably never stop.
“I’ve been so worried about you, Sylviekins.”
“You were worried?” Sylvie decided not to remind her mom that she was the one who’d been shrunk down and trapped in a cwtch.After all, it was sort of my fault.“I should’ve listened to you.”
Sylvie’s mom turned misty-eyed. “No.Ishould’ve listened. You were worried someone might try to sabotage my recipe.”
“Yeah, but this was even worse! I’m just happy you’re okay,” said Sylvie.Happy.“Wait. I’m not miserable… . Does that mean I stopped the curse?”But how?Her spell had clearly gone terribly wrong.
Her mom smiled. “Not all mistakes are bad.”
“That may be true if you’re trying to make apple pie and end up with tarte Tatin, but turning an entire kitchen to rubble … how did we even survive?”
“Magic isn’t just about cooking. You have to know how to speak to the ingredients.”
Speak?Sylvie wasn’t sure where her mom was going with this. Sure, she’d picked out ripe tomatoes that seemed to screambathe me in olive oil,but surely that wasn’t the same asdo you speak carrot?
Her mom continued, “Language is what gives every spell life.Carcerem …prison. It tells the ingredients what to do. But you saidcericum.The difference between the two sounds is minor … but you tried to turn the skybox into silk.” Her mom glanced at the crumbled remains. “Of course, it didn’t work. But you still destroyed the oven and helped break our fall.”
“Carcerem.”Sylvie let the word roll across her tongue. Every spell was like discovering a secret room. “Wait.” A new realization hit Sylvie. “You could hear what I was saying?”
