Page 86 of The Blue Moon Café & 24-Hour Occult Emporium

Simon—sitting at her heel by the officer’s desk—glared. The officer gulped.

Finally at the house, Talula tried to calm her nerves while Simon made magical contact with Sara.

“Hey, honey.” Sara’s voice was gossamer, her astral projection a bare shimmer in the living room air. “I only have a few moments. Is this urgent?”

“Yes.” Talula quickly explained the events of the day, trying not to worry her mother with too many details. It didn’t work.

“That’s terrible, sweetheart! I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

“There’s something else.” Talula swallowed down her guilt. She wasn’t looking forward to Simon’s reaction to her secret. “I think Kiki’s trying to help us. With Samhain, maybe even the trophy hunting company.”

“What do you mean?” Simon cocked his head curiously. “We sent that pestiferous wish-peddling jinn through the Volta weeks ago.”

Talula conjured the mysterious cookbook. “This is what I mean.”

“Honey, did you just conjure?” Sara glowed with pride. “Well done!”

“I had help. From Simon and…this.” Talula showed her mother the book. “Do you remember Dr. Jones?”

“The archaeologist?”

“He found this in his backyard. His daughter lent it to me.” Talula bit her lip. “It’s written in some kind of Jinn dialect. It’s been helping me tap into my sorcery.”

“Excuse me?” Simon asked, scandalized.

Abashedly, Talula explained how each recipe guided her through a specific sorcery skill and had come in eerily handy—the health inspector’s love for quiche and Damien’s mango allergy.

“You think Kiki wrote this years ago?” Sara asked. “To help you?”

“Yes.”

“This is most irregular,” Simon muttered.

Sara shook her head. “Talula, my heart, as much as I love Kiki, you know how much the jinn love to prank. This seems like a very elaborate bit of mischief that could end badly.”

“I knew a Welshman who lost the ability to use consonants because of a jinn’s ‘prank,’ ” Simon added somberly. “A Welshman!”

“I know, but Kiki gave a gift of true honesty to me and mine, past, present, and future.”

Simon’s and Sara’s silence hung heavy on the room. Sara finally spoke, weighing every word. “I think you should keep going.”

“Are you mad?” Simon screeched.

“Kiki protected my daughter through this book,” Sara explained coolly. “It clearly knows more about our current dilemmas than we do.”

“You mean the trophy hunters?” Talula leaned closer.

Sara’s astral projection flickered. “Despite my best auguring spells, I’m always one step behind them.”

Simon’s ears pricked forward. “But how? You’re the most powerful sorceress in an age!”

“How else? Magic.” Sara shook her head. “I believe these hunters obtained a powerful magical item. Something that can detect magic, magical beings, and magic users. That’s how they’re staying away from me and still catching prey for their ticketed hunts. Which is why this has to be my last magical communication until I succeed.”

Sara turned to Talula, wearing her most serious world-saving face. “I can hide my power, but big enchantments will call attention to me. Do you understand?”

Fear knotted Talula’s stomach. “Are you sure you can do this alone?”

“Of course, my love. I’ll keep our people safe.”