Cauldrons & Cake

by Sara Bourgeois

  Cauldrons & Cake

  by

  Sara Bourgeois

  Chapter One

  A loud crash made me jump halfway out of my skin. "What the fluff!" I called out. “What the actual fluff!”

  "Sorry, Fern!" my assistant, Jenny, called back to me. "I just knocked over... well... everything. I broke some stuff."

  "Oh, dear."

  "Did you mess up the cake?" she asked from the doorway. “Please tell me I didn’t make you ruin the cake.”

  "No, fortunately, I was not squeezing the icing bag when you knocked over everything. Do you need help cleaning up, or can you handle it? I really need to get this cake decorated,” I said. “We cannot be late for Elizabeth’s shower.”

  "I got it,” Jenny said. "And I will do my best not to knock anything else over. I promise."

  "Thank you,” I said. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  I went back to icing the cake, and it had to be perfect. The order was for a bridal shower being held at the Praline Manor. If we impressed the bride, then we'd get the wedding business, and I really wanted to do the wedding. A wedding of the caliber I was trying to land would guarantee lots of high-profile clients for my shop.

  The manor itself was a stunning venue situated on a perfect stretch of beach, and it happened to be the most expensive and luxurious place to stay outside of New Orleans. The city’s rich and famous flocked there when they wanted to get away from hubbub.

  Praline Manor was a good place to slow down and enjoy good old Southern hospitality. The old estate had been transformed by the current owner into a five-star hotel with every amenity a person could want.

  Speaking of New Orleans, that's where my client was from. Elizabeth Sullivan, the bride-to-be, owned her own wildly successful jewelry company. She was also a big social influencer. Her social media accounts probably made her more money than her high-end jewelry business, and that was saying a lot considering how rich her clientele was.

  I was so excited to have the chance to make her wedding cake. Elizabeth was a member of one of the most prestigious covens in New Orleans. Her stamp of approval would take my business to the next level. Elizabeth had yet to order her wedding cake, and I understood this bridal party cake was an audition. Gaining her as a client would be great for my bakery, Blue Moon Bake Shop, so I knew I had to nail it. Every detail had to be perfect. That meant not destroying the cake’s decoration less than an hour before the shower was set to begin.

  Fortunately, Jenny quietly cleaned up whatever mess she'd made out in the front of the shop, and I finished the cake without messing it up. I almost got teary-eyed looking at it. The white fondant covering the cake was beautiful, smooth, and sugary excellence. I'd made fondant flowers in the colors of the wedding, and they'd come out flawlessly as well. She'd ordered ivory candies as accents on the cake, but I'd gone a step further and made little sugar pearls. All I had to do was add a few little details with a hint of buttercream icing.

  It was a work of art, and I was confident I'd done my best. As long as I got the cake to Praline Manor on time, we'd earn her business. I was sure of it.

  Jenny finished cleaning up everything she’d knocked over and came into the kitchen to help me get the cake packed up properly. I held my breath as we slid it into the box.

  I did the same as I carried the box out to the van, and I nearly passed out by the time I reached the double doors and placed the cake securely in the back. If a witch could turn blue, then I imagine I was blue.

  Everything went fine with loading the cake and the other supplies. I’d had nightmares more than once since I took the job. In them, I dropped the cake. Sometimes when I was putting it in the van. Sometimes it was a doozy where I dropped the cake on the bride’s foot. While I wasn’t in the clear on that part yet, I was on putting the cake into the delivery van and getting out onto the road.

  So, of course, the delivery van broke down a half mile away from the manor. "No. No. No!" I growled and hit the steering wheel. "How is this happening?"

  "What are we going to do?" Jenny asked.

  "We're going to call a tow truck..." I said. "And then we're going to run. Or maybe we should run and call the tow truck later. I don’t think there is time to deal with this right now."

  "What?"

  "We're going to run. We're a half mile away. I can see the manor. We can make it on time,” I said.

  "It's a good thing I wore sensible shoes,” Jenny said.

  “What else would you have worn?” I asked.

  It turned out we couldn't run. If I ran, it would shake the cake box too much and ruin it. We had to speed walk, and I had to hold the cake box halfway away from my body to keep from jostling it. By the time we got to Praline Manor, I thought my arms were going to fall off. But we made it on time. Sweaty, gross, and exhausted, but we were on time.

  Upon arriving at Praline Manor, a member of the bridal party who got there at the same time let me know that the bridal shower had been moved from the patio to one of the indoor ballrooms. The one at the top floor, specifically.

  Apparently, there was a storm incoming, and the bride was afraid everything would get rained on. The manor staff had been more than happy to accommodate her, especially since the manor guest who had booked the upstairs ballroom canceled their event because of the same storm.

  I wasn't worried, though. The sky had been gray all week, and it had rained on and off several times. It was typical weather for Louisiana. Nothing to get worked up over, in my opinion. The local weather station had reported that there was a tropical storm moving in, but their forecasts were wrong all of the time. Seriously, they were wrong far more often than they were right. I’d learned to completely ignore them. Non-magicals thought they could control things by studying them, but witches knew you couldn’t tame the weather.

  As the first fat drops of rain plopped onto the pavement outside, Jenny and I went to the elevator and waited for it to descend from the top floor. It took a few minutes, and when it finally opened, guests with all of their baggage poured out. It looked like there was going to be a mass exodus from the manor. If the hotel had been booked solid, it wasn’t going to stay that way.

  At that point, I started to get a little bit concerned that I'd underestimated the weather. There wasn't time to dwell, though. Plus, the shower had been moved inside. All I had to do was go upstairs and set up the cake. It’s going to be fine, I told myself.

  I had the cake, and Jenny had a box full of supplies. We didn't just drop off a cake and call it good. She had a tablecloth, cake stand, flowers, and candles so we could make the presentation perfect.

  The elevator stopped at every floor on the way up, but when people saw that we weren't going down, not many got on. You would have thought they could program the thing to not stop if people had pushed the down button, but Praline Manor was over a hundred and fifty years old. We were lucky it had an elevator at all.

  Most of the guests hadn't arrived yet, so Jenny and I had time to get set up. I put the ivory lace tablecloth over the table and set up the cake stand. Jenny Mae offered to get the cake out of the box, but after her little incident that morning, I insisted on handling it.

  I did let her arrange the flowers while I went to wash my hands. We’d walked a half mile near the beach, and I wanted to make sure they were clean before I handled the cake.

  I went back over to my table, and I was just about to take the cake out of the box and put it on the stand when Garnet Guillory walked into the ballroom. My jaw just about hit the floor. What was she doing there? And why did she have what looked to be a cake box? Had she actually crashed the bridal shower in an attempt to steal Elizabeth's business? That would have been a trashy move, but I wouldn't have put it past Garnet.


  It was then that I noticed there was an empty table, identical to mine, across the room. None of the hotel staff had put any appetizers on it, and I figured out quickly that was because it was for Garnet's cake. Garnet and her assistant, Byran, strode across the room like they owned the place.

  Garnet Guillory owned Divine Desserts, and her shop was my number one competitor. She also belonged to a rival coven. I tried to calm down, but I couldn't help but be upset that the dirty witch was trying to steal my business.

  Jenny got along fine with Byran. I didn't really have a problem with him either, but I could not stand Garnet. Ugh, she made my blood boil.

  Byron quickly put out a tablecloth, flowers, and a cake stand. Garnet looked across the room at me with a smug smile plastered across her stupid face. She winked at me, and then turned to her cake.

  I watched in horror as she unboxed a cake that looked almost identical to mine. It probably had the same charms in it as well to ensure that the partygoers had a good time. All I could do was hope that my magic was better than hers. Wait, I knew my magic was better than hers. I just had to breathe.

  Byran started to walk away from Garnet and their table. Jenny spotted him and shook my arm to break me out of my enraged stupor.

  "Hey, I'm going to go get the scoop from Byran. Stay here and don't get into a fight with Garnet,” Jenny said.

  "I can stay calm. I can be professional," I chanted more to myself than to Jenny.

  "Good. I'll be right back."

  I busied myself arranging the flowers while Jenny was talking to Byran. I didn't even look over at Garnet or her table, and she stayed away. Jenny finally came back a few minutes later, and she had the story.

  "So, Elizabeth ordered the exact same cake flavors from you and Garnet,” Jenny said. "It's not a coincidence."

  "But how does she have it decorated with the same fondant flowers?" I said. "I mean, they're an exact copy."

  "Garnet and Byran were in the alley this morning watching you decorate through the window. That's why they are a few minutes later than us. They must have actually finished decorating that cake in their van out in the manor parking lot,” Jenny said with an incredulous chuckle.

  "Wait, if they were at the bakery, then they might have sabotaged the van,” I said. "Did Byran say anything about that?"

  "He didn't, but I wouldn't put it past Garnet,” Jenny said.

  "I'm going to kill her," I responded.

  "Fern, you have to calm down. The best way to get back at her is to get hired by Elizabeth to do the wedding cake. That won't happen if you take Garnet's bait and act like a raving lunatic,” Jenny said.

  "I have every reason to act like a raving lunatic," I countered.

  "You and I both know that, but it won't make any difference to Elizabeth. If you ruin her bridal shower, she won't hire you,” Jenny said calmly.

  "You're right,” I said and let out a deep sigh. "Okay. I can do this. I will not let Garnet Guillory bring me down."

  Before I could work myself up again, Elizabeth arrived. Unexpectedly, she motioned for Garnet and I to come over to her. I took a few deep breaths and told myself that I could do it. I could stand next to Garnet and not murder her.

  I walked calmly over and joined Garnet and Elizabeth away from the guests. My smile was as genuine as I could manage. While I hated Garnet with the fire of a thousand suns, I genuinely did want Elizabeth's bridal shower to be amazing for her, and I just had to keep reminding myself of that. I could be the bigger witch.

  "I'm glad you two are both here," Elizabeth began. "If you're wondering why, it's because I couldn't choose between the two of you. After meeting with both of you, I just couldn't decide who to hire to make my wedding cake. So, my bridal shower is your final interview. I'm going to do a taste test of both of your cakes, and I will hire one of you at the end of the shower. I really want to give this business to a fellow witch, and I'm hoping that both of your cakes contain the advanced level spells that will create the perfect experience for all of my magical guests. Sound good?"

  Garnet and I both said yes at the same time.

  "Good. You ladies enjoy the shower, and I will talk to you both at the end."

  After that, the bridal shower began. Waiters with trays of hors d'oeuvres began to circulate the room. I started stress eating bacon-wrapped scallops. There were a great deal of shrimp puffs consumed as well. Probably too many boudin balls and hush puppies too. Fortunately, no one but Jenny noticed me drowning my nerves in tasty food.

  "You're starting to scare the waiters," Jenny finally said.

  "It's not like they're going to tattle on me. As long as I don't offend Elizabeth, we're golden. She hasn't even looked over here. Too busy with her guests,” I said and took another hush puppy off a tray as a waiter tried in vain to hurry past me.

  "Fern," Jenny scolded.

  "Fine,” I said. "I'm full anyway. Let's get some punch."

  "There's rum in that punch,” Jenny said. "So you can only have one."

  The punch fountain was closer to where the actual shower festivities were going on. While Jenny and I were standing there drinking our one glass of punch, I kept hearing Elizabeth make comments about the breathtaking view of the beach from the top floor. It was apparent she was pleased with the change in venue from the patio.

  A while later, I noticed Skyla Sullivan, Elizabeth's younger sister, standing off to one side. She was playing with her puppy, and I took the opportunity to go introduce myself. The puppy's name was Bearberry, and he was adorable.

  “What kind of puppy is he?” I asked.

  “King Charles Cavalier Spaniel,” she said and picked the little guy up.

  “That is quite a mouthful,” I said.

  “It is. But he is very good, and this breed is super smart. Dogs, especially this breed, can learn up to one hundred and seventy commands. I have already started working on teaching him all of them,” Skyla said proudly.

  While Skyla was showing me some of the tricks little Bearberry already knew, Veronica Jones walked up. Veronica was the maid of honor and a non-magical. I thought she was just about the only ordinary at the shower, but I wasn’t completely sure. Either way, Veronica took being around a room full of witches in stride the way only someone who has been good friends with witches their whole lives could.

  We all watched Bearberry happily do his tricks for a few more minutes. Skyla kept him on task because she had a secret stash of treats in her pocket.

  The show was over when Elizabeth decided she wanted to open gifts before cutting the cakes. Skyla insisted on being first, so she and Bearberry went to join the circle of gift givers. Elizabeth sat in a chair in the center of the room and her ladies surrounded her like they were holding court.

  Skyla stepped up first. “I wanted to stick with the traditional wedding saying: something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue,” she said. “I have your something blue to wear on your wedding day.”

  She handed Elizabeth an antique-looking locket with blue gems. I thought it looked rough and even a little dirty, but Skyla said she’s spent countless weekends in vintage shops and antique fairs looking for the perfect gift.

  Elizabeth either pretended she didn’t notice the locket was a little crusty or she actually didn’t notice. Both sisters had a little cry and a massive hug-fest before the rest of their guests presented the bride-to-be with gifts.

  After gifts, Garnet had begun preparation to serve her cake. Not wanting to be left in the dust, I started to do the same.

  I was laser focused on making sure my cake presentation was the best, and I made sure my slices were even neater than Garnet’s.

  People began to wander over to my table, and I served them each a perfect slice. Guests and manor staff were scattered around the room with short lines forming at each of the cake tables.

  As I was handing a slice of cake to the mother of the groom, someone screamed. I nearly dropped the tiny, ivory plate I was trying to give her, but I ma
naged to save it.

  The line at my table dispersed, and it seemed the everyone was heading over to one of the windows. Fern and I left the cake table to join the crowd at the windows.

  I can’t believe my eyes when I see what they are all staring at. On the ground below the window is a lifeless body.

  Chapter Two

  While we waited for the police, the wedding party got Elizabeth away from the window and tried to distract her. Jenny watched out the window for when the police arrived at the scene, and I stayed close to her. I didn’t watch out the window the way she did, but I didn’t leave her side either.

  Eventually, the police arrived outside and taped off the area around the body. A man dressed in a linen suit instead of a police uniform came into the ballroom a short time later.

  “Hello, folks. I’m Detective Landry.”

  He said a few other things, but I didn’t hear them. My attention had been drawn back out the window. Not to the body below but to the sky above. Even I had to admit that it was beginning to look far worse than I’d anticipated.

  The clouds were dark and ominous. They looked as though they were beginning to swirl in a way that made me a bit queasy.

  “So, the bad news is that none of you can leave the manor until you’ve been questioned by me or one of the other officers.” Detective Landry’s statement snapped me out of the cloud hypnotism.

  “We have to stay here?” Jenny asked, but it was directed at me and not Landry.

  “Sounds that way,” I said. “The must think there’s a chance one of us killed her or else they wouldn’t make us stay, right?”

  “Yeah, I guess if they thought she jumped, they wouldn’t hold us hostage,” Jenny groused.

  “It’s going to be okay,” I said. “I doubt it will take that long for them to talk to us. There can’t be much for any of us to say.”

  “Except the killer,” Jenny said, and I felt a chill pass down my spine. “What if she was murdered?”

  Could we really be in the same room with a killer? I hadn’t thought of it that way until she said something.