“Oh, don’t start,” Bogdana said. “I know it’s been a long time. I’m sorry.”
Through gritted teeth, he asked, “Did you put a spell on Millie to make her forget me?”
Bogdana turned pale. Huh, Millie thought. Her skin isn’t green, and her hair isn’t tangled. And she doesn’t have many moles or warts. And her nose... her nose is straight. It looks just like mine. And she has dimples. Millie gasped. It was all illusion.
“You have to understand,” Bogdana began. “I couldn’t have people asking questions. It was time for me to start taking Millie to Coven meetings, and she would have told them about you.”
Dean thrust out his chin. “You had no right to take those memories from her.”
“It was for her own good,” Bogdana said. “She would have missed you so.”
“Oh, Mother!” Millie cried. “Yes, I would have missed him, if I’d known. But you know what? That whole time, I was so lonely. I felt like there was a great big hole inside me, and I didn’t know why. I only had you, except at Coven meetings, and the other girls are always so mean to me. It was just you and me and Horace until I finally went to school. And all this time, when I was so sad and alone, I WASN’T! I had a father who loved me, and you took that away from me! All because you were worried about what people would think about you.”
Bogdana looked down at her daughter, aghast. “I, I never knew. I’m so sorry, Millie. I had intended to remove the spell when you were old enough. But if I’d known... why didn’t you tell me?”
“Would you have listened?” Dean asked quietly.
Bogdana looked at him. “No, probably not. I’d have thought she was just going through a phase and she’d grow out of it.” She sighed. “I never intended any of this. I never meant to get involved in any part of the Logical Realm. It just... happened.”
Lillian spoke up. “Running from your problems generally just adds new problems to the ones you’ve run from,” she said, hugging Sagara tightly. “Trust me. I have a great deal of experience.”
“So do I.” Max’s father had entered the restaurant. Dean muttered something about getting a better lock.
“Max! Are you all right?” Salazar asked in Canto.
“Affirmative, Dad,” Max said calmly, in English. “What are you doing here?”
“What am I doing here?” his father exclaimed. “What are you doing here? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to cross between Realms?” He paused. “When did you learn English?”
Dean chuckled. “From the sound of it, I’d say Max has been reading your science fiction collection.”
“Affirmative. And you’re one to talk,” Max pointed out. “You even dress like a native.”
Max’s father was dressed comfortably in those blue trousers and a shirt bearing the puzzling words, “Red Sox.”
“Hello, Al,” Dean said quietly.
Alfonso nodded. “Dean.”
Millie looked confused. “Wait, you know each other?”
“We’re old friends.” Alfonso sighed. “I was going to tell you about this when you were older. Max, I dress like a native because I am a native. I grew up here, in the Logical Realm.”
“But you speak Canto,” Max protested.
“In this part of the Logical Realm, people speak English,” Alfonso explained. “In other parts of the Realm, there are other languages, just like in the Enchanted Forest. My parents moved here from a place called Puerto Rico, where they speak Spanish, and Spanish is very similar to Canto. It was easy for me to learn.”
“Then how do you know Daddy?” Millie asked.
“I met Dean in college — that’s school for adults — and we became friends and lived together as roommates. Then, one day, he brought home this fascinating woman.” He nodded at Bogdana.
“Mother?” Max and Millie said together. Fascinating? Millie thought.
“I found her in the Salem Woods, where I was hunting wild mushrooms,” Dean explained.
“They fell deeply in love, Dean and Danny,” Alfonso said. “Eventually, they told me about the Enchanted Forest and the other Realms. I couldn’t get it out of my head. I pestered them until they took me through the portal.”
“And you discovered you have talent,” Lillian said.
Alfonso nodded. “You could have knocked me over with a feather, I was so shocked. But once I’d tasted magic, I couldn’t leave it behind. I chose to stay in the Enchanted Forest and learn magic.”
Millie looked at her father. “What about you, Daddy? Why didn’t you stay?”
“Because,” Dean said, “unlike Al, I had no magical talent. And I was just starting my first restaurant here. Danny got pregnant, and you were born.” He frowned. “And then things got complicated.”
Petunia piped up, “She dumped you. Bogdana went off with Al instead.”
Bogdana snarled. “Impudent wretch!”
“It’s true, though,” Dean said. “I guess I wasn’t good enough for her.”
“But why, Mother?” Millie asked. “What did he do?”
“It wasn’t about Dean,” Alfonso said. “It was about me. I made a pretty big splash in the Enchanted Forest. I got elected to the Enchanted Forest Council about the same time Bogdana did.”
“But you’re not together anymore,” Max pointed out. “Now you’re with Hepsibat.”
Alfonso rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I think that was a bad decision, too. You see, I didn’t understand witch culture. For witches, choosing a wizard to be the father of your children isn’t about love or family, it’s a competition, and apparently I was a prize. But I don’t think either one of them ever loved me. Certainly Bogdana never did.” He looked at Dean. “Not the way she loved you.”
Bogdana grimaced. “Irrelevant. Come, we’re going home.”
Millie folded her arms and declared, “I’m not going back. I want to stay here with Daddy.”
“Out of the question!” Bogdana yelled.
Dean looked startled. “You do?”
“I want to be a chef like you.” Millie held up Simple Pleasures. “I’ve made almost everything in here. What’s a microwave?”
Bogdana said, “Millie, you have a duty to the Coven. You’re a witness in Cretacia’s trial. You have to come back.”
“Speaking of which,” said Alfonso, “is Cretacia here, too? She escaped from her wards sometime this morning. When you kids came through the portal, you set off alarms all over the Enchanted Forest. Bogdana, who had been out searching for Cretacia, beat me to the portal, assuming that she’d been the one to go through it.”
“But the portal keeps track of who passes through,” Bogdana said. “Imagine my surprise when I found out it allowed a small horde of children through. It told me two human girls, one human boy, and an elf girl. I assumed the human girls were Cretacia and Millie.” She glanced at Petunia. “I wasn’t expecting a transformed pixie instead.”
Alfonso nodded. “I got the same report, but I also detected traces of Cretacia’s magical signature. If she didn’t take my wards down, she tried very, very hard.”
“We saw her,” Max admitted. “She was fighting the hydra when we stepped through. But we didn’t see her come through after us.”
Alfonso looked thoughtful. “So she might have made it through, or she might still be loose in the Enchanted Forest.” He rubbed his forehead. “This is a pretty pickle.”
Millie folded her arms. “Well, if you can’t find her, there can’t be a trial. I’m staying here. You’ll have to manage without me.”
“But Millie, what about school?” Dean asked. “I thought you were enjoying it.”
Millie nodded reluctantly. “I did. I do. I’m learning so much, and I like seeing Max every day, and I like being with my friends. But I don’t want to live with Mother any more. She put a binding spell on the kitchen so I couldn’t do kitchen magic, and she made me forget you. I don’t want her to do anything else to me.”
Dean frowned at Bogdana. “She’s got a point, Danny. I wou
ldn’t trust you either.”
“You try raising a child, Dean,” Bogdana hissed. “See how well you do.”
“I would have, happily, if you’d let me,” Dean countered.
“May I make a suggestion?” Lillian spoke up. They all turned to her, and she cleared her throat. “It’s a terrible thing for a daughter to be separated from her mother. I know that all too well. And while I’m not defending Bogdana’s actions, I can understand why she did what she did. She was trying to protect herself and Millie.
“But now the cat’s out of the bag, as they say here for reasons that still mystify me,” Lillian went on. “Dean, Alfonso, and Headmistress Pteria all know that Bogdana has made some bad decisions regarding Millie. And unless Danny plans on casting forgetting spells on all of you, Dean is no longer a secret. If you don’t allow Millie to spend time with her father, word will get out.”
“Oh, really?” said Bogdana. “And why would I be afraid of any of them? They have no say in how I raise my daughter.”
“No, but Baba Luci does,” Lillian pointed out. “She’s your mother, and she’s the head of your Coven. Her job is to make decisions in cases just like this.”
“Of course!” said Petunia, “Millie, remember I told you that I think that you should ask Baba Luci for help?”
Bogdana turned white as a ghost at the mention of Baba Luci. “You wouldn’t dare,” she whispered.
“You’re right,” Millie said slowly. “This is witches’ business, and that’s a problem for Baba Luci. She’ll know what’s best. I want to visit my dad. I’m sure Baba Luci would want that, too. If you want me at the trial, Mother, I’m going to talk to Baba Luci about all of this.”
Bogdana covered her eyes with one hand. “Fine. Millie can visit.”
“When?” Millie asked eagerly.
“During school break,” her mother said. “Right after the next Coven meeting, you get two weeks off. You can come then.” She looked at Dean. “Is that acceptable?”
“Two of your weeks is ten days, right?” Dean asked. “I’d like longer, but I don’t want to interrupt her studies. It’ll do for now.”
Alfonso draped an arm around Max’s shoulders. “I think we’ll come, too. You should meet your grandparents.”
The woman who’d opened the door of the restaurant came up to them. “Excuse me, chef,” she said. “I’m sorry to intrude, but we open in ten minutes.”
“Ah, yes,” he said. “Thank you, Sarah. I’m sorry, everyone, but we’ll have to take this elsewhere.”
Wistfully, Lillian asked, “Couldn’t we stay for dinner?”
A light came into Dean MacRae’s eyes. “Oh, yes. Yes, you may. In fact, I insist. Sarah, do we have any early reservations on the corner booth?”
Sarah hurried over to a podium. “Not until 6:30.”
“Perfect,” he said. “It’s reserved now. Come with me, everyone.”
That evening, Millie ate the most perfect meal of her life. They started with a salad made with mixed greens, candied pecans, goat cheese, and cranberries. Then there was the soup, lobster bisque, creamy and delicate. The elves, being vegetarians, had a butternut squash soup that Sagara swore was better than elfcakes.
For the main course, Max had a curious stuffed pasta called ravioli. Bogdana chose the rack of lamb. Alfonso selected the seafood platter. Lillian and Sagara had the wild mushroom risotto. Petunia had a sandwich of chopped meat called a burger. And Millie picked the roast duck, which was so tender it melted in her mouth.
They all shared bites, and they spoke very little, except to say “Mmm” and “Yum” and “Ahhhh...” Through all this, Millie’s father remained in the kitchen, directing the preparation of the food. At the end of the meal, he sent out a tray with a selection of desserts: dark chocolate mousse cake, crème brûlée, petit fours, and an ice cream sundae complete with hot fudge and whipped cream. The adults had a hot drink called coffee, which all three pronounced blissful. Millie tried a sip but thought it was much too bitter.
When they had all given up eating even another bite, Dean came out and looked Bogdana in the eye.
“So, do you think Millie could learn something from me?” he asked.
Bogdana burped loudly. “Absolutely. I’ve been a ninny, Millie. This is why I fell in love with your father in the first place. I should have known how important it would be to you. Pteria tells me that kitchen magic is the foundation of all your magical abilities. If being a better cook will help, then I’d be a fool to stand in your way.” She sighed. “But we really do have to go back, even if we have to roll all the way there.”
He charmed her, Millie thought. Daddy charmed Mother with food, and he didn’t even use any magic.
“Could you please take Sagara back with you?” Lillian asked. “Her grandmother is probably frantic by now.”
“No!” Sagara cried. “Mother, I want to stay here with you!”
“Here we go again,” muttered Petunia.
Lillian stroked her cheek. “Too soon, dear heart. But I will give you a message for your grandmother, asking if you can come when Millie comes at school break. A child should know her mother. She cannot deny us that. All right?”
Sagara nodded sadly. “But soon, right?”
“Yes, dear heart. Soon.” Lillian pulled a scrap of paper from her purse and began writing quickly.
Bogdana slid out of the end of the booth. “Then it is time we went home.”
“One moment,” Dean said. “I have something for Millie.”
“Another cookbook?” Millie asked hopefully.
“Better,” he said. From behind his back, he produced another white, poofy-looking hat. “This is a chef’s hat. It’s part of the uniform we wear in the kitchen. Since your hat was ruined, I thought you might like a replacement.”
Bogdana opened her mouth to protest, then looked at her daughter’s shining eyes and closed it again.
Millie put the chef’s hat on. “Thank you, Daddy. It fits perfectly.”
“I have a good eye.” He winked at her. “Now come give us a hug goodbye.”
There was a great deal of hugging all around, swollen bellies and all. Then Alfonso and Bogdana led Millie and her friends out of the restaurant, leaving Lillian to discuss elfcakes with Dean.
The sun was low in the sky when they stepped outside. Alfonso waved at a yellow car, which obligingly stopped for them, and they piled in, Bogdana in the front seat beside the driver with the rest crammed into the back. “Salem Willows Park,” she told him.
“So,” Alfonso asked in Canto. “What did you think of the Logical Realm?”
“It’s... interesting,” Millie said.
“The food is better,” said Max, “but the air is worse. And it’s sort of sad that there are only humans here. I miss the dwarves and centaurs and fairies and pixies.”
“Pixies!” cried Millie. “Petunia, your parents will be worried sick.”
“Ha. I doubt they even noticed I was gone,” Petunia said. “I have to admit, though, I’ll be happy to get back to normal. This skin color is nice, but I miss blue. And it’s weird being this big for so long. It’ll be bad enough growing to your size again in school tomorrow.”
The other three children groaned. “School...”
Epilogue
One month later, Millie arrived at the Coven meeting on the back of her mother’s broom with her lunch cauldron hung in the crook of one arm. Instantly, the other apprentice witches surrounded her.
“You’re wearing a hat!” Greely cried.
“It’s the strangest, ugliest hat I’ve ever seen,” Grooly added.
Greely put her hands on her hips. “What sort of witch’s hat is that? It’s got no brim. It’s not pointy. It’s not even black. It looks ridiculous.”
Millie smiled at them all. “My father gave it to me.”
“It can’t be a real witch’s hat,” Grooly announced. Swift as a snake, she grabbed for the hat. Her hand bounced off harmlessly. Then Greely tried, and then another and a
nother of Millie’s cousins. Millie stood quite still and let them. Not one of them succeeded in pulling it off her head.
The twins stood back, panting. “Your mother must have done it for you,” Greely gasped out. “Everyone knows you can’t do magic.”
“Oh, really?” said Millie. “Ask Cretacia if that’s true.”
They all fell silent at the mention of Cretacia.
“She enchanted it herself,” boomed a loud voice behind her. Baba Luci had arrived. “She did it in my hut, with her mother and I attending. It may look funny, but it’s a real, honest-to-darkness witch’s hat.”
“It’s a chef’s hat, too,” Millie said proudly. “I wear it when I’m cooking. Would you like some elfcakes?” She pulled the napkin off the top of the cauldron. The smell of fresh-baked cakes wafted out.
Greely stared. “You made elfcakes?”
Grooly drooled. “I thought only elves could do that.”
“Try one and see,” Millie said.
“No way,” said Greely. “What if she enchanted them? What if they turn us into toads?”
Millie smiled. “I thought you said I couldn’t do magic,” she pointed out.
“Um,” said Grooly.
Greely’s hand crept forward. “May I have one? Please?”
“Of course,” Millie said.
Grooly’s hand darted forward and took one. “Hey, you didn’t ask!” Greely protested, trying to wrest it from her. Millie hastily handed Greely a cake of her own, then handed another to the next young witch, and the next, and the next.
Baba Luci smiled down at Millie. “A witch who charms witches.”
“They’re not charmed, Baba,” Millie told her. “They’re just ordinary elfcakes.”
“Even so, you’ve made an impression, my dear.”
Millie shrugged. “I just want to be myself, Baba.”
“Exactly,” the Baba said. “Now, how are things with your mother?”
Millie sighed. “She’s still mad at me, and she stomps around the house all the time. I’m kinda still mad at her, too. But she’s eating my food again, and we’ve started making healing potions together.”
A Witch’s Kitchen Page 19