My mother did come up to me and give me a hug. “Are you okay?” she asked.
Lark and Pep got the same treatment from Meg.
I nodded. “Shall we get to work cleaning?”
“Not tonight,” said Mom. “Let’s have some hot chocolate and wait for the warlocks to return. The rest can wait until morning.”
After the creepy cold of the haunted house and the freezing rain and whipping wind of the rooftop, the cozy kitchen was a welcome comfort. The fire was blazing and the smells from Audrey’s cooking surrounded us. Outside, all we could see was rain.
“Can you explain what happened?” my mom asked Uncle Taft.
The old man was busy searching the corners of the kitchen. On being addressed he said, “Yes, I can.”
Then he kept searching.
It was now deep in the middle of the night; Lizzie was smothering a yawn.
“Maybe right now?” my mom prodded gently.
Uncle Taft straightened. “Certainly. The Clock was the Great Clock of Time. If Mirrorz had gotten possession of it he would have been able to control time. A small step beyond that would have destroyed all witches.”
“I had no idea the grandfather clock was so important,” my mom said, looking stricken.
“It isn’t,” said Uncle Taft.
When everyone looked confused he explained, “Mirrorz thought it was the Great Clock of Time, but that had been broken years ago and never replaced.”
My mom’s eyes narrowed. “You mean a fake has been standing in the hallway all these years?”
“Yes,” said my uncle.
“And it saved the day,” said Meg.
“I’m tired,” said Taft, suddenly going still.
Meg instantly went into mothering mode and led Taft away. He was swaying on his feet, all his energy used up.
We had destroyed the clock, but on the negative side of the ledger, Mirrorz and his allies had gotten away. Still, we were safe for now. We could worry about the next challenge some other day.
Audrey made everyone hot chocolate. Kip, Corey, and Cam helped while the rest of us got comfortable.
Grant came into the kitchen at last and gave us a brief report. “The other warlocks are searching the mansion. We’ve discovered evidence that the Root was the cause of the ghost disappearances as well. The ghosts had discovered information that the Root didn’t want revealed, and the Root took care of them.”
“That’s terrible, but it makes sense,” said Kip.
Grant nodded. “Now I’d just like to hear what happened before we got back.”
I sighed into my hot chocolate. My whole body felt heavy.
“On second thought. You can tell me tomorrow,” said Grant. I looked up at him and smiled.
The sprawling estate of Point Bluff Mansion stretched out in front of us. The most beautiful fall day I had ever seen beckoned, and I couldn’t wait to head outside and take a walk along the water in the crisp air.
All the visiting warlocks were busy eating Audrey’s delicious breakfast. I had a feeling they’d be busy for a while. In the meantime, my mom was trying to recover from the idea that she had missed the single most important event in the mansion’s history.
Uncle Taft was telling anyone who would listen and a lot of people who wouldn’t that he had saved the day. Most of us were starting to believe him.
Lizzie was crying in a corner. She’d been doing that most of the day. Pep said it was because she hadn’t put her eyeliner on that morning.
Now that we knew Grant was His Majesty of Magic, everyone was treating him differently.
Cam looked at him in awe, while Corey kept asking him questions about training and how to become a government investigator.
I’d had hardly any time to speak with him, and I wasn’t sure I cared. He had made me stay at home all week, and I was still angry about it even though I was the one who ended up having the more hair-raising adventures.
“Jane, hi.” I had just rounded the corner into the library when I nearly ran into him. I backed away and scowled.
He grinned back at me, which was very disarming.
“Still mad at me for wanting to protect you, I see,” he said.
“Yes,” I said.
“Given that you ended up fighting the Root of All Evil for the fate of all witches and warlocks, I failed,” he said. He looked terribly cute right now.
“I fought them and won, so maybe I don’t need so much protecting,” I said.
“You only won with help.” His eyes sparkled.
I sputtered. “I was doing just fine!”
Suddenly I realized that Grant was standing very close to me. I stopped breathing. I tried to lift my eyes to him, but somehow they had become very heavy.
He took a step toward me. “You were doing amazingly. I’ve never seen a witch fight like that. Utterly inspiring,” he said, his voice warm.
I twitched, which I’m sure was very attractive.
Then my eyes finally found the strength to look up and meet his.
Suddenly, all I could think about was kissing him.
“Grant, you’re needed,” Cam yelled.
We broke apart with a gasp. Red-faced, I turned away from Grant, but not before I saw a flash of surprise in his eyes.
Pity he was about to depart forever.
Epilogue
As soon as I got up the next day, I heard that Grant and the other investigators were to leave within the hour. I walked around Haunted Bluff in a sort of haze. First I went to the kitchen and picked at the muffins—blueberry, blackcurrant, chocolate chip, and carrot cake—until Audrey ordered me gone. Then I wandered upstairs, then back down.
I went outside to see Cookie, who was busy pretending to brew something yucky in her old, battered black cauldron. If I was seeking out my grandmother, I must really be in a state. Cookie looked at me as if she knew as much.
The day was blustery, and my hair and her clothes were taken by the wind as leaves skittered past our ankles.
“How are you doing?” I asked her.
She gave me a sharp look. “Fine. How are you?”
“I’m good. Sad about Mirrorz,” I said, and sat down on the grass next to her.
She shook her head. “We haven’t seen the last of him. You don’t go naming your nefarious organization the Root of All Evil just to disappear and turn harmless after one go at enchanted clock stealing.”
“I’d rather not see any more of him,” I told her, suddenly feeling a chill.
Just then Grant strode around the side of the mansion with three other warlocks. They all waved as they headed inside, and Grant’s gaze lingered on me longer than was strictly necessary.
I found myself blushing.
“It’s a good day, isn’t it? What with Grant deciding to stay at the mansion for a while and all,” said my grandmother slyly.
“What?” I yelped.
“Just kidding, but I have a feeling he’ll be back very soon. I’ll have one of my granddaughters married yet.” Cookie smirked and looked down. I followed her gaze.
“It is a good thing I got you fired from all those New York City jobs so you had to move home,” she said.
I took a very deep breath. “You aren’t kidding, are you.” It was a statement, not a question.
“You’re welcome,” she said.
I did a face palm. Through my fingers I saw Cookie move.
The cauldron really was empty, and out of it Cookie pulled a wine bottle. She grinned at me.
“Just another day in Shimmerfield,” she said with a toothy smile.
The End
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By Addison Creek
Witch of Mintwood Mysteries
&nb
sp; Witch Way to Mintwood
Witch Some Win Some
Spell by Midnight
A Witch on Mintwood Mountain
Witch Raising Situation
Witch Way Round
Witch Wish Way
White Witch Wonder
The Jane Garbo Mysteries
Spooky Business
Spooky Spells
Spooky Business (Jane Garbo Mysteries Book 1) Page 22