Tarot Academy 4 - Sarah Piper Page 0,70

world is no time to settle for culinary mediocrity.”

So, the morning after our covert mission, she and Baz team up to cook us a brunch fit for royalty: orange-glazed French toast stuffed with cinnamon cream cheese, baked apples and brie, fresh berry salad, roasted potatoes with rosemary and olive oil, poached eggs over sautéed spinach, banana date pudding, lemon sunshine bread, and enough bacon to fill a suitcase.

They make a great team in the kitchen, and their energy is downright infectious, full of laughter and newfound friendship. Just seeing the two of them rediscover the kind of sweet sibling bond they missed out on growing up… It’s like getting a glimpse into a past that should have been. Now that Janelle’s out of the picture, they’re getting a second chance—not for a better past, but for a better right now.

Whether it’s Janelle’s exit, or Baz and Carly’s teasing jokes as they chop and stir and sautée, or the fact that we survived a brutal magickal attack last night, or even just the sweet and savory smells of a home-cooked meal, the vibe in the house is light and happy, full of a promise as bright as the sun streaming through the open windows. Wrapping my hands around a mug of Earl Gray, vanilla bean, and rose petal tea, I try to take it all in, to hold onto the warmth and joy, to store it deep in my heart.

For as perfect as this moment feels, I know it’s fleeting. I know that until we can uncover and defeat our enemies, no happiness is secure, no future is promised.

But before I can sink too deeply into those dark thoughts, Baz is leaning in to steal a kiss, his soft moan of pleasure temporarily eradicating my worries.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he says. “You snuck away this morning before I could ravage you.”

“Maybe I had a better offer,” I tease.

“Is that so? From who?”

My gaze darts toward the kitchen entryway, where Doc has just made his first appearance of the day, his hair uncharacteristically tussled, his eyes still a bit glazed. I’m not sure he’ll ever recover from the surprise visit I paid him this morning.

“Nice of you to join us, Dr. Devane.” I smile at him, wide-eyed and innocent. “Trouble sleeping?”

“Cass?” Baz shakes his head, his mischievous grin stretching wide. “He’s your better offer? Oh, you’ve got to be shitting me.”

“Maybe you should talk to him, Baz,” I say, keeping my voice low. “He’s got this no-sharing rule, but I’m thinking mornings could be better for everyone if he bends it, just a little bit. Don’t you agree?”

“Miss Milan,” Doc warns, looming over us both, “do not get on my bad side. You won’t like the consequences.”

I stretch up on my toes and nip his earlobe. “Oh, I think I’d like the consequences very much.”

“So anyway,” Baz says, clearing his throat, “brunch is ready. Get it while it’s hot. Preferably without making the rest of us sick.” He gives Doc a playful smack on the chest. “And we’ll talk about sleeping arrangements later.”

On that note, the rest of the house files into the kitchen, and together we descend upon the counter like locusts, loading up our plates from the impressive spread set out before us.

“Don’t forget the mimosa bar,” Carly says. “We’ve got pineapple juice, orange, mango, pineapple orange mango, grapefruit, and for those of you who need a little more fiber in your diet—looking at you, professors—there’s some prune juice.”

“Cass,” Baz says, “I think she means you.”

“Right. I think I’ll be sticking to whiskey for all my digestive needs.” He grabs the bottle from the stash of booze on the counter and pours a shot into his coffee, then takes a seat at the table, right next to me.

It’s a perfect meal, and as the morning stretches into the afternoon, we luxuriate in the delicious food and drink, the excellent company, the warm sunshine spilling across the kitchen. It feels like we’re in a bubble, safe and protected and loved, and part of me wishes we could stay inside it forever.

But as the final pieces of bacon disappear and the sun rises high in the afternoon sky, the Arcana mages and I know we can’t put off our revelations any longer.

“Professors and friends,” Doc begins. “Now that we’re all sated, Stevie, Baz, Kirin, and I have a few things we’d like to share with you.”

“Starting with where you all snuck off to last night?” Carly shoots me an all-knowing smirk. Goddess, living