Mystic World Cozy Mystery series

The Inheritance Spell

I've been matriarch of our chaotic family of elemental witches for exactly one year, and let me tell you—the job description seriously undersold the weirdness factor. There was absolutely zero warning that a mysterious grimoire would appear on my nightstand like some kind of magical Uber Eats delivery. So naturally, when I opened the dusty old book tonight, my pendant decided to throw a rave—its center crystal lit up like a disco ball, and before I could even process what was happening, I was thrust into what I can only describe as a fever dream version of Hansel and Gretel. Apparently, this is an "inheritance test," because evidently surviving a year of mediating cousin drama and trying not to accidentally warp all the wood in my house wasn't proof enough that I can handle this gig.

Plot twist: I'm not suffering alone. My sister Arielle and our four cousins—Amara, Ava, Alina, and Alex—got the same magical middle finger, each dumped into their own twisted fairy tale with nothing but their elemental powers, and I'm assuming, equal amounts of confusion and rage. Every time I solve one of these ridiculous mysteries (yes, the gingerbread house was a metaphor, no, I don't want to talk about it), I get a cryptic clue that makes absolutely no sense. The endgame? All six of us have to meet up and combine our powers—earth, time, fire, water, electricity, and air—to prove we're "worthy" of the magic we've literally been using since our birthdays, or shortly thereafter. No pressure or anything, just link hands and hope we don't explode. Because apparently, the alternative to passing this test is dying, and I've got way too much unfinished chocolate to eat for that.