Wynter (Silver Skates #1) - Mia Harlan

Chapter One

Zoe

“So what did Julian blow up this time?” I call out as I enter Jewels Cafe.

I’ve got the Cleanly Den van parallel-parked outside, and all my cleaning supplies are ready to go. Not that I’ll even need them. When it comes to my bestie Amber’s mate, Julian, I usually only need magic.

I dust the snow off my parka and slip it off. With a flick of the wrist, I send it flying. It crosses the cafe, rounds the corner, and disappears into the back room. Then, it peeks back out to look at me.

Okay, fine. It’s a coat. It can’t look at anyone. But my magic makes it seem like it can. And the way it beckons my hat, scarf, and gloves over with one sleeve is pretty lifelike.

I grin as I watch my winter gear fly off. There may not be anyone else around to see my display of magic, but what’s the point of being a witch if you’re not having fun?

“Amber?” I raise my voice slightly and it echoes through the empty cafe.

The scent of freshly brewed coffee permeates the air, but I’m greeted with silence. Which is odd. Amber and Julian own the cafe, so they wouldn’t just leave without locking up. Plus, Amber texted me a panicked SOS half an hour ago, begging me to come over. I literally had to stop in the middle of teaching Snowball to play fetch. But unlike Julian’s latest mess, my pet fuzzy can wait. That and I love a good magical cleanup.

Being a maid may not be most people’s dream job, but it is mine. It’s fun. It’s exciting. And you never know what each day will bring.

Like last week, I found Riley Storm—the raptor shifter—stuck to the ceiling of Bob’s diner with maple syrup. And the week before that, when Rose hired me to clean the back rooms at Club Vee, I walked in on two half-naked guys. That and a floor coated with very questionable bodily fluids. Actually, that last part I could have done without.

There was also the time Julian got a bit too excited at Buttercup’s Bakery. Not the questionable bodily fluids kind of excited, thank the Goddess. He just couldn’t wait to get his hands on all the delicious treats and accidentally shattered the display. Thankfully, no one got hurt, unless you count the desserts. One chocolate cake had so much glass embedded in it, the poor thing resembled a hedgehog. It looked hilarious skating around the bakery on macaron legs, helping me herd shards of glass and massacred treats.

But magical messes don’t always involve actual cleaning. Last time Julian blasted a hole through the Spell Library door—yes, he’s done it more than once—I reformed the broken glass into snowflakes and hung them from the library’s high ceilings. People still drop by just to look at the display.

Which only goes to show that I have an amazing job. And that half the messes I clean up are caused by Julian’s wonky magic. If it weren’t for him, and his Wonky Magic Insurance, I’d be out of work. Or at least out half my rent money. Getting paid by the job does have its downsides.

I wipe my boots before stepping off the front mat. I may love cleaning, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to intentionally track snow in. Plus, as fun as it may be to get a mop duo to perform Swan Lake on Ice, I’ve got paid work to do. First, Julian’s latest mess, followed by a magical beer explosion that just happened at the Silver Steins Brewery. Oh, and an after-hours cleaning job at the Silver Skates Ice Rink later tonight.

“Amber?” I call out again. “Julian? Wes? Chase?”

All three guys are Amber’s mates. Come to think of it, she’s probably hooking up with one of them in the back room right now. Wouldn’t be the first time.

“I’m just going to make myself a Mood Tea while you guys finish up!” I grin, knowing full and well that my words won’t stop them. That’s mates for you. Can’t keep their hands off each other, even at times when they probably should.

Am I a little jealous? Sure. But do I want a mate or three of my own? Not so much. Relationships and I don’t mix.

I do love teasing Amber and her guys, though. They always get all flustered—especially Wes, who also happens to be my boss at the Cleanly Den. Twice the opportunity—and twice the fun.

Squeak!

I look for the source of