Magic and Fire: Fated Magic Series, #3

By Ally Summers

Heartbreak sucks.

The only way to get over losing Jack is to throw myself into my work.

The movie set in New Orleans should be the perfect distraction, especially when the lead actress disappears.

But's never that easy, is it?

Finn shows up, wanting to flip everything upside down with those bedroom eyes and every magical trick in his fingertips.

There's dark magic everywhere we turn, and putting us back together is the last thing on my mind. Doesn't he know by now I can't turn my back when someone needs help?

Welcome to Sullen's Grove and the world of Ivy Grace, where time travel, magic, shifters, love and heartbreak run rampant. Ivy is a bad-ass heroine, ready to fight for what matters most. This is the third in the complete six-book series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Head Over Heels Press
• Release date: Jul 15, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393481874

Book preview

Chapter 1

Whew! I didn’t remember New Orleans being this hot on my last trip. I pulled my shirt away from my chest and fanned myself. The sun scorched my skin. I looked around for a cold drink.

Cut! Cut! Cut! The director’s voice boomed overhead. You’ve got this all wrong. Let’s take a break and start over in thirty minutes.

The mob holding lights, microphones, and fans scurried in different directions..

I jumped from my seat, and made a dash for the drink cart under one of the few umbrellas on the set. I let my hand linger a little too long in the ice bucket of sodas.

Darlin’, you need some help cooling off? The deep sexy voice and Texas drawl ebbed over my ears like a wave.

Startled, I pulled my hand out of the ice bucket, and with it, a diet soda. I laughed.

Yes, you caught me. I didn’t know it was going to be so hot today.

He laughed and reached in front of me to grab a water, his arm grazing my stomach.

I take it you’re not used to being on a movie set? We’re in for the long haul today, darlin’.

He twisted the cap off the water bottle and chugged the sixteen ounces.

I watched him wipe the water off his full lips. That obvious? Yeah, it’s my first time. I’m Ivy. Ivy Grace. I smiled at the tall actor who had me smitten about five movies ago.

"The writer? I know who you are. I was just waiting for the director to yell cut so I could walk over and say hi to you. His white teeth peeked through his lips. I’m Evan."

I was smitten a little bit more. It was the combination of the Texas accent and the perfect-teeth smile. He had warm gray-green eyes that lit up when he talked. I liked the way he paused between his words and wasn’t afraid to look into my eyes, even if we were only talking about the weather.

The sweat trickling down the back of my neck was my cue to step away from the drink cart and America’s heartthrob, and perform a quick outfit change.

Well, it was nice to meet you, Evan. I wiped my palm off on my hip and held it out to him.

His hand clasped around mine. Nice to meet you, Ivy. Catch you around?

Of course, looking forward to it. I grinned.

Stay cool.

I smiled at him again and watched him saunter over to the talent trailers bordering the side of the set. I squealed on the inside. I couldn’t believe I had just met the Evan Carlson, hottest movie star, playing the lead in my movie. I looked down at my shirt and saw water droplets bleeding through the cotton fabric.

Great—movie star encounter with a wardrobe malfunction. I grabbed my leather bag with the script I was working on, and found the ladies room. The talent had individual trailers, where they could escape from the humidity. The star accommodations were equipped with air conditioning, televisions, and cold drinks, but the rest of the crew shared community lounges.

The ladies room was empty, so I opted to use my glamour spell. I watched my reflection in the mirror as my makeup instantly freshened and the beads of perspiration vanished. I smiled at my reflection.

I was in New Orleans for a few days to work on the last-minute changes for Masquerade’s screenplay. I wrote the book two years ago, but after the success of Vegas Star, my second novel, the team at Raven Publishing sold Masquerade as a screenplay. It all felt like it happened in reverse.

The creative team invited me to the set today to watch the behind-the-scenes action unfold in person. I grabbed my bag and headed out just as a few girls from the sound crew headed in. They couldn’t stop giggling about something they heard Evan say. I paused in the doorway, hoping to girl talk with them, but they clammed up and waited for me to leave.

The production of Masquerade took place all over the city. Today’s scenes were filmed at a plantation house on the outskirts of town.

The breeze kicked up and I watched the moss entangled in the oak branches float above the road. The production studio purchased a week of filming at Magnolia Plantation, so the crew didn’t have to worry about tourists trying to catch glimpses of the film’s stars.

Evan emerged from one of the talent trailers, and from a distance, I thought I saw him throw me a wave. I waved back, just in case, and settled into my seat to watch the next scene between him and Emmy Harper, the actress playing Josette. I pulled my sunglasses low, trying to shield my face from the sun, and retrieved a fan from my bag. I doubted anyone knew it wasn’t in my bag five minutes ago.

Evan strolled to the front sidewalk of the house and waited for the director to shout, Action.

One of the makeup artists powdered the front of his nose, and brushed the shoulders of his Navy uniform with a lint brush. I giggled at the face he made during the makeup attack. Looking satisfied with her presentation, she returned the brushes to her apron belt, and stepped back to let Evan and Emmy start their lines. My wrist rocked back and forth with the fan as I listened to the actors exchange words only a few feet in front of me.

Josette, I’m leaving. Come with me. Evan stretched his hand out to Emmy.

His face was pained. Her back was turned to him, and she was at the top of the stairs, leaning against one of the porch columns.

Just go, Luke. You know Papa will never let us be together. Just go. She buried her head in her hands and started to cry.

I watched as Evan made the short climb up the stone steps, and placed his hands on her shoulders. I waited for Emmy to lean into him, but instead, she stayed firmly attached to the pillar.

I’m not leaving without you. Leave your father. Leave all of this. We can make it together, just you and me, Evan pleaded.

I stopped fanning myself and stretched forward to hear him whisper into her ear. But he was too quiet. I couldn’t hear what he said next.

Cut! Cut! Cut! What is this shit? Come on! Give me something! I’m not feeling it, Evan. Break. Emmy. Everyone take five, Archie Preston groaned into his megaphone again.

The wiry director held his hands in the air as he dismounted from his chair. I was surprised when Gina told me Archie would be the director for this film. He was known for his high action blockbusters, not dramatic, love story, period pieces. He walked over to Evan, put his arm around the Texan’s shoulder, and they disappeared around the corner of the house. Their heads leaned toward each other in intense conversation.

Facing an unexpected break in the schedule, I turned back to the pages in my lap and studied the dialogue. Was the director unhappy with the script or the delivery? The conversion of Josette’s and Luke’s love story from my novel to the screenplay was more challenging than I anticipated. The writing team wanted more action. I assumed the motive came from Archie’s direction. I wondered if they knew this was a love story, not a high-chase, car explosion, kind of storyline. I groaned, remembering the scene I saw inserted into the script. There was a fight scene planned this week.

I scribbled a few changes in the margins when I heard my phone vibrate. I reached in and retrieved my phone. I recognized the main number for Raven Publishing flash on the screen. My heart skipped a beat or two, hoping it was Jack.

If it weren't for the Foresight I had in Las Vegas, we would be together now. I pushed out the feelings of hope that always surfaced when I thought about him. It wasn’t safe.

I hadn’t forgotten I was the reason we couldn’t be together. The only way to shield him and to prevent the Foresight from happening was to undo those three days together in Las Vegas.

He had to be put back in the safe zone. Holly made sure he knew nothing about the existence of magix or Proxies, glowing orbs, spells, or the seam. Making him let go of me one memory at a time was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made.

A few weeks after our return from Vegas, Gina, the marketing guru at Raven Publishing, insisted I temporarily abandon writing a new book and instead dedicate time to the Masquerade screenplay. As much as I wanted to be around Jack, to hear him growl or brood, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect to get away.

My attempt to act normal around him failed miserably the first time I saw him in his office after Holly had performed her eraser spell. I smiled too much, giggled too much, and dropped too many hints.

I wanted the faintest sign that part of what we shared was buried somewhere in his mind or, more importantly, in his heart. Instead of smiling he focused on work. He returned my flirts with editing questions. The laughs with a furrowed brow. The innuendo with a puzzled look.

There was no doubt I needed to escape from my editor. I needed to regroup. I needed to mend my broken heart. New Orleans and the set of Masquerade were the perfect distractions.

I ran my finger along the slide on my screen. Hello?

I sucked in my breath, waiting for Jack’s husky voice on the other end of the phone.

Ivy, it’s Gina. How’s it going? How’s our little Sullen’s Grove super star doing? I could hear her smacking on her gum between words.

My heart sank. Oh, hey, Gina. I started breathing again. "It’s