Tongue Twisted: Magic and Mayhem Universe: Weekend Magic, #3

By Amy Gregory

Rox Dee is the brother of not one, but two sisters. He works hard all day at Carpe Diem, their family-owned bed and breakfast. In his spare downtime, he enjoys music, especially playing his guitar. Lately his sisters' lives have been requiring more of his time. Especially with weddings and fighting off bad immortals. Not that he minds because his mate hasn't come to him yet. 

Yet, the moment she does, he turns into any TV character ever that has played a completely speechless idiot, with a worthless wingman to boot. 

 

Honey Efronavich has spent her life hiding quietly in plain sight. In a mortal's world that is. She's happy with her peace and books, and her guilty pleasure--Cosmopolitan Magazine. After all, how else is going to learn about men. Surely at least some of the same rules apply to warlocks as well. 

She doesn't get the chance to study her latest issue before she's standing face to face with the first gorgeous man in her life that she knows is immortal. Terrifying circumstances brought them together, and though everything is all right, Honey is not. The "be confident" advice in all the articles over the years has flown out the window, because she can do is hope to evaporate.

• Language: English
• Publisher: REN Publishing
• Release date: Jun 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201644703

Amy Gregory

When asked ‘when do you have time to write’, Amy Gregory simply laughs.  The real answer is, “in bits and pieces”.  She and her husband live in Kansas City with their three fantastic kids that keep them running in three very different directions.  Because she sits so much, she always carries a notebook with her at all times. She has an off the wall, snarky, off the cuff sense of humor that often shocks even those who’ve known her for years.  And she loves that her children have all been blessed that ability to make others laugh as well.  At least she’s grateful most of the time!  Her husband often teases her about how she “makes this stuff up” when he’s reading a piece of her work. … The answer—“it just comes to me when I’m typing”. Scary thought, huh!

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Honey Efronavich was fuming, for the first time in her entire life she wished she had even a small fraction of black magic in her soul. And if it meant she’d spent eternity in the Magic Pokey, fine by her. But taking down her older brother’s ex-wife and obliterating her into tiny little fire marbles that had to roll over the realm, into streams, sidewalk cracks—anywhere, then so be it.

Mind-crawling was still a skill she was getting used to. It was extremely tricky. The last thing she wanted to do was accidentally pop into her brother or parents’ heads while they were doing the naked limbo thing. She shuttered at the thought. If she’d lived somewhere that wasn’t mixed with mortals her entire world might be easier. Stuck in Connecticut, she had only a few resources at her disposal.

At the moment, her needs were surpassed by trying to save her precious niece. Her days were spent in the children’s section of their local library where she worked. Today she’d woken with a migraine so powerful it was all she could do not to go running toward a toilet. But before she could get out of bed, the images came flooding in. Her only concentration now was the little girl she loved more than anything who was crying and trying to get away from her mother, Rubella—also known as the queen beeeeeotch of the century.

Honey pressed her palms against her temples. Mom, Dad come here. Hurry, she screamed.

Sweetheart?

Honey was trying to keep the voices separate. Damn, she really needed some mind crawling lessons. It was impossible for her to keep what her parents were asking, and what was going on in her head straight.

She kept her eyes clenched shut. It’s Izzy. We need to help her.

Izzy? her mother asked. What’s going on? Where is she, where is Zak?

Honey had bought the outfit Isabelle was wearing. Having no kids of her own didn’t keep her from Gap Kids. The heart on the back pocket was too adorable to pass by and not purchase. The small child’s plea for the stranger to let her go was heartbreaking. But her parents were freaking out and trying to call Zak. There was too much talking in her bedroom, there were multiple voices in the images talking, and then her niece, crying Honey was about to lose it.

Dad, you have to find out what town Zak went to. You’re going to have to have enough power to transport me. I don’t know how to do it and mind-crawl at the same time, Honey stated, but kept her focus on the woman dragging Izzy down the sidewalk screaming. She saw people stop and stare. Why wouldn’t any of them step in to help? It was obvious in her opinion that it was a dangerous situation. You damnassidiots. Stop that bitch and call the police. Of course, she was only adding to the noise confusion. And the people in her crawling expedition couldn’t hear her, but it made her feel better.

A barista at the corner coffee shop stepped out, a phone to his ear, holding his other hand out toward Izzy. Finally. Maybe mortals weren’t all dip shits. Isabelle reached toward the stranger. Their fingertips touched, then as the mother and daughter turned the corner they disappeared into thin air.

Fuckmesideways. What the hell? Honey could hear Izzy’s sobs, begging to see her daddy. Where’d they go? Honey’s view from inside her niece was gone, her crying—silent.

She jumped out of bed, We have to go. Now! Honey grabbed her Nikes, looking at her parents. Did you figure out where Zak is?

Yeah. He’s down south. Down in West Virginia. But what do you mean, where’d they go, can you not mind-crawl Izzy anymore? her mother asked.

Honey shook her head. It was as clear as could be one minute. There was a mortal getting ready to help her. But when they turned the corner of the intersection, they were gone. And then my crawl, like a movie screen went suddenly black.

CHAPTER 1

Rockford Dee was part of the third generation to run Carpe Diem Bed and Breakfast. He had grown up watching his grandfather and father. Carrying tools and helping with anything and everything he could. After inheriting it with his two sisters, they added more functions like weddings and large parties as another revenue stream. However, tonight's impromptu wedding was Joanna's, his older sister.

The last couple of hours had knocked them all for a loop. The biggest of which was his new best friend Izzy, and her kidnapping. There had never been a more terrifying moment in all of his ninety-one years in this realm. He saw the terror played out more so in Zak’s face and actions. Rox wanted children someday—but seeing her father rocked to his knees like he’d been, it’d shaken Rox too.

But she was back now, and the Goddess had whispered to him she truly belongs on the Carpe Diem property. Something about this magical place, he knew she’d be safe from now on. Just as he and his sisters always were. And who in hellfire’s name was he to question anything the Goddess said.

Their old mansion was a part of him. It'd been a playmate growing up. Showing secret passageways and slides from the second floor to the first, but only to children. Once puberty hit, it was another piece of childhood lost. He had faint memories but now that Izzy lived there, he was able to catch glimpses of hidden doors opening once in a while. Especially his favorite--a small cupboard door strategically hidden right behind the always full cookie jar.

He grinned, sighing as he glanced that way--of course seeing nothing since he was an adult. But Izzy had come running to tell him all about it when the B&B showed it to her. The property held his past, his soul and hopefully someday his future bride would see it with the same love he cherished it with.

Rox's stomach grumbled. He’d been checking on the current guests staying at Carpe Diem, making sure they were not going to run for the hills and give them bad reviews about how a party formed when it’d been so quiet only moments before.

Rox turned to see a pair of eyes staring back at him. He inhaled quickly as a jolt surged down his spine