Hexes and Habaneros: Magic and Mayhem Universe: Kitchen Witch Academy, #3

By Dawn Montgomery

A hex trap gone wrong lands me in the hands of a man I wanted to avoid for the rest of my life.

 

Now, I'm stuck at the Kitchen Witch Academy as the partner to one of the greatest hexxers in the world. The only problem? We have history. Bad history. 

 

Turns out I'm not the only one with a grudge. Someone is coming after him and they want more than his spell book. I'll have to protect his cute butt, save the day, prevent a bunch of kids from destroying the world (or at least their classroom), and do it without getting Baba Yaga OR the Council involved. 

 

We'll have to work together to uncover who's after him and stop them before they destroy the only chance I have at getting my life back on track. And maybe my heart, too.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dawn Montgomery
• Release date: Oct 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215307441

Book preview

1

Veronica Alvarez

It was a Saturday like any other. Me, standing in a dark alley, triple-checking defense spells and trap hexes while the bad guys traded illegal goods behind closed doors.

What I wouldn't give to be on the inside where the action happened. The heavy drizzle worked against me as I marked my hexes. Why didn't they make waterproof magic paint?

With careful precision, I evenly painted the hex mark on cracked pavement beneath the reinforced iron door. The shimmering paint would dissipate in an hour if I didn't add the spell trigger on top of it.

This was the last one. A small drip of sweat slid down my face and I swiped it away with my sleeve. Can't let saltwater touch the spell or it would end in disaster.

I pulled a folded piece of tissue paper from my pocket. On it was the spell to trigger my hex traps. I gently placed it on the newly painted mark and whispered a few words. The tissue paper adhered to the paint, burning a line where it touched the mark.

It wasn't my favorite medium, but it was the easiest to dissolve if the Council decided to move against us. And since I wanted to be part of the council in the future, the less I crossed them, the better.

Pain seared my thumb, and I hissed. I looked down and realized the tissue paper had been consumed by the spellfire, giving me a nice little burn. I shook my hand, sucking my thumb into my mouth to stop the pain. Careless. Get it together, Alvarez.

Drizzle I could handle. I hoped the rain would hold off until we were done here.

Thunder rumbled above.

My nose twitched. We're going to ignore that. The rain can wait until we're done.

Alvarez, what's your status? The captain's query brought me back to my work.

I closed my eyes and infused magic into the hex mark. A sound like a lock clicked in my mind. I pulled a string, only visible to me, from that trap to the thumb on my left hand. The very thumb that throbbed painfully from the burn.

Five strings of magic. Five fingers. I needed to empower the other four.

This one is set. Gimme a second to get them aligned. I reached out to each trap with my magic, feeling their awakening. Four exits on the main floor. One on the second-floor fire escape.

Gonna screw this one up, too, A hothead teammate interjected. Baker, my favorite jerkface.

Slow your roll, Baker. I'm almost done. My magic weaved into each trap, strengthening the spelled line between us.

Quit delaying us–

Clear comms! the chief cut through. Alvarez.

The final one clicked into place. Alvarez ready.

All teams go on my mark.

My heart rate kicked into overdrive and I couldn't stop the grin from spreading on my face.

The lines of magic tied to my fingers looked like puppet strings. It would tell me which exit they took and stop them in their tracks. They were also only visible to me.

I closed my hand, feeling the spell-threads tighten slightly. My thumb pulsed lightly, reminding me I needed to stay focused.

Last minute check of my gear. My left arm also held my spellcraft bracer. I ran my fingers over the pockets holding my defense and escape artifacts. Smoke bombs, pepper spray spells, a few trap hexes, and an unlock-it-all spell. Now all I needed to do was wait.

The exchange was made. He's been marked. Go! Go! Go!

The shout tensed my muscles, spiking my adrenaline. If they've been marked, that means they can activate my traps. The hex trap lines shimmered green every time a team member crossed over the threshold. It would turn yellow when it was someone else. Red was our target. And when they crossed, everything would be over.

Tango One is leaving through the North exit. All teams are ready for pick-up.

Tango One, the leader of this group of thieves. The North exit was on the other side of the building. I had to hold positions; otherwise, the traps would fail and the op would be blown. I couldn’t make that mistake again.

He used a scatter spell! We can't see him.

Water hit my cheek and I looked up at the sky. Rain.

I cursed in my mind as I strengthened my hold on the spells.

He's heading upstairs!

The fire escape was the only door exit. If he took a window, I wasn't sure what I would do.

The captain roared my name and I clicked my tongue. On it, sir, I replied to his shout.

I raced to the end of the alley and grabbed the ladder, climbing it as fast as possible. I reached the stairs the moment the back door burst open. Instantly, my hex grabbed his legs and he jerked to a stop. I had an impression of a fierce glare and a sharp hook nose before he tried to turn back. He was stuck in my spell but clenched a case against his body like his life depended on it.

Target trapped.

I grinned at him and he shot a spell in my direction.

Instinct had me bring up my bracer, but the spell exploded in front of me. The impact slammed me against the rail.

Pain erupted in my side, but I dispersed the spell with a quick whisper.

At that moment, the heavens opened and dumped rain on us in a curtain of destruction. The hex lines attached to my fingers flickered, disappearing one by one.

I withdrew a small carved dowel rod from my bracer. It was a net spell.

The sound of magefire and explosions echoed from the alleyway. The team must have met up with the other target.

Tango Two is escaping. The trap isn't holding! The shout over the radio twisted my stomach into knots. Not again. Stupid rain ruins everything.

Alvarez, what's your status?

I couldn’t hold the hexes together. I clenched my jaw and tightened my hold on the spell beneath my target’s feet, letting the other hex traps fade. Tango Two escaped. Now it was just me and this guy.

You're not going anywhere, I said with a smirk, reinforcing the hex he was trapped inside.

His smirk annoyed me. He cast another spell in my direction, and I braced for impact.

Smoke hit me instead of another explosion.

Smoke?

The air around me trembled. I felt lighter. Like 80 or 90 pounds lighter. My stomach twisted in panic. He was going to jump!

Tango One is using an anti-gravity artifact! I shouted into my mic.

I can't let him get away! My fingers pulled an artifact from my bracer. I yanked on the spell line connecting me to the hex and jerked toward him, net artifact ready. Unlike the painted hexes on the ground, this would last until it broke.

He cursed at me, throwing another spell. This time I didn't wait. I launched at him, slamming my body against his.

We both hit the wall, him taking my impact, and me using the momentum to push back enough to use my artifact at close range. I needed enough space to not get caught.

The net released with a whispered spell and slapped him against the door, slamming it shut and locking him against the wall. It spread over him like a spiderweb, glistening as rain soaked it through. I reached up and yanked the case out of his hands.

Don't let him get away. He has the package.

I leaned against the rail and smirked at the hook-nosed criminal. Our client would likely skin him alive once they got their hands on him. I have him, sir. Tell Baker, he owes me a box of donuts.

Alvarez! Baker's shout over the earpiece made me wince, but I couldn't stop the monumental grin from spreading over my face.

You think you've won? We will–

I flicked my wrist, and the net covered his mouth, completely sealing off whatever else he wanted to say. I didn't get paid to listen to rants or monologues. Only to bring in bad guys.

I shook the net artifact in my hand and sighed. Another one bites the dust. It would take another two months of eating only ramen and taking, I shuddered, public transportation to put the down payment on another one. Good thing this job paid well.

Or it was supposed to. I should have known nothing about this job was going to be easy.

2

John Reeves

"Within a secret portal room, under the eyes of a dozen