Love Bug

By Zoe Tasia

It's Valentine's Day on the Shrouded Isle. Love is in the air! Unfortunately, love needs a compass, because mismatched pairs are occurring. Join Becca Shaw and her daughters, Jessie and Tate as they solve the mystery!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zoe Tasia
• Release date: Feb 13, 2024
• ISBN: 9798989036523

Zoe Tasia

Zoe Tasia grew up in Oklahoma and spent seven years in Scotland. Now she resides in the great state of Texas, where everything's bigger and better, or so she's told by the natives. Zoe is married to an understanding Greek, has two grown sons, and three cat overlords. When she's not giving her make-believe friends full rein, she enjoys the opera, ballet, well-chilled champagne and books. Bagpipes and Basil is the second book in The Shrouded Isle fantasy series. Kilts and Catnip, a finalist for the 2019 National Readers’ Choice Awards and semi-finalist for the 2019 Ozma Book Awards, is the first book in her fantasy series, The Shrouded Isle. Three of her shorter pieces are published in the anthology, Quick Draw!: Fast and Funny Fiction. Zoe Tasia has also co-written three books published under the pen name Zari Reede.

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Shrouded Isle, Scotland

Tate

Before our teacher, Mr. Farris, could dismiss us, my mom, the headteacher, motioned him over.

Class, gather your things. I’ll be right back, Mr. Farris said. When he reached the library counter, he added, And keep the noise down. The two grownups disappeared into the backroom.

Predictably, the class ignored instructions and started talking amongst themselves.

You aren’t really doing the extra credit, are you? Elspeth whispered. I thought you hated Valentine’s Day.

As I shrugged, the musty smell of damp clothes wrinkled my nose. The plow could barely keep up with the constant snowfall of this week. None of the other students bothered to lower their voices, so I didn’t either. It’s a stupid holiday, but making cards is an easy way to get extra credit and we have several days to work on it. A heart garland draped the library’s check-out desk and in one corner, newspaper-wrapped novels age-range labeled stood at attention on shelves for the Blind Date with a Book program. Pastel cardboard hearts with corny things like ‘XOXO’ and ‘TEXT ME’ printed on them decorated all the walls. Gah!

It’s a sweet holiday. I’m making my cards personalized, Elspeth said, blushing.

Elspeth and I have been friends since my family moved to the island last summer, but lately all she wanted to do was discuss her chances of getting a boyfriend—by going through the entire Thistle Academy male population. (Granted, the island’s only school was tiny, but still.) She stared over my shoulder, then quickly glanced down. Ant’s looking at me, she said out of the corner of her mouth. Do you think he has a crush on me? Elspeth smoothed her red hair behind her ears.

Ant, short for Anthony, and Bean, short for Beathan, Pastor Doyles’ sons were notorious for playing pranks. Those two brothers really enjoy teasing, you know. No way would I take anything they did or say seriously.

Elspeth pouted. "He could like me."

I didn’t say it, but I wondered if she really cared about boys, or if she’s being silly because of the holiday. I wasn’t crushing over anyone. Sometimes I felt like I didn’t fit in anywhere. I’d try cautioning my friend. You know what’s happened to Nessa? She’s crushed on Lundy for years and acts so sappy around him he doesn’t want a thing to do with her, I reminded Elspeth. And Lundy is no better. He’s gone from paying constant attention to Jess to mooning like a lovesick calf over Lily. Treat Ant in the same way as always. Don’t be a goof bunny.

Many of the Shrouded Isle’s inhabitants were magical. Lundy McNeil’s a shapeshifter and helps at the local grocer. He went as far as slipping candy for Jess in our shopping bags. At least until Jess blew her top about it and Lily, a fellow American temporarily living here, moved in.

Elspeth wrapped her striped sweater around her neck and tugged the excess down the front of her coat. Maybe you’re right.

Overhearing us, Nessa, who’s in secondary 4 (kind of like junior high in the States), leaned in. I’m not wasting my time on schoolboys anymore for your information. I’m sending a special card to Joe Keery. He’s so cute. And we have things in common. Like I’m taking speech classes, and he’s an actor.

I didn’t bother trying to explain that the star of Stranger Things would never see what she sent or that millions of other girls were doing the same. He’s old for you, don’t you think?

No. I don’t. She slid down to the other end of the table and turned her back to us.

Out the window, snowflakes fell in giant puffball clumps. Elspeth folded up the assignment and stuffed it in her pocket. I’m not doing the extra credit. With all the snow, I bet the Oggs’s will have their place set up for sledding and skiing. Who knows? The pond may be frozen enough for ice-skating.

I couldn’t imagine skiing on the Shrouded Isle, but I knew the Oggs’s land that abutted the forest was located high on a cliff. They gave tours of the cave formation on their property. Maybe the rest of the land sloped gently enough to at least go sledding.

Our teacher returned, checked the clock, and gestured to the students. Class dismissed.

As I gathered my things, Elspeth asked me if I’d like to come over. Her parents owned the teashop and lived above it.

I can for a bit. But if you’re right about the sledding, then I want to finish the Valentine’s cards soon. Since I’d vowed to graduate early from high school, any extra credit should help. I hadn’t told my mother yet, but my sister Jessie was doing it, so I didn’t think she’d object.

"Okay, but you must stop by and try the sweeties my mom made. They’re shortbread cookies with a heart in the middle. Mom uses a tiny heart cookie cutter. She grinds up red hard candies and sprinkles it in the opening. After it bakes, the cutout looks like stained glass."

*

The cozy warm atmosphere of Marnie’s Tearoom welcomed me, and my stomach gurgled at the delicious aroma of fresh baked goods. I trailed behind Elspeth to the part of the kitchen where her mother kept the goods that didn’t meet her strict standards. Elspeth’s father jerked upright when he heard the door swing shut, but relaxed when he saw it was just us. He stuffed three cookies and a