Hex Type Thing
Hex Type Thing
A Moonstone Bay Cozy Mystery Book Five
Amanda M. Lee
Copyright © 2020 by Amanda M. Lee
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Contents
1. One
2. Two
3. Three
4. Four
5. Five
6. Six
7. Seven
8. Eight
9. Nine
10. Ten
11. Eleven
12. Twelve
13. Thirteen
14. Fourteen
15. Fifteen
16. Sixteen
17. Seventeen
18. Eighteen
19. Nineteen
20. Twenty
21. Twenty-One
22. Twenty-Two
23. Twenty-Three
24. Twenty-Four
25. Twenty-Five
26. Twenty-Six
27. Twenty-Seven
28. Twenty-Eight
29. Twenty-Nine
Mailing List
About the Author
Books by Amanda M. Lee
1
One
When I was a kid I dressed as a witch for Halloween one year. My father had a fit, said the neighbors would get the wrong idea and think we were pagans. Now, at the time, I was only eight so I didn’t really know what that meant. In hindsight, I recognize his fear came from a different place.
It came from this. It came from Moonstone Bay.
That’s where I, Hadley Hunter, witch extraordinaire, now call home. I’m a real-life witch, and Dad always knew it. However, we’d yet to discuss it over the phone. Whenever I brought it up he had an emergency that called him away from the conversation.
We were due for a reckoning. That’s exactly what I was talking to my new friend June Seaver about. As the owner of the Moonstone Bay Cabana Clutch Hotel, a local business with an unfortunate name she refused to change undergoing a rather extensive renovation, she had a lot of time on her hands because she wasn’t catering to guests at the moment. I was gearing up to open my own business as a psychic and tarot card reader (even though I had no experience with either), so I was happy to have someone to talk to.
“He’s being a big pain,” I complained, sipping my iced tea as we sat in the shade and watched the construction crew work. “I honestly think he believes if he keeps distracting me that I’ll suddenly forget that I want to talk to him about this and let it go.”
June was older, although not in a decrepit way or anything. She had experience on her side even though she’d never had children of her own to pass it along to, and she’d been something of a sounding board for me the past two weeks, ever since I’d unleashed a boatload of magic to save my friends from a gang of renegade cupids.
No, seriously. That totally happened.
“Well, let me ask you a question.” She adopted her most pragmatic tone, which told me I was in for a bit of parenting after all. “Have you and your father ever had a serious conversation about your mother’s family?”
That wasn’t an easy question to answer, and not because I didn’t know. The truth was, I’d never asked about my mother’s family because I was afraid of the answer. All I knew was that my mother died in childbirth, leaving me with a caring if somewhat distracted father, and she’d been estranged from her parents at the time. I thought that meant I shouldn’t care about them either, because I owed her some loyalty. I was the reason she was dead, after all.
The death of my grandmother May Potter changed everything for me. She left me ownership of a lighthouse on Moonstone Bay, introducing me to a world that I didn’t know existed. In short order I’d found out that shifters, vampires, merfolk, cupids and even demons not only existed but essentially had the run of the island. In addition, I discovered I came from a long line of powerful witches and I had magic at my disposal. I was still getting used to the magic, but I was getting better at casting spells with each passing day.
That didn’t change the fact that I felt as if I’d been denied my birthright by not learning about my witchy heritage at a young age. Now I was lagging behind and feared I would never catch up.
“I never asked,” I admitted. I felt foolish, but June had been nothing but open and welcoming to me and I knew she wouldn’t judge me for decisions made when I was young and dumb. “My father told me from the start that my mother didn’t want anything to do with her family. He made it sound as if they had a big falling out.”
“They did,” June acknowledged. “Your mother wanted a break from the island and the magical destiny that she felt was being heaped upon her. She chose to walk away from this life.”
“Yeah, but everything I’ve learned about her since tells me that she would’ve eventually told me the truth and let me make up my own mind about things.”
“I think that’s true.”
“My father never gave me that option. He just cut my grandparents out of my life and didn’t even give them a chance to get to know me.”
“And you’re bitter because you feel as if you’ve missed out.”
“I know I’ve missed out.” I heaved out a sigh and shook my head. “Wesley and I have been spending time together. He even let me name a horse. I go out there to help him take care of it sometimes. We’re getting along really well.”
“I’ve always liked your grandfather. He’s a pip of a guy. He has attitude coming out of his keister.”
My eyebrows inadvertently drew together as I tried to picture what that would look like. “He’s a lot of fun,” I said finally. “I worry about him, though. He spends all of his time with May’s ghost. They play board games and hang out on the porch together, and basically live like hermits.”
I almost laughed at my inadvertent joke. They couldn’t live like hermits, because my grandmother was dead. Sure, her ghost remained behind to visit from time to time, but there was no future for her in the real world. My grandfather, Wesley Durham, was another story.
“I don’t think you can insert yourself into that situation,” June warned. “Wesley and May always had a tempestuous relationship in life. I wouldn’t expect it to change in death.”
That was an understatement. In life they’d gotten divorced, kept separate households and yet spent certain nights together every week. They fought constantly, bickered to the point one of them walked away, and then ended up sharing a bed despite all of that.
I didn’t like to think about that aspect of their relationship too much because it weirded me out.
“I’m his only living relative,” I reminded her. “If I don’t look out for him, who will?”
“You’re not his only living relative.”
“I’m not?” A horrible thought crept through me. “He didn’t have another family when he and May split up, did he?” I didn’t like the idea of inheriting half-cousins I knew nothing about.
June chuckled at the notion. “No. You don’t have to worry about that. Even when they were split up, May and Wesley were completely devoted to one another. But he has other family. He has a brother and some nieces. Maybe a nephew or two, too. I can’t really remember.”
“Oh.” That was much better than what I was envisioning. “Do they live on the island?”
“Mainland. Tampa.”
“Do they visit?”
“I think they come once a year or so. You’ll have to discuss that with Wesley. He might be holding them back so as not to overwhelm you. Everyone in the family tends to come on
a bit strong. You’re the new element. I’m sure he wants to protect you.”
He’d been protecting me since we’d met. “Yeah.” I rolled my neck and made a sound halfway between a sigh and a groan, extending my legs in front of me as I readjusted. “I really am worried, though. I don’t think it’s healthy for him to spend all of his time with a dead woman.”
“Have you spoken to him about this?”
What was with her? It was so much easier to gossip behind people’s backs than to tackle things head-on. First she suggested I talk rationally with my father and now with my grandfather. I was going to stop this at the gate. “I can’t talk to him about this.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s none of my business.”
Her lips twitched, but she otherwise managed to keep a straight face. “I see.”
“Oh, I know what you’re thinking.” I offered up a half-hearted hand wave. “You believe I should stay out of his business and let him handle his own affairs. The thing is, I just got him. I’ve read stories about people who lose their life mates. If they don’t have something to live for they simply give up and die. I don’t want that to happen to Wesley.”
“Has he given you any reason to believe he’s going to give up and die?”
“No, but ... I just want to make sure it doesn’t happen.”
She chuckled, the sound low and throaty. “You can’t control him. It would be nice if you could force him to your way of thinking — I’ve always had a crush on the man — but he’s going to do what he’s going to do. No matter how much he loves you, he won’t stop being who he is just to make you feel better.”
Sadly, I had a feeling that was true. Wait a second ... . “You have a crush on him?”
She wagged a finger in my face and made a tsking sound with her tongue. “Don’t even think about it. You’re far too old to play matchmaker. Wesley made his choice a long time ago. Some people mate for life. I believe he and May were those types of people. You can’t change that and you shouldn’t want to.”
She had a point. Still, I couldn’t hide my annoyance. “If you say so.” I took another sip of my iced tea. “Do you really think people are destined to mate for life?” I opted to change the subject to something happier.
She nodded. “I do. I believe in destiny, and sometimes she extends a hand and leads people to one another because the alternative means they’ll never find the right fit on their own.”
“Do you think it happens a lot?”
Her eyes twinkled. “Are you asking if I think you and Galen are destined to be together?”
I was totally asking that, but I didn’t want her to know that’s what I was hinting around about. Apparently I wasn’t nearly as slick as I thought. “Of course not. Galen and I have only been together for a little bit.”
“Uh-huh.” June was clearly dubious. She knew Galen Blackwood, my boyfriend and sheriff of Moonstone Bay, even better than I did. She’d been keeping a close eye on him since he was a kid and she was one of the few people who could exert even a minor bit of control over him. “I’m glad you don’t want to hear my opinion about that.”
I frowned. “You don’t think we belong together?” For some reason that hurt. “I assumed you approved of our relationship.”
“Oh, I definitely approve.” She snorted at my pout. “You are the worst when it comes to holding your cards close to your vest, Missy. You need to get a better poker face. I was just messing with you.”
“You were?” I exhaled heavily, secretly relieved. “That’s ... nice. I mean, I don’t really care if you approve or anything, but I’m glad you do.”
The laugh she let loose was raucous. “Oh, it’s a good thing you didn’t have your heart set on being an actress. Every emotion you feel is visible on that pretty face of yours. You would be the absolute worst actor on the stage if you had to pretend to feel something different.”
“I ... .”
She barreled forward, ignoring whatever I was about to say. It didn’t matter. I was feeling verbally clumsy, so it was probably best if I kept my mouth shut, something that was easier said than done. I’m one of those people who speaks before they think ... and then always regrets the outcome.
“I happen to believe you’re absolutely perfect for Galen,” June volunteered. “You’re strong of mind, body and personality. You’re also strong of spirit, which means you don’t let him walk all over you. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he tends to be a bossy thing when he gets up a full head of steam.”
I had to laugh. He was beyond bossy.
“You also have an open heart, something he needs because he’s a giving soul and he got a lot of guff as a kid for being sensitive,” she continued. “He always wanted to help others. That’s who he is. He also wanted to take care of animals. At one point his parents announced that he could no longer bring home stray animals.”
I perked up. I loved hearing stories about Galen when he was a kid. “What kind of animals?”
“He didn’t care. Cats. Dogs. Raccoons. He once brought home a wounded hermit crab. The thing was missing both claws and couldn’t possibly survive, but he was determined to save it.”
My lips curved at the thought. “He likes to talk big, but he’s soft inside.”
“Yes, and he makes you go weak and gooey at your core when he smiles.” June winked to let me know that wasn’t an insult. “You two are genuinely adorable together.”
I happened to agree. Of course, we were newly in love — even saying the words to each other regularly despite both of us being anxious about the exchange — and we’d been living in the clouds since the big cupid fight. We hadn’t as much as sniped at one another in the weeks since. “I can’t disagree when you tell the truth like that.”
She laughed, her eyes traveling to the beach. There was a flurry of activity down the way and she seemed interested in what she saw. “What do you know about this big festival they’re setting up?”
That was a good question. Galen hadn’t been miserly with the information, but he didn’t exactly seem keen on sharing. “They’re calling it the Skyclad Festival,” I replied. “I don’t know what that means. Galen isn’t happy about it. He said thousands of people are flying to the island to participate. Since most of the income here comes from tourists I’m not sure why he’s so upset.”
When June didn’t immediately respond, I turned my eyes to her and found her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. I was genuinely at a loss. “What’s so funny?”
“Are you sure he said it was called the Skyclad Festival?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Because skyclad means naked in pagan circles.”
I was taken aback ... and suspicious that she was having me on. “Are you sure?”
She nodded without hesitation. “I’m sure. I might not be a witch, but I’m up on all of the paranormal shenanigans that happen on this island. Skyclad definitely means naked. In fact, there was a group of witches who lived out in the hills about twenty years ago who tried to host a skyclad festival of their own in town.
“They showed up on Main Street, doffed their robes and started dancing to music only they could hear,” she continued. “Some of the tourists thought it was a real thing and joined in. And then some of the regulars, who all knew it wasn’t legitimate but thought it was funny, also joined in. I believe there were three-hundred arrests that weekend.”
I worked my jaw, flabbergasted. “Why would the Downtown Development Authority allow a festival that’s named after a nudist activity?”
“That I don’t know. I didn’t realize that was the name. I’ve been busy with the renovations on the hotel. They’re taking a long time.”
“The place is going to be beautiful when you’re finished,” I reassured her, my mind still on the festival taking shape on the beach. “Galen has been dealing with preparations for this thing for the last week. He was hopeful a few days ago that it was going to fall apart at the last second, but that doesn’t seem
to be the case.”
“My guess is that he well remembers the last skyclad festival. He would’ve been about ten years old about that time. I seem to remember him and Booker hiding in the shadows and watching the dancing. They were giggling like maniacs.”
My lips quirked as I tried to picture Galen and the resident cupid lothario acting like hormonal idiots as the entire town got naked and danced without music. “I guess I’m sorry I missed it. That’s another thing I have to be angry with my father about. If he’d allowed me to spend time with May and Wesley as a kid I might’ve been able to witness it and have a fun memory, too.”
“You didn’t miss much,” June countered. “Not everyone should dance naked. I’m not into body shaming or anything, but there’s no harm in shaving a little back hair now and then.”
On that we could agree. “Well, I’m still interested in checking out this festival. Galen said there will be a lot of witches and a few other paranormal types ... although he swears up and down that no shark shifters will be present.”
“Yes, he told me you’re obsessed with the idea of shark shifters. There aren’t many left, you know. You might never see one.”
“Oh, I’m going to see one. I don’t know when or how, but I’m totally going to see one. In fact ... .” I trailed off when I noticed a flurry of movement on the beach. There had been about twenty people working in different areas, all toiling away for the festival. Now they were all converging on the same spot.
“What do you think that is?” June asked, her eyes focused on the growing crowd.
“I don’t know. I guess it can’t hurt to wander down there and check it out.”