Showing results by author "Melinda Chase" in All Categories

Living back at Mom's place with her and Gram is not how this ex-district attorney intended to start the next chapter of her life, but I shouldn't be surprised it's where I ended up. You see, my family is cursed. Literally. At least that's what both Gram and Mom claim. I've never given much thought to their ridiculous superstitions, but when three local patrons from my mom's occult shop end up dead, even I'm a bit unnerved. So I decide to dive right into the crazy headfirst. And what I thought would be the end of my journey...may only be the beginning.

I finally had some answers. Except those answers only led to more questions. And the first question on my mind? Were there any other halflings in existence? Between Hunter's, and with the Council's, orders to kill me, and the immense growth in my magical powers, I'd hardly had time to explore that possibility. But I needed to. I needed to know if there was anyone else like me out there, and I needed to know now.

There's nothing like experiencing delayed "magical-puberty" at midlife, but that's where I am. One world-altering secret revealed and my safety bubble snapped into thin air. Discovering I'm the next descendant in a long line of witches was eventful enough, but it's nothing compared to finding out that I'm also the only half-fae-hybrid in existence. At least it got my mind off my divorce. Now, with my newfound abilities, the impossible seems possible and the world around me has come to life in ways I never imagined.

Up until 24 hours ago, my life was the definition of basic. And that’s okay, because I was happy with my simple existence; co-running the Lustrous Bean, a bookstore café near the beach with my best friend, Willa. But when a small mix-up has my entire world going topsy-turvy, I’m realizing that nothing in life is ever as simple as it seems.

If there was one thing I'd learned over the last few months, it was that absolutely nothing lasted forever. Which was probably why I'd been so surprised when Hunter announced he was staying in Portland. I couldn't help but think, and hope, that it had something to do with me, a 40-year-old divorcee who was half witch and half fae.

After I'd found my Elven grandfather, Laslow, and brought him back to the human world, I was convinced that my life was on the upswing. Things with Hunter were good. Grams and mom were happy. And it seemed all the fires in my life had been put out. I could've left well enough alone...but I still had lingering questions about the hate between the fae and the witches. They say knowing your history can give you the tools to shape your future. But when you creep into the past, you're bound to find things you don't like.

Ever since that fateful knock weeks ago, I expected life to suddenly be brimming with adventure and magic.... Yet here I am, changing my cat’s litter and flossing like nothing ever happened. I mean, my best friend is a Fae princess, and there’s a magical bracelet fused to my body for goodness sakes! Shouldn’t something be different?

When I said I wanted an adventure, maybe I should’ve been a bit clearer.... See, I imaged a Harry Potter or Disney-style adventure. You know, the kind that comes with plenty of fun, romance, and the promise of a happy ending. Instead, my adventure is looking like something out of Game of Thrones. My Shade-filled dreams have been replaced with a recurring nightmare, and there’s a random banshee seemingly haunting my and Willa’s house. Just when I think nothing else could happen, Shade literally drops through my roof with not-so-good news.