Danielle Garrett [Garrett - A Royal Witch

BEECHWOOD HARBOR MAGIC MYSTERIES

A Royal Witch

The Beechwood Manor is filling up fast and Hollys feeling the pinch.

There are several new roommates in the Beechwood Manor, and one of them is a royal witch.

Literally and figuratively.

Unrest in a haven-ally magical kingdom leads a foreign princess into hiding and the Supernatural Protection Agency deems the Beechwood Manor as the perfect safe houseand Holly, her perfect guardian.

But with Holly's business taking off and a new apprentice under her wing, a royal babysitting detail is the last thing she needs. Besides, the spoiled princess is adamant she can take care of herself. So who could blame her if her supervision is a little lax?

When tragedy strikes, the bratty royals problems land at the manors front door and its going to take all hands on deck if the paranormal roomies hope to make it out alive.

W hen you live at the beach, it doesn't take much to create the perfect summer afternoon. A cold drink, a floppy hat, and a good book. Oh, and time. Id been lacking on that last component for far too long. So when I finally had the chance to take a lazy day, I jumped at it. By eleven, I had an iced latte in one hand, a paperback in the other, and a perfect view of the sandy shore from the outdoor seating area behind Sirens Song. The tide was rolling back out and the seagulls were hopping through the foam, looking for a late breakfast.

Of course, in a small town like Beechwood Harbor, one couldn't expect to sit at the main hub for too long without being spotted. Evangeline Loren was the first to home in on me when she came in to take a break from managing her day spa next door to the coffee house.

Hey, Holly! I didn't expect to see you here.

I smiled as she joined me at my table. Im playing hooky. Don't tell my boss; she can have a real attitude problem sometimes.

Evangeline laughed. One of the perks of being self-employed.

Definitely, I agreed.

If Id known you were in town for the day, I would have offered you Lucys cancelation this morning. You're way overdue for a manicure, she said, dropping her gaze to my hands.

I frowned and considered my nails. They're not that

Evangeline raised her brows.

Okay. They are. I laughed. A manicure sounds great. It's just been one of those things that's slid way, way down the to-do list. Besides, with the amount of time I'm spending with my hands in the soil, I'm not sure it would be much of a good investment.

I can't wait to come to the warehouse and see all the progress you've made. You still planning the grand opening for the weekend after Cassie and Chiefs wedding?

I nodded and set my book aside. Thats the goal.

I can't wait!

It's been a process, that's for sure. But having an apprentice is a huge help. I don't know why I waited so long to hire one.

I like Harmony, Evangeline said, leaning back in her chair. She lifted her glass tumbler to her lips and sipped at the creamy coffee drink inside. Im glad she's working out.

Me too. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to hire my best friends sister, just in case it didn't work, but so far it's even better than I imagined.

What do you think about Meryl? Evangeline asked. Her tone was nonchalant but it was a loaded question. We both knew it.

Meryl Miller was a fresh-faced SPA junior agent whod moved into the manor around the same time as Harmony, six months ago. Her spunky personality and long blonde hair belied her kick-butt powers and past career as an SPA prison warden. She mostly kept to herself, spending the majority of her waking hours working to carve out her new station as the sole agent in Beechwood Harbor. The SPA had installed her in town to keep an eye on things, likely in no small part thanks to the supernatural disasters my roomies and I ended up wading into on a regular basis. She was young and hungry and sometimes a little intense.

I like her, I started, a note of hesitation in my voice. I mean, shes a lot of fun to hang out with, when shes got her work guard down.

Evangeline nodded thoughtfully. Agreed. I think shell settle in eventually, but in the meantime, it might be good to get some space between her and Posy.

I cringed. Yeah.

Evangeline sighed. Before I left for the shop this morning, Posy cornered me in the kitchen to ask me about this meeting Meryl called. Shes really riled up about it.

Oh, Brothers Grimm.

Any idea what its about?

I shook my head. Not a clue. Whatever it is, shes keeping it super close to the vest.

Im kind of hoping shes announcing her condo is finally ready to move into, Evangeline said, her expression pained. Does that make me a terrible witch?

No. I laughed. Or, at least, if it does, then Im one too.

The manor is a little crowded, I added. Thats probably making Posy a bit edgy, too.

The patio doors opened and another familiar face appeared. Nick Rivers, local private investigator and werewolf, smiled in our direction. He held an iced mocha, his own summer staple, and a small white dessert plate with a large brownie square. The man liked chocolate more than any woman I knew. I was halfway convinced that Hersheys ran through his veins instead of blood.

I waved him over to our table and stood to grab one of the chairs from the unoccupied table beside ours. A little afternoon pick-me-up? I asked as he sat down in the offered chair.

He chuckled and set the plate down. I immediately stole the fork and cut off a bite from one corner. Aha, ulterior motives for inviting me over, he said as I popped the decadent bite into my mouth. I should have known.

Evangeline laughed. We were just talking shop, she told him. Hows the PI biz treating you?

Nick shrugged. Cant complain. Its been a busy summer so far. I just got done handing over my findings to a client a few minutes ago, actually. Infidelity case. Always unpleasant. He gestured at the brownie. Hence the need for a little sweet treat.