When the magic book deposits Jasmine, Micha, and Leon at a villains’ convention, all she wants is some time to unwind before their next adventure. Getting to be alone with her two mates means the world. All the while, the magic within her starts to go out of control.
Meanwhile, the evil Dorothy enlists some of the villains at the convention to kidnap the trio. Jasmine finds only her magic can save the men she loves and all of Oz. The only thing standing in her way is herself. She needs to accept her fate or all could be lost.
EXCERPT:
Jasmine Thorne took in a long breath. The masseur found all the right spots on her back. Under the hands of this magical genius, she felt like putty as her cares melted away. All the thoughts of having to save Oz from the evil Dorothy faded. If she ruminated about her mission too long, it gave her a migraine. Wrapping her mind around the idea that she was in love with the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion seemed easier to fathom than taking on a storybook heroine who had turned into the villain. At least the Tinman was in the hotel jail, so she didn’t have to worry about him. They had brought him from Dracula’s castle through the magic book. He’d been turned into a vampire, but still hell-bent on getting back to Dorothy. She had no idea why she was the one Micha’s magic book picked to save Oz.
The massage therapist hit another place on her shoulders. Jasmine groaned and pushed her troubles from her mind.
“Ma’am, excuse me.”
A shake roused her enough that Jasmine realized she had fallen asleep during the rubdown. She yawned and looked up at the small woman who had made her forget her current situation for a little while. “Sorry. Must have drifted off.”
The woman gave her a warm smile. “It happens.”
“You are amazing. Thank you.” Jasmine sat up slowly and rolled her shoulders. She held the sheet to her chest as the woman exited the room. Jasmine hopped off the table and slipped her clothes back on.
She thought about her agenda for the rest of the day. Nothing except dinner with her two men and maybe a night of lovemaking. The convention they had free passes for would start tomorrow morning. The tickets came with the room for the inconvenience of only having one room when she’d wanted two. The manager had given them all-access passes. Jasmine didn’t really know what the convention was for, but Micha, her Scarecrow, and Leon wanted to check it out.
Jasmine left the spa and wove through the hotel lobby clutching the brass key to her room in her hand. The ornate lobby was decorated in gold and red with white and black marble columns. Bellhops dashed about pushing carts filled with parcels. Paintings of cherubs sitting on fluffy clouds floated across the ceiling. The blue in the ceiling faded into darkness. Lightning lit up the sky and the lights blinked in the atrium. Mist floated down and settled on her skin. She caught the hint of sulfur in the air. When Jasmine looked back up at the cherubs, they had turned into little devils. She stopped by a placard with arrows directing her every which way to get to restaurants, the casino, or the dozens of shops in the resort. A red marker on the screen showed where she was. Jasmine pressed it.
“Welcome to Hel, right where you’re supposed to be,” the high-pitched voice from the screen startled her. She touched the screen and the image enlarged so she could get a better look at her location inside the hotel. The whole complex was bigger than a Las Vegas casino. She had gotten turned around as some of the elevators didn’t go all the way up to the thirteenth floor where they had a room.
“It’s all a little confusing, don’t you think?”
A blast of cold air hit the back of Jasmine’s neck. She turned to see where the sudden chill emanated from. A woman in a white feathered cloak stood next to her. Another gust of frigid air came off the woman as she pushed on the touchscreen. It blinked and mapped the way to elevators Jasmine needed to get to.
“You’re on the thirteenth floor. This should do it.” She caught Jasmine’s gaze from under the fur-lined hood. All Jasmine could see were her piercing blue eyes and the turn of her smile.
“Thanks.”
“You’re most welcome. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around, Jasmine.”
She turned to address the woman, who had already been swallowed up by the crowd. Jasmine returned to the room, wondering how the woman knew her name. The idea of magic got on her nerves. It wasn’t like she knew how to use the power the book gave her. Jasmine got back to her suite and closed the door. An arm came around her waist and spun her around before she could get her bearings. She jumped. A blast of heat came out of her hands as she pushed away whoever had grabbed her.
“Hey, ouch! What was that for?” Leon’s voice brought her back to reality.
She glanced at her warm palms. Both hands glowed green from the magic within her. This wasn’t the first time the power had come out on instinct. Hopefully, the power will manifest when I need it the most. She rubbed her palms along her jeans until a tingle remained in her fingertips. Jasmine flashed him an apologetic smile.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to zap you.” She helped the lion shifter up. Everyone knew Leon as the Cowardly Lion from the Wizard of Oz books.
Leon pulled her into his arms and planted his lips on hers. The softness of his mouth made her melt against him, forgetting all about how he pounced on her when she entered the suite. Her fingers trailed down his naked torso, going over the raised scars on his flesh. Her thoughts suddenly turned to them being alone and her on top of him. He worked his way along her throat as his hand snaked under her shirt and cupped her breast. Jasmine moaned as though he were reading her mind.
“I could eat you up,” he murmured.
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Crymsyn Hart - Paranormal and Horror Author 