Free Twisted Magic by Holly Hood Page A

him.
    “Thanks,” I shot back. Nona tugged me next to Jesse.
    “Jesse has been dancing at the new studio. He says they are looking for singers to perform at the café.” Nona told me. Jesse reluctantly nodded his head in agreement with Nona. He slowly looked me in the eye, almost cringing as he did so.  As if it pained him to lay eyes on me.
    “Clive is looking for local talent. He prefers Ashwilder alumni, but he is willing to make an exception for Nona.” Jesse looked away.
    Nona jabbed me in the ribs. My house was potentially burnt to a crisp, and she wanted me to discuss a career in singing at a café where they served sub par coffee and odd- shaped cookies . “Thanks, Jesse and Nona, that’s nice of both of you.”
    Jesse drug a hand through his smooth hair, he shot Nona a toothy smile. She squeezed his shoulder and sent him on his way.
    “So we will talk to Clive about having you at his coffee house.” Nona informed me. “Now let’s go calm your poor papa before he shits himself.” She tugged me by the arm up to the house.
    Elliot and Easton were tossing a football. And Dad was wearing a path in the sand while Lynette stood uselessly waiting, being his rock or whatever you wanted to call it. She smile d sweetly at Nona and I .
    “Neil. Come here. You’re wearing a hole in your shoes pacing around like that.” She scolded Dad like a little boy. The way I was sure she did when he was younger.
    “Mom, I don’t want to hear it. Everything we own is in that house.” Dad snapped. He sighed loudly.
    “As opposed to where? Everyone keeps their belonging in their home. You act like I expected them to be spread out along the beach.” She slapped him in the arm. “ Pull it together. I am rich. I can buy you new stuff.”
    “You can’t restore our family’s memories, Mom.” He griped. Lynette joined us. Dad slung an arm around her shoulders. She crossed her arms tightly.
    “Your mother’s right, Neil,” she said. What did she know?
    “I was under the impression you hat ed your memories. And your wife, ” Nona muttered.
    “Ex-wife,” Dad pointed out looking at me with a pained expression at the mention of my dear mother.
    Nona wagged her head quickly. “Yes, yes, ex-wife.  Don’t make a habit of divorce, as I get older I forget just about everything , and keeping track of the next woman to ruin your life gets harder for me.” She shot Lynette a warning glare and traipsed off toward Claude as he started in on a game of catch with the boys.
    I blushed, but on the inside, I was laughing hysterically. Nona made my week with that insult.
     
    The firefighter came down the steps, h is face glistening with moisture from the equipment and the humidity outside. “Sir, it’s all clear. You can go inside.”
    Dad whirled around on his heels. “Excuse me, what did we lose?”
    The firefighter’s expression was a bit confused . “Sir, I don’t know what your kids were doing in there, but all that there was, was a hell of a lot of smoke. We couldn’t locate a fire.” He started down the path to the fire truck , telling his men to pack it all up and roll out.
    I looked back at him. It seemed like he was a bit disturbed. The expression on his face said a lot. I looked at Dad. He too noticed. H e shook his head heading up the stairs. I followed on his heels eager to see the big deal.
    Nona hurried after us.
     
    “What the hell?” Dad exclaimed, coming to a halt in the kitchen. My body slammed into the back of him. Nona all but fell on her face taking a chair down with her. I looked over Dad’s shoulder shocked to see black ashes in the shape of a pentagram on the floor of the kitchen.
    I helped Nona up from the floor. She plucked a pair of reading glasses from her bra and stared down at the mess on the floor. “What the hell is this?”
    Elliot and Easton came to stand next to me. “That looks like the necklace in that movie we saw last weekend.”
    Dad and Nona spun around to face them. “What do