Title
Stone and Bone
Author
Journey Windrow
Genre
Urban Fantasy
Book Blurb
I’m Mage Miranda Hunter and I’m in charge of all things magical in Boston. Last winter, I had a showdown with the Winter Queen, forcing her to return hundreds of changelings. Shocker! Mab holds grudges.
Summer’s here and guess what? We’ve got a cockatrice infestation petrifying small animals. With no cockatrice-proof gear for my hellhound, it’s up to my halfling fae partner and me to deal with these little monsters. Sooner or later, it’ll be a mundane who gets turned into a statue. I’ve got no slick excuse for that.
If the risk of getting petrified isn’t enough, gargoyles and grotesques, the stone and bone creatures of Boston are vanishing without a trace.
With my sort-of-dead husband tagging along as a voice in my head, I’ve gotta find the missing and get them home.
I’ve risked it all before and this time won’t be any different. But when I challenge powers greater than my own, who else will end up paying the price?
Excerpt
The aroma of scrumptious food wafted out the door as Nigel and I walked up to the Nowhere Inn. Following my nose inside, I reveled in the ice-bucket challenge as the semi-sentient building removed our glamours and magical weapons.
It delighted me when the inn stripped away our crud-covered protective gear. Those outfits would be returned clean upon our departure. How? Magic. Amiright?
What’s the physics behind it? Got me. I’m still not a quantum mechanic. Remember what Hamlet said: There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Our sweat-soaked clothing was a different matter. We stank. Yeah, Nige could subtract the damp and the stench, but it’s not the same as a shower. However, going to my suite to clean up was useless since we were going back in the tunnels after lunch.
Uncle Kieran’s perma-tanned features lit up with a smile when he saw me. His reaction warmed the cockles of my withered little heart. Despite his busy schedule as the innkeeper of the regional inn and the administrator of the Preternatural Convention, he always made time for me.
We’d become unexpected friends in Elfland—an interesting mismatch between the stern military leader and the young human rootstock mage married to his nephew. I got more organized, and he learned how to smile. While the rest of our village was in Mag Meall, he remained with me. Elves treasure family, and he was determined to be mine.
The cool, dry air inside was nirvana. Relief flooded me as I realized I’d soon be off my sore feet while scarfing yummy food to replenish my magic. Getting snacks in had been awkward what with a mouthless mask.
I wondered if I could get the pixie kitchen staff to make me half-a-dozen fluffernutter sandwiches to pack for afternoon snacks. What? You question how tasty marshmallow fluff and peanut butter would be? Try one and see what I mean. Delish!
“You don’t belong heer!” a male, Euro-neutral voice sneered, cutting through the air.
There was the unmistakable sound of fragile stemware shattering. An eerie silence descended on the crowded bar and pub as glittering shards of glass flew across the hardwood floor, striking the feet of some diners in the restaurant area.
Well, feck. Doesn’t that beat all? We arrived overheated, hungry, thirsty, footsore, and tired. And just in time for a fight to break out in what sounded like one of the semi-private meeting alcoves off the main dining area.
The plus side? It wasn’t me in a brawl.
Buy Links
Free to read on Kindle Unlimited!
Author Biography
Journey Windrow is an emerging Urban Fantasy author. Her debut urban fantasy was The Reluctant Mage, Mage of Boston Series, Book One. Stone and Bone is the second book of the Mage of Boston Series.
Her work is noir, funny, gritty, filled with mystery, intrigue, and has a full cast of relatable characters.
A world traveler, she has been in all four hemispheres, lived in three different countries and considers herself a citizen of Planet Earth. Please note: There is no Planet B. She’s fascinated with genetics, species evolution, mythology, language as the repository of culture, cultural anthropology, physics, family dynamics, and the impact of trauma on the psyche. Not necessarily in that order.
Social Media Links
@journeywindrow on Threads.net (app only)
Facebook: http://facebook.com/journeywindrow
Pack Some Snacks Newsletter: https://sendfox.com/journeywindrow
Website: www.JourneyWindrow.com