Read Online Hex on the Beach (The Magic & Mixology Mystery Series Book 1) by Gina LaManna - Free Book Online

Cups, bowls, pitchers, shots—all sorts of glass fixtures held gallon upon gallon of liquids in every pastel color and shade of the rainbow.
    “What is all this for?” I asked, turning to look at Gus. “All these jars and liquids and everything.”
    “Stupid question. Try another.”
    I ignored the old man and continued my stroll along the outskirts of the storeroom. I passed a doorway and quietly twisted the handle to peek inside. It led to the tiki bar.
    Closing the door tightly, I continued on to another wall of glass containers. These were thick and sturdy, more like heavy-duty storage bins than fragile vases. They looked like cookie jars filled with all sorts of dried flowers: Rose petals, lilacs, and oregano to name a few.
    “So where do we start?” I turned to face Gus, clasping my hands in front of my body.
    He blinked. “The beginning.”
    “Which is?” I looked around for a place to sit. “Where’s a good place to set up for training?”
    Gus thunked over to the door leading to the tiki bar. He pulled it open and gestured toward a stool.
    “We have lessons at the bar?” I asked, heading outside. “I could get used to this.”
    “Sit down.”
    My feet sank into the sand as I hopped onto a stool. As my toes warmed from the fine grains, I realized that my feet were bare. And that I had on a pale-yellow sundress. I didn’t remember changing, which meant someone else might have helped. Talk about a scary thought .
    Gus watched as I studied my own appearance. “They used magic. Don’t worry, nobody peeked at your knickers. The closet upstairs will be outfitted with clothes to your size and taste. It populates automatically, so if you don’t like it, you can change. Simple Styling Spell.”
    “A whole new wardrobe?” My smile grew. “I really can get used to this. New clothes, classes at the bar…”
    “ Work. ” Gus stood on the other side of the counter. He reached below it, huffing and puffing as he pulled up a book as thick as ten encyclopedias and plunked it on the bar. Judging by the loud thud it made, the thing weighed a ton.
    “May I?” Without waiting for a response, I slid the book toward me. It was covered with dust and smelled like a musty old library. I sneezed as I ran a hand along the top of the book.
    “Don’t ruin it,” Gus said, wiping the cover with his sleeve. “It’s priceless. And it’s mine .”
    The book itself had a cover made of hefty parchment at least half an inch thick. Gold lettering on the front spelled: The Magic of Mixology. I turned to the first page and found an inscription. It read:
    To the current Mixologist—
                                Do good.
    That was it. No signature. Nothing else.
    “Who wrote this?” I asked, gesturing to the handwritten note.
    “The first Mixologist.” Gus grunted, snapping the book shut. “It’s a master list of recipes. Chances you’ll need this book much are slim, since you’ll inherently understand the combinations. Me, however, I use it all the time. It was gifted to me.”
    I raised my eyebrow at Gus, then looked back at the inscription. “If this is yours, that makes you a Mixologist. Why do you need me then?”
    “I’m not a Mixologist,” Gus said. “Don’t you ever say that. You’re The Mixologist. There’s one.”
    “But the inscription…”
    “Fine, maybe the book doesn’t belong to me technically,” he relented. “It was entrusted into my care, and I take that seriously. As for Mixology , that is a power which must run in a person’s blood. Me? I’m an assistant. I gathered materials, tested potions, managed the bookkeeping and chores for the previous Mixologist. You’ll get to pick your own assistant.”
    “Can I choose you?” I asked.
    Gus looked as if he’d never considered the idea, blinking and turning red. “I, uh… never mind that now.” Gus shook his head. “I’ll help you ’til you get on your feet, then no doubt you’ll want to choose someone