Gertie's Paranormal Plantation: A Paranormal Romantic Comedy by Melanie James

to conjure a beast known as a basilisk. It’s the only thing that the satyrs fear. My guess is that this book will also have an entry about this basilisk and how to control it.”
    I recognized the name of that wizard. “Did you say Cosmos? Could it be the same old alchemist that helped out Leigh in Chicago?”
    “It could be.” Marie mumbled as she looked through the book. “Aha. Here it is. The basilisk.”
    “Jesus!” Randy remarked. “It looks like something one of my nephews would draw. So that’s what they fear? A poorly drawn dragon with a beak?”
    “Yes, according to this book. And now that we know, we can certainly coerce Vasili into telling us what happened to Brad. Now, back to your ring. I’ve only heard of one magic diamond ring that could embed itself inside of you like that one. But…it doesn’t fit into the problem.” The befuddled tone in Marie’s voice was something I rarely, if ever heard.
    “Yeah, like a diamond ring fits anything on your insides.” Esmeralda joked.
    “No, I’m not joking. The problem is that Gertie’s man has gone missing. Gertie just so happens to find herself in the crosshairs of a persistent satyr. We would assume the satyr would be our number one suspect in Brad’s disappearance, but strangely he was found beaten and tied up the night Brad disappears. I doubt Brad would have attacked the satyr and then simply fled. If he felt there was a threat, he would have gone back to protect Gertie, not run away. Then we find a magic ring trying to hide in Gertie’s belly. The only rings known to do that are discussed in an Old Norse legend. And if I recall, these magic rings are a type of curse. Whoever has one of these inside them must do the bidding of whoever placed the curse. If they refuse…that ring will kill them. This ring business just puzzles me to no end. How the hell does Norse magic fit into this problem? To make it worse, our only witnesses are useless. Gertie was knocked out from gobbling valiums like they were skittles and the satyrs are notorious liars.”
    “Why not ask Wanda about the Norse magic ring? She is somewhat of an expert on that magic.” Esmeralda asked. Randy and I stared at each other. Every time I started to open my mouth and confess that we had botched a Norse magic spell, Randy shook his head at me. He strolled over and sat on my bed next to me. From the corner of my eye, I saw him fiddling around on his phone. He appeared to be reading a news story out of New Orleans.
    Marie considered Esmeralda’s question. “I probably will have to talk to Wanda at some point. She is the only one I know that has knowledge of Norse magic. At the same time, it worries me. Who else would know any Norse magic spells to put this ring in Gertie? Wanda is the only one. I really hate to say this, but she becomes a suspect. I can’t even imagine what her motive would be. This damn ring really throws me for a loop.”
    That was it. I had to confess. “Marie? I have something I need to—”
    Then Wanda’s tiny frame appeared in the doorway. The sweet old grandmotherly witch had a positively radiant glow about her. She didn’t say a word, or perhaps she couldn’t even say a word because a giant smile was frozen on her face. It didn’t take long to see what had put that smile there, a man. A tall, well-built, and completely naked man with a full head of golden hair came from behind her and stood next to her. Every one of us immediately lost any sense of what our conversation had been about. Each of us stared with our mouths agape. Maybe it was the surprise of seeing Wanda with a naked stranger, but I’m pretty sure it was because this particular naked hunky stranger was the spitting image of the actor that plays on those Thor movies.
    Wanda straightened her scrubs. “You all look like a nest full of hungry baby birds. Don’t you have any manners? Say hello to the satyr.” She patted his beefy chest then gave his ass a few light slaps.
    “Hold the