Chapter 3
Chapter
Three
Once I was back at the house, I texted Moira, asking her if she wanted to come with me.
Within seconds, she’d texted back saying she was in, but she’d have to dig up something to wear.
Like that was a problem. The woman had a closet with one of those rotating rods in it because she had so many clothes, she lost track of them all.
We agreed to meet in an hour, and I hurried to the bathroom to get ready, leaving the dress box unopened on the bed. Caelan’s wolves had texted a few minutes ago letting me know everything arrived safely and all the arrangements were unloaded and still in their boxes.
Twenty minutes later, clean, shaved, plucked, moisturized and made up, I hovered over the box with trepidation, wondering what he’d done this time. Moments later, I held up a tea-length deep blue dress, every inch of it embroidered with flowers.
I sucked in a shocked gasp. Running my fingers down the intricate blooms, tears filled my eyes at the natural magic pulsing from the threads.
Not every flower had a seed in it this time, but seventy-five percent held some form of life nestled within.
But as stunning as that was, there were other things in the box.
I pulled out three additional wrapped items, two in small boxes and one in an oblong shape.
Curious, I opened the larger one first, only to see a pair of matching shoes. In my size. Because of course Caelan would have gone through my closet at some point to note it.
“Weirdo,” I said on a sigh.
Moving on to the first box, I opened it to reveal a stunning amethyst necklace, the gems rose cut and sparkling, encased in meticulous silver scrollwork of leaves and blooms. The earrings were a mix of aquamarine and amethyst, smaller and set in silver, and a delicate bracelet with a focal stone of carved aquamarine in the shape of a helichrysum flower.
My throat closed for a moment, and I wondered what would have happened if I’d met Caelan under different circumstances when I’d just been me, a simple Floromancer with a complicated family history, instead of the Evie now, a woman with the same nutso family, but with a curse in her blood that could ruin everything.
Shaking those thoughts away, I carefully set the jewelry down and stepped into the dress, unsurprised when it fit like a glove. I fastened the jewelry next and ignored the shoes until the last moment.
I left my hair down, quickly running over the ends with a curling iron before shaking the curls out to loosen them.
A couple spritzes of perfume and a mad dash to the closet to find a small purse that would work, and I was rushing to the door, hopping as I shoved my feet into those surprisingly comfortable heels.
Moira had just pulled into the driveway and was sliding out of the vehicle when she spotted me. She wolf-whistled and gestured me over. “I’ll drive tonight. Take a load off.”
Without arguing, I got into the vehicle, and we were off.
“That’s a fantastic dress,” Moira observed. “Is it heavy with all that embroidery?”
“Not at all. That tailor is magnificent.”
“With all the money that poor Lord is paying you, maybe you can retain him on an indefinite basis.”
“True,” I said with a laugh. We’d walk out of Caelan’s keep with a massive paycheck this evening.
“Now that you’ve had time to think about it, you’d still go to Vegas?”
“Absolutely. But if Vegas was out, I’d go to Ibiza.”
“Gracious. Don’t they have a ton of drugs there?”
Moira laughed. “There are drugs everywhere if you know the right questions to ask.”
I blinked. “Do you know the right questions?”
Moira stayed silent.
I gasped. “Moira! Are you a closet party girl?”
“I’m a vacation party girl. Big difference. I’m content with my life here, but if I get the chance to let my hair down far away from here, I’ll take it.”
Her words made me sad. “You can, you know. Any time you want. Just say the word.”
Moira clicked her tongue. “You sap. I know I can. I’m not that girl all the time, nor do I want to be.
Plus, I don’t have anyone to go with me right now.
We’ve only been in Joy Springs for a few years, and we all know how paranoid magical people can be about trusting others. ” She pointedly did not look at me.
“I’m aware,” I said dryly. “Maybe I’ll go with you one day.”
She looked at me with horror. “Absolutely not. You’re far too pretty to be set loose in a party situation. There could be an international incident.”
“Moira!” I snickered. “You’re such an ass sometimes.”
She reached over and patted my knee. “Let’s go somewhere tamer. How about Burning Man?”
The look I gave her sent her into a spiral of giggles. “How about somewhere with good food and good shopping?”
“I like both of those things far more than I should,” Moira admitted.
“But not snobby shopping. Cool shopping. Like artisan stuff. Things we won’t find anywhere else.”
Moira and I pondered as we drove, arriving at Caelan’s a short time later. As the gates opened without us having to use the call box, Moira snapped her fingers. “New Orleans. How about it?”
I’d never been there, though everyone knew the place was steeped in old magic. “Hmm. Invite Tess and Ash or just you and me?”
Moira’s eyes glittered. “We invite them both. I can’t wait to see what Tess does when someone throws beads and screams at her to show some skin.”
“Maybe we should avoid Bourbon,” I murmured.
The street was infamous even to humans, who congregated there on weekends for debauchery and sin.
I’d like to see it once, but a place like that wasn’t high on my bucket list. I slid a look at the vampire and had to laugh at her dejected look.
“Fine. One night on Bourbon, as long as we spend most of our time in the Art and Garden districts.”
“Done.” She came to a stop and handed the keys to a handsome, young shifter. He grinned in appreciation as she slid from the car, showing a long swath of pale, lean thigh when her dress rode up. “It’s vintage,” she said. “Try not to drool too much when you drive it away.”
The shifter blinked as he looked at the keys and realized he was about to drive a Honda away.
Moira blew him a kiss and took me by the arm. “You ready?” she murmured softly.
“How bad could it be?”
We both laughed as we walked up the steps to the Keep’s mansion.
“My gods,” Moira murmured as we stopped not too far into the entrance of the Keep.
Blood rushed to my face, and my back broke into a cold sweat. My fists clenched at my sides. “What in the absolute hell?” I whispered.
“Oh, Caelan,” the vampire said, her voice thick with amusement. “What have you done?”
A banner hung above the interior hall emblazoned with floral typography announcing the name of the event. All fine. All normal.
But below it, in slightly smaller letters, but no less aggressive, were the words that struck horror in my soul.
Honoring Evie Quinn
“I am going to cut off his legs and shove a rod up his ass all the way through his mouth. Then I’m going to cook him like I’m the chef at a Louisiana pig roast.”
Moira choked. “Vivid,” she wheezed.
“Then I’m going to fillet him into tiny pieces and feed him to all the carnivorous plants in his yard that will start growing in the next five minutes.”
Cool fingers gripped my hand. “Try to calm down. We have to set up the event first. Then you can retaliate to your heart’s content. But maybe try to think this through.” Moira leaned closer. “I’ve seen at least two of the other Lords. Remember. The best revenge is one they never see coming.”
I sucked in a strangled breath of air and let my eyes flutter shut while I counted to five. “You’re right.”
“As much as I’d love to see you skewer him over this fucked up paranormal debutante ball Caelan has planned, I think you should take some time. Plant some seeds on the way out. Be in it for the long game.”
I squared my shoulders and nodded. “I like the long game.”
Moira squeezed my fingers. “I know you do. There you go.” She fished through her purse and handed me a tube of lipstick. “You’ve chewed all yours off. Put your lips back on, add a smile, and pretend you do not give a shit about this.”
I swiped on my favorite color, the one Moira always carried because she knew I’d forget mine, smoothed my skirt down, and slapped on a smile.
“Maybe tone down the crazy a few more notches,” she whispered. “You look like you’ve just been released from the asylum.”
I snorted and tried again.
“There you go.” Moira released my hand and tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “Just the perfect amount of crazy. Now, let’s go in and set this bullshit up. We can plot while we work.”
I shot her a grateful look. “I love you.”
“Right back atcha. One day, I hope you’ll have my back when someone drives me to consider committing justifiable homicide.”
“Are you kidding? I’ll be in jail right beside you.”
“That’s my girl.”