Chapter 8
Chapter
Eight
“ I get why you have all these colonial clothes,” Antoinette said, “but what’s with the rest of this shit?”
It was early afternoon on Saturday. Antoinette, Izzy, and Jade were rummaging through the second-floor costume closet—scraping hanger after hanger along the metal rod—while Stella stood at the railing, peering down onto the sales floor.
Magnus, wearing a top hat and his magician’s cape, tended the cash register.
There were quite a few customers in the store below—some of whom were also in costume—witches and woodland faeries for the most part—and Stella hoped for a record-breaking day.
Her financial planner hadn’t been the miracle worker she’d hoped for, and he’d alternated between pitying and judgmental looks that made the walls feel like they were closing in.
So, after he sauntered out the door, she decided at least someone should enjoy their afternoon and gave Darren a break from his terrarium. He was currently coiled around her arm and bumping his nose against her mother’s gold bracelet.
“The ‘rest of this shit,’” Jade explained, twirling one of her dark brown curls around her finger, “is because Stella likes to go standard witch sometimes for the customers.”
Antoinette picked a pointy, purple velvet witch hat off a hook and clicked her tongue. “It’s cliché.”
“It’s marketing,” Stella countered. “Or is it promotion? I can never keep the terms straight.”
“Actually,” Jade said, “I think it’s called ‘branding.’ What’s that?” She pointed at the floor near Stella’s foot.
Stella looked down, spotted a small scrap of paper that was caught between the wall and the baseboard, and bent to pick it up.
It was another one of Catherine’s numerical doodles—numbers zero through five, but still no number four. Stella crumpled it into a ball and stuck it in her pocket.
“Doesn’t matter what it’s called,” Izzy said while she picked at her split ends. “Marketing, promotion, branding… I’ll do a pointy black hat before I wear another apron and bonnet. I’ve had enough of those costumes to last a lifetime.”
“Same,” Jade said. “After our adventure in colonial Salem, I’m taking a permanent pass on bonnets.”
Stella stroked Darren’s bright blue scales and narrowed her eyes on Antoinette. The constant squealing of metal hangers against the metal rod was wearing on her last nerve.
“ Maybe if you tell me what you’re looking for,” she said, “I can help you find something to wear. Last night you seemed pretty set on Cleopatra.”
“Oh, I am.” Antoinette said. “My costume’s in my bag. I just wanted to see what other options you had. What are you and Ethan wearing?”
“He’s going as a 1920s mob boss, vintage pinstripe suit, hat, carnation, and spats.”
“Stylin’,” Antoinette said. “What about you?”
Stella inhaled deeply, then let it out just as slowly. She figured she should get in all her good breathing now. Her lungs would be seriously restricted later tonight. “I’m wearing my old prom dress. It’s red and super tight, so I’m going as Jessica Rabbit.”
“That’ll be sick,” Antoinette said approvingly.
“You’ll need a pair of long gloves,” Izzy said.
“Ethan’s at Joker’s Wild right now, buying me a pair. He’s also getting a bunch of those little oval masquerade masks for all of us.”
The bell over the door gave a jingle, and Stella glanced over the railing.
Ethan walked in carrying several plastic shopping bags. His head tipped back, and his eyes went immediately to her. He smiled.
“That’s a lot of bags for a pair of gloves and masks,” Izzy noted as soon as Ethan joined them upstairs.
“That’s because I found something for you and Jade too, unless you’ve already got your costumes sorted.”
“We’re still thinking about it,” Jade said.
“Well you can stop thinking,” Ethan said. “I found the perfect thing.”
“What is it?” Jade pushed herself off the wall she’d been leaning against.
Ethan gave Stella a sideways glance, and his navy-blue eyes sparkled with amusement.
She moved from the railing to get a better look.
He set the bags down and with one hand pulled out a hanger with an orange leotard, yellow tights, belt, and cape. With his other hand, he pulled out another hanger with a red leotard and cape and pink tights and belt.
“Vintage costumes,” he announced proudly. “Electra Woman and Girl.”
It only took Stella half a second to remember the nicknames Ethan had given Jade and Izzy after their first electric encounter.
Apparently, however, Ethan had never used those names in front of them because Jade and Izzy stared blankly at the costumes. This only intensified the burning pressure in Stella’s sinuses as she tried to keep a straight face.
After a few more seconds, Izzy instinctively selected the Electra Woman costume and said hesitantly, “Thanks, Ethan.”
Stella barked out a laugh and slapped her hand over her mouth.
“Sure,” Jade said slowly, dragging the word out. She took the hanger with the red Dyna Girl costume. “I guess I can have my ass hanging out in public.”
“You got some skinny white-girl ass,” Antoinette said. “You’ll be fine.”
“Abby called me,” Ethan said, still looking quite pleased that his costume selections hadn’t been vetoed. “She’ll meet us at the hotel.”
“They’re letting her go?” Antoinette asked, doing nothing to mask her surprise.
“Hawk is sending Stryker along. But just him. Apparently Stryker has the best handle on subtlety . I decided it wasn’t worth fighting about.”
Stella agreed. And it was an excellent compromise. Truth be told, the wolves had gotten them out of plenty of jams. She’d be glad to have at least one shifter— one and a half if she counted Abby—in their back pocket tonight.