Chapter 22 The Cat is Backstage At The Maison #2
“I did, you hedonist. We can’t have people walking into magickal rooms unaware of the possibilities and having a freak-out. I’m drunk, not stupid.” She snorts and I smile as she drops onto a lounge, petting Aradia’s soft fur. “When did you put an earring in her ear?”
“I did it this morning. She matches mine,” I reply, pointing at the large sapphires in my ears.
Aradia has a small hoop with a small stone and a larger collar with stones to match the one on my neck. Twist scampers over to Philomena, looking at her. She snorts. “Your rat feels left out.”
“Oh, hell, I forgot because he was loose. P, get into that bag on the bed. Taurus brought my jewelry, Aradia’s, and something for Twist so he’d keep out of trouble.” I was a little surprised by that, but I suppose he’s more than eager to stake his claim in the showiest way possible.
She fishes out the flimsy, shiny thing and looks at me. “You can’t be serious. What in the fresh hell is this? It looks like a fruit roll.”
“I think it’s a Damien creation. Taurus said... um, he said...” I try to remember because he said it while he was doing something distracting and my brain got melted. “I think he said to lay it on his back and say, ‘Please sir, may I have another’.”
She laughs, and I look at her, and then I realize. Twist, thief, Dickens, namesake... okay, muse, I got you. With a smirk, she adopts a terrible Cockney accent that makes every male in the place wince. “Please, sir, may I have another?”
The strip glows, and a whiff of myrrh fills the air. A fine smoke puffs around the little guy, and I worry for a second that Damien has poofed my favorite thief.
It clears, and I laugh as the ferret stands on his hind legs as if he wants to shake his fist at me.
No longer a pirate, he’s like a little Aladdin in his jewel-encrusted vest and pants, a tiny fez somehow perched on his head.
Everyone looks at one another, and we burst out laughing, further enraging the tiny pickpocket.
As if in a huff, Twist scrambles off behind the tiger as we give each other amused looks.
“I guess that was not what he expected,” Leo says, eyes dancing.
“Sometimes that’s how magick is, my friend. You don’t always get what you think you will.”
“Speaking of magick, how does this room thing work?” Siren asks from the other side of the vanity. Rafe’s about done with me, and I know he will move on to her to get people downstairs before any early birds arrive.
I shrug mysteriously. “I know people. I did some things. I collaborated a bit.”
“What did you settle on for themes?” Hex asks around a mouthful of bobby pins. He’s finished Sandrine, and he’s now prepping Siren for her time in the chair. “You said that you were having trouble deciding on them.”
“I was,” I agree, wrinkling my nose and then wincing when it earns me a pinch. “I went with Hidden Desires, Speaking the Truth, Lost Inhibitions, Kinky, True Self, and Switch-a-roo.”
Rafe stops, pulls back, and gives me an annoyed look. “So much for avoiding controversy and conflict, woman. There’s not a thing on that list that doesn’t scare the tight pants right off me.”
I snort and shrug. “People are here to have fun and mingle. I don’t expect a lot of problems from most of them. The ones who would cause trouble will do it regardless of the room. At least this promises to give us some interesting stories.”
“Let me get this straight: when they walk in the room, the door will close and the magick will begin, right? The room will affect them in a perception-altering way, like a bending of reality that they play out until the door gets opened?” Caesar scratches his head as if trying to figure out the mechanics in a way that only a master engineer would.
“Speaking of people who would love to break down how it all works, where’s Victor?” Sandrine asks.
Hex chuckles. “He’s ready. He’s been monitoring the early arrivals and keeping an ear on the kitchen staff while we finish. He’s waiting for reinforcements, for sure. Leave him alone with Chance, Aidan, and Preston long enough and someone will go missing.”
Rafe stops, steps back, and grins. “Voila!”
I look in the mirror. Every bit of my makeup and hair is in perfect symmetry. “I look like the cat that ate the canary.”
“Indeed, my night bloom,” he says, kissing my nose. “Now, shoo. I have several other people to finish in a short amount of time.”
“Thank you.” Turning to my family, I tilt my head. “Are everyone's guests coming? I know Dona and Lucinda are not coming over, which is disappointing, but is everyone else good?”
Leo grins. “All our buddies are coming, and my girl’s here.”
“I think she’s coming with that crowd of sodding loonies,” Hex says, looking forlorn. “I haven’t heard from her in a while.”
I wonder, not for the first time, how much the divide in the families is making his relationship with Chaos suffer. He doesn’t show it much. Siren is scowling, and I frown, not sure what has set her off.
“Agreed. The boys will be here when their family arrives,” Philomena says, sipping her martini as if she couldn’t care less. She’s putting on a show; I see the tiniest wrinkle at the corner of her eyes that means she’s worried about Roman and Janus.
Damn it. I hate that this is affecting them.
I hate that it’s affecting my family—all my family—even the ones who don’t have a damned thing to do with the whole mishegoss1. “Okay. Let’s finish getting ready and have a party!”
At least I can pretend I think everything will be all right—maybe that’ll make it so.