Chapter 25
“Ican’t believe Eliza and Reed were working together,” Bettina said. “This is just so surreal.”
Crystal threw another log on the fire. “And sad.”
Bettina, Zahara, Crystal, and I were sitting along the beach roasting marshmallows over an open fire and drinking mulled wine.
PADA had arrived to pick up Eliza and Reed an hour after we called them.
By now, the duo were being booked into a PADA prison where they would stay for the rest of their lives.
“What’s even stranger,” Zahara said, taking a sip of her mulled wine, “is the fact Eliza could actually walk unassisted all these years. It seriously boggles my mind.”
“What about Hunter?” Bettina asked. “Have you guys spoken to him?”
I nodded and blew on my burned marshmallow before taking a small bite and immediately regretting it. I opened my mouth to let the steam escape. “Yes. He’s obviously beside himself. Not only has his wife been killed, but so has his mistress.”
“And what about the will?” Crystal asked. “It’s already all over town that Eliza had been named the trustee in Mari’s will.”
I shrugged and finished my marshmallow. “That’s for the lawyer and courts to figure out. I imagine a guardian will be provided for Jayla. But I don’t know.”
“And Rayna?” Crystal mused.
“She is going to be prosecuted for harming another supernatural.” I took a sip of my mulled wine. “The DA is looking for a little jail time, probation, and quite a bit of community service.”
“And Hunter?” Zahara asked.
“For his part in delivering the Valentine’s gifts and then keeping quiet all these years,” I said, “he’s already agreed to probation and community service.”
“I hope it’s okay to say that I hope Rayna gets some significant jail time for her part.” Bettina took off her gloves and held her hands up to the fire. “Do you know how long it’s been since I hung out on a beach in the middle of winter?”
Zahara laughed. “We were probably in high school.”
Crystal placed her gooey marshmallow atop one of her chocolate-and-coconut healthy cookies she’d brought. “Why do you think Eliza kept the fact she could walk unassisted a secret?”
“I’m not sure.” I glanced over at Savage who was digging near a cluster of rocks. “Lots of reasons, I suppose. Attention, a feeling of superiority because she was getting something over on so many people.” I shrugged. “We’ll probably never know.”
“What’s he doing over there?” Zahara asked.
“Savage!” I called out. “What are you doing?”
“I have a feeling, Valkyrie.”
I shook my head. “He says he has a feeling.” I held out my hand to Crystal. “Can I try one of those cookies you brought?”
“Of course.” Crystal handed me the container. “I hand grated the coconut myself, plus the chocolate is a no-sugar added chocolate.”
I snickered. “Thank goodness the marshmallows are—”
“Nope,” Crystal cut me off. “They are healthy as well.”
“What?” I demanded, looking at the fluffy thing like it had betrayed me somehow.
“No sugar. It’s sweetened with local honey, and the gelatin is not animal-based but seaweed based.”
I popped the marshmallow into my mouth, my cheeks puffing out. “Still good.”
We all laughed.
“Did Ashlyn tell you where she was going?” Bettina asked me as she poured herself more mulled wine.
I shook my head and picked up the stick next to me to roast another marshmallow. This time I was going to remember to put it on the healthy cookie. “Nope. Just that she got a call from PADA earlier today and they needed her expertise.”
“Now we need to talk about the important stuff,” Zahara said.
I laughed. “What’s that?”
“A wedding dress!” Zahara exclaimed.
We talked about wedding plans as I nibbled on the chocolate-coconut-marshmallow cookie. It was actually pretty good. I was about to tell the girls about my plans for a girls’ trip to look for bridesmaid dresses and a wedding dress…when Savage cried out.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, moving to stand up.
“I found it! I knew I would!”
He ran over to us, sand spraying out behind him. He had something in his mouth. He dropped it at my feet, and I stared down at the shell, uncertain of what I was seeing.
“Is that an oyster?” I asked.
“Look inside, Valkyrie.”
“How did you get it open?” I picked up the shell and carefully pried it open. “No way!” Nestled inside was a beautiful pearl with green and pink overtones. I held it closer to the fire as I laughed. “Only you could find a pearl, Savage.”
The girls oohed and aahed over the find.
“I must be going, Valkyrie. Don’t wait up.”
“Tell Nyxie I said hello!” I called out after him as he scampered away.
“I can’t believe he found a pearl,” Crystal said.
I laughed. “He told me this morning he’d find one before the day was over.” I drank the last of my mulled wine. “Now, let me tell you about what I have planned for the dresses.”