Page 91 of Shift of Heart


Font Size:

Ash’s eyebrows rose to his hairline. “That dress…” He shook his head and swallowed hard. “I sense the life pulsing inside.” But Ash frowned. “Will Rowan sense it as well?”

“More than likely, but I believe he’s Caelan’s ally. I don’t think we will need to worry about him tonight.”

“Let’s hope,” Ash murmured.

Tess floated over, her pale eyes studying me. “You look like a deadly princess.”

She was right. The dress fit me like a glove. The train fell to the floor so I could get away with wearing slippers instead of heels. Easier to run in if I had to make a mad dash outside the Keep.

I’d styled my hair but left it loose, and it fell in thick curls all the way to the middle of my back. I wore a silver pendant in the shape of a poppy and simple diamond studs shaped like daisies.

Ash wore a brown suit with a forest green tie and matching shoes. Tess wore a simple silver gown with matching shoes. Moira wore a pair of high-waisted, black satin pants, four-inch silver heels, a silver sequined camisole, and a matching satinblazer. She’d scooped her dark hair into a slicked back high ponytail and wore only mascara, a touch of blush, and crimson lipstick.

“We all look devastating,” I said with a grin.

Moira held a finger up. “Oh! Before I forget.” She dug through her purse and pulled out a small box. “Marnie and Twila made this for you, just in case things go wrong this evening.”

I opened the box and pulled out a tiny silver pin shaped like a rose. Moira plucked it from my fingers and pinned it to my skirt, disguising it between the embroidered flowers.

Faint magic beat from the pin. “What is it?”

“Healing spell,” Moira answered. “Designed to trigger automatically if you lose fifty percent of your energy.”

“Like an RPG!” Ash said.

Tess gave him a quizzical look. “How is a healing spell like a rocket-propelled grenade?”

All of us gaped at the banshee. Maybe one of us needed to step in and police her television habits.

Ash blinked in confusion before his expression cleared. “No, Tess.” His voice was gentle, and it warmed my heart that he didn’t laugh at her. “It can also mean role playing game. That’s the context I was using.”

The banshee tilted her head in curiosity. “What’s a role-playing game?”

Ash’s face lit up. “You’ve never played before?”

Tess shook her head. Ash draped an arm around her and led her off, babbling about clerics, warriors, and mages, as a bemused Moira and I watched.

“She’s in her twenties, right?” Moira whispered.

I nodded. “Sheltered, but yes.”

“Poor girl.” Moira laughed. “Ash is going to talk her ear off.”

But the banshee was watching Ash with rapt interest. “Somehow I don’t think she’s going to mind,” I said.

Moira droppedthe keys into a shifter’s waiting palm as we exited the car. I struggled not to laugh as we walked up the steps to the front door. Caelan hadn’t changed a single thing about my “landscaping” services. Dandelions still swayed in the gentle night wind, and the columns in the front of his house were still covered in blooming flowers. I inhaled the heady floral scent surrounding the property and listened as hummingbird moths and other night creatures buzzed through the new and stunning native landscape.

The front doors opened, and we were escorted inside. Fairy lights hung throughout the main hall, giving the place a warm, cheery glow. A smile tipped my lips as I explored further, noting with some delight just how many plants Caelan actually had.

There’d been no sign of the healer since he’d disappeared during my mother’s visit. While I was disappointed, it was best for his continued health if he stayed away from me. Hundreds of shifters and local business owners mingled in the ballroom, the sound of soft, classical music playing through the speakers. In the middle of the room sat a large basket of flowers and greenery next to a wooden structure. I’d been told this was a symbolic gesture as well as a test of my abilities, basically a way of Lord Caelan welcoming me to town and for the town to see I was no threat.

It didn’t make a lick of sense to me because I’d been here for five years, but Rowan had lowered his voice and told me the Council had insisted because they were still sure I had something to do with the rogue magic pockets, and this was their way to see I was nothing more than a Floromancer. Still didn’t make sense, but whatever. So, I agreed to put the full moon centerpiece together after dinner. Once it was finished, the ceremony would begin.

Simone appeared before me. “Evie,” she said with a nod. “Caelan would like to speak with you before everything begins. May I escort you?”

My heart fluttered, but I nodded.

Neither of us spoke as Simone led me to an office away from the ballroom. She knocked once and opened the door.