by Starla Night
The elevator dinged and the doors opened.
"And here you are." Ed led her to the double suite.
The groomsmen spilled from one suite with Ed's male relatives, and she wove between the nervous, boisterous energy of the cheery males in various states of dress.
Ed knocked on the door to the adjoining suite. "Mama? Amber—"
The door flew open and Kris enveloped her in a fierce hug. "Amber, thank god." She pulled Amber into the suite and shut the door.
On the bridal side, there was no boisterous cheer. Only the stern sense of a besieged fortress about to send their exhausted warriors out for the final decisive battle.
Tara sat in front of the vanity grim in a white bathrobe and wet hair. "Where's your makeup artist friend? She was supposed to be here an hour ago."
Amber dialed Carnelian Clothiers and was patched through to Syenite. During their call, Nicole snuck into the bridal suite with a shoebox under her arm. A few minutes later, everything was resolved and Amber hung up to face the taut bridal party.
"They'll be here in five minutes," Amber said, and an audible sigh filled the room as everyone's shoulders slumped. "Eva was mostly packed up when she got a text saying that she'd been replaced."
"What text?" Kris demanded.
"It was almost the same one I got." Amber rotated her phone for them to see. Everyone crowded around. "I don't know why Darcy wants to ruin your wedding now, Tara."
Nicole peered over Tara's shoulder. "Darcy would never text that. 'You are bad. No longer invited to hotel. Only wedding. See how much better it is now. So happy finally listened to my loving mom.' Guess we know who's stolen Darcy's phone. Gag me."
"Gayle..." Kris clenched her fists and shook her head. "Tara, this wedding is a trial by fire. Your mother is on another plane. Stealing Darcy's phone... Hey, who else does he have a contact for?"
"I don't know," Amber said. "I didn't realize he even knew Syen's fiancée."
"Why don't you call your other friends who are helping us out? Just in case."
Amber completed the other calls. In fact, the others had received similar cancellation texts. Cheryl had ignored hers. Jasper had unpackaged his acquisitions, so that was an easy fix. But Melody had rolled over and gone back to bed instead of baking. Freaking out was too gentle a description of her new state once she found out what had happened.
Amber completed the phone calls and reported back. "The cupcakes will be delayed. Pyro will deliver them to the reception."
Tara balled her fists. "My whole wedding will be delayed. And when anyone asks why I will point to my mother."
"I thought we'd be safe because Amber's friends aren't normal vendors." Kris tutted. "Gayle stole a phone and impersonated her son to get to them? What's next?"
Amber held up her phone once more. "Do you think she faked this break-up video, too?"
The video was dim and only showed Darcy's silhouette in the moonlight. "Amber ... I'm so sorry, Amber. I ... snzzz ... so sorry..."
"That's Darcy," Tara said.
"But probably still a fake. You can get Darcy to say anything when he's half-asleep." Nicole scrolled through her phone and then clicked a video. "Here's my favorite."
This video had much better lighting. Darcy lay across a couch, eyes closed, one hand in a bowl of water. Dark marker dyed a mustache and dramatic eyebrows on his face. He twitched on the couch. "The mushrooms are coming! Don't ... snzzz ... blue taffeta, fifty cents..."
The video stopped. Darcy's slurred voice was the same.
Nicole snerked. "The mushrooms are coming! Heh heh heh."
Amber's heart squeezed. Maybe this was a misunderstanding...
Tara pointed to the window. "Makeup!"
Syen landed on the shared suite balcony and released his large-boned, tall, always-cheerful fiancée. Amber exited to meet them.
"I love weddings!" Eva's rainbow-dyed locks pulled into a messy bun and she'd applied her usual purple eyeshadow and matching lipstick. "Thanks so much for this invitation, Amber. Syen," she kissed his cheek, leaving a sparkly purple imprint, "it's fine to get back to work. I know it's hard right now without your idol."
The impassive dragon adjusted his opaque glasses. "Kyan isn't my idol. I respect his experience."
"Mmhm. Love you." She kissed his other cheek.
His jaw flexed. He lifted off the balcony, pointing away to work, and brushed the kiss imprint as though it were his treasure. Then, he flew off.
Humans warmed a dragon's heart.
"Eva?" Tara went for her usual hug and Eva met her. They were both huggers. "Nice to meet you, and I'm so sorry about the mix-up. My mom's sort of controlling, and you weren't a part of her plan. I'm dreading what's lying in wait for us at the venue. So, sorry in advance for the drama."
"Drama's my jam." Eva unclasped her case like a magician and laid out trays of foundation, shadow, liner, and powders. "I honed by brushes on makeup for the drama department at my school, then the local stage, and then TV. I was considering going into Hollywood, but the job at the art school came through, and I prefer misty Portland."
Tara took in a deep breath and let it out, trying to relax. "I regret not staying with Darcy last night and doing something about Mom."
Kris nodded emphatically.
"Weddings are filled with regrets!" Eva's cheer bubbled up, effervescent, lifting the mood. "So long as you love the man you're marrying, you'll be fine. Buck up! I'll help your inner light shine."
Tara gave her a wobbly smile.
Eva performed magic on the bride, straightening and braiding, teasing and sculpting her blonde locks into a "woodland elf" who everyone gushed belonged in Lord of the Rings. Tara's smile grew as Eva turned to her makeup. Her skin glowed, natural yet radiant, with her artistic skills. Eva's own makeup was dramatic and artistic, but on Tara, she used the perfect tones for beauty, strength, and wonder.
As Eva applied the finishing touches, Kris checked her phone. "Tara, things are looking good here. I'm going to check on the groomsmen. Hopefully, Jackie scrounged up some wildflowers."
Tara's smile fled. She tried not to cry. "I could always skip the bouquet."
"I know, or use the white roses you were going to toss."
Tara shook her head, still depressed. "That was my compromise with Mom. I no longer want to compromise."
"I understand."
"You toss a bouquet of white roses?" Amber queried as Kris left and Nicole stood up with her shoebox.
"It's a tradition." Tara mimed holding a bouquet and lobbing it over her head at the mirror behind her. "Whoever catches it will be the next person to get married."
Nicole kicked the toe of her boot against the floor and cleared her throat. "Um, Tara. I tried to, uh, fix your broach bouquet."
Tara frowned hard. "What?"
Nicole opened the shoebox and pulled out the bouquet. It looked almost restored. The impressions were darker and the little pieces no longer clinked because the heat had fused them into a bulb shape.
Tara's face lit up and her lips parted. She touched the silver. "It's lopsided."
"And the corners are melty. I looked up a tutorial on Google to fix burnt silver. It's the best I could do."
"Nicole, thank you so much." Tara got out of her seat and enfolded Nicole in a warm hug.
Nicole stood awkwardly.
Tears welled at the corners of Tara's eyes.
"No tears!" Eva chirped. "No tears until after photography!"
Tara sniffed in her tears, cleared her throat, and straightened. "It means a lot to me that you did this, and didn't just hide in your room, and pretend it didn't affect you."
"Yeah, well, you're actually getting out." Nicole gestured for taking off like a bird from the nest. "I wanted to help you launch."
Tara touched the broaches. "It looks amazing. You can hardly tell." She let out a long breath and hugged the broach bouquet to her chest. "I'm sorry that yesterday I called you an emo slut who gets off on filming train wrecks."
&nbs
p; "I'm sorry I used to call you a bubble-head who gives 'gamer girls' a bad name."
"I'm sorry I stole your prom dress and wore it for my 'nightmare bitch from hell' monster roleplay."
"I'm sorry I ate the secret admirer Valentine candy that got delivered when you weren't home."
"That explains it! I knew I hadn't gotten less popular." Tara placed her hand on her heart. "While we're clearing the air, I'm sorry that I was the one who started the rumor you smell like a camel after PE. I did it to steal your best friend in sixth grade. It was selfish and mean, and I felt bad."
"Not bad enough to stop the rumors or stop from stealing my best friend," Nicole pointed out.
"I was young and stupid. I hoped you'd never find out."
"I understand." Nicole accepted Tara's put-it-to-rest hug. "I guess now's the time to say I always knew it was you. Thanks to your apology now, I'm sorry I put Sriracha in your lip gloss, tanning lotion in your foundation, Flavor Aid in your blush, and used your toothbrush to clean the gunk under the sink for three weeks."
Tara blanched under her layers of makeup. She covered her perfect lips. "What?"
"Bygones." Nicole packed the shoebox under her arm. "You look like Galadriel. Except for the, you know, hotel bathrobe."
Tara turned for the hotel bathroom. "I need to brush my teeth."
"Tara, come on. The last time I did that was at least ... months ago..."
"Last time?!"
"Just kidding." Nicole grinned.
"Great joke." Tara scrambled for her phone. "You know what my Facebook needs today? A picture of you looking sexy in a boudoir."
Nicole darkened. "Now, now, Galadriel. Don't make me pull your nicely shellacked hair."
Eva watched the sisters with a happy sigh. "Okay, this is good drama."
While the siblings worked out their differences, the bridesmaids eagerly sat for their hair and makeup. Kris finished her check on the groomsmen; Jackie was on her way without wildflowers, and both were thrilled that the broach bouquet had been saved.
While Jackie raced in to get her makeup done and would catch a ride with Michael, Amber helped Kris cart the last supplies to her van and pack in the rest of the bridesmaids. The wedding dress hung from a peg in the back.
The groomsmen dispersed to several cars. Kris loaded the bridesmaids and buckled Tara — in an easily-to-change button-up shirt and leggings—into the passenger's seat. Kris closed the door and studied the sky.
"Is everything okay?" Amber asked her.
Kris rested her fists on her hips. "The weather is perfect but I can't help feeling like we're about to drive into doom. If this is a Lord of the Rings wedding, we're crossing into Mordor."
Amber let that rest a beat. Then, she confessed, "I've never watched the movie."
"Movies," Kris corrected. "Based on a book series. You know what? Never mind. Meet you at the venue."
She climbed in the van and pulled away.
Amber rocketed into the air and flew at an easy pace. Even though she didn't get Kris's reference, flying alone to Tara's wedding felt wrong. She circled the property from high. Nobody moved on the grounds.
Amber touched down in front of the house at the same time as Kris's van. It parked behind Darcy's sedan and disgorged the dressed, made-up bridesmaids and Tara. Kris began unloading the car. Nicole arrived a minute later and parked on the other side of the porch.
Tara's father rose from a seated position beside the front door and stumbled off the steps. "Hi, Tara."
She gave her dad a hug. "You're freezing! Did you sleep outside?"
"Yep."
"Are you drunk?"
"Yep yep." He belched.
"Dad!"
"Sorry, sorry." He waved away the burp. "I'll sober up. I just wanted to tell you." He rested his big hands on Tara's shoulders. "I sold the business ... to my buddy Rickers ... for his timeshare in Aruba."
"You what?!"
"I'm leaving here to crew a sailboat to San Diego. From there, I'll hop rides until I land in the Caribbean."
"But my wedding—"
"After the wedding. Yeah, after the wedding."
"Wait, Dad." Nicole shouldered into the conversation. "Are you saying I'm out of a job?"
He blinked. "Nicole."
"Yes, Dad?"
He removed his hands from Tara's shoulders and rested them on Nicole's. "I'm drunk. I know you hate that. I just wanted to tell you...you kids...I sold the business to my buddy—"
"Yeah, I got that. What's your buddy going to do with the business?"
"My buddy Rickers? I ... uh ...I'm drunk..."
"No, never mind." Nicole patted his hands awkwardly. "You had to fortify yourself before you told Mom."
"I told her before I started drinking." He removed his hands from her shoulders, patted his pockets for a tissue, and blew his nose. "She didn't care. That's when you know things are bad. She's up to something." He frowned fuzzily at Tara. "I'm sorry about your wedding."
Tara stiffened. "What did she do?"
"I don't know. She didn't care I sold the business. That means she's up to something. Whatever it is, I'm sorry you couldn't get the wedding you wanted."
"It's okay, Dad." Tara clenched her fingers. "Girls, let's see how bad it can be."
Her bridesmaids stood behind her in solidarity and Kris stood at her shoulder. As a united team, they marched around the side of the house.
"Now I've told everyone..." He frowned. "Except Jackie..."
"She's coming."
"Then I'll have told everyone." He hiccupped.
Amber stepped forward. "Have you seen Darcy?"
"No." His dad thumped his forehead as if he'd forgotten. "Jackie and Darcy, and then I'll have told everyone..." He stumbled to Darcy's car and knocked on the cold, fogged driver's window. "Darcy? Darcy, I've got something to tell you."
The car was empty.
Amber turned to the house. Darcy must be here somewhere. She unhooked the wedding gown bag and turned to carry it around to the backyard.
Nicole sidled up next to her. "This will sound weird but I think something's wrong."
Muffled shrieks sounded from the backyard.
"Not weird," Amber reassured Nicole. "Everyone is worried about the wedding and your mom."
"I'm not worried about her. Not any more than usual. I'm worried about Darcy." Nicole pointed to his car. "That's not where he parks. His wallet is on his nightstand but his bed is undisturbed. And I can't find him anywhere in the house."
"Maybe he took a walk..."
Nicole raised her brows. "A walk? Him?"
"Amber! My beloved nuclear star, my cuddle trap, my fiery poo-poo." Chrysoberyl landed in front of them in a black Chinese collar suit with a yellow-green tie. "It is I, your true equal, here to worship you as the dragon female your claws and teeth deserve. Let us wreck flames upon any who would sully your illustrious—"
"Stop." Amber lifted one hand, silencing the muscular aristocrat. "What are you doing here? You know you can't enter Earth's atmosphere unless you're invited."
"But someone invited me." His silver-limned teeth winked at her. "As your honored companion to this pointless human ritual."
"Was it by text? There have been a lot of bad texts sent around this morning."
"No! The mother of your nasty human interest invited me herself."
Amber exchanged looks with Nicole.
A waft of brimstone tingled in her nose. "Chrysoberyl, you smell like you're going to cause trouble."
"Trouble? Me?" He glanced up at the sky and then tugged at his collar. "Never!"
"Then why do I smell brimstone?"
"Brimstone?"
"Yes, the rock that males chew to make fire?"
"That's not for trouble. That's defensive! This is so rustic. You never know where lizard cultists will appear."
"Hmm."
He glanced up at the sky again and eased forward. "Now that you have seen I'm the true dragon to marry you, let us go and marry right away."
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She squinted at the dots of color he kept looking at.
Chrysoberyl sniffed. "The dragon inspectors are here to witness."
Nicole lifted her hand to shield her eyes. "I hope they have binoculars."
Amber stopped him again. "There's been a mistake. I'm not marrying you."
"But you must! The mother assured me her son would never marry you."
"Darcy and I don't care what anyone else thinks." She hoped.
"She promised!"
"Yes, it's happened to everybody." Another series of dots appeared overhead growing in size as they descended. "Here, you can ask my siblings."
Chrysoberyl blanched. "They're here?"
The other dragons landed. Pyro carried half of the cupcakes, Jasper carried boxes of ferns, and Mal landed with Cheryl and the chalkboard.
Mal placed Cheryl behind him and stormed the dragon. "Chrysoberyl! You are in violation—"
"I was invited!"
"Darcy's mom invited him," Amber called, calming her siblings. "She stole Darcy's phone. That's why you all got the texts."
Jasper sighed. "Does he need a new phone? I can acquire it."
"I don't know. We haven't found him."
Pyro whipped his head up. "He never made it to the office last night? He was driving straight over."
Amber pointed over her shoulder. "There's his car. He must have changed his mind."
Pyro stalked to the car. No signs of foul play, but his frown deepened. "Amber, I haven't always supported your relationship, but Darcy's invested a hundred percent. He was desperate to reach you last night and apologize."
"No one's heard from him."
"Who saw him last?"
Nicole lifted her hand. "I did. Right before I left for my emergency counseling session. He was here."
Pyro held his phone to his ear. "Syen, I need you to find a human Kyan was tracking. Yes, one of our specials. Darcy. He's not ... what do you mean, he's still in his house?" Pyro lifted the phone from his ear. "Syen says they tracked him entering his house last night and he never left."
Dread pooled in Amber's belly. How could Darcy be in his house if no one knew? Someone had taken him. Kidnapped him like they'd kidnapped Pyro. And she'd have no way—