by Bella Falls
I attempted to look over Beau’s shoulder. “But that can’t be mint condition. The elephant isn’t that recognizable unless you hold it up under good lighting.”
“True. But this token is worth far more. It’s practically priceless.” The vampire cupped it in his hand like something precious.
Taking advantage of his state of awe, I snatched the token from him and held it up in front of my face. “Why?”
With a sigh, Beau didn’t fight me. “Turn it over and read the words stamped on this one.”
Following his instructions, I did my best to read the worn letters. “Non ducor, duco. That’s gotta be Latin.”
“It is,” confirmed my roommate. “It translates as, I am not led, I lead. There was a group of witches who didn’t like being in hiding and acting like they were equal to or even less than regular mortals. They used the tokens as a way to mark their membership in an exclusive group that had intentions of taking over the world. Hiding in plain sight, using an object that was minted and given out to many to signify their cause. It’s said that whoever possesses it has special powers.”
I swear the metal buzzed against my skin, or my brain made that up based on my roommate’s words. “Like what? Will holding it make me invisible?”
“I can still see you, so no.” Beau tweaked my nose to prove his point. “Perhaps it allowed them to communicate with each other. Or maybe it acted as a talisman of luck. Who knows for sure? Like I said, it’s a priceless treasure. Now, I’ve got to go or I’ll be late for the dance.”
Before he left, I asked him another question. “Why priceless?”
He stopped at the door and huffed with impatience. “Because you’re holding one of the very few that’s been discovered. Those who possessed them either lost the tokens or passed them down through their families. Tipper was on the lookout for one, but never found it. Trust you to be the one who did. Night, Charli. Don’t wait up for me,” he sang out.
“And don’t be bringing anyone back here or I’ll hex your hiney,” I warbled off key. Bless his heart, he better not bring a date back here. If I wasn’t gettin’ any, nobody in my house was gettin’ any.
I needed to tell Mason about the token. Surely, letting him know about it wasn’t sticking my nose into the actual case. For all I knew, the thing had been under that bedside table for years and had nothing to do with Duke. On the other hand, if it did have something to do with the dead man, it could be a clue to his killer.
While I wrestled with my choice to tell or not, my text alert rang. Checking it, my heart raced at the message’s urgency.
“911. Sweet Tooths. Now.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Although my bicycle ran on magic, I kind of wished I had a broom to fly. I couldn’t get to Main Street fast enough, and when I arrived, I left my bike in the middle of the sidewalk and crashed into the bakery.
“I’m here,” I called out, breathless. “What’s going on?”
Lee handed me a red velvet cupcake. “You’ll have to excuse my fiancée.” He beamed when he called Alison Kate that. “She got a little melodramatic when they took on the job.”
Sprinkle flew into the room. “I thought I told somebody to lock that door. Now we have more people in here,” the tiny ex-toothfairy complained, zipping back into the kitchen.
“I asked them to come,” explained Alison Kate in a loud voice, her hair pulled back in a hasty messy bun and a little flour dashed on her cheek. She kissed Lee on his lips and wiped her hands on the apron tied around her waist. “Sorry for the emergency message. I just panicked as soon as she hired us. We don’t have much time, and I want to do somethin’ really special for her.”
“For who? Somebody catch me up,” I demanded, collapsing into a nearby chair and taking a big bite of red velvet.
The bells on the door jingled as Ben held it open for his girlfriend Lily and her cousin Lavender. The two girls chattered with excitement. I held up my hand to stop them and pointed at Lavender to speak first.
“You will never guess what just happened,” she gushed.
Lily elbowed her cousin. “Of course she won’t, so I better tell the news.”
Lavender pouted. “I wanted to say it.”
I rolled my eyes. “Okay, will somebody spill the beans already? Ali Kat, who are you tryin’ to do something special for?”
My exuberant friend vibrated where she stood. “Clementine came in here not that long ago with her mother in tow. I guess they’ve decided to move up the wedding and want us to bake their cake for the reception.”
Lavender burst with her news, “And she wants Mimsies’ Whimsies to provide the flowers for the whole thing.”
Alison Kate clapped her hands and jumped up and down. “And she told me that the cake is whatever I choose, she just wants it tasty and pretty. I could do a simple lemon one with a raspberry filling. Or maybe a vanilla one with a lemon curd. Or should I do something more delicate and floral, like a green tea and honeysuckle combination? I will spellcast the crap out of some buttercream frosting. There’ll be blooming flowers and buzzing bees and butterflies fluttering.”
Lily tugged on her cousin’s arm. “Do we have any peonies? They would look really lovely, although they might be a tad heavy. Clementine’s bouquet should be something delicate to go with her personality.”
Lavender picked up the thought, “Or maybe we can work in some blooming honeysuckles trailing down from the bouquet.”
Alison Kate raised her hand. “Ooh, ooh, then I will carry that theme through with the cake. Maybe I’ll put some honeysuckle syrup in the cake filling and the frosting. There’s so much to do and so little time,” she cried out.
The boys backed away from the excitement and crowded around me. Ben grabbed ahold of my shoulders, acting like he was afraid. “I think if we stand here long enough, they’re going to decorate us with flowers and frosting.”
“I got this.” Putting two fingers to my lips, I blew out a shrill whistle. “Listen up. Standing around and talking about getting things done won’t work. What do you need us to do?”
“Oh, we’ve got this,” exclaimed Lily, pulling her boyfriend off of me. “We just had to gush about the whole thing since it’s weird that Clementine’s gonna marry Tucker so quickly.”
Sprinkle zipped into the room again and scolded us all in his high-pitched voice. “Y’all are disrupting things. Alison Kate, are you gonna stand around all night talking to your friends and your sweetheart or are you gonna get back here in the kitchen and help us out?”
My friend gave Lee a quick kiss on the cheek. “You may have to prop me up with a broom or something tomorrow, ‘cause tonight’s gonna take it all out of me. But I’m gonna help make the most amazing cake.” She kissed him one more time and hurried off to help her bosses.
“Come on, Ben. You’re comin’ back to the flower shop with us to help pick out what we’ll use for their wedding.” Lily gazed at her boyfriend with enough intensity, I wondered if he picked up on the clear wish shining in her eyes.
“So I guess nobody needs me after all?” I asked a now empty room. Something the girls said hit me all at once. I ran out of the bakery. “Hey, Lily. Did you say you’re picking out the flowers?”
My friend stopped in the middle of the road. “Yeah. I asked Clementine if she had a preference or wanted to go through our selection, but she told us she wanted things to be beautiful and trusted our choices.”
“That’s strange,” I commented. “It’s the biggest day for her, and she doesn’t care what kind of flowers or cake she’ll be having?”
Lavender shrugged. “Maybe she’s happy having a wedding after everything Tucker’s been through. She said all she wanted was to marry him.” She waved at me and joined her cousin and Ben on their way back to their grandmother’s floral shop.
Confused, I wandered across the street to the Harvest Moon, hoping to catch Henry there to ask him about his notes. When I reached for the door, Aunt Nora pushed it open, almost running into me
.
“Oh, Charlotte. I didn’t see you.” She sniffed once, and her lips curled down like they always did when we encountered each other. “Clementine, darlin’, we need to get you home so you can get your beauty rest for tomorrow.”
“Coming, Mother,” my cousin called out from inside.
Placing the fakest smile on her lips, Aunt Nora’s eyes burned into me. “You’ll understand if we don’t extend an invitation to you.”
Clementine joined her mom. “Actually, Mother, I wanted to have a minute to talk to cousin Charlotte, if you please.”
Aunt Nora pursed her lips. “I see no reason why—”
“Please,” interrupted Clementine with insistence. “I’ll meet you back at your place.” She waited for my aunt to leave a significant distance between us. “Good, now that she’s gone, I can ask you something that she wouldn’t exactly approve of.”
“And what’s that?” Curiosity bubbled in my brain, and I held back the tiny squeal that tried to push its way out.
Clementine took my hand in hers. “I wanted to ask if you’d act as my maid of honor tomorrow at my wedding.”
If a herd of unicorns ridden by elves ran me over like supernatural roadkill, I couldn’t be more taken by surprise. “I… you… your mother…” My mouth struggled to form real words. I cleared my throat. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Clem?”
She squeezed my hand. “Well, since we’re doing the wedding so soon, my bridesmaids won’t have a chance to get here in time, and I want someone to stand with me. You’re my cousin, and it would honor me if you would be the one. I’d like this to be the first step of many in mending fences between our families.”
A pixie might be able to fly into my gaping mouth. I closed it and swallowed hard, trying to picture myself standing next to my cousin during her wedding. Aunt Nora would be furious, although the opportunity to give her a bit of trouble didn’t discount the choice. Clarice might spit nails, but at least I’d be able to watch Hollis and Tucker with my own eyes during the wedding, making sure they didn’t disappear if my gut instincts ended up being right.
“If you think it will be okay, I’d be happy to act as your bridesmaid,” I accepted. “Thank you for asking me.”
“Maid of Honor,” Clementine corrected with a smile.
“Um, is there something specific you’d want me to wear?” I didn’t possess many dresses that Clarice or Aunt Nora would find appropriate for such a special occasion.
My cousin let go of my hand with a giggle. “Oh, anything that’s nice will do. Again, I know this is all so sudden.”
“If you want, I can check with Lily and Lavender to see what color flowers they’re putting together and try to match that,” I offered. “Or you can go with me?”
Clementine checked the time on her watch. “Mother won’t like the idea of me hanging around you for too long.” The left corner of her mouth curled up. “Maybe a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt her.”
I smiled despite myself, liking this new Clementine. Offering her the crook of my arm, she linked hers through it, and we went to Mimsies’ Whimsies where she picked out some delicate peach and pink flowers to be mixed in with cream honeysuckles on the vine. It made me happy for her now that she got to choose something she liked for her big day with my help. It also tickled me when my cousin smiled freely and joked a little with my friends.
We parted ways outside on Main Street with a quick embrace. Although she was not a natural hugger, I would work on making her more comfortable doing it from here on out. Wishing her luck, I headed to Mom’s old store that Ms. Patty Lou still ran.
I knocked on the locked glass door and my mother’s best friend popped her head around the corner from one of the rows with knitting supplies on it. With a friendly smile and twinkling eyes, Ms. Patty unlocked the door and let me in.
“Help,” I implored, following her inside.
“What can I do for you?” she asked.
Explaining the situation, I stressed over not having any good dresses for Clementine’s sudden wedding. Since my mother’s best friend was the best seamstress and witch with a needle, I hoped she could help me find a solution and fast.
“You know, in the back I have a few dresses that might work. Why don’t you follow me and we’ll see,” Ms. Patty Lou suggested.
I tried on three different dresses, one the color of a ripe peach, one dark navy blue, and one a blush pink. The peach one would match Clementine’s flowers well, but the color didn’t do much for my complexion. The navy blue one seemed a bit too casual for such an elegant occasion. But the pink one could go either way. With a pair of sandals and my hair down, it could be a good flowing summer dress. But with my hair up, some pearls and gloves, and a special crystal-encrusted sash that Ms. Patty found, it would make a fine choice for a bridesmaid’s dress.
“Let me make a few adjustments,” she said, using her magical talents to tailor the dress to my form, shortening the length and building out the bust a little. “There, that should do it. And you know that when you put it on for the wedding, the zipper will go up on its own.”
“Thank you so much,” I gushed. “With Nana not in town, I didn’t know what I was going to do.”
“Well, it’s a nice thing you’re doing for your cousin. Although you may well outshine the bride in that dress.” Ms. Patty Lou helped me out of it and let me change back into my regular clothes. I met her out in the store and waited while she slipped it into a bag for me to carry home.
In my haste, I had forgotten that this was the first time I’d stepped foot in Mom’s old shop. Now that I stood inside it, memories flooded back in, and I heard the echo of her laughter. My heart squeezed, a little sad and a little nostalgic, missing her with every fiber of my being.
“I miss her, too. But I think she’d be real proud of the woman you’ve become,” Ms. Patty said in a low, sincere voice. “And I hear that you’re thinking of opening a business for your talents nearby?”
I lowered my head so she couldn’t see the tears in my eyes. “I’m considering it.”
“Good.” She handed me the garment bag. “If your mom were here, she’d be your biggest cheerleader. When you open up, you have to let me stand in her place.” Ms Patty Lou brushed a tear off my cheek.
“I would like that.” Sniffing, I cleared my throat. “I just wish she was with me now.”
My mom’s best friend handed me a lace handkerchief she no doubt embroidered herself. “She’s always with you. And tomorrow, she’ll be wrapped all around you. That dress is one of the last one’s she had me make for her. I think it’s appropriate that you’ll wear it for your cousin’s wedding. Your mom would love you two bringing peace between the families after all these years.”
I hugged Ms. Patty Lou and thanked her for her help. She welcomed me back to the store anytime. Once outside, I waved at her through the store window. Thinking about the old saying that time heals all wounds, I disagreed. Time allowed us to change and adjust. I would never get over the loss of Mom and Dad, but having to live without them made me who I was today.
And that was a girl who could open her own business, stand with her cousin on her wedding day despite who she was marrying, and solve a murder mystery. I just hoped I didn’t have to do the last two together.
Chapter Twenty-Three
A loud clap of thunder and a flash of lightning woke me up in the morning. Rain on a wedding day wasn’t the worst thing to happen since there were some who believed it was a good luck sign, symbolizing a renewal of life on that special day. But dark storm clouds and whipping gusts of wind wouldn’t be a good omen for my cousin’s wedding.
It took a couple of quick spell phone texts to confirm the event was still on according to a very busy Alison Kate and the two cousins still putting together last-minute floral arrangements.
My dress hung from a hook on the back of my bedroom door, and I stared at it, questioning my own sanity for every agreeing to be in Clementine’s wedding. What was Tucker going to d
o when he had to recite his vows with his ex standing right behind his betrothed? And I could muster up some courage to go through with it, but having to deal with the icy glares from Aunt Nora and Clarice at the same time might freeze me into a block of ice.
I missed Nana and wanted her reassurances and comfort. Calling Matt in the hopes of some good news, I walked downstairs to get some breakfast.
“Nope, she’s still gone,” my brother said. “And it looks like we’re not goin’ either. TJ can’t find a dress to wear that doesn’t make her look like a—”
“Don’t you say a beached whale, you jerk,” my sister-in-law called out from the background. “I can say that about me. You can’t.”
“I swear I wasn’t goin’ to, honey,” Matt shouted. “Birdy, I think you might be on your own today. I’m really sorry.” He hung up the phone before I could get another word in.
Toast and coffee were all my stomach could handle for breakfast. I munched on the half-burnt bread with a thin layer of butter and a slather of homemade strawberry preserves outside on the porch, watching the dark clouds swirling above. With all of its blustering, the weather hadn’t broken into torrential rain yet. I could appreciate the beauty in the storm as much as the fearful power of it, too.
Beau appeared at the edge of the property and walked toward the house. He joined me in one of the rockers.
“Didn’t want to fly home?” I asked him.
He fixed the few strands of hair still decorating the top of his bald head with his fingers. “Not in this wind and weather. I didn’t want to chance getting struck by lightning. What are you doin’ outside?”