Luckily, following a recent promotion, I’d finally worked my way to the coveted magical-wedding-planning department at A Touch of Magic Events and spent my days lost in a wonderland of chocolate fondue fountains and synchronized doves, where a real day on the job might consist of constructing a pergola out of a fleet of charmed butterflies.
I sighed happily just thinking about it.
“So, what kind of job am I going to get?” Harmony asked, interrupting my musings.
Frowning, I slid my eyes to my peripheral and glared at her. “I don’t know yet, but something is better than nothing, wouldn’t you say?”
She mumbled something under her breath.
The morning was off to a rough start and tensions were high. It took me three tries—and finally a cup of ice water—to get Harmony off the couch and into the shower, leaving no time to stop at the potions shop on the corner to get an elixir or even an enhanced cup of coffee. On top of all that, I’d noticed after leaving the condo that she had swiped a pair of my favorite heels without asking.
We were on the Shimmer Bus, speeding through the streets of the Seattle Haven, the magical community tucked behind a deceptively thin layer of magic within the city of Seattle itself. Only supernatural beings could access the handful of portals to and from the magic realms contained by the largest human cities across the globe. Harmony and I both grew up in the Seattle Haven. She’d left at seventeen. I’d remained. For a time, I’d lived in Seattle Proper, but when I got my promotion months before, I’d finally been able to afford the lease on a condo in the luxury building I’d spent a year eyeballing from afar.
“I don’t see why I had to get up so early in the first place. I could have met you at this fancy-pants restaurant tonight. You said it was a rehearsal dinner,” she groused. “Last time I checked, no one eats dinner at six in the morning.”
“You want to stay with me, you’ll do what I say.”
“Yes, mom.”
I opened my mouth, ready to fire off an angry retort, but just as quickly, I closed it again. There was no point in hashing it out with her on the bus of all places. She turned to look out her window and I looked out my own.
The Shimmer Bus wasn’t like normal, non-supernatural buses. It was more like a submarine on wheels. When not in motion, the area was spacious, with a wide aisle down the middle, but when it motion, it compacted itself, removing the aisle to allow it to charge down its track at full speed. Then, at the next stop, it would expand out like an accordion to allow passengers off and on. It could cover the entire haven in minutes, but even with its speed, I knew we’d be pushing it to get to my office on time for the morning staff meeting.
Great.
My eyes slid toward Harmony; I considered her with a scowl still etched on my face. I’d told her how important today was, and she’d overslept anyway. I should have known better than to agree to help her. I should have let her sleep, put a check on her purse, with a note saying good luck out there, and called it a day. Guilt bit into me as I dwelled on the nasty thought.
Flicking my gaze back out my own window, I sighed and released my jaw. I had no point of reference for how she must be feeling. I’d always had a clear-cut path to success and a way to attain my goals, whereas she floated through from one gig to the next, changing her mind and plans as often as she changed her hair color. Part of her willy-nilly, come-what-may attitude infuriated me, but there was a tiny part of me that wondered what it must be like to live without the confines of a schedule or expectations.
Then again, she was currently living on my sofa and had a bank account that, for all I knew, was empty.
“Luna is one of the chicest restaurants in the entire haven,” I told her, shifting my gaze out the window as we neared our stop. “Regardless of what you end up doing, you should make good money in tips and be able to save up a little cushion for yourself while you sort out what you want to do long term.”
I reached up and pulled the red-velvet sash above our seats and gave it a tug. Sparks flew down the center aisle and within a second, the bus pulled to a stop. It expanded out and a door opened at the front. I hurried Harmony along as we exited the crowded bus. It was a Friday morning and from the surly looks on our fellow passenger’s faces, no one was in the mood for dawdling.
No sooner than our feet landed on the pavement, the bus popped, cinched back tight, and jolted away from the sidewalk, hurtling back along the path marked explicitly for its use. The Seattle Haven was considerably smaller than the actual city of Seattle, and while some supernaturals had their own vehicles, it was a rarity and somewhat discouraged—mostly in a passive-aggressive way through absurdly expensive parking fees.
“My office is just ahead,” I told Harmony, picking up the pace as we neared a mid-rise building. “Today is going to be a busy day, so I’ll need you to keep up and not ask a lot of questions.”
“Got it,” Harmony replied, her tone still edgy.
My fingers curled into tight balls and then released. All I needed was for her to stay out of my way, let me work without complaining, and make a good impression when we arrived at Luna. With any luck, we’d leave the upscale eatery with a successful rehearsal dinner and a job offer under our belts.
With a determined nod, I tugged open one of the frosted-glass doors to the building and led Harmony to the third floor where A Touch of Magic’s suite of office spaces began.
Harmony’s irritation seemed to fade as I gave her a brief tour of the lush workspace. Her scowl was replaced by a look of wonder, her eyes wide as she took it all in. I couldn’t blame her. I’d felt the same way when I’d had my first interview four years ago. In fact, I’d probably been even more giddy, as being a wedding planner had been my dream since childhood.
Harmony didn’t usually care for fussy ceremony or extravagant parties, but even she couldn’t help but be sucked into the sheer luxe of the setting. From the gleaming marble floors to the rich fabrics and crystal sculptures, no expense had been spared.
“And this is me,” I said, finishing the tour at my own office. An antique white desk took up most of the space, with matching bookshelves on the other side of the room that framed a crushed-velvet chaise in a deep merlot hue. The bookshelves held very few books. Instead, most of the space was occupied with framed photos from the events that held particular significance to me: the charity carnival I’d organized last fall for the Society of Lost Familiars, the fabulous baby shower I’d done for one of the Los Angeles Haven’s most famous actors and his wife, and of course, the first wedding I’d ever planned.
“This place is really nice,” Harmony said, sidling up to the shelves to study the photographs. “I can see why you like it so much.”
I took my place at my desk and stowed my purse in one of the drawers, smiling at her. “I really do.”
She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her black bomber jacket and slowly pivoted toward me. “So, what am I supposed to do while you’re busy?”
Before I could answer, a barrage of twinkling sounds filled the space. The basket on the edge of my desk started to fill with paperwork, each one deposited by a tiny fairy. They worked the mailroom, a system that was woefully mismatched considering the average fairy could barely manage a single envelope at a time. Which explained why there was a horde of them buzzing around the office at any given time.
“Morning, ladies,” I said as they flittered to and from my office.
Harmony smiled at the stack of paperwork piling up on my desk, a virtual blizzard of work to do. “Looks like you’ll be busy. I could go get us some breakfast?”
The last fairy blitzed from the office and I sighed. “I could use a little pick-me-up.”
“Okay. Tell me where and I’ll go.”
I was midway through rattling off my order when there was a sharp knock on the open door. “New coffee girl?”
I glanced up and frowned at the woman in the doorway. “No, actually this is my sister, Harmony.”
“Charmed, I’m sure
.” she sneered. “I didn’t realize it was bring-your-kid-sister-to-work day.”
I clenched my teeth but kept my smile in place. “She’s helping me with the Swan rehearsal dinner tonight at Luna.”
My smile widened when her eyes narrowed. The barb landed on exactly the right target. We’d fought for the Swan account since the initial consultation nearly nine months ago. It was a brutal battle—in the most passive-aggressive and petty way imaginable—but in the end I wound up on top and won the account.
“Aha,” the woman replied, her jaw tight. “I do hope it all works out. It would be a shame if something were to go wrong so close to the big day.”
With that, she turned and sashayed away, no doubt off to gossip about me with the clique of girls that made Mean Girls look like a day at the spa.
“Who was that?” Harmony whispered, closing the door softly.
“No one,” I scoffed and went back to writing my coffee order on a small pink notecard. “At least, no one important. Her name is Kait Gerrick. She started around the same time as me and we’ve been in something of a rivalry since the beginning. She got passed over for this last promotion and is a little … upset that it went to me.”
Harmony lifted her brows. “She looked about ready to breathe fire at you.”
“It’s really not that bad. She’s more bark than bite.” I flapped a hand and then passed over the notecard. She took it and waited while I dug some money from my purse. “Here you go. Now, I have some phone calls to make. Gotta make sure the dragon lady doesn’t get a leg up on me.”
“Luck!” Harmony grinned and slipped from the office.
The rest of the morning went without a hitch, then we took another bus ride across the haven to the Juniper Gardens, a coveted wedding venue, two hours ahead of the happy couple’s arrival. I put Harmony to work with the small army of florists who were draping delicate nets of flowers over every available space. She didn’t complain, and whenever my gaze tracked back to her, she was placing flowers with knitted concentration.
My clients, Belle and Eduard, arrived right on schedule and all of my energy went toward finalizing the details of their ceremony. Overall, they’d been easygoing clients. Belle had her moments of panic and tended to run a little on the high-strung side of things, but that was better than 90 percent of my often-snooty clientele. The plump witch who would be serving as the official master of the ceremony took over the rehearsal and I made the rounds, checking the work of the florists before sliding into the back row to sit beside Harmony.
“I don’t know how you keep it all straight,” she whispered as I took my seat. At the front, the bride and groom were laughing together and an unexpected, sharp pang echoed through my stomach. My eyes darted away and I zeroed in on the knitted brows of my younger sister as she watched it all unfold, evidently through a completely different filter. “Where to stand, what to say, when the music starts … seems like a headache to me.”
“It’s just what I do,” I replied with a shrug. “Now listen, we’ll be leaving in a few minutes to go to Luna. I’ll need to get things underway, and then I’ll find the right time to introduce you to Marco. All you have to do is smile, nod, and agree to whatever he says. He’s a very nice wizard, but also has high standards.” I glanced down at her outfit and chewed on the corner of my lip, wishing I’d asked her what else she had packed in her bag. The skirt was a little too short and her tights had a small hole in the knee.
Harmony was frowning when I met her eyes again. “They snagged on a rose thorn.”
I started to protest that I wasn’t actually worried about the state of her tights, but it was no use. She raised a hand and stopped me short. “If I’m not good enough for this snobby restaurant guy, then I’ll find something else on my own. I don’t need your charity, Stace.”
I cocked my head, my temper flaring back to life. “You came to me and asked for help and that’s what I’m trying to do!”
She sighed and stared up at the sky. “I just mean with the job. I can find a job! Done it half a dozen times.”
I pursed my lips. “We’ve played this game before, Harmony. I’m not going to foot your bills for three months while you haphazardly pick up waitressing and bartending gigs to cobble together a paycheck. Marco is particular, but he pays well and you’ll have an opportunity to move up in the world. He can introduce you to powerful people.”
Her voice rose, “Did it ever occur to you that I’m not trying to move up in the world? Whatever that even means.”
“Shh!” I hissed, my eyes darting back to the arbor at the end of the aisle. Luckily, Belle and Eduard were too lost in their own world to pay attention to the argument simmering ten yards away. “We aren’t going to go through this again. If you want to stay with me, you have to have a job. You either take me up on my offer, or you can go back to couch surfing your way across the country or whatever it was that you were doing.” I pushed up from my seat. “You think it over. I have work to do.”
I stalked off, not daring to turn and look at the icy daggers she was likely throwing at my back.
3
Harmony refused to speak to me the rest of the afternoon. We rode in the front seats of one of the luxury cars I’d rented for the occasion—clients like the Swans expected such touches—without so much as exchanging a glance. When we entered Luna, her eyes went wide with disbelief for the second time that day, and I couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking. It was impressive. I’d gasped the first time I’d stepped inside the high-end eatery.
The entire restaurant was wrapped in a blanket of stars. Midnight-blue velvet covered every wall and made the expansive dining room dark and mysterious. The only lights came from the seemingly thousands of candles that hung suspended in midair along the walls and dotted across the inky ceiling. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, the dark wood tables were draped with shimmering gold linens and laden with pearlescent bone china and glittering silver flatware.
“Might not be such a bad place to work after all, huh?” I asked Harmony in a hushed voice, hoping to ease some of the tension between us.
She didn’t reply, but a smile turned up the corners of her mouth as she wandered further into the restaurant.
Good enough.
The reservations for the rehearsal had been in place for several months and everything went seamlessly. Within minutes, the entire wedding party was tucked away in the private room toward the back. When the main course was underway, I stole away to track down Luna’s managing partner, Marco Dupree. Several months ago, I’d saved his uppity posterior from a potentially career-ending mistake when his clueless maître-de double booked the private dining room for two rival vampire Houses. I agreed to rearrange the schedule for the party I was coordinating, which spared Luna—and possibly the entire Seattle Haven—from turning into a war zone.
I’d been hoping to cash in the favor for something more spectacular, like a romantic dinner for two (of course, that would require slowing down long enough to find a date) or, less romantically, at least a month’s worth of last-minute take-out orders for those nights I didn’t feel like cooking. Which, to be honest, were all of them.
But one look at Harmony making lovey-dovey eyes at a passing waiter was enough to persuade me to stick to my plan. The girl was a magnet for trouble. The sooner I could get her working, in her own place, and out of my hair, the better.
Marco was in the kitchen, conducting the staff as if he was the maestro of a finely tuned orchestra. The wizard was persnickety to a fault, which served him well in the high-end restaurant business. He caught sight of me and threw his arms up even higher as a broad smile burst across his thin face. “Anastasia!”
“Hello, Marco,” I replied, returning his smile.
We embraced and exchanged a pair of air kisses.
“How is the rehearsal dinner going? I made sure I brought in the best staff for tonight. Just for you!”
“You’re the best.” I flashed a winning smile. “There is one th
ing I wanted to ask you.”
“Anything for you, Cariña!”
“I need you to give my little sister a job.”
“A job?”
“That’s right. She’s new in town and needs something full time. I know she would fit in here and … well, you do owe me a favor. Remember?” I smiled sweetly, batting my lashes ever so slightly.
Marco frowned but I could already feel him caving. “What kind of job does she want?”
“Oh, she’ll do whatever. Hostess? Dishwashing? It really doesn’t matter.” I waved a hand at the kitchen doors. “She’s actually here with me tonight. I was hoping you would have a moment to meet her. See what you think.”
The door flung open before he could respond and a waiter scuttled through, his face white. “Um, Anastasia, you might want to get out here.”
I furrowed my brow and exchanged a look with Marco. He placed a hand on the small of my back and ushered me toward the door. The waiter held it open and we hurried through. The sound of a glass shattering echoed down the small hallway and a roar of voices followed, clearly coming from the private room where my happy couple was supposed to be wining and dining.
“You have to be crazy to think I would still marry you after that!”
I froze in place, terror crawling over me like icy finger.
The hysterical voice belonged to Belle. My bride.
Another glass shattered and I jolted back into action. My legs pumped and I raced ahead of Marco, who let out a string of curses in Spanish.
I burst into the room and took in the scene with one sweeping glance. Belle and Eduard were squared off on opposite ends of the table. The rest of the diners stared at them, not noticing my arrival, their faces all frozen in shock by whatever had occurred.
“I’m so sorry,” Eduard started, reaching out to his fiancé. “I don’t know what I’m saying. Please, can you—”
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