What was he doing?
Darcy shot us a quizzical look before something drew her attention across the room.
“I see you, Caleb Humphrey,” Darcy yelled, and moved swiftly toward the punch bowl to interrupt a spiking attempt.
"You don't have to pretend for Darcy’s sake,” I said, once she was out of earshot. "It's for the benefit of the young girls, remember?“ And probably a few young guys as well.
He pulled me closer and pressed his lips to my ear. "May as well make it believable. I haven’t had a date in ages. Let's have fun with it."
My heart hammered in my chest. This evening was going to be torture for me. For Daniel, having me as his date was self-preservation. For me, putting as much distance between us was self-preservation. Why did I say yes?
A young woman approached us, holding two cups of punch. Her dress was more revealing than I would’ve dared to wear at her age, with a thigh-high split and an off-the-shoulder bodice. Her curls were piled on top of her head in the style of a Grecian goddess. Her makeup was so thick, it was like a second layer of skin. Why were these girls in such a rush to grow up? They lived in Spellbound, where they had umpteen decades to act like adults. I wanted to do a spell that slowed the teens down.
She offered a cup to Daniel. "Mr. Starr, I thought you might be thirsty. I saw you flying overhead earlier today. It's a nice view, from beneath you." She lowered her gaze, her dark lashes fluttering.
I threw up a little in my mouth. Before I could stop myself, I wrapped my arm around Daniel’s waist.
"Thank you so much, honey,” I said, adopting my most condescending tone. “Which grade are you in? We’ll be sure to tell your teacher what a polite girl you are." I looked up at Daniel and smiled. "Such excellent manners."
The young woman scowled at me. “Why are you here? Didn’t you get the memo that we don't have witches in this school?”
She was right. Witches attended the academy. It reminded me of the different schools in Lemon Grove. Your options were public school, private school, and Catholic school.
"Miss Hart is my date this evening," Daniel said pointedly. "She's not here as a student. She's a grown woman." He flashed me an endearing smile. "Very grown-up. One of the qualities I love about her."
The young woman scrunched her nose. “That’s one of the things you like most about her? How lame." She snatched the cup out of his hand and stomped off.
He winked at me. "That went well, don't you think?"
"We should probably circulate," I said. "Don’t we need to make sure the students are on their best behavior?"
"As long as we do it together." His hand slid into mine and squeezed. "I need you by my side tonight. Don't go wandering off with a sexy satyr. Chances are he’s too young for you.“
My insides tingled. There was no chance of disappearing with anyone in the world. Not while Daniel was touching me. I tried in vain to clear my head. Our pretend relationship was blurring the carefully drawn lines of our friendship.
We stalked the perimeter, investigating dark corners and sniffing drinks for contraband. We managed to remove a bottle of Scorpion’s Tail from a group of werewolves in the corridor before returning to the dance floor.
The band was decent for a school event. They played the right variation of fast and slow songs.
The room suddenly darkened as the music slowed and the starlight increased in intensity. The effect was stunning and, although I hated to admit it, very romantic. Beneath our feet, white clouds swelled. Some kind of spell to make it seem as though we floated on a cloud. It was a far cry from the fog machine back at Lemon Grove High School. I noticed a couple of teachers on the dance floor and realized I was looking at Lara and her new boyfriend, the gym teacher. The pixie was engulfed in his arms, swaying in time to the music, and it would’ve been a sweet scene had I not known how much Thom was hurting.
Daniel extended his hand. "I think it's time for a dance, don't you?"
My knees nearly buckled. Daniel wanted to dance with me. It was difficult enough to fly with him, but this would be worse. Dancing felt more intimate—it was such a sensual movement. When he flew with me in his arms, I was usually hanging on for dear life. Dancing within kissing distance of him would jumpstart a different fear. One I didn't want to address. Nonetheless, I felt myself gliding into his arms and moving to the music. His one hand rested on the small of my back while his other hand gripped mine. When he smiled down at me, I felt like the only person in the world. His gaze was like the sun shining down on me, warming me. Heat coursed through my veins.
It's just pretend, I told myself. But the truth was that it was only pretend for him, not for me.
Daniel's hand moved from my back to caress my hair. I shivered slightly. Now what was he doing?
He lowered his mouth to my ear. "Just play along. We’re surrounded by cheerleaders. The blonde propositioned me outside the restroom."
The restroom? I'd only gone in for two minutes. He managed to have a girl proposition him that quickly? No wonder he felt entitled to run through women like my fork through cake. There seemed to be no shortage of females willing to take their chances with him. I guess I was no different. Maybe when Daniel looked at them, it was like the sun shining on their faces too. Who was I to say their feelings were less worthy than mine?
Before I could respond, his fingers gently tipped up my chin. When his lips met mine, every nerve in my body reacted. I melted against him. Resistance was futile. The kiss went longer and deeper than I expected. My fingers drifted to the nape of his neck. When we broke apart, I thought I saw a hint of surprise in his eyes. I didn’t know how to interpret it.
"Ew, save it for the privacy of your own home," the blond cheerleader sneered. "No one wants to be subjected to your PDA."
My cheeks flamed.
“I think we need to separate you two,” a male voice joked. Lara’s boyfriend, the gym teacher.
“I thought we were here to keep tabs on the kids,” Lara joined in. “Too much pregaming, maybe?”
“I’m Petros,” he said, shaking Daniel’s hand and then mine. “I’m the gym teacher here.” His arm was around Lara’s tiny waist. They radiated happiness.
“Daniel Starr and this is my date, Emma Hart.”
Lara’s expression darkened. “Hart? You’re the one defending Thom.”
“I am,” I said. “That’s the job of a public defender.”
“He needs to stay out of her house,” Petros said. “It’s not cool. She’s been afraid to walk in the house after work in case he’s there.”
I didn’t want to get into an argument. Thom insisted that Lara had planted those ‘stolen’ items in his house and I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I hadn’t been able to drum up a motive for Lara, but now I wondered whether she was trying to get a reaction from Petros. Maybe she wanted to play the role of damsel in distress so that he could play the role of knight in shining armor.
“Emma’s not here to talk about the case,” Daniel said. “I volunteered to be here and she was kind enough to accompany me.”
Lara took Petros by the hand and guided him toward the dance floor where a couple of centaurs were getting carried away with body slams. Petros blew his whistle and my hands flew instinctively to cover my ears. I waited for the shrill sound, but it never came. I glanced over to see the two centaurs sitting calmly on their haunches. A magic whistle? Why was I not surprised?
“I’m sorry about that,” I said to Daniel. “Thom seems like a nice guy, but Lara says he stole from her house and he insists she’s framing him because of a bad breakup.” As always, the truth probably lay somewhere in between.
He entwined his fingers with mine. “Welcome to the Bad Reputation Club. Meetings are every day and always.”
I instinctively pulled away my hand. The intimate gesture overwhelmed me.
“Hey,” he said and I heard the concern in his voice. “We’re friends, right?”
I faltered. “We are…whatever you w
ant us to be.”
He grinned. “That’s a funny way of saying yes. Must be a human thing.”
“Must be,” I said, and quickly glanced away so that he couldn’t see my tears. Movement across the room distracted me. “I think that succubus is about to inhale her date,” I said, pointing to a dark corner of the room, where the students’ hormones were clearly getting the better of them.
Daniel puffed out his chest, Superman-style. “Time to blow the holy trumpet. That’ll get their attention.”
“If you don’t move quickly,” I warned, “I think she’s about to blow his trumpet.”
Chapter 13
“Good, you’re back,” Gareth said, gliding toward me. “Your friends have been camped out here for an hour. If I hear the word ‘awesome’ one more time, I’m going to find a way to produce vomit.”
On cue, three heads poked out of the living room.
“You’re home! How was the dance?” Begonia asked. She gasped at the sight of my gown. “Your dress is so pretty.”
I stroked the deep, purple material. “It is, isn’t it?” I held up the bottle of Scorpion’s Tail. “And I managed to bring home a trophy. We confiscated this from a couple of werewolves.”
Begonia plucked the bottle from my hand and popped off the lid.
“Should I get glasses or can we just drink from the bottle?” I asked.
“Millie needs a glass,” Sophie said. “She doesn’t share drinks. We even bought her a mug that says ‘no, you can’t have a sip’ for her birthday last year.”
Millie groaned. “You always make such a big deal about it.”
“I’m not a fan of germs either,” I said. “I’ll get the glasses.”
“You’d share a bottle with Daniel,” Begonia said, following me into the kitchen. “I bet angel germs are acceptable.” She smiled coyly. “Maybe even encouraged.”
I took four glasses from the cabinet and set them on the counter while Begonia poured the drinks. Sophie and Millie joined us in the kitchen.
“Did you get to dance with Daniel?” Sophie asked. “You did, didn’t you?”
I nodded and took a swig of the cheap alcohol so that I didn’t have to elaborate.
“We don’t have dances at the academy,” Millie complained. “It’s not fair.”
Sophie studied me. “You don’t look too happy, Emma. Is something wrong? Was Daniel on his best behavior?”
I laughed. “With me? Always.” No matter how much I wished that he wasn’t.
“Then what’s the matter?” Millie asked.
I opened my mouth to speak, but the emotional knot in my throat stopped me.
Begonia spoke for me. “He’s her spirit animal.”
I wasn’t sure that an angel qualified as a spirit animal, but I agreed with the sentiment.
Millie’s brow furrowed. “And? What’s wrong with that? Having a spiritual guide in your life sounds like a good thing.”
Begonia came over and hugged me. Of all the remedial witches, she seemed the most in tune to my emotions.
“The problem isn’t that Daniel’s her spirit animal,” Begonia said, emitting a soft sigh. “The problem is you’re not supposed to want to ride your spirit animal.”
“Oh,” Millie said. “Right.”
I cast my gaze to the floor. As much as I wanted to deny it, I knew it was true. I had the hots for my spirit animal.
“What are you going to do about it?” Sophie asked.
“Nothing,” I replied. “Fallen angel, remember? Determined to restore his shiny halo. How can I interfere with such lofty goals? It’s selfish.” I gulped down more Scorpion’s Tail to numb the pain. “Besides, just because I might have feelings for him doesn’t mean he feels the same.”
“You wouldn’t be the first witch to fall for him,” Millie said.
“No, but she’d be the first one to develop a genuine friendship with him first,” Begonia said. “He seems to dote on her.” She looked at me. “He does, you know. You might not see it, but we’ve all known him longer.”
“It’s only because he feels guilty,” I insisted. “If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be trapped in Spellbound.”
“I don’t think it’s guilt,” Begonia said. “He goes out of his way for you. That’s not the Daniel Starr we know.”
“He bought me this dress,” I said, spreading the fabric of the skirt. “He has an account at Ready-to-Were from when he used to dote on his other female companions. On the contrary, I think he very much is the Daniel Starr you know.”
“I’m sorry, Emma,” Sophie said. “It seems like we all suffer from romantic rejection in our group.”
“Not me,” Begonia said. “Claude is wonderful.”
“Not me either,” Millie said. “I’m not putting myself out there for anyone. Then I can’t be rejected.”
“No risk, no reward,” I murmured. A phrase my grandfather was fond of saying, along with ‘youth is wasted on the young.’
“So where’s your reward then?” Millie demanded.
I met her accusatory gaze. “I didn’t say I’ve taken the necessary risk.” I inhaled sharply. “And I don’t plan to anytime soon.”
I didn’t want to talk about Daniel anymore. I felt a small pang in my heart every time his name was mentioned.
“You must be tired,” Sophie said. “We’ll go. We just wanted to ask about the dance.”
“Thanks,” I said. “It was sweet of you to wait for me. I really do appreciate it.” I didn’t have friends like these in the human world. I was more grateful for them than they realized.
“Ask them to stay for a sleepover,” Gareth urged, materializing behind me. “Girls love that stuff.”
I gave him a quizzical look. Gareth was encouraging me to invite three witches to spend the night? He must’ve truly felt sorry for me.
“Would you like to sleep over tonight?” I asked. “I have plenty of space.”
“Tell them you’ll make oatcakes for breakfast,” Gareth said, and then quickly thought better of it. “No, forget it. Cooking isn’t your strong suit.”
Begonia performed a little happy dance, spilling half of her drink on the floor. Magpie rushed over to lap it up.
“We’d love to,” she said. “Wouldn’t we, girls?”
In truth, I thought the sleepover was a good idea. I desperately needed to take my mind off the dance—off Daniel, specifically—and there was no better cure for a rejection hangover than the company of true friends.
“I call the chintz bedroom,” Millie said.
“And I call the rest of this bottle,” Begonia said with a laugh.
I fell asleep to the sound of their laughter about an hour later. It was music to my ears.
The dwarf was gazing at the coffin when I arrived. Even from the back, she looked like her mother. Wide body and stout legs. The crunch of leaves beneath my feet gave me away. Trixie turned her head toward the sound.
“How often do you come here?" I asked, joining her beside the casket. Freddie looked exactly the same as the last time I’d been here. Not that I expected anything different.
"This is only the second time," she said. "I came to the vigil because I didn't believe it until I saw it with my own two eyes."
"I suppose you’ve spoken to the sheriff about Freddie's case."
"We’ve had a few conversations,” she said cryptically. "He's not the smartest man in any room."
I was inclined to agree, but, at this point, I wasn't sure whether Trixie was friend or foe.
"I heard you met my mother recently," Trixie said. "Caused quite the scene."
"I think you'll find that Lady Sparkles caused the scene, not me." Technically.
“Lady Sparkles." Trixie giggled. "Mother talks about her often. I think it's an alternate persona."
I pictured the elderly witch clinging to the ceiling. “My alternate persona is far less demonic."
"I've been debating whether to bring the kids to see Uncle Freddie. I think he might upset them. They’re
used to him jolly and laughing."
"How old are your kids?" I asked.
“Mary is seven and Dell is nine," she replied. “My husband says not to bring them, that this could be their last image of him." She pressed her forehead against the glass.
"It's a beautiful casket,” I said. "It stands to reason that whomever cursed him cared about him."
Trixie ran a hand along the side of the glass. "It is rather nice, isn't it? And he's holding flowers. I thought that was a nice touch."
"What's your relationship like with Freddie?"
Trixie shrugged. "He's my little brother. I'd say our relationship is fairly typical. I boss him around and he listens." She chuckled softly. "Not much different from my relationship with my husband."
“Your mother said Freddie came twice a week to visit her. How about you?"
Trixie gave me a serious case of side eye. "I'm a mother and a wife," she said. "I also work a full-time job. Freddie has plenty of time to visit."
The tension was palpable. This was clearly a sore spot between siblings.
"So I take it you don't have a set visiting schedule."
Trixie shook her head. "There are days when I'm lucky I take a shower. My husband is all for equal rights between all genders and all supernaturals, but he still seems to prefer that I do the dragon’s share of the cooking and cleaning." She paused. "And child-rearing and the finances. It doesn't leave a lot of time for visits to mother."
"I suppose the care home was the only option," I said.
Trixie laughed bitterly. "Not according to Freddie. He begged me not to put her in the home. He said it would hasten her demise."
"If it's any consolation," I said, "your mother seems in fine spirits there."
"I do think she's happy there, but I still feel guilty about it. There was just no way I could take her in, not with two young kids, a husband, and a busy schedule. Mother has a heart condition. What if something happened and no one was home to help her?"
"I understand," I said.
"Freddie wanted me to take her," she said hotly. "He didn't seem to get the fact that it made more sense for him to do it. He lives alone." She hesitated. "We fought about this, as you probably guessed."
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