Beyond The Veil: A Paranormal & Magical Romance Boxed Set

by Multiple Authors

  “Fancy seeing you here,” she quipped.

  George looked at her in slight shock, his gaze moving over her face and upper body as though he thought he was hallucinating. “Hi.”

  “Rosetta wouldn’t let me not come over to say hello, especially since you don’t have fabulous company.” Her words did not sound like herself, and she wondered just what had come over her. Looking towards the counter where the serving girl stood glowering at her, she remembered what had gotten into her. “So what’s for lunch?” she asked, leaning her elbows on the table.

  “Beef pie,” he croaked before clearing his throat. He repeated himself, this time with a confident tone.

  “Sounds wonderful. I confess that I have no idea what Rosetta ordered for me,” she confided in George, provoking a chuckle from the man.

  “She’s a character, isn’t she? Mother hen and matchmaker for the whole town. A mysterious woman this town wouldn’t survive without. Thank goodness Witches of the Light have such long lifespans.”

  Persephone smiled, starting to feel comfortable in his company. “So you all know?”

  “Well, of course. Witches of the Light rarely feel the need to hide their identity. They’re loved everywhere they go.”

  “Not where I come from,” she sadly chimed in. “Beings of real magic are feared and persecuted where I grew up.”

  “That’s horrible,” he proclaimed, to which Persephone nodded.

  “My father had to hide his true power to stay in the town and watch me grow up.” They sat in silence for a few moments before she shook away those memories. “That is behind us now, though. It’s time to start our new lives.” She smiled brightly, enjoying the smile that tugged at his lips. She wondered what it would be like to kiss those lips, and her heart skipped a beat.

  They sat in comfortable silence, and George began to stretch his hands towards hers. Biting her lip again, Persephone moved her own to meet his, only for their plates to be slammed on to the table in front of them, barely missing their outstretched hands. Persephone glanced up to see the angry face of the serving girl who was glaring at her. Rage began to flow through her at the rude behavior, but Persephone managed to rein it in before it took control.

  “Thank you,” George growled through clenched teeth. The serving girl turned to him and winked, shot a last angry look at Persephone, and marched back to the counter, watching them like a hawk.

  “What is her problem?” she asked in disbelief.

  “April? Her parents have been trying to persuade me to court her, and she is all for it, of course. But I don’t want to marry a woman who drives me insane with her mindless flirting and jealousy. She doesn’t want to have intelligent conversations, because she has been raised to think it’s not a woman’s place to have ideas and talk about them, least of all to men. It infuriates me. I want a woman with a brilliant mind, who will share her thoughts and won’t settle for being there just to look pretty, and cook, and clean. She doesn’t get that, and any time I try to court a woman with a brain, April and her parents sabotage it somehow. I would move to another village if it wasn’t for Rosetta. She has had strong words with April’s parents but they won’t back off. I’m worried that something bad is going to happen.”

  Persephone reached across the table and held his hand, giving him a smile when he glanced up to her. “I’m sure Rosetta will convince them to back off without something happening.” Pulling her hand back, but keeping her smile, she gave him a wink and had a look at the plate in front of her. A single serving of beef pie rested in its own little dish, almost identical to the one on George’s plate. Persephone peered over his shoulder to spot Rosetta, who sat facing them now. Rosetta raised a delicate glass with a wink and Persephone couldn’t help but notice that the woman only had a small pastry on her own plate. She shook her head with a smirk at the witch, and picked up her fork to eat the pie. Looking at George, she noticed a grin on his own face as he looked at the plates then at her.

  “Rosetta doesn’t have a pie, does she?” he asked.

  Persephone shook her head. “Of course not.”

  George rolled his eyes with a grin. “Playing match maker again.”

  She flashed a grin before remembering her talk with the other woman. “You know I can’t give my heart to anyone else yet, don’t you? Given time, I might be able to, but for now…”

  George reached across the table once more. “For now, we’ll just enjoy our time together.”

  Persephone smiled at him, grateful for his understanding. With that, the pair ate their pies while George told her a little about the village.

  A little while later, their pies finished, George smiled at her again. “This has been lovely, thank you for the company.”

  “You’re welcome, George. It was quite nice, wasn’t it?” A quick gaze at the counter told her that April watched them still, her face looking foul with her fury. Feeling spiteful and bold, Persephone stretched her hand out to grab George’s, and looked into his eyes. “Maybe we should meet up for dinner, too?”

  George’s eyebrows rose. “Are you being serious, or just saying that to piss April off?”

  Persephone tilted her head to the side. “Can’t it be both?”

  He laughed and covered her hand with his other hand. “Well then, I’ll hold you to it. I’ll meet you in the inn’s restaurant this evening just after the sun goes down.”

  “Sounds fantastic.”

  “It’s a date then.” He grinned. “For now, however, I think Rosetta has some more shopping planned for you. I’ll go check in with the boss, and meet you at the first store.” Standing up, he lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “Miss.” Bowing his head, he walked out, leaving her blushing.

  Sitting back in her chair, Persephone silently thanked Rosetta’s nudging. It was a delightful lunch with pleasant company, and she looked forward to having dinner with him this evening. With a few more hours of shopping ahead of her, she stood and made to return to Rosetta, who chatted with a man at the table next to hers. Before she could make it far, however, April cut her off.

  “You need to back off before someone gets hurt,” the serving girl spat.

  “You’re the one standing in my way, so I suggest that it is you who needs to move,” Persephone sweetly responded, her eyes flashing deep green in warning.

  April didn’t budge. “He is mine, and no new-to-town tramp is going to steal him.”

  “Well for one, he doesn’t want you. How you don’t realize that I don’t know, but you are chasing a man who isn’t interested, and he has made it very clear. Secondly, I may be new to town, but I am no tramp. I am not the one flaunting my cleavage and swaying my hips to try to gain attention that you will never get. Take the hint, and move out of my way.” Glancing around the other woman, she could see Rosetta and several other people watching.

  April raised her hand in a bid to strike Persephone across the face, but before she could swing her fist down, Persephone grabbed the offending wrist and twisted it hard, forcing April to turn around or have her shoulder dislocated. Pushing on the arm, Persephone leaned in to speak into April’s ear. “Now be a smart girl and realize you can’t win this fight. It’s time to play nice, so leave George alone, or a sore arm will be the least of your worries.” With a slight shove, she sent April staggering towards the counter, where the café owner waited for her with crossed arms and disapproval written across his frowning face.

  Not feeling the need to watch the scene April now faced with her boss, Persephone strode over to Rosetta, the faces of other patrons turning to watch her pass with respect. The other woman stood up as she approached, a humored smile curving her full, red painted lips.

  “Well, aren’t you full of surprises,” she greeted Persephone. “I have been chasing that girl and her parents for months, trying to convince them they’re wasting their time. Short of threatening violence, I tried everything I could think of. Seems that all she needed was a push in the right direction.” Rosetta winke
d.

  “I don’t have faith that she’ll stop completely, especially not once we leave tomorrow, but for now, she should back off. So...” She sighed. “If you are ready to continue shopping, George said he’ll meet us at the first store, and I’m assuming we have lots of shopping to do yet. I’d like to get started so that George and I have time to get ready afterwards; we’re having dinner together at the inn.”

  “Look who has herself a date.” Rosetta grinned. “I knew you two would hit it off.”

  “You asked for him specifically to be the courier, didn’t you?”

  The witch feigned innocence. “Me? You think I’d do something like that?”

  “No, I know you’d do something like that. George said that you’re town match maker.”

  Rosetta let out another laugh, her breasts jiggling in her dress. “Well then, we should head out, don’t want to make either of you late for you date.” She winked at Persephone, who rolled her eyes in good humor.

  Following Rosetta, she made her way out of the crowded café, relieved to be outside again. The afternoon sun was comfortably warm, and Persephone was grateful that it was only spring. The other woman led the way to a store just a few doors down the street, nodding at people as they waved greetings. When they were standing outside the first store, Persephone’s eyes grew large. Inside were beautiful, glittering necklaces, bracelets, and wrist cuffs, earrings and rings. She saw precious stones of all different sizes, shapes, and colors in settings both simple and intricate, all breathtaking.

  “Well, come on then, don’t stand there gawking,” Rosetta called from the open door. “We can’t take too long in here if we’re to meet George in the bookstore in time.”

  Persephone entered the store, gazing around at the stunning jewelry.

  “Hello, Rosetta.” The owner grandly gestured. “How may I help your loveliness today?”

  Rosetta and the man held hands and kissed cheeks. “Good day, darling. I’m after a piece for my dear friend here, Persephone.”

  The man approached her, looking over the tips of his glasses at her. “What’s the occasion?”

  “First date with our young George,” Rosetta proudly crowed.

  “Really, April is allowing this?”

  “Persephone here didn’t give her a choice.” The pair chuckled while Persephone stood in front of them, smiling while they laughed and talked as though she was invisible.

  She eventually cleared her throat, reminding them that she was still there. “We’re in a rush, remember, Rosetta?”

  “Ah yes, that is true. Gregory, do you have a piece that would complement her bosom, but nothing too obvious?”

  Gregory nodded, his gaze traveling over Persephone’s body and making her shift uncomfortably from foot to foot. He hummed monotonously and nodded. “What color dress?”

  “I was thinking the black corseted gown with the green beading and satin skirt. What do you think, Persephone?”

  “That’s a little suggestive, isn’t it? It’s just dinner.”

  Rosetta nodded, a sly look crossing her face. “We’ll just see.”

  Gregory, oblivious to their discussion, had walked around one of the display cases, and was pulling out a piece that Persephone could only assume was a necklace. He walked back around to them and stepped behind Persephone, lifting the necklace over her head. The weight of it settled on her chest, cool and comfortable. Gregory pointed her to a mirror and she admired how it spread out like a glittering web. Dark green stones nestled where the black metal chains met, and one large, oval green stone sat in the middle like a giant, green spider nestling amidst her numerous glittering children. A strand of black metal with a single, small green gem hung just above her cleavage. Persephone gasped, and Rosetta moved to stand behind her with a grin on her face.

  “It’s perfect,” she exclaimed. “Gregory, this is amazing.”

  “Brand new, I only finished it this morning. The emeralds are from caves in the cliffs by the ocean, and this rare black metal is from deep within the White Mountains. As soon as they arrived, the idea popped into my head, and I just couldn’t bring myself to put them together in any other way. And of course, with this beautiful young woman’s ebony hair and green eyes, together with the dress you described, it is like they were waiting for you.”

  “I couldn’t agree more, Gregory,” Rosetta agreed. “We’ll take it, put it on my bill. Can you have it boxed up and sent to the inn? Junie knows which room is Persephone’s. We’d take it with us, but we can’t let George know anything just yet.” She winked and Persephone blushed.

  With a wave to Gregory, they left the little store and quickly walked across the street to the bookstore. The two women had just settled into looking at books when George entered the shop and found them. The next few hours crawled by for Persephone, as they searched for the books she had loved borrowing from her father’s bookstore back in Mythosandria. It still felt a little strange, referring to Daniel as her father, but she was taking to it quicker than she could have expected. Persephone assumed that it was because she had playfully dreamed of him being her father for real.

  The afternoon sun finally threatened to drop behind the trees and Rosetta sent George home to get ready. The small smile he had given her just before he left and sent her stomach quivering.

  “Well, we’d better be getting you back to the inn to get cleaned up and dressed. A lady is allowed to be a little late, but we can’t keep him waiting for too long.”

  Rosetta ushered her up the street, nodding and waving to people as they passed by again. Once they arrived at the inn, Persephone was chased upstairs into the washroom, where Junie filled the tub with warm, scented water. Rosetta stayed in the room while Persephone washed herself, suggesting different ways to pin up Persephone’s long hair. They finally decided on a simple twist that required few pins, to which Rosetta made a sly comment about it being a hairdo easy to release when it came time for bed.

  Trying to change the subject, Persephone realized she hadn’t seen her father or her cousin since last night. “What did Father and William get up to today? Do they know about my dinner plans?”

  “Daniel checked out some supply stores in town this morning, and then he went with William to explore the forest behind us this afternoon. They had a busy day and will be having a quiet dinner with Daphne, and yes, they know about your dinner plans. They know you could use some downtime, and were very encouraging.”

  “How could you know? You were with me all day.”

  “Honey, I’m a witch, remember? I used my power to read their minds.” Persephone’s eyes grew large, and Rosetta burst out laughing. “I’m just joking. I sent a note to their rooms while you were having lunch with George. You really do need to relax, you’re too tense.” She lightly massaged Persephone’s shoulders, and she felt shoulders loosen up.

  A few minutes later, Rosetta patted her shoulder and stood up. “We should probably get you dressed and put your hair up. You dry off and I’ll meet you in the other room.”

  Left to herself, Persephone enjoyed the warm water for a few moments more before standing up, water sluicing down her curves. She stepped out of the tub and wrapped a large toweling cloth around her body, patting herself dry. Rosetta hadn’t left a robe for her to wear, so she kept the cloth and entered the bedroom, where the other woman gestured for her to sit on a chair facing the bed. Once Persephone sat, she heard Rosetta start humming as the woman brushed her long hair, getting it ready to pin up. Tingles covered her scalp and raced down her back, and she closed her eyes, sighing in pleasure. Rosetta began to pin it up, not taking long to have it all resting on Persephone’s head. The other woman then walked around the chair to sit on the bed with a powder brush and a small palette of different colored pressed powders.

  “Close your eyes,” Rosetta instructed. The brush danced over her eyelids, applying the colored powder, and Persephone had to resist letting out a giggle as the brush hairs tickled. “Now hold still, I’m about to outline your ey
es.”

  Something cool tracked across her eyelids just above her eyelashes, followed by what felt like a brush running through her eyelashes. “Now open your eyes and let me know what you think.”

  Opening her eyes, she saw a small mirror being held in front of her, and she was surprised at how different her eyes looked. Rosetta had dusted her eyelids with brown powder and outlined her eyes and brushed her eyelashes with black. Persephone stared, astounded by how much her already vibrant eyes stood out now.

  “Just a few more touches, and you can put your dress on.” With another larger powder brush, Rosetta lightly dabbed a soft brown on to Persephone’s cheekbones, before painting her lips with a soft pink stain. She gave Persephone the mirror once more, and she smiled, impressed with how different she looked now, with the subtle make up and her hair piled neatly on her head.

  “Oh my, Rosetta, thank you.”

  Rosetta petted her hand and stood up. “You’re welcome, honey. Now I’ll let you get dressed and I’ll come back in five minutes. Junie will be outside so if you need a hand, just call out to her.” Walking to the door, the woman turned around once more. “George won’t be able to take his eyes off you,” she said with a grin and a wink before closing the door behind her.

  Persephone smiled, standing up to have a look at the black dress hanging on the door of the wardrobe. The heavy satin skirt shone as the candlelight hit the folds and the emerald beading glimmered. An open box sat on the dresser next to the wardrobe, and within the box sat the necklace that did seem as though it were made for the dress. Taking the dress down, she saw the lacing had already been loosened enough for her to slip into it, but she knew she needed help to tighten the laces, so she walked over to the door and poked her head out.

  “Junie?”

  The young woman, standing out of view in the hall, stepped into sight. “Yes, Persephone?”

  “Could you help me with these laces please?”

  “Of course.”

  Persephone opened the door enough to allow Junie into the room. Junie stood behind her and gently pulled the laces, and the bodice tightened around Persephone’s body. The younger woman didn’t pull it so tight that Persephone couldn’t breathe, just tight enough to be a comfortable fit, for which she was grateful.