"What?" I blurted out, a little louder than intended.
"I said," Tara repeated again, her almond eyes narrowed into suspicious slits, "how do you know Alpha Magnus?"
"Oh, I don't know him!" I exclaimed cheerily. "I'm just asking because shouldn't we wait for everyone to be present before beginning the discussion?"
The question floated in the void for a bit.
"That's very thoughtful of you, Lena," said Damiano after an agonisingly long pause.
I hid my relief with a tight smile.
"Normally, I would advise all of us to be around for meetings, too, but unfortunately as Tara had just explained before you and Nicky arrived, Alpha Magnus is occupied at the moment," Damiano explained.
"Unlike some people,"Tara snidely commented, glaring at Kaiser for good measure, "Alpha Magnus has a lot of responsibilities on his plate. I will relay everything we've discussed to him tonight, after the meeting."
The statement triggered a feeling that niggled at my chest.
Jealousy? That couldn't be it.
Damiano clapped his hands together in a business-like fashion and glared at Kaiser and Tara. "Anyway, there's no time for petty squabbles. The fate of the Ball rests on our shoulders and I should think none of us wish to disappoint our respective Factions."
"Fine." Kaiser threw his hands up in defeat. "I'll stop charming her," he said, and then had the cheek to throw a wink my way. "Although it's more the other way 'round."
"You need help, Serpentbrooke," Nicky uttered in disgust, taking the words right out of my mouth.
To the Warlock's credit, he did stop the harassment after that, and the whole committee was able to move into actually planning the Dark Masquerade.
Apart from having to do the occasional awkward small talk with Ylvaine, I was having a pretty good time. Of course, a lot of it could be attributed to the expensive wine that Damiano ordered, the glorious food, and also the discreet glances the Vampire threw at me every once in awhile.
By the end of the soup starter, I already considered crowning Master De Angelis as my Deflowering One.
"I've taken the liberty of dividing the tasks into four main sections," the vampire announced to the group during entree.
"Are vampires always this anal?" Nicky muttered.
Kaiser laughed to himself, clearly amused. "He said anal."
"Grow up, boy," Damiano barked at Kaiser with the wisdom of someone over a century older than him and the Warlock immediately quieted. "As I was saying, there are four main sections: Invitations, Decorations, Entertainment and Catering."
"Sounds about right," Ylvaine enthused.
"Thank you Elvaine."
"It's, Ylvaine," she corrected, "with a Y."
"Of course, I beg your pardon," Damiano apologised with a slight bow.
Admittedly, his mannerisms were quite entertaining.
"So in the spirit of alliance between the Four Factions, I suggest we pair up with someone who is not your own kind," he said with a grin. "Any objections?"
"What fun!" I said, mostly thrilled not to be paired with Kaiser the walking venereal disease.
"I volunteer for Entertainment. My musical taste is superb," Genevieve raised her French-tipped hand as if she were in a classroom.
YOU ARE READING
BEWITCHED & BOTHERED
Paranormal☆ 2022 WATTYS SHORTLIST ☆ Leonora 'Lena' Winterhaven is a witch on a dry spell. Somehow, she is the only one left in her coven (and possibly all of New York!) to still have her virtue intact at the age of twenty-nine. This would be fine and dandy, i...
