by K E O'Connor
I returned his grin as I passed him a lemon drop. “Mannie Winter strong-armed me into it. You could say he blackmailed me.”
“What with? Does he have some dark secret he’s been keeping about you?” Rhett’s gorgeous dark eyes sparkled in the bar light. He was dressed in his usual uniform of black, topped off with a battered leather jacket. He looked deliciously tempting.
“There might have been a small noise violation issue not so long ago,” I said. “He said he would make it disappear if I did what he wanted.”
Rhett’s grin faded. “I never trusted that dwarf.”
I shrugged. “He’s also paying a decent amount and said there will be free food and drink. Besides, what can go wrong at some stuffy museum opening? We’ll be bored most of the time.”
“I’m looking forward to it. It should be fun.”
My eyes widened. “You’re going to the opening?”
“Sure. I heard that some exhibits are interactive. You can get involved and speak to characters from the past.”
I laughed. “No kidding. I didn’t think I was dating a secret history geek.”
Rhett chuckled. “Less of the geek. History is cool. You can learn a lot from the past, mainly what mistakes to avoid in the present.”
I brushed a finger across the back of his hand. Rhett was full of mystery, but then a fallen angel who led the local biker gang had to have hidden depths. “Don’t cause any trouble tonight. You don’t want me chasing after you in my role as a rough, tough bouncer.”
His grin widened as he caught hold of my hand and tangled our fingers together. “I can’t think of anything I’d like more.”
I leaned across the bar and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I’d chase you any time.”
“What do you think?” Wiggles bounded behind the bar. He sported a large black bowtie and a pair of wraparound shades.
“You look suitably bounceresque,” I said.
“You should see Suki.”
I glanced up as Suki shuffled out from the back room, her hands clasped in front of her. She wore a large, ill-fitting tuxedo, her black bowtie clipped on wonky. She also sported a pair of shades that masked her eyes.
“Erm, I don’t think we’re supposed to dress up for tonight,” I said.
Suki raised her gaze from the floor. “I told you we don’t have to wear this,” she said to Wiggles. “I feel stupid.”
“You look great,” I lied. The pant legs of the tuxedo were too short for Suki and exposed a lot of ankle and some candy-pink socks. “It just needs a little adjustment.”
“Are you wearing a tuxedo?” Rhett asked me, a smile on his face.
“Not a chance,” I muttered.
“Of course, she is,” Wiggles said. “I got it arranged this morning. I hired a tuxedo for Tempest and Suki and got myself a new bowtie. Watch what it does.” He pressed his chin onto the bowtie, and it spun around.
“That’s clever,” Rhett said, his tone serious. “Does Tempest’s bowtie also do that?”
“Stop it,” I warned him. “I’m not wearing a bowtie or a tuxedo.”
Suki’s eyes widened. “I’m not wearing this on my own. You have to put yours on, or I’ll feel ridiculous.”
“You should have an outfit for the evening,” Rhett said. “You’ll look great in a tuxedo.”
“And I got you a pair of shades, so we all match,” Wiggles said. “If we’re going to be bouncers, we need to look the part.”
I looked down at my mostly black outfit. “What’s wrong with this?”
“You heard what the mayor said. There will be VIP guests tonight. We’re looking after academic royalty. We need to look like we mean business.”
“Ill-fitting tuxedos and shades do that?”
Wiggles sat up, puffing his chest out. “Indeed, they do. Now, get a hustle on. We need to leave soon, and you’re not changed.”
“Why are you so excited about this?” I asked him.
“It’s not every day you get to meet an important person, dress up in your best bowtie, eat fancy canapés, and quaff champagne.”
“No champagne for you. I know what you’re like when you get your paws on bubbles.”
“I become even more fabulous.” Wiggles jumped up and strutted around, posing now and again to show off different angles of his bowtie.
I groaned and shook my head. “Help me,” I whispered to Rhett.
“Not a chance. I can’t wait to see you in your tuxedo, guarding important guests. Who are you looking after?”
“Gretel Le Strange and some author. I met Gretel yesterday. She might be a clever historian, but she’s not all that friendly.”
Rhett’s brow wrinkled. “I know that name. Gretel Le Strange comes from an ancient family of magic users. She’s a popular university lecturer. Has she really come all this way for the museum opening?”
“It looks like it.”
“She knows her stuff,” Rhett said. “Gretel has studied the history of magic and witchcraft for decades. She’s an expert in her field. Everyone speaks highly of her work.”
I fanned my face with a hand. “Please, stop! I get so excited when you go all geeky on me.”
“Hilarious,” he said. “I wouldn’t mind meeting her, though. Maybe you can make an introduction after the museum has opened?”
I wrinkled my nose. “You don’t want to meet her. Gretel’s rude and abrasive. Even Mannie was struggling to keep a civil tongue in his head when she was snapping at him.”
“I love bossy women.” Rhett winked at me.
“Tempest, hurry up and get into your tuxedo,” Wiggles said. “We’re leaving in ten minutes.”
“Duty calls,” Rhett said. “I’ll catch up with you at the museum.”
I gave him a quick kiss. “I look forward to it.” I dragged my feet as I went into the back room to find my own tuxedo hanging on a door.
Wiggles bounced around as I changed out of my clothes and into the tuxedo. Despite the jacket being a little on the large side, it wasn’t a bad fit.
“And the shades,” Wiggles said.
I looked around and saw a pair of wraparound shades on the counter. “Really? It’s evening. No one wears shades at night.”
“Hard core bouncers do,” Wiggles said. “Anyone who thinks about stepping out of line will stop when they see the three of us. We’re like the magic version of the Three Musketeers.”
“I think you mean the Three Stooges,” I muttered.
Suki walked in and stared at me in my tuxedo. “You’re really going to wear it?”
I shrugged as I adjusted the lapels of my tuxedo. “It looks like it. Don’t worry. You look great. Focus on the food. You’ll get first dibs on all the canapés. That will take your mind off of what you’re wearing.”
Suki’s face brightened. “That sounds good. I’m still not sure about this jacket, though.”
I hurried over and unbuttoned it before adjusting the shoulders. “Roll the sleeves up to your elbows.”
“Great idea,” Wiggles said. “That’ll make you look much meaner.”
Suki glanced at him. “I don’t want to look mean. I’m not a mean person.”
Suki had her moments of meanness. She was a giant wood nymph who was normally placid and easygoing unless you riled her. Then she turned into an unstoppable force. You needed to run in the opposite direction when Suki was in a rage.
She rolled up her sleeves and looked at me. “Any better?”
“Not bad. We’ll do for the mayor and his cronies.”
I waved goodbye to the staff behind the bar before we headed out into the cool evening air. The sun was dipping below the horizon as we headed toward the museum.
The museum was housed in a disused mansion that had been owned by Vincent Maldovic. The lovely Vincent had been chased out of Willow Tree Falls after he’d used a curse to turn a family to stone because they’d disrespected him.
Since then, everyone had stayed away from his mansion. There was a rumor it was haunted by the tort
ured souls Vincent had played with in his basement. Who said that money couldn’t buy you happiness? It made Vincent happy by giving him the space to get away with murder for a very long time.
Once Mannie became mayor, the first thing he’d done was use public funds to take possession of the mansion for a fraction of its value, fund its refurbishment, and open it as Willow Tree Falls’ first museum.
I slowed as we turned the corner, and my mouth fell open. A long line of people snaked around the building. “Why are there so many people here?”
Suki glanced down at me. “It’s a big deal. Everyone’s excited about this museum.”
“Not everybody,” I said. “It must be the whole village here.”
“And some guests,” Wiggles said. “I recognize that woman in the sequined dress. She promotes her psychic skills all over the place. A lot of big names use her services. I’d better get her autograph.”
“No pestering the guests,” I said. “We’re here to keep order. Our job is to stay in the background and be discreet. We look out for trouble and stop it before it happens. Nothing more. No hound dogging the gorgeous women.”
“We can eat the canapés, though?” Suki asked.
“Sure. Grab as many as you like.”
Suki sighed. “I’ll be happy, so long as I can eat.”
We walked past the queue of people. I stopped as I recognized some familiar faces. “Mom! Granny Dottie? What are you doing here?”
Mom hugged me. “Don’t you look smart. We wouldn’t miss this. It’s supposed to be amazing.”
Granny Dottie grinned at me. “What are you wearing?”
“We’re the security for the night.” Wiggles bounced around everyone. “They needed to hire the best.”
“But they got us,” I said.
Mom patted my cheek. “You be careful in there. There’s a big crowd tonight. Everyone wants to see what Mannie’s been up to.”
“It’s a crowd of history geeks,” I said. “I can’t see them being trouble.”
Grandpa Lucius and Uncle Kenny hurried over. “Sorry we’re late. We’ve just finished at the cemetery. Aurora lost track of time and forgot she was supposed to take a turn.”
“She’s on her own?” I hadn’t spoken much to Aurora since her announcement that she was getting married to Toby Matlock. I got the impression she was avoiding me. It was mutual. I had no clue what to say about how serious things were with Toby. I didn’t trust him as far as I could throw him, but Aurora had blinders on when it came to her new fiancé.
“It’s been quiet at the cemetery for a couple of days,” Uncle Kenny said. “We made sure everything was secure before we left.”
“We won’t stay here long,” Mom said. “We’ll check in at the cemetery on our way home and make sure everything’s fine. We’re taking the next shift, anyway.”
“Oooh! I think they’re about to let us in,” Granny Dottie said as the crowd stirred around them. “Hurry up, everybody. We don’t want to miss our spot.”
“We’d better go inside,” I said. “Have fun.”
We strode to the front door, and I banged a fist on it.
After a few seconds, it cracked open. Mannie peered out. “Tempest! Hurry! Everything’s in place.” He slid the door open, and we all walked inside.
His gaze ran over us. “You look very... official.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “Who are we looking after?”
“This way.” Mannie bustled along, his tartan suit stretched around his rotund gut. “Isadora, darling. Over here.”
“That must be the famous author,” Wiggles whispered.
A petite woman of about fifty with a blonde bob, wearing a tailored cream pantsuit, turned and smiled at Mannie as she walked over to join us. “How are we doing?”
“It’s all looking good.” Mannie clasped his hands together. “Isadora, this is your security detail for the evening. Tempest Crypt, Suki, and erm, this is Wiggles. He’s small, but he’s a hellhound and good in a fight.”
“I’m excellent in a fight.” Wiggles bared his teeth and made his bowtie rotate.
“I’m hoping there won’t be any fighting tonight.” Isadora chuckled and shook hands with all three of us, bending to shake Wiggles’ paw. “It’s lovely to meet you all. I’m Isadora Ash. I believe you were drafted in at short notice.”
“Something like that,” I said.
“I’m sure we won’t need security,” Isadora said. “Museums rarely get rowdy.”
“You never know. It’s important to ensure the safety of our valuable assets.” A tall, narrow-faced man with slicked back dark hair strode over.
A quick glance at him suggested a hint of the undead. He wasn’t a full vampire, but somewhere in his history, there’d been a vampire liaison with a human. It was the cheekbones and the pale skin, such a giveaway.
“Seth, I’m sure you’re overreacting.” Isadora smiled at him. “Seth Fellows, this is our security for the night.” She introduced us all.
Seth glanced up from the papers he held. “We need to stop the rabble from getting too close to Isadora. She’ll be signing books later, so you’ll need to keep control of things. The fans can get over-excited.”
“We can handle the rabble,” I said.
Seth’s gaze ran over me, and his dark eyes gleamed. “Make sure you do.”
“This is Jonah Dragoon and Lotus Umbra,” Isadora said as two more people approached. “Jonah’s my right-hand man.”
A serious-faced, broad-shouldered guy in his late twenties with bright blue eyes shook my hand. “Officially, I’m Isadora’s personal assistant, but I also answer to right-hand man.”
“And Lotus is my genius research assistant,” Isadora said.
Lotus smiled and nodded at the three of us. She was a pretty, elven female with spiky blue hair and delicately pointed ears.
“Lotus and Jonah have been helping me manage all this craziness with my book,” Isadora said.
“Craziness that’s well deserved,” Mannie said. “Isadora’s book is nothing short of a work of genius. Her research is thorough and precise. It’s all thanks to Isadora’s book that this museum became a reality. I’d always had an idea for a museum but didn’t have the right focus. Once I’d read a few papers written by Isadora on witchcraft through the ages and discovered a book was in production, I knew I had exactly what I needed.”
“And, after some gentle persuasion,” Isadora said, “I decided to consult with Mannie and help make the museum happen. It’s exciting to see the dry words I wrote brought to life in such an amazing way.”
“Your words are a delight,” Mannie said. “I was captivated by the advance copy you gave me.”
“It sounds like a good book,” Wiggles said.
Isadora smiled down at him. “I’d be happy to give you a copy. Signed, of course.”
Seth sighed. “Don’t keep giving away your books. People are here tonight to spend their money.”
Isadora’s mouth drooped, and she shrugged.
“Wiggles isn’t much of a reader, anyway,” I said. “Tell us where we need to be, and we’ll keep an eye out for any problems.”
Mannie scratched his fingers through his beard. “There’s one problem. Gretel’s missing. She’s a special guest, as well. I was hoping one of you could chaperone her for the evening.”
“She needs chaperoning,” Seth muttered.
“Does she usually cause trouble?” I asked him.
He smirked at me. “For other people. She might be a notable historian, but she’s also a notable pain in most people’s backsides.”
“She’s a woman who knows her own mind,” Mannie said. “The plan was to have one of you look after Gretel, another would look after Isadora, and the third can mingle and keep an eye on the crowd.”
“I’m up for mingling,” Wiggles said. “It’ll be easier to keep an eye on the canapés supply and make sure nobody’s being too greedy if I’m on the move.”
“Suki, how about you look after Isadora?
” I suggested. Isadora seemed pretty easy going and much nicer than Gretel. I could handle her sharp tongue for an evening when she turned up.
Suki nodded. “I won’t leave her side.”
Isadora chuckled. “Just hang around in the background and keep an eye on anyone getting too in my face. Fans can be a bit full on, and it gets too much for me. I’m used to being on my own. Crowds make me nervous.”
“We’ll control the crowd. You don’t have to worry about that.” Mannie looked around. “I just wish I knew where Gretel was.”
“I can look for her,” I said.
“Have a quick hunt around but then stay by the main entrance doors,” Mannie said. “Maybe she’s running late. Isadora, you head to the podium with Suki and get yourself ready.”
“And I’ll mingle with the catering staff,” Wiggles said. “Check they have enough food out.”
“Yes, an excellent idea.” Mannie clapped his hands together. “Places everybody. The doors open in five minutes.”
I strolled into the first room of exhibits and froze. I’d walked into a twisted world of magic. The place looked incredible.
“Welcome, child of the night,” a deep voice boomed.
I jumped and spun around. The skeleton in the corner was talking.
“Enjoy your time of freedom, fun, and frivolity. The time of the long night inverts the rules and desires your company.”
I backed up and hit a witch. Her arms curled around me. I leaped away, batting at her bony fingers and ragged clothing.
The witch cackled before retreating into her exhibit. This was too creepy for its own good.
The skeleton’s bones shook as he laughed. “The long night lures out our darker sides, offering a release from the everyday.”
“I’m good with the everyday,” I said. “It’s weird enough.”
“Expose your primeval self.”
I shook my head. “I’m exposing nothing to you, buddy.”
The skeleton laughed again before sliding behind a door.
I had to admit, it was an immersive experience. Mannie had spared no expense in pulling this together. I could sort of understand everyone’s excitement if it was all like this. The glass cases around me glistened, and there were trays to pull out and inspect the artifacts. I was tempted to take a look.
