"Our guidance counselor," Samantha explained.
"Isn't she just the cutest little thing?" Rose said sarcastically, in a fake southern drawl.
"She's the bane of my existence," I said. "She's the one who had a chat with Dad about my future."
"Isn't that her job?" Poppy replied.
"Not the way she does it," I said. "That's what made him ground me!"
Just then Dad approached our group. "You kids talking about me?" he asked. Then he saw where we were looking, and he said, "Hey, isn't that—"
Ms. Tray wore a shiny red micro-mini dress and white go-go boots. Definitely not the best look for the over thirty crowd. Her hair was teased to the sky, and it looked like she had killed a couple of black widows and plastered them on her eyes.
"Rafe," she trilled at my father. "What a pleasure to see y'all here. When Spenser told me you were old friends, I couldn't wait to come to this event."
Mr. Devereaux and my dad did one of those half hug/half handshake things that guys did.
"Her southern accent is slipping," Sam observed.
"Her accent is as phony as she is," I replied.
We turned our attention back to the grownups' conversation. Ms. Tray still had the floor, and even my mother looked a trifle impatient.
My father muttered something unintelligible, but it didn't slow the counselor down.
"Spenser has done such an excellent job with Sabrina. I thought you could get the two girls together. Sabrina could be such a positive influence on Daisy."
Even Mr. Devereaux rolled his eyes at that one. The guidance counselor was obviously clueless.
"Samantha"—Mr. Devereaux emphasized his daughter's name—"and Daisy have been friends since grade school."
Ms. Tray eventually caught on that nobody was buying her concerned act. "Well," she said lamely. "Isn't that nice?"
"Yes, it is," my father said. "We're very proud of both the girls."
"But—" Ms. Tray started to say something, but Mr. Devereaux gently pulled her away and onto the dance floor.
Dad stared after them. "That woman is a menace."
"I couldn't agree more," Mom said, returning from her chat with the garden club members. "Now, come dance with me." She took his hand and they joined the other dancers.
Ryan took me by the hand and spun me around. "Feel like dancing?"
"I'd love to," I said.
There was a big commotion when Circe came out, still in her white chef's jacket, to mingle with the crowd. Someone started clapping until everyone joined in.
Circe took a low bow, but then straightened abruptly when she saw me. She strode over and grabbed my arm. "Where did you get that dress?" she said.
I twisted my arm away from her. "Mrs. Wilder said I could borrow it," I said. "Why do you care?"
Her eyes turned a furious green and I took a step back. She started to say something, but then noticed that everyone was watching her. She forced a smile. "You look ... lovely," she said through clenched teeth.
At that moment, the bandleader announced that they were taking a break. With one last glare, Circe returned to the kitchen.
I was shaken by my confrontation with Circe. I retreated to the fifties room with Ryan and fed Lil a quarter. A song I'd never heard before came on. It was simply piano music, in a plunking, upbeat melody.
Mr. Todeschi, Nightshade High's band instructor, was also in the room. His face lit up and his toe tapped in time to the music.
"Do you know what song this is?" I asked him.
"Why, it's a Scott Joplin rag," he said.
"What?" I had no idea what he was talking about.
"It was written in the early 1900s," he explained.
"Do you know the name of it?" Ryan said.
"Let me think," Mr. Todeschi said. "It'll come to me in a minute."
We were all quiet while he tried to remember. Lil had to have a reason to play the song.
He snapped his fingers. "I've got it. I'm pretty sure it's 'Lily Queen.'"
"Lily Queen"? Lily was the name of the girl in the painting. Mrs. Wilder's sister.
Balthazar came trotting in. He seemed to be drawn to the music. His tail moved in time to the music. He went up to the jukebox and nuzzled it with his nose.
Lil shimmied and shook. I thought I saw a faint form of a woman floating in the air, next to the jukebox, but before I could say anything to Ryan, it disappeared. It must have been a trick of the candlelight or something.
The next song she played was Whitney Houston's rendition of "I Will Always Love You." The pig made snuffling noises, which sounded like great noisy sobs.
The jukebox went silent and then Circe's voice came from the direction of the kitchen.
"Balthazar, where are you?" she practically screamed.
The pig cringed but stayed where he was.
Circe stormed into the room. Her green eyes sent sparks all over the room, and I took a step back into the protection of Ryan's arms.
She started toward Balthazar and the pig ran around the room, squealing frantically as he went.
"Roast pork is on the menu tomorrow," she announced in a menacing voice.
All the noise in the room ceased. Circe was threatening to roast Balthazar, who was, granted, a pig, but one that Circe had babied and treated like a pet. You simply didn't eat your pets, not even in Nightshade.
She had him cornered and the pig's legs shook in fear. She raised her arm as if to strike him, but a voice stopped her.
Mr. Bone stepped forward. "Circe Silvertongue, you will not harm Balthazar," he said. "The council overlooked the unfortunate result of your lack of control once, but you must live with the consequences."
She froze, her muscles straining with the effort. Finally, she choked out, "But—"
"There are no buts," he said sternly. "You will continue to look after that pig and insure his continued good health. There are rumors of your involvement in certain events."
"That is just a rumor," she cried.
"Let me finish," he scolded her.
"Yes, sir," she said meekly.
He continued, "If any concrete evidence comes to the council's attention, there will be grave consequences. Do I make myself clear?"
The pig seemed to gather his courage. He threw Circe a clearly defiant look before he trotted over to the jukebox and nuzzled Lil. He then left the ballroom without waiting to see Circe's reaction.
The jukebox responded with a song. "You Are the Best Thing" by Ray LaMontagne came on.
Clearly chastened, Circe followed the pig back into the kitchen. The crowd returned its attention to the celebration.
Mr. Devereaux and Ms. Tray didn't look like they were having much fun. He wasn't responding to her flirtatious smiles and she was clearly miffed about it.
"I don't get why she hates me so much and likes you," I said to Ryan.
"Maybe she's into Ryan," Sean offered.
I stopped in my tracks. "You think she doesn't like me because she's jealous?"
He shrugged. "It's something," he said. "She's always pretty nice to me."
"Me, too," Samantha said. "But there is something kind of off about her."
Sean opened his mouth, but Samantha silenced him with one look. "And I'm not saying that because she's after my dad," she said.
"That's a repulsive thought," I said.
"Yes, it is," she said. "Be glad that your parents are so incredibly devoted." She gestured toward the dance floor, where my parents were still dancing, completely oblivious of everyone around them.
I nestled closer to Ryan, content. All my family and friends were there and we were having a truly magical night. Everything else could wait until the morning.
CHAPTER TWENTY
I was looking for Poppy and I finally spotted her heading into the 1920s room.
"Excuse me," I said to Ryan. "I want to talk to Poppy for a minute."
"I'll get us some punch," Ryan replied.
The twenties room was decorated like a jaz
z club, complete with art deco posters, gilt mirrors, and a jazz combo. I could see Poppy across the room, but there was no sign of her date. As I walked over to her, I noticed that Mr. Bone and some of the council members were conferring about something in the corner.
Poppy was sitting on a velvet sofa and I sat down next to her.
"Are you having fun?" I asked her.
She smiled. "I am."
"Who is that guy you're with?" I asked.
She giggled. "I knew you'd be over here. It's a setup," she explained. "He's a friend of Nicholas's and he's a junior at UC Nightshade. He seems nice."
There was an unspoken but in there somewhere. Still, it was good that she was finally dating again.
Her date returned, hovering bashfully in the background until Poppy introduced us.
"This is Liam."
"Nice to meet you," he said to me.
"You, too." I was trying to think of something interesting to say. "Poppy said you go to UC Nightshade. Do you live on campus?"
He looked at his shoes. "No, I live with some friends off campus."
His teeth were incredibly white, and for a minute, I thought I saw a hint of fangs. But there were no other signs that he was a vampire. It must have been my imagination.
I excused myself and went to find Samantha. She was chatting with her father and Ms. Tray. Samantha had a pained look on her face. Mr. Devereaux looked embarrassed. Obviously, his date was not going well. They left early, and the evening became a lot more fun without Ms. Tray watching my every move.
Ryan and Sean came back with cups of punch and the four of us drifted away.
"So what now?" Samantha said.
"Now I want to dance with my boyfriend," I said. I took Ryan's hand.
"What about your dad?" he asked.
"We've come to an agreement," I said. "He promised not to treat me like I'm twelve and I promised not to scare the heck out of him anymore."
I pointed to where he was slow-dancing with Mom. They both had blissed-out expressions on their faces. "Besides, he looks pretty occupied."
Ryan pulled me close and whispered against my hair. "I'm glad your dad changed his mind about me."
"I am, too," I said. I twined my arms around his neck and looked up at him. "Now can we stop talking about my dad?"
Ryan's answer was a long slow kiss. When I could breathe again, I realized that the music had stopped and Mr. Bone was standing in front of the band with a microphone in his hand.
"Nightshade citizens, your votes have been counted. It gives me great pleasure to announce the king and queen of the Midnight Ball," he said. "Samantha Devereaux and Sean Walsh."
Ryan let out a piercing whistle, but Samantha and Sean weren't paying attention, not at first. They were gazing into each other's eyes, completely oblivious to Mr. Bone calling their names and to the cheering crowd.
Finally, the noise registered and Samantha raised her head and looked over at me, completely puzzled.
Mr. Bone cleared his throat. "Samantha Devereaux and Sean Walsh, please join me onstage," he said.
Samantha rushed to the stage, got halfway there and realized Sean was still standing in the spot where she'd left him. She went back for her boyfriend, took his hand, and led him to where Mr. Bone stood.
The crowd broke into another round of applause. After Mr. Bone handed Sam a giant bouquet of flowers and set a tiara on her head, Sean led Samantha back onto the dance floor.
My best friend was radiant as she rested her head on her boyfriend's shoulder.
"Samantha looks beautiful tonight," a voice said behind me.
It was Mrs. Wilder's granddaughter, Elise. She wore a killer red silk gown that had to be designer. "Elise, it's nice to see you here," I said. "How's college?" Elise was a freshman at UCLA.
"College is great. I'm just back for the weekend. I couldn't miss the anniversary party," she said.
"Is Bane here, too?" Bane Paxton was Elise's boyfriend and Wolfgang's older brother.
She gestured to the dance floor. "He's dancing with Gran," she said.
Bane was doing a careful waltz with Mrs. Wilder.
"She looks like she's having fun," I said.
"Keep an eye on her for me, Daisy," Elise said. "She's getting pretty fragile and I worry about her when I'm gone." She paused, then said, "Don't tell Gran, but I'm thinking of transferring back to UC Nightshade next semester."
I remembered what my mom had told me about the Wilder family tragedy. Approaching a shifter was dicey, anyway, and Elise made me nervous at the best of times.
"I heard about what happened to her sister," I said.
"And?" Elise's face was unreadable.
"You may have heard that my mom is a psychic investigator?"
"Go on," she said.
"Mom thought that she—that we—might be able to help find out what happened to your grandmother's sister."
"It's nice of you to offer, but I don't think so," Elise said. "Grandmother gets upset whenever she hears Lily's name mentioned."
I remembered the faraway look in Mrs. Wilder's eye.
"I think you should let us try," I said stubbornly. "Wouldn't you want to know? Maybe it will give her some peace."
Elise finally nodded. "You have my permission," she said. "But not a word to my grandmother."
"How am I supposed to get any information? Mom needs a piece of clothing or something."
"That part's easy," Elise said. "You're wearing the gown Lily wore the night before she disappeared."
"One last thing," I said. "Do you by any chance know Bam's real name?"
"I do," she said. "I saw it on the engagement announcement in Grandmother's scrapbook once. They'd already sent the notice to the paper. His nickname came from the first letters of his name. Balthazar Anthony Merriweather. B-A-M."
Balthazar? Like the pig? An idea started niggling at my brain.
The song ended and Bane escorted Mrs. Wilder to a chair nearby, which ended my conversation with Elise.
Ryan came up and swept me into his arms and onto the dance floor. Just as the last song faded away, it finally hit me.
I stopped and looked up at him. "I know what happened to Bam and Lily!" I said. But before I could tell Mrs. Wilder, I needed to be sure.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Sunday morning, I waited until it wasn't hazardous to my health to call Sam.
"Can you still get into Merriweather House?" I asked. "I need to look around."
"We have cleanup crews there today," she said. She smothered a yawn. "Why didn't you look around last night?"
"There were too many people there," I said. "It would have made someone suspicious."
"You are too mysterious this early in the morning," Sam said. "Give me an hour and I'll go with you."
Fortunately, neither of my sisters were awake yet, so I nabbed the car we shared. I picked Sam up at her house and explained my theory on the way.
"You think Circe turned someone into a pig?" Sam said doubtfully.
"It all fits," I insisted. "The pen engraved with his initials, her pet pig Balthazar, everything."
"She's a lot younger than Mrs. Wilder," Sam said.
"No, she's not," I explained. "She only looks younger. She's a sorceress, remember? How hard would it be to glam things up a bit?"
"Why would Mrs. Wilder hire her, then?"
"Because she had no idea that Circe was behind her sister's disappearance. Of course. "
Merriweather House looked pretty deserted, but I noticed my grandma's car.
"So what now?" Sam asked.
"I need to look on the second floor. Is it safe?"
"Yes," she said. "Mrs. Wilder asked me not to let anyone upstairs because some of her sister's personal items are stored up there."
"Jackpot," I said.
"What are you looking for?" Sam asked.
"I don't know," I said. "Something that will tie Circe Silvertongue to Lily and her fiancé."
Grandma had been a fountain of useful
information previously. Maybe she'd be of some help now, if I jogged her memory just a bit.
We found her on a ladder in the ballroom. She was taking down decorations. There were a dozen or so clear plastic containers stacked up near her, but there wasn't another soul in the room.
"Grandma, you shouldn't be on a ladder all alone in this house," I scolded her.
"Oh, goodness, you startled me," she said. "And Edna is in the other room, making a pot of coffee."
She came down from the ladder. "What are you girls doing here so early? I thought you'd still be sleeping."
"We have a favor to ask you," I said. "Do you remember anything about Circe Silvertongue in conjunction with Lily and Bam Merriweather?"
"Sure," she said. "I was a lot younger than they were, of course," she added archly. "But everyone knew that Circe had set her cap for Bam, but he wasn't interested. Not in anything serious, anyway. Then he met Lily and he never looked at anyone else."
"Thanks, Grandma," I said. I kissed her cheek. "You don't know how much help you've been."
I grabbed Sam's arm. "C'mon, let's go talk to Mr. Bone," I said. "He'll know what to do. I'm not stupid enough to confront a sorceress without backup."
Mr. Bone wasn't at the mortuary, but I put in a call to Nicholas, who told me his father was on the golf course.
"Can you have him meet us at Slim's?" I asked. "It's important."
"I can't make any promises," he said. "You know how Dad is about getting in his eighteen holes."
"Tell him it's about Mrs. Wilder's sister, Lily," I said.
Nicholas promised he would and we hung up.
"What now?" Sam said.
"Now I buy you a cup of coffee," I replied.
We sat at a booth and ordered coffee and a couple of cinnamon rolls and waited. Samantha was texting Sean, but I couldn't sit still or concentrate on anything.
Mr. Bone hurried in. "Daisy, Nicholas said it was important."
"It is," I said. Sam and I told him my theory about Balthazar while Mr. Bone ordered and ate two cinnamon rolls and drank an enormous cup of coffee.
"Hmm," he said. "Daisy, I think you're on to something," he said. "But I'm afraid you're too late."
"What?" I cried.
"Circe Silvertongue left Nightshade last night, right after the party. And she took Balthazar."
Dead Is Just a Rumor Page 12
