"Whoa!" Jade exclaimed, as Callie finally finished pouring, the glass precariously full. "I haven't eaten since lunch!"
"It's the Coven Ball pre-party party!" Callie said with a flourish, brandishing the wine bottle like it wasn't as full as it still was.
"To be followed by the actual party and then the post-party party," Henri said helpfully, sipping from his own glass.
Callie invited Jade and Henri to get ready at her house before the Coven Ball and truth be told, Jade had been glad for the invite. She'd never been to a big party like the ball and she was happy for the company as she figured out her hair and makeup. Time and tide wait for no one, and never had that been more clear than when Jade realized the day after she stopped Dex, the Coven Ball was still that weekend and she hadn't managed to get her dress to the tailor. She originally worried that it wouldn't be ready in time for the dance but the tailor, the husband of a Coven witch, had said he would be happy to have it ready for the event, especially given how she'd managed to restore their magic. Jade had mumbled some kind of thanks, not really sure how the tailor knew what had happened, and then left. By the time she got to the coffee shop, she'd been stopped twice more. Once to thank her for her work and once to ask her how she managed to run with her magic all off kilter 'like this' the witch had said, gesturing wildly.
Confused, Jade had made her way directly to Paris and he'd explained that when he'd reset Coven magic, he'd set it to match Jade's magic - the only magic he knew to be fully functional at the time. Jade found out even more about it when she arrived in Counter-Magic later on that day. Though Coven magic had been reset, the incident log was still as long as it had been during the time when it was broken. Although spells didn't seem to be malfunctioning completely now, they were slightly off as people worked on reconfiguring their magic to the new norm. Jade found she was the focus of a lot of sideways stares and some hushed words, but it didn't seem as ostracizing as it had before.
She was looking forward to the big gala. She carefully sipped from her glass, watching the meniscus in case it tipped over the edge. Damn, Callie had gotten it full. Jade was tempted to ask if she'd used magic to pour like that. Setting her glass down, Jade picked up a few more bobby pins and secured a couple of places in her hair that felt wobbly. Callie persuaded Jade to wear her hair down for the Coven Ball and Jade lasted about an hour until the tenth time she had to push her hair out of her face and it got caught in her lip gloss. She'd managed some kind of messy half bun, half pony-tail that she would likely never be able to replicate. Callie worked on curling some bits and pieces that fell out. Jade ducked out of the way of the hot-iron three times as Callie waved it while she regaled them with stories from last year's ball before Jade declared her hair done and Callie blessedly set the curling iron down. Henri smirked at Jade over his own wine glass as Jade breathed a sigh of relief.
"Your shoes!" Henri said suddenly, getting up from the dining room table and heading for his bag at the front door. "You will cry when you see them."
Jade turned to Callie. "Is that a good thing or bad thing? Good like 'they're so pretty' I'll cry or bad like, 'you'll need thirty-six bandages and a partial skin graft after you wear these for two hours.'"
Callie laughed. "The former I hope."
"You hope?" Jade repeated sharply, faking a smile as Henri came back waving a bag.
Jade didn't exactly cry, but she could admit she was moved by the shoes. They were so pretty. Shiny, sparkly and dainty, they also had a slightly wider heel that meant she wouldn't be falling on her ass all night. They looked like Cinderella shoes and Jade felt her girlish heart melt at the sight of them.
She slid her feet in and felt a slight pinch at the toes. Okay, there may be some crying and bandages later, but these shoes would be worth it. She turned her feet to the left and right, then pointed and flexed them, checking her feet out in the shoes.
"See?" Henri said.
"If I die, bury me in these shoes."
Callie swooped her wine glass down and clinked it against Jade's, making Jade's slosh a bit and spill wine on the table. Callie automatically spat out a spell, one that was presumably supposed to take the stain away, but instead turned it a deeper shade of purple. She murmured, "Your magic's so different," under her breath and then made a 'pish' sound and declared she would worry about things like wine stains tomorrow.
The sound of a car horn from outside made them all turn their heads like meerkats toward the door, each realizing that at some point, Nick and Daniel (Callie and Henri's boyfriends respectively) had turned off the sports channel and snuck outside to get the car. Jade grabbed her coat and purse and was at the door, swinging it open while Henri was still shrugging into his suit jacket and Callie valiantly finished off her glass of wine.
Jade was seriously impressed. She didn't think you could drink wine like that without some kind of side effect. Was there a wine equivalent of brain freeze? From the way Callie polished off her glass, there mustn't be.
Daniel was waiting at the door to hustle them along, giving Callie a hand as she stumbled out, pausing to lock the door behind them. Nick, Callie's partner, leaned out the driver's side window and cat-called at them, honking his horn a few more times for good measure. Daniel escorted them down the steps and toward the car where Callie, with her slighter build, got sandwiched between Jade and Henri in the backseat, Daniel and Nick up front. The car was full of chatter and excitement and Jade was swept up in the noise, letting it wash over her.
The few days since Dex and Veronica had disappeared had been tiring. Jade had been careful to keep herself as busy as she could. Immediately after they'd left the preserve, Jade'd taken Paris to the Covenstead and both of them submitted to a cursory exam by Gellar. Jade received her prescription of 'take two aspirin, drink plenty of fluids and get some rest' and promptly ignored it. She'd gone home and done a load of laundry, showered and then gone out, gotten a coffee and then eyed her garden shed. It seemed like forever ago that Paris had told her to look at her little shed and find the tools she needed for her lawn. Indeed, once inside, she found a wide-toothed rake and she used it to pull the fallen leaves on her front yard into three piles, focusing on making the piles even and resolutely not thinking about anything that had happened in the preserve. Only at that point, when she felt like if she lay down she would sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, did she call the day over.
Despite her fatigue, she must have woken up long enough in the middle of the night to move to the closet. She woke up there with no memory of moving. Bruce had been tucked up against her back, the two of them jammed into the closet like stuffed animals in a shipping box - limbs all over, pressed up against the wall, blankets mashed up.
Jade tried not to think about it.
She didn't think about the voice she'd heard in her mind when she'd been in the forest fighting Dex. It was hard. It was like sticking a sliver of wood under the soft skin of her finger and then trying not to touch it. She kept busy. Jade went to work early in the morning and stayed a little later at night than she needed to. Josef said she was really good at logging incidents and since the Coven's magic was tuned to Jade's now, he was letting her take some of the easier cases. Jade found she was quickly able to figure out where spells or hex work had gone wrong and was faster than the more experienced agents at resetting the magic. The other agents were catching up as they became more accustomed to her magic's frequency, but Jade finally felt like she was making inroads, learning magic faster than before.
In the evenings, she hung out with Callie or Henri or both. She switched her running time with Daniel for a couple days to have it after work instead of before. She did a remarkable job of keeping herself totally occupied, all the while knowing exactly from what she was keeping herself occupied, or rather, from whom.
Jade didn't know if she was ready to think about Lily; or since there was never really a day when she didn't think about Lily, maybe she just wasn't ready to think about what happened in the forest.
"Jade, we're here."
Henri's hand on her forearm jolted her out of her wool-gathering and she forced her best fake smile and let him help her out of the car, leaning on him a little as she got her feet underneath her, still adjusting to the new shoes.
Yep. Definitely going to need some of those bandages by the night's end.
They ditched their coats behind Henri's desk in the front foyer, leaving them in a big pile on his chair. The cafeteria lights had been dimmed and the room had been decorated tastefully with things that Jade had only ever seen on Pinterest or the cover of magazines. She didn't even know what they were called - except for the flowers and trees. She could at least recognize them. The large, filmy drapes and bows however were beyond her vocabulary. The entire room looked like a cold winter fairyland with everything dusted with light snow.
"Oh wow," she said. "It's like Frosty the Snowman threw up in here."
Callie snorted, which set everyone else off on a bit of a laughing jag and Jade felt a little gauche and out of place until Callie placed a hand on her arm and said, "Oh my god it does! Like it's nice, but it can be a bit much, right?" Nick draped his free arm over Callie's petite shoulder and she tucked in a little closer. They seemed to fit so easily together that Jade felt a momentary pang of something she couldn't identify. Callie nodded to someone over Jade's shoulder and Jade turned to see Paris walking toward them. Unlike the last few times Jade had seen him around the Coven when he looked tired and worn, tonight he looked more relaxed. He was in a dark suit with a brilliant blue kerchief tucked in his pocket. He was holding a drink, a short, squat glass of amber liquid, and Jade cast her eyes around looking for a bar or a place where she could get one, suddenly worried she forgot her wallet. Stupid tiny purse. She knew she put her debit and credit cards in as well as some cash and her ID, but she felt the sudden urge to check. By the time Paris joined them, Jade had her nose in her purse, counting through her stuff and feeling better now that she knew things were where they should be. The greetings everyone was exchanging felt weird and stiff so when it came time for Jade to say hello to Paris she just jerked her chin at him and said, "Hey, what's up?"
It took her a moment to realize that Callie, Henri, Nick and Daniel were pulling away, leaving her with Paris and goddamn, she still didn't know where to get a drink from.
"I like your hanky," Jade said, gesturing with her finger at the blue scrap of fabric.
Paris inclined his head in thanks. "I'll be sure to mention it to Hannah, it was a gift from her."
"Ah, that explains it," Jade said with a nod. It matched his eyes and he didn't seem like the kind of guy that would pick it out for himself. It was totally something a mom or someone like Hannah would do.
"Explains what?"
"It, um, matches-" Jade stammered a bit feeling silly saying it out loud. "You, I mean, eyeball, I mean - It matches your eyes." She felt a little hot and flustered. "Where did you get that drink?"
"There's an open bar over where the coffee creamers usually are."
"Open bar? Seriously? I thought the whole point of the pre-party party Callie had was to get us tipsy enough so we wouldn't go broke here."
Paris smirked. "No, Callie just likes to drink."
"I'll say. Man, her liver must take up her entire torso. She can put it away."
He smiled more fully, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Come, let's get you a drink."
#
Paris gestured off to the side and Jade blinked few times and then fell in step beside him. They walked in a companionable silence to the bar where a young man in standard waiter uniform looked up expectantly at them.
"Whatever he's having," Jade said with a wave and Paris raised an eyebrow, wondering if she even knew what he was drinking. The bartender nodded once and then set out a glass and poured two fingers worth of liquor. As he returned the bottle to the shelf, Jade turned to Paris quickly. "Do I tip? Is that the thing to do here?" she asked sotto voice. He gave her a curt nod and Jade fished around in her purse for a tip and then plunked it in a jar off to the side. She took a sip of her drink and coughed.
"God almighty, what is this?" she said, her eyes watering.
"Canadian whiskey," Paris answered with a small smile, taking a drink of his own.
Jade fanned herself a bit, coughing. "Holy god. That's. Wow."
"It'll put hair on your chest."
She gave him a look. "Let's hope not." She took a tentative second sip, seemingly more careful this time. "Nope, I'm gonna have to cut that." She turned to the bartender. "I need a tall glass and some ginger ale."
After being provided both, Jade mixed her drink and chewed a bit on the stir stick absently, looking Paris over.
"So, how's Coven business?" she asked without preamble, leaning up a bit against the bar. Paris gave the bartender a glance and the young man made himself busy elsewhere.
"It's been... trying."
"You looked tired," Jade blurted and then continued, "I mean not now, now you look... good, you know, the suit and the hanky and all, but... whatever, I'm just saying... are things better now?"
Paris inclined his head slightly. Things were slightly better now. He'd spent the most of the week trying to figure out suitable replacements for both Dex and Veronica's Covens. Neither of them had been seen since the incident. Dex, Paris understood. He wasn't the sort to face up to his actions and there was also the possibility that his teleportation spell had gone badly. They weren't known for being the most stable spells and could lead to disfigurement, dementia or a combination of both. Veronica, Paris had hoped, would turn herself back over to either Paris or to her Coven, but she hadn't been heard from. Paris, along with his senior leaders, was still trying to vet the remaining members of both Dex and Veronica's Covens. While it appeared that both of them were acting independently of their Covens, Paris wasn't willing to take the chance. Fool him once and all that. It also meant that all the decisions that would normally have been left to Dex and Veronica were coming to Paris' Coven now. While Paris always felt he had good people, he wasn't exactly in a trusting mood at the moment. He'd finally gotten a handle on both of their Covens, at least administratively, and there were some good candidates for Coven Leaders. Until they could be fully vetted, Josef from Counter-Magic agreed to temporarily act as Coven Leader for Dex's Coven and Claire from R & D agreed to look after Veronica's.
"Things are settling down," he said finally, taking another sip of his drink.
Jade chewed on her lip for a moment and then said, "Hey, I'm sorry, you know. Veronica said you guys were... well, close and it must really suck to find out that she was," Jade waved her fingers about, "a turncoat or whatever you guys call witches gone bad. I mean, she helped out in the end, so that was good but, it's shitty for you. And your history with her. Of stuff. You know, together."
"Thank you," he said quietly. She looked like she wanted to add more, but ended up taking another sip of her drink, only grimacing slightly as she swallowed.
"Good evening, everyone."
Jade and Paris both turned their heads toward the back of the room where Hannah was standing with a microphone.
"I didn't even know pants were an option," Jade hissed lowly. Hannah was in a smart darkly colored pantsuit and Jade looked at Paris like he'd betrayed her.
"I'm sorry?" he said, not quite sure what she was talking about.
"You should be," Jade replied just before Hannah spoke again.
"Paris was gracious enough to let me handle our blessing tonight," Hannah continued and Paris grimaced slightly. By being 'gracious' Hannah meant, 'called her close to midnight the day before and nearly begged her to take over
since he hadn't had time to prepare anything.' He was damn lucky she was always there for him. "This has been a trying time and I speak on behalf of the entire Coven Leadership when I thank you for your continued support and understanding, especially as we transition our magic." Ah, there it was - the slight grumble of the crowd as Hannah addressed the change in their magic. Paris watched carefully to see if there was anyone bitter or upset. There seemed to be a general sense of discontent, but it didn't appear to be onerous. Hannah gave the entire room a formidable stare - the stare of an older woman who would not be trifled with. It was quite the look and Paris saw a few people cast their eyes down and away in deference. "Please use the resources at your disposal if you have any issues. We do best when we act together. Blessed be."
The sentiment was echoed by the room at large, Paris included, and he saw Jade glance around quickly, from the corner of his eye and it occurred to him he hadn't had a chance to let her know there would be a small speech tonight. He only had a brief moment to think, 'Oh shit,' before Hannah went on and he realized how well and truly screwed he was. "We are very fortunate tonight to formally welcome Jade to our Coven." Hannah paused, her gaze directed toward Jade. Every eye in the room turned around to look at Paris and Jade as they stood at the back by the bar.
Jade turned to him, possibly the calmest he'd ever seen her and said in a cool tone, "I'm going to kill you while you sleep."
"I mentioned this part of the evening," he replied, fighting the urge to pull at his tie.
"Yeah, a week ago and I got the distinct impression it was optional."
It may have been optional if Paris was leading the speeches, but it was clearly not when Hannah was in charge.
"It will be a lovely gesture both from the Coven and you."
"Jade, why don't you come up here, dear?" Hannah called.
Jade grit her teeth. "I've got a lovely gesture for you," she said to Paris.
"Bring Paris with you," Hannah added. She was using an overly sunny tone and Paris was sure she knew very well what was going on at the back of the room.
Counter-Hex (Covencraft Book 2) Page 27
