“Sorry,” I mumbled. “We’re going.”
I started back toward the banquet room but stopped short and rounded on my matchstick heels to look up at the troll’s face as he melted back into the wall. “Wait! Do you see everything that happens in this restaurant? I mean, you’re kind of a security alarm, right?”
His large nostrils flared. “I am a guardian. I do not squawk or fuss in case of emergency.”
“What do you do, then?” Harmony asked.
He heaved a long-suffering sigh and shifted his russet eyes toward her. “If someone breaks in, I break them.”
Suddenly, the inky walls shimmered and two beefy fists appeared below the face. Harmony gasped and I tottered back a step. I wasn’t sure about his range of motion, but given his surly mood, I wasn’t going to risk it. With his revulsion for noise making and untidiness, I decided he had to be the love child of a loan shark flunky and a crabby librarian. Ya know, in troll form.
“Listen, we need your help,” I dared, edging closer again. Harmony looked around the hall, her eyes lifted as though waiting for more strange faces to pop out at us. “About fifteen minutes ago, there was a waiter bringing in glasses of champagne for the toast in the banquet room. Did you see anything strange? Maybe he slipped something into one of the flutes?”
The troll frowned, his lips curved in a severe arch as he thought.
“Something from a small pink vial,” Harmony added, her voice hopeful.
The troll pondered this for a moment. “I think you mean Carter. Six-two, sandy brown hair, blue eyes.”
Harmony gave a miserable nod.
“You saw him slip something in a drink?” I asked, unsure why that wouldn’t warrant some kind of alarm.
“No, but the woman with him had a vial like you’ve described,” the troll replied.
“A woman?” I repeated. “What did she look like? Is she an employee?”
“I’ve never seen her before,” the troll said, a bemused smile spreading across his wrinkled face. “I doubt I’ll be forgetting her anytime soon, though.”
I frowned at Harmony. She shrugged.
“She was a striking brunette, wearing a fetching black and gold dress that looked as if it had been painted on.”
The look on the troll’s face made me yearn for a hot shower. “Okay,” I said, holding up a hand. “You can stop.”
Harmony budged me with her elbow and whispered, “I think he’s talking about the dragon lady from your office.”
“Kait?” I froze in place. “Kait was here?”
She nodded. “I saw her in the ladies room after we first got here. I went to check my lip gloss and she was coming out of one of the stalls.”
“Why didn’t you say something?” I asked between gritted teeth.
She frowned. “Why would I? She works at your office. I figured she was here to help with the dinner or something.”
“Well, she’s not. This is my event! She didn’t even know it was tonight until I told her back at the office.” A horrifying thought struck me and I took off without thanking the troll.
“Of course it was Kait!” I muttered, stepping back inside the banquet room. My gaze swept the room, searching every face. The occupants had thinned out significantly. Eduard remained, sitting in his spot at the head table, his face in his hands. His best man stood off to the side talking on the phone, one shoulder turned away from his friend.
Harmony caught up with me. “I get that she has it out for you, but how would she have even gotten the potion bottle?”
“She’s a witch,” I replied, twisting my lips. “In more ways than one.”
Chapter Five
“Ms. Winters!” Eduard called when he spotted me in the doorway. He jumped up from his seat at the table. “Please, you have to help me. Belle won’t answer any of my calls. Do you know where she went? I have to make this right!”
“I’m so sorry, Eduard.” I placed a reassuring hand on his forearm. “She’s not here anymore, but I’m sure we can sort this out.”
He dragged his hands through his thick, jet-black hair, a pained look on his face. “I just wish I knew what came over me! I don’t even hardly remember what happened. Martin says that I confessed my love for Bridget. Which is ridiculous!” His frantic eyes snapped to mine. “You have to believe me! I don’t love Bridget. I don’t even like her—” He stopped, his eyes going wide. “Don’t tell Belle that part.”
“I won’t,” I replied softly. “Listen, there’s a reason you said all those things, and I—”
“What is going on, Anastasia?” Marco interrupted, appearing at my side. His dark features were tense.
Smiling sweetly, I turned to him. “I’ve got it handled, Marco. Right now, we need to send everyone home. Could you please have the cars brought around for the remaining guests?”
He considered the distraught groom for a long moment and then gave a terse nod. “Of course.”
When the sound of Marco’s purposeful steps faded, I turned my attention back to Eduard.
“You know what happened?” he asked, a desperate look in his eyes.
“I do. But we need to get everyone on their way home before I can explain.”
Several guests looked as if they’d protest being shuffled out to the front of the restaurant, but within a few minutes, Marco had everyone rounded up, save Martin and Eduard, and escorted them out of the banquet room.
“Ms. Winters, I can’t lose Belle. She means everything to me.”
“I know,” I told him, offering a reserved smile. “What you need to know is that you were dosed with a potent, though short-lived, love potion. The things you said weren’t true. They were the result of a dangerous spell.” I slid a glance across the room to where Harmony lingered by the door. She looked uncomfortable and guilty. Good, I thought to myself as she shifted her weight back and forth.
I raised a hand to wave her over, but a flash of movement caught my eye before I could call out to her; Kait was snaking down the hall, blending in with the last of the rehearsal dinner guests.
Lunging toward the door, I pointed at Kait. “Someone grab her!”
To my surprise, a pair of russet brown arms extended from the end of the hall, stretching like a piece of gum, and locked around Kait’s wrist. “Got her!” the troll bellowed.
Maybe he wasn’t so bad after all.
I shoved through the small crowd and glared at Kait.
“What in the Otherworld is wrong with you?” she spat before giving me a once-over. “Besides the obvious!”
“You drugged my groom!” I hissed.
She barked a laugh. “You’re delusional. Or drunk? Either way, Hyacinth won’t be happy about it,” she lorded in a sing-song voice.
We were the same height and our noses nearly touched as I leaned in closer. “You’ve always been jealous of me, but this is going too far, Kait! You didn’t even know what that potion was; you could have killed someone!”
She sobered. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Anastasia. You’ve really lost your mind.” She looked down at the large hands gripping her wrists. “Get off me!” she hissed over her shoulder.
“What is going on here?” Marco bellowed, charging back into the room. “Harley! Release this woman at once!” he barked at the troll.
“No! She tried to wreck this wedding to get back at me for getting a promotion,” I said, throwing an accusatory finger in her face. “You stole a love potion from my sister’s bag and dosed the champagne meant for Eduard. He made a fool of himself and ruined the entire night, potentially the entire wedding.”
I careened around to face Marco. “Ask your troll. He saw the whole thing!”
Marco looked up at the troll. “Harley, what did you see?”
“I saw this woman with a pink vial. That’s what the pink-haired girl asked me.”
“Pink-haired—?” Marco turned and Harmony offered a timid wave. “Who are you?”
“My sister,” I said, somewhat reluctantly. “The p
otion belonged to her.”
Kait scoffed. “The only potion I’ve touched tonight was a headache cure. Clearly, I should have taken a stronger dosage.”
“You expect me to believe that?” I asked her. “You’re here to sabotage me. Just admit it! I shouldn’t have even mentioned this rehearsal when you came to my office this morning.”
“Marco, you know me. We’ve done dozens of events together. Why would I want to tarnish the firm’s reputation like this?” When Marco didn’t immediately answer, she heaved a sigh and waved her hand toward the front of the restaurant. “You can have your hostess check the reservation book. I’m here on a date and he made the reservations months ago.”
Marco looked at me. “Would you like me to verify it?”
I glared at Kait. She rolled her eyes and dug into the small gold clutch she carried. “Here,” she said, brandishing a small pink vial. It was clearly labeled as a headache cure and half the contents were missing, likely the equivalent of a single dose.
Heat rose to my cheeks and I wished I could melt into the wall as easily as Harley, the troll.
Kait snorted with an indelicate laugh and shook her head. “I can’t believe you actually think I’m desperate enough to try poisoning someone just to ruin one of your weddings.”
Footsteps approached and someone cleared their throat. “Um, Mr. Dupree, I was told you wanted to see me?”
We turned and found the waiter Harmony had been flirting with.
Marco beckoned for him. “Yes, Carter, very good. Come in.”
Carter took timid steps—no small feat for a six-foot-two young man.
“It appears someone tampered with the champagne that was served to our special guests tonight,” Marco began.
Carter turned green. “I—I didn’t have anything to do with that.” He looked at Harmony, a pleading look on his handsome face.
“I’m not suggesting it was you, my boy,” Marco crooned. “But, perhaps you can tell us if the champagne was left unattended.”
“I served the first bottle and got a little, erm, distracted—” his eyes shot to Harmony—“and that man poured the second bottle and served it before I realized I’d fallen behind. I’m so sorry, sir. It won’t happen again!”
Carter’s pleadings faded to the background as we all turned in the direction he’d pointed: smack dab at Martin’s chest.
“The best man?” Harmony whispered.
Eduard reared back, a series of emotions playing across his face as he looked at Martin. “You did this?”
Martin shuffled from one foot to the other, not meeting his friend’s eyes.
“Whoa,” Harmony said. “This is gonna get ugly.”
“Shh!” I hushed her.
“You might have cost me everything!” Eduard roared, starting toward Martin. “Why? Tell me why!”
Martin tried to slip away, but Eduard grabbed him and pinned him to the wall.
“She deserves better,” Martin choked as Eduard’s fist clasped around his neck. “She deserves to be with someone like me! I was on the way to pour the second toast and overheard that girl bragging about her love potion. So, while she was busy giving the waiter her number, I swiped it. I didn’t realize it would be so lame and only last half a minute.”
“It worked like a charm,” Harmony bristled. “Also, not cool that you broke into my purse! Didn’t your mother teach you any better?”
I ignored her and surged toward the two men. “Eduard, stop! Let him go. Don’t make this any worse.”
“I’m calling the SPA,” Marco said, starting toward the door.
I froze, thinking of Harmony and her wonky—and likely illegal—potion. “Oh, Marco, I don’t think that’s necessary. Right, gentlemen?”
Please, please, please.
Begrudgingly, Eduard backed away, spitting a final curse at his former best man. “Get out of here. I never want to see your face again.”
Martin scuttled from the room followed by Kait, who paused at the door to shoot me a final fiery glare. “I can’t wait to see what Hyacinth has to say about this come Monday, Anastasia.”
I reached out, wanting to stop her, but realized it was pointless and dropped my hand as she disappeared from sight. “I think it’s safe to say I won’t be getting that Hermès handbag after all.”
I’d be lucky if I kept my job.
Eduard sagged against the wall and shook his head. “What am I going to do now? Lost my best friend and my fiancée all in one night?”
“What a disaster,” Marco moaned. “Anastasia, are you sure we shouldn’t call in the authorities?”
“I’m sure,” I replied. “Besides, you don’t want them poking around, asking questions and harassing the rest of your guests. There’s been too much commotion as it is, don’t you think?”
Marco mulled it over for half a second and then nodded. “You’re right, cariña. I’ll have Harley make sure this Martin finds his way to the exit.”
“Before you go—I held out my hand—“can I borrow your phone?”
He handed it over without question and then hurried from the banquet room.
I asked Eduard for Belle’s number and dialed as he rattled it off. To my surprise, she answered on the third ring. “Hello?”
“Belle? It’s Anastasia Winters.”
She started to sob. “I don’t want to talk to you!”
“Please, hear me out!” I begged, glancing at the expectant faces around me. I held up a finger and then stole away to the opposite corner and quietly explained the situation to the still-hysterical bride. She listened without interruption and when I finished, asked a few questions. I reassured her as best as I could and then handed the phone over to Eduard. “She’d like to talk to you.”
He took the slim device with a grateful look.
I waited a few moments, until a relieved smile appeared at the corners of Eduard’s mouth, then looped an arm over Harmony’s shoulders. “Come on, let’s get out of here. I’m ready to put this disastrous day out of its misery.”
“Shouldn’t we wait and see what happens?” Harmony asked.
I shook my head. “They need some time. I’ll call them both tomorrow and see where things stand. We still have forty-eight hours to the big day.”
Harmony nodded but looked reluctant to leave as I guided her back into the hall, though I wondered if she wasn’t more distraught at having to leave behind the row of pristine little cakes still dotting the top of the dessert cart.
Smiling, I squeezed her shoulder. “Dinner’s on me.”
She laughed. “That’s a relief. I’m not sure you’d go for the meal my budget currently affords.”
A hostess stepped forward and ushered us out of the restaurant. We started down the sidewalk and got in line to hop on the next Shimmer Bus. It was time to go home.
“What a night!” I sighed, dumping the takeout bag onto the kitchen counter. A burst of steam plumed from the top, making my mouth water.
“I was just thinking that maybe all this fussy wedding stuff is more exciting than I originally thought,” Harmony replied with a giggle.
I rolled my eyes but smiled. “It’s not usually like that. If it was, I don’t know if I’d make it.”
At the very least, I would drink a lot more wine.
“Eh, you would. You’re tough, Stace.”
The sincerity in her voice stopped me. “You think so?”
She barked out a laugh. “Are you serious? Of course I do!”
Pondering this, I crossed the kitchen and pulled two long-stemmed glasses from a cabinet. There was half a bottle of chardonnay in the fridge and it was calling my name.
Harmony flopped onto my couch and propped her sneaker-clad feet on the coffee table. “Although, I don’t know, Stace. Seems like you might need me around here a little more than you thought. I did kind of save your butt tonight.”
I grinned as I poured the wine. “I’m pretty sure your wonky potion is what started all the trouble tonight.”
“We
ll, without me, bridezilla would have smashed a lot more dishes,” she countered.
I laughed. “All right, fair enough. Speaking of dishes, can you come set the table?”
“The table?” she repeated, as though it was a foreign concept.
“Yes? Where else would we eat dinner?”
Harmony pushed off the couch and sauntered to the kitchen. “Uh, the couch?”
I raised my brows. “That’s an authentic Froggio!”
“Froggy-what?”
I scoffed.
“Sorry, sis,” she said, unpacking the boxes of noodles. “They didn’t exactly cover hoity-toity furniture brands in Academy.”
I laughed and turned away to get some plates and glasses. “I guess not.”
I passed the dishes to Harmony and she took them to the small dining table—another piece of furniture that cost me roughly a month’s wages—and set two places.
“There is something I wanted to ask you about,” I hedged, shuffling the takeout boxes back and forth.
Harmony stopped on the other side of the island. “Sure.”
I tapped my nails against the polished quartz and then scoffed at my own reticence. Forcing myself to meet her eyes, I swallowed. “When did you learn to do that kind of magic?”
If my question surprised her, she didn’t show it. With a shrug, she replied, “Practice, I guess.”
“At your academy?” I asked. “You were always good at school, despite your—
She grinned up at me. “Adventurous spirit?”
I snorted a laugh and handed her a pair of forks. “I was going to say troublemaking.”
“Maybe a little,” she agreed, taking the forks with a grin. “It’s a simple spell. I’m sure you must know oodles of magic from all the weddings and stuff. I mean, just watching how those florists worked spells to enchant the flowers into perfect arrangements … it was stunning. Really. I mean it.”
I smiled at her appreciation. Maybe we weren’t all that different after all.
“I remember when I was little, it was your report cards dad put up on the fridge,” Harmony said. “I’m sure you could out-magic me, any day.”
Witchy Weddings: A Magic Witch Mystery Series: The complete Touch of Magic series Page 4
