Halo Effect

by Annabel Chase

  “Anybody want to check out the Flower Power preview?” Begonia asked. “I’m hoping to get inspiration for my tattoos.”

  Begonia was the proud owner and operator of a magical tattoo parlor and her creative designs had become highly sought-after in town.

  “I would, but I’m meeting Daniel.”

  “I’ll go,” Sophie said. “I watched them setting up this morning and I can’t wait to see everything.”

  “Looks like Daniel managed to pull this off,” Laurel said.

  I gave her a nervous smile. “We’ll see.”

  Millie blew a dismissive breath. “It’s a flower festival, not the battle of the banshees. What could go wrong?”

  Chapter Two

  After two hours of watching Daniel anguish over every detail of the Flower Power preview, I was ready to decompress. The festival prep ended up detracting from my enjoyment of the displays. Tomorrow would be a better day to admire the results of his hard work.

  I ambled beside the angel as he pushed the stroller across the road toward the town square. Diana seemed particularly animated, kicking her feet and repeating ‘Mama’ to the point where the word lost all meaning.

  “Should we stop at Brew-Ha-Ha for a drink?” I asked.

  “I think we’re obligated,” he said. “Everybody wants to see the baby.”

  “If you need to get back to work, I understand,” I said.

  “I will, but I need a break first,” he said, “and what better way to relax than with my family?”

  As we approached the coffee shop, the door jerked open and out spilled an older, white-haired nymph. I realized it was Rue Halloran, the owner of Stems. Although I didn’t know her well, my few interactions with her had been equally unpleasant.

  The nymph was too busy rooting through her purse to look up and walked smack into Daniel. “Watch where you’re going,” she snapped, rubbing her head.

  “I think you’ll find I was walking in a straight line on the pavement, Miss Halloran,” he said.

  Her eyes widened slightly as she recognized him. “You’re that angel responsible for the flower festival. Flower Power, what a stupid name. I suppose you came up with that, too.”

  “I’m Daniel Starr,” he said. “You must be excited. I think every flower and garden-related business in town is involved.”

  The nymph scowled. “As excited as I’d get about hemorrhoids.”

  “But you obviously love flowers,” Daniel said, seemingly perplexed.

  “No, I love running my own business, which happens to involve selling flowers. This festival is going to cost me money.”

  “The festival isn’t permanent and I can almost guarantee your sales will increase afterward,” he said.

  She put a skeptical hand on her hip. “How do you figure?”

  “It will generate a renewed interest in flowers,” he reasoned. “The festival is a platform that will remind everyone how much joy they get from them.”

  “I’m inspired just from the preview,” I said. “The roses alone made me want to run out and buy a few more vases.” I pictured an arrangement in every room of the house.

  Rue appeared unconvinced. “We’ll see about that. Numbers don’t lie, so it will be easy enough to know if you’re talking out of your halo.”

  “Think about it,” Daniel said. “Landscapers are showing off what they can do, which will get residents thinking about making changes to their gardens. Someone will find their new favorite flower and want to have arrangements made for their house or that special someone.”

  “Do I look like I have a special someone?” she groused.

  Gee, I couldn’t imagine why. “Maybe not, but many of your customers do. Try to focus on the long-term benefits,” I said.

  “Customers will develop a weird Mediterranean fetish thanks to your theme,” she said. Her scowl faded to vague annoyance. “I’ll be sick and tired of lavender. The whole town smells like old ladies.”

  “There will be plenty of other flowers,” Daniel said.

  “I should’ve been consulted about the festival. My shop isn’t in the heart of downtown like Petals. I already have to work harder to get foot traffic. This festival could potentially ruin me.”

  “Don’t you think that’s a slight exaggeration?” I said sweetly.

  “I think calling you the town savior is a slight exaggeration, but you don’t hear me saying that to your face.” Rue clamped a hand over her mouth in mock horror. “Oh, wait. I just did.”

  She marched away without a backward glance.

  “Pleasant, isn’t she?” Daniel asked.

  “I can hear the music from the Wizard of Oz playing in the background,” I said.

  His brow creased.

  “The part when Miss Gulch is riding her bicycle.”

  He looked at me blankly.

  I exhaled. “Never mind.”

  As I reached for the door to Brew-Ha-Ha, something caught Daniel’s eye across the street.

  “I’ll meet you inside if that’s okay,” he said. “The lavender is encroaching on the neighboring display and I don’t want to hear the complaints in the middle of the festival tomorrow.”

  “Put your director hat on,” I said. “We’ll be fine.”

  I lingered for a moment, watching Daniel cross the street to speak to the exhibitor. His stride. The determined set of his shoulders. I laughed at Gareth’s suggestion that I’d chosen poorly. There was no one in the world for me except Daniel Starr.

  I turned and contemplated the door. Maneuvering in and out of buildings with a stroller on my own was no easy feat.

  “I’ll get it,” a voice said.

  A woman rushed to open the door and I blinked in recognition. “Ember Rose?”

  She met my incredulous gaze. “Emma! I can’t believe it. I’m sorry I didn’t realize it was you.”

  I smiled. “Probably because the last time you saw me, I was sixty pounds heavier.”

  Ember glanced at the stroller. “Sweet baby Elvis, is this her?” She crouched down for a better view of Diana. “Aren’t you a beauty?”

  “What are you doing in Spellbound?” I asked.

  The witch straightened. “My cousin Florian is in charge of tourism in Starry Hollow and wanted to check out the flower festival to see if it’s something he wants to implement. I decided to join him to cover it for the newspaper.”

  I broke into a huge smile. “That’s great. Daniel will be thrilled it’s getting outside attention. He’s worked so hard on pulling it together.”

  “Do you want to have coffee with me?” Ember asked. “I’d love to catch up.”

  “Absolutely.”

  Ember held open the door and I pushed the stroller inside, careful not to roll over anyone’s toes. I’d made that mistake once and it wasn’t my finest moment.

  “You park your baby and I’ll get the drinks,” Ember said. “What would you like?”

  “An Emma, please,” I said.

  Ember cocked an eyebrow. “You have your own drink here? What, the statue isn’t enough?”

  I laughed. “Neither one was my idea, but I feel a sense of duty to order my namesake.”

  Ember approached the counter and I positioned the stroller in the corner facing the window so Diana could watch paranormals walk by.

  I was so pleased to see Ember. The last time I saw her was before Diana was born, when Daniel and I took a trip to Starry Hollow for our babymoon. I wish I’d known she was planning to visit Spellbound. I would’ve made room in the schedule. Well, it didn’t matter. She was here now, so I’d find a way to squeeze her in.

  Ember returned with two oversized mugs. She set my cup on the table far enough way that Diana couldn’t reach it, the true sign of a mom.

  “The Caffeinated Cauldron is letting me down,” she said, sitting across from me. “Now I want a drink named after me. The Ember Rose has a nice ring to it.”

  “Save the town from a curse and I’m sure you’ll get your wish.” I blew the heat from the surf
ace and sipped. “Where’s your cousin?”

  “Back at the B&B primping,” Ember said. “You’d think it was the Florian Festival. He’s acting like Norma Desmond, ready for his close-up.”

  “Is it just the two of you or is your editor with you?” I asked. I remembered the stoic vampire that was Ember’s boss as well as her boyfriend. The last time the two of them had visited Spellbound, they weren’t yet a couple, but I’d sensed their mutual attraction.

  “Alec isn’t here,” she said, in a way that suggested trouble in paradise. “Marley is here and Raoul insisted on coming along. By insisted, I mean he hid underneath the car like he was Robert DeNiro in Cape Fear. We didn’t even know he was with us until we stopped for a bathroom break and he climbed into the back seat.”

  “How long are you in town?” I asked. “I would love to have you over for dinner.”

  “A few days,” Ember said. “I appreciate the offer, but you might want to reconsider given that Raoul is with us. He doesn’t eat to live. He lives to eat.”

  “I’m sure we can handle his appetite,” I said. “It would be great for our girls to meet.” I shot an adoring glance at Diana, who now seemed intent on the mirror attached to her stroller.

  “Marley will be so excited. She loves babies.”

  “How about tonight?” I asked, mentally running through the contents of the refrigerator. “Unless you already have plans.”

  “Not yet,” Ember said. “Our B&B offers meals, but we’re not too sure about eating there.”

  “Why not? Where are you staying?”

  “A place called the Harpy’s Nest,” she said.

  “Oh, wow. They’re my neighbors.” And not a place I would voluntarily sleep.

  My reaction must’ve given something away because Ember smiled. “It was the only place with availability on short notice. I’m hoping there’s not a reason.”

  I bit my lip. “Have you met the owners yet?”

  “Darcy was there and showed us to our rooms. When I left, her sister Callie was making a snack for Marley and Raoul.”

  I took a sip of liquid courage. “Right. I hate to break it to you, but they are the two most normal harpies in the house.”

  Ember frowned. “Define normal.”

  “Florian is an attractive wizard, isn’t he?” I asked.

  “Very.”

  “You might want to think about having him stay elsewhere.”

  Ember’s eyes rounded. “That bad?”

  “To be honest, I’m also worried for Raoul.”

  Ember nearly spit out her coffee. “They’re that flexible? No restriction on species?”

  “Oh, no. I mean as a special dinner. I worry they’ll try to roast him.”

  “Nobody mentioned that on TripAdvisor,” Ember said, laughing.

  “You know, there’s plenty of space in our house,” I said. “If things get dicey, we’d be happy to host you.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate that, but we wouldn’t want to impose.”

  “I wish you’d let me know you were coming. I would’ve made arrangements.”

  “It was kind of last minute,” Ember said. “Florian happened to read about the festival and knew I’d been here before, so he asked me about it. Marley didn’t even give me the chance to say no.”

  I glanced at Diana. “I have a feeling I’ll be raising a daughter who’s just as persuasive.”

  “More like persistent, but it’s fine.”

  “How’s Marley doing with her magic?” I asked.

  “Great. She’s a natural. Didn’t start out that way, of course. Seemed as normal as they come, but I bet she’s going to school every witch in town before she turns eighteen.”

  Gareth’s concerns about Diana replayed in my head. “Did you ever worry that Marley wouldn’t have magic?”

  Ember took another slow sip from her mug. “That’s a long story. You have to remember, though, Marley and I spent most of our lives in New Jersey oblivious to the paranormal world. Our expectations revolved around whether the Chinese takeout place would survive another visit from the health and safety inspector.”

  I snickered. “That’s similar to me, but it’ll be different for Diana. She’s growing up among paranormals. Her parents are…” I felt silly saying the words out loud.

  “The town saviors,” Ember finished for me.

  I nodded. “Everyone knows my heritage now and I worry that will put pressure on Diana to be extraordinary.”

  “That little girl will be extraordinary whether she has major magical mojo or not.”

  I smiled at my daughter. “Yeah, that’s how I feel, too.”

  Ember set down her mug and looked me directly in the eye. “Look, no matter what happens, as long as Diana knows how much you love and support her, everything will work out the way it should. Marley knew I was totally cool with any outcome and that I’d love her just the same.”

  “There must’ve been pressure on you as well,” I said. “Being members of the Rose family.” I recalled that the name Rose was a big deal in Starry Hollow.

  Ember rolled her eyes. “You have no idea.”

  I sensed she wanted to say more, but instead she lifted her mug back to her lips.

  “Well, you came to the right festival. With the Mediterranean theme, there will be roses as far as the eye can see.”

  “As long as they don’t have names like Hyacinth, it’ll be awesome.” Ember’s gaze swept the interior of the coffee shop. “There’s something to be said for getting away, even for a few days. It’s nice to be somewhere else and not see anyone I know.”

  “Problems?” I prodded gently.

  Ember returned her gaze to me. “Nothing I can’t handle.”

  “I’m really glad I ran into you,” I said. “Why don’t you come by around seven?”

  “Sounds good. I’ll let the others know.”

  “Do me a favor, though. Don’t announce it within earshot of the harpies or they might decide to tag along. Daniel is stressed enough with the festival. If Phoebe Minor turns up on our doorstep for dinner, he might not make it to tomorrow.”

  She laughed. “It’ll be our secret.”

  Chapter Three

  I spent so long catching up with Ember that I failed to notice the time. Daniel had ended up staying at the preview to deal with more issues and I was due at the office for a client meeting. I’d intended to return Diana to the house before then and review the file in advance, but I didn’t leave myself enough time.

  “Oh, well,” I said to her. “Looks like you’ll be learning the legal ropes early.” I didn’t think the presence of a baby would violate any duties of confidentiality. I hoped not because I’d be facing punishment from both the law council and the High Priestess for an ethical breach.

  Unfortunately, Althea wasn’t in her adjacent office to babysit, so I set Diana’s stroller in the corner of the room behind me and shoved as many toys in with her as I could fit.

  There was a knock on the door promptly at four and I glanced over the first page of the file, which was as far as I’d gotten. I’d have to wing it—nothing new there.

  “Come in,” I called.

  The door opened slowly and an ogre filled the doorway. He wore neatly pressed trousers and a collared shirt that barely fit around his thick neck. Wisps of fine hair were combed to the side.

  “You must be Ansell Howard,” I said.

  The ogre closed the door behind him and crossed the room to shake my hand. “That’s right. It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”

  “Likewise. Have a seat, Mr. Howard.”

  Ansell squeezed in the chair and it occurred to me that I should have a wider chair to accommodate the range of paranormals in town. Not everyone was a slender fairy.

  He seemed to notice the stroller. “Is that a baby?”

  I turned to look at Diana as though her presence was a complete shock. “Oh, right. That’s my daughter, Diana. There was a timing issue and…”

  He waved me off. “No, it’
s okay. You don’t have to explain. You have a life outside of the office. I get it.”

  “Thank you for understanding. I don’t normally bring her to work.”

  “You should. She can be your clients’ emotional support baby.” Ansell chuckled. “She’s cute.”

  “Tell me that again when she launches into a temper tantrum.”

  He pointed. “That sweet face? I don’t believe it.”

  I turned to look at her as Diana pointed back at him and smiled.

  “Watch out. You’ve got yourself a charmer.”

  “Maybe that’s her superpower,” I said.

  He angled his head. “What’s that?”

  “Oh, nothing. Why don’t we talk about your case?” I rifled through the pages of the file, feeling as unprepared as I knew I looked.

  “If we don’t talk about it, will it go away?” he asked.

  “Ah, an avoidant.”

  “You wouldn’t say that if you’d read my file.”

  Oops. I quickly scanned the pertinent information. “You punched your boss in the face?” I glanced up in surprise at the ogre. Ansell seemed so good-natured.

  “I like to think that his face got in the way of my fist.”

  “I’m sure you do. I guess you got fired.”

  He scratched his cheek. “No.”

  My eyebrows shot up. “He didn’t fire you? Wow. I guess there are still decent employers out there.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” he said. “He still pressed charges.”

  “Why did you punch him?”

  “Look at me.” Ansell rolled up a sleeve and flexed his muscles. “I’m an ogre with an attitude. What do you expect?”

  I smiled at him. “Yes, such an attitude with your whole smiling-at-babies and being-understanding persona. I sincerely doubt you go around punching paranormals simply because you can.”

  His face hardened. “Then you overestimate me, Ms. Hart.”

  I flipped through the file. “It says here this is your third offense.” Oh. I knew what that meant.

  “Sure is.” He clasped his hands behind his head. “Now do you understand why the big boss man didn’t fire me?”

  Right. Because he didn’t have to. If Ansell was convicted a third time for the same offense, he’d very likely go to prison.