Page 5 of Shift of Morals
“Will do, boss!”
I glanced at Tess. The banshee never sounded cheery, and this response was way too chipper. She gave me an awkward smile, which made my brow furrow.
“Okay,” I said slowly. “Moira, let me know what she says. I’d like to know if she used a wedding planner and the person’s name. Asking the groom’s name might make her suspicious, so maybe just ask the wedding date and the location. If she asks why, tell her we’re making a plaque.”
“Alright. I’ll forward what she says.” She frowned at the bouquet and shivered. “That thing gives me the creeps.”
“Me too. The spell should hold for now, but the residual magic keeps breaking down the preservation. It needs to be cleared.”
“Can’t you take care of it?” Ash asked.
“I can, but I’d like to wait for Hazel. She has more experience with magic like this.” A frown curved my lips down. “Although I’m not sure if it’s magic at all or maybe just the groom’s essence. Evil is ingrained into the very heart of these flowers. Having all the information we can about the groom will only help.” I shrugged. “And if it’s one of Caelan’s people, I might hand this over to him and let him handle it before Hazel arrives.”
Washing my hands of the thing was my preference. Getting involved in the Shifter Lord’s world wasn’t something I’d be foolish enough to attempt again, even though I’d been roped intodoing his wedding. Our negotiated contract would keep me out of the limelight and relegated to the shadows, which is exactly where I wanted to stay. He and his bride would have stunning flowers. I’d receive kickback business from cleverly placed logos on the table centerpieces, and he and his new Lordette could ride off into the sunset and have tons of shifter puppies to dote on.
“Once we leave here, I’ll put the wards back up, tightly contained to the table. Try not to disturb them. Once we hear back, I’ll figure out the best way to go about getting this out of our shop.” I gave them a hopeful smile. “Sound good?”
“The sooner the better,” Tess said as she floated away.
“Agreed.” Ash followed her out, leaving me and Moira alone.
“And you?” I said.
She grinned. “We both know I agree with them. That thing is super creepy, and I love flowers. And weddings.”
For a vampire, Moira was a softie. “Hazel should be here in a few days. She’ll know what to do.”
She gave me a curious glance. “I think you already know what to do. You’re hesitating. Why? That’s not very Evie-like behavior. Especially over the last couple of months.”
I snorted. “I think you answered your own question. Look what’s happened over these months.”
Moira’s eyebrows flicked up. “Uh. A hot Shifter Lord cast his eyes upon you, and our fearless protagonist, one Evangeline Quinn, found her shiny spine.”
“And her ex-boyfriend came back and tried to kill her. Again.”
“Semantics,” Moira said with a flick of her fingers. “He didn’t succeed.”
“It was close. Too close.”
She grinned. “You still kicked his ass. I bet his rear was hot for days.”
With his healing abilities, any burns would have sealed within a few minutes. But …it was satisfying to chuck him right into an open flame. “Your faith in me is a little unsettling,” I said after a moment.
“Not misplaced, though. You underestimate yourself. Few people could have kicked a Chimera’s ass, but you did it and sent him packing.”
“It was mostly due to terror,” I said dryly.
“Yes, well, imagine what you can do when you know what you’re fully capable of.” Moira waved at the bouquet shimmering with malevolent magic. “Lock that thing down and come out and have lunch with us. We’ll check on Hazel’s progress.”
I nodded as Moira headed toward the front. Hazel would get here when she got here. She’d never been great with time or a schedule and seemed to show up at the exact time she was needed, regardless of whether you agreed you needed her.
Shaking my head, I resealed the wards and headed to the front.
After a hearty lunchof chicken salad croissants and chips, Tess and Ash went to the greenhouse to gather more flowers for Hattie’s bouquet, leaving me and Moira at the register. A slow but steady trickle of customers kept us busy, but things died down around three o’clock. I made a pot of dark roast coffee and popped a few frozen chocolate chip scones in the air fryer to bake.
But when the bell over the doorbell jingled, and Moira turned to give me a sympathetic wince, I knew the day was about to change for the worse.
Simone Ashmoore, Caelan’s Omega, and high up in the Shifter Lord’s pack, walked in, her normally smiling green eyessweeping the entrance for potential threats. When our eyes locked, her lips tightened before relief filled her face.
