Page 52 of Shift of Morals
I didn’t visibly react, but I had the sense I was involved in a game where I didn’t understand the rules. “Thank you. I do look good in war paint, if I do say so myself.”
Rowan’s eyes widened, even as Caelan’s glimmered with approval.
The servers came over and filled our glasses with red wine before I could refuse. There was a glass of water beside the plate I could drink instead, though, so I scooted it a little closer.
“Are you not a drinker?” Gianna asked sweetly.
“I consider these meetings on the clock, and I don’t drink during work hours.”
“Oh? Caelan has agreed to pay you extra?” Her eyes flashed with annoyance.
Caelan had already dropped a disturbing amount of money into my bank account, far more than we’d agreed upon. “Based on our discussion last time we were here,” I said.
“Oh. I thought you were joking.” A brittle laugh, then, “Quadruple, really? We will discuss this later, Caelan.”
The Shifter Lord’s eyes went molten gold. I shifted uncomfortably and found my napkin to be of great interest.
He murmured something so low I was glad I didn’t hear it, as the room temp dipped several degrees.
I finally lifted my head, my eyes finding Rowan’s. “I’m pleased to see you again, Lord Rowan, but is there a reason both meetings have had the presence of different Lords?”
Rowan flashed a smile. “The Council wants reassurance that the festivities are staying on schedule.”
“Two months is extremely fast for such a wedding,” I remarked.
Rowan’s eyes glittered with amusement. “We’re all familiar with how quickly paranormals can end up shacking up. Marriage usually doesn’t follow too long after.”
Gianna twined her fingers into Caelan’s. My stomach tightened with jealousy. The vines on my dress moved, sliding over the fabric with a soft susurrus of sound.
Gianna grinned. “We’ve already taken all the compatibility tests. Things look wonderful for any future offspring.”
“Umm, congratulations.” I think. Weird flex, but some women did put a lot of stock in their fertility. It wasn’t easy for certain types of shifters to conceive, so bully for her, I guess.
I reached for the box and pulled out the first sample, realizing as I did that the reds didn’t match her candy cane hellscape.
“This is the first one I came up with based on the vision we spoke of last time. I can easily change the shades to match your preferred red.”
The arrangement was pretty but had zero soul. The centerpiece was done with red lilies and white roses, complete with an opening for a small glass dome that held either a tea light or a battery-operated candle. None of my regular suppliers kept these flowers stocked because they were overly sprayed andover planted, so I had to use a wholesaler. All the life had been sucked from the blooms, and while they still looked fresh, even my Floromancer abilities weren’t enough to bring them up to my standards.
Gianna’s lips pursed. “Adequate.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “I created this one, keeping the color scheme in mind somewhat.”
This one had my stamp on it. I’d taken deep red anemones and placed them around the base of a creamy white vase and curved colorful Birds of Paradise around the top, resulting in a stunning abstract display.
Rowan’s eyes widened. “Evie. That’s stunning.”
Gianna flicked a hand. “Too modern.”
Caelan leaned forward and studied the display, reaching over to tug it closer. “This one would work, Gianna.”
Her eyes blazed with anger. “We can set it aside.”
And set it on fire, she said with her glare.
“I also have these,” I said as I pulled a couple more. None were red, but they had gorgeous jewel tones. The one with deep purple orchids was my favorite, but the white anemone display with the Calathea leaves was a close second.
I’d boosted both arrangements with my magic, and the leaves and buds slowly moved as if there was a phantom wind stirring the flora.
