3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

As always when I felt stressed, I reached out to someone who had always been a safe harbour in a storm. I needed five minutes with my best friend so I shoved the dead body out of my mind and focused on Jess and her problems. Lord knows she certainly had a doozy.

When she answered, her tone was light and happy and some of my concern about her situation eased; maybe it wasn't that bad. Then I realised what she'd actually said: ‘Hey, Queen of the Bitches!'

Son of a bitch: even Jess was in on the Queen crap. ‘Now I'll have to explain to Esme why that is not an appropriate title,' I grumped.

It could not be more appropriate, though I suppose we are Queen of both males and females. And female wolves are more commonly called she-wolves, though I have heard the term bitch used often enough. Esme's tone was matter of fact. Queen of the Bitches sounds fun. You like fun.

I did a face palm; as always, Esme and I did not agree on the definition of fun.

Jess sniggered. ‘Sorry-not-sorry. How are you doing?'

‘I'm okay. The mansion is overrun with snooty werewolves,' I complained, thinking of Kearns and his passive-aggressive threats.

‘And you're hiding in your office?' she guessed accurately. Damn her and her radar. Jess was a truth-seeker and could always tell when people were lying – even down the phone.

‘I'm not hiding, I'm seeking solitude,' I said in my snottiest tone.

‘Po-tay-to, tom-ah-to,' she laughed.

I sobered. ‘Actually, I'm ringing to check on you. You and Emory flew off like bats out of hell and I feel so responsible. I've made a complete mess of things for you.'

When Amber had lifted the curse from the gargoyles, they had started to die; they had needed a great magic to fill the void left by the curse. At my behest, Emory had used forbidden dragon magic to save them and make them brethren. It had been the right thing to do, but now Emory would face the consequences of my actions. The guilt was definitely there.

‘Don't be silly, it'll be fine,' Jess said, but her tone wouldn't have convinced anyone. She was lying through her teeth and we both knew it. No doubt her internal lie detector had pinged.

‘Have you told the Court yet?' I asked. I had no doubt that the Dragon Court's reaction wouldn't be all roses and kittens.

‘About Emory making true brethren for the first time in centuries and accidentally enslaving a whole race to his will?' she asked lightly.

‘Yeah.'

‘Nope, it hasn't come up yet,' she said cheerfully.

‘Jess! I don't think this is something you can ignore. Emory broke dragon law.' I whispered the last bit, in case it was a secret. Werewolf hearing is sharp and Liam wasn't that far away.

‘We just need time to find some loopholes,' Jess still sounded optimistic. ‘You know me; I can always find a loophole. It'll be fine. And anyway, the wedding preparations are distracting everyone.'

I blinked. Shut the front door! ‘The wedding preparations?'

‘Oh.' She cleared her throat. ‘I forgot to mention… we've set a da te.'

I let out an ear-splitting shriek of excitement and Liam burst in, gun raised – Greg had obviously been handing out weapons again. I hastily shooed him back out. He coloured, re-holstered the gun and left the room.

‘In two months,' Jess continued.

‘In two months?' The words exploded out of me. ‘Are you kidding me? That's not enough time to plan a fricking wedding!' Everybody needs a year, at least! I suddenly worried that she was using the wedding as a distraction. Maybe she didn't really want to marry Emory but she was using it to save them both. It wasn't the worst reason for a marriage, but it wasn't the best one either.

‘When you're rich, you can do a lot in two months. Hell, we could probably do a lot in two weeks if we really needed to. We're using the wedding to keep the Court busy and occupied – Elizabeth is positively salivating over the guest list. I just need them to focus on that, then I can find a missing jewel for Emory and sort out this whole gargoyle situation.'

‘"Situation" isn't really the word for it. Emory turned the gargoyles human again and then he bound them to himself. He has an adoring army at his command – a forbidden adoring army.'

‘It makes it sound bad when you say it like that,' Jess muttered. ‘Anyway, they're not human; they're something else. They have wings now. And besides, he saved their lives. If he hadn't made the gargoyles into true brethren, they would all have died.'

‘I know that – you're preaching to the choir – but Greg told me that making true brethren has been outlawed for a good couple of centuries. Dragons have very long memories.'

‘You'd think immortality would make them forgetful but they always remember the crap that you wish they'd let slide,' she complained.

I wasn't letting her derail me. There were important things to be discussed; if she was getting married, that meant we were going to get our party on. Man, I really needed something to look forward to. ‘So, when do we get a hen-do, then?' I asked, blatantly changing the subject.

What do we do at a hen-do? Esme asked. Do we get to hunt and eat hens? That is a tradition I could uphold , she added enthusiastically.

I rubbed my forehead and muttered, ‘No, you don't eat the hens.'

But we get to hunt them? she persisted.

No! No hunting!

What is the point of the hens then?

There are no hens. It is just a group of women gathering together to celebrate one of the women mating.

I do not know why you would promise me hen hunting and then take it away from me like that. Esme's voice was sulky.

I didn't— You know what? Never mind.

Jess gave a little sigh. ‘I don't know when exactly, but I promise it's on the cards. It'll be great. You and I will have a blast—'

‘It's not just going to be you and me,' I scoffed. ‘I'll organise it! It'll be amazing.'

‘You have other stuff on your plate—'

‘Don't you dare take this away from me!' I snapped. ‘I've been dreaming of this moment since we were six years old. I'm sure Amber will be up for it. Who else?'

There was a beat of silence while Jess thought. ‘Hes.'

‘Hes?' I was surprised. ‘Did you guys make up?'

Jess's assistant Hester had played God by deleting a message that was meant for her vampyr boyfriend, Nate. The message had been a plea for help from Jess; Nate had not been happy when he'd found out what she'd done and he'd dumped her on the spot. For obvious reasons, Jess hadn't been thrilled with Hes either.

‘It'd be hard not to after she got kidnapped and held hostage by the great fire chicken.'

‘I dare you to call the phoenix that to her face,' I sniggered. By all accounts, the phoenix was hellish scary and just a smidge insane.

‘Erm … no.'

‘Okay, so Hes. Who else?'

‘Elvira and Summer?' Jess suggested weakly. ‘Oh, and maybe Emory's mum, Audrey?'

‘Now we're cooking.' I jotted down the names and started daydreaming about the spreadsheet I could make later. Queen or not, I had not lost my addiction to spreadsheets. You could take the girl out of accountancy but you couldn't take accountancy out of the girl…

‘This will be great. Leave it all to me. It's exactly what I need, something to look forward to. I'd best go and get stuck in. And Jess?'

‘Yeah?'

‘Erm…' I felt awkward but I grabbed the bull by the horns. ‘You're excited to marry Emory, right? This isn't political manoeuvring to cover up the gargoyle thing and buy you time?'

When she replied, Jess's voice was warm and dreamy. ‘I'm so excited to marry Emory. Nothing has ever felt more right.'

‘Great. So we're good?'

‘We're good,' she agreed firmly. ‘I love you, Luce. '

‘I love you too, Jess. Speak soon.' I made kissy noises and hung up.

It was only when I set down the phone that I realised I hadn't said anything about Larsden. The last time there'd been a murder, I'd rung Jess for advice and for her to calm me down. This time, I hadn't even mentioned the body.

Dead bodies were becoming par for the course – and that didn't feel like a good thing.