16. Emma

SIXTEEN

Emma

It was date night, and a much-needed break from the investigation. After a long day of following up leads and researching, I’d gone home and had a long shower and gotten ready. Daniel and I had climbed into his truck and headed to the restaurant to meet everyone else.

"Are Deva and Marquis officially a couple?” Daniel asked, holding my hand tightly as we drove down the quiet streets of Mystic Hollow.

I took a moment to think. "Deva is the quietest when it comes to her dating life, so I wouldn’t refer to him as her boyfriend unless she does it first. Although, between you and me, she’s completely smitten with him.”

He grinned. "Okay, good to know. Don’t want to put my foot in my mouth. What about Carol and Bryan?”

I laughed. "Carol and Bryan are more than official. The big thing with them is not to stare when they’re all over each other. They’re like high schoolers, although Carol said they’re going to work on keeping their hands off of each other tonight.”

A smile teased the corners of his mouth. "Good for those too. Though, should we try to make them more comfortable by being all over each other instead?”

I smacked his shoulder lightly with my free hand. "Absolutely not!”

"And are we still pretending Beth and Wade aren’t a thing?”

"You better believe it. Those two are all blushes and not touching each other. Unless Wade took my advice.”

He lifted a brow. "What advice was that?”

I shrugged. "I don’t know. Just to make a move. Beth didn’t want him to make a move for the longest time, but then when she did want him to, he wouldn’t. He basically said he’s in it for the long-haul with Beth and didn’t want to push her too hard.”

"Wade’s a good guy,” Daniel said, turning into the restaurant parking lot.

"He really is.” I squeezed his hand. "I would know. I can pick them.”

Pulling into a spot, he turned to me and planted a light kiss on my lips. "I picked a good one too.”

He kissed me again, and again. And before I knew it, we were making out in the car. Hands all over each other. His tongue in my mouth.

I jumped when there was knocking at my window. Henry and Alice stood outside my door, both looking incredibly uncomfortable. I cursed under my breath and straightened my dress, but Daniel, oh-so-helpfully, just laughed.

Opening the car door, the words slipped out, "Sorry.”

Henry shrugged. "I just didn’t know if we should let you finish or not, but everyone’s at the door, and we’ll be late for our reservation.”

Daniel cleared his throat, coming around the side of the truck. "Good call, man.”

They bumped fists, and the tension eased.

Alice looked beautiful in a lavender crochet top with a floral skirt. Henry wore a white dress shirt and gray slacks. I got the sense from both of them that they were excited to be getting dinner with the "grown-ups” and had dressed to impress. I liked it. They were getting married, and if they wanted to do other grown-up things, they should.

We walked toward the restaurant, and I hung back to walk next to Alice. "So, are you excited about the wedding?”

Alice smiled, and when she did, she looked even younger. Granted, Henry was only five years younger than me, and Alice was only seven years younger than me, so it wasn’t like she was a baby. Sometimes she just felt like one. Probably because of how youthful she looked, or maybe because she was my "little” brother’s girlfriend.

"I’ve never been more excited to do anything in my life.” She took a deep breath, clasping her hands together. "Growing up as an empath was challenging. Life was always better alone than with people, because feeling everyone’s emotions could feel like too much sometimes. But being separated from people was lonely too, until I met Henry. He was kind, funny, smart, we had a lot of the same hobbies, and his emotions were so quiet. So predictable. He pulled me out of a really dark world and brought me out into the light.”

"It’s nice when we find our one,” I said, my gaze clinging to Daniel’s back.

"And now, we get to be married. We get to live together. Life is just perfect.” She sounded giddy.

"It really is.”

We reached the others, and there were hugs all around. Beth and Wade were standing, with a little space between them. Carol and Bryan were about as close as two people could get. And Deva and Marquis? They were exchanging smiles like this was the greatest day of their lives.

"Ready?” I asked everyone, after the greetings were done.

"Ready,” Carol said. "I’m starving.”

We made our way inside, focusing on each other and laughing as we gave the host our name. Deva was telling us about one of her servers accidentally dropping a piece of cake in someone’s lap with so much detail that we were cackling like jackals when we finally reached our table in the back.

I slid into the booth at Bon Appétit, the only nice dinner restaurant in town, the red leather squeaking under me. The rustic charm of the place wrapped around us like a warm embrace. Small, and intimate—it was one of those places that made you forget you were just minutes from home.

Everyone settled in, picking up our menus. The conversation died down as we read, but it was a comfortable silence. A silence between good friends.

Bread that smelled divine was set out swiftly. The wait staff slipped away, giving us time to figure out what we wanted. Music played in the background, creating a pleasant ambiance.

"Looks good, right?" Daniel's big frame barely fit on the opposite bench.

"Definitely." I scanned the menu. We all did, even though we knew it by heart.

"Hey, can someone pass the bread?" Henry fumbled with the cloth napkin, his movements awkward but eager.

"Here you go, man." Bryan slid the basket down the table, and Henry grabbed a piece, grinning.

"Smells amazing, as always," Deva remarked, her sensitive nose lifting slightly to catch the scents floating from the kitchen. She caught Marquis' eye, and they shared a quiet moment before turning back to the rest of us.

"Water for everyone?" The waitress appeared, her smile practiced but genuine.

"Please," Carol said.

"Make sure there's lemon in mine." Wade winked at Beth beside him.

Beth nudged him playfully. "Wade loves lemon in his water.”

It was cute, like she was so proud to know a small detail about him. I smiled but tried to hide it behind my menu. Those two would not appreciate just how darling I found them at the beginning stages of their romance.

"Deva, how's the new dessert menu coming along?" Alice asked, patting her dark hair, although it was still neatly in a bun at the back of her head.

"Almost there. Just a couple more tweaks," Deva answered, pride lacing her words.

"I can't wait to try it," I said, and meant it. Deva's desserts were legendary.

"But you’re worried about it?” Alice asked.

Deva’s expression faltered, and she released a slow breath. "A little. Being a creator is like that though. You’re always worried about how your art will be received.”

Alice nodded, and Henry set a hand on top of hers. It seemed like a hard thing to pick up on other people’s emotions like that, but I was glad Alice had someone like my brother to steady her. Everyone needed someone like that in their life.

The waitress came back and took our food orders, and then hurried away.

Alice’s gaze found Beth. "How are you doing?”

Beth stiffened. "Good.”

"Oh?” she asked.

She shifted uncomfortably. "Chloe and Zoe, my twin daughters, are doing well in college. They don’t really visit anymore, because they’re so busy, which I understand.”

"But that’s hard for a mom,” Alice said.

Beth’s shoulders sagged. "Yes, it is.”

Henry squeezed Alice’s hand. "Are there happier things you guys want to talk about?”

He wasn’t subtle, but it worked. "Absolutely!”

We found no shortage of things to talk about, laughter bubbling up from our table as our dishes arrived, the delicate aromas of French cuisine mingling with the buzz of conversation. I plucked a forkful of coq au vin and listened to Henry rave about his latest find in vintage comics.

"I can't believe it's almost time for the wedding," Carol said. "Is everything set for Travis and Jacqueline’s big move?"

"Almost," I replied. "Travis is finishing up at the studio, and then they’re heading straight here."

"The town won't know what hit it." Bryan joked.

"Speaking of hits, Wade, Beth—how’s our forest friend?" I asked with a knowing smile.

"Thriving," Wade answered, his voice carrying the warmth of a proud parent. "We took her back to the woods yesterday. She's strong, full of life."

"I didn't want to leave her," Beth added, her bright blue eyes reflecting a mix of joy and concern. "But she belongs there. With her kind."

"That must've been quite the sight." Henry leaned back in his chair.

"Like a dream," Beth said, her lips curling into a soft smile. "I wish you all could've seen her."

"Next time, get it on video." Alice raised her glass in a mock toast.

"Sure thing," Beth chuckled, clinking her glass against Alice's. "For your eyes only."

"Did you tell her to be careful?" Daniel's voice cut through the clinking of cutlery and low hum of dinner conversations.

"Of course," Beth replied, dabbing the corner of her mouth with a napkin. "We warned her to tell the other unicorns, how some have been targeted lately."

"It didn't seem like she knew much though." Wade leaned forward, elbows on the table.

"Did she tell you anything else?"

"Something about warnings." Beth paused as if choosing her words carefully. "The herd's been signaling each other. They're sensing something dark, something mysterious in the woods."

"Dark and mysterious?" Henry asked.

"Could be nothing. Could be something." Beth shrugged, but her face told me she didn't believe it was nothing.

The front door opened with a soft jingle, cutting through our talk of dark woods and mysterious warnings. New patrons stood in the warm ambiance of Bon Appétit. I looked up to see Jamur Hede striding in, his arm wrapped around a pretty blonde woman like he was showing off a prize.

"Isn't that..." Beth started, her voice trailing off as she caught my eye.

"Yeah." The staff seated them at a table uncomfortably close to ours. The woman laughed at something Jamur said, flipping her hair back in a move that looked practiced.

Beth's eyes narrowed just slightly, a silent signal between us. She subtly nodded toward them, and I understood the unspoken message: Keep watch.

"Who's that with him?" Bryan asked, craning his neck for a better look.

"I’m guessing that’s Broth’s main squeeze," I replied evenly. "But let's not let it ruin our night."

"Right," Beth agreed, though her gaze lingered on Jamur and his companion for a moment longer before turning back to our group. But from the corner of my eye, I could tell she, like me, was still keeping an eye on them.

We enjoyed the rest of our dinner until Jamur interrupted it yet again.

"Excuse me—I asked for the Chateau Lafite Rothschild '82. This isn't it."

I glanced over to see Jamur Hede standing, his chair pushed back abruptly enough to send a shudder down the table legs. The waitress, a slight figure compared to Jamur's bulk, clasped her hands in front of her apron, her eyes wide and apologetic.

"Sir, I'm terribly sorry," she stammered. "We don't have that particular bottle anymore. May I suggest?—"

"I know you have it," Jamur insisted, his voice climbing an octave in fury. "You always keep a reserve. Check again."

The waitress bit her lip, looking toward the kitchen as if hoping for an escape. "Our stock has changed, sir. The wine list we provided?—"

"Are you incompetent or just plain stupid?" Jamur's face reddened, his mustache twitching with each word spat out. "Check your damn cellar!"

Around us, forks paused mid-air, heads turned. The woman accompanying Jamur shifted uncomfortably, her smile slipping.

The waitress's shoulders slumped. A single tear trailed down her cheek, catching the soft light before disappearing into the fabric of her uniform.

The tension around our table was thick, a big change from the laughter that had filled the air moments ago. Daniel's chair scraped against the floor as he stood, his face a mix of anger and concern.

"Sit down," I whispered. My voice didn't waver, though inside, my stomach knotted. "I've got this."

He eyed me, hesitating, but I met his gaze squarely. I didn't need him charging in, not when I could handle it just fine. And much more quietly.

"Emma—" he started, but I cut him off.

"Trust me." It was all I said, but it was enough. He slowly sank back into his seat, watching me with a frown creasing his forehead.

I turned to Jamur's table, focusing my energy. The air tingled, an electric charge beneath my skin as I summoned the threads of my power, weaving them, invisible and silent, toward the man who had caused such distress.

"Please calm down, sir," the waitress implored again, trembling like a leaf in the wind.

Just as Jamar moved to step around his chair and get closer to the waitress, a waiter with a tray full of food walked in Jamar’s path. It was entirely Jamar’s fault, but the tray clattered to the floor, a symphony of disaster in ceramic and silver. Soup splashed onto Jamur's lap, rolls tumbled like clumsy acrobats, and a steak landed with a slap against his chest.

"Are you blind?" Jamur roared, face beet-red and eyes bulging.

The waiter, a mountain of inked muscle, simply stared down at him, a picture of unflappable calm. Jamur's mouth snapped shut, his anger hitting a wall of tattooed stoicism.

"Sorry, sir," the waiter said, tone flat. "Accident."

"Accident my?—"

But Jamur's curses dissolved into a string of mumbles as his date threw her napkin down, shot Jamar a furious look, and rushed outside. He shoved his chair back and stomped toward the exit, flinging insults over his shoulder as if they were grenades. The restaurant held its breath, patrons' eyes wide and glued to the unfolding scene.

"Let's see what he's up to," Beth whispered to me, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Sure." I wiped my palms on my dress. I didn't like the idea of trailing a human storm cloud, but curiosity gnawed at me. We pushed back our chairs and followed him out into the cool night air.

I leaned against the brick wall outside Bon Appétit, Beth beside me. The chill air bit at my skin.

Jamur caught up to his blonde companion under the dim glow of a streetlamp.

"Who even are you?" she spat, her voice sharp enough to cut through the cool night. "You're nothing like the man I thought I knew."

Jamur sputtered, trying to grab her arm, but she jerked away, fire in her eyes. "And to think I left Broth for you. He may be boring, but at least he's not a complete jerk. My God, compared to you, he's practically a saint?—"

"Come on, babe, don’t say that," Jamur pleaded, desperation edging into his voice. "Let's just go home and forget about this mess."

But she was already striding off, her heels clicking angrily against the pavement. "Take me home? In your dreams, jerk. I'm calling a cab."

"Wait—" Jamur called after her retreating form, hurrying to keep pace. "Just give me a chance to explain."

Beth shook her head, a smirk playing on her lips. "Well, that went south fast."

"Yup." They disappeared around the corner. "South and sprinting."

Now, my debt to Broth was repaid. I’d used Karma on the shrimp of a man, causing him embarrassment, and to lose the blonde. But, somehow, I didn’t think Karma was done with him yet.