Chapter 16

ORINA

M y favorite part of the day was morning coffee in the office where we planned the rest of the day and bantered. Of course, we spent time together at the chapter house, but there was something special about these morning sessions, and we always held back something to talk about at these.

This morning we began with Merry’s account of the Silvercrest dance where she’d met Crush’s scary, growly ogre blood friends, who’d turned out to be not so scary or growly, and who she was excited to hang out with again. Edwin nursed a hangover while Padma delighted in reminding him of the fae woman who’d been all over him on the dance floor.

“You let her stick her tongue in your mouth, and ear, and then your mouth again.”

Edwin gagged and Padma pressed back a smile. “I think I spotted tentacles at one point.”

“And you didn’t save me?” He looked genuinely upset by that, and her smile faltered.

“I thought you were having fun.”

He dropped his gaze. “And I thought you knew me better than that.”

Silence strained as an awkwardness fell over us all for several seconds before Holly broke it.

“Orina, where did you go?” she asked. “You left early, right?”

“Something like that.” I filled them in on what had happened with Shay, keeping my tone light to keep my emotions about what could have happened in check. “Ezekiel saved me.”

“I should have been there,” Padma said, but she was looking at Edwin.

“We were all high on fae wine,” Holly said. “Not just Orina. Pretty sure that was Shay’s doing too.”

I shook my head. “I think it was more than the fae wine for me. Apparently, he’s a Baobhan sidhe. I think his touch has some power.”

“That would explain the gloves,” Merry said. “You need to tell Crush about this. Shay can’t be allowed to get away with it.”

“Oh, don't worry, I sent a Raven last night.” Well, Kaster had done it for me, and then he’d made me cocoa and hugged me to sleep, and I could totally get used to that kind of treatment.

“Well, I'm interested to see what Crush has to say about this,” Padma said. “He introduced Shay as his friend. The friends we keep say a lot about us.”

“Crush is a good guy,” Merry said.

“I have no doubt.” I sipped my coffee. “But Shay is not, and Crush needs to know that. Kaster’s filed a report with the Sangualex too, so between us we’ll get the bastard.”

The Raven bell tinkled in reception, and Merry jumped up. “I’ll get it.” She rushed outside to the perch where any Raven with messages for us landed and returned a few moments later carrying a note which she handed to me.

I read it quickly. “It’s from Crush. He says he has people looking for Shay, and he’ll contact me once they find him, and it also says he’s only ever known Shay to be a gentleman and is disgusted by what he did.”

“I told you,” Merry said.

I popped the note in my desk drawer. “So now we wait.”

“If I come across him first, I’ll chop his balls off,” Edwin said.

“It’s lucky that Ezekiel came along.” Padma gave me a sidelong glance. I knew what she was thinking, what they all must be thinking, that the fact that he’d gotten there so quickly meant that he must have been following me. Watching me.

I was grateful for his obsession with me, and there was no way I was telling them what happened afterward at the apartment that he had bought for me. Sharing that moment felt like a betrayal to him, to us. But there was no us. There could never be an us.

The Raven bell rang again. Mary jumped up once more and went to answer it.

“You don’t think that Crush has answers already, do you?” Edwin said.

“I doubt it,” Padma said.

Merry returned with another note for me. “You’re popular today.”

My pulse jumped when I opened it and recognized Ezekiel’s writing.

Miss Lighthart,

Ariella will be delivered to you at midday by Matthew. You will spend the day with her and return her safely to the castle personally before sunset.

E.H.T.

It was the coldest and most impersonal note he’d ever sent me, and it hurt. I crumpled it up and lobbed it into the wastepaper bin, then realized that everyone was staring at me, waiting for me to share what the note had been about.

“Ariella is coming to town, and Ezekiel wants me to show her around.”

“What, so you’re a babysitter now?” Padma said, pissed on my behalf.

I was too drained to summon any indignation. I’d agreed to this, after all. “It’s fine. I’ll take her to the spa, get her endorphins going with a great day out, and then hopefully she can go back, charm Ezekiel, and get us closer to breaking this damn curse.” They exchanged glances. “What?”

“Ezekiel was out last night following you,” Padma said. “When he could have been with Ariella. Orina…don’t you think that he might have feelings for you?”

I wanted to deny it. To say something flippant, but I was too tired to weave lies. “Yeah, he does, but it doesn’t matter. He needs to focus on Ariella. I made that clear last night.” I drained my cup. “And she’ll be here soon, so let’s get some work done.”

The conversation was over, just like Ezekiel and I were over, even though we had never officially begun.

It wasn’t Matthew who delivered Ariella but Ordell.

My gut twisted seeing them together, standing in reception, her arm looped through his as if she was some kind of nobility on the arm of a beau.

Was he spending time at the castle with her now?

Bitch, get your hands off my man.

The thought rolled through my mind before I could stop it, and the look on Ordell’s face told me that he’d read my emotions on my face.

I forced a smile. “Ariella, so good to see you.”

She returned my smile with a beam of her own. “I’m so excited. Are there any bookshops we can visit? I’m low on reading material.”

Books? Had no one shown her the library at Branwood? I glanced at Ordell, who arched a brow as if to say, It’s up to you if you want to tell her .

I didn’t.

I couldn’t have Ezekiel, but I could have his library…If I ever went back, that is.

I was being selfish, but maybe it was okay just this once.

“Hi, you must be Ariella.” Merry hurried out of the office to greet her. “It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Merry.”

“So this is an Order office.” Ariella moved toward the coffee machine. “Oh my, this is impressive.”

Ordell tugged at the collar of his polo top, and I caught a glimpse of something gray beneath.

His skin?

“Makes great coffee,” Merry said. “Do you want some?”

He caught me looking and quickly dropped his hand.

He was wearing long sleeves again.

“Do we have time?” Ariella asked me.

“Sure. Merry, can you make her a cup? I need to speak to Ordell in private for a moment.”

“Is everything all right?” Ariella asked.

“Peachy. I’ll be right back.”

I grabbed Ordell’s hand and led him out into the hall. “What’s that?” I pointed to his collar.

“A shirt,” he said,

I rolled my eyes. “Under the shirt, smartass.”

“Oh, that. I have a rash.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Let me see it.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s disgusting.”

“Dammit, Ordell, I caught a glimpse, and it does not look like a rash.”

“Seriously, Orina, it’s nothing to be worried about. It’s a curse thing. A beast thing, and it’ll pass. Trust me.”

I searched his face, waiting for the alarm bells inside me to quieten, but they didn’t. “Ordell, please don’t lie to me.”

He cupped my face and pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I won’t. I’m not.”

I leaned in and wrapped my arms around him, and he dropped his chin onto the top of my head, the embrace natural and fluid as if we’d done it so many times before.

“I miss you.” I hadn’t meant to say it, but it was out now.

His chest vibrated on a rumble. “I miss you too, angel.”

My eyes pricked because it had been too long since he’d called me that.

The bell above the door tinkled, and we broke apart. Holly entered carrying bags of lunch. She stopped short at the sight of Ordell. “You staying for lunch? There’s plenty.”

Ordell looked to me, and I shrugged. “You want to?”

“I’d like that.”

We followed Holly into reception, where she placed the bags on the counter. “Come and get it, guys!”

Edwin was first out of the office, followed by Padma, Merry, and finally Ariella, clutching a mug of freshly made coffee.

“Oh, another guest,” Holly said. “We have…plenty…” She blinked sharply and ducked her head. “Dammit, there’s something in my eye. Ouch!” She covered her eye. “Orina, can you help me get it out?”

“Um…sure.” I followed her down the hall to the washroom.

Once inside, she slammed the door and turned to face me, wide-eyed.

“I thought you had something in your?—”

“Listen to me.” She grabbed my hand. “That woman out there is not who she seems.”

“What?”

“That face she’s wearing…it’s not real.”

“I don’t understand what you’re?—”

“It’s a glamour, Orina. An extremely powerful glamour.”

Blood rushed to my head. “Are you sure?”

“I’m certain.”

“Is there a way of stripping the glamour?”

She smiled, thin and cunning. “Give me three hours and I’ll have a potion ready.”

“You got it.”

Ariella was wearing a fake face, which could only mean one thing. She was playing at being an incarnation of Arabella, which meant…It meant that she knew about the curse. But how?

Was she working alone?

Why do this?

There was only one way to find out.

We’d have to corner and question her.

But first, I’d give her a fabulous day out. Enough time for Holly to prepare the glamour stripping potion.

I should have gone into the theater. How I managed to stay ‘normal,’ relaxed, and sunny was beyond me.We laughed and joked, browsed the local bookstores, then had our nails done, and soon it was time for me to swing back to the office to pick up the potion. I made some excuse about needing to check in before we headed back to Branwood.

Ordell was already outside, Betsy parked on the curb, engine idling. Holly had pulled him aside to ask for help with one of our cases as I’d left with Ariella. He’d thrown me a confused glance because hunters didn’t help with our Order cases, but I’d given him a pointed look, and he’d obediently followed Holly into the back office.

So now he’d be up to speed on the glamour just as the rest of the team no doubt was.

I had Ariella wait in the van with Ordell while I hurried into the building in search of Holly. She must have seen me through the blinds because she was ready with the potion.

I pocketed it quickly. “Are you sure this will work?”

“Positive,” she said. “You need to make sure you get it on her face. It will bubble on her skin when it gets to work.”

“Send a Raven to let us know what’s happened,” Padma said.

“I promise.”

Ariella had taken my spot in the front passenger seat, kind of annoying, but I’d let it slide; after all, I was about to reveal her true face. Let her play at being Arabella reborn for a little while longer. Let her smile and peer up at Ordell through her glamoured lashes.

In less than an hour, the truth would be out. And I could not wait for it.