Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

P aige wriggled under the woman's iron grasp, trying to free herself, but she found it impossible.

"I don't think so, darling," Ivy spat at her. "You're not getting away this time!"

"What are you going to do? Kill me in the middle of a Paris boutique?"

"I believe so, yes." She removed her hands from Paige's wrists and pressed them around her neck.

Paige choked as she tried to pull her hands away and suck in breath, but she found it impossible. Where were the salesclerks? Wasn't anyone going to help her?

A second later, the pressure lifted off her windpipe. She gasped for breath as Ivy rose into the air by some unseen force.

"Why don't you play with someone your own size?" Drucinda said to the woman before she hurled her across the room.

Ivy smashed into a mirror, cracking it. "Drucinda."

"In the flesh, darling. And none too pleased to find you attacking my dear friend, Paige. "

"Oh come on, Dru, I was only having a bit of fun. Hazing the newbie, if you will."

"No, I won't. And I can't imagine Devon will either."

"Devon is making a gigantic mistake. I'm fairly certain you know that."

Drucinda narrowed her eyes at the woman, offering her an unimpressed stare. "Devon's choices are his own. And it seems Dominic isn't displeased."

"Dominic is far too lenient with Devon. And it's going to cost him."

"I'm certain he's shaking in his cape."

Ivy sneered at her. "He ought to be. This little wedding is going to cause a schism in his organization."

"Hardly."

"You'll see. This is a warning. Take it back to Devon and Daddy. Marry Paige Turner, and we will destroy you and everything you've built."

Drucinda crossed her arms and lifted a shoulder in the air. "I'll let him know, and we'll share a good laugh over it. Now, get out of here you blood-sucking tramp."

Ivy strode toward the door, shooting a hostile glance over her shoulder. "You've been warned."

With that she pushed out of the door, the sounds of Paris floating in until the glass thudded shut.

"What a nitwit," Drucinda said as she collected several dresses.

Paige still stood frozen, trembling inside from the attack and the threat.

Dewey's carrier bounced around as he tried to right himself. "Help!"

"Snap out of it, Paige. Did you pick dresses?"

"I…yeah," she murmured.

"Hello," Drucinda snapped her fingers in front of Paige's face, making her blink a few times. "Come to your senses, Paige. If you're going to be a Durand, you've got to get used to this stuff."

"I'm not," she finally said as she rescued her dresses from the floor. "I'm only faking that."

"Well, you'd better fake it better than that. Ivy isn't the only one who's going to be sore over this."

Paige crinkled her brow as Drucinda led her to the checkout counter.

"You can come out now, she's gone."

One of the girls climbed from behind the desk, her hands still shaking. "Bit of a fight over the groom?"

"Yes," Drucinda said with a coy half-smile. "He's quite a catch."

She flicked her gaze to Paige as she rang up their order. "Lucky girl."

"Thanks," Paige said with a wrinkled nose. Was Devon really putting that much on the line for her?

They paid for their purchases using a Durand account and Drucinda had them sent directly to the castle. She slid on her sunglasses as they stepped into the Paris sun.

"So, will there really be a list of people who detest me simply because I'm marrying Devon?"

"Long and varied, darling," Drucinda said as she strode along the sidewalk. "Get used to it. He is one of the supernatural world's most eligible bachelors. I wouldn't be surprised if there aren't several attempts on your life before the weekend is out."

Paige's eyes went wide. "Seriously?"

"Yes, of course. Devon is a prince. Do you know how many relatively powerful entities would love to join forces with him? Let alone the crackpots who just hope to be a princess."

Paige wrinkled her nose, her stomach turning over as she ran her fingers along his ring for the umpteenth time to make certain it was still on her finger. "This sounds like a terrible idea."

"It's the only one we've got. I'm not chancing a marriage to Devon."

"Why not?" Paige asked, Dewey's carrier bouncing off her side as she hurried to keep up with Drucinda.

"Please. I'm a free agent, darling. Nobody's locking this down."

Paige scoffed at the statement. "And no one questions you about that?"

Drucinda slid her eyes sideways. "Would you dare?"

"No, but everyone seems to think my life should be decided for me. Like I have to pick one of these guys that keep throwing themselves at me. But I was happy being a free agent."

"But you're so…needy."

"I'm not needy!" Paige insisted, scurrying around the corner at a near run.

"You are. It's no wonder Devon feels the instinctive urge to protect you. You're just so…you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Dewey said, "you've got a damsel-in-distress vibe running. People naturally want to help you because you're a walking disaster."

"I'm not a walking disaster," Paige argued as Drucinda slipped into an alley and approached a dumpster.

"Sure, you aren't darling," Drucinda said as she lifted the lid. "You're a proper badass."

"Why are you opening a dumpster in a Paris alley?"

"You want to go to Deiman Marcus, don't you?"

"Yeah!" Dewey cheered.

"Let's go." Drucinda stepped on a box next to the large bin before she dropped into the dumpster. Paige rose to her toes, peering over the edge, but finding nothing but trash. "

"It's a portal. Just jump in," Dewey said.

Paige winced as she climbed onto the box. "This isn't some kind of trick, is it? Haha, Paige ends up in a dumpster?"

"Drucinda's not in the dumpster."

"No, she's probably scaling the wall to get a good view of me rolling around in the trash."

"Just dump in. We'll be in the magical shopping district in no time."

Paige hovered over the trash bags with a wrinkled nose, one foot in the air. She slid her eyes closed and leapt into the bin, expecting to hit the cold, plastic bags. Instead, she fell through the air before smacking into a rounded tube and sliding through blackness toward some unknown destination.

A second later, she spilled out onto a cobblestone street, landing hard on her backside.

"Finally, I've been waiting forever," Drucinda said.

Paige scrambled to her feet, her jaw falling open as she spotted all manner of supernatural creatures wandering the Main Street in front of them. "Is that a–"

"Werewolf. Yep."

Paige stared with wide eyes as the hairy beast wandered through town with a shopping bag dangling from his clawed hand.

"Why is it allowed here?"

"He's just doing some shopping. Why shouldn't he be allowed here?"

"What if he eats someone?"

"He's a werewolf, not a raving lunatic serial killer. Honestly, darling, no wonder Devon feels he must protect you."

"Hey, let me out of here," Dewey complained as he smashed himself against the side of the carrier .

Paige unzipped the top, and he fluttered into the air. "Finally. And yeah, Paige is kind of a bigot."

"I am not."

"You are. You think only humans are good. And all supernaturals are bad."

"I didn't say that."

"You literally just asked Drucinda if that werewolf would kill someone. The dude is literally just trying to buy himself a new outfit and you're attacking his character like he's some kind of raving maniac."

"Sorry, but every werewolf I've encountered has been a raving maniac trying to kill me."

"Just because you'd met a few bad eggs doesn't mean they all are. There are humans who kill, you know? Should every supernatural creature run about saying you're all maniacs. Suppose you walk into a shop and one of them starts shrieking about how you're a human and you may kill us all. How would you feel?"

Paige wrinkled her nose. In the short time she'd been a librarian, she'd been plunged into so much danger, that she hadn't had much time to learn about the supernatural world and its players. But with every step forward, plunged into the heart of their magical shopping center, she realized she had a lot of learning to do. "Okay, point taken. But…"

"But nothing. Your only excuse for your behavior is ignorance. That will soon be changing. This weekend ought to be a real learning experience for you. Try not to insult any of Devon's or Dominic's friends before you end up on everyone's bad side."

Drucinda tugged open the door to a large department store and stepped inside. Paige followed, her eyes drawn up to the ceiling floating high above them.

"Dragon department, please," Drucinda said to an associate .

"Sixth level, make a right off the elevator and follow the signs straight back."

"Thanks."

Paige scurried after her as the elevator doors whooshed open. They pressed inside along with a gnome and two fairies. A wing smacked her in the face as they climbed higher.

"Oops, sorry, these things have a mind of their own," the blonde fairy said with a giggle.

"No problem."

"Don't worry about it," Dewey answered from her shoulder, "she's human. She's still learning not to be an idiot."

Paige clicked her tongue.

"Oh, hmm, funny, you don't look human."

Paige glanced down at her body. Had she taken on some form outside of her normal one when they'd entered the supernatural shopping district?

"You have a purple aura. Humans have white auras."

Dewey sucked in a breath, his jaw hanging open. "You're an aura reader?"

She chuckled at him. "Yes, I'm an Aura Enchanter."

"What does a purple aura mean?" Paige asked as the elevator doors whooshed open and the trio plowed out.

"You're a witch," the woman shouted back as the doors slid closed again.

"Old news," Dewey said as the elevator continued its journey up. "I told you that."

"I still don't understand that. It makes no sense," Paige said as they reached the sixth floor.

"With any luck, Reed with have more answers. If we find her." Drucinda led them from the elevator, eyeing the signs high above them.

"Are those signs ridiculously high?" Paige asked, craning her neck to view them .

"It is the large creature section," Drucinda said.

Paige tried to imagine a dragon wandering through the store. They'd definitely need the clearance, but… "How do they get up here?"

"There are dragon-accessible elevators at the east entrance," Dewey said. "I remember when I used to come with my mom."

"All right…" Drucinda furrowed her brow as she pointed at the signs. "We're going to need the baby department."

"No," Dewey whined, "can't we go to regular dragons? I don't want baby clothes."

"Little man, you're tiny. That's all there is to it. They're not going to have a sports coat small enough to fit you on the rack."

"But–"

"We have limited time. Not even dwarf clothes will do. We'll need the baby department."

Drucinda snaked through the women's section and turned left. Soon the displays turned whimsical with giant mobiles, cribs, and massive rocking chairs.

"This is weird," Paige said with a wrinkled nose.

"There you go again. Do you think only humans love their babies?"

"No," Paige shot back as she stared at a mobile made up of human figures. "It's just…"

"Oh, a human mobile! I had one of these when I was a kid. I loved it. Humans looked so fun."

"And now you have one for a partner," Drucinda said as she stepped off the tile floor onto the rugged area and sorted through a rack of clothes.

"Technically, she's a witch, but sort of, yes." Dewey fluttered into the air and sailed into the clothing section. "We're not going to find anything here. These are baby clothes. "

"Babies still wear snazzy little outfits, you know? At least mine would have had I bothered to have any."

Paige clenched her jaw, recalling that Drucinda had nearly raised her.

"I dressed Paige in her first onesies, as a matter of fact," Drucinda said. "Cute little number. It said ‘I'm a badass baby.' I really would have been a phenomenal mother."

"You're still young. You could still have a kid or two," Dewey said as Drucinda lifted a cute sweater with a lamb emblazoned on it.

"Please. Single by choice, remember?"

"You don't need to be married to have a baby. And with your looks, I'll bet you'd have guys lining up for miles to father your baby."

"Yes, but then I'd be weighed down. I couldn't jet off whenever I liked. Just because I'd make an excellent mother, does not mean I should be one."

"Good point. I wonder if Paige and Devon will have kids right away or wait."

"Paige is not even marrying Devon, remember? It's all fake," Paige answered as she pulled a newborn plaid sports coat from the rack. "I found one."

Drucinda and Dewey snapped their eyes toward her as she grinned, waving the little sports coat in the air.

"I'm not wearing that," Dewey said as he crossed his arms.

"Why? It's so cute. Look, it even has a little hat that matches."

"Very funny, Paige."

"Oh, I don't know, little man," Drucinda said as she grabbed the hangar from Paige. "I think you'd look quite dapper. A little plaid coat and a red bowtie."

"Really? A red tie? You think I could pull that off?"

"With your coloring? Absolutely, darling. "

Dewey grinned at her as he snatched the hangar. "I'll take it. Let's go."

"That's how you do it, darling," Drucinda whispered to Paige.

Paige narrowed her eyes at the woman before she hurried to catch up with them as Dewey sailed toward the checkout counter.

"At least we got the shopping done, and now we can move on. I'd like that soul compass in my hands by Sunday afternoon."

"Yeah, umm, so would I. Actually, I'd like it by Saturday afternoon, thanks," Paige said, hoping her aggressive stance made her sound as bold as Drucinda.

"Not going to happen. Learn to put the time in where it's needed and you'll be better off."

Paige wrinkled her nose as Dewey paid for his sports coat. How did Drucinda manage to turn everything she said into an insult?

"Ready, little man?"

"Ready," Dewey answered with a gin as he sailed toward them with his tiny garment bag in hand.

Drucinda nodded at him before they made their way outside and back to a portal leading home. With Dewey loaded back into his carrier, Paige climbed through the shimmery oval marked PARIS, stepping out next to the dumpster they'd entered through.

Drucinda wove her way through the streets to the library, and they descended to the secret archives underneath.

"All ready?" Ronnie asked as they descended the stairs.

"I think so," Paige answered with a shaky sigh. She felt anything but ready, but she had to get through it for her mother.

"That's great," Devon said as he strode toward them with his phone in hand. "Because we have a major problem."