“Do you know what’s funny?” Sebastian tapped the page and then took two sideways steps over to a clunky green card table with stains in deep red, black, royal blue, and one rusty orange. Little dishes sat on it containing herbs or leaves, one holding tiny eyeballs and another containing a black talon. Sebastian prepped for potions like Austin did for cooking.

I pushed the rush of heat away.

“No,” I said, pulling a blue rubber apron over my clothes. I’d learned to keep it down here for this purpose. “What spell are we doing again?”

“Using a camping stove to create potions is considered incredibly gauche. If I weren’t so powerful, everyone in the mage community would look down on me. They’d ridicule me. But since I am powerful, with a good and respected position, they call me eccentric.”

I frowned at the equipment. “This is a high-dollar camping stove. My ex used to take a similar one for camping trips.”

Sebastian laughed. “Yes, see? That is what I mean. Because of my power and placement, magical people think I’m making a statement of some sort. You just take it for what it is—a good-quality contraption that gets the job done.”

“You’re in a part of the house that has no electricity. How else would you cook the potions?”

“Crisscrossed logs and magical fire.”

“This is a way easier setup. You can just fold it up and put it away when you’re done. It has a handle and everything.”

He laughed again. “The cooking pot is another item I’m side-eyed for using. My kind use cauldrons, like in the stories.”

“Oh. Well, yeah, I can see how that would be more fun.”

“But not as practical.”

“No. You can wash this in the dishwasher. I doubt a cauldron would fit in there. We never make that much potion, anyway.”

He bent with his hands on his knees, laughter ripping through him. He was shaking with it. “Yes.” He wiped his eyes when he straightened up. “Yes, exactly. You don’t think I am eccentric—you think I am practical.”

“I just thought you were normal”—or normal for this house—“but yeah, I’ll go with practical.”

“I am normal, actually. Far too normal for the life I lead.” He took a deep breath, and a few more chuckles escaped. “To answer your question, Miss Jacinta, I do like this magical house. I like it very much. I like that it has a personality, that it values people on their merits, and that it will kill me if I step out of line. Its rules make sense. Now, let’s get to work. We’ll be making a kind of invisibility potion that will trump all the others I’ve ever heard of. I highly doubt anyone will be able to create a counter-spell to this, which means you can truly be invisible in a way few can.”

“Or…you can, right? Since we’ve agreed to go with Niamh’s strategy?”

Niamh had suggested we keep Sebastian as the silent partner for as long as possible. Keep him in the shadows. That way, I’d still seem inexperienced and naïve, which would make Kinsella think he had the upper hand, while still having Sebastian close at hand for backup. It was a good plan.

He offered me a slight bow. “If you wish.”

“So why won’t other revealing spells—antidotes—work on this one?”

“This spell has a few steps I’ve never considered adding. Given no one else knows about it, the mage’s people won’t be able to create an antidote or spying serum capable of seeing through it.”

“Only two people know about it?”

“Yes. And I am very good at keeping secrets. Let’s begin.”

Twenty-Nine

“Miss, it’s time.”

I turned in the mirror in the bathroom, looking at my dress’s deep, plunging back, ending in a V above my waist.

“Okay,” I called to Mr. Tom.

Turning back, I smoothed the front down my stomach, the neckline cutting across the base of my throat, ending in a design of white lace flower petals at my shoulders that flowed down the side of my body to the floor, revealing a thin slice of skin. The skirt, fitted at the waist, pooled when it reached the floor, the back creating a train.

Mr. Tom had picked it out, and it was as elegant as it was beautiful. He’d insisted I go without jewelry. Not even earrings. I had no idea why, but given he was two for two on dresses, I’d decided to just go with it. He did seem to know his fashion, something he didn’t apply to himself, because when I found him waiting by my bedroom door, he had on the same tux he always wore, freshly pressed with tails down the back, a little too formal for the dinner we were going to and a lot too formal for being my butler.

“Miss, you look lovely, I must say. That dress is absolutely divine.”

I lightly ran my hands over my hips, feeling the soft, intricate lace. “Thank you. It’s gorgeous.”

“You are gorgeous. The dress is just fabric.”

I felt Austin walking up to the porch, his steps unhurried. He’d be escorting me tonight, and Sebastian seemed to think that made a very loud statement. When I pressed him about it, he’d said, “You have shifters on your side. I think it’s wise that you are using them.”

Mr. Tom followed me downstairs, where the rest of my crew awaited us, each dressed to the nines. Cyra, the phoenix, who’d finally regained the ability to assume a human form, stood at the front in a deep red satin dress flowing over a slightly pudgy body that caught the fabric in some of her belly folds. She was clearly not interested in Spanx. I was glad for it. She was a badass who’d nearly taken Austin down. I was glad she wasn’t forcing herself to be uncomfortable in order to fit a certain body mold. I’d always hated Spanx.

I was also glad she held no ill feelings toward Austin or me for being killed. She was like a shifter after a challenge—the more dominant creature was decided. That was that.

Hollace stood behind her, his white suit offsetting his dark skin. He’d paired the suit with a white shirt and cream tie, and looked swank and fantastic. I smiled at him and received a nod. Niamh leaned against the wall behind him, holding a can of beer. She wore a long-sleeved, glittery black dress, her white hair lightly tufted and gelled into place. I was impressed she’d actually tried. Nathanial stood in a plain black suit and tie, the shirt and jacket elegantly tailored to fit around his wings, his hands at his sides and his “cape” draping down his back. His wide shoulders and robust body carried off the look. Ulric waited behind him, his fuchsia suit and blue tie matching his two-tone hair. The only muted parts of the look were his black shirt and shiny black shoes.

“Wow,” I said. “The eighties called; they want their suit back.”

“He looks like a clown show. Kingsley will get a fright,” Mr. Tom drawled. “Why doesn’t Ulric carry a doll around with him, too? Maybe a puppet. They’ll think he’s your jester.”

“I’m in if you are.” Ulric laughed.

Jasper’s look was similar to Nathanial’s, but he’d gone with a cream tie and a matching pocket square. Edgar skulked last, his suit, shirt, and tie all black. Someone had clearly helped him, because the clothes were expertly made and fitted. If he weren’t hunching, he’d look almost normal.

“Okay. Just need one more.”

The door opened as if on cue. Austin waited there with one hand tucked into his trouser pocket and the other down at his side with a glittering silver watch on his wrist, accented with diamonds. He had on a black suit with a white shirt, accented with a ruby-red bow tie and matching pocket square. It fit him perfectly, and he had the ease and confidence of a lord, full of swagger and zero concern. He looked like the owner of this world, just renting it out to those who’d come to visit.

I let out a shaky breath, feasting my eyes on him, letting my gaze trail down that fitted suit.

“Hey, baby, you look lovely,” he said softly. “I brought something over for you earlier, if you’ll honor me and wear it.”

Mr. Tom picked up a long package off the table by the wall, wrapped in white with a red bow. He brought it to me on two flat palms, his nose up, his demeanor at its stuffiest. That meant this was an occasion.

I flashed Austin a smile before gingerly taking the gift and peeling off the paper to reveal a black velvet box. I opened the lid slowly, gasping when I saw the necklace nestled within it: an intricate design of rubies, diamonds, and pearls, the stones smaller on the outside and bigger in the middle, which would hang against my chest. There were earrings and a bracelet to match.

I pushed it at Mr. Tom, thinking about dropping it and backing away.

“No, Austin.” I shook my head, unable to take my eyes off the set. “I can’t accept this.”

“Of course you can.” He stepped into the house and took the box. “It’ll go perfectly with your dress.”

I shot a suspicious look at Mr. Tom. He’d told me not to wear any jewelry because he’d known this was coming. The sneaky dog. Austin had even matched the crimson with his tie and pocket square.

Austin extracted the necklace. “An alpha’s lady must look the part.” He laid the necklace against my chest and hooked it in the back. “Every time you wear a nice set of jewelry, you can’t stop touching it to make sure it’s still there. I figured this was better than flowers.”

“It’s too much,” I whispered. “This is way too much.”

Austin fastened the bracelet before handing me one earring at a time. “Nothing is too much for you. I will give you the world if it will make you smile.”

Tears clouded my vision. My lower lip trembled.

He softly brushed his thumb across my throat. “It suits you.”

I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him, knowing I’d get lipstick on him but not able to help it. Instead of backing away, like my ex might have, he deepened the kiss. By the time he backed off, I was breathless and my heart ached with wanting.

“Thank you,” I murmured.

“It is my infinite pleasure, milady,” he responded, his eyes so deep and blue.