The Eldritch Conspiracy

Gilda shooed me toward the hallway that led to the nearest bathroom. “You have to try on the dress with the shoes and jewelry. I’m especially worried about the shoes. This brand seems to run narrow.”



She followed me into the good-sized bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind us before giving me a quick update on what I’d missed.



“The bridesmaids are arguing. The younger one…”



“Olga,” I said, and Gilda nodded.



“Olga is very angry and frightened. So many things have gone wrong. Nothing is going according to plan. She was counting on Natasha’s fear of her father to keep her in line, keep her agreeing to whatever Olga suggested. But that’s changed now that Natasha is no longer under the influence of the spell. The two of them have been arguing and sniping at each other. Olga insists that Princess Adriana is using her siren abilities to control King Dahlmar. Natasha disagrees.”



“Natasha’s right,” I said firmly as I slipped out of my shoes and unzipped the jeans.



“You’re sure?” She hooked the hanger with my dress over the hook on the back of the door, flipped the lid down on the toilet, and took a seat.



“Positive,” I assured her. “First off, Adriana is way older than she looks and way, way older than Dahlmar. Sirens live a long time, and she’s told me directly that she considers Dahlmar a younger man. She couldn’t have manipulated him using siren abilities because she doesn’t really have any, at least not to the level where she could control somebody as strong-willed as the king. Besides which, I made sure he had an anti-siren charm that would prevent her from doing any hanky-panky.”



“Oh, I’m sure it didn’t stop that.” Gilda gave me a saucy wink. “Adriana is a beautiful woman who is accustomed to getting her own way. There are many ways to manipulate someone; you don’t need to have psychic powers. And from what I’ve seen, most women’s normal abilities are usually enough to influence most men. Now we’ll just have to find a way to find a way to work that into the conversation. Because I am not letting those two little bitches ruin that girl’s big day.”



“I thought you said she’s a manipulator.”



She turned wide, innocent eyes to me. “Well, of course. But the manipulation she’s doing is only the time-honored sort that all women do. I respect that.”



I nearly laughed out loud, but managed to smother the burst of noise with both hands so that it came out in a muffled snort. Gilda was right, of course. We needed to intervene. But I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how we were going to manage that. Still, I was game. The new Adriana was growing on me. Besides, to my mind, every bride deserves a terrific wedding day.



I stripped down to my underwear. Gilda looked me up and down. “You’ve lost weight again,” she scolded. “You need to eat more. And that”—she pointed to the scar in the middle of my chest—“is a new scar. I thought you promised me you’d be careful.”



“I am careful,” I protested. She was right about the scar, though. It wasn’t huge, but it was noticeable. But I’d been damned lucky not to be hurt worse when Jan had done his thing.



I wished fervently that the feds would catch him. So far though, they’d had no luck. Damn it, he was apparently as good at hiding as he was at magic.



“Hmpf.” She wasn’t happy, but she didn’t say anything else. She also didn’t suggest a “beauty enhancement spell.” Silly for that remark to still sting, after everything that had happened. But it did.



I unzipped the black canvas garment bag to reveal my dress.



It was beautiful. The color was a rich, deep purple, the color of flawless amethysts. On a separate hanger, the bolero-style jacket gleamed, thanks to the black silk embroidery on the front panels and the jet beads used as trim.



My breath caught in my throat. I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was, and on such short notice. The Levys had outdone themselves, again.



At my reaction, Gilda gave me a smug little smile. I didn’t mind. She deserved to be smug. It was gorgeous. “Look in the compartment in the bottom of the bag,” she suggested.



I unzipped said compartment to find a black velvet jewelry case about the size of a hardback book. The velvet had browned a little with age and the brass lock was a little tarnished. With trembling fingers I twisted the little lever that locked the case and flipped open the lid.



I was speechless for the second time in a few moments.



Amethysts and diamonds, fitted in an intricate white gold necklace with matching earrings and hair combs. They were absolutely stunning.



“Oh my God! Gilda, they’re … gorgeous. I love white gold!”



She scoffed. “With diamonds? Heavens, no. That’s platinum. They’re our gift to you, dear.”



Holy crap! Platinum! The set must have cost a fortune! “But … I can’t … I mean—”



“Nonsense.” She rose to her feet so that we were standing toe-to-toe. “You can, and you will. We insist.” She took my hands in hers. “You’ve been loyal to us in good times and bad. You, personally, have brought us as much business as we can comfortably handle what with Miller & Creede and the new Serenity Secret Service account. And now you’ve given us the honor of having our work displayed in a royal wedding on the world stage for millions of people to see.” She reached up to pat me on the cheek with a callused but gentle hand. “You’re going to look beautiful, absolutely beautiful. We’re very proud of you, Isaac and I. I know that your relationship with your mother is not so good, and I am sorry for that. She is an idiot if she doesn’t realize what a gem she has in you. We do. Isaac and I both love you very much.”



My eyes filled with tears, making the room blurry.



“Now hurry up and get dressed.” She made a tsking noise and shook her head. “It needs to be taken in more than he expects.”



I was still too choked up to speak, so I just nodded and let her help me with the zipper and fasten the necklace in place so I could see it in the mirror.



It was beautiful. I was beautiful.



Cousin. Adriana’s voice spoke clearly in my mind. Would you mind wearing the jewels when you come out? Olga is being a nuisance, complaining about her dress. It’s very tiresome. I would do much more than keep her in the wedding to please my husband, but I must admit I do not like her.



That made two of us.



When I reentered the living room, all conversation stopped. Olga’s eyes got huge and Natasha simply blinked dumbly at me.



Adriana smiled. There was pride and honest joy in her reaction, along with a certain envy, which really surprised me. “Beautiful, cousin,” she said. “You look absolutely exquisite. You see, ladies, as I said before, with the right jewelry, these dresses are perfectly elegant and modest enough not to offend your countrymen.” She winked at me. “I am old enough to have a bit more experience in these matters than you do, after all. I only hope Dahlmar isn’t too upset about marrying a much older woman.”



So, Adriana had figured out how to bring it in without any help from me. But I’d help all the same. “Luckily, the siren genes mean that you don’t have wrinkles yet.”



“That,” she said with another conspiratorial wink, “and excellent moisturizer. Thankfully, this century has wonderful products available. Beauty mud in the nineteenth century really was mud.”



Olga spluttered, “But you’re—”



“Well beyond ancient. I’m … what is the American term? Ah, yes, ‘robbing the cradle’ by taking Dahlmar as a husband.” Adriana’s smile was cheerfully wicked. “Sadly, I don’t have enough siren abilities to control my beloved psychically; and even if I did possess those abilities, his staff has ensured he has a protection charm. But I would like to think I am still well-kept enough to have some influence on him.”



Okay, so now I had no doubt she’d been listening to me and Gilda Levy the whole time. I was annoyed about it, too. I gave her a stern look.



I am fighting for my honor, my life, and the man I’ve discovered I actually love. If you think I’m not going to use every advantage I can, you are out of your mind.



I didn’t answer. I couldn’t, really. I was pretty sure I’d do the same damned thing if our roles were reversed. And, hey, I had to give her props for using the information to her advantage. She’d worked it in pretty subtly, all things considered.



Olga and Natasha looked significantly at each other and Natasha gave the other woman an “I told you so” look before tipping her head down to acknowledge Isaac’s slight touch on her calf.



“All right, Natasha, you’re done,” he announced. “Gilda will help you choose jewelry.” He got to his feet and took a step back before extending his hand to help Natasha down from her perch. “Your turn, Celia.” He gestured toward the stool. I climbed up with his assistance, being extra careful of the hem and the high heels.



“You’ve lost weight again.” He scolded me exactly the way his wife had. “You need to eat more. Or drink more.”



“It’s been a rough few weeks.” I sounded defensive. I couldn’t seem to help it. Like my grandmother, the Levys know just how to make me feel guilty. But they treat me like family. And if I could add another set of grandparents to my life, Isaac and Gilda would be my first choice.



“Hmnpf.” He sounded so much like Gilda it made me laugh, which made him smile. “Good. I like to see you happy. Now hold still while I pin you.”



I held still.



“I understand you’ll be wearing a lavalava for the ceremony here on Serenity.” Isaac made it a question.



“Yes.”



“What will you do about the sunlight? The procession is over two miles long.”



“I’ll be wearing a hat and a jacket. But I’m a little worried about my hands and feet. Sunscreen doesn’t last all that long on me. Do you have any suggestions?”