Once Upon Stilettos

“Would it have killed you to let me in on that?” I asked Owen when we were out of earshot of everyone else.



“I thought it would be more authentic if you didn’t know.”



“So you two are okay now? You’re friends again?”



“At least enough to cooperate on this.”



“You really hit him, then? Or was that part of the plan?”



“I hit him, and then we came up with the plan. You’re the only one who can see what I presume is a fat lip.”



“Owen! You didn’t have to do that.”



He flexed his right hand. “Yes, I did. He promised me that you were off-limits, and I promised what I’d do if he broke that promise. He wasn’t supposed to ask you out, and the spell wouldn’t have been a factor if he’d kept that promise.”



“What were you doing making him make that promise?” I asked, hardly daring hope it meant he had any interest in me.



“You’ve seen the way he is with women. We agreed that you weren’t a candidate to be one of his conquests.”



“He needs professional help. Seriously.”



“Tell me about it. Now it’s almost time for act two.”



“What’s act two?”



He gestured behind me, and I turned to see Merlin appear at the top of the stairs. “Ladies and gentlebeings,” the ancient wizard boomed in a voice that seemed too strong to come from someone so old and seemingly fragile.



“Oh, act two,” I said, nodding with realization. “And you’re not going to tell him what’s going on?”



“We didn’t have enough evidence going in to say anything, and now we don’t have time. Come on.” With his arm still around my waist, he tugged me toward the front of the crowd that was forming at the foot of the stairs. The instruments stopped playing and hung suspended and still in midair. Ari and Idris were also near the front of the crowd. Rod wasn’t too far from them. I still hadn’t spotted Ethan or Trix.



Once he had everyone’s attention, Merlin began speaking. “This is my first such celebration to share with all of you, and I deem it a great honor to do so,” he said. “We are facing troubled times, but I believe we can prevail if we face them together, if we remember the purpose behind this company and the role it plays in the magical world.”



I knew I should have been paying attention to my boss, but I couldn’t help watching Idris. He rolled his eyes and made mocking expressions, which I presumed were covered by the illusion he wore.



Merlin continued, “In recent weeks, we’ve been forced to focus inward due to the disloyalty of one of our own. I believe we’ve moved past that now and can work together toward our common goal. The perpetrator will be caught, and we will protect ourselves from the forces of chaos who seek to undermine us.”



Now I noticed that Rod was looking right at us. “Showtime,” Owen whispered. “Watch my back.” He released my waist, and I felt the tingle of powerful magic building near me. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end, and there was an audible zap followed by a gasp from the crowd.



Merlin froze, then he dropped any pretense of being a kindly elder statesman. “You,” he said, his voice a whisper, but one that cut through the silence like a knife.



Only then did Idris apparently realize he’d been exposed. He glanced over his shoulder, like he was looking for an exit, and panic washed over his features when he found his way blocked by the entire workforce of MSI. Only then did he assume the cocky pose that was so familiar to those of us who’d faced him in the last battle we’d fought.



At that, Owen stepped in front of me. The crowd between Owen and Idris took a collective stride backward, leaving the space clear between them. Merlin made his way slowly down the stairs.



“Nice trick,” Idris said to Owen.



“Thank you,” Owen replied, sounding calm and casual.



“How’d you know it was me?”



“You give off an unmistakable odor.” Muffled laughter rippled through the crowd.



Idris crossed his arms over his chest and looked up at Merlin. “So, what are you going to do about it, old man? I’m here as an invited guest. That’s not against the law. Or are you going to get your pet lawyer to file for a restraining order? Where is your lawyer, anyway? I haven’t seen him here tonight.”



Ethan wasn’t my favorite person in the world at the moment, but that didn’t mean I wanted to see something bad happen to him, so I immediately became worried.



“Whose guest are you?” Merlin asked.