Page 40 of Shift of Heart (Shifter Lords #1)

Chapter

Thirty-Four

I was pissed beyond words. Three weeks had passed since the incident in my store, and now here I was, inside Caelan’s Keep decorating the ballroom for a Council sponsored full moon event.

Supposedly the dinner was to support local businesses and raise money for town events and to beautify Joy Springs, but something about this event felt off.

For one, everyone was staring at me. I’d been here since the morning, and every shifter who’d passed by had stared at me so intently I felt like I had a booger up my nose or something.

Moira and Tess noticed, too. Ash had stayed back to man the shop, but he was also invited to attend the dinner and would be here at seven tonight.

I’d seen only one of the Shifter Lords since my arrival, and thankfully it was Rowan. He gave us a somber nod and passed by to murmur I should be on my best behavior because everyone was on edge.

Considering this was supposed to be a happy event celebrating the town, his words made my spine stiffen. If the Lords were antsy, that meant I should be antsy, right?

I cursed as the pin I was using to fasten one of the blooms onto the ribbon poked me in the pad of my thumb. The scent of blood rose in the air, and several pairs of shifter eyes snapped to me.

“Shit,” Moira said. She dug in her pocket for a liquid bandage and hurriedly applied it to my finger.

Within seconds, the smell of blood dissipated, but it was still on the ribbon.

Moira cut that part away and handed it to me for disposal.

I climbed off the ladder, shoved the ribbon into a potted plant, and instructed the bacteria in the soil to do its thing.

Within seconds, the ribbon was completely gone, my blood absorbed into the soil.

I’d have to ask Caelan if I could have the plant, but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.

He’d been disturbingly nice over the last few weeks, and that was more unnerving than anything else. I’d caught him looking at me a few times with pity, and that had disturbed me to my core.

Tess floated around the ballroom, commenting on the lack of ghosts. “I wonder if shifters eat everything when they kill people, including their souls?” she mused aloud.

Moira shook her head. “We shouldn’t ask questions we don’t want the answers to,” she muttered.

“But I do want the answer,” Tess insisted. “If they do devour their spirits, maybe we should create a shifter only assassination squad and have them target all the bad paranormal criminals so they won’t come back as poltergeists?”

Moira and I gave each other a look before the vampire shrugged. “That’s actually not a bad idea,” she muttered, making me laugh.

“We could call it Spirit Dogs,” I said.

Moira let out a cackle.

The sound of an amused throat clearing made me wince. I turned to see Simone in the doorway. She hadn’t been around much lately, so I waved happily when I spotted her.

“Ladies,” she said as she walked in. “How’s everything going?”

“Almost finished.” I pointed up at the ceiling. “We have a few more garlands to stream, and then I need to activate them.”

Simone grimaced. “No funny business this time, Evie.”

I crossed my heart. “No funny business. Scout’s honor.”

Simone rolled her eyes. “Were you actually a Scout?”

“Nope, but I’m using the spirit of the word and not the actual Scout oath.”

“Is there an oath?” Moira wondered aloud.

I shrugged. “I’m sure there is. Something inspiring about fidelity and tree trunks, probably.”

“Focus, ladies,” Simone warned. “We only have a few hours before catering has to come in and set up. Will you be finished by then?”

I nodded. “Yes, but I can’t be interrupted when I start activating spells, otherwise you might get a man-eating vine in place of a friendly, thornless climbing rose.”

Simone blanched. “Ah, yes. We can’t have that, can we?”

Moira huffed a laugh. “Is this a formal dinner?” she asked.

The Omega gave her a horrified stare. “You don’t have a dress yet?”

Moira jerked like she’d been shot. “A dress? No. I wouldn’t wear a dress to a funeral even if it was my mother in that box and it was her last wish.”

Simone blinked. “I—I’m not sure how to respond to that.”

“Focus.” I grinned at her. “Moira always looks fantastic. She has that vampire flair for fashion. It’s me you should worry about.”

Moira grimaced. “She is not wrong. Evie’s fashion tastes skew more Sunday hobo than sexy chic.”

The Omega cleared her throat. “About that…”

Foreboding skittered up my spine. My smile dropped. “Spit it out, Simone.”

To her credit, Simone looked uncomfortable. “The Lord left something for you. I’m to take you to it.”

“Does it bite?” I said flatly.

Simone sighed. “Honestly, Evie. Can you give him at least a little credit?”

At my flat look, she shook her head. “Follow me, then.”

Moira and I exchanged glances before I got up and dusted the clinging leaves from my hands. Simone led me down several hallways until we reached a room with two large double doors. She pushed one open and gestured me inside. I balked the second I stepped into the room.

A massive four-poster bed sat pushed against the back wall, covered in a satin bedspread the color of midnight. A large white box with the same color ribbon sat in the middle of the bed.

“It’s there,” Simone said, pointing at the box. “He’s instructed you to wear this to the event.”

One of my eyebrows rose. “Instructed?” I echoed, rage spiraling through my veins.

Simone shut the door behind us. “Evie.”

I turned at the urgency in her voice.

She came closer and took both of my hands in hers. “Listen carefully,” she whispered. “Something is going to happen tonight, and I believe you’re involved.”

“What is it?”

She shook her head. “Not even Caelan knows. Please wear this dress. I know you and the Lord have issues, but he has your best interests at heart. It is primed and may help you if there is an attack this evening.”

“Primed?” I questioned.

She lifted a shoulder in a helpless shrug. “I do not know. Caelan said you would know once you unpacked the dress.”

Curious, despite myself, I tugged the ribbon, watching it unspiral and fall away from the box. The lid lifted easily, exposing a mass of tissue paper. I folded the paper away, exposing a stunning ebony dress with hundreds, possibly thousands of multi-colored, hand embroidered flowers.

I let out a soft gasp and pulled the dress from the box.

It unfolded in a mass of satin. The dress’ neckline was straight across and strapless with a tightly cinched waist and voluminous skirt.

And though it would look spectacular on, that wasn’t what made me catch my breath.

My fingers trailed over the embroidery only to feel the faint hum of life in each meticulously crafted pistil inside the center of the flower.

“What in the world?” I breathed. Setting the dress carefully on the edge of the bed, I sent a tiny pulse of magic through one of the embroidered pistils only to feel an answering hum.

Concentrating, I sent my senses through the dress and felt thousands of answering pulses.

A brilliant smile broke onto my face even as tears filled my eyes.

Caelan had succeeded in finding the perfect gift and the perfect weapon for a Floromancer.

Each pistil possessed either a seed or a cutting of a dangerous plant, carefully preserved with a spell.

I sensed Water Hemlock, Belladonna, Oleander, flytraps, mundane thorned vines, Poison Ivy and oak, Castor beans, White Snakeroot, Rosary Peas, and others.

This dress, if worn by the right person, would be the deadliest thing in the room, even if said room was occupied by seven Shifter Lords.

Caelan was placing an insane amount of trust in me with this gift.

“Does it meet your approval?” Simone asked.

“I will wear the dress,” I said hoarsely.

“Good,” the Omega breathed. “I will leave you to it, Evie. Please be careful tonight.”

“Thank you,” I said, unable to take my eyes off the gown.

The door clicked shut behind me.

With more care than I showed most things, I carefully stowed the dress away, carrying the box from the room and into the ballroom.

After I placed it next to my purse, I took a more detailed look at the place we were decorating and realized someone had deliberately placed numerous heavy potted plants around the room.

Caelan expected tonight would go wrong and had given me a hefty advantage.

“Are you alright?” Moira asked quietly.

“Not here,” I whispered. “I’ll tell you when we head back to the shop.”

Moira nodded. “Then let’s hurry up and get out of here. I need to scrounge something together to wear for the dinner.”

I got back to work, even though my thoughts lingered on Caelan and his generosity, marveling at his clever gift.