“You’ve never told me what’s underneath that purple cloth,” Winnie says.
“Something that should not be discussed or disturbed underanycircumstances,” Dora says with finality.
“Remember the last time we used it?” Celeste wrings her hands, her cupcake earrings swinging wildly. “I still have nightmares.”
“Thefoxgloves.” Beth wraps her arms around herself.
“Thesquirrels.” Maisie shudders.
“It’s why we keep it here,” Mina reminds everyone. “The bookshop is one of the few places in Argleton that has magic literally flowing in the pipes. It will keep the blasted thing safe from the wrong sorts of people andussafe fromit.”
“Fine.” Isis pouts. “I’m just saying that we have other tools at our disposal.”
“Let’s save that one for when we’re desperate,” Beth says quickly. “And we’re not desperate yet. So far, the killer seems to have gone into hibernation.”
“Besides, you’re magical, aren’t you, Isis?” Komal says gently. “We don’t need that when we have you.”
I roll my eyes. Isis is as magical as a cinder block.
Isis’s lip wobbles, but she shores up and breaks into a smile. “Exactly. If we need magic to help us, I can make that happen. But we’re not there yet.”
“Arabella, you keep leaning on Gideon, doing whatever you can to get more information from him,” Maisie says.
“Yeah, Arabella.” Komal nudges me. “You’ve got to digdeep, pumphim for information, positivelydeep throatall his facts.”
“And see if you and Winnie can talk to some of the staff,” Mina adds, ignoring Komal’s nonsense.
“That’s not going to work. Everyone on the estate is an insufferable snob,” I sigh. “Present company included. They’ll be suspicious if a member of Sanctus starts asking them about their lives.”
“Good point.” Mina rubs her chin. “I know! Several of us are invited to the opening of Gideon’s Midnight Garden next week—”
“For our sins,” Winnie moans. “I’m drowning under broken sculptures and marble dust. Which reminds me. Celeste – Gideon’s secretary wants to talk to you about catering for the human guests.”
Celeste’s face goes white. “For the vampire party? Um… I don’t know, it’s short notice—”
“You once made a three-tier cake shaped like Jason Momoa in forty-five minutes for Mrs Ellis’s seventieth birthday,” Dora reminds her. “You’ve got this.”
“And Gideon will pay well,” Winnie smiles. “Arabella’s made sure of that.”
“It’s perfect!” Mina claps her hands. “Celeste is doing the food, Maisie is covering it for the paper, I’m there as Quoth’s guest, Winnie’s there with Alaric, and Arabella will be with her friends. We’ll use the gala to talk to the staff and sniff out some secrets. With so many of us, we’re bound to uncover something. Arabella shouldn’t have to do all the work on this case.”
I nod. “For once, we are in perfect agreement.”
As the others chime in with ideas and theories, Celeste slumps down in her seat, her face miserable. I recall that Celeste had gone to her mother’s house during Alaric’s ball. Is shedeliberatelyavoiding being around my kin?
For the first time, I look at my friend in a new light. I know Celeste has secrets, and no one respects her right to privacy more than me. But does Celeste know something she’s not telling us?
I try to catch up with Celeste after the meeting, but she practically flees for the door before Mina has even finished wrapping up her plot summary of this week’s book.
“Thank you again, Arabella, O Magnificent One.” Maisie grins at me, but thankfully, she and her duck don’t try to hug me again. “I’ll see you at the auditions on Saturday.”
“We’ll see you there, too!” Isis waves as she drags a protesting Dora towards the door. “We’re going to practise now.”
“You’ll need all the practice you can get because I won’t be playing favourites.”
“Don’t worry. You will tremble before our talent and sheer audacity!”
“Exactly,” Dora mumbles. “Behold our brilliance and despair.”
