I wasn’t going to tell them more about Gabe. Not yet.
Plus, I only had thirty days to decide if I was going to stay and let these people get to know me better. And I was, at the very least, Brianne’s boss and Lauren’s business partner. I didn’t understand fully, but it sounded like Ethan had more information to share with me. The last thing I wanted was their pity.
And I was tired of wallowing under it myself.
“I’ll be okay, guys. I’m tougher than I look.” As soon as I said it, my throat cleared and some of the tightness in my heart dissipated. That was usually a sign I believed what I was saying. Well, that was good to know. “I promise, you don’t have to feel sorry for me. Let’s get this board meeting started, already!”
They instantly sat up straighter. Ethan opened his mouth as if to say something, and Lauren fiddled with her blank pieces of paper. Then, somewhere in the house, a clock began to chime.
I’d not seen a clock or heard any other hour be announced. Each chime echoed like a gong, rattling our water glasses and sending picture frames on the wall askew. It was loud, but not in a way that hurt my ears or felt unbearable. The chimes had an otherworldly tone to them, a sound I couldn’t quite place but knew I’d heard before.
With each bong, something inside me shifted, like a power rising to the surface. My toes and fingers tingled with it, and a vibration rolled up my arms and legs, centering in my stomach. For just a moment, I thought I’d lifted off my chair.
My world tilted sideways. The room swirled with magic. Which I would have believed was a ridiculous notion.
Until the Twins entered the room.
Because they were definitely not human.
CHAPTER 5
Ethereal beauty. That is what sprang to mind. They were a foot shorter than me, which was pretty unusual given my height. But their presence commanded attention. Their slight build reminded me of billowing wisps of grass, and they seemed to flow rather than walk into the room.
They barely cast a glance my way, greeting both Ethan and Lauren with warm hugs. One of them, her hair like metallic green mint, waggled her fingers toward Gumbo. The other tucked a strand of her long lavender locks behind ears that ended in a slight tip.
They glowed. Not just in a healthy skin or internal beauty kind of way. They literally glowed. The chairs at the tables pulled back to allow each of them to sit. Once they’d settled in, the chairs moved forward and closer together, as if they couldn’t be separated.
Then they turned to me and spoke simultaneously.
“You must be Simone.”
My mouth hung open. I lifted my hand to snap it shut, only to have it fall open again. I was having a stroke. This was a stroke or a nervous breakdown or… something. Something was wrong with me.
They rolled eyes the color of an orange creamsicle dipped in satin and pursed their perfect, full lips. They turned to Brianne. She murmured something to them. They nodded in unison, then one of them spoke.
“Lydia Langley, Division Head for Magnolia Medspa.” Lydia lifted manicured eyebrows the same gentle purple as her hair. She crossed her arms and placed both hands on the pages in front of her.
“Lyra Langley, Division Head for Magnolia Salon.” Lyra’s fingernails matched the mint of her hair. She repeated the crossed-arm gesture.
“Lauren Whitaker, Division Head for Magnolia Physical Therapy.” Lauren cast an unsure smile in my direction. Then she, too, crossed her arms and placed both hands on the stack of blank pages in front of her.
I’d always been a fan of roller coasters. Until now. My stomach was rising to meet my throat, but my body seemed to be sinking into the ground at a hundred miles per hour. I didn’t want to look around for fear I’d vomit, but out of the corner of my eyes, the walls appeared warped and shifted like funhouse mirrors.
I had no words. My mouth hung open like I was waiting on a momma bird to feed me. As I gaped around the table, the rest of the room continued the process, each time crossing arms then placing both hands on their booklets.
“Ethan Mosely, Lawyer pro tem for Magnolia Therapy and Wellness.”
“Brianne Steele, Operations Manager for Magnolia Therapy and Wellness.”
Gumbo’s giant blue bow had twirled around to land on his chest. He was on his back, playfully batting at it with his painted claws. Brianne cleared her throat, and he sat upright, curling his tail around his body.
“Gumbo, Ancient Archiver and Mystical Protector of Magnolia Therapy and Wellness.”
Gumbo’s voice didn’t sound ancient. He sounded like an adorably precocious little boy. Had he said…Pawtector?
He was a living representation of anI Can Hazkitten. Exactly what I’d picture the voice of a cat being if they could talk.
Which, of course, they couldn’t. Except Gumbo just had. He crossed his paws over the papers before him.
