I smiled. “Eighteen karat.” The ring should have either never tarnished or taken years to do so.
“Huh. You’re right. That is weird. I’ll make some calls tomorrow.” She turned to go.
“Just a moment, Henri,” I said mildly.
Her shoulders stiffened, but she looked back. “Yes, Lord?”
“Where are all of Sarah’s clothes?”
Henri blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Sarah went to the closet only to see my clothes there. Hers are gone without a trace.”
The small shifter swallowed hard. “Lots of odd things happening today, it seems.”
“Indeed,” I agreed.
“I’ll ask around. Someone’s probably playing a silly prank.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“Thank you.”
Henrietta dipped her head and hurried away before I could pin her down with any more questions.
Instead of going back into the bedroom, I went through the other door leading into my bathroom and went straight to the extra closet Sarah and I shared. She had a ton of shoes that wouldn’t fit in the other closet, so I’d cleaned this one out some time ago for her to use. Sarah left the door cracked, and when I opened it, the smell of disuse tickled my nose.
I flicked the light on to double check that maybe she hadn’t put them somewhere else and forgot, but empty space greeted me. Not a stray box to be found.
How had I not noticed this?
Better yet, how had I missed an entire house being built?
I scrubbed my hand over my face and turned the light out. Something hinky was going on.
And a growing awful feeling in the pit of my stomach told me it was related to Sarah.
Chapter
Fifteen
“We should pay the bill,” I slurred.
Ari pointed at me, her finger dipping as she struggled to hold it aloft. “Three-way split!” she announced and waved the server over.
“As long as someone else does the math!” Evie cried, grinning as she waved her drink at me.
We’d all lost count of how many drinks we’d consumed, thanks to the handsome owner sending them over every time he saw an inch dip in the liquid in our glasses. The man was diabolical.
The server hurried over. Ari waved her card at him. “Three-way split for me and my gorgeous friends here.”
He glanced over his shoulder and when he looked back at Ari, he inclined his head. “I’m sorry, Miss Ari. I’ve been informed your money is no good here.”
Ari blinked. “’Scuse me?”
Evie started chuckling. “What about ours?”
He looked over his shoulder again. “Err. Consider tonight’s celebration a gift welcoming Emberwood’s Lady and her friends.”
Evie’s eyes narrowed. “Was the gift from that ridiculously good-looking man behind the bar? The one standing in the shadows and pretending we can’t see him?”
