Startled, I looked up to see Esmara standing there by the table. You’re right. How many times do I check the box and not bother reading the fine print?
And on that disturbing note, I carried the ornaments into the living room.
Chapter Fourteen
Since Killian and Tally were coming over at noon to help, I decided to bake an apple pie. I also needed to clean house, but that could wait till we were done. Sitting at the table, I peeled the apples, then sliced them, sprinkled them with lemon juice, and set them aside, in a bowl. After unboxing the frozen crusts—I realized I didn’t have the time or desire to make a homemade one, despite my earlier plans—I mixed the sugar and cinnamon with the apples, along with some corn starch, then spread them evenly in the pan and crimped the edges to seal the top crust. After poking holes in the top, I popped it into the oven. After cleaning the dishes, I glanced at the clock. Eleven-fifteen.
Ding!
Sure enough, my phone blew up with a flutter of texts, all from Sheryl, all encouraging me not to forget about Majikoil, that she’d love to have me on board. I stared at her messages, feeling the desperate pull from them. There was more going on here than greed.
i think ari and i are ready to join. we took out loans for the buy-in fee. we’re both swamped today but i’ll get back to you about when we’ll meet to sign the paperwork.
tomorrow would be fine—any time this week. i never take a day off.
we’re busy for thanksgiving but we’ll be in touch then next day or so.
She sent a couple more texts, to which I simply replied with a smile emoji and she finally backed off. The woman was as bad as Ellison and annoyed the hell out of me.
I shook off the feeling and turned on the TV, then slid in the DVD of Men in Black. It was a tradition of mine to watch the movie when I decorated my tree. For one thing, it was usually on TV during Thanksgiving week. Somehow, the timing had always coincided when I was trimming the tree. For another, I loved the movie and the combo of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones was a dream pairing.
Time to tackle the tree, which I had stored in the garage last year. Instead of taking it apart, I had left it together, stripped it of its ornaments, folded the branches up, and then used a tree bag to cover it up to keep dust, bugs, and spiders out of it. Keeping the tree assembled cut down on the wear and tear on the branches. I walked it over to the porch, bumped it up the steps, one step at a time, and then wrestled it over to the door. Since the tree was taller than the door, I lowered it to the ground and wiggled it through the door into the living room, then dropped to the floor beside it. It wasn’t super heavy and luckily, I wasn’t that short, but it wasn’t as simple as carrying a box. It still beat having to put it together every year.
“I should have waited for Killian,” I muttered, and even though I was sweaty and damp from the rain, I was proud of myself for managing the job without help. I picked myself up, then levered the tree upright again and onto a square of cardboard, then slid it across the floor without scratching the hardwoods.
“That’s perfect,” I said, standing back. It was against the wall where the living room transitioned into the dining room, so you could see it from all angles. I unzipped the bag and bunched it down near the base, creating a slope over which I tied the red velvet tree skirt. It gave the tree skirt a three-dimensional look. Before Xi and Klaus could burrow beneath it and cause havoc, I weighted down the skirt with several large crystals.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Will Smith staring out over the endless array of doors in the MIB headquarters as I began unfolding the branches, fluffing them out. I was most of the way through preparing the tree for the ornaments when I glanced out the bay window onto the porch and saw Killian and Tally crossing to the door.
“Come in,” I called, and they burst through, arms filled with bags.
Killian set all of his on the sofa and swept me into his arms, kissing me first on the lips, then on my nose. “Hey, love, how are you doing? I see you managed the tree by yourself. I wish you would have let me help you.”
“It wasn’t that hard,” I said. “Besides, I wanted to get started.”
“So, how goes the big investigation?” he asked, taking the box of ornaments from me and holding them so I could access them easier.
“I talked to Rowan and she’s going to bring over checks for our buy-in. We have to catch Sheryl in the act of promising we’ll make money through recruiting others, or the Court Magika can’t do much about her.”
“So you have to go through with it?” Killian looked appalled.
“No,” I said. “But I want to.” Pausing, I added, “Killian, she’s stealing energy from people with false promises. I don’t like that. Neither does Ari.” I frowned. “You know, I don’t want to talk about this right now. Let’s decorate the tree and focus on happier things, like the Winter Cotillion. Should I assume you are taking me?”
Killian snorted. “Well, I have the feeling if I said no, I’d be in big trouble. Of course I’m taking you, goose.” He kissed me again as I finished hanging the ornaments from the box. “Now, where do you want Tally and me to start?”
“Maybe you can start by hanging the garlands? Around the living room and dining room next to the ceiling—scallop them—and then hang a garland on the wall up the stairwell, again scalloping it. There’s also a bag marked ‘railing’—that garland wraps around the staircase railing.”
Tally was wandering around the main floor. “I love how you renovated the place.”
“Thanks!” I said. “I also enlarged my closet in my bedroom, upgraded the en suite, and once we found the secret basement—I’m sure Killian told you all about that—I had the contractor patch the drywall, paint it, re-do the floors, and make it into a magical studio for me. Next, I plan on asking him to replace the floor-to-ceiling window in this room with a set of French doors or a sliding glass door.”
“Well, the main floor flows so much better now. So what should I start on?” She examined one of the ornaments I had already hung on the tree.
“Why don’t you help me with the decorations.” I motioned to the stack of cardboard boxes that held shimmering balls, all in gold, silver, and blue. “Start with those, and don’t bother saving the boxes they’re in. I bought some storage tubs so when I take down the tree, I’ll store them in those instead of the original packaging.”
We worked in unison, watching the rest of the movie as we decorated. Everything felt comfortable and Tally seemed to be enjoying herself. Finally, as Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones wrapped up the case, I turned the volume down and motioned to Tally and Killian.
“Let’s stop for lunch. I’m hungry.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Killian had finished all the garlands and was now hanging lights along the ceiling, tucking the strands in with the garland so the cords weren’t visible.
Tally followed us into the kitchen, but as I looked at her, I sensed something different. I couldn’t pinpoint it, but there was something extra about her. I sidled over to her. “You okay?” I asked, lowering my voice.
But regardless of my whisper, Killian still heard me. “What’s that? Is something wrong with you, sis?”