AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Over the main hall, candle lit chandeliers gave off a warm glow. Delphine and Tripp had been practicing to get the spell right. A quartet played music and the guests danced and laughed. There were refreshments near the cafe, and tall tables scattered near it for guests to mingle.
“It’s amazing,” Delphine said.
Tripp nodded. “We did a good job with the chandeliers.”
Delphine swatted him. “Not just the lights, but the music and the refreshments and the costumes. It’s perfect.”
“It is,” I said with a grin. “Would you like to dance with me?”
She grinned. “Yes.”
The other guys looked disgruntled, and I shot them a triumphant grin. I swirled Delphine into the dance. It wasn’t as fancy as a waltz, because we couldn’t be sure everyone knew the steps, but a simplified version that the guests picked up very quickly. I had never seen Delphine so happy.
“You look so beautiful tonight,” I said.
“And you look so handsome.”
“Thank you for coming into our life, Delphine,” I said. “I never realized how bereft we were without you before.”
“I love you too, Roman.”
Then she fanned herself, and my brother was at her elbow. “Can I get you a drink?”
“Yes, Levi, that’d be wonderful.” She followed him off the floor to the refreshment tables.
“You know each of us is going to try to get her alone tonight,” Hudson said, coming up next to me. “Just so we can hear her say those words again to us.”
“She will,” I said, “because she really does love us all.”
“And we love her,” Tripp said gruffly beside me. “She truly has changed our lives for the better. It almost makes me grateful to Lambert.”
Hudson laughed. “Nope, give your thanks to Dolly and her magic collar. Better yet, give your thanks to me for coming up with the Adopt a Creature campaign.”
“Thank you, Hudson,” I said seriously.
Tripp rolled his eyes at me. “Don’t encourage him.”
“You’re very welcome,” Hudson said, bowing.
I watched Delphine at the refreshments table as she was talking to a strawberry blonde woman in a pretty emerald gown.
Delphine
“Oh my god,” I said, biting into a cinnamon roll.
“Yes?” Tripp whispered near my ear. “You called?”
I went to lean back into him, but he was across the room. He’d just thrown his voice. Brat.
I surveyed my next pick from the refreshments table. The set up was gorgeous, set up with snacks from all the best restaurants in town, and not just the usual fancy dress ball finger food. In my focus, I nearly bumped into a strawberry blonde woman who was staring toward the penguin enclosure.
Frowning, I looked but I didn’t see anything.
“Excuse me,” I said with a smile. “I’m Delphine and I work here at the aquarium.” Damn, it felt good saying that. “Is there something the matter?”
She turned toward me. “I’m Raven,” she said, with another glance toward the penguins. “I’m afraid my …er.. former familiar is harassing your penguins. He doesn’t seem to like them very much.”
“No worries,” I said. “If it bothers them, they’ll just disappear back through their portal. You know about how the aquarium is set up?”
