Page 5 of Christmas Magic

“I didn’t mean to ruin them.” Molly shrugged. “I still have a lot to learn about magic.”

“All the more reason for us to be vigilant,” the squire said firmly. “It would only take a moment; one oversight, one instant, when we’d let our guard slip, for something bad—”

“Okay. Enough, Galahad. Molly’s doing her best.” As though attuned her dismay, Lucian squeezed her with his arms. “Mistakes are part of learning. You’re making good progress with your lessons.”

“Galahad’s just grouchy. He needs a longer nap,” Marigold said.

“Or a hobby,” Daisy mewled. “Origami, maybe?”

The squire grumbled. “Why does no one take my concerns seriously?”

“We do,” Lucian said, “but right now, things are quiet in Cat’s Paw Cove. The magic detecting equipment hasn’t found any significant anomalies for a while.”

“There’s still the special collection.”

Molly’s gaze went toward the back of the store, to the shelves filled with tagged and catalogued antiques tainted with dark magic. William and Lucian had told her about each item, including the box that held the desiccated pinkie of a former trapeze artist for the Ringling Brothers Circus; the Ancient Egyptian scarab beetle purchased in the 1920s by a late Sanford resident during a visit to the Valley of the Kings; and the hand-painted Wagner plate depicting a beautiful woman who cried at changes in barometric pressure, because the plate’s former owner had been killed in a hurricane.

Due to the dangerous power of the antiques, they were locked away behind spells that made them invisible to non-magical visitors to the store. The barrier spells also prevented the dark energy from influencing anything—or anyone—in the normal world.

“The special collection is secure,” Lucian said. “As far as I’m aware, no Dealers are in town. As I said, things are quiet—which is good.”

Molly eased out of Lucian’s embrace and smiled at him. “No reason why we can’t finish decorating the store, then.”

He sighed. “I guess not.”

She chuckled. “Not a whole lot can happen with a stepladder, tape, and garland.”

“Really?” Her fiancé’s tone implied that he could, indeed, find ways to get into trouble.

Ignoring the saucy gleam in his eyes, she gestured to the front window. “You have a quest to complete, Lucian. Better get to it.”

Lucian headed for the stepladder.

“I almost forgot! I brought Christmas music to listen to while we decorate.”

Glancing back, he caught Molly’s grin as she drew several CDs out of her purse.

He silently groaned. She must have snuck them in before they’d left the house together that morning. “You brought those from home?”

“Yep. They’re my favorites from my collection.”

He really didn’t care for Christmas songs. However, it would add to the festive atmosphere and customers would probably enjoy listening to the tunes while browsing the shop. From a marketing perspective, it might encourage purchases, too.

As he reached the ladder, Molly’s heels clicked on the wood floor, and he envisioned her nearing his grandfather’s rather antiquated sound system. A moment later, a piano rendition of “Deck the Halls”played in the store.

“Deck the halls?” the squire yowled. “Very funny.”

“Don’t be so ‘Bah humbug,’” Daisy mewled.

“You could sing along, Galahad,” Molly said with a chuckle.

Partway up the ladder, Lucian reached for the trailing end of the garland. “Please don’t encourage Galahad to sing.”

“Hey! I can sing. Pretty well, actually.”

“Non-Magical folks will only hear a wailing cat,” Lucian reminded him.

“Or wailing cats. Plural,” Petunia said. “Why don’t we all join in the singing?”