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“That does sound like it might be the attitude we’re dealing with here. Even if we don’t find a specific person, this helps me put together a profile.”
He grinned. “Look at you, sounding like a proper investigator.”
“More like someone who’s watched too many crime shows. I’m just trying to figure out what kind of person might be behind this, and that will help us know better how to deal with it.” I shrugged. “Or maybe I’m wrong and it really is someone who thinks magic is evil and wants to wipe it out. Either way, it needs to be stopped.”
“I’ll let you know what I come up with. In the meantime, are you doing anything Saturday?”
“Not anything in particular.”
“Good, because there’s one last band I want you to consider for the wedding, and you won’t even have to make it a late night. They’re playing at a neighborhood festival, so we can go in the afternoon. It’ll be fun—music, food on a stick, a nice spring day.”
“I thought we needed a magical band.”
“They are magical, but they also play mundane gigs.”
“So no elf music?”
“Not with this group. You’re right, that would probably be a bad idea at a wedding.”
“I guess I’m in for the festival. Have you told Owen to put it on his calendar? You might have to drag him away from work.”
“Leave it to me. And you can bring the whole gang, even your roommate who doesn’t know about magic. This should be a totally aboveboard ordinary event.”
“And the magic words—no pun intended—are ‘should be.’ You do realize you’ve just jinxed us, don’t you?”
“You pointing that out may unjinx us, so we’re good.”
I’d kind of hoped Nita would be working Saturday afternoon. In spite of Rod’s assurances that this would be a totally normal event that just happened to involve a band made up of wizards, I was worried about bringing along someone who wasn’t in on the secret. But she was free and eager to join us. That meant I had to warn the others that she only knew about the normal wedding back home, not the magical one in the city, so we couldn’t talk about hiring the band for the wedding.
It was getting to the point I needed a chart to remind me who I could talk to about what, and I hated it.
On the other hand, Nita’s presence would keep the subject of my current investigation from coming up, so I wouldn’t have to hide anything from Owen.
I hated that, too. I was basically an honest person, but my job required me to lie to so many people I cared about.
As Rod had promised, the weather was pleasant, warm and sunny, and when we reached the barricaded streets where the festival was being held, it looked like the rest of the city had the same idea we’d had. The place was packed, with barely any room to move between booths. I could hear music in the distance. Meanwhile, the smell of beer and roasting meats filled the air.
Rod led us through the throng toward the stage where the band we were there to see was playing. “One of these guys is an old friend of mine,” he said, in what I was sure was the truth but also an explanation for Nita’s sake.
“Oh, you know the band?” she said, her eyes lighting up.
“Yeah. But don’t get too excited. We’re not talking glamour here. They just play local clubs and festivals.” With a glance at me, he added, “This is their last booking for nearly a month.” Which meant they were available for our wedding date. I knew I should have chosen a band sooner, but I hadn’t been able to do much wedding planning while I was undercover with the Collegium and, I had to admit, I’d been hoping to avoid having the kind of wedding reception where there would be a band.
“Hey, it’s more exciting than anything back where I’m from,” Nita said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a band play when I knew someone who knew them. Well, other than the marching band in high school, but that doesn’t count because I was in it.”
“Wait until you hear them before you start playing groupie,” Rod said with a grin. That wasn’t encouraging. Maybe there was a reason they were available on such short notice.
I kept a lookout for familiar faces. A magical band would draw a magical audience, so there was a good chance I’d run into someone from work, and there was an equally good chance that it might draw some of the anti-magic forces, especially if they were actually fronts for magical groups.
Right away, I spotted one person I knew and immediately ducked behind Owen. “Ugh, not here, please,” I muttered.
“What is it?” Nita asked.
“An old boss.”
“Which one?” Owen asked.
“The one who turns into a monster when riled,” I said and, for once, I meant it metaphorically.
