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Her dad looks at us in the rearview mirror and scoffs. “You shouldn’t be afraid to indulge yourselves every now and then. All this constant talk about figures and diets...” He shakes his head. “Be proud of the way you are.”
We arrive in front of a large, brightly lit building. It’s illuminated with floodlights; lanterns line the path to the entrance, and there are lots of gorgeous flower arrangements in ornate vases. You can see at first glance that no expense has been spared. A red carpet shows the way inside, and a few very stylishly dressed people are sauntering up it. Kate’s dad stops the car, climbs out, and hands the keys to a valet so that he can park the car. Then he opens our doors for us, and we follow him into the building. I feel like I’m at a major film award ceremony. Everywhere I look there are people in expensive looking eveningwear. Diamonds, rubies, and gold watches vie for attention. The women’s makeup is immaculate, and they’re wearing the kinds of hairdos that must have taken stylists hours to perfect. With my hair down and only a little subtle eye makeup, I can’t compete, but I feel great in this amazing dress, and I’m excited to see what the evening will bring.
We leave our jackets at the coat check and head to the main hall. There’s a stage at the far end with a podium. It’s lit bya couple of spotlights. I wonder who’s going to speak tonight. The hall is set up with a vast number of tables and chairs, and some are already occupied. Crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling and give off an exquisite light. Soft music drifts through the room, contributing to the enchanting atmosphere. Although I don’t really like Kate’s mom, I have to give her and the other committee members credit for the amazing job they’ve done here.
“I’ll go find your mother. Feel free to take a look around or you can go sit at our table.” He gives us a wink of encouragement and then weaves his way through the crowd.
“Come on. Let’s go and find a waiter. There are usually some appetizers at the start,” Kate suggests, and we begin to roam through the crowd.
We soon find a waiter serving appetizers on a silver platter. I try a small pastry. It tastes amazing, and I wish I could take another, but the waiter has already moved on and disappeared in the crowd. We find someone else serving aperitifs.
“It’s not too bad so far,” I admit, gazing out across the crowd. The hall is filling up, and I wonder how many of the guests are Tempes. I see no key spirits, but that’s not surprising. Most of the Tempes prefer to keep their spirits out of sight. Nor can I see Yoru or Gray anywhere. As the majority of guests are ordinary people, they’re keeping themselves out of sight somewhere.
“Teresa?” I hear a voice say.
I quickly turn around and spot a familiar person standing with a small group. I’m surprised and pleased to see Charles here. He walks away from his group and comes to join us.
“Teresa, how lovely to see you.”
“Yeah, my friend Kate invited me,” I explain. “Her mom is one of the organizers.”
“Delighted to meet you,” he says to Kate, kissing her hand. Somehow, the gesture suits Charles, even if it’s a little old-fashioned. “Your mother and her people have done a wonderful job here. Everyone’s so full of praise for the enchanting decor.”
“Thanks. I’ll pass that on.”
“I didn’t know the organizer was a Tempes too. And I thought I knew pretty much all the Tempes in this time zone,” he says, scanning the crowd with a far-off look in his eyes.
“I don’t know about the rest of the committee, but my mother’s no Tempes. She doesn’t know about the key carriers.”
Charles nods thoughtfully. “It’s never easy when your family members are outsiders.” He looks at me and continues. “It must be difficult not being able to tell your mother. She’s lovely. I could tell when I visited how close you two are.”
I nod, unsure what to say. But he’s right.
He puts a comforting hand on my shoulder. “Anyway, let’s not dwell on gloomy thoughts. Have you spoken to any of the Tempes yet? It never hurts to network a little, and you’d be surprised how many of us are here.”
“To be honest, we don’t know anyone,” Kate admits.
“Well, we can soon change that. There are a couple of people I absolutely have to introduce you to.”
He leads us through the crowd, occasionally craning his neck, and then makes a beeline for a small group. A shortish older man is speaking, and the others seem to be hanging off his every word. He’s immaculately groomed, has radiant blue eyes, and his short snow-white hair is neatly combed back.
“Mr. Cunningham,” Charles interrupts, greeting him with a broad smile. “It’s great to see you here. It’s been a while.”
A small crease appears momentarily between the little man’s bushy eyebrows as if trying he’s to recall the name of the person in front of him. But he doesn’t let it interrupt his flow. He extends his hand without hesitation.
“Charles Ackles, am I right? Good to see you too. How are you enjoying the evening?”
Charles nods. I’m astonished how quickly Mr. Cunningham was able to recover from the brief memory lapse. The man is clearly well practiced, and it’s no wonder because if I’m not mistaken, I’m looking at the head of the Cunningham family. They’re the most influential family in the Tempes world.
“Allow me to introduce Teresa Franklin. Her great aunt Frida Mitchell was a hunter and a close friend of mine. And this is Kate. Her mother is on the committee that organized this enchanting event.”
Mr. Cunningham raises his eyebrows slightly and scrutinizes me. “Is that so? Frida Mitchell, you say?” His voice cools slightly – or am I imagining it? But then the warm smile returns to his face, and he shakes my hand. “Very pleased to meet you.”
I can tell by the way he looks at me that I’m not completely unknown to him – which makes sense because one of the Cunninghams was at my debriefing after Chloe’s death. And I know the school principal has to keep the Council informed of everything that happens. So it’s only natural that he would have heard my name at some point.
“Kate, your mother has a wonderful eye. We’re all very impressed. And I hear you’ve recently joined the Tempes too? That’s wonderful. We can always use more young talent.”
“I do my best,” says Kate.
