Kester nodded. “Good. Just don’t tell him why we want to go. Oberon’s is supposed to be used for pure pleasure only. If he invites any trouble inside, he’ll be banned for life.”
She bent down, snatching her purse from the floor. “Don’t worry. I’ll use my silky charm.” She pulled out her mobile phone, and dialed Luis’s number. He picked up on the third ring. In the background she could hear “Girl, You Got a Magic Body” playing.
“Hi, Luis. This is Ursula. You, um, cut my hair recently.”
“Mmm. Ginger. You want a scalp massage?”
“Actually, I was wondering if you’re going to Oberon’s tonight? I heard you talking about it with Zee when you were doing that amazing thing to my scalp. And, well, I just wanted to try it out. I’ve heard it’s the best place to enjoy yourself.”
“I wasn’t planning on going. But for you, I could change my plans.”
“Ooh, that’s wonderful.” She let her voice drip with honey. “And Kester will be with me.”
“Oh,” he said flatly. “They won’t want the Headsman inside.”
“I’ll let you touch my hair,” she blurted. “It’s important. I mean, it’s important that I enjoy myself.” Lure him in, Ursula, like a master. “And it’s important that my hair… enjoys itself… with your fingers on it. You can smell it.” Bollocks.
“Mmmm.” She heard him take a long breath through his nose. “Yes. Let me get dressed. You’ll be on the list under Kester’s name. Peele. I’ll tell them to make an exception for tonight, and the wards will be lifted for both of you. Your hair will get to enjoy itself with my hands all night.” He hung up with a click.
She grimaced at what she’d just agreed to.
Kester was staring at her. “That was your silky charm?”
She scowled. “Hey. It worked. I’m getting us into Oberon’s, which is more than you could do. Let’s go.” She was charged up with Emerazel’s fire, and her body burned with power.
“Not so fast. We have some preparation to do first.” He looked down at her blood-soaked dress. “Staring with getting you out of that gown.”
She arched an eyebrow. If Zee’s unconscious body weren’t a few feet away putting a damper on things, that statement might have made her blush. “And what did you have in mind?”
“Fae fashion is extremely opulent.” He walked around her, his gaze sliding down her body. “I think I know just the right look for you.”
She crossed her arms. “You’re going to dress me?”
Before she’d even got the words out, he was chanting in his magical language, and his magic caressed her skin. Her dress began to transform, the grey silk taking on a stunning grass-green hue. It floated around her legs as if on a vernal wind, the delicate fabric skimming over her thighs. Two long slits inched up the front while her neckline plunged. Gold vines snaked around her waist to just below her breasts, holding the stunning fabric in place. Silver bracelets appeared on her wrists, and a warm, white fur jacket appeared in his hands. With a graceful flourish he placed the jacket on her shoulders.
Staring at his creation, he ran a finger over his lower lip. “Now you look perfect.”
She glanced down at her ensemble. “I didn’t have you pegged as a clothing designer.”
“There’s very little I’m not good at.”
She nearly pulled a muscle rolling her eyes.
Chapter 28
He turned to one of his bookcases and began retrieving magazines from a shelf and tossing them onto the floor. Each featured a boat on the cover, and had titles like All Things Sailing and Anchors Away.
She narrowed her eyes. “Is there some sort of nautical solution to Zee’s missing soul?”
He leaned over, staring into the shelf. “I need to consult my grimoires. We need to conjure a protective ward to prevent the incubus from using his shadow magic on us.”
“You know when a magical ward would have been helpful? When I was at the opera.” She stepped closer, peering over his shoulder. The magazines had hidden a metal button, and Kester pushed it. Something clicked loudly, and a nearby bookcase swung forward on a hinge, creaking over the floor. On the back of the bookshelf was a small collection of swords and knives, but the real treasure seemed to be a hidden alcove in the wall, that glowed with that magical amber light. As she peered over his shoulder, she saw that the light protected a small collection of books, just like the ones in the Plaza apartment.
“I’m going to need your help in a minute.”
That was something she’d never thought she’d hear him say. “What do I need to do?”
He glanced at her. “A ward spell derives its strength from the souls of the people who create it. Magic is always more powerful when there are multiple spell-casters. If we cast one together, it will be doubly strong.”
“And we’ll be reading from one of those books?”