Page 34 of Toadstools and Vampire Kisses

I grin mischievously at her. “For a late bloomer magically, you always did fight dirty. I do remember we both ended up stained boysenberry purple and sentenced to scrubbing the entire house from top to bottom.”

She shudders a little. “It was worth it since your hair stood up like Frankenstein’s bride for two weeks.”

“I thought my mother was going to have a heart attack when she saw me,” I chuckle. “Anyway, I’m free and thought it would be fun to hang out and give you a hand. Distract you from all your stress.”

She arches an eyebrow, and I roll my eyes sheepishly. “Okay, and distract me as well. Honestly, how exactly do I tell the entire coven that I’m with a vampire?”

“You’re asking me?” She laughs and shakes her head as she grabs a large roll of material and precedes over to the naked tables.

I trail after her and watch as, with a flick of her wrist, she snaps the material open, sending it hurtling over the surface of the table. The cloth dances in the air for a moment above the table before dropping down over it so neatly that I’m certain she used a bit of her magic to influence it.

“I have no idea,” she says frankly, glancing over at me from the corner of her eye. “When have you seen me introduce anyone to the family? Mom tried to set me up with someone from another coven who was supposedly from a powerful family line, but that didn’t go anywhere.” She lets out a snicker of laughter. “I mean, when does it ever? Something always chases them away.”

She looks accusingly at a space in the distance, and I glance over wondering who she is glaring at, but no one is there.

“Anyway,” she sighs, “I figure it’s like ripping off a band-aid. Just get it over quick, and preferably when your mother is in a good mood. You’re in luck because that is frequent since Adeon arrived—no matter what she tells you.” The corner of her mouth quirks. “But between the two of us, I suspect she’s trying to push you guys together.” She chuckles. “Hey, get me the crystal punch bowl from the crystal hutch, would you?”

I nod and leave the ballroom. The crystal hutch dominated one corner of the intimate family dining room, and though it is filled with all manner of plates and dishes, it takes me little time to locate the large punch bowl and carry it out to Eleanor. She gives me a relieved look when I hand it to her, and I see that while I was gone, she has acquired everything she needs to mix the punch together.

“I think you’re right,” I say to her. “About Mother, that is. It definitely felt like she was trying to set us up last night.”

Eleanor looks up from her work. “Did it work?”

I flush a little but give a quick nod that sets her off cackling again. “It’s more than that, though. This doesn’t just feel like attraction or a man looking for a good time. Ellie, he called me his mate,” I whisper.

Her eyes fly up to me in surprise. “Oh. OH!”

“Shh,” I hiss, and she gives me an apologetic look.

“Sorry, it’s just… wow, Fran. That is a big deal. Nonhumans love to date us and show us a good time, but matings don’t happen every day.”

“It’s a little fast,” I mutter, though some inner part of myself is thrilled at her words. It makes me feel special.

She laughs and twirls her finger above the punch, mixing the contents with a whirl of magic that rotates the fluid clockwise in a gentle spin. “Of course it’s fast. That’s how it is for them. The downside is that the relationships are intense, bordering on obsessive. It can be a lot for a human to understand and handle.”

I raise my eyebrows in surprise. “Wow, that is surprisingly informative. How do you know so much about this?”

“A friend,” she mumbles dismissively. “I believe the subject came up once or twice.”

I nod quietly. That makes sense. “Anyway, it is more the rest of the coven. As far as I know, we haven’t had any vampires coming into our inner fold and they’re only here as diplomatic guests. I’m not sure how comfortable everyone is going to be with it.”

Eleanor lifts a shoulder in a shrug. “That sounds like a ‘them’ problem, not a ‘you’ problem.” She gives me a pointed look. “Didn’t you move out to the woods to get away from all of the demands and craziness?”

I shift uncomfortably. “Yes, but I still have responsibilities and things that are expected of me.”

She snorts, her expression now scrutinizing as she peers over the table at me levelly. “Come on, Fran. We all know that you don’t want to become the next head of the coven. Everyone knows that. If you want to disappear into the woods with your vampire and stop by for the various Sabbats and holidays, no one is going to think less of you.”

I give her a wry smile. “You mean, no more than they already do.”

“Well, those who do can take a very short walk off a very tall cliff,” she replies. “You are exactly who you are meant to be, Fran. What’s great is that you’ve always known who that is. I’m kind of jealous of that. With that kind of self-awareness, I know you can fit a vampire into your life quite easily.” I give her a confused look, but she suddenly hurries out from around the table, all business once again. “Now come on. We need to fetch the rest of the crystal and get things set up before people start to arrive and begin to look for refreshments.”

Working by her side, we put everything together and are enjoying a cup of punch when the first group breaks away from the festivities and heads toward the tables. I feel increasingly frumpy as I look at all the other women wearing their best dresses. There’s nothing wrong with my dress exactly. The emerald green material is a simple sheath with a glossy look that feels silky against my skin as it lightly molds over my curves. The dress is complemented by a shimmering beaded net dress made with tiny seed pearls that fits loosely over it. I was more than happy with it when I put it on and enjoying the appreciation in Reynard’s eyes when he saw me in it. I thought I was dressed up, but it is nothing compared to the glitzy dresses some of my cousins and the other witches of my coven and those visiting from other covens are wearing.

I can feel myself fading into the background among all the expensively clothed women. I should have remembered that everyone always went all out when it came to their dress for the Sorceress’s Choice. The only dance that was more important was the actual Witch’s Ball on Hallows’ Eve. But whereas the final dance strives for dark elegance, this dance is a parade of colors that’s surprisingly far more competitive.

Aside from me, Eleanor is the only other one dressed down. Her simple beaded blouse and pleated mid-length skirt are tasteful and elegant but in no way trying to compete with the almost pageant-like display. Though I feel out of place, I can’t dwell on it. This is one of the larger social events for the coven and so many look forward to this that I’m not going to rain on their fun. Especially not when Paige looks fabulous as always in a plum number with crystals sewn into it as she struts around for her admirers—among whom includes Jack, to my surprise. It seems that he hasn’t given up yet.

I sigh and lean a hip against the wall until I feel a big, very warm body behind me. His lips brush my neck, and I smile and turn myself in his arms. Reynard’s expression looks totally relaxed, with a healthy flush to his cheeks that had been missing earlier today.

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