'Til Dragons Do Us Part (Never Deal with Dragons) (20 page)

Chapter Twenty

The day of Myrna and Trian’s wedding had arrived, and I had to hand it to Amanda, it wasn’t nearly as crazy as I expected. Nevertheless, the woman still had me running around like an idiot, checking the sound system for the eighteenth time, making sure the catering team had found everything they needed in Relobu’s enormous kitchens, and holding yards of tulle while April made last minute adjustments to the arbor. Or last hour adjustments. I was beginning to worry that if she took any longer, I might not be able to move my own arms to put my dress on.

We still had hours before the ceremony, but it felt like the place was completely packed already. Television crews scrambled all over the place as they jockeyed for position near the back of the garden, squabbling among themselves as they maneuvered to fit into the space reserved for the purpose.

Every once in a while, one of them would test their luck and move a couple of inches outside of the taped-off floor space, only to be politely but firmly pushed back into their invisible prison by one of the many security guards. On this one thing, Cameron and Amanda were on the same page. Everybody stayed in their assigned places, and surprises were not allowed.

Amanda wasn’t the only one with a lot on her plate. While each and every one of them wore impeccably fitted tuxedos and gowns, it was hard to miss the fact that Lord Relobu’s property was swarming with bodyguards. They’d really stepped up the level of involvement after the bomb had gone off at Bridal Visions. I hadn’t seen Cameron all day, and as busy as he was overseeing the army he’d hired to keep the place free of terrorists and paparazzi, I probably wouldn’t catch sight of him until we faced each other across the aisle.

But for now, that was perfectly okay with me. I’d spent the last few days tracking down the vase, and had finally found it holed up with—go figure—all the Bridal Visions stuff trucked over from the store, waiting patiently in an unused room off the same hallway as the banquet hall. Amanda had apparently commandeered the piece, along with a similar container she’d found somewhere else in the house, for use in the reception decor. While I’d been frantically searching for it at Relobu’s, it had been tucked safely in the florist’s room at the shop, where Amanda had dragged it for comparison with Myrna’s color swatches.

She’d informed me that the vases had simply matched too well with Myrna’s palette for her to ignore, and then ordered me to find something more suitable than fake flowers to fill them with.

All I could do was shake my head. If Cavenaugh Acquisitions was going to continue and Simon was still looking for someone to replace himself, I’d recommend my boss. Without lifting a finger, she’d managed to have a priceless painting removed from the home of a dragon lord, then had it returned again without anyone even taking notice. The lady was a natural.

We’d decided to wait until the wedding day to make the switch—more people milling around meant I would have a little longer to get the real canvas back in its mounting without drawing attention. I was just about to head back inside to the dining hall where both the vase and the canvas were waiting patiently for me to put them in their proper places when I caught sight of Emma heading my way, followed by Simon.

“Hey there! What are you guys doing here? I thought you weren’t showing up until later.” I scooped Emma into my arms and gave her a squeeze.

When Sara got hurt, her parents elected to skip the wedding to stay at the hospital until she was discharged, then accompany her home so they could help her get settled in for her recovery. When I told Amanda about the slight change to the guest list she insisted that empty seats during the ceremony would mean certain disaster, and told me to find someone to fill them.

Simon and Jeanie hadn’t had a chance to tour the mansion yet, so I asked if they’d like to come. April, who would spend most of the day overseeing the cake and other desserts in the kitchen, offered to keep Emma company for the duration. Win-win for everyone involved.

“Momma is out buying a dress. Dad said we could stop by and see the decorations before I met Miss April. They’re pretty. Purple is my favorite color. So is red. Maybe when I get married, I’ll mix them together too.”

It seemed not only did Emma look better, she was also feeling better because she was firmly back in chatter mode.

Simon laughed. “I’m glad you like them, but can we slow down on the talk of marriage? You haven’t even started kindergarten yet.”

Emma ignored her father, too busy watching the dragons as they patrolled the skies above the property. There had to be at least fifty of them. The place was going to be dragon central once the actual guests arrived.

I walked them through the mansion, pointing out the massive area rugs, the chandeliers and the antique furniture. And then I took Simon to see the mother lode—the room full of treasures Relobu had set aside for Trian and Myrna’s use. When I’d first stumbled upon the job, I’d told Simon about the room, but it was just one of those things a person had to see to believe.

Emma in his arms, he turned a slow circle, trying to absorb the sheer volume of treasure displayed in the room. “Holy cow!”

“I told you it was a crazy amount of stuff. Lord Relobu owns an entire museum’s worth by himself.”

“It’s a thief’s paradise.”

I laughed. “You’re retired, remember? You’re not supposed to be thinking like that anymore.”

“Hey, you never know when a bit of information might be worth some money. I’m betting the Louvre Association doesn’t even know some of this stuff still exists. There are a couple of items I know for certain they have listed on their ‘destroyed in the war’ sheets.”

The Louvre Association—a group of humans who’d banded together to track down humanity’s finest treasures after the destruction of most of the world’s museums—was one of our regular sources of information in the art world. Generally, as soon as they’d managed to confirm that an item was still in existence, a whole slew of private collectors would come calling, hoping to snatch up the piece before the Association could make a deal with the person or dragon who owned it.

It had been like having an entire research team on the payroll. They’d locate the painting, and we’d be sent out to steal it. But not anymore.

I mock-scowled. “Simon. Not our business.”

He turned and blew a raspberry into Emma’s neck, making her giggle. “When did your Aunt Vanni turn in to such a fuddy-duddy, huh?”

“Since Emma’s father decided Emma should have a better role model.”

He grinned.

We headed toward the kitchen, where April was supervising the arrival of Trian and Myrna’s wedding cake. She caught sight of me and waved.

“Gimme just a sec.” With the help of a couple of kitchen staff, she managed to successfully maneuver the cake from the refrigerated truck onto a rolling cart. The cake, cart and all, would be rolled out as-is to be presented for consumption at the reception. After giving instructions on where and how to place it safely in the walk-in fridge, April headed our way.

She stuck out a hand to Simon. “Hi there. I’m April, and this must be Emma.”

Emma, never one for being shy, grinned and extended her own hand. “You’re right!”

April took it. “We are going to have so much fun tonight. Your daddy mentioned that you are a tea party expert. Well it just so happens that I have a tea set right here in the kitchen, and I need someone to show me how it works. Do you think you can help?”

April pointed to a counter near one of the three compartment sinks used for rinsing dirty dishes. On top sat a tiny plastic tea set, ready and waiting for a grand tea party. Emma’s eyes lit up and she scrambled from her father’s arms to climb onto the barstool nearby.

“Thanks for doing this. She’s had a pretty tough week, and it’s nice to see her happy again.”

April smiled at Simon. “It’s no problem at all. She’s an absolute cutie. Myrna’s filled me in on her condition and we’ll make sure to watch what she eats and drinks, as well as monitor her blood sugar. Did you bring a machine with you?”

Simon nodded and dug around in his satchel before handing over the glucose monitor. “We tested her right before we drove over, so she should be good for a little while. If you need anything, I’m heading out to pick up my wife, but Vanni can take care of anything you need while I’m gone.”

April had already walked over to Emma, and was sipping from one of the tiny cups. She raised her glass in a mock toast. “We’ll be right here!”

With one more wave to Emma, we left the kitchen.

I turned to Simon. “Look, I need to get back to the garden. Amanda has me double-checking the chairs to make sure the ‘hired help’ lined them up properly according to her sketch. And then I’m supposed to confirm that the place cards are arranged appropriately on the reception tables. The human guards have been screwing with her and moving them around every time her back is turned. If I don’t get them straightened out, she’s going to blow a gasket.”

Simon glanced around to make sure we were alone. “Have you made the switch?”

I checked my watch. “Not yet. I’m hoping to fit it in between place cards and squeezing into my dress. Which is why I need to hurry. If I disappear for too long, Amanda will come looking for me, and then I’ll never manage to get out of her sight.”

“I’ve got a few minutes before I need to head out. Want me to take care of it? I can knock it out in a couple of minutes. For old time’s sake.”

I laughed. “Sure. Feeling a little nostalgic, are we?”

He grinned. “Just a bit. Besides, I haven’t even had a chance to see the painting. We might not be stealing it, but it isn’t every day that you get to see a Tofegaard.”

“Sounds great. You’re going to be sadly disappointed though. The lock is your typical store-bought design. I might as well have left the door open.”

“Eh, a lock is a lock. No matter how easy, it’s still a great feeling when it opens without a key.”

Chapter Twenty-One

I was glad to see that the room full of the Bridal Visions truckload was just as crowded as I left it, with the red vase containing the canvas deliberately pushed behind a couple of the tables I needed to get in place for the wedding gifts.

Since I needed to get everything in here set up anyway, I grabbed one of the tables and, with Simon’s help, got it maneuvered into the center of the room. While Simon went over to the vase to pull out the painting, I fiddled with the tablecloth and with the gift receipt book. That way, if anyone walked in, I could honestly tell them that I was getting the room ready for Glenda, who’d been tasked with recording each and every gift that came in.

Sure, I thought it was weird that Amanda wanted the gifts unwrapped on-site at the wedding, but what did I know? I had to admit that it would definitely save time on the thank you cards later. While I straightened pens and flowers, Simon carefully pulled the canvas from its hiding place, and we rolled it up in one of the extra tablecloths I’d heaped in the corner expressly for that purpose.

Once we had it appropriately covered, Simon tucked it under his arm and I led the way toward the gardener’s cottage, where Jeanie’s painting waited to be reclaimed. We were halfway through the muddy field when Cameron, who was outside speaking with one of the dragons, spotted us and waved.

I waved back but kept walking, hoping he was too busy for a chat. But I wasn’t so lucky. His long legs ate up the distance, and it wasn’t long before he stood before us, grinning. I swallowed, feeling like the painting was going to explode into fireworks at any moment.

“Hey, Cameron.” I gave him an awkward hug, then stepped back, trying very hard to act natural. I was failing miserably.

Cameron looked between me and Simon, an expectant look on his face. It took me a moment to realize that I’d never formally introduced Simon to my new boyfriend.

“Oh, sorry. Cameron, this is Simon. Simon, Cameron.”

Even though Simon was the one actually touching the stolen property, he had no trouble drumming up a smile. Nerves of steel, that man.

My heart bobbled along with the hidden canvas as Simon shifted to shake Cameron’s hand.

“Very nice to finally meet you.”

Cameron returned the gesture, then looked down at Simon’s parcel. “What do you have there?”

“I’m helping Vanni out for a bit with some of the extras she’s putting in storage.”

He turned to me. “You said just toss it anywhere in that house down there?” He pointed to the cottage, a devilish twinkle in his eyes.

He was teasing me, because he could tell I was about to pass out from the pressure.

“Yeah, just stick it anywhere.”

Simon nudged my arm. “I’ll catch you later. It’s about time for me to swing by and pick up Jeanie. Find out what the damage was on the dress she picked out. I’ll track you down before I leave.”

“Sounds good, I’ll see you.”

Simon looked back to Cameron. “Nice to meet you.”

And with the kind of nonchalance I would kill for, Simon headed for the tiny house, whistling a tune only he could recognize.

The pleasantries complete, Cameron looked back to me. “Are you ready for the big day?”

I summoned a wan smile. “We’re getting really close. Just a few more last-minute things, and Myrna and Trian can do their thing. How’s the personal security business?”

He glanced back toward the house. “We have all hands on deck today. Security is checking everyone’s invitation and wedding gift at the gate, and the dragons are watching from the sky. If something comes up, we’ll be ready for it.”

We turned toward the mansion. With the preparations officially in full swing, the crowd was growing exponentially.

“By ceremony time, this place is going to be packed full of people. I hope Amanda took the dragons into account. Relobu has so many scaly visitors planning to watch from the roof, they might block the sun.”

I laughed. “Funny you should say that, because Amanda made me ask one of the dragons to take some lights up and install them along the eaves.”

Cameron looked at me askance. “And what did the dragon say?”

I gave him a conciliatory pat on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, he very politely declined, saying they might interfere with the cameras you installed.”

He nodded, satisfied.

Since the bombing at Bridal Visions, Cameron was taking no chances. Every inch of the mansion was covered in a camera feed, and all of his team—including the dragons—wore two—way radios clipped to their person. Even in a pair of casual pants and a short-sleeved shirt, he looked ready to take on the world.

“I’ve had a heck of a time putting together descriptions of the dragons for the security team. There were so many of them who’ve never allowed their picture to be taken, we had nothing to check against the guest lists but their names.”

The rush of affection I felt at hearing him describe the lengths he’d gone to to ensure his friend’s wedding went off without a hitch made me more confident than ever that we were making the right choice by putting the painting back. Glad that I had the right to do it, I pulled his mouth down for a quick kiss.

A large shadow passed overhead, and I looked up.

“Looks like Trian is here.” We watched as he landed gracefully on the newly manicured lawn, just outside the seating area for the ceremony. “I’m going over tonight’s security game plan with him since he’s been out of pocket lately. Have you been officially introduced?”

“Not officially, no. But I did run into him while I was in dragon form the other night. I’d mistakenly trespassed on DRACIM’s pastureland during one of my outings.” I told Cameron about the misstep that had me in desperate need for a foot bath, and Trian’s help in teaching me to morph more effectively.

“I’m sure Sara is happy that you’re a fast learner.” He looked at my arms, the ones I’d kept in human form to cradle Myrna’s assistant after the bomb.

I grinned and held them in front of me, and then focused my attention until they were both covered in a thin layer of scales. “I’ve been practicing. You know, just in case this DRACIM thing doesn’t work out and I have to join the circus.”

“Hey, don’t knock a life in the circus. I’d be perfectly happy with an endless supply of peanuts and cotton candy.”

“Yeah, but clowns totally freak me out.”

“Have you had a chance to speak to Myrna about the job?”

“Not yet. I figured I’d wait until after the ceremony. Or better yet, let them have a honeymoon first.”

Trian’s black dragon form head appeared just behind Cameron’s, his eyes gleaming with humor. “I believe you and I have already met.” His voice, though not loud by a dragon’s standards, nevertheless had most of the television crews scrambling to capture some footage.

Allowing my arms to return to full human form, I responded in dragonspeak. “I believe we have. Savannah Cavenaugh. Pleased to finally meet you, and apologies for not sharing my name earlier. I’ve had a recent...” I looked to Cameron, “...change of heart about hiding my abilities.”

“Well, Savannah Cavenaugh, it is a pleasure. And I hope that after we finish up with this circus—” he jerked his head in the direction of the camera crews, “—that you’ll have some time to chat.”

“I’d enjoy that.” Glancing at my watch, I gave Cameron and Trian one more smile. “Unfortunately, right now, I have an appointment with a gift room, a dining hall, and then a stylist before it’s off to find the ladies’ bower and get into my borrowed dress.”

“See you after?” Cameron asked.

I nodded and gave his hand a squeeze.

As I turned back to the main house, I caught a glimpse of Simon as he slipped from the gardener’s cottage.

The painting was back in its frame, and I was officially just a wedding planner’s assistant.

So help me, God.

* * *

The actual ceremony was completely gorgeous—exactly as Amanda had planned—and Trian and Myrna were married with the maximum amount of fanfare and good wishes. I smiled as Simon and Jeanie gave me a discreet wave from their seats as I walked up the aisle and took my place next to Carol at the front.

Lord Relobu was a perfect mix of good humor and grandeur, and Isiwyth and Doeho’s acrobatic feat drew applause from the human audience, and roars of pleasure from the dragons.

But while Amanda almost passed out over the ruined tuxedo, I had to admit that Trian’s unscripted transformation into a dragon just before he literally swooped his new bride away into the sunset was the best part of the show. My boss calmed down somewhat when Glenda told her Trian had ordered a change of clothing just for that purpose, and the evening proceeded as scheduled.

Cameron, playing double duty as security expert and model-quality groomsman, escorted me from the stage, gave me a quick kiss, and then hurried off to do whatever it was that he had to do, promising that he’d find me again at the reception.

Smiling, I scurried over to help Glenda check on the last-minute arrangements for the game. Myrna and Trian had elected to do photos after the ceremony, but instead of the usual awkward small talk in the reception hall with strangers while the family members posed for pictures, Amanda had consulted with Bill for ideas on dragon entertainment. They’d settled on a game resembling dragon-style rugby, and judging by the way the dragons reacted when they noticed the prepared field, it was going to be a huge success.

In the true dragon version of the game, a piece of meat was used as the ball, but Amanda wouldn’t countenance forcing the human crowd to watch as a dead duck was tossed back and forth. So the ball was determined to be an over-sized and half-filled water bottle. The dragons didn’t seem to mind, and after a few minutes, they were having a blast pummeling one another mid-air while attempting to get the ball across the opposing team’s goal line.

The humans served as a willing audience, waving flags of red or purple that we’d handed out, depending upon the team they’d picked as a favorite. We were out there for quite a while, and the purple team had just scored the latest goal when the announcement was made that the reception was ready to start.

As the crowd slowly started to move to the area that was serving as the reception hall, I grabbed my satchel and slipped into the bathroom to change. It took what seemed like forever to get all the buttons on my dress unhooked, but soon I was stepping into a pair of black trouser pants and a matching jacket. My duties as a bridesmaid complete, Amanda wanted me in my server’s uniform, just in case I needed to step in for the meal.

I went to the sink and washed a bit of the makeup from around my eyes, noting that I looked just as flushed and happy as the bride, now that all of the stress and uncertainty of the last few weeks was officially over. I was looking forward to finishing up the wedding-assistant gig, and hopefully manage to sneak in a dance or two with Cameron.

I’d just stepped back into the hall when a man in a crisp gray suit walked by, probably on his way to find a table at the reception. We continued down the hall together.

He gave me a polite smile. “That was quite a wedding.”

“It was, wasn’t it? Bridal Visions did a truly excellent job.” I snickered inside, realizing that all my time with April, the consummate sales lady, had started to take a toll.

The man lifted his arm to take in all the artwork hanging from the wall. “Can you believe all this stuff? I remember seeing several of these pieces in my art history textbook. And here they are, just waiting for someone to look at them.”

I thought back to my first day in the house and had to stifle a laugh. “It is a bit overwhelming, isn’t it?”

He reached down to smooth his bright red tie before looking back to me. “It can be, sometimes. I don’t think we’ve ever met, but my name is David. I saw that you were one of the bridesmaids. How do you know Myrna?”

“Actually, I was just filling in for one of her friends. I’m actually the wedding planner’s assistant.”

“Ah. I see. Well, it’s nice to meet you anyway.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, David. I’m Savannah Cavenaugh.” I shook his hand.

“Savannah Cavenaugh, hmm? I think we may have a friend in common.”

I ran through the list of people I counted as friend—a pretty short list, all things considered—but came up blank. “Oh yes?”

“Big guy, loves to eat, and is the worst pool player on the face of the planet?”

I had to grin. “You’re a friend of Bernie’s.”

David returned my smile, his hand slipping into the pocket of his suit coat. “As a matter of fact, I am. He mentioned that I could probably find you here. You’re working as a wedding planner? Pardon me for saying so, but usually Bernie’s friends tend to stray to the other side of the law.”

I laughed. “Yes, many of them do. But no, I’m just a plain old wedding planner. Well, an assistant, really. I haven’t decided whether I want to stick with it long enough to do much else.”

A lie. I knew without a doubt that wedding planning was absolutely
not
for me. In fact, I’d already talked to Amanda about the possibility of allowing Jeanie to take my place during seasons when she needed an extra set of hands. An eye for beauty just wasn’t something that could be taught. Jeanie had it, I did not.

“Arranging flowers, picking out cakes, and helping to choose wedding music—that sounds like a really cool job.”

I smiled. “It can be.”

We’d just rounded the corner, and I was about to excuse myself to go get my marching orders when David spoke.

“I’m really sorry to bother you, but I thought maybe you could help me out.”

“Sure. Anything. That’s what I’m here for.”

David spent another moment rummaging around in his pocket, and my smile faded when I saw what he’d been fishing for. A tiny gun, barely bigger than Emma’s teapot, rested comfortably between his elegant fingers. I met his gaze, and he gave me a small shrug, as if to say, “Yeah, being held up at gunpoint isn’t that much fun, is it?”

I had to say, it had never been on my list of fun things to experience.

I watched the barrel, wondering whether I’d have a chance to morph into my dragon form before he could manage to get a shot off.