CHAPTER TWELVE: ON BUTTERFLY WINGS

~ Marie ~

The pack member in charge of lunch frowned as she entered. She hadn’t seen Peter lately. Maybe she should look for him and see if anything new has happened. Marie walked up to the man.

“Have you seen—?”

“Here.” The man shoved the food at her and she had to quickly step back or the food would’ve ended up on her chest. The pack member walked away without a backwards glance and left out the front door. She’d have to find him on her own if she was going to talk to him. Marie ate the food before she cleaned the plate with magic and left it on the table. She should continue her investigation. There wasn’t much time left before the wedding. There were no magic signals that she could sense but it could just mean nothing had activated yet. The large building in the back caught her attention. She still hadn’t gone there to look. With most of the wolves out, now might be a good time to look around. Marie walked up to the large door at the front and reached for the handle. The door was heavier than she thought. It took a while before she was able to get it open enough to squeeze herself through.

“Hello?” No one answered her as she let the door close shut behind her. She looked around but didn’t see anyone. Lockers lined the wall to her right and left. Straight ahead looked like a living room with several sofas and bean bags. Marie stretched her senses out. No magic. Since the pack was using this place regularly, the sorcerer probably put something in here. Marie frowned as she walked further in. She should’ve come in here sooner. Once she spoke to Peter, maybe he’d let her place a spell in here. Just in case the spell hadn’t been activated yet, she looked behind sofas and under the bean bags but didn’t find anything. Where would someone put a pouch of herbs and not have it be found?

With a werewolves’ sense of smell, they should be able to smell any herb based magic. Hiding wouldn’t work on them so the pouch would need to be put somewhere that it wouldn’t be weird to smell it. She looked into the nearest room but it only contained several showers. That wouldn’t work for dried herbs. She looked into the next room. Restrooms. Marie went upstairs and looked around. Up here were several beds lined up, side by side. The beds themselves all looked the same with the same colored blanket covering them and a trunk on one side. From here, she could see that nothing was underneath any of the beds. One of the mind controlled wolves could have the herbs in their trunk but unless she knew that there was one in a trunk for sure, she couldn’t go searching through them. Marie ended her search early and headed back downstairs.

Someone leaned against the railing as she descended the stairs.

“You should be careful about going into places like this alone.” Jesse had his arms crossed as he turned to look at her. It didn’t look like anyone else had come in with him. There was no back door that she knew of.

Marie looked him over. It had been a while since she’d seen him. He didn’t look injured. Not that she’d know if he had been. With his regeneration, he would’ve healed already. She stopped next to him as a thought occurred to her. Maybe he could help her again.

“Have you smelled anything similar to what you smelled in the forest? Flowers or herbs?” He blinked before looking up at the ceiling with a sigh. Jesse looked back at her with a wry smile before he nodded.

“I was told they were put there in order to freshen up the linens.” He stopped in front of a closet next to the showers. Jesse opened it and inside she could see several shelves filled to the brim with towels. He reached between a set of towels near the bottom. Jesse moved his arm back and forth as he searched. He stopped and pulled his arm back. His hand came out holding a pouch similar to the one Adrian had found. She took it from him and opened it up. This was indeed the same. It even had the same talisman inside.

“Was this the only one?” He put his hands in his pockets as he tilted his head to the side and looked at her.

“Is something going on?” Saying she was investigating wouldn’t help her here. That would serve as proof and she didn’t need someone else butting in on her investigation.

“I’m here to prevent anything from happening.” Jesse smiled before he nodded.

“Still you should leave before your three admirers come back.” Those three. Well, if that was all the pouches in here then there was no need for her to remain. Marie nodded. Jesse followed her outside but stopped just a few feet from the door. He told her bye before transforming and heading into the forest. She scanned her surroundings for a moment before she headed back to the room.

Inside the room, she went over to the table. She sat down before she opened the pouch and destroyed the talisman. With the talisman gone, she could take her time looking the pouch over. Marie poured the rest of the contents out and pulled one of the books over. She went through several pages before she found something that looked close to what she had. Marie checked the flowers against the picture. This was it. Lilacs. The talisman looked like it had the same spell as the one Adrian had. More spying then. Marie swept the flowers into her hand and threw them in the trash. Without the talisman, they were harmless. Marie examined the pouch. She could always use it for something else. It was put to one side before she grabbed the notebook.

Dispelling the protections on the notebook was slow going since the spells on the pages weren’t exactly the same. Some of the pages had booby traps hidden like simple sleep spells or ones that would cause minor damage but the most problematic part of the spells was the self-destruct function. If she wasn’t careful, the notebook would go up in flames. The sorcerer had been overly cautious about security so there was no chance of her brute forcing any of the spells.

She leaned back with a sigh. That had taken up too much time and she only had three new pages to show for it. Marie didn’t understand why the sorcerer had gone to so much trouble to lock the pages in the notebook since just one page was enough to sentence them to some very harsh punishments. If the wolves or any of the others within the book got a hold of the sorcerer first, it was unlikely for them to escape with their life. Marie shook her head. While that would stop the sorcerer from committing further crimes it wouldn’t solve where the people they’d sold had gone. The sorcerer probably kept that info to themselves.

Marie stood up and stretched. It was almost time for the wedding. She should start getting ready since she didn’t know when she’d be leaving. Marie grabbed her clothes and headed into the bathroom to take a shower.

*~*~*~*~*

She turned her body a little. Marie checked each side to side as she looked in the mirror. This should be good enough. Marie made sure to smooth out any wrinkles and clean up any dirt using magic. Her hair was left alone since she didn’t know anything about hair styles. She checked her watch again. There was still some time left. Marie looked at the door then at the table. She went right back to the notebook. No sense in wasting time she could be using to work.

A knock at the door interrupted her reading. She checked her watch. It was already four-thirty. Another page had been done in the time she’d been waiting. Marie went to the door and opened it. There was no one standing there. She looked around but didn’t see anyone in the clearing either. Marie turned to close the door when something fell to the floor. Marie picked up the piece of paper and turned it over. The paper had a hastily scrawled map drawn with a pen. Some of the ink had smudged but it looked like this was supposed to be a map to the church. So she was supposed to walk? Since she wasn’t sure how long it would take her to walk there, she might as well start now. At least the directions wouldn’t be a problem. It looked like all she needed to do was walk straight. Marie tucked the map into her pocket and shut the door behind her.

Ten minutes later and she was glad she had worn flat shoes. There were too many rocks and roots for her to avoid. Several times she’d almost fallen. Her face and arms had a collection of scratches from all her near misses. She wasn’t sure how much farther until she reached her destination but she hoped it wasn’t that far away. At this rate, she might miss the wedding.

“Shouldn’t you be at the church?” Marie turned. Jesse hopped over a fallen log before stopping next to her.

“I’m walking there.” He had his hands in his pockets as he shifted his weight.

“Walking? Why didn’t they drive you there?” She shrugged. Jesse looked away as he shook his head. He followed as Marie continued walking. “Is this your first time with shifters?”

“No.”

“Is this your second time with werewolves then?” What was he getting at?

“No.” He stopped in front of her. His agitation was clear from the set of his jaw and the stiff way he stood.

“You can’t let any of them continue to harass you. I don’t know how the other pack treated you but if you don’t…” He kicked at a rock before looking back at her. “If you don’t fight back, at least a little, they will only get worse.”

“This is my first time with werewolves.” Jesse opened his mouth to say something before shutting it. “And unless someone attacks first or commits a crime, I’m not going to attack.” He exhaled in frustration as he ran his hands over his head, pushing his bangs away from his face.

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“I won’t be able to protect you every time.”

“I’m not asking you to.” She really didn’t understand why any of the wolves thought she was weak. None of the books she read hinted as to why they believed she needed their protection. “If I needed protection, I wouldn’t be a Guardian.” He blinked and just stared at her before exhaling. His exhale turned into a chuckle before he nodded and got out of her way. They continued walking for a bit in silence before he spoke up.

“So what were the other shifters you met?”

“Lions.”

“Really?” His question didn’t seem directed at her but she nodded anyway. Wolves had the largest numbers out of all the shifters. The rarest shifters were the crows. Lions, on the other hand, were more common but their numbers weren’t anywhere near the wolves. “Do you know that vampire?” He’d seen Adrian too?

“He’s my escort.” She didn’t like having to use it yet again but she’d already used it. Might as well keep using it until she left. Jesse was quiet after that. He stayed with her all the way until she reached the edge of the forest. The church was about fifty feet from where they stood.

“This is where I leave you.” Jesse smiled at her but a moment later it faded. “Just... be careful.” With that, he turned and walked back into the forest. Marie watched him shift before she turned away.

The church had a flurry of activity going on. People were getting seated while several members of the wedding party moved back and forth. Marie went into the church and stood in the back. It looked like everyone had already been seated. None of the seats in the back were unoccupied.

Marie went into one of the back corners and quickly wrote out a protection spell before she filled it with magic. She made sure to cover every part of the church. It was a temporary spell and would fade with time so it should be fine to use without asking for permission. She could always dispel it if anyone had a problem. Marie turned around and noticed someone waving at her from the front. It was Peter. She walked over to him, expecting him to ask her whether she had found anything more but instead he gestured to the seat next to him. Marie wanted to refuse. She had no place in their wedding but with the rest of the church full, she didn’t have a choice. Marie sat down next to him and waited. It was a good thing she’d cleaned and healed herself before coming in.

The ceremony started soon after that. This was the first wedding she had ever attended so she had nothing to compare it to but it was nice. As soon as the bride and groom kissed, the church erupted into cheers and applause. It took awhile for the excitement to fade. Once it had faded to a bit, everyone was directed to head next door while the wedding party stayed behind to take pictures.

Peter caught her as she was leaving the building.

“Anything?”

“I’m putting protections on the church and hall, just in case.” He nodded and some of the tension left his body. They called his name from the front of the church and he went to see what they wanted. Marie made her way to the hall. People were checking the board at the front to see where they would sit. She waited for her turn. When the area was empty, she walked up and looked for her name. Marie’s table was located against the left wall halfway between the door and the stage. There were only two chairs at her table. She frowned at the board. It was unlikely he would miss this. Marie turned her attention away from the chart and went to the nearest wall. She started her protection spell when a voice called out to her. Marie pulled the magic back and looked for the source of the voice. A woman in a wheelchair headed her way and stopped a few feet away from her. The woman bowed her head for a moment before looking up at her.

“Greetings, Guardian. My name is Claire.” The woman smiled at her. “I was wondering if I could have a bit of your time.” Marie nodded and followed Claire to a room off to the right side. It wasn’t unusual for someone else to request her help while on a case. Since she didn’t travel her territory often, when people saw her they usually took that chance to ask for help. Marie listened to the other woman's problem and gave her possible solutions. Claire’s brow furrowed as she listened to her choices. In the end, she asked if she could have time to consider her options. Marie agreed and left the room. Claire promised to come to a decision tonight but with a problem like this Marie wouldn’t be surprised if she needed even more time. Marie gave Claire her information so she could get in contact with her later if need be.

With that conversation still on her mind, she headed into the reception hall and headed straight for her table. Marie looked around as she waited. People were still coming in. Several guests stopped by the table near the entrance to place their gifts before sitting down. Others were standing off to the side, talking. Most were already seated and just waiting for the bride and groom to show.

Several minutes passed before the music changed. Anyone who was still standing immediately took their seats. The wedding party came in and was seated as waiters went through providing everyone with a drink of their choice. Marie chose a glass of water. She could have had tea but she wasn’t one for sweet things. The best man went to the stage, along with the bride and groom. He offered congratulations to the happy couple before launching into a speech. She barely paid attention as she scanned the area for magic again. Nothing.

No Adrian either. Maybe he wouldn’t come after all.

The music changed again and this time the bride and groom began to dance as the best man took his seat. She watched them dance for a moment before she went back to check the area for magic. Marie didn’t think the sorcerer would try something now but it was better to stay on guard, just in case.

The music changed again as the couple switched to dancing with their parents. She closed her eyes and tried to stretch her senses out as much as possible. Marie still didn’t sense any magic beyond her spells. The song ended and the hall erupted in applause. The bride and groom went back to their seats as the counter in the back opened and people got up to get served. The mood in the hall became more active as people began to move around and form groups. Marie stayed sitting down. She wasn’t particularly hungry and her head was hurting from keeping her senses open for so long.

Ever since she’d woken up, she’d been sending her magic senses out. She’d been searching for the slightest hint of magic but she hadn’t felt anything. She thought about stopping but she preferred to take the extra measures to keep the guests safe.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of hushed whispers. She turned her head slightly. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a group of children watching her and whispering amongst themselves. Their ages ranged from around six years old to about ten. She waited as they finished talking. The tallest among them, a young girl, was pushed forward.

"E-Excuse me." Marie turned fully towards the children. Some gasped, while the youngest tried to hide behind the taller children.

"What is it?"

"We heard...They said you can do magic. Can you do magic for us?" The girl twisted her skirt as she spoke. Marie could see deep wrinkles forming as the girl continued to fidget. She stood up from her chair and some of the children tried to inch away. Marie tucked her dress against her knees before crouching down.

"I can show you something but if I do you have to promise not to ask for more, okay?" She wanted to be ready in case anything happened and preferred not to use too much magic. The children smiled and nodded. The smaller children peeked out with smiles on their faces.

"We promise!" Marie smiled at their enthusiasm. She nodded before standing up. An idea crossed her mind. She hesitated for a moment before bringing her hands together as she poured energy into her hands. It had been years since she used this but there was no way she’d get this wrong. Marie opened her hands and thousands of butterflies poured out. They circled around the children before spreading out around the hall. Everyone in the hall stopped what they were doing to watch the butterflies. Some of the adults clapped while others raised their glasses in her direction. The children had already run off, trying to catch the butterflies. The illusion would last for about thirty minutes before it faded away. The lights dimmed and music started to play. Her butterflies stood out even more in the dim light.

"What was that?" She shrugged. Only now did she notice Adrian standing there. How much had he seen? It shouldn’t make a difference. He wouldn’t be able to tell and she wasn’t going to tell him. She held her sigh in as she gave herself a mental shake. “Would you like to dance?” Marie tilted her head to the side as she studied him.

“I don’t know how.”

“I can teach you.” He smiled as the music changed to a slow song. Adrian held his hand out to her.

She stared at his hand.

Telling him no crossed her mind but then again she could always use the experience. It might come in handy one day. Marie reached out and took his hand.

As soon as she placed her hand in his, he pulled her to the edge of the dance floor. Adrian guided her hand to his shoulder while he continued to hold onto her other hand. Once they were standing the way he wanted, he placed his free hand on her back and leaned forward.

“Now all you have to do is sway.” Marie watched him for a moment before she followed his lead. This was simple. A lot more simple than she thought it would be. Though it was probably because of the song. Adrian slowly guided them around the dance floor in a small circle, staying close to the edge. “You don’t need to watch that closely.” She looked up to see an amused smile spread across his face. Marie frowned as she looked away. But she couldn’t help glancing at his feet every now and then. The song ended and he let her go with a slight bow. “Thank you for the dance.” She nodded, unsure of the proper response. Marie headed to the table and sat down. Adrian sat across from her and offered his hand. “I would like to speak to you privately.” She wrote out the communication spell on both their hands. [Has anything new happened?]

[I unlocked more pages of the notebook but other than that nothing.] She looked around the hall as she spoke to him. She didn’t see Claire anywhere. Should she look for her? No. If the woman had decided not to go through with it after all then that was her choice. That’s all it was.

[Something wrong?] A sigh escaped her lips as she stood up. She couldn’t leave this alone.

[I need to take care of something.] She shook her head. [This isn’t related to the investigation.]

[I see.] He crossed his arms as he stared into her eyes. She stared back. [Alright.] That was surprising. She didn’t think he’d believe her. Adrian gave her a smug smile which wiped away her earlier thoughts. [I’ll meet you back at your room in an hour.] She looked at him sideways.

[Why?]

[Is there a problem with me meeting you in an hour?]

[I don’t know how long this will take.]

[Will you call me when you’re done?] No. That was her first thought but it was looking more and more like she might need some help. But did she want his help? [I’ll see you in an hour.] Tsk. His eyes were determined despite the smile on his face. Arguing with him wouldn’t work. She’d better find Claire before she had to meet Adrian.

Marie went looking for Peter since he was easier to spot. He was taller than the people standing around him. Peter was surprised to find that she'd already met Claire but he didn’t ask her any questions. Unfortunately, Claire had already left and wasn’t expected to come back. Peter offered to call her but Marie declined. She wouldn’t force her help on someone that didn’t want it.

Since she still had a headache, she decided to go back to the room and rest. Marie didn’t see Adrian at the table or anywhere in the hall as she headed for the restroom. She took a quick look around. Luckily, the restroom was empty. She quickly did the protection spell and filled every part of the hall with her magic. When she was done, Marie chose to teleport back. She didn’t want to walk back in the dark. Marie wasn’t worried about leaving the wolves alone. If the sorcerer decided to attack, after all, the spells on the hall and church would alert her.

A quick nap would hopefully help. Marie changed into her usual jeans and a t-shirt before she laid down and closed her eyes. She hoped she’d feel better when she woke up.