Day Four

8:00 PM

"So, where have you been?"

Jasper's words rang in Ariel's ears, making her heart skip a beat. Why now? The question was so typical of Jasper that a flash of anger rose to her cheeks. Beside her, Leroy made a slight adjustment in his seat and then spoke with the confidence and calmness Ariel didn’t possess at the moment.

"Out for a walk."

Ariel stole a glance at the monk. Amazingly, his expression remained unfazed despite the glare Jasper now directed at him.

"To the theater?" Jasper's tone dripped with skepticism.

"Perhaps we walked past it..."

A palpable tension settled between Jasper and the monk. The silence would have been unbearable had Taylor not cried out in protest.

"For a walk? We're all starving in here, and you choose to go out for a leisurely stroll?"

The monk matched the priestess's glare. "Remind me not to come between you and your hunger."

Seated safely away from Taylor, Leroy didn't have to feel the repercussions of this remark, but the priestess's eyes glinted with the revenge she planned on taking later.

"A walk, eh? That sounds refreshing, actually. I'm sure Mandy and I would have liked to have joined you," Mr. Warner interjected with an affectionate glance at the medium and then a wounded one towards the monk.

Sitting next to her, John gave Ariel an imploring look, which seemed to say that he, too, would have joined them on their walk. Ariel struggled to swallow a frown, guilt stabbing at her. She had gone off gallivanting with Leroy and left John to face the dining room alone.

Ariel's hands fidgeted, longing to seek refuge in a nice hot cup of coffee, but the food hadn't arrived yet. As her gaze rose from the table, Ariel locked eyes with Mandy. The medium's pale lips pursed for a moment before relaxing into a slight smile. Ariel braced herself for what was to come next.

"Did you enjoy your walk?"

That Mandy. Ariel felt Jasper's gaze boring into her once more. Underneath the table, Leroy's foot bumped against hers. Attempting to restrain her glare at the medium, Ariel offered up a brittle smile.

"It was fine."

Mandy continued, unperturbed. "I trust my dress kept you warm?"

Ariel's smile faltered for a moment, but then she recovered. "Certainly more than that piece of tissue is doing for you."

A bit of color entered the medium's cheeks. "It's tulle, actually. And perhaps... but, I'm not worried. I'll find a way to keep warm," she answered vaguely, her gaze drifting over to Jasper.

Ariel's own cheeks began to burn, but she managed to check her anger as her stare fell on Mr. Warner. "Surely," she agreed, sending a knowing look to the playwright.

The medium snapped her attention back to Ariel, barely managing to keep her expression neutral at the implication. Ariel, not bothering to contain her triumphant smile, was shaken in the next moment by an approaching waiter. Instead of carrying delicious food and long-awaited coffee, he brought with him a single magnolia and a slightly sheepish expression. His arrival at their table brought silence.

"Compliments of the gentleman at table twelve," he announced.

A rush of heat crept up Ariel's neck. Not for me... please, not for me...

Across the table from her, Mandy broke her intense glare away from her rival to look up innocently at the uncomfortable waiter.

That Mandy.

A small smile grew on Taylor's red lips. Discreetly, she mouthed, "Noah," in Ariel's direction. A second wave of heat flushed Ariel's cheeks, and vengefully, she sought out the priestess's foot under the table.

The young man delivering the magnolia cast a look over his shoulder, as if seeking confirmation from the mysterious gentleman as to which woman should receive this token of admiration. With a slight nod, he faced them all once more and extended the magnolia.

Ariel watched his hand move forward almost in slow motion. Past Max, near Mandy now—the medium's wrist was on the rise, ready to modestly cover her mouth—but it went on (and the medium's wrist fell limply), moving by Jasper who, Ariel noted, looked especially deadly tonight, his sharp eyes staring at the magnolia as though his gaze could obliterate the flower.

Ariel swallowed hard. The progress of the magnolia was approaching her, and now more than ever, she wished she had a cup of coffee to escape into. Those five seconds of suspense ticked by painfully. Then, with great relief, Ariel saw that his hand wasn't going to stop at her but continued across the table to rest finally at Taylor.

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"For you, ma'am," the waiter said, offering the priestess a self-conscious smile.

Taylor returned the smile with one that seemed to say such flattering attentions were paid to her all the time, but Ariel could see the surprise in her eyes.

"May I inquire the gentleman's name?" Taylor asked, holding the magnolia up to her nose, enjoying its perfume.

The waiter shifted where he stood, looking as if he wished to glance behind himself, perhaps at table twelve, but merely answered, "My instructions were only to deliver the magnolia, that is all."

"Hmm," Taylor murmured. Then, setting down the magnolia, she stood. "I will ask him myself."

The waiter looked as if he wanted to protest, but upon seeing the determination in the priestess's eyes, shrugged and stepped aside. He had done what he was ordered to do; it was out of his hands.

With their view no longer obstructed, everyone peered across the emptying dining room towards mysterious table number twelve, Leroy going so far as to stand up for a better look. The monk sat down in the next moment, a strange look on his face, something almost like an amused smile. He seemed almost satisfied. Studying him closer, Ariel almost could call it relieved. Most of the table returned their attention back to themselves. Taylor remained standing.

"Is this your idea of a joke?" she asked, her voice sharp.

The waiter winced at the biting question and then looked hard at the empty table twelve as though pure will could bring the gentleman back. "He was there a minute ago. It appears he has left, perhaps for the festival? It starts soon, you know," he explained. Then, desiring to have this uncomfortable conversation no longer, he waved and excused himself.

Ariel watched Taylor uncertainly as the priestess returned to her seat. But her alarm was uncalled for as a small smile came to the woman's mouth. Her hands took up the magnolia.

"I believe this counts as my first magnolia of the night, Mr. Warner?" Taylor asked. Not particularly interested in the playwright's answer, she went on, "I don't believe either of you have received one?"

With her smug smile, clearly, the priestess expected the reply to be no. But Ariel was able to match her in numbers as well as in a smile.

"I received my first magnolia before dinner."

"You did?" Mr. Warner cut in, surprised, but no one paid him any heed.

The priestess paused in stroking the stem of her magnolia to raise a disbelieving eyebrow. "Right. Sure you did."

Ariel sat straighter in her seat, her cheeks tinting red. "I did."

Never mind that it was a completely platonic gift, given by John...

Taylor sat back in her chair, examining the magnolia with a smug smile. "Oh really? Where is it?"

Ariel opened her mouth to declare it was right here, but then blinked as she realized it wasn't. It was somewhere else... but where? She glanced at John, who watched her with an odd expression, something between encouraging and discouraging. His smile was bright enough, but his eyes silently pleaded with her not to reveal it. Ariel gave him a quick half-smile and returned her attention to the priestess.

Just great. I lost John's magnolia and now I look like a liar...

"Well?" Taylor persisted, her expression growing more triumphant with every second Ariel remained silent.

Pointedly ignoring the priestess's smugness, Ariel mentally retraced her steps.

Did I leave it at the theater? No. The garden. I left it on the bench! I could go out and get it, but John—

Ariel smiled to herself. "It's in my room. I left it there before Leroy and I took our walk."

Beside her, John relaxed a bit. Ariel couldn't help noticing him glance at Mandy. She blinked with confusion, but before she could put any more thought into it, Taylor began again.

"Fine, but then who gave it to you?"

If Ariel could have found the woman's foot, she would have stepped on it promptly. But there were simply too many feet under that table, and the risk of brushing up against Jasper... Ariel's cheeks tinged pink.

Jasper. He had slipped her mind. It was a dangerous mistake. She could only imagine what brooding stare he had been giving her all this time. But when she chanced a small glance his way, she found he wasn't looking at her at all but gazing off distantly.

With Taylor's last question burning her ears, Ariel was prepared to refuse to answer but was saved by something even better: food.