Shiloh bounded up the stairs two at a time, nearly colliding with John. "Oh, I’m so sorry!" she exclaimed breathlessly, her face flushed with exertion.

John shook his head, catching her as she stumbled. With a reassuring smile, he steadied her before turning his attention to the winded actress. The playwright, who had just left Wise Obasan’s company, regarded Shiloh with concern. "What is it? Everything alright with rehearsal?"

"Yes—" Shiloh began, still catching her breath. "But what about here? I just heard from one of the food vendors that there was a fire in the theater, or maybe someone was on fire, or—"

"You’ve heard right, my dear," Mr. Warner interrupted. His voice held a note of grim resignation. "Two people, and they stand before us ablaze."

Shiloh’s eyes widened as she took in the sight of Wise Obasan for the first time. She looked between herself and Mr. Warner, her face flushing a deep crimson. "But… I—"

"Shiloh!" A voice cut through the confusion.

Ariel, her stomach already in knots from the scene before her, glanced towards the voice and saw Noah sprinting up the theater steps. Her heart sank to her feet.

"Wait—" Mr. Warner interjected, his gaze shifting uneasily between Shiloh and Wise Obasan.

The old woman, seemingly amused by the pandemonium and heightened emotions, merely grinned.

"Is everyone safe?" Noah asked, reaching the top of the stairs. His eyes quickly sought out Ariel, who was no longer shielded by Leroy.

Several pairs of eyes followed Noah’s gaze, including Jasper’s. Ariel felt herself grow increasingly self-conscious under the scrutiny. The ancient matchmaker’s brittle chuckle pulled their attention back to her.

"Fire, fire everywhere and not a drop to drink," Wise Obasan murmured with a hint of amusement.

"Everyone is quite well," Mr. Warner answered, attempting to regain control of the situation with a strained voice. "I’m so glad," Noah sighed, his eyes softening as they met Ariel’s.

Ariel felt her heart and stomach plummet to her feet.

"Wise Obasan, I must ask you to excuse me," Mr. Warner said, his voice firm yet weary. "I have a theater to manage and a rehearsal to oversee."

"Very well," the old woman conceded, extending her hand in a parting gesture. "I was just leaving."

Mr. Warner hesitated for a moment but then took her hand, eager to usher her away. To his surprise, the ancient matchmaker’s grip was unexpectedly strong. She turned his hand over, studying his palm with an intensity that left him momentarily speechless.

Leroy raised his eyebrows and shot Taylor a look that clearly conveyed: see?

"So what? She’s quick for her age; it doesn’t mean she’s strong," Taylor muttered, her tone dismissive.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

The monk frowned and shot a skeptical look at the priestess. Ariel patted his arm in a gesture of support, though the grip Wise Obasan had on Mr. Warner did indeed look formidable.

"Ah-ha, thought so... I thought so," Wise Obasan declared triumphantly.

"What?" Shiloh breathed, seemingly oblivious to the sudden focus on her.

The old woman simply patted the playwright’s hand and smiled enigmatically. "Another time, dear… another time."

With that, she hobbled down the theater steps and across the dusty grounds of Magnolia Midlands. The group on the theater porch watched her departure in silence. It wasn’t until the matchmaker disappeared around a corner that Mr. Warner found his voice again.

"Well, you’ll understand when I say that you two are not allowed within twenty feet of this theater for the rest of the day."

A heavy silence followed. Ariel looked around, bewildered. Is he talking about me? Jasper?

Mistaking the silence for agreement, Mr. Warner continued, "The damage that could have been done… someone could have been hurt. And my theater was nearly burned down."

"And who are you referring to, Mr. Warner?" Jasper’s voice sliced through the tension. His tone carried a sharp reminder of exactly who Mr. Warner was addressing.

The playwright cleared his throat, his gaze briefly landing on Ariel before settling on Jasper again. "Well, you, of course… and Ariel. It seems quite obvious that Wise Obasan has marked you as her Chosen."

Ariel suddenly felt an intense heat rise to her cheeks. Her bangs clung to her forehead, and her throat felt as dry as if she had swallowed a cloud of smoke.

"Of course, it’s just for today," Mr. Warner repeated into the heavy silence following his loaded statement.

"There is no reason for me not to enter this theater," Jasper countered firmly.

Ariel winced at the finality of his tone. Normally, such a statement would end the discussion, but Mr. Warner paused, then spoke again.

"Actually, there is. You’re not familiar with this woman, but let me tell you…" The playwright’s gaze shifted to Shiloh. "If you’ve been Chosen, there is no escape."

Shiloh nodded in agreement, her dark eyes wide as she turned to Jasper. "He’s right. She will do everything in her power to get you to agree to be her Chosen. She made Daniel believe I was drowning."

"She made us believe Ariel was burning," Mr. Warner added, casting a sympathetic glance in her direction. Ariel swallowed hard, feeling the weight of his words.

Shiloh’s frown deepened as she followed Mr. Warner’s gaze. "So there was a fire?"

"No—thank goodness. She’s not that desperate… yet. That’s why neither of you can stay around here—"

"Every festival, Wise Obasan chooses a couple she believes best represents the love and union of Mr. Marlowe and Yvonne. She chose Daniel and me two years ago," Shiloh continued, her eyes still focused on Ariel. "It was a day like this. Daniel had asked me to be his partner, and we decided to spend some time in the woods. There’s a shallow stream we were admiring. Daniel heard someone calling his name, so he left for a moment. I was waiting, dangling my feet in the water, when I felt someone approaching from behind me—"

Frowning deeply, Mr. Warner picked up the story. "When I stepped out of the tree line, one of my actors told me there were problems at the theater. I was just about to call Shiloh when Wise Obasan came toward us, shouting that Shiloh had fallen into the stream. I knew she couldn’t swim…"

Ariel was transported back to the earlier chaos in the theater, the smoke, and the panic. If Jasper hadn’t come…

"I was pushed into the water and was so surprised that I couldn’t react immediately. Fortunately, it was late summer, so the stream was only a few feet deep. But Daniel arrived before I could recover and stand up— the only thing he saw was me submerged," Shiloh continued, her gaze fixed intently on the playwright.

Mr. Warner shifted uncomfortably, his eyes briefly darting to Mandy. "Naturally, I pulled her out. If Wise Obasan’s goal was to scare me into an attachment, she succeeded only in scaring me. The woman has lost her mind if she thinks any of her schemes will encourage a match."

Shiloh tilted her head, her gaze unwavering despite Mr. Warner’s attempt to downplay his feelings. "But Daniel… you gave your moon Magnolia to me that night."

Ariel felt a sudden pang of pain and embarrassment for the actress. The emotions shining in Shiloh’s eyes stood in stark contrast to the blank look Mr. Warner returned.

He’s either blind or a jerk… or a blind jerk.