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.
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