Chapter 78

Violet

“Just to clarify,” Theo started, coffee cup in hand as we walked toward the helicopter. “I get to choose whatever I want?”

I chuckled. “Yes. Whatever you want.”

“And you get to drag me through boutiques and make me try on suits?”

“Yes,” I said sweetly. “Well, I’m going to take you to get fitted at one boutique, and you’re going to behave like a perfect gentleman about it… until we’re in private.”

He bit his lip, shaking his head. “You drive a hard bargain.”

I took his hand as the door of the helicopter opened.

“I expect you to be harder.”

The pilot choked on a laugh as coffee shot out of his nose. I laughed, enjoying flustering him. He climbed in after me, scowling, wiping his face. He buckled in.

“I’ve corrupted you.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “What makes you think that?”

“You didn’t act like this with Lucas,” he said, confidently. “Or anyone else you dated.”

I looked out the window. “No… but that was a lifetime ago.”

It felt even longer, actually.

“You regret corrupting me at all?”

“Not even a little. This new life looks damn good on you.” He chuckled. “As good as blood-stained designer.”

I smiled back at him as we lifted into the air.

The whir of the helicopter blades blotted out all sound as we flew across the country. It was the fastest and most secure way to get to where we needed to go. While we flew, I worked on a few things and checked on the poll set-up. I turned my laptop to Theodore who seemed nervous.

“Don’t like flying?”

He scoffed. “I fly all the time. What’s this?”

“The poll. Does it have everything you want?”

He scrolled and smirked. “Showing where people at casting their votes from is absolutely evil. I love it. Launch it.”

I sent the okay to Lily and the rest of the team. Soon, everything was live and before we even touched down, votes were pouring in. The link was making its rounds through social media. I cast my own vote and saw several others from Darkmoon cast their votes and share it.

The added feature functioned as assurance of the final count.

Soon, we landed in Elysia, a territory known for its neutrality. Neither allied with Owen nor any of the nobles, Elysia maintained a reputation for discretion and influence—exactly the kind of place I wanted to cultivate a relationship with, and it would be a lot easier with Theodore.

Elysia had the highest population of immigrants and descendants of immigrants and were one of the few places that allowed more magical advancement and some leeway with regards to the use of magic.

The rule was so long as it looked like it was being done with a magical tool then it was magical technology not magic as people without magic or magical training, the vast majority of the country, wouldn’t be able to tell the difference or prove it. Those that could tell the difference and had an interest in reporting it wouldn’t be able to prove it without revealing themselves, thus Elysia was basically a safe haven for magical people.

The moment we stepped onto solid ground, Theodore gave me a skeptical look.

“Where are we?”

“Elysia,” I said.

He frowned. “I… expected Darkmoon.”

I laughed. “Not for this trip. Though Darkmoon is close. Come on. The shop is definitely open by now, but maybe we should stop and get you another coffee, hm?”

I took his hand with a grin, brushing off the windblown strands of hair from my face. My hair was going to be a riot of curls by the time we left the way it always was when I got around enough ambient magic. I was grateful that my hair had been too wet and I’d been too distracted in the forest to worry about the tangles that would likely come.

“We’ll walk. It’s a beautiful city… and navigating a car would be a pain.”

“Lead the way.”

I did, heading away from the landing pad and onto the main street. We got onto the little trolley that would take us to the shopping district and stepped off into the cool, energized air. Theodore kept looking around, and I waited for him to ask or figure it out.

Then, he leaned down until our faces were inches apart.

“Is that humming what I think it is?”

“It is.”

His lips twitched. I stopped at a vendor who brewed coffee for us both in a kettle he just cast a spell on. Theodore’s eyes widened and he paid.

“Just out in the open?” Theodore asked. “How… I mean. I am right, right?”

“You are,” I said smiling. “Consider it a preview of what you could be getting away with.”

He grinned, then his smile faltered. “That’s…. That’s why you thought with the stone…”

I nodded.

We walked through the bustling streets of the Elysian capital; the architecture was a different sort of old-world charm than Midnight or the rustic practicality of Dark Forest. I led Theodore to a small boutique tucked between towering buildings, its modest exterior belying the luxury within.

“Here we are,” I said, holding the door open for him.

He stared into the store, his eyes tracing the doorway, likely mesmerized by the barrier on the door that contained the heat.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you—I’m picky about my suits.”

“Oh, so am I.”

Theodore snorted and stepped inside, his gaze sweeping over the polished wood floors and racks of impeccably tailored suits. A middle-aged-looking man in a perfectly pressed vest and tie looked up from behind the counter, his face breaking into a wide smile when he saw me.

“Miss Donovan!” he greeted, stepping around the counter with open arms. “It’s been far too long.”

“Mr. Moreau,” I said warmly, accepting his hug. “It’s good to see you. I hope the shop’s still thriving?”

“Thriving, thanks to our discerning patrons,” he said, pulling back to glance at Theodore. His eyes lit up with curiosity and approval. “And who might this be?”

“Theodore,” I said, gesturing to him. “My husband. He’s in dire need of a proper suit. Several”

“Husband, you say?” Moreau’s sharp eyes sparkled with interest. “Well, then, we must ensure he looks the part. Come, let’s get started.”

Theodore glanced at me, his brow raised, but he followed Moreau without complaint. As the tailor led him to the fitting area, I took a seat on a plush leather chair by the fitting area, watching as they began the process.

Moreau was meticulous, taking precise measurements and making comments about Theodore’s shoulders, height, and build.

“You’ve got an excellent frame for suits, Mr. Donovan,” Moreau said, making Theodore chuckle.

“It’s Nightshade,” he corrected, his voice relaxed. “Though I prefer, Theodore.”

“Wear your Luna Consort badge with pride, Mr. Donovan!” I called out, grinning when he shot me a playful glare. “You’re going to look incredible.”

“You’re enjoying this too much,” he said and smirked. “Mrs. Nightshade.”

My heart skipped a beat. For a moment we stared at each other, apparently, we were both shocked by how… nice that sounded. He smiled and turned back to the mirror, answering Mr. Moreau’s questions.

“What brought you in today?” Mr. Moreau asked.

“A good cause.”

“And what cause is that?” he asked, his tone amused.

“His image,” I replied, waving a hand. “And mine. He’s got people to charm, including the alpha and luna of Elysia.”

“To what end?”

“Support for the Shelter project. Among other things.”

Moreau nodded thoughtfully, scribbling something down. “A noble cause. You’ll find many here in Elysia are open to ideas like it, as they have been in the past.”

I caught Theo’s eye, and he seemed impressed.

“Why here, Violet?” Theodore asked.

“Partly for quality, partly because it’s important you can always have your weaponry on you.”

“Well said!” Mr. Moreau said, not looking up as he checked another measurement and grabbed another pad of paper. “A man should be able to handle his own defense.”

Theodore’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he caught on quickly. “So, this shop specializes in...?”

“Bespoke suits that double as armor,” I explained. “They’re made with materials that can blend into the environment, so they don’t look out of place, but they can conceal weapons easily.”

Moreau joined in with a chuckle. “And here I was thinking Mrs. Donovan just wanted a little bit of eye candy.”

“Oh, that too,” I admitted, winking at Theodore. “It’s sexy to think that you’re always armed.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “Are you… always armed?”

I smirked. “I think I’ll let you find out the fun way.”

He bit his lips. “Behave yourself, wife.”

“No.”

The door to the shop swung open with a creak, and an older man stepped inside, his eyes twinkling with mischief. He found me immediately and I got to my feet as he came over, as graceful as he’d been when I was a kid.

“Lady Violet Donovan, bringing trouble back into my shop, I see! You’ve got a lot of nerve bringing riff-raff!”