BLAKE

"On the stupid scale, where do I rank?" Blake asked Adrian, raising his arms out. "From one to ten, I'm like an eleven, right?" He waved his arms and legs, wagging the extra fabric of his clothes, hanging off his limbs. He'd take the blazer off, if it weren't for the sweat stain pooled underneath his armpits.

Blake Winslow was freaking out.

More than a little bit.Maybe he was crazy, but to him, breakfast was five minutes ago. In truth, hours had gone by, but he still felt like he teleported to this spot in the castle. An opulent sitting room with ornamental trim and a mural of flowers painting on the ceiling. The lounges and seats were emerald green and all the trimmings were golden among the hunks of vintage furniture, which was not limited to a grandfather clock, an easel and even an empty bird cage.

Blake stood in front of an ornate floor length mirror and tried practicing his lines, but he didn't know how to avoid blushing like this or how to stop sweating. He could hardly keep his voice steady.

"Josephine will back soon with a change of clothes," Adrian reminded Blake for the hundredth time. Somehow, Blake grabbed Damien's suit when he packed yesterday morning, which fit like he was seven and threw on his father's suit to play pretend.

Well, it was better than being naked.

That would really turn this day into more of a nightmare.

"I'm having a stroke," Blake said and then, took a gulp of his mimosa left over from breakfast. To fill time, Blake just ordered more drinks. This didn't conjure Danny, however.

He checked his phone while Adrian shook his head and answered a knock on the door. There were no messages. Blake cursed and opened his phone just to make sure. Still nothing. His chest tightened, making it difficult to breathe.

Danny missed breakfast, so they pushed it to a brunch.

He missed that too.

The heat in Blake's face trickled to his neck and he finally gave up and threw his blazer over the fancy couch and decorative gold and white pillows. Bouquets of flowers crowded the room and made it twice as small. They congratulated Blake and Daniel on their engagement. It was announced this morning, in preparation of the press conference that started...

Blake checked his watch.

Thirty minutes ago.

The truly eager businesses in town thought fast and sent engagement presents, hoping to become a part of the future celebration. A horrible thought dawned on Blake that he'd actually have to plan a wedding and soon. Groaning, Blake fell face first into one of the loungers, letting his script flutter to the floor. He let all his frustrations rattled out of throat, but somehow didn't feel even a little better.

He checked his phone.

Nothing.

"Danny," Blake whispered and watched another minute fly by. "Where are you?"

Adrian walked up to the back of the chair, making Blake perk up. His sullen face fell lower. "I'm sorry to say sir, but it seems the press is getting restless."

"What does that mean?" Blake asked, but he already knew the answer. His stomach formed unfixable knots as he gripped the nearest pillow for dear life. It was the saddest excuse for a shield. "I can't go out there alone."

"Blake!" Daniel's mother, Adele flew into the room, wearing a flowy satin dress with long sleeves. The fabric drifted as she moved as if she were weightless. "I'm terribly sorry about this! Usually, Daniel is more punctual for press events. I'm so embarrassed."

"It's not your fault."

"I know, I know, but still-" Her brow stayed furrowed as the door opened again. Blake's heart flourished until he saw Daniel's father, Eitienne appear and Blake's heart crumbled to dust. Eitienne is just as Blake remembered him, the man frozen in time and just as gorgeous as his wife. He wore a black suit with a grey sweater, meant to match his wife.

"Blake!" Etienne walked a little faster, when he spotted him. He practically tackled him into a hug. "It's good to see you. Don't be nervous. Everything is going to be fine." He raised the most unconvincing thumbs up in the world. Blake wanted to throw up all over his shoes in response, but he was too nervous to even vomit.

He wasn't ready. He needed a different suit. He needed more time to prepare.

He needed to have at least one stupid conversation with his fiancé.

"We're going to try to wait a little longer," Adele explained. "But we can't wait forever. The second Daniel gets here, we might just have to throw you both out there. Etienne will go out first and try to stall." She sighed harshly and reached into her husband's pockets, searching and muttering, "We were going to do this during breakfast, but what can we do now?"

She emerged with a small black box and placed it into Blake's hands.

"This is for you, my dear. It's been in our family since the very beginning."

Blake looked at the box. He looked back at her and waited for more information. It wasn't registering quite yet.

The door flung open again and a distressed woman poked her head through, looking at Etienne as if her whole life depended on it. "Your Majesty!" She blurted. "I don't know how much longer I can keep them waiting."

"I'm coming out," Etienne assured her with a sigh.

Grabbing Blake's arm, Adele gave him a little squeeze for encouragement and left with the King. The door clicked shut, leaving Blake alone again. He walked over to the couch and dropped down, staring at the box in his hands, feeling like the weight of the world. His hand trembled as he finally worked up the courage to flip the lid.

Sitting in a bed of velvet sat a ring.

It was a shining golden band, warped to look like two snakes with their mouths wide open and holding two small emeralds. At least, small in comparison to the huge blue sapphire in the middle. The shine from this ring burned Blake's eyes as his soul left his body. Slowly, he took the ring out of the box and his hands moved on their own, sliding it down his ring finger.

A perfect fit.

"Wow," Blake muttered, miserably. "I didn't think I'd have to put on my own engagement ring." He sniffed, keeping the waterworks at bay. Blake was overwhelmed with the day, the place and the heavy ring on his finger. He dropped his face in his hands, feeling so completely alone in the world, he couldn't stand it.

Great. Now, the press was going to get to see his horrible sticky and hot crying face.

From another door, in the back of the room, a tall Asian woman emerged, talking as if she was already in the middle of a conversation. She wore a vintage little black dress that flared out, paired with long white gloves, pearls and a huge wide brim hat as if she was hired as an Audrey Hepburn double for the event. The phone in her hand looked out of place among the old-world décor.

"Well! I have just been notified by Frances that they're on their way so you can say I've saved the day-!" She stopped short, noticing Blake on the coach.

Too much in shock, he stopped crying. Only one more tear slipped down his cheek.

"Who are you?" She asked, tossing her phone in her clutch. "What's going on?"

"I'm uh, Blake. The fiancé."

"Oh! How exciting!" She clapped her hands together, scurrying around the coach. Everything she said had an air of opulence, like everything she said was the greatest thing she's ever said in her life. "Then, you must be Blake Winslow. I adore your family." She raised her hand and Blake quickly stood up to accept her handshake. "My name is Delphine Kelly."

That name combined with her innate energy helped Blake figure out exactly who she was. "Really? Delphine Kelly, the Oracle?"

"The matchmaker," she boasted with a smile as mischievous as the Cheshire Cat. "You're quite handsome. I'm only slightly hurt you no longer need my services, but it is difficult to do better than a prince."

Oracles were like Blake, like witches, except they had the power to see into the past, the present and future. Usually, they held swanky jobs in covens, wolf packs and councils, but Delphine Kelly used her ability to help other creatures find romance. The Winslow family had a close relationship with her business, offering potions and charms for their clients at a discount.

With their special abilities, they're horrid at any other magical practices.

"Um, thank you? It's great to meet you, but what are you doing here?"

"My dear friend, Frances has your prince and they have just arrived outside and are incoming. It seems Frances didn't want a lecture from someone's assistant or whoever, so he tasked me with the announcement. Unfortunately, I need to leave so I don't miss my flight back home."

"Sorry to hear that-"

"Care to make it up to me?" She asked, but as she was already making her request, she pulled off her gloves and wiggled her fingers. "I'd love a peek."

"A peek?"

"Just a quick little look at the future. I promise not to spoil a thing."

Tentatively, Blake offered his hand with his new engagement ring. "Thank you, darling," she said with a little wiggle in her shoulders and held his hand up between them. Electricity popped in the air, crackling and making Blake's baby hairs stand on edge. She closed her eyes and slowly, her skin brightened and sparkled like the sun hitting the ocean. Despite the brightness, Blake couldn't tear his eyes away.

Delphine titled her head as she was just handed a problem and couldn't figure out the answer. Not without reaching deeper. Her hands didn't loosen. A small tingling sensation trickled down his arms and raised an army of goosebumps. It was like a door to his soul cracked open and Delphine let a breeze inside.

"Is everything okay?" Blake asked, his nerves getting the best of him.

"It's just..." Delphine spoke breathlessly as if she were alone and talking to herself. "I've never met someone who's past pulled me in so intensely..."

"Really? Cause my life has been boring-"

Blake's words caught in his throat as a tear trickled down Delphine's porcelain cheek. The bottom of his stomach fell out and his eyes snapped wide open. "Oh, God. Please tell me you're crying because I was just crying?"

He just prayed she wasn't crying over his future.

Delphine's eyes opened and her tears made her gooey brown eyes sparkle. Her red lips spread into a warm smile that only confused Blake more. Was what she saw good or bad? He needed to know. She reached up and touched his cheek, basking in his face.

"I can't say much, but I will say this. You have been loved for a very long time..." She suddenly pulled him into a warm hug, a deep embrace that Blake had been craving ever since he stepped off the plane. He held her back and imagine his own mother.

Stepping away, Delphine still held onto his arms with a little wink. "Like I said, I won't spoil a thing, but a good tip for curing a hangover is raw eggs. You'll thank me later."

She pecked his cheek and like a storm, she left her wreckage behind and disappeared.

"What just happened?" Blake asked the empty room. He caught his appearance in the mirror and sighed. He still looked like a mess. He curled his hands into fists and counted to ten, steadying his breathing. Time to get it together.

Hopping up, Blake grabbed Damien's blazer and put it back on as he strode up to the mirror. Magic was a funny thing. It was a whirlpool, constantly in motion inside of his heart like this completely separate living thing that decided his soul was a good enough home. He pulled from that power. Just a thread.

Enough for him to shake his arms out and the fabric shrunk. He rolled his shoulders and kicked his legs, doing everything to make this simple black suit fit to his form. However, a cost came with magic. Something needed to be sacrificed so he watched the black color fade to gray.

Blake thought, that would just have to do.

He could buy Damien a new suit later.

Fixing his tie, he thought about calling Michael to relay Delphine's message, when he heard two voices gaining closer. Two voices he didn't quite recognize. They were both deep, definitely men and they spoke quick harsh words.

Then.

One man said, "Daniel. Come on. We're already late." 

Blake's hair stood on edge. His feet swiftly made for that door, ready to grab that Daniel Bellerose by the scruff of his neck and refuse to be ignored. 

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Author's Note

Ah, the love of my life Delphine Kelly has had her moment (though we might see her again ;) Maybe). What does her premonition mean??? Gosh, I have some plans for this book. I will read all theories below and not answer anything, but might leave a winking emojii. I just like getting a peek into your brains. 

Remember to leave a comment below and vote on the chapter. If you like my writing style, check out my other books. I have Three completed and they're all stand alones :))