Deadly Magic Read Online Free PDF Page A

imprisonment, but one look into his eyes, she quickly decided against it. Nodding her assent, she followed Belle and Lily back down the aisle.
    Belle pull ed out her key chain. “We’ll just stay in my father’s dressing room for a few minutes and then I’ll take you to your seat.”
    “ Are you sure you want to bring her in here,” Lily warned.
    Grace caught Belle rolling her eyes. “She’s already seen his dressing room.”
    Lily made a disbelieving sound.
    “It’s fine,” Belle said impatiently. “There’s nothing in here she can’t see.” Belle pushed open the door and attempted to walk through the entryway, but was stopped by Lily reaching out and gripping her arm.
    Grace watch ed as both women stared each other down.
    “ I’ve been working for my father for three years now. I think I know what I can and can’t do.”
    Lily reluctantly dropp ed her hand. Shrugging, she pushed the door open and walked inside. “Oh! Ilya’s redecorated. Very nice.” Lily picked up a vase sitting on the small coffee table in the center of the room. “Very pretty. I see your hand at work here, Belle. You should really think about going into interior design work. I think you have an eye for it.” Lily sat the vase down and walked to the bookcase.”
    “ I like what I’m doing,” Belle said irritably.
    Lily didn’t respond. Instead, she walked to the bookcase. Running her hand over book spines, she muttered, “He’d never read this in a million years.”
    Belle thr ew Grace an apologetic look. “Sorry. We’ll make it up to you, Grace ,” she said brightly. “Right?”
    Nodding her head, Grace f ollowed Belle into the room. Walking to the settee, she sat down.
    “ It won’t take them long to get everything in place. I guess we could have blindfolded you, but—” Belle suddenly stopped speaking and looked down.
    Grace follow ed her gaze. A pendant in the shape of a golden dragon was lying on the floor.
    “ But we wouldn’t want to mess up your hair and makeup.” Belle reached down and picked the object off the floor. She held the pendant in her hand and sighed.
    “ What do you have there?” Lily asked.
    Belle wordlessly walk ed around the settee and handed the pendant to the older woman.
    Lily turn ed the pendant over in her hand. “Well, how did that get there?”
    Belle shrugg ed, as she sat down on the chair next to Grace. “I don’t know. Kind of strange, especially since you haven’t been in here since I redecorated. Right?”
    Lily didn’t respond. She sat next to Grace, still holding the pendant in her hand. Looking at it curiously, she wordlessly shook her head.
    “ It’s very pretty,” Grace said, attempting to fill the awkward silence that was developing.
    Lily smil ed. “Thank you, Glenda.”
    Belle mouth ed, “Sorry” at Grace before saying, “My father gave that to her when she retired.”
    “ Yes, it’s one of a kind.” Lily proudly handed it to Grace to admire.
    Grace gingerly pick ed up the solid gold pendant. A bright green stone sat in the place of the dragon’s eye. Handing it back to Lily, she asked, “Is that an emerald?”
    “Yes. My birthstone.” Shrugging, Lily stood up and thrust the pendant into her robe pocket. She looked down at her robe. Patting the other pocket, she asked, “Have you seen my phone, Belle? I can’t seem to find it.”
    Belle pulled at the sequined bow tie at her neck, revealing a long red scar. “I think Tabitha has it. She said something about finding a phone in the dressing room.”
    Lily blew out a breath and shook her head. “When she comes off the stage, do me a favor and grab it from her, please. I don’t want her to lose it.”
    “ She’s not going to lose it, Lily.”
    “ Please, Belle, just do as I ask without complaining, for once.” Walking over to the dressing table, she shrugged off her robe, revealing a purple sequined waistcoat, bow tie, and leotard. She threw the robe over an elaborate wood carved dressing screen and