out what’s being served.” With that, I moseyed and mingled through the crowd, making sure I checked out what each waiter had on his tray, brushing close enough to make contact with bare skin. To my relief, absolutely nothing supernatural happened.
Since I had dispelled the threat of an impending Nephilim attack and Detective Monroe was off paying attention to something other than Teag and me, I indulged in a few rare moments of relaxation. I savored the bellini I’d gotten from one of the waiters along with a nibble of asparagus and prosciutto, and let myself enjoy the cellist’s solo. Teag had gone off with Anthony, so I dawdled, making a slow circle of the ballroom to look at all of the angel-themed art. I placed bids for the silent auction on several local-artisan pieces that I liked, items for the store and a pottery piece with especially nice vibrations that I thought I would keep for myself. Since I’m a big fan of the Archive and Mrs. Morrissey is a huge help with research, I figured I could spare an extra donation on top of my annual pledge.
As I made my way around the room, the giant model of the Angel Oak in the center drew my attention. Once I had seen all of the pieces of art for auction, I found myself standing beneath the gnarled, spreading limbs of the tree, staring up at its canopy. Even at one-fifth scale, the artist’s massive installation brushed the ballroom’s high ceiling and sent out limbs that nearly reached all four walls.
“Impressive, isn’t it?” Mrs. Morrissey said, coming up beside me. “It’s not really for sale, although I’ve had a couple of inquiries, if you can believe it!”
“What will happen to it once the fundraiser is over?” I asked. I hated to think that the beautiful piece might be dismantled permanently, although it would surely need to be taken apart to get it out of the ballroom.
“One of the big bank buildings downtown wants to put it in the atrium for several months,” she replied. “Then both the Lowcountry Museum and the University have expressed interest.” Mrs. Morrissey smiled. “I’m just impressed with how life-like it is, and how well the artist incorporated pieces of the real Angel Oak.”
I hadn’t been out to Johns Island to see the Angel Oak in a long time. If the replica here in the ballroom was any indicator, I decided that the real tree’s resonance must be exceptionally powerful. My magic registered calming vibrations, and a sense of serenity and patience that was often in short supply. “I wish I had room to take it home with me,” I said. “It makes me feel calmer just standing next to it.”
Mrs. Morrissey chuckled. “You’re not the first person to say that,” she replied. “I think that’s part of the reason so many locations want the installation. Everything today makes us all jittery and keyed-up. When you find something that calms you down, you want to hang onto it.”
Someone called her away just then, and just as I was about to move on, Teag and Anthony caught up with me. “Let’s get out of here before Anthony spends any more money,” Teag said, but his tone held affection and humor. “He’s already placed a couple of generous bids, and if we win, I don’t know where we’ll put the stuff!”
Anthony shook his head with a smile. “There’s always room for a good piece of art. We’ll just move things around.” He gave me a conspiratorial look. “Don’t forget – a high bid challenges the competition to bid more, which benefits the Archive.”
“Have you seen everything?” Teag asked. “Are you ready to move on?”
I nodded. Although the ballroom was spacious, the art display took up a lot of room. It felt crowded, and there were probably people downstairs who hadn’t had a chance to come up and mingle. “We’d probably better clear out so that more donors can look at the art,” I replied.
We said our goodbyes to Mrs. Morrissey and headed out. I glanced around, looking for Detective Monroe, but didn’t see her. That was fine with me.
Despite the air conditioning, the fundraiser seemed crowded and stuffy, so the cooler air outside was a relief, and I looked forward to the prospect of a nighttime stroll. Yet by the time we were half-way to Teag and Anthony’s house, I felt antsy, and I noticed that Teag was paying more attention to the shadows around us than to