Mia
I loved parties. I was always excited anytime I heard about one. I could remember all the fun I had had attending parties as a child but now all I could think of when I thought of parties was dread.
I had started dreading open parties where there was no bouncer at the entrance and anyone could walk right in ever since the dark wizard had shown up.
Albert’s birthday was coming up soon and the boys were thinking of throwing him a surprise party. Afraid because of what had happened the last time, I had tried to persuade them to have the party but they wouldn’t listen.
I didn’t want a repeat of what had happened the last time. I didn’t think having a party out here while our enemy was lurking around was a good idea. I would have preferred us to celebrate Albert on a low profile right in the house and take him out later in the day.
“Let’s not have a big party.” I told the boys as we sat in the garden, having our secret meeting and talking of the party.
They had invited me over to their meeting and told me of their plans to surprise Albert and begged me to join, telling me that I would be a better event planner than they were because I was a lady.
I had joined them because I was interested in planning a party for Albert’s birthday and surprising him but I began to feel uncomfortable when I found out that they wanted to throw a big party for him and I couldn’t keep my objections to myself.
“Why?”
“What if the dark wizard is watching us and sees us having a party? What if she uses that opportunity to strike at us, knowing that our guards are down?”
“She has a point.” Quinn nodded.
I smiled at him, grateful that someone understood my fears.
Jack snorted. “Do we have to stop living because the dark wizard is watching? We had to take a leave because of the god-damned wizard. We have to stop going out to late-night parties and being in crowded places because of this genderless bitch. Our lives are boring and devoid of fun. Now, we can’t even celebrate our father because of him? Come on, the fear that the dark wizard would end up killing us before he strikes if we can’t be bold enough to do anything. We can’t let him win and control our lives.”
“He has a point.” Quinn nodded.
I glanced at Quinn in surprise, arching my eyebrows at him. “Who are you for?”
He shrugged. “Both of you make sense. You can’t blame me that I can’t pick a side.”
I snorted at him. Traitor. John was looking at Jack, the same way he had been looking at me when I was talking. He didn’t seem like he was going to pick a side and I knew at that moment that I was outnumbered. It was then I knew that the party was going to happen.
Jack continued, feeling encouraged by Quinn’s support. “Moreover, the dark wizard hasn’t attacked us all this while. That shows us that he is weak after all those years of imprisonment and couldn’t do much. He must have used up all his energy after that stunt he had pulled with us after he got free. Maybe he is trying to get his powers back and is in hiding.” He snorted, giving me a directed side glance. “Tell me why we have to keep putting off what we want to do for someone like that.”
Quinn nodded. “You are right, Jack. This place has been dry for quite some time. Having a party would really spice things up and bring back the life and fun that there used to be here.”
John nodded. “As much as Mia is right that we have to be careful, I can’t deny that a surprise party would really make dad happy.”
“It is settled then.” Jack grinned, glad that he had won. “Our lives don’t have to be as dark as the wizard.” He chuckled at his own joke.
I shook my head at him, sighing that my worries had been dismissed. I understood why the boys wanted to plan a party for their dad though. He had been mad at them when he had heard that I was the one they chose to claim as their mate and I guessed that this was their way of making him forgive them. If they were trying to suck up to their father, I couldn’t hold that against them. I was just afraid that the party would end with regrets as that of the boys had been.
“Are you with us, Mia?”
I glanced up at them and noticed that Jack was scowling at me. I knew he hated me for being negative at the moment but I couldn’t help it. I exhaled and decided to believe in them. I chose not to be negative. If they believed that we would be fine, then we would.
“Yes, I’m with you.” I said and nodded at them.
“Good.” They smiled at me and I shook my head at how little it took to make them happy.
I was in charge of food for the guests and was to work with the cooks in the house and some professional caterers. Jack was in charge of the music and drinks, Quinn was in charge of the decor and chairs while John was in charge of calling all of Albert’s friends and long-term acquaintances that he would be excited to see.
I made the cooks in the house swear to secrecy and John also had Albert’s friends promise not to tell him. It was a mega-secret project and even mum didn’t know about it. I had told the boys not to inform or include her in the preparations. I didn’t trust that she wouldn’t get excited beyond herself and let it slip to Albert while they were talking that we were planning a party for him.
I was excited about the party though I was scared. The hatred I had seen in the dark wizard’s eyes made me scared. I didn’t believe that she was weak; she was rather bidding her time. Even if she was weak, the woman I had seen that day was ready to sacrifice her life so she could get back at Albert and his family.
Jack was right though. The mansion had become drab because of fear of the dark wizard and some fun was needed to bring back life. I was excited about planning the party and so were the boys. The staff in the house weren’t left behind either. There was a bounce in the way everyone moved around the house, knowing that there was a big day coming.
Albert noticed the happiness on everyone’s faces and joked, asking if the staff were happy because it was close to their payday. The butler had smiled and told him that wasn’t the case, lying that they were playing a game which was why everyone seemed excited.
It had been hard keeping a lid on my composure and I wondered how Quinn did it, being unruffled regardless of what happened. I had almost burst out laughing at the table when I had heard that lie if Jack hadn’t given me a warning look.
It was sure a lot of fun planning a surprise and keeping it a secret. I was already imagining how touched Albert would be that day.
We all excused ourselves from the table when we were done with our meals to continue supervising and crosschecking our plans for the party. It was two days left to the party and we had to make sure that there was not a single hitch.
I was determined to make the party as flawless as it could and had secretly arranged for two armed men to be present at the party in disguises. They had their orders to shoot at the dark wizard if she showed up and tried to attack any of my family members.
Since the dark wizard had a knack for changing appearance, I couldn’t give them a description but I told them to watch out for any suspicious person and shoot at them.
No matter how powerful she was at casting spells, she still had a human body and would feel the sting of bullets in her. I wasn’t going to sit still and let her attack us as she wished. I was going to fight back to protect my family.
I was ready for the dark wizard if she showed up and Albert was going to have the best birthday ever.