[Maison Aurelia, Las Vegas, Nevada (May 2023)]
By half past eleven, the sunlight over the Las Vegas Strip had acquired a particular type of brilliance that could only be associated with late spring. A dazzling white-gold glare that made the city itself appear as though someone had polished it solely for the benefit of its tourists.
Inside Maison Aurelia, however, the light was considerably more forgiving.
The restaurant, one of many across the country co-owned by Eugene MacNamara himself, occupied one of the more prestigious corners of the Strip. Its tall windows overlooked the glittering city beyond. Its marble floors gleamed beneath discreet chandeliers. All while white linen covered the tables, crystal caught the light, and the occasional clink of fine silverware punctuated the soft murmur of delicate conversations.
But at a secluded table in the restaurant's "VIP Section" near the windows sat four women who, between them, possessed enough influence, wealth, education, and magical ability to make several government high rollers nervous enough to watch their words.
This is where Joanna Paredes found herself eating a modest portion of Eggs Benedict while listening attentively to the conversation around her. The woman doing her best to sit with the relaxed posture of someone who had spent decades learning how to remain perfectly calm while everyone else was losing their minds.
Her long, silky black hair was neatly arranged into a braid that fell over her left shoulder. Her pale green eyes remained quietly observant. And her olive complexion gave her an almost perpetually serene appearance that couldn't help but impress those around her.
It was an appearance that had fooled many people.
Joanna was, after all, a surgeon. A woman who had spent much of her professional life cutting into other human beings while remaining perfectly composed. So a brunch-time conversation with some friends was hardly going to frighten her.
At fifty-two, Joanna had long since acquired the ability to make attentive silence look like a deliberate choice rather than a blatant lack of interest. And she made sure that she always possessed the composed elegance of someone who had spent decades in operating rooms, boardrooms, and places where people expected her to know exactly what she was doing.
Beside her sat Jocelyn Chapman-Burns, also fifty-two, a fellow surgeon and one of Joanna's oldest friends.
Jocelyn's hazel-brown eyes had a perpetually observant quality to them, as though the 'healing magic' user were quietly taking notes on everyone in the room without actually needing a notebook. The woman, one of Nick's aunts, had the warm, understated sort of presence that made people comfortable around her without ever quite realizing why.
Across from them were Lucy Carrington and Arabella Beaumont.
Lucy, who was now fifty-eight years old, was an 'explosion magic' user who possessed a head of striking red hair that was beginning to surrender to silver. Though she treated the development with the sort of dignified indifference usually reserved for minor academic inconveniences. She was an engineering professor at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. One who had the bluntness of a woman who had spent her entire life around equations and consequently had very little patience for unnecessary complications.
Meanwhile, Arabella Beaumont, the First Lady of Nevada and the organizer of this little outing, was blonde-haired, blue-eyed, impeccably dressed, and socially gifted in the manner of someone who could flatter three people simultaneously without any of them realizing they had been complimented in precisely the same way.
Oddly enough, the woman possessed no magic whatsoever. But such a thing had never prevented her from becoming extremely comfortable around people who did.
That probably had to do with the fact that she was the mother of two sorcerer children. The products of some very selective genetic breeding that every rich person in the country who was aware of the existence of sorcerers seemed to jump on the moment they learned that people with superpowers existed.
She was also a woman who was politically savvy enough to understand that information was a currency, and that lunch was often a surprisingly effective place to conduct business. Business that she attacked with the particular enthusiasm of someone who enjoyed both conversation and knowing more than she was letting on.
For the moment, however, business was the last thing on anyone's mind.
The quartet of ladies had spent the better part of an hour discussing the kind of things that one would normally expect from a mid-day get-together such as this one. A business executive's messy divorce. A prominent sorcerer's absurdly expensive renovation. A Governor's daughter who had apparently been seen leaving a party with someone she absolutely should not have been leaving a party with. And the peculiar tendency of wealthy Las Vegas residents to name their dogs after European royalty.
It was, in other words, a perfectly respectable brunch.
"I simply cannot understand." Lucy said while cutting into her quiche. "Why in the world would anyone name a dachshund Napoleon?"
"Because he's short and ambitious?" Jocelyn suggested.
Lucy paused.
Joanna's mouth twitched.
Arabella, however, laughed at the 'healing magic' user's joke.
"Exactly!" The blonde woman said. "And apparently the dog has quite a personality."
"That is often what people say before their dog starts biting the furniture." Joanna remarked.
Jocelyn laughed softly.
Arabella took a sip of her coffee, smiling.
For another few minutes, the conversation remained pleasantly meaningless. Well, that is, until Arabella set down her cup and looked at the lone 'earth magic' user of the group with a somewhat rapacious gleam in her eye.
"So, Joanna…" The woman said casually. "I wanted to ask you something. If you don't mind, of course?"
Joanna looked up.
There it was.
The transition.
It was almost imperceptible, but Joanna knew Arabella well enough to recognize it almost immediately. The First Lady of Nevada had shifted from conversational mode to diplomatic mode, and the difference was remarkably subtle. Not subtle enough for someone like Joanna not to notice, of course. The raven-haired woman was far too accustomed to snobby rich people for something like that. But subtle enough that it didn't seem outright hostile in the moment.
"Of course. What's on your mind?" Joanna asked.
"It's about my daughter, Chloe."
Joanna waited for the blonde woman to continue.
"She's been thinking very seriously about what university she wants to attend as of late."
"Has she now?"
"Yes." Arabella nodded. "And she's become rather interested in accounting."
"That's a respectable profession." Joanna replied with a smooth look. "All of the ones who work for ASB are valued very highly for their work."
"Very much so!" Arabella smiled. "And she's particularly interested in going to school in Charlotte."
Joanna's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Charlotte?"
"Indeed! She's been looking at UNC Charlotte quite a bit. After all, everyone knows that they have the best accounting program in the country since they're right in the shadow of your father-in-law's bank. And she's made it very clear that she wants to learn from the best."
Joanna took another sip of her tea. That was certainly interesting, but not outright suspicious. After all, everyone knew that UNC Charlotte was where her father-in-law, Ezekiel, pulled from whenever he needed fresh talent for ASB. So the idea of going there for the accounting program was perfectly reasonable.
Arabella then continued. "She's planning to visit over the summer. To take a tour of the university, look at housing, and to get a feel for the city."
"That's sensible."
"Of course, of course." Arabella smiled again. "And if I remember correctly, your youngest daughter, Elizabeth, is currently attending school there, is she not?"
"She is."
"And your son, Evan, lives there as well."
"He does." Joanna nodded. She now had a pretty good idea as to where this conversation was going.
Arabella leaned back in her seat before speaking. "Well, I thought perhaps it would be lovely if they could show Chloe around the city when she visits. She's going to need to make some friends while she's away from home. And your two youngest seem like they would be the perfect fit."
Silence immediately followed those words. It lasted for approximately five seconds. But it was, nevertheless, enough to change the atmosphere of the entire table.
Jocelyn lowered her fork.
Lucy stopped cutting her quiche.
Joanna looked at Arabella.
And in that instant, the entire table understood exactly what had just happened.
Arabella had not merely mentioned Chloe's university plans for the hell of it. Instead, she had just placed a chess piece on the board. It was the particular kind of maneuver that Joanna had encountered many times before. In fact, she had encountered it so often over the years that she could practically identify the opening gambit.
"My daughter is interested in the same university as your child."
"Perhaps they could meet."
"Perhaps they could become friends."
"Perhaps something more."
"And if something more happened, well…"
As everyone who wasn't living under a rock knew, the MacNamara family was extraordinarily wealthy. The kind of wealthy that almost made your head spin when you hear the official numbers out loud. Not only that, but their influence within American sorcerer society was substantial. They were one of the Nine Families, after all.
Their name opened doors.
People always noticed when a MacNamara walked into a room.
And Joanna had grown accustomed to people attempting to attach themselves to her family in one way or another. What she had never grown accustomed to, however, was how transparent some people could be about it.
Across the table, Jocelyn gave Joanna the briefest glance.
Joanna returned it.
Neither woman said a word. Because after so many years of working together, they didn't have to.
'She's really doing this, isn't she?' Jocelyn's silent words reached the 'earth magic' user's ears.
'Yes, she is.' Joanna returned the thought with a somewhat exasperated look.
Jocelyn's expression conveyed something remarkably close to genuine disbelief.
Arabella, meanwhile, cheerfully continued her obvious power play. "And Chloe is around the same age as Evan and Elizabeth, isn't she?"
"Yes." Joanna's smile remained perfectly pleasant. "In fact, Evan and Elizabeth just turned twenty not too long ago."
"Such a coincidence!"
"Remarkable, isn't it?"
Lucy suddenly snorted.
Arabella looked at her. "What?"
The 'explosion magic' user leaned back in her chair before waving her off. "Nothing."
"Lucy…."
"I'm simply admiring the subtlety."
Arabella blinked innocently. "I don't know what you mean."
"Of course you don't."
Joanna took another sip of tea. She could practically see the conversation heading toward the inevitable.
Lucy then folded her hands on the table. "So, let me see if I've understood this correctly. Your daughter is going to Charlotte. Joanna's children live in Charlotte. And your daughter is around their age…."
Arabella smiled. "Yes."
"And you would like Joanna's son to show her around."
"Well-"
"And presumably your daughter will accidentally spend several days alone with him if the situation allows it?"
"Lucy."
The 'explosion magic' user continued despite the subtle warning. "Perhaps they will also accidentally discover they have identical interests?"
"That's absurd."
"Then perhaps they'll accidentally fall madly in love."
Arabella's smile tightened. "Lucy."
Joanna lowered her eyes to hide her amusement. Jocelyn, however, wasn't nearly as successful when a quiet laugh escaped her.
Arabella turned toward her. "You too?"
"I haven't said anything." The 'healing magic' user held her hands up defensively.
"You laughed."
"I simply find Lucy's bluntness to be entertaining."
Lucy smiled sweetly. "I am often told that."
Arabella sighed. "You are both impossible."
"And yet you invited us."
"That was clearly my first mistake."
Lucy gave her a gracious nod. "At least you're learning."
The First Lady gave the professor a look. It was still friendly. Mostly. But it was clear that the blonde woman wasn't happy with how her brunch guest was trying to pick apart her scheme.
Joanna watched them exchange the sort of polished smiles that wealthy, intelligent women perfected over years of social interaction. There was no genuine hostility between them. But there was something else.
A challenge.
And Arabella was determined not to admit that she had been caught.
Lucy, however, was just as determined to make sure she knew she had been caught. And Joanna had absolutely no intention of allowing either of them to turn her children into pieces on a social chessboard.
The raven-haired 'earth magic' user leaned back slightly as her thoughts drifted, as they sometimes did, back toward Spain. The country where she spent the majority of her young life before being brought to America against her will in the back of a shipping container along with dozens of other people.
She still remembered being young.
She remembered being poor.
She remembered working long nights alongside her mother.
She remembered learning everything she could through old books that had long since been tossed into the trash. Building a life one difficult step at a time.
Nobody had ever appeared at her rundown childhood home with a letter proposing an advantageous marriage. Nobody had tried to arrange her future for her. Nobody had handed her a place at a prestigious table because of her family name. Everything she was now had been earned through countless hours of effort. Perhaps that was why these little social maneuvers irritated her more than they might have irritated someone else.
Despite what many people may think, Joanna Paredes had earned everything in her life by the strength of her own hands and the virtue of her own wit. And she wanted to make sure that everyone knew that. It was the reason why she never took on the MacNamara name after she and Eugene finally got married. And the reason why she always made sure to do things the right way, even when there were significantly easier paths available to her thanks to the near-infinite resources she had at her disposal.
And yet, somehow, decades later, here she was, watching what was supposed to be another perfectly respectable woman attempt to gently position her own daughter near one of Joanna's children as though they were all attending a royal court in the thirteenth century.
There was something faintly medieval about the entire business. Apparently, the Middle Ages had survived. They had simply learned how to dress better and shower more often along the way.
"My daughter."
"Your son."
"Your family has money."
"My family has connections."
"Perhaps we should combine them and build something greater."
Despite Joanna's best efforts, her children had grown up surrounded by people who knew precisely who their grandfather was, what the MacNamara family owned, and how much influence the family wielded within American sorcerer society and beyond.
Some people wanted business advantages.
Some wanted political connections.
Others wanted magical knowledge.
And some, apparently, wanted grandchildren with very impressive last names.
Joanna set her teacup down and let out an almost imperceptible sigh. Even now, she couldn't help but remember how absurdly different her current life was from the one she had known growing up in Spain. It was as if the universe was doing its best to test her sanity.
The woman then glanced at Jocelyn again. And Jocelyn's expression said everything she needed it to.
'Had enough yet?'
Joanna agreed, then she placed her napkin down on the table. "Arabella."
The First Lady of Nevada immediately turned toward her. "Yes?"
"I'm flattered."
Arabella's smile brightened.
"But..." The smile froze, but Joanna continued calmly. "I should tell you that Evan and Elizabeth are already interested in other people."
"Oh?" Lucy's eyebrows shot upward. This was the first she had heard about any of this.
Arabella stared.
Jocelyn casually covered her mouth.
For perhaps the first time that afternoon, the First Lady of Nevada was genuinely speechless.
"Both of them?" Lucy asked.
"Both."
"That's remarkably efficient."
Joanna smiled. "Well…you know how young people are these days."
"Naturally."
Arabella recovered enough to speak. "Really?"
"Yes."
"Oh…."
Arabella's disappointment was subtle, but Joanna was an observant woman.
"Who? If you don't mind telling us?" Arabella then asked, hoping to see what kind of competition she was up against. This wasn't a total setback for her and her husband's plan. But she needed to know who Evan currently had his eye on. They were already fighting an uphill battle since they knew that Chloe wasn't the young 'wind magic' user's type when it came to physical appearance.
Joanna considered her for a moment before letting everyone in on the gossip. "Evan is involved with a girl from the McKenna family. Or at least, that's what my husband and oldest daughter have told me."
Lucy nearly dropped her fork. "A McKenna girl?"
Joanna nodded.
Lucy stared at her. "You're serious?"
"Completely."
"And Elizabeth?"
"She's interested in a certain boy from the Murphy family. She has been for a very long time."
Technically, that wasn't the whole truth. In reality, Elizabeth had been virtually stalking Lewis Murphy for the past few years. Something that Joanna has both tried and failed to convince her youngest daughter to stop doing. But despite her best efforts, the young woman was still obsessed with the boy. She had been ever since they were caught fooling around during her time living with the Murphy family.
There was another silence. Then Lucy slowly leaned back and let out a chuckle. "Oh, that's magnificent!"
Joanna smiled. "It is rather funny, isn't it?"
"Your two youngest children have somehow managed to insert themselves into the most toxic family rivalry in American sorcerer society."
"Apparently."
Lucy shook her head. "I have to admire the efficiency, though."
Jocelyn was now openly amused.
Arabella, meanwhile, was attempting to process the information while maintaining the serene expression expected of the First Lady of Nevada.
It was not going particularly well for her.
"The McKennas and the Murphys…" She murmured.
"Yes."
"How...interesting."
Joanna could practically hear the gears turning in the blonde woman's head.
Arabella had arrived at this brunch hoping to establish a possible connection between her daughter and the MacNamara family. Instead, she had discovered that both of Joanna's available children had already wandered into the orbit of two of the most politically and socially powerful families in sorcerer society. Then again, such a thing was par for the course for the Nine Families, so she really shouldn't have been all that surprised.
It still annoyed the hell out of her, though. But Arabella knew that not having a famous sorcerer family name was going to work against her and her daughter.
Thankfully, the non-sorcerer woman wasn't dumb enough to try to set up her oldest son with Elaine. But such a thing would've been practically impossible anyway. After what happened to Jayson Chapman over a decade ago, Elaine MacNamara had made it very clear that she wasn't interested in dating anyone for any reason. And anyone foolish enough to try to court the world-famous popstar would've been in for a rude awakening.
Jocelyn finally took pity on the woman after seeing how flustered Arabella was getting.
"Well, Arabella…" The 'healing magic' user said gently. "It appears you've missed your opportunity."
Arabella looked at her. There was a tiny pause, then she smiled. "Apparently so..."
The words were gracious.
The expression was gracious.
The tone was gracious.
Everything about it was gracious.
But only someone who knew Arabella well would have noticed that her smile had become approximately three millimeters thinner.
Lucy noticed.
Joanna certainly noticed.
Jocelyn definitely noticed.
Fortunately, Jocelyn had enough mercy not to mention it.
Joanna then folded her hands and started talking. "Regardless, my children are adults."
"Of course." Arabella replied.
"And I don't want to interfere in their personal lives."
"That is something I can agree with wholeheartedly." Lucy nodded approvingly.
The redheaded woman herself had dealt with many unsavory individuals trying to get with her son over the years. After all, Jasper Chandler was one of the most desirable sorcerers in the country. Especially since he was an S-rank sorcerer ranked in the top one hundred of the Clock Tower's ranking, and was also about to become a DPA Chief Agent in the next couple of months. But fortunately for her, Lucy's oldest son had already chosen to settle down with a girl from the Watanabe family. Meaning that such nuisances were about to be a thing of the past.
Jocelyn smiled. "Very sensible."
Arabella nodded as well. "Naturally."
Joanna gave her a warm smile. "I've always believed they should choose their own relationships. And my husband feels the same way."
There was nothing sharp in her voice. Nothing accusatory. But the message was perfectly clear. And Arabella understood what wasn't being said out loud.
She smiled. "Absolutely."
A moment passed.
Then, because she was Arabella Beaumont and therefore apparently incapable of surrendering a diplomatic objective entirely, she brightened.
"Still, I would love for Chloe to get to know them! She's always wanted more friends who were sorcerers."
Joanna raised an eyebrow. "Of course."
"If she's going to Charlotte, it would be wonderful if Evan and Elizabeth could show her around."
Joanna smiled. "That shouldn't be a problem."
Arabella visibly relaxed. "I'd appreciate that."
"I'll tell them to be prepared to help her if she decides to go and check out the city."
"Wonderful!"
"And if Chloe decides she likes the university, perhaps they'll be able to give her some advice about living in Charlotte."
"Exactly."
The matter was settled. Or at least as settled as such things could ever be.
Lucy picked up her fork again.
"So…" She said. "Now that we've successfully established the possible future of three major families and averted a rather awkward attempt at finding Joanna's son a girlfriend, may we return to our food now?"
Arabella laughed. "Please."
Jocelyn shook her head. "You make everything sound so dramatic."
"Because everything is dramatic."
"It really isn't."
"That's precisely what makes it dramatic."
Joanna laughed quietly.
The conversation gradually returned to safer subjects after that. Topics such as food, travel, a conference Jocelyn had recently attended, and an upcoming university event. None of which were of any real importance, but that didn't stop them from being any less entertaining.
Lucy proceeded to complain about an engineering department meeting that had somehow lasted three hours without anyone actually making a decision. Arabella told a story about her husband Henry's latest attempt to prepare dinner. That story alone occupied nearly ten minutes. But by the time dessert arrived, the earlier tension had almost completely disappeared.
Almost.
Joanna momentarily sat back and watched the sunlight glimmer across the windows of Maison Aurelia.
She had enjoyed herself. And despite everything, she genuinely liked Arabella. The woman was charming, intelligent, and entertaining when she wanted to be. But Joanna now knew exactly where she stood.
Her children were not political assets.
They were not social currency.
They were not pieces to be moved around a board by ambitious parents.
They were her children.
And if anyone intended to take advantage of them for their own gain, Joanna Paredes would have something to say about it. Preferably in person, just to make sure that she got her point across.
Her thoughts then drifted toward Charlotte. Mainly toward Evan and Elizabeth.
She hadn't seen either of them in quite some time. In fact, Joanna hadn't seen them in person ever since she, Eugene, and Elaine went down to Miami to deal with Evan and the less-than-acceptable situation he had put himself in while he was still living there. And that was well over a year ago.
'Perhaps I ought to change that.' Joanna smiled faintly to herself.
Thankfully, she had already decided that she was going to pay them a visit.
Soon.
She would drop in on her children, see how they were doing, have dinner with them, and perhaps remind them that their mother still existed. And if, during that visit, she happened to meet and learn more about this Valerie McKenna girl that her son was spending so much time with…then well…that would simply be her satisfying her maternal curiosity.
Nothing more.
Absolutely nothing, for certain.
Across the table, Lucy was arguing with Arabella about whether a person could reasonably call a $100 dessert "small." Meanwhile, Jocelyn was taking the opposite side solely to annoy Lucy and rile her up.
Joanna picked up her tea and quietly took a sip.
For the moment, at least, everything was peaceful. Then, very quietly, she smiled to herself.
Her next visit to Charlotte was certainly going to be very interesting.
-(o)-
Character Profile: Joanna
Name: Joanna Irene Paredes (née [Redacted])
Alias: N/A
Gender: Female
Age: 52
Birthday: August 14th
Birthplace:[Redacted], Andalusia, Kingdom of Spain
Height: 67in.
Weight: 143lbs.
Hair: Black
Eyes: Green
Race: White
Magic: Earth
Occupation: Housemaid (Former), Nurse (Former), Surgeon, American Heart Association Chief Science and Medical Officer, Duke University Hospital Board of Directors (Former), Inventor.
Stat Chart: B
-Physical Strength - 2.5
-Intelligence - 5+
-Magic Amount - 3
-Magical Control - 5
-Magic Sensing - 4
-Special - N/A
Fun Fact:
-Alma Mater: North Carolina A&T (BS), Dartmouth College (MD), Duke University (PhD).
-Favorite food is chickpeas.
-She is rumored to be a relative of the current president of the Spanish sports club, Real Madrid.
-Has created and patented several medical devices that are currently used by the United States military.
-It is believed that she had her identity changed shortly after immigrating to the United States of America.
-Taught herself English by reading old textbooks that she found in the trash.
-Elaine and Elizabeth both firmly believe that Evan is Joanna's favorite child.