Rose mingles with the people at the banquet. She keeps Sasha in sight, so she can talk to her. As for Ciarán, something about him was rubbing her the wrong way. It was a good thing she came prepared. She walks close to Ciarán and gently drops a small GPS tracker into his side pocket. She also scans his cell phone with hers.

While she is close to Ciarán, she listens in on what he is saying to some guy. They were talking about investments and the newest CEO of some company. Nothing that matters to her. She wasn’t into acquiring or having lots of money like her family.

“Sweetie, come with me.” Sasha pulls Susan towards the women’s bathroom.

Susan follows her wife to the bathroom. She wonders why Sasha is pulling her to the bathroom.

“Why are we in here?” Susan looks at Sasha with a puzzled look on her face.

“Because that Ciarán fellow tried hypnotizing you. If I hadn’t stopped him, he would have managed to do it.” Sasha was protective of her wife.

“How come he didn’t try to do you?” Susan looks into Sasha’s eyes.

“I can’t be hypnotized. But I can stop him from hypnotizing you.” Sasha reaches into a hidden pocket on her dress and pulls out a contact container.

“Since when do you wear contacts?” Susan didn’t think her wife wore them.

“When I want to spy on people without them knowing about it. However, these aren’t those types of contacts. These will protect you from being hypnotized. Since you need to keep eye contact.” Sasha hands them to her wife.

Susan puts the contacts into her eyes and blinks a few times. She wasn’t used to wearing them.

“Do you normally carry around things like this?”

“You’ve seen all the stuff I carry on me, including the lock picks hidden in my bra.” A playful smile appears on Sasha’s face.

“Sometimes, I wonder why I still love you.” Susan kisses Sasha.

Sasha returns the kiss and afterward fixes her lipstick. She and Susan walk out of the bathroom and mingle with the crowd. Sasha was keeping an eye out for Ciarán.

Rose had lost sight of Sasha Wolfhart but figured she was still enjoying the banquet. Rose socializes with a few people she knows, but they don’t know she has been changed from a male to a female yet. What happened to her was being kept quiet.

After a while, Rose spots Sasha talking to someone. She walks over to where Sasha is standing. She didn’t want to interrupt the person talking to Sasha, so she waited. After the person walks off, Rose looks at Sasha “Sasha, I know you’re into the magical scene. What advice do you normally give new magicians and is there a place they should start?”

“Well, normally when a person is thinking about starting. I normally recommend they become an apprentice to an established magician like myself or some of the others out there. If they are set on doing things themselves. Most magicians starting, who want to be independent, might do street performances or if they are good. They could go onto the circuit like most magicians.”

“Are there agents that handle newbies in your craft?” Rose was recording their conversation.

“There are three agents that I know of. But one of them just recently died.”

“I heard about that. Do they know how they died?” Rose knew because she went and investigated the site.

“Some sort of an explosion from what I heard.”

“If you don’t mind me asking? Is there a circuit that magicians perform on?” Rose wonders if she should start looking there.

“You know, there is actually. Also, starting some magicians do underground shows. Especially, if the magician is trying to improve their reputation or build a following.” That statement gets Sasha thinking. Maybe she has been going at this investigation the wrong way.

Sasha looks at Rose “Are you thinking about becoming a magician?”

“No, my cousin is. She wants to change jobs. She’s realizing that her current job isn’t going anywhere.”

“Well, it is a male-dominated occupation. She’ll have to develop an act that will get her noticed.”

“She’s pretty creative. I think she might find a way.” A sly smile appears on Rose’s face.

“Sasha, here you are.” Susan walks towards her wife.

Sasha smiles at her wife. “Sweetie I would like to introduce you too?” As Sasha looks at the woman, she has been talking too.

“Rose.” As Rose extends her hand out to shake Susan’s.

“Susan Blackstone.” As Susan shakes Rose’s hand.

“I know who you are, Mrs. Blackstone. You’re the lead singer for Wild Fire. I think your voice range is remarkable.” Rose loved some of their music.

“Thanks. So, has my wife been helpful?”

“Yes, she has. She has been very helpful. Now, if you’ll excuse me, please. I need to visit the powder room.” Rose smiles at Susan and Sasha just before she walks off.

Susan and Sasha watches as Rose walks away from them.

“I hope it wasn’t something I said.” Susan takes a sip from her drink.

“No, I don’t think it was, sweetie.”