But Frank, my dad, was missing. He’d become the staple of this shop for me. I would never forget the moment Skye had brought me here, and the dog winked at me.
The dog!
My dad never left my side when I entered Stella’s shop.
I slid into the seat across from Stella and shrugged off my jacket.
Despite everything that had happened from romping in other realms, my father’s kidnapping, a potential teacher for the Academy, and the battle to protect Stonewick, a rare peace settled in my chest.
Stella glanced up from a magazine. “You slept hard last night.”
“I needed it.”
“Your tea is steeping on the counter.” She marked her place in the magazine, set it aside, and tapped the table. “Figured you could use something calming.”
I let out a small laugh. “You don’t say.”
Stella combed her silver hair back, twisted it into a bun, and anchored it with an ornately carved wooden stick, revealing a faint swirl of protection etched on her neck.
“What is that?” I asked softly so the other customers didn’t hear. “I haven’t seen it before.”
“Just a little ink,” she said with a wink.
I laughed and shook my head. “No, it’s not. I’m not falling for that.”
“You don’t see me getting a sleeve? Maybe some intricate pattern with bats and other creatures of the night?” She chuckled. “Can you imagine in my circumstances trying to pick out something that would stay with me for centuries? I can barely keep a purse around more than six months.”
I smiled. “Well, you do look pretty edgy riding your scooter around town.”
She chuckled and lowered her voice. “This little sparkly thing is a subtle vampire mark that now keeps me safe.”
My eyes widened. “Is that where you were bitten?”
“Indeed, it is.” She sipped her tea and stood. “Nova added an ancient spell of protection over the scar. I feel better about it that way.”
“It’s beautiful,” I said softly.
“Beauty can come from very ugly things if we choose to look for it.”
I smiled at my friend and nodded slowly. She always had a wonderful way of looking at life.
She turned from the table. “Let me get your tea. Drink it up, and then I could use your help rearranging the window displays now that Yule is ending.”
Midnight and Yule would be over.
Gideon would be here before we knew it.
“Any word from Keegan or Nova?” she asked, walking over to the counter.
“I talked to Keegan this morning about some developments, and he went to chat with Nova about it all.”
She returned and handed me a delicate teacup with a golden handle and silver vines entwining falling pink petals. The vines on the cup moved as she handed it to me.
“I haven’t seen this one before.” I held it up and took a sip. “So good.”
“It’s from my private collection.” Stella smiled as a group of customers came in.
I glanced at the leftover window displays from Christmas and Yule until she spoke again.
