Page 33 of Witches and Wine
“You sure? He doesn’t mind us talking.”
The god of love never came between any relationships, but he put his soulmate’s above all else. He made my sister so deliriously happy that I could only hope to find something similar one day, or at the very least find that sense of calm formyself.
“It’s fine. Smother your family with kisses, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Love you.”
“Love you.”
After slipping my phone into my handbag, I swung open the shop’s door, smiling at the pleasant chime. Sylvie was at the counter this time, spraying and wiping down the glass display case. She perked up when I walked in and grinned like she recognized me.
“Chelsea, hello again.” Sylvie’s hair was down, this time in luscious blonde waves, the tips tinged a pale blue.
Fiddling with my purse strap, I approached the counter. “You remember my name? I’m impressed.”
Sylvie wiped off her hands and put the spray bottle away. “Don’t you remember mine?” A playful glint danced in her gaze.
“Sylvie,” I offered, cresting a smile. “Short for Sylvaria.”
She clapped her hands together and pointed at me. “I knew it. You seemed like a people person.”
Chuckling, I reached into my pocket, producing a business card. “I should hope so. I’m in public relations. And this is a no-pressure-at-all sales pitch, but if you ever feel like you could use my services, here’s my information.”
Sylvie held it between two fingers and raised it, letting the shop lights hit it. “I just might. As you can see, business hasn’t exactly been booming lately.”
This was new territory for me. Do magical beings ask what the other was? What they could do? Would I be insulting her and jeopardize any chance of a future friendship or working relationship?
“Speaking of which,” I started, tapping my fingernail on the countertop. “I’m not sure how to ask this.”
Sylvie folded her arms, a smile beaming on her features. “You didn’t know this place was magical, did you?”
My face fell flat. “Can you read minds? And I’m asking that sincerely, now that I know what this place is.”
Sylvie’s face lit up at that, sparkling in quite the literal sense like shimmering ice crystals. “It’s been so long since I’ve met someone stumbling into our little hidden town by accident who didn’t know what they were. That’s remarkable.” She leaned her forearms on the counter and slipped a hand over mine, squeezing it once.
“But ithashappened before?”
Before I became a more relaxed version of myself, her sudden forwardness may have made me tense, now, it made me smile.
Sylvie shook her head, her wispy bangs catching on her lush eyelashes. “Not since I moved here, but I’ve heard stories.” She removed a tray of macarons from the case and set them between us. “And to answer your question, I’m a faerie.”
Had I flat-out asked her that? I don’t remember asking her that.
“Oh,” I responded, leaning one hip against the counter. “And here I thought faeries had wings.”
Nodding, Sylvie scooped a yellow macaron into her palm and bit into it. “I keep them hidden. They get in the way here. Want one?” She nudged the box of desserts toward me.
My eyes went wide at her nonchalance. And it wasn’t as if I hadn’t known winged beings existed, seeing as my brother-in-law owned a giant pair of angelic white ones that I’d touched on one occasion. Still, her abrupt declaration, despite being part of this world now, gave me pause.
“Oh, did you want to see them?” Sylvie stood tall, dusting off her hands and working the remnants of the macaron in her mouth to swallow it.
Sheepishly, I combed some of my hair over an ear. “You don’t have to.”
“It’s not a big deal. I forgot you’re new to this, and I don’t blame you for being curious.” Sylvie flicked her wrist, sending a spiraling trail of pale blue magic that matched the highlights in her hair. It circled to her back, where a pair of snowy white and blue wings with icy outer edges appeared.
Involuntarily, my jaw fell slack. “They’regorgeous.”
Sylvie’s porcelain cheeks turned rosy, and the wings did a single quick flap. “Thank you.”
The time on the cupcake clock hanging on the wall behind the counter caught my attention, and I sighed, knowing I was doing nothing but stalling at this point. “You wouldn’t happen to have anything for courage in your delectable stash, would you?”
