Page 1 of The Baby Dragon Cafe
Chapter 1
Saphira Margala had hardly had a moment to catch her breath all day.
The Baby Dragon Cafe had been extremely busy—which was a good thing, she reminded herself, even as her feet ached.
It was freshly spring, the very end of March. More and more people were coming out to town, spending their lunch breaks and evenings walking around Main Street, which resulted in better foot traffic for the cafe.
The days were getting longer, too, the sun shining bright for more hours, and everyone wanted to enjoy the warmth. If she stepped outside, Saphira was sure she would see at least half a dozen dragons flying above the valley, basking in the changed weather after the long, cold winter.
Starshine Valley was a haven for dragons and their riders. The small town was nestled between gorgeous, snow-capped mountains, and the terrain was perfect for flying, giving them beautiful views of forests and hills and lakes.
Saphira loved to watch the adult dragons in flight, mesmerized. She stood by the windows now, sneaking aglance at the majestic beasts. They were a little larger than the biggest breed of horse, so they cut distant but sharp silhouettes in the sky. They were such stunning creatures, absolutely breathtaking.
If only baby dragons could be so serene.
The little monsters in question pulled her attention back to her cafe, which was packed with customers lounging on various pieces of furniture and at tables. Some of the patrons’ baby dragons were by their side in little beds or caves, while some jumped up into the dragon trees or nooks hanging on the stone walls.
The sight of the baby dragons in her cafe filled Saphira with pride. She had opened six months ago, and hers was the first cafe to allow the little draggos in, which thrilled the people of Starshine Valley. Most establishments were pet-free, and many even had signs that specifically said NO BABY DRAGONS ALLOWED in big, bold letters.
Unfortunately, Saphira was beginning to understandwhymore and more.
She picked up empty mugs from a nearby table, pushing in the wood chairs before taking the dishes back to the counter. As she walked past a bearded father sipping a cappuccino and his young daughter munching on lemon-raspberry cake, Saphira was careful to watch her feet around the baby dragon playing with the girl’s swinging legs.
“Oh, sorry!” a young woman said, as she almost knocked into Saphira from behind.
“No worries!” Saphira replied, side-stepping. Unfortunately, as she did, she accidentally bumped into a baby dragon sleepingin a plush bed. The dragon snapped awake, releasing a puff of flames at her legs.
Heat singed the edge of Saphira’s skirt, and she yelped back. The now familiar scent of burned fabric filled the air.Fantastic.
All her dresses and skirts now had scorch marks at the ends, or bite marks, or occasionally both. Saphira knew she should be practical and wear trousers or jeans, but she loved how a pretty skirt made her feel. (Her love for aesthetics over practicality was a real problem.)
But as Saphira glanced at the perpetrator, she could not even be angry. The baby dragon looked up at her with blue eyes, innocence writ on its adorable face. Kneeling down, Saphira petted the dragon’s scaly skin, and it happily leaned into her touch.
Baby dragons were as mischievous as human toddlers, but also just as cute, if not more so. Saphira loved them dearly, which was why when she dreamed of opening her own cafe, little draggos were always part of that vision. At twenty-five, she was perhaps a little young to be a business owner, but she was doing her best.
Maneuvering herself back behind the counter, Saphira turned on the coffee grinder to prepare the next orders. She poured the cold drink into a crystal goblet and the hot one into a ceramic mug decorated with daisies, then placed snacks onto steel plates.
Once everything was ready, she placed it all onto a tray, weaving between busy tables and chairs with gossiping preteens and lovey-dovey couples before she reached her desired destination.
“I have a brown sugar cold foam cold brew for Mrs. Cartwright and a vanilla oat milk latte for Mrs. Li,” Saphira said, placing the drinks on the table in front of two old ladies.
They were sitting comfortably in lounge chairs by the big, open windows, a vase of fresh flowers and two glowing candles on their table.
Saphira bent down to the dragon beds on the floor by the ladies’ feet to give the treats to the baby dragons. One was an opala breed, with big, yellow eyes and iridescent white scales, while the other was an azura breed, with deep ocean-blue eyes and scales to match. Each was about a foot long with little wings.
“Beef jerky for little Thorn, and ginger candies for baby Viper,” she said, placing the steel plates in front of them.
Hands free, she then petted the baby dragons. They cooed in response, pleased, before digging into the snacks Saphira especially kept for her reptilian patrons.
“Thank you, darling,” Mrs. Cartwright said, her eyes crinkling behind her glasses. She set aside her knitting needles to take a sip of her cold brew, humming in satisfaction.
“You’re an angel,” Mrs. Li added, doing the same. “An absoluteangel.”
Warmth coursed through Saphira; she beamed. “Let me know if I can get you anything else!”
“Some new wrists perhaps?” Mrs. Li asked, rubbing one of her wrinkled hands. “These are always giving me issues.”
“Make that two sets while you’re at it,” Mrs. Cartwright said, nodding in agreement.
