Page 31 of Enchanting the Elf
I frown back.
“Why are you awake so early?”
“I wanted to get out of your hair early so you could work in peace without all my emotions disturbing you,” she says guilelessly. “Unfortunately, it’s pouring rain this morning so I’ll have to find a new spot to sit and work.”
I look out the window and verify her statement. It’s a typical summer rainy day.
I can’t believe how out of sorts I feel this morning that I missed her presence in the kitchen as well as the weather outside. My head feels like it’s stuffed with cotton wool after digesting last night’s findings and processing how it will affect me.
I stifle a yawn and explain as I fill a large mug with coffee, “It’s no problem. I have finally found the answers. We’ll have a group call tonight and I’ll tell everyone about it.”
My eyes dart around the room, trying to get my head in the moment but I think I am still too shocked to properly process it all. I plod over to the table and drop into the chair across from Florence.
“Good morning. Excuse my manners. It has been a long night.”
Florence sits up straight in her chair, looking rested and content. Her cornflower-blue eyes twinkle with a light when she says, “Guess what?”
I wrap my hands around my mug and bring it to my lips. “I don’t think I’m ready for guessing games yet. Why don’t you just tell me?”
“I met a pixie this morning!” Florence squeals excitedly and does this odd little dance in her seat.
An unexpected warmth blooms in my chest and my mouth tips up in one corner. I lower my cup again, wanting to give Florence my full attention. “Yeah? Who made this morning’s delivery?”
“Lindsey. She is so beautiful! And she glows!” Florence gushes, her whole demeanor animated. “She’s only a foot tall but she’s sostrong. She carried all of the deliveries and they were practically bigger than her.”
“Pixie dust,” I explain. Though pixies are stronger than they look, the dust helps with levitating objects.
Florence presses her hands to her chest. “And her wings! The finest, most delicate green gossamer wings with an exquisite iridescent glow.” She closes her eyes and shakes her head. “I’m sorry. I got carried away and blabbered all over what you were going to say. You said you found the answers?”
“It’s okay. I’m glad you got to meet a pixie.”You might be seeing her again. “Do you want me to tell you what I found, or would you prefer to hear it with the others tonight? I’m waiting for everyone to see my message across the different time zones, but I spoke to a few last night.”
“I’d rather hear it now. That is, if you don’t mind explaining it twice?”
I can’t quite decide which I would prefer. But it might be better to tell her now in private so she can come to terms with the enormity of the situation.
“Have you ever heard of ‘fated mates’?”
Florence sits back in her chair and gathers her long hair to bring it over her left shoulder. Her eyes flit around the room before settling on mine, studying my face with open curiosity.
“I can’t say I have. I mean, I can kind of deduce what it means, but the short answer is no. Is that what’s happening to us?”
“Not exactly. But it could be. With other couplings of course,” I quickly rectify before she gets the wrong impression.
I take a large gulp of coffee and groan as the flavor makes its way across my tongue and down my throat, closing my eyes to savor the first taste.
“Is the coffeethatgood?” Florence teases. Good-natured humor laces the question and I strangely find that I am not annoyed by the jesting.
“What did you put in this? It tastes different from when I make it.”
“Would you believe me if I said magic?” She arches her brows and I huff at her silly joke.
“Talking about magic… For the sake of this conversation, I will mostly be referring to you and me, and how my findings will affect us.”
Florence nods and starts stroking the cat on her lap. Its rumbling purr reverberates through the room, adding to the gentle patter of rain, and creates a calming atmosphere. A sentimental person would perhaps call it “soothing.”
I choose to ignore all of that and continue with my explanation, looking Florence directly in the eyes, her rapt attention fixed on me.
“We have established that the fates designed our meeting under a particular star alignment. This fated event also caused the proximity bond to keep us close. I found a case of this happening once before—a very long time ago—but the reasons for it remain unknown. It does not occur often, so we should handle this with a degree of reverence.”
