Page 2 of Second Chance Dragon Chief

It was Rocky Clark, the local reporter.

Too bad he’s no Clark Kent, though.

What do you care anyhow?

It was true, she had more or less given up in that department.

Still, he was a good guy. Fae, but not militantly so. He tended to be relatively fair in his coverage in the Herald. The Enchanted Edition, of course. He handled it all, humans too, but the supernaturals got the additional section.

“Lively crowd tonight,” Tam commented as Wendy poured Rocky’s stout.

“Yes, ma’am. Everyone blowing off steam as per usual. Come one, come all to the world famous Tree bar!”

“World famous, really?” Tam said, “I knew it was a big deal, of course,” she added.

Sometimes, Bloom forgot just how new Tam was to the Magical realms. She made her look like an old soul by comparison. That was probably why she felt so comfortable with her. She didn’t have to pretend she fit in with Tam.

“World famous-ish amongst the fae, and probably a lot of other magical beings, at least. Yeah, we’re a big deal. Right, Ash?” She said that last part out to the room in no particular direction, addressing the spirit that enchanted the Tree itself.

The lights flickered a little in seeming acknowledgment.

“Wow. It is so cool that you have your own enchanted bar as a home!” Tam gushed.

“Well, it’s not like I had a whole lot of say in the matter. My mom just plopped me here back when I was ten. ‘Hey, meet your dad! By the way, you have a dad. Oh, and he’s Fae…oh, and magic’s real. Bye now.”

“That must have been crazy hard,” Tam said. “I mean, I thought it was hard for me realizing I was half-fae as an adult. “But to be ripped out of your old life at ten, and with your mom dying and everything and coming here!”

“Jeez, you make it sound so tragic. Can we talk about something else?”

“What? Oh, sorry, Bloom, I didn’t know it still bothered you!”

“It usually doesn’t. It was twenty years ago. I guess I’m just having a moment. Honestly, that kind of stuff never totally leaves you, I don’t think. You have any deep fae wisdom for me?”

She interrupted their conversation for a moment as she served up Rocky’s Guinness, after having let it settle for the prescribed few minutes.

“Thanks, Bloom!” he called as he plucked it up and disappeared into the crowd.

She made a note on his tab.

“Wisdom? Not sure I’d put it like that, but yeah” she said. Tam paused for just a second before she seemed to hit on a thought. “June says that sometimes we have to go deep into the darkness to really appreciate the light.” She waited expectantly, apparently to see if this particular bit of wisdom was helpful for Bloom.

“Oh yeah, is that what June says?”I’m not impressed.She’d had enough of the darkness for a lifetime, thank you very much.

She removed a few empties off the bar and wiped it down in anticipation of the next wave.

Tam seemed to scramble for a second. “I know I haven’t had to deal with the same stuff you have, Bloom. First your mother and then what happened with your dad.” She paused again, as if to be sure it was okay to proceed. “But there is always hope, you know? Anyhow, she has really helped me. Without her, I don’t know how I’d have made the transition and embraced being a half fae. I feel like I am really finding myself here in Fae Crossing. I’m sure it doesn’t hurt being right on top of one of the most powerful energy vortexes in the fae realms, of course.”

Bloom stopped herself from rolling her eyes. Growing up in Fae Crossing, since the age of ten at least, she was used to the hard core spiritual fae that flocked there. The place was a kind of mecca for the Light Fae.Everyone has their path, I guess.It seemed to be helping Tam at least.

“That’s great, Tam. Thanks for the tip.”

In truth, she envied Tam. She had only been here a year, and yet she already seemed to have more of a sense of belonging in Fae Crossing than Bloom has established in twenty years.

She was just about to ask her about her new job working with the witches at their shop, Curiouser and Curiouser, but Tam spoke first.

“You see any good prospects?” Tam said as she scanned the crowd with a glint in her eye.

She just leveled her with a look. “No. And even if I did, I certainly wouldn’t entertain the thought of scoping one out in my own bar.”

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