Whispers of Elysia

The spice queen

The sharp ring of the entrance bell jolted Orion awake, his eyes snapping open as he sat up abruptly in his chair. Disoriented, he rubbed his face, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. Damn, he thought, blinking as he tried to remember when he had even dozed off. The soft warmth of the duvet around his shoulders caught his attention, and he glanced down at it, a little puzzled. He had a pretty good idea it was Lyra's doing.

He looked around, still trying to gather his thoughts, and then he heard her voice coming from the front of the shop, greeting the first clients of the morning with a cheerful tone. Pushing himself up from the leather armchair, he stretched, wincing at the stiffness in his neck. He glanced at the clock, his eyes widening slightly : 8:39 in the morning. He had slept far longer than he intended.

He ran a hand through his disheveled chestnut hair, still feeling a bit groggy and out of place. How did I let this happen? he thought, frustration mingling with embarrassment. He wasn't used to letting his guard down like this. He made his way to the door of his library, pausing in the shadowed doorway to observe.

Lyra was behind the counter, her demeanor confident and friendly as she chatted with a young couple browsing the shelves. The morning light streamed in, catching the golden strands of her hair and making her look almost... at ease. Orion shifted awkwardly, unsure how to process the unfamiliar feeling bubbling up in his chest. Was it relief? Annoyance? Maybe a bit of both.

As the couple finished their purchase and left, Lyra glanced up and noticed him standing there. She shot him a quick smile, then turned back to organizing a few vials on the counter. Orion hesitated, then took a few steps forward, his hands rapidly folding and placing the duvet he still had on his shoulders on a nearby chair.

"Morning," he mumbled, his voice a bit gruff despite his best efforts. He wasn't used to being caught off guard, and it made him feel... exposed.

"Good morning, Orion," she replied, a teasing lilt in her voice. "Sleep well?"

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, feeling a bit awkward under her gaze. "Well enough," he muttered, glancing around the shop, as if checking to make sure everything was in order. "Didn't mean to leave you with the clients all morning."

Lyra waved off his concern, her smile unbothered. "It's fine. You looked like you needed the rest."

Orion cleared his throat, unsure how to respond. "Yeah, well, thanks," he said, his voice coming out more awkward than he intended. He glanced at the folded duvet on the chair and then back at her, his ears turning a bit pink. "For, you know... that."

Lyra chuckled softly, and Orion could see the amusement dancing in her eyes. "Of course. I wasn't going to let you freeze in your sleep. Besides," she added with a playful smile, "it's part of the job, right? Making sure my boss doesn't overwork himself to death."

Orion opened his mouth to respond, then closed it again, feeling strangely off-balance. "I'm not... overworking," he muttered, though even he didn't sound convinced. "Just... focused."

Lyra raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying his discomfort. "Right, just focused," she echoed, her smile widening.

He huffed, looking away, his fingers fidgeting with the edge of his sleeve. "You're doing a good job," he said, his voice quieter, almost hesitant. "Handling the customers, I mean. Thanks for... that too."

Lyra's expression softened, and she nodded, accepting his words without pushing further. "I'm glad I can help."

Orion shifted again, feeling the awkwardness still lingering in the air. He glanced at the array of ingredients and notes spread out on the counter, and his eyes widened as he realized what she had been working on.