Part II: A Charmer's Life Chapter 1: Back to Bussiness

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Chapter‭ ‬1

Back‭ ‬to‭ ‬Business

‎‏As‭ ‬I‭ ‬bent‭ ‬down‭ ‬putting‭ ‬the‭ ‬fresh‭ ‬garlic‭ ‬bread‭ ‬into‭ ‬the‭ ‬oven‭ ‬I‭ ‬had‭ ‬to‭ ‬smile‭ ‬and‭ ‬shake‭ ‬my‭ ‬head.‭ ‬Just‭ ‬nine‭ ‬weeks‭ ‬ago‭ ‬I‭ ‬had‭ ‬been‭ ‬doing‭ ‬the‭ ‬exact‭ ‬same‭ ‬thing‭ ‬at‭ ‬home,‭ ‬well‭ ‬at‭ ‬James‭’‬s‭ ‬house.‭ ‬There‭ ‬was‭ ‬just‭ ‬something‭ ‬about‭ ‬a‭ ‬home‭ ‬cooked‭ ‬meal‭ ‬that‭ ‬I‭ ‬found‭ ‬comforting,‭ ‬especially‭ ‬when‭ ‬it‭ ‬was‭ ‬spaghetti‭ ‬and‭ ‬fresh‭ ‬garlic‭ ‬bread.‭ ‬Not‭ ‬meatballs,‭ ‬I‭ ‬never‭ ‬served‭ ‬my‭ ‬sauce‭ ‬with‭ ‬meatball.‭ ‬It‭ ‬wasn't‭ ‬that‭ ‬I‭ ‬had‭ ‬something‭ ‬against‭ ‬meat.‭ ‬I‭ ‬was‭ ‬a‭ ‬definitely‭ ‬a‭ ‬carnivore,‭ ‬but‭ ‬I‭ ‬had‭ ‬to‭ ‬respect‭ ‬my‭ ‬housemates.‭ ‬Nymphs‭ ‬weren't‭ ‬particularly‭ ‬fond‭ ‬of‭ ‬meat,‭ ‬and‭ ‬all‭ ‬the‭ ‬Allazeis‭ ‬were‭ ‬different.‭

It‎ ‏all‭ ‬depended‭ ‬on‭ ‬what‭ ‬animal‭ ‬he‭ ‬changed‭ ‬to.‭ ‬For‭ ‬example‭ ‬Sheila‭ ‬and‭ ‬Rania‭ ‬both‭ ‬transformed‭ ‬into‭ ‬songbirds.‭ ‬So‭ ‬it‭ ‬really‭ ‬wasn't‭ ‬that‭ ‬surprising‭ ‬that‭ ‬they‭ ‬were‭ ‬vegans.‭ ‬Never‭ ‬offer‭ ‬them‭ ‬eggs‭ ‬unless‭ ‬you‭ ‬want‭ ‬to‭ ‬attacked‭ ‬by‭ ‬a‭ ‬bunch‭ ‬of‭ ‬bluebirds.‭ ‬On‭ ‬the‭ ‬other‭ ‬hand‭ ‬as‭ ‬a‭ ‬panther‭, Michael,‭ ‬was‭ ‬pro‭ ‬meat.‭ ‬That‭’‬s‭ ‬way‭ ‬all‭ ‬my‭ ‬meals‭ ‬contained‭ ‬side‭ ‬dishes‭ ‬one‭ ‬for‭ ‬carnivores‭ ‬and‭ ‬one‭ ‬vegans.

‎“‏Knew‭ ‬I‭ ‬would‭ ‬find‭ ‬you‭ ‬here,‭” ‬a‭ ‬soft‭ ‬gentle‭ ‬voice‭ ‬stated‭ ‬from‭ ‬behind‭ ‬me.‭ ‬I‭ ‬rose‭ ‬to‭ ‬meet‭ ‬Lillian‭’‬s‭ soft ‬green‭ ‬gaze.‭ ‬Nothing‭ ‬had‭ ‬changed‭ ‬in‭ ‬the‭ ‬past‭ ‬six‭ ‬months‭ ‬she‭ ‬looked‭ ‬the‭ ‬same‭ ‬as‭ ‬always‭; ‬she‭ ‬still‭ ‬looked‭ ‬like‭ ‬the‭ ‬embodiment‭ ‬of‭ ‬a‭ ‬nice‭ ‬spring‭ ‬day.‭ Her skin was as pale and fragile looking as the coulds on a warm spring day. Her‭ ‬face‭ ‬was‭ ‬delicate‭ ‬with‭ ‬a‭ ‬small‭ ‬button‭ ‬nose,‭ ‬wide‭ ‬grass‭ ‬green‭ ‬doe‭ ‬eyes,‭ ‬and‭ ‬constant‭ ‬smile‭ ‬that‭ ‬made‭ ‬her‭ ‬the‭ ‬picture‭ ‬of‭ ‬innocence.‭ ‬Her‭ ‬face‭ ‬was‭ ‬framed‭ ‬by‭ ‬a‭ ‬golden‭ ‬bob,‭ ‬but‭ ‬unlike‭ ‬human‭ ‬she‭ ‬had‭ ‬some‭ ‬unique‭ ‬highlight‭ ‬particular‭ ‬to‭ ‬dryads.‭  ‬Such‭ ‬as‭ ‬blue,‭ ‬lilac,‭ ‬orange,‭ ‬and‭ ‬a‭ ‬deep‭ ‬red‭ ‬like‭ ‬that‭ ‬of‭ ‬a‭ ‬wild‭ ‬rose.‭ ‬Looking‭ ‬into‭ ‬those‭ ‬meadow-green‭ ‬eyes‭ ‬anyone‭ ‬would‭ ‬believe‭ ‬she‭ ‬was‭ ‬a‭ ‬daughter‭ ‬of‭ ‬the‭ ‬forest.

‎“‏Yes,‭ ‬I‭ ‬would‭ ‬think‭ ‬it‭ ‬would‭ ‬be‭ ‬pretty‭ ‬obvious‭ ‬for‭ ‬most‭ ‬people‭ ‬to‭ ‬figure‭ ‬out.‭ ‬So,‭ ‬I‭ ‬left‭ ‬you‭ ‬and‭ ‬Rose‭ ‬in‭ ‬charge‭ ‬is‭ ‬there‭ ‬anything‭ ‬you‭ ‬need‭ ‬to‭ ‬inform‭ ‬me‭ ‬about‭?” ‬I‭ ‬asked‭ ‬setting‭ ‬a‭ ‬plate‭ ‬of‭ ‬fruit‭ ‬in‭ ‬front‭ ‬of‭ ‬her.‭ ‬It‭ ‬was‭ ‬more‭ ‬of‭ ‬a‭ ‬test‭ ‬then‭ ‬a‭ ‬real‭ ‬question‭ ‬seeing‭ ‬as‭ ‬nothing‭ ‬happened‭ ‬within‭ ‬my‭ ‬house‭ ‬that‭ ‬I‭ ‬was‭ ‬not‭ ‬aware‭ ‬of‭ ‬even‭ ‬if‭ ‬I‭ ‬didn‭’‬t‭ ‬happen‭ ‬to‭ ‬be‭ ‬there.

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