Hyacinth

With a tentative smile I acknowledge the large shifter who stands aside to allow me to enter Jewels Café before he leaves. The warmth and curtesy I had experienced so far from the locals was tempting me to extend my stay out to two weeks. The welcoming smile from the blonde shifter behind the counter is bright and warm, the fact that it reached her eyes eased my nerves.

"Welcome to Jewels Café, what would you like to order?"

"Can I have a Pumpkin Spice Latte please?" I hold out my reusable travel mug, "Would it be possible to have it in this? I don't want any of the topping, just the latte."

"Sure," taking my cup she started to mix the latte as I swiped my card. "Are you new in town?"

"I'm just visiting for a week or so for work."

Screwing the cap back onto my mug she turned and froze, her eyes fixed just above my shoulder. Glancing at my shoulder I smiled, reaching back I coaxed Apollo onto my hand and held him in front of me. I encouraged him to coil around my arm.

"This is Apollo, he is my companion and completely harmless."

I reached out with my snake free hand and took my drink. With a little wave I leave the café and tuck my mug into the pocket on the side of my bag. Checking the map on my phone I set out for the Silver Springs Library.

The streets were more meandering than straight blocks like in the cities I usually travelled through. It was fitting with the age of the town and its history. When I first received the proposal to travel to Silver Springs and blog the town, I looked up what I could online. The mortal web held the standard sort of information, but the supernatural web was a lot more interesting. The town was a sanctuary where the magical was hidden and people didn't have to be overly wary about using their abilities because of the wards set up around the entire area. The proposal requested mostly that I review a lot of the businesses with a supernatural aspect, but there were a few odd requests like the book I was about to find and the Latte that I had just bought. I had taken the contract mainly out of curiosity and because of the solid working history I had with this contact.

Everything about the town so far had been welcoming, I felt more relaxed than I had been since my brother's death and most of that was simply because of the atmosphere of the town. Being only a half breed enchanter had given me the ability to sense the emotions of people and places, there were other aspects of what I could do, like being able to see the aura of someone's magic, that made no sense when measured against a full blood but since they were so prejudiced against every one else I tried not to reveal my connection to them. Given how they reacted to my existence having nothing to do with them was a relief to both them and me.

The handsome young man behind the librarians desk absently pointed me to the romance section, assuring me the book was on the shelf, with the alphabetical order it was easy to find. Looking at the cover I snorted involuntarily, romance books weren't what I usually read but the cover with all the half naked men and floral panties was ridiculous. Finding a comfortable reading nook, I unwound Apollo from my arm, placing him in the sun between me and the window I took a sip of the latte. Setting it beside me I felt a warm tickle, the sort that always warned me of magic aimed at me, magic that wasn't hostile. Putting up a shield I turn my attention back to the book. Love Blooms by C. C. Pine, a quick read of the blurb reveals that it could be more than what the cover would have you believe.

As I start to read, I feel that little tickle again, strengthening my shield I ignore it and return to reading. The book is well written but the blatant, yet subtle innuendo is kind of endearing in a groan worthy way. Absently I take a drink as Zirconia sneaks out to meet her bunny shifter friend, cliché predicts that they will end up together no matter what the obstacles that they face.

Magic slams into me, breaking through my shield, gasping I drop my drink. The pain of Apollo's bite brings me back to my senses and I frantically try to mop up the spilled latte. Once I have cleaned most of the mess up, I hug my knees, having my shields breached was a shock and a reminder that I should always pay attention to the warnings I get. Apollo slithered up my leg, draping his coils around my knees he rose up like a cobra to look at me. In many ways he was like a witch's familiar, he was a lot more intelligent and in tune with my emotional state. Leaning forward I touched my nose to his and closed my eyes, drawing comfort from his presence I turned my focus inwards. The magic had settled around my heart.

It was two spells, they were almost identical, cast by the same person but from different sources. There was nothing sinister about the spell and it was connected to matters of the heart. Highlighting the magical trails, I opened my eyes, one led to the Latte and the other to Love Blooms. Tucking Apollo back into his special compartment in my bag, I send off a quick message to my contact, return Love Blooms back on the shelf and hurriedly leave the library.