Page 69 of Magic's Rise

“It’s our account, my apple dumpling.” He drops a kiss on my mouth before plucking his wallet from my fingers. “We can shop after our meeting.”

“Fine.” I pout for only a second. “Make a note. I want to buy a calligraphy pen and paper for Delilah.”

Tris looks over the top of my head at Haut. “Remind me that Rowe wants to buy the calligraphy pen and paper for Delilah.”

“I heard.” Haut’s hand on my back propels me through the door that Levi patiently holds open.

Immediately, the comforting scent of old paper surrounds me, reminding me of home. Barron’s store, Books & Blots, is one of my favorite places to spend time. We set up his study area as our translation station for the ancient grimoires my family created over the centuries.

Like Barron’s modest shop, this one has dedicated the front to heavy tables laden with books, stationery, and pens. An ancient-looking cash register sits on a small counter to the right, and tall bookcases create a fake wall, separating the actual library.

As we wander deeper into the building, an elderly woman with steel-gray hair steps into our path, wearing a scowl that discourages us from taking one more step into the stacks.

“Levi.” Her wrinkly old lips curl back in a sneer. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Hello, Cora,” Levi says with forced politeness, clearly used to her hostility. “We’re meeting Elana and the others here shortly. They reserved the study room.”

“They didn’t say you’d be joining them.” She glares up at him with the same level of disgust she’d give to discovering dog shit on her shoe. “And I suppose you’ll be wanting refreshments.”

“That would be delightful,” Levi drawls. “We’ll see our way to the back.”

With a sniff, Cora turns on her heel and stomps through a door that leads under a set of stairs. Before she disappears, she shoots one more venomous glare in Levi’s direction.

“Wow,” I whisper as we follow Levi through the stacks to the back. “Is she a cat shifter?”

She certainly has the distain of a cat.

He shakes his head. “No, she’s human.”

I slump with disappointment. “What did you do to piss her off?”

“Nothing, really.” He shrugs, unfazed by her animosity. “Her daughter ran off with a werewolf when she was a teenager and never came back or contacted her again. Cora has been blaming our pack ever since.”

Tris nudges me. “Mrs. Smith suddenly looks like an angel.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.” The evil woman made herself my enemy on day one, though she mellowed out a bit after the stabbing incident. “We should probably call home to make sure she hasn’t killed Jesse and stolen his pie recipe.”

“She’d only do that if she was seriously afraid she’ll lose the contest,” Tris protests.

I give that some thought. “Yeah, a health check would be good.”

“That will mean telling Barron about his van,” Haut says.

I glance up at Tris, who nods. “You’re right, Jesse’s a big boy. He can take care of himself.”

The study room turns out to be a walled-in area at the back, with a wooden table large enough to seat fifteen people. Little lamps with green glass shades run down the center, casting a soft, warm glow over the dented surface. A stack of loose paper and a cup of pens sit between the lamps.

As we settle at one end, Cora returns with a tray of mismatched teacups and a steaming pot, her scowl no less intense than before.

She thunks it down on the table, gives Levi one last disapproving glare, and disappears back into the bookshelves.

I give the teapot a wary stare. “I’m not sure I trust that not to be poisoned.”

“She’d more likely spit in it,” Levi says, and Aspen drops the teacup he was about to fill.

Levi pulls a chair closer to my mentor and turns it toward him. “Let’s get that leg elevated. I promised the doctor that we’d keep you off of it, and we should at least honor the spirit of that agreement.”

Aspen groans as he props his injured leg on the seat. “I believe the agreement was that I’d put it up once I was settled at the pack house.”

---