Page 84 of Beneath the Watching

Tiffany shook her head. “Can you imagine the burden? Having that much magic? If you think about it, it's kinda amazing she made it as far as she did. I mean, you said she grewup in the Third Realm, so she definitely had no clue what she was facing.”

“What about you? Do you have any magic?”

Tiffany sidled up to me. “Watch this,” she said, her eyes sparkling. She snapped her fingers, and a metallic hot pink penny appeared in her palm.

“Whoa,” I said, and laughed. “That’s cool.”

She shrugged. “It's kinda dumb, and yet also pretty neat. Look, I can make them different colors.” She snapped her fingers a few more times and ended with a shiny rainbow of pennies.

“Just pennies?”

Tiffany waved a hand over her palm and the coins disappeared. “No, its copper magic. Small amounts. I just made them pennies because of the simplicity. Everyone knows pennies.”

I hadn’t spoken of my own magic to anyone, and I anticipated the next question. “Do you have any magic?” My friend asked.

“I’m still getting my bearings here,” I replied shaking my head and offering no further explanation. The slight narrowing of her eyes told me she knew that I knew I had some but I just grinned.

Tiffany let out a short laugh. “I guess we’ll see.”

She crossed the room, walking over to a large bay window and tossed the curtains to the side with a flourish. When the fabric parted, Jack was standing there staring straight inside licking his ice cream with long strokes. Quickly, Tiffany pulled the curtains back shut, her cheeks reddening. “Why is he such a freak,” she muttered.

“I don’t know where Stefan found these guys. I love them but I swear they’re ten-year-olds trapped in thirty-year-old bodies,” I groaned, thinking of all the strange things they did. “Don’t you and Jack have a, uh, thing going on?”

Tiffany took a rag she’d found and wiped off the counter near the window. “It was one night.One.” She tossed the cloth down. “You’d think he’d have gotten the hint when I didn’t agree to another date.”

I giggled. “Yeah, he really didn’t.”

“I’m surprised he has them as your guards, they couldn’t scare a speck of dust.”

“True but at least they look scary.” I leaned against the counter she’d just finished wiping down and took in the space. “I think this is the one,” I announced.

This building was perfect for my bakery. Minus strange men in the bay window, the faux cottage facade and cute window boxes out front—complete with an adorable bench, ticked everything off my wish list.

I knew I’d need a lot of help and Tiffany had working knowledge of large kitchens and cooking operations thanks to her many years of service at the castle. She’d practically grown up in them and had agreed to be my partner though it’d be majority my own business.

“Just a deep cleaning and clearing out of some of this old stuff and we should be able to start making your dream come true,” Tiffany said, smiling at me.

Her tone turned serious. “Stefan is okay with all of this?” She knew he’d kept me under lock and key. After a while, it’d become impossible not to notice and she knew something had happened the day we’d gone searching for pine needles and she didn't buy my story. Hence, her distrust over my declared lack of magic. Someday, I’d tell her everything.

I huffed. “Doesn’t matter. But yes, he is okay with it. Even if he wasn’t, I’d still do it. I want something of my own.”

Truthfully, he’d been reluctant to allow it at first, but I’d put my foot down and we’d come to a compromise. The compromise having taken the shape of either Jack or Benjamin acting likebouncers like I was opening a nightclub. One of the two men would be here whenever I was.

Not really a terrible idea, all things considered.

Tiffany and I walked out into the sunshine and began heading back to the castle, Benjamin and Jack falling into step behind us. “So that’s it, that’s the building for us,” I said excitedly. “I can’t wait.”

“It gonna be great. I’ve liked working in the castle, but I’d much rather work with you,” she grinned.

I smiled back at her before we parted ways after entering the fortress. Benjamin unlocked the door to our quarters and Jack announced they were going to the markets to get us some dinner.

Stefan was still off with Ilya, taking care of things in the Third Realm. Ilya’s business partner and Kiara’s ex-boyfriend, Ramone, was being notified of my friend’s death and then Stefan was supposed to return. I missed him and it was strange going to sleep by myself at night and it was odd not having Kiara pop over every now and then. I’d gotten used to her being back in my life, despite the changes in her.

Still, I was happy and could not imagine living anywhere else. It was a foregone conclusion Stefan wouldn’t let me accompany him, but I didn’t want to go, anyway. What was there for me? Nothing. Al was there, but that relationship was over before it’d even begun.

Communication between the Third and Fourth Realms was spotty and hardly reliable, but Stefan had managed to get a text or two through to me informing me he’d be home soon, which was a relief. With the major stressors over, we could finally settle into our new lives. New for him because he’d never had a woman he was serious about and new for me because, well, it was an entirely new world.

Gathering my shop's notes and plans into a pile, I sat at the kitchen table and started organizing them. I had a general idea of what I wanted but I still questioned some of the colors. Did I want to repaint the outside walls or leave it as is? The exterior was a light lemon yellow, but I liked the pale shade of peach I saw on a swatch of fabric and thought I could have it recreated for painting.

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