Page 1 of The Incubus's Angel
Chapter 1
Maisie
“That should do it,” I mutter confidently to myself, manifesting the crap out of my decorating skills. “If this display doesn’t get a rush of customers streaming through The Flowering Teapot’s doors once we open, then they’re all just a bunch of silly ninnies.”
Every single bake displayed in the window is objectively beautiful. Each tartlet, each profiterole, each slice of cake and pie is like a siren call to my taste buds. The warm, sweet scent of the freshly baked goods waft out through the open door, basically giving my olfactory senses a mini nosegasm.Surely the more advanced senses of other creatures in Starry Hill will be enticed by this? They simply have to be.
The winding wisteria vines clinging to the limestone facade of Starry Hill’s only café and bakery form a soft purple frame around the large window, practically summoning passersby to come in and taste the goods we have to offer.
I take another step back to study the purple flowers hanging like clusters of grapes all along the exterior wall that faces the ocean. They’re beautifully fragrant, a perfect complement to the bakes, but are they perhaps a tad droopy?
Helping out at The Flowering Teapot feels like I’ve finally been given a chance to show everyone what I’m capable of. Uncle Richard and Aunt Annamae entrusted their café and bakery to me while Aunt Annamae’s arm heals from an injury. Sure, Uncle Richard still does most of the baking, but he goes home early to spend time with Aunt Annamae and I get to take care of the customers throughout the day.
While I’m in Starry Hill, I’m adamant about making my whole family proud of me. To prove to them that I can take care of a business. I also want Uncle Richard and Aunt Annamae to know they can rely on me, trust me, so their sole focus can be on Aunt Annamae’s recovery.
Perhaps I have been a little directionless with my career. Perhaps my family has babied me my whole life, as one would expect them to do when you’re the youngest of five—and the only girl.
But I am craving to make a success of myself, for them to finally see me as a capable woman, and to break free from the box they’ve inadvertently put me in.
I lean forward and cradle a dainty petal between my fingers, pursing my lips in concentration as I push all my positive energy toward it. “Cheer up, petal. We’ve got customers to impress today.”
Right in front of my eyes, the petal shimmies, and my heart starts racing.
Did I just literally cheer a petal up? Do I have secret plant magic?Before my brain can process all of this, a sweet hum of satisfaction sounds behind me and a familiar lithe arm comes to rest across my shoulders.
“Morning, sweet Maisie,” Aunt Annamae says, leaning her head against mine as we admire the wall of wisteria sparkling with fresh fervor around the café’s window. “This display is positively enchanting.”
Something warms inside me as I hug her back with one arm around her waist, being gentle with her injured arm in the sling on her other side. “Morning, favorite aunt of mine. You almost had me convinced I had dryad powers there for a split second. I was just getting excited about not being a boring human,” I pout playfully.
Aunt Annamae’s hand tightens on my shoulder and she turns to me, her brows pulling down in an uncharacteristic frown. “I don’t think you possess the ability to be boring. Besides, some of the best creatures I know are human.”
My chin lifts with her easy praise and I add a little wink. “Ha! I spot a thinly veiled Uncle Richard compliment. You know, he totally married up. And I’m glad he knows it.”
Aunt Annamae shakes her head lightly, her forest-green eyes glimmering with gratitude. “And I think I did.” She twists herwrist in a circle and a daisy pops into her palm. She holds it out toward me and I duck my head so she can weave it into my blonde curls piled on top of my head. “Not many creatures are willing to put up with all my dryad whims. I mean, I frequently go off to spend time with nature, but the last time I went out for a simple tree-hugging ceremony I was missing for two days before I was found.” My aunt gestures toward her injured arm that was trapped by an overeager tree hugging her back. “Richard never got angry with me for disappearing. Worried perhaps, but never angry. And he rallied the entire island to look for me. He’s a hero in my eyes.”
A soft smile lifts the corners of my mouth at how romantic she makes that day sound. “I don’t think you can attribute any of that to being human. I think it’s more an Uncle Richard trait.”
Aunt Annamae takes my hand in hers and squeezes it. “But you know what? You possess that same magic he has. You have so much love in your heart it’s almost tangible in the very air around you.”
She’s right. I do have lots of love to give, and so much space in my heart, for everyone. I love easily. Plus, when I love something or someone, I love them with my entire being. Though, perhaps this is one of the contributing factors that keeps me in the role my family has unintentionally assigned me. Maybe they expect me to get more cynical as I age. But I like trusting others, loving them for who they are, and I like seeing the good in the world.
Feeling suddenly shy, I ask, “Aunt Annamae, is there anything I can do to improve the display? I think it looks pretty good, but we haven’t had too many customers lately.”
Aunt Annamae cups my cheeks, her eyes are earnest as she says, “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the display, my sweet girl. On the contrary, actually. It’s beautiful. So inviting. I think the reason we’re not having many visitors to The Flowering Teapot is because the whole of Starry Hill is trying to be considerate. They know I’m injured and recovering, so maybe they’re trying to lessen our baking burdens. But I think it’s time I got the word out that you’ve got it all under control. You’ll be having creatures lining up for all those bakes soon.”
My eyes widen and my toes tap excitedly inside my shoes. “You really think so?”
“Oh, yes.” Aunt Annamae’s eyes take on a faraway look as a plan seemingly takes shape in her mind. “When I leave today, I’ll stop by The Bandaged Heart to visit Doc Calla. I’ll let today’s menu slip into conversation, and once Katie overhears, the whole town will be here before sundown.”
I giggle. “Oh, that’s smart. And I’ll let you know if Katie stops by too.”
We turn to admire the window display again and Aunt Annamae bumps me with her shoulder. “She’ll probably be here first. Such a sweet faerie, but what goes in one ear goes out of her mouth before it reaches her brain. Though, it all came in super handy when she raised the alarm for my search.”
“Thank the gods for her.” I’ve only met Katie once since I arrived, and I admired the crap out of her orange wings, much to her delight. I thought we might get to hang out more because we’re both bubbly, but she’s married and prefers to spend her time with her husband at home.
Here’s hoping I get to make at least one good friend before I have to go back to Cape Easton. Fingers crossed.
Tilting her head toward the door, Aunt Annamae says, “Now, why don’t you step inside with me? Starry Hill is having a wedding soon and I’d love to tickle your brain for some ideas on the cake. You’re always so creative with your flavor profiles and designs.”
