Chapter 17
Chapter
Seventeen
The moment their hands connected, energy surged between them like lightning finding its path to ground. Jamie gasped as the bonds flared to life, golden threads weaving through the air around them, pulsing with their combined desires.
The store responded immediately.
Books lifted from their shelves, pages fluttering as they orbited the room in lazy spirals. The walls themselves seemed to breathe, expanding and contracting as the building prepared for something unprecedented.
"Focus on what we want," Azelon said, his voice strained with concentration. His markings blazed so brightly they cast dancing shadows across the ceiling.
Jamie closed his eyes, picturing the coastal village the store had shown them. Salt air and cobblestone streets. A shop front with wide windows displaying beautiful book covers. Customers wandering in for afternoon tea and literary discussions.
Through their bond, he felt Corin and Azelon lock onto the same image. Their magic intertwined—Corin's chaotic energy providing raw power, Azelon's control giving it direction, Jamie's newfound connection to the store serving as the anchor point.
The building shuddered.
Then it moved.
Not the violent displacement Jamie had expected, but something gentler. Like settling into a warm bath while reality seemed to bend around them.
Through the transparent wall, Jamie watched the forest blur past them. Then ocean. Then a quaint village perched on coastal cliffs, exactly as they'd envisioned.
The store nestled itself between a bakery and a flower shop with the satisfaction of a cat finding the perfect sunbeam.
When the movement stopped, the sudden stillness made Jamie's ears pop.
"Did we just..." Corin started.
"Relocate an entire building using magical polyamory?" Jamie finished. "Apparently."
Azelon's tail flicked. "I'd prefer to call this a triad bond manifestation."
They untangled from each other slowly, muscles protesting after the magical exertion. Jamie moved to the window—now showing a proper street view instead of wilderness—and pushed it open.
Salt air flooded the room, carrying with it the sound of gulls and... raised voices?
"The bakery smells incredible," Corin announced, leaning out the window. "And there's a small crowd gathering outside our front door."
Sure enough, a dozen villagers had clustered on the street, pointing at their store with expressions that seemed more curious than alarmed.
A middle-aged man in an apron dusted with flour stepped forward and called up to their window. "Excuse me! But what is this building doing here?"
"Magical displacement?" asked a woman clutching an orange cat to her chest. "We've been getting all sorts of strange occurrences lately. Last week Mrs. Hartwell's garden shed ended up on her roof."
"At least it's a nice building," someone else called out. "Better than those shadow creatures that kept prowling around the old Brennan lot."
Jamie exchanged glances with his partners. "They're taking this remarkably well."
"Veridia's been unstable lately," Azelon murmured. "Barrier disturbances, magical manifestations. A relocating bookstore probably seems mundane by comparison."
Corin leaned out the window again. "We're a bookstore! Completely harmless displacement. Sorry for any inconvenience!"
"What kind of books?" the baker called up, his wariness giving way to interest.
"All kinds," Jamie replied, finding his footing. "We also serve tea."
"Tea's good," the woman with the cat said approvingly. "Better than the glowing mushrooms that sprouted near the docks last month."
"Much better than mushrooms," Corin agreed cheerfully.
"Should we go introduce ourselves properly?" Jamie asked.
"Definitely," Corin said, bouncing slightly on his toes. "I want to see if that bakery makes those little cream pastries."
They made their way downstairs, the store adjusting around them as they moved. The front area had expanded, creating more comfortable browsing space and a small seating area with cushioned chairs. A tea service had appeared on a side table, complete with delicate cups and an assortment of herbs.
"Show off," Jamie muttered fondly to the building.
When they opened the front door, the curious crowd pressed closer. Jamie found himself shaking hands with the baker (Thomus), the woman with the cat (Mrs. Nostrix), and half a dozen other locals who seemed genuinely pleased to have a bookstore in their village.
"Haven't had a proper book shop since old Herrik passed," Thomus explained, wiping flour from his palms. "His place has been empty for months."
Within an hour, they had their first customers. Mrs. Nostrix browsed the herb gardening section while her cat claimed a spot near the window. A young couple debated poetry collections. Two children went looking for picture books.
Jamie manned the counter while Corin charmed customers and Azelon quietly organized the back shelves. The rhythm felt natural, like they'd been doing this for years instead of hours.
"I'll take this gardening guide," Mrs. Nostrix said, approaching the counter, "and one of those newspapers. Always like to keep up with the regional news."
Jamie rang up her purchases. Three coins of a currency he didn't yet know, but which his store's til demanded. Instead of the strange coins, though, his gaze lingered on the newspaper.
The store carried those now?
After Mrs. Nostrix left, curiosity got the better of him. Jamie walked over and picked up a copy of The Coastal Herald , scanning the headlines. Local fishing news, a festival announcement, complaints about road maintenance?—
His heart stopped.
Buried on page three, a small headline: SHADOW COURT RECEIVES UNUSUAL GUEST
Sources reported that Lord Caelen, the notorious Shadow King, had taken a particular interest in "a clever mortal with colorful hair" who had arrived at court under mysterious circumstances.
The guest was said to be adapting well to fae customs and had been seen frequently in the lord's private chambers.
No names were mentioned, but Jamie didn't need them.
"Daniel," he whispered.
Relief flooded through him so suddenly his knees nearly gave out. His brother was alive. Safe. And apparently still with Caelen.
"Jamie?" Azelon appeared at his elbow, concern radiating through their bond. "What is it?"
Jamie showed him the newspaper. "My brother. He's... he's fine. More than fine."
Corin materialized on his other side, reading over their shoulders. "The Shadow King? Impressive. Your brother certainly doesn't do things halfway."
"Are you alright?" Azelon asked quietly.
Jamie folded the newspaper, setting it carefully beside the register. "I am. Finally." He looked around at their store, at his partners, at the customers browsing contentedly among the shelves. "I really am."
The last weight lifted from his chest. Daniel was safe and happy.
Jamie could focus on himself. On the future he wanted to build.
"Now," he said, straightening as the door chimed with another customer, "let's run a bookstore."