Chapter 2
TWO
Z ina peeked into the basket. “You’re officially my favorite person.”
“I should hope so after a century of friendship.” Kalyna winked at Bryn. “Is she driving you crazy yet? When we were seven, she reorganized my entire book collection by color and size.”
“I rescued your books from catastrophe,” Zina protested. “That window leaked every time it rained.”
Kalyna’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “My poor collection of fables shelved by whether the protagonist lived or died.”
“A perfectly reasonable system,” Zina deadpanned, reaching for the thermos. She poured the sweet, creamy coffee into a mug with “Boss Lady” emblazoned on the side—a gift from Bryn last week.
“How’s Rust handling the latest council drama?” Bryn asked Kalyna, deftly changing the subject. “My brother mentioned something about tension with the new dragon elder.”
Kalyna rolled her eyes. “Rust complains that Xai Emberwylde is stubborn, inflexible, and far too serious.” A sly smile crossed her face. “Which, coming from my equally stubborn lion mate, is the supernatural pot calling the kettle black.”
Zina paused mid-sip. “Xai Emberwylde? Draven’s younger brother?”
“Though ‘younger’ is relative for dragons,” Kalyna noted. “He’s only about five centuries old. Practically a teenager by their standards.”
“Five centuries ?” Zina nearly choked on her coffee. She’d heard rumors about the new dragon elder taking his brother’s council seat, but hadn’t realized the depth of experience—or age—that came with the position. “And he’s visiting all the new businesses?”
“Council protocol,” Kalyna confirmed, her fox-keen gaze studying Zina’s suddenly tense posture. “Why? Are you expecting him?”
“Not specifically.” Zina set down her mug with exaggerated care. “But the council inspection is scheduled for some time this week.”
Bryn eyed the wall clock. “Do you know when? Are we ready?”
“Everything is prepared,” Zina answered, striving for confidence. Her mother’s meticulous notes had guided the spa’s construction from foundation to finishing touches. Each room had been designed with supernatural comfort in mind, from temperature controls for species with different heat tolerances to specialized equipment that accommodated various physiques.
Kalyna’s expression softened. “Fiona would be so proud, Zina. This place is everything she dreamed of and more.”
A knot formed in Zina’s throat. “I just want to get it right.”
“You already have,” Kalyna assured her, squeezing her hand. “Now stop worrying about inspections and dragons and enjoy your pre-opening.”
“Speaking of enjoying things,” Bryn interjected, wiggling her eyebrows, “I heard this Xai Emberwylde is easy on the eyes despite being ancient.”
Kalyna laughed. “Rust described him as ‘irritatingly perfect-looking’ during their last meeting. Apparently dragons age like fine wine.”
“I don’t care if he looks like a Greek god,” Zina muttered. “As long as he approves our permits and doesn’t breathe fire on my new upholstery.”
“Now there’s an insurance claim I’d love to file,” Bryn quipped. “‘Reason for damages: dragon disapproved of color scheme.’“
Zina’s retort died on her lips as the door to the supply room burst open and a flustered young woman emerged, her arms laden with bottles.
“We may have a slight problem with the aromatherapy setup,” the woman announced. Her heart-shaped face was flushed, dark curls escaping from her messy bun. “The diffuser is making a weird clicking sound, and—” She stopped abruptly, noticing Kalyna. “Oh! Sorry, I didn’t realize we had company.”
“No worries,” Kalyna replied warmly.
“This is Jamie, our aromatherapist,” Zina explained, moving to relieve the woman of several precariously balanced bottles. “Jamie, meet Kalyna Foxworthy, Enchanted Falls’s part-time head librarian and my oldest friend.”
“And fox shifter extraordinaire,” Bryn added with a grin. “She can sniff out an overdue book from three blocks away.”
“Professional secret,” Kalyna said, tapping her nose conspiratorially.
Jamie smiled, visibly relaxing. “Nice to meet you. I’d shake hands, but...” She nodded toward her still-full arms.
“Let me see this rebellious diffuser,” Zina said, already heading toward the hallway. “We can’t have malfunctioning equipment already.”
“I’ll come too,” Bryn offered. “In case you need someone to hold it down while you beat it into submission.”
“Very funny.” Zina shot her a look. “Kalyna, help yourself to more coffee. We’ll be right back.”
The aromatherapy room was a serene space with pale blue walls and silver accents. Soft lighting illuminated glass shelves filled with labeled essential oil blends, each formulated for specific supernatural needs. In the center of the room, a large ceramic diffuser sat on a wooden table, emitting a concerning series of clicks.
Zina knelt to examine the device. “Did you check the water level?”
“First thing,” Jamie confirmed. “It’s full, but when I turn it on—” She pressed a button, and the diffuser rattled ominously before producing a weak puff of lavender-scented mist.
Bryn bent closer. “Sounds like something’s stuck in the mechanism.”
Zina carefully unplugged the device and turned it upside down. A small object fell into her palm—a dried lavender bud, wedged where it could interfere with the ultrasonic plate.
“Mystery solved,” she announced, holding up the culprit.
“Thank goodness,” Jamie sighed with relief. “I nearly had a panic attack thinking we’d have to cancel aromatherapy appointments.”
“Crisis averted,” Bryn declared. “What’s next on the pre-opening checklist of doom?”
Zina reconnected the diffuser, watching with satisfaction as it began producing a steady stream of fragrant mist. “Towel inventory, final walkthrough of all treatment rooms, and staff meeting in twenty minutes.”
“I’ll handle towel inventory,” Bryn volunteered. “I’ve become quite the expert at counting fluffy rectangles.”
“And I’ll double-check the treatment rooms,” Jamie added, already moving toward the door.
Left alone, Zina took a deep breath of lavender-infused air. The familiar scent calmed her jangling nerves, though it couldn’t quite silence the persistent voice of doubt in her mind. Opening a spa was challenging under normal circumstances. Opening a supernatural spa in a town with centuries of magical history and complex shifter politics? That required courage bordering on insanity.
Or maybe just the stubbornness of a lioness, she thought with a wry smile.
Back in the lobby, she found Kalyna examining the treatment menu with interest.
“Claw conditioning for predator shifters?” Kalyna read aloud. “This I have to try. Rust complains about his claws getting brittle in the winter.”
“Book him for next Tuesday,” Zina suggested. “I have a special lion-friendly oil blend that?—”
The words died in her throat as a chill swept through the room. Not a physical cold, but something more primal—an instinctive awareness that made her lioness suddenly alert, hackles raised.
Power. Ancient and controlled, but unmistakable.
The front door hadn’t opened. There had been no warning bell. Yet somehow, Zina knew before she turned that they were no longer alone.
Kalyna’s eyes widened, her gaze fixed over Zina’s shoulder. “Oh my,” she murmured, so softly only Zina’s enhanced hearing caught it.
Moving with deliberate calm, Zina turned.
He stood in the doorway like he’d materialized from smoke itself—tall and imposing with the stillness of someone who had all the time in the world. Light brown hair styled in a way that managed to look both effortless and precisely intentional, framed a face of angular perfection. But it was his eyes that captured Zina’s attention—golden-brown with an intensity that seemed to see through flesh and bone to the very core of her being.
Xai Emberwylde. The newly appointed dragon elder on the Enchanted Falls Town Council. His reputation had preceded him—stern, meticulous, and impossibly old by human standards. The Emberwylde family had protected the region’s magical interests for centuries, their ancient draconic lineage commanding respect even among other powerful supernatural clans.
A sharp, unexpected heat flared within Zina, so sudden and powerful, she nearly gasped. Her lioness, normally content to observe from within, surged forward with startling interest as if reaching toward the dragon’s presence.
What the hell?