Chapter 11 #2
She dug into the pocket of her apron and pulled out a small notepad and pen. After she scribbled a name and number, she handed the paper over. “Call her. Tell her I sent you.”
“How well do you know her?”
“She’s my best friend’s daughter. I’d trust her with my life. Cora knows more about magic than I’ve ever learned.”
I tucked the paper into my apron. “Thank you.”
“No problem.” She reached over and tucked a stray curl behind my ear. “Now. Do you think you can get out there and serve some coffee without eating any of my customers?”
My smile wobbled. “I’ll do my absolute best.”
Addy snorted. “You’re going to have to do better than that. If you bite someone, my insurance isn’t going to cover it.” She softened her words with a smile. “Straighten yourself up, maybe grab a bite to eat, and get back behind the counter, okay?”
I nodded.
Addy started to turn around, then paused, her brow furrowing. “Did you find that scent charm in your car?”
I blinked as I realized I’d forgotten all about it. “Um. No. Sorry. I was a little distracted when I got into my car.”
Addy frowned. “Go get it. I have a feeling you may need it soon.”
I stood there for a beat, staring at her. My boss had a knack for knowing certain things at odd and random times. If she told me I would need the charm, I wouldn’t argue about it. “I’ll be right back.”
The charm was sitting inside of my cup holder. I tugged on the attached leather cord and pulled the necklace over my head, where the small white stone nestled in between my breasts, a cool and heavy weight giving off a faint magical pulse.
When I came back in, Addy nodded at me with satisfaction.
“If you really think you’re about to pounce on someone, call for G.
He’ll find me.” She gripped my upper arms. “I know that experience must have been jarring. But now you know, and you can take steps to minimize your reaction in the future. Whatever this is might not be permanent. Call Cora when you get off tonight.” Her eyes narrowed. “I’ll know if you don’t.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said meekly.
“Good.” Addy nodded.
I could get through the last two hours of my shift without eating anyone.
Right?
Twenty minutes before my shift ended, I was barely holding it together when the Identify charm shrieked in alarm and flared crimson red.
I’d never seen the thing react quite like that. My fingers tightened on the edges of the register as I waited for the door to swing open. Magic rolled over the shop, sending the hair on the back of my neck straight up. A man stepped into Three Little Beans.
No. Not a man.
The Vampire Prime.
My heart stopped beating for a long moment. I’d seen the Prime once in person, but it had been dark and I’d been in too much pain to get a good look at his face. The research I’d done afterward had told me everything I needed to know.
Alric Methinas was handsome. Rich. Powerful. All the things that made the girls swoon. On my screen, he appeared aloof and unattainable, someone you only saw at a distance. But he was here, a few feet away, and I was frozen in place, struck dumb by the sight of him.
Alric wasn’t handsome. He was beautiful in a way only poets could describe.
The ones who threw out careless phrases like carved in marble or cheekbones sharp as glass.
The Prime looked like he’d stepped from the pages of a gothic novel, straight from the hallways of a castle high among the moors where virgins sat on the edge of their tower windows and despaired about their love lives.
Only a man like Alric could rescue them from their unfulfilled existence.
His hair was spun gold, swept carelessly back from his pale, unlined forehead. His nose was straight yet strong, and his cheekbones really did look like they could cut glass. Full, unsmiling lips tightened as sharp green eyes swept the shop, landing on me, where they lingered.
From the back, someone sucked in a sharp breath.
Silence rang inside the store. More than one customer discreetly raised their cell phones and snapped off a picture. No one could record inside, thanks to some clever magic of Addy’s.
Three Little Beans had been operational for years now, standing as a safe place for supernaturals and humans to grab a drink and socialize in peace. Never once had the Prime wandered in. He had people grab coffee and pastries for him.
Alric was here for a reason.
“Hello,” I said, surprised my voice didn’t squeak with fear. “Welcome to Three Little Beans. How may I serve you today?”
Amusement made his eyes less frigid. The door clicked shut behind him, trapping us together in a building that felt like it was growing smaller by the minute. A cold sweat broke over my body, and I pressed my hands together underneath the counter so the Prime wouldn’t see them tremble.
He already knew I was terrified. Even young vamps could pick up on heightened senses. The Prime would be able to tell how many beats per minute my heart pumped, maybe even my blood type from this far away.
Even so, he didn’t need to see my hands shake with fear.