CHAPTER SEVEN
Nyssa couldn’t stop anxiously pacing back and forth behind the counter, straining her ears to hear if anyone was coming down the street outside. After weeks of renovating and decorating, it was officially the day of Teas and Tales’ grand opening.
Nyssa had been so busy finishing off preparations in time for the opening that she’d barely had a chance to be alone with Elowen again, and whatever tension had been between them had lifted back into an easy, comfortable kinship (and the occasional lingering look) as they’d worked alongside Liora to get the space ready for opening.
The elf stood by the main shop window now, the sunlight catching in her green eyes as she peered out into the morning-lit street beyond.
And yet the café was still empty.
‘Not yet, but it’s still early.’ Elowen offered a reassuring smile that made Nyssa’s heart flip. ‘Most Nighthaveners are late risers. I wouldn’t worry.’
Liora, who was busy brewing a large pot of one of Lisabeth’s recipes (a blend of chamomile, lavender and rosehip that Gwen had dubbed ‘Calm Morning Tea’), let out a small ‘mmm’ of agreement.
‘El’s right, there’s still loads of time!
Besides, people seemed super excited when I handed out the flyers; as soon as word starts to spread, this place will be a hit!
All we need to do is get a few people in to see just how amazing it is. ’
It was amazing. Soft sunlight trickled in through the two large, bay windows, each fitted with a reading seat adorned with dark purple and blue cushions and blankets.
Beside the large, black painted fireplace were two long velvet sofas, each one placed at opposite ends of a refurbished oak table with a board game mat atop it.
There were other tables of various sizes dotted around the rest of the open space, each surrounded by either smaller sofas or plush armchairs, and the wooden floor had been partly covered by a huge moon-and-sun rug to reflect the engraved ceiling.
Nyssa had enchanted more fairy lights to weave around the shelves lining most of the walls, so that each board game or decorative piece was constantly lit up with magical, shimmering light.
Nyssa had done some other small enchantments, too.
Simple things like bewitching the teapots and cups to constantly keep the liquid inside warm, and a basic darkening charm on the ceiling to make it always look as if it were really the night sky overhead, no matter the time of day.
As she glanced up now, she smiled at how pretty the twinkling fairy lights looked against the deep indigo and inky black that swirled above.
She’d even performed some privacy enchantments around some of the booths for anyone who might wish to play in a quieter environment.
It was everything Nyssa had imagined when she’d first envisioned making the place her own, and combined with the familiar scent of tea brewing and the freshly baked cinnamon buns on the counter, the café felt more like home than anywhere had in a long while.
Just then, the bell above the door rang as it swung open, revealing the smiling faces of Alaric, Amelia and a handful of people Nyssa had seen once or twice in the tavern.
‘Damn, we made this place look good!’ Alaric grinned. ‘Smells good, too – are those cinnamon buns?’
Nyssa smiled, warmth pooling in her chest as, one by one, the group Alaric had brought with him began to look around her café. ‘Sure are – if you find a game to play, I’ll bring you and your friends some along with today’s special tea!’
‘Deal.’
Liora and Nyssa quickly busied themselves with pouring the tea and placing buns on plates while Elowen talked the druid siblings and their friends through the collection of games.
By the time their treats were ready, the group had settled into the booth by the fireplace, the game Potions Master placed on top of the table.
On paper, the game was simple enough: players moved along the board according to the number their dice fell on, and would either get a ‘boon’ if they landed on a potion or an ‘ailment’ if they landed on a curse.
The magical twist Lisabeth had added, however, meant that certain ailments manifested in real life – players suddenly breaking out in boils or suffering incessant sneezing fits – a twist that had brought endless laughter for Nyssa in her childhood.
‘Great choice,’ Nyssa said with a pang of nostalgia – Potions Master had been one of the last games she’d played with her grandmother before she’d become too busy studying to join the coven to make time for such things.
‘The games are all enchanted to play out a quick example game if you recite the trigger word on the instructions, but let me know if you need any more help.’
Nyssa was just finishing up handing out the group’s tea and cinnamon buns as the bell above the door rang again. Another group of Nighthaven citizens, including the flower shop owner Azalea, quickly demanded Nyssa’s attention, followed by Cain, the owner of The Pixie’s Grove, and his husband Emrys.
Between chatting with her customers and casting enchantments to help clear the tables of used cups and plates, Nyssa barely noticed the morning go by. It was already past midday when, with an overexaggerated gasp, Mr Lefton entered the shop.
‘Good afternoon, Mr Lefton.’ Nyssa wiped her hands on her apron, her smile wide but nervous. She shouldn’t care what the estate agent thought of her café, but the part of her that always wanted to please members of authority was eager for his approval. ‘What do you think of the space?’
Mr Lefton was peering around the shop over the rim of his large, round glasses, his lips slightly puckered in a way that reminded Nyssa of a duck.
When his gaze finally landed back on her, he let out a small huff of air.
‘It’s … not what I was expecting. I’d have done things a little differently, but that’s neither here nor there. ’
His dismissal brought back a rush of the shame Nyssa had managed to quell over the last few weeks. Her cheeks heated, her magic tingling in her fingertips as she pressed them tightly to her palm, fighting the urge to retort, What would you have done differently?
Keep it polite, Nyssa, her former coven leader’s voice cautioned. Appearance is everything.
But beneath her shame, Nyssa was angry. She’d poured so much of herself into this café, and she wasn’t going to let some eccentric old man take that away from her.
She was considering how she might ‘accidentally’ have one of her enchantments jump scare him when Nyx, who had been curled into a ball on one of the window seats, hopped down from her perch and promptly coughed up a furball on to Mr Lefton’s polished shoe.
The sound the estate agent emitted was somewhere between a wail and a gag. He shook the offending furball from his foot, cheeks ruddy with rage, and glared at Nyssa as if she herself had essentially vomited on his being.
Nyssa coughed to hide a laugh as Nyx rubbed against her legs.
‘I’m so sorry, Mr Lefton – she must have eaten something she shouldn’t have.
Here,’ Nyssa quickly willed her magic towards one of the dishcloths behind the counter, enchanting it to come and wipe the remaining fur and witches-knew-what off of Mr Lefton’s shoe. ‘There, all sorted!’
Mr Lefton’s cheek twitched. ‘This is precisely why pets should not be allowed in any establishment which serves food. Do you have the required permit?’
Nyssa bristled at Mr Lefton’s haughty tone just as Elowen appeared at Nyssa’s side, her smile so forced it actually looked painful. ‘Actually, Nyx is a familiar, not a pet – they don’t fall under the same category.’
Nyssa mimicked Elowen’s polite smile. ‘If you require the paperwork registering her as my familiar, I can fetch it whilst you take a seat.’
Nyx jumped up on to the armchair closest to Mr Lefton and lazily began to lick a clawed paw. The estate agent grimaced before clearing his throat. ‘Actually, I must be going, things to attend to and all that. Just have a copy sent to my office by the end of the week.’
‘Will do, Mr Lefton. Thanks for stopping by.’
The door had barely closed behind him before Nyssa, Elowen and the rest of the customers at Teas and Tales burst into laughter.
‘I’ve been waiting so long for someone to put that man in his place,’ Elowen said once they’d all settled down. ‘Never thought it would be a cat, though. Good job, Nyx.’
Nyx responded with a proud chirp, and the same warmth Nyssa had felt towards Elowen on the night she’d shared her past with Nyssa spread through her chest. ‘Thank you,’ she said, ‘for having my back.’
The laughter in Elowen’s eyes faded, replaced by something Nyssa couldn’t quite name. ‘Of course.’
As much as Nyssa would have liked to appreciate the moment, to perhaps lean in and brush her knuckles against Elowen’s sharp cheekbone, she was quickly pulled back into the fray of serving and chatting with her customers.
The afternoon passed as swiftly as the morning had, and Nyssa returned home that evening feeling exhausted but happier than she had in a long, long while.
So when she saw an owl perched on the rickety old gate at the end of the garden, an envelope held in its beak, the sense of dread which rose within her wasn’t as strong as it could have been.
Nyssa approached the owl with her palm out. It dropped the envelope with a small chirp, cocked its head at Nyx, who stared up at it with her tail wagging, and then promptly flew off into the inky night without so much as a backwards glance.
‘Well, I guess we’re doing this,’ Nyssa said, swinging open the gate and beginning to walk towards the front door. She brushed her thumb over her coven’s wax seal, which broke easily beneath her nail. Nyssa paused, her heart rate quickening as she withdrew the letter within.
Mage Hawthorne,
As per previous correspondence, details of your first trial – the trial of the Mind – are as follows: