Episode One Hundred and Sixty-seven: Maple Lattes

It took longer than I’d have liked to fall back to sleep after the dream. This time, chirping woke me up as Indigo flew about the room.

“The flower! The flower!”

Next to my bed, the bud had opened during the night. Bright pink and coral petals surrounded a vibrant purple center, which glowed.

“That‘s gorgeous,” I said, gazing at it.

A second bud had formed, along with another stem with leaves.

As beautiful as it was, it wasn’t enough to distract me from my shower. Yet, as I let the hot water crash down, all that I could think about was the dream that had felt so real, but wasn’t.

I didn’t like it.

Not at all.

The questions the person had asked rattled around in my head. What lengths would I go to free the Cat, and would I fix what he broke?

It left one more question that I couldn’t answer, and the only one who could, probably wouldn’t.

What had the Cat, or, rather, the Fae Lord the Cat had once been, actually broken?

The tasks he had to do were one thing, yet something inside me said it was more than that. Something else had happened with whatever the Cat had tried to do to gain power, and it broke something big. That something needed to be fixed.

Now, I just needed to figure out what that something was.

By the time I’d washed my hair and pulled it back into a ponytail, I wasn’t any closer to an answer, but I felt ready to go for the day.

Indigo beat me out the door, and as I came to the balcony, the sight of the coffee shop layout caused me to pause. My mug rested on the counter, waiting for me to make my coffee. And, yes, a maple latte sounded good.

The flower design in my cup turned out perfectly, just like I’d dreamed.

Still, everything wasn’t the same. The Cat and Indigo chatted happily at the island when I entered the kitchen. Both went quiet at my approach, giving me the feeling they’d been talking about me.

“Morning guys,” I said, as I pulled out a defrosted package of bacon. The oven and pan were ready to go when I turned to the counter. “What’s the plan for today?”

“You saw the layout,” grumbled the Cat. “One of those days that make little sense.”

“Did the book give any instructions?” This time I turned to look at him as I slid the pan into the oven. “Any hints?”

The Cat jerked backward at my gaze.

“No.” His eyes narrowed, and he stepped closer to me. “What happened?”

Indigo jerked back at his sudden movement, before taking to the air.

I tried to gather my thoughts as she landed on the counter next to the stove.

“I make eggs!”

“Sounds good, Indigo,” I replied absently. Eggs and bacon would make a tasty breakfast, plus a relatively easy one, and, most importantly, not oatmeal.

“Don’t ignore me.” The Cat appeared on the other side of the stove. “What happened?”

“I had a strange dream that asked me questions. It isn’t anything to worry about, but it proves the Professor's point. I can control my Fate magic.”

His gaze focused on the side of my head, but I ignored it as I helped Indigo pull a pan out, along with the rest of the things needed for scrambled eggs.

Then the sensation vanished.

I peeked over and he wasn’t on the counter anymore. 

Indigo cracked the eggs in the pan, creating a mess, but it didn’t take too long to remove all of the broken shells. Then she carefully used the spatula with her claws. 

“I need hands,” she mumbled.

“You are perfect the way you are,” I replied. I couldn’t imagine Indigo with hands, or in a human form. The other dragons had one, but she didn’t. She wasn’t old enough. “You are a growing book dragon, finding your way wonderfully.”

“I am perfect!” Indigo nodded as she stirred the eggs, only splashing a little out of the pan. 

The mess vanished as quickly as it was made. Betty was on top of things this morning.

Indigo’s tail slid back and forth across the counter behind her, but she remained in place, stirring the eggs until they were done. Then she handed the spatula over and launched herself into the air.

I gave the eggs one final stir before plating them up, along with the bacon that came out of the oven at the perfect time. 

Indigo dug into her plate as soon as I set it in front of her. She took small bites, keeping clean as she ate.

The Cat hadn’t come back, and I grew slightly worried.

“Cat, the bacon is done!”

“I’m here…” He leaped up on the island, taking his normal place, yet he wouldn’t meet my eyes. “The bacon smells good.”

I studied him for a moment, but then started eating my breakfast. The bacon had come out perfectly crispy and melted in my mouth.

The Cat finished his food first, but waited for the both of us.

Indigo took off after using the sink to clean her face. She air dried on her way to the front. At least the drops of water were cleaned up immediately.

“You know, I worry she takes Betty for granted,” I mumbled.

Warmth from the floor brushed that feeling away.

“Did the book give us anything else about today?” I asked.

The Cat met my eyes this time.

“No, just to open the coffee shop.” He hesitated. “What happened in your dream?”

“Someone showed up and asked some questions about you, and if you deserved to be freed.”

The Cat’s tail flickered behind him until he leaped off the counter, saying nothing.

“I said you deserved to be freed.” I quickly followed him, snagging my coffee mug. “And that I’d help you.”

“You already help me by being the Shopkeeper.” That Cat rested on the counter by the time I arrived out front. “Can I have a coffee?”

“Of course.”

Indigo flew around the room in wide circles before doing barrel rolls. She was fully dry by this point, and just playing until we opened the shop.

I sipped my coffee before pulling his tea cup out from under the counter. It was the new one, with oak leaves and paw prints on it from the holiday. I paused and glanced at the top of Betty.

A single golden leaf rested on the top. 

There had been three, I knew there had been three. Somehow, it was down to one.

###

Sable moved to make my coffee, and I sniffed the air. Something felt different. Lighter, though I couldn’t pinpoint what. Her magic felt the same, so it wasn’t that. The dream had triggered no intense feelings, since the shop hadn’t woken me up.

It was something else.

A difference in the shop I couldn’t trace. Yet, it didn’t feel bad. Instead, it felt right, like we’d just crossed a hard task off in the book. The book keeping track only mentioned today was a coffee-shop day. One of those days I hated, uncertain with what it’d bring and if we’d accomplish anything with it.

Yet, this time it wasn’t the same.

Sable had fixed that.

On days like this, she figured out what needed doing and did it, all without me.

“Here you go,” said Sable as she placed the teacup right in front of me.

Sweet maple waived upward from the small vessel, and I grinned at the tiny flower she’d created on top. While I wished she could always be by my side as the Shopkeeper, I also knew that less than half a year remained on her contract. And she missed her family.

Her voice saying she’d visit them then renew the contract came back to me. That must not happen. She needed to go free, and figure out her magic, finding her own path. The dragons would be happy for her to join them. As much as I disliked them, they believed her to be clan, just like she was family… I stopped that train of thought. It wasn’t useful.

At least it wouldn’t be long now until my gift arrived. Hopefully, she enjoyed it.

“Are you just going to stare at your coffee?” asked Sable.

“You do a good job,” I said, before I tasted the latte.

“Of course I do. I’m the Shopkeeper.”