Chapter 1
Seymour barked happily, running in circles chasing his tail as I finished setting out the last pieces of decor. It was the final small touches I would need — small collections of crystals, all known for their recharging properties for those who wielded magic. I dedicated a year studying, even memorizing, the note attached to the deed, while also gaining knowledge from residents. Dried lilac, jasmine, and marigolds hung in bouquets against the walls, all symbols of protection, love, prosperity, purification, and the pull to new beginnings. The latter was, admittedly, more for me.
Once the crystals were in the order that one of the healers had given me, I stepped back toward the center of the cafe, taking in the early sunrise. It was early summer, the perfect time for the cafe to open. Turning back to the counter, I did my final check of the menu hanging above the counter. A chalkboard, with each item rotating between blush pink and wisteria, listing the various drinks I had spent months learning to make correctly. Learning and then teaching the two employees who stepped in and dedicated their time to seeing the cafe blossom.
Bex rounded the corner, dusting his hands off his apron after setting down the final platter of pastries into the display case. The final ones were a simple recipe, but one that was considered a cultural food for the sun elves. I inhaled, letting the addition of spices wrap around my senses. The sun elves called them ‘Sooven-Bursi,’ which, from Bex’s explanation, roughly translated to spiced sun bread.
“Well, are you ready for the first day open? Caela is finishing grinding the beans, but she should be back up shortly.” Bex said, taking off his apron and pulling a new, clean one from the rack nestled between the counter and the kitchen.
Taking a deep breath, I flipped the switch on for the lights. We stood in silence for a few seconds, staring at the glow of the string lights and the dim, yet cozy, hanging lights of the sitting area.
“I think so, I’ll get the sign and move the sidewalk board out.”
Bex tapped the tablet on the counter to wake it, then pressed a button, opening the till to double-check that the notes and coins were still inside. “I’ll make you a Honeybee Latte while you do that, you’re going to be amazing.”
Smiling to myself, I grabbed the sidewalk board as I stepped around the counter. I was still adapting to Bex’s comments, after all, growing up in the city required a thick skin. Even in my family, compliments weren’t common. After discovering the world that my mother worked in, and those that she had surrounded herself with, I couldn’t understand why she hadn’t adopted their traits as well.
Once I flicked on the open sign and the neon red lettering illuminated in the window, I unlocked the door and stepped into the crisp morning air. Dark storm clouds were beginning to roll over Lavender Springs, and somehow, the brooding feeling I normally had in the human realm was absent. I understood the reason for its absence: Lavender Springs was enchanted. The entire town, every building, the ground that was beneath the feet of all residents and travelers, every inch of it. Historically, it had taken decades to raise the magic levels enough for the town to maintain itself.
After adjusting the dark green painted iron table and chair sets one last time, I stepped back into Honey Bean Cafe, a name that I was still considering changing, and joined Bex at the counter. My fingertips traced the mosaic glass tiling, arranged in patterns of cherry blossom trees, fields of wildflowers, snowy mountain peaks, flowing rivers that seemed to move on their own, and a forest of trees with orange and red leaves. Symbols of all the primary courts of the inner realms that thrived away from the human realms. Then again, all the realms thrived the moment they separated from the human realms.
Bex set a teal and purple ceramic mug in front of me, a small honeybee artistically crafted into the foam of the latte. “You’re going to do great. Caela and I got the register and kitchen for the day, and you can focus on the customers as they come in. It’s a soft opening, so we shouldn’t get hit too hard.”
Holding the mug in my hands, letting the warmth spread, I let the brief moment of comfort take center stage. I spent over a year preparing for this moment, for the first person, fae, elf, orc, goblin, sprite, any being really, to walk through the door.
“How long do you think it will take for the first customer?” I asked, sipping the latte. The crystallized wildflower honey mixed with the sweet vanilla coated my tongue. It was my specialty drink that I introduced to the menu, hoping it would become a favorite.
Before Bex could respond, Caela set her mug down next to mine and leaned on the counter. “Give it a few minutes, the townspeople are just barely starting to get moving for the day. Until now, they didn’t have a cafe to visit to give them a little perk. At least not in a few years. They’ll come. I bet another fae will be the first through the door.”
“No way,” Bex said, straightening his posture. “The first will be an elf, and I’m betting a sun elf will be the first. They’re literally the ones known for their coffee, among other things.”
Caela rolled her eyes. “Sun elf, fae, I’m sure we can agree we won’t be seeing a goblin. It’s already rare for them to be in Lavender Springs, and when they are, they stay at the inn and spend most of their time in the tavern, drinking honey ale.”
“I don’t care who it is, just as long as someone comes.”
Caela let out a breath, tucking a loose auburn curl behind her ear. “Don’t worry, Juniper. They’ll be here soon. Oh, now that I’m thinking about it, did you check on the side room? The roses were starting to bloom, so I gave them an extra bump; they might be where we wanted them to be. I did get the barrier set up as well so that they’ll survive through the colder months.”
At the minimum, that was a relief. The rose trellis and surrounding garden in the side sitting room was a recharging center for those with earth abilities, and since the Spring Court was the closest court, they were the most common guests. Eventually, I wanted to create a sitting room for every element, but that would come later. Once we could afford it.
“I’ll check on it tonight, we’ll give it some time. Besides, I want to be here, on the floor, today. Gotta make a good first impression, right?”
Bex’s responding smile was nearly glowing, something that was only interrupted by the bell attached to the door ringing, the ribbons dangling from it shifting shades of pink in the light as the door opened. Seymour darted from behind the counter, jumping excitedly around the young fae who stepped through the door. Bex smirked at Caela before he greeted her. Caela rolled her eyes before she disappeared into the kitchen, ready to take the first orders.
“Iced Moonwater and a Moon Rose Latte? Anything else?” Bex was asking as I turned back to the counter.
I took a second to study her; she was fae as marked by her wings and the points of her ears, but I couldn’t place her court. Black hair trailed down her back, resting between her amethyst wings, wings that complemented her bright purple and blue eyes. She had to be extremely young, maybe fourteen? Well, maybe closer to forty or fifty, given the slow aging process of the fae. Determining the ages of the different species was still something I struggled with, especially with how different it could be.
“You must be Juniper, my name’s Elowen.”
I blinked, refocusing on the young fae in front of me. I offered her a smile before leaning over the counter. “I am. It’s lovely to meet you, Elowen. Are you traveling, or do you live in Lavender Springs?”
“Kind of both. I consider Lavender Springs a second home. I’m leaving tonight, though. I have to report to the Celestial Court, but I’ll be back in a week.”
“Celestial Court?” I guess I wasn’t as aware of all the courts and the realms. Add that to my list of things to shift my focus on. It was the least I could do if I wanted to make everyone feel as comfortable as possible.
Elowen gave me a brief smile, one that shifted to Bex as he set two cups in front of her. She nearly crawled onto one of the barstools before taking a sip of her latte, her eyes brightening as she tasted it. “This is incredible. I had only heard stories of this cafe from some of the court members who visited.”
Bex winked at me before turning back to the espresso machine.
“I appreciate that, we’ve spent the last year renovating and revamping the menu. I was hoping I didn’t mess it all up.”
“If anything, you’ve proven its reputation. Oh, and to answer your question about my court, we’re basically a subgroup of the Winter Court. We’re technically overseers of the primary courts, but it’s complicated. I don’t want to bore you with the details. You’re human, right? Did you move to the middle realm?”
I sipped my own coffee, which I had neglected long enough that it was cold. “I did, I actually moved into the loft above us. I’m always here.”
Elowen looked shocked. “You’re okay being here? Physically, I mean, usually humans can’t handle the influx of magic.”
“I was dizzy for a few days, but I adapted. My theory is that since my mother and grandmother before her ran the cafe, I had regular doses of remaining magic from a young age. Kind of like building a tolerance. Caela, who’s in the back, helped me by warding my bedroom from any additional magic, which helps a lot.”
“Is she fae?” Elowen asked, raising an eyebrow.
“She is, she’s from the Summer Court.”
“Ah, that explains that. Fae of the Summer Court can utilize protection wards and have abilities unique to the magic within the earth. How have you been adjusting? I’m sure being one of the few humans that live outside of the human realm can be difficult.”
It was a comment that got Bex’s attention, even out of the corner of my eye, I could see the grimace. Likely remembering those first few months when he would find me crying in my room, missing the convenience of everything in the human realm. It wasn’t that the other realms weren’t as developed — they just had different needs. The most annoying one was modes of transportation. Flight was common, others could easily teleport, if neither were an ability, endurance levels were significantly higher than any human could maintain.
Food was also something I had to adapt to. It wasn’t like I could go back to the human realm anyway, so I had no choice but to adapt to everything. It took some trial and error, but eventually I found the foods I could stomach, and how to make them more appealing to my human tastebuds.
“Adapting took a while, I won’t deny that. I did, though. I think every now and then, I find myself still adjusting to everything. Bex and Caela have been great about helping me through it.”
Seymour whined from the other side of the counter, something Bex took as his cue to break away from the coffee machine. He opened the cabinet under the register and pulled out the small canister of treats, then tossed one across the cafe, which Seymour immediately ran across the building and picked it up, throwing it in the air before eating it.
“What is that thing? I mean, it’s cute, but I’ve never seen one before. Does it have a name?” Elowen asked quietly, her eyes tracking Seymour’s movements as she finished her Moonwater.
“His name is Seymour, he’s a dog. They have different breeds of them in the human realm, that one is what they call a beagle.” Bex said, taking over, explaining more human aspects of life. Which I was grateful for, it didn’t take long for me to realize that I was terrible at explaining the actions of humans.
“A beagle?” Elowen repeated, testing the word on her tongue. “I like it, do they have any abilities or anything like that? Do his ears flap like wings?”
I nearly burst out laughing at the idea of Seymour having any magical abilities, flying with his ears, or doing anything other than what would be considered normal dog behavior. Bex leaned over the counter, eyeing Seymour.
“I don’t think so. So far, I have only seen him attempt to eat his tail, lick dust off the floor, and sleep as if his feet were touching an invisible wall above him.”
“He attempts to eat his tail?”
I sighed, realizing I would have to intervene. “In the human realm, that’s how dogs behave. That’s kind of just how they work.”
Bex and Elowen stared at me as if I had made the most absurd comment anyone had dared to speak before them. They shared a glance before Elowen sipped on her coffee once more.
“Then what is their purpose? I don’t think you’ve ever explained that or talked about it.”
Elowen nodded, seconding the question.
“They’re considered pets. Like having company with you at all times if you’re home. They react to you, care about you, and can even sense if you’re upset. Some pets can even intervene if a human has specific medical conditions, there are even stories of them saving the lives of humans they live with. I guess, in a way, that is their magical ability. They can pick up on the smallest of cues that can indicate that something is wrong, and they can act on it to let the human know.”
Bex’s attention shifted as a small group of elves walked through the door, a group that would mark the influx of the first customers to walk through the doors of the reopen. Elowen stayed at the bar top while Bex and I continued working, watching Seymour and writing notes down in a small notebook she pulled out of a small canvas backpack.
By the time the morning calmed down and we made it through the afternoon rush, I found Elowen sitting near the onyx fireplace, Seymour curled up on her thighs, sound asleep. I left Bex to take over after some pushing from his side, and sat down in the armchair closest to her.
“I take it you’ve decided you like Seymour.”
Elowen stared at him, watching his breathing for a few seconds before she shifted her attention back to me. “I think he’s made that decision for me.”
“That honestly makes sense,” I said, smiling. “They like to choose the people they like. They’re really good at picking out those that have no harmful intentions. A lot of humans live by a philosophy that if a dog likes someone, they’re safe.”
“I guess that means you’ve secured yourself your first regular customer. The coffee was the real hook, but I have a feeling Seymour is more emotional than most would assume, and it may hurt him to not see me again.”
Seymour would be the first being in the cafe to make a friend out of a customer. Then again, he befriended everyone he met and liked in the human realm. “I’m surprised you’ve been here as long as you have been, honestly.”
“I like the company, beagle dog included. However, I should probably head out so you can close up for the day. As soon I get back, I’ll swing by. I prefer the summers here anyway.”
I helped her wake up Seymour, who lazily let himself slide off of her and land on the ground before curling up on the rug in front of the fireplace. I didn’t blame him, I was exhausted too. Bex and Caela seemed to be high-energy still, which, given the differences between our endurance levels, didn’t surprise me.
“I hope you return soon, I enjoyed talking to you.”
Elowen put the small notebook back into her bag before she smiled. “I enjoyed learning about humans. We’ll have to share more when I return. Thank you for the incredible coffee, I hope you get to hear more about the realms while I’m away.”
We finished saying our goodbyes as Bex started tearing down the espresso machine to clean it, and I followed Elowen out. Once we were outside, she raised the hood of her cloak and lifted off the ground, her wings carrying her high into the skies. I had see lift off before, but every time, it was just as mesmerizing as the first.
I waited until she was out of view before I picked up the sign and switched the open sign off, locking the door as I stepped inside. Bex had finished running through the cleaning cycles, and Caela was dropping off the washed mugs back to the front of the store.
“Well, what do we think?” Caela asked, taking off her apron.
I shrugged. “It was nice getting to know Elowen. I’m almost sad that she’ll be gone for a week. How did we do Bex?”
“Well, we definitely did well income-wise. We beat our expectations, and I think we’ve established a number of returning customers. Your changes to the menu definitely helped, I heard non-stop compliments. Your house latte also gained some fans.”
Caela glanced up at the menu. “I guess it’s time I finally try it too. Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow,” Bex agreed. “Honeybee Lattes all around before we do it all again.”
