Beneath the Watching

31. Mabel

31

MABEL

“I’m so sorry about your friend,” Tiffany attempted to console me but there was nothing anyone could say.

My intent had been to help Kiara, be there for her, and see if I could help her get home. Over time it’d become apparent that she had zero desire to go home and there was nothing anyone could’ve done for her. Knowing all that didn’t lessen the smidgen of guilt that plagued me.

With Kiara gone, Stefan gave me more freedom. He was still a bit over-protective, but I understood. Tiffany and I were in a building that looked like it came from a princess amusement park. It was on the list while scoping out sites for my bakery, and Jack and Benjamin lurked out front eating ice cream cones. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say we were at an overpriced family resort.

“Thank you,” I said. “I think it's what she really wanted though. You’d have to have known her, but I think she did exactly what she wanted to.”

Tiffany shook her head. “Can you imagine the burden? Having that much magic? If you think about it, it's kinda amazing she made it as far as she did. I mean, you said she grew up in the Third Realm, so she definitely had no clue what she was facing.”

“What about you? Do you have any magic?”

Tiffany sidled up to me. “Watch this,” she said, her eyes sparkling. She snapped her fingers, and a metallic hot pink penny appeared in her palm.

“Whoa,” I said, and laughed. “That’s cool.”

She shrugged. “It's kinda dumb, and yet also pretty neat. Look, I can make them different colors.” She snapped her fingers a few more times and ended with a shiny rainbow of pennies.

“Just pennies?”

Tiffany waved a hand over her palm and the coins disappeared. “No, its copper magic. Small amounts. I just made them pennies because of the simplicity. Everyone knows pennies.”

I hadn’t spoken of my own magic to anyone, and I anticipated the next question. “Do you have any magic?” My friend asked.

“I’m still getting my bearings here,” I replied shaking my head and offering no further explanation. The slight narrowing of her eyes told me she knew that I knew I had some but I just grinned.

Tiffany let out a short laugh. “I guess we’ll see.”

She crossed the room, walking over to a large bay window and tossed the curtains to the side with a flourish. When the fabric parted, Jack was standing there staring straight inside licking his ice cream with long strokes. Quickly, Tiffany pulled the curtains back shut, her cheeks reddening. “Why is he such a freak,” she muttered.

“I don’t know where Stefan found these guys. I love them but I swear they’re ten-year-olds trapped in thirty-year-old bodies,” I groaned, thinking of all the strange things they did. “Don’t you and Jack have a, uh, thing going on?”

Tiffany took a rag she’d found and wiped off the counter near the window. “It was one night. One .” She tossed the cloth down. “You’d think he’d have gotten the hint when I didn’t agree to another date.”

I giggled. “Yeah, he really didn’t.”

“I’m surprised he has them as your guards, they couldn’t scare a speck of dust.”

“True but at least they look scary.” I leaned against the counter she’d just finished wiping down and took in the space. “I think this is the one,” I announced.

This building was perfect for my bakery. Minus strange men in the bay window, the faux cottage facade and cute window boxes out front—complete with an adorable bench, ticked everything off my wish list.

I knew I’d need a lot of help and Tiffany had working knowledge of large kitchens and cooking operations thanks to her many years of service at the castle. She’d practically grown up in them and had agreed to be my partner though it’d be majority my own business.

“Just a deep cleaning and clearing out of some of this old stuff and we should be able to start making your dream come true,” Tiffany said, smiling at me.

Her tone turned serious. “Stefan is okay with all of this?” She knew he’d kept me under lock and key. After a while, it’d become impossible not to notice and she knew something had happened the day we’d gone searching for pine needles and she didn't buy my story. Hence, her distrust over my declared lack of magic. Someday, I’d tell her everything.

I huffed. “Doesn’t matter. But yes, he is okay with it. Even if he wasn’t, I’d still do it. I want something of my own.”

Truthfully, he’d been reluctant to allow it at first, but I’d put my foot down and we’d come to a compromise. The compromise having taken the shape of either Jack or Benjamin acting like bouncers like I was opening a nightclub. One of the two men would be here whenever I was.

Not really a terrible idea, all things considered.

Tiffany and I walked out into the sunshine and began heading back to the castle, Benjamin and Jack falling into step behind us. “So that’s it, that’s the building for us,” I said excitedly. “I can’t wait.”

“It gonna be great. I’ve liked working in the castle, but I’d much rather work with you,” she grinned.

I smiled back at her before we parted ways after entering the fortress. Benjamin unlocked the door to our quarters and Jack announced they were going to the markets to get us some dinner.

Stefan was still off with Ilya, taking care of things in the Third Realm. Ilya’s business partner and Kiara’s ex-boyfriend, Ramone, was being notified of my friend’s death and then Stefan was supposed to return. I missed him and it was strange going to sleep by myself at night and it was odd not having Kiara pop over every now and then. I’d gotten used to her being back in my life, despite the changes in her.

Still, I was happy and could not imagine living anywhere else. It was a foregone conclusion Stefan wouldn’t let me accompany him, but I didn’t want to go, anyway. What was there for me? Nothing. Al was there, but that relationship was over before it’d even begun.

Communication between the Third and Fourth Realms was spotty and hardly reliable, but Stefan had managed to get a text or two through to me informing me he’d be home soon, which was a relief. With the major stressors over, we could finally settle into our new lives. New for him because he’d never had a woman he was serious about and new for me because, well, it was an entirely new world.

Gathering my shop's notes and plans into a pile, I sat at the kitchen table and started organizing them. I had a general idea of what I wanted but I still questioned some of the colors. Did I want to repaint the outside walls or leave it as is? The exterior was a light lemon yellow, but I liked the pale shade of peach I saw on a swatch of fabric and thought I could have it recreated for painting.

Death.

After not hearing the voice in what felt like a long time, its arrival threw me for a loop. “Yes, I know my friend is dead,” I whispered, my heart twinging.

Why did the Sentient have to go and rub it in? Sighing, I pushed the thoughts away and began looking through a catalogue of pastel trays for displaying the many goods I planned on baking in my store. Stefan had suggested I try interacting with it more, but I wasn’t interested when all I’d heard from it lately were negative subjects. I’d left negativity behind and was headed straight into a positive life.

It was completely unnecessary, but I decided to do it just because I could. “Pass me the tablecloth book, please,” I said.

The book winked out from where it was on the kitchen table and reappeared directly in front of me. I smiled at it, a frisson of happiness climbing my spine. “The cake cutters, too.”

The knives, with varying-colored handles lined up alongside the reading material. One had a light-yellow pearl handle, the others differing shades of peach and salmon. It was a hard decision.

I was still trying to make up my mind when Lucian strolled in, surprising me. I hadn’t seen him since before Kiara’s death last week, seeing as he’d stayed in seclusion.

“I see you’ve been hiding quite the gift,” Lucian declared, crossing the floor, and stopping opposite me.

My face heated. Stefan and I weren’t advertising my magic. “Just a touch of one, I guess.”

“Hm. Kiara was a source, as you know. Her loss is insurmountable.”

“I’m sorry for your loss. She was a good friend of mine.”

Lucian unbuttoned his suit coat, releasing his straining belly. “She was my greatest mistake; I should’ve been there for her.” He glanced down at the counter and stared at my colored pencils. I’d never replaced them with more sensible writing instruments but at least I’d exchanged the crayons.

“I’m sure you did everything you could,” I offered. The knowledge he hadn’t wouldn’t pass my lips. How do you ignore your abducted baby their whole life when you know exactly where they are? It never made any sense to me, not since I’d gotten the whole story.

Ramone had taken kiara when she was an infant, stolen from her crib in retribution for Lucian and Ilya’s dad having murdered Ramone’s wife. She was taken to the Third Realm and left there with adoptive parents until Ramone reentered her life, and then Ilya.

Nobody did a thing to help her, least of all the man standing before me—not until all the damage was done.

Even I’d failed her, in a way.

I still fought my conflicted feelings on that whole matter even though Stefan encouraged me not to. Something about the fates having laid out her whole path and all that kind of stuff. I appreciated him trying to relieve my burden, but I was certain a part of it would always remain.

“Thank you, I appreciate that, Mabel.” He came around the counter. “What have you got going on here?”

I leaned away from him as he took up space. “My bake shop. I bake a lot and enjoy it.”

He nodded. “Exactly what kind of magic do you have?”

I heard a small hitch in his voice. He wasn’t talking about sorcery in the kitchen. “I don’t know exactly,” I answered. I’d started moving my papers and books closer before I realized it and flattened my hands on the counter to stop my nervous habit.

Lucian took another step closer. “You do know not everyone here has magic, right? Has Stefan been neglecting his duties in letting you know?”

Glancing up at the man, I said, “No, he’s let me know. He’s not neglecting anything.”

“Have you thought about my offer?”

“What offer?”

Lucian grabbed my hand and looked at the thin band of gold with what I figured was a peridot mounted on it. Stefan had given it to me before he left with Ilya, letting me know it was his sister’s. Protectively, I snatched my hand back.

“That’s no way to treat your king,” he warned me.

“I’m sensitive to being touched,” I explained. “I don’t like people I don’t know well touching me.”

Lucian moved all the way over, his stomach rubbing against my arm. “I offered for you to be my queen. Are you turning me down?”

“What? I’m with Stefan, you know this.” I hopped off the stool and went to go in the opposite direction, but he grabbed my hair just before I was out of reach. Hissing at the pain, I yelled, “Let go of me!”

The whole situation felt unreal with a dream-like quality. Was this really happening? I reached up and began prying at his hands, but he wouldn’t budge. “Let go of me,” I ground out slowly, my head buzzing.

He pulled tighter and my eyes welled up as I was dragged against him. “You think you can keep the magic away from me? I need to know what you have in there.”

Lucian grabbed my neck, twisting me around and placed his lips over mine as I scratched at him. Panic clouded my mind while I tried to fight him off.

He was much bigger than me, stronger despite the exercise I’d been partaking in until recently with Kiara and Ilya, and I was easily overpowered. Keeping a firm hold of my neck and dodging my kicks, he forced me to the ground, laughing as every fist missed him.

With one hand, he began tugging my leggings down, but he stopped to remove his belt.

This was really happening, wasn’t it?