Chapter 73 – Coffee and Confessions
Violet.
After the meeting, I tried to catch Samuel, but he dashed off before I could corner him. After a fruitless search and the twins anxious to leave, I found myself heading to the care center, drawn by the need to be close to David and Javid.
The sterile corridors seemed to stretch endlessly as I made my way to Paul's room to check on his condition. The Healer said he was stable, but in an induced state of sleep so that his body could heal faster.
I could see that it was working. His blackened wounds caused by magic had faded into a rainbow of bruising.
David and Javid took turns coordinating the attack with the allies who slowly trickled into a makeshift clubhouse, and keeping vigil by Paul's bedside. Their tired eyes met mine as I provided coffee and what comfort I could, the silence broken only by the steady beep of medical equipment.
As the hours ticked by, exhaustion crept in. I curled up in one of the uncomfortable lobby chairs, my eyelids growing heavy. The last thing I remember was Javid's concerned face peering down at me before sleep claimed me.
When I woke, the first rays of dawn came through the windows, bathing the room in soft rays of gold. Javid's jacket was draped over me like a blanket, and I breathed in the lingering scent of cloves that clung to the fabric. The simple gesture brought a lump to my throat, a warmth spreading through my chest. He was always so thoughtful, so giving…
I still wondered if I had made the right choice. But that was for later. War was looming and that took up my entire focus.
As my eyes adjusted to the morning light, I came to the conclusion that I had to know what Samuel was holding back from me. Whenever we were together, there was a hesitance in his voice, a weight behind his words that hinted at a deeper truth he seemed on the verge of revealing, but never did.
With trembling fingers, I pulled out my phone and dialed Mildred's number, determined to find answers. "Can I speak to Samuel?" I asked when she answered, my voice scratchy from sleep.
One way or another, come hell or high water, I would find out what he was keeping from me before the sun went down.
There was a pause, then Samuel's cautious greeting. "Violet?"
"We need to meet," I said, my heart pounding. "It's important."
We agreed to meet at Mildred's coffee shop. As I hung up, I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the conversation to come. The truth couldn't stay hidden any longer, no matter how much it terrified me to know what he could reveal.
The cheery atmosphere of Mildred's coffee shop felt surreal as I pushed open the heavy wooden door, the comforting scent of freshly ground beans doing little to calm my frayed nerves.
As I passed the counter, someone reached out and grabbed me. Magic rushed to my hands, ready to fight off all comers, but it was only my boss, Mr. Wilkins from the supermarket. I let out a chuckle realizing that I'd been so lost in thought about the meeting ahead I nearly blasted him.
My heart rate calmed as his kind eyes crinkled at the corners, his wrapped arm more comforting than clingy. "Violet, it's been too long, how are you? Are you ready to come back to the store?"
I had taken a leave of absence after Sam passed away, finding it way too difficult to put a toe out of bed let alone carry on with my daily routine. I had the group to thank, especially David and Javid for giving me the strength to come as far as I had. In fact, I was set to go into the grocery store that night when I'd gotten blasted by Tabor Viers.
A pang of nostalgia washed over me as I recalled the simple days of stocking shelves and ringing up groceries. The time when I was oblivious to the supernatural world that had since turned my life upside down. Those carefree times were gone, never to return. I could no longer go back to the person I once was.
I offered Mr. Wilkins a somber smile. "I'm afraid I won't be coming back, sir. Things… they are so different now."
Understanding flickered across his weathered features. As an owl shifter— a fact I never knew until I was aware of my own abilities— he more than comprehended the battle were facing.
Mr. Wilkins gave a solemn nod. "I see… and I understand." He looked down at the floor and then back up to me, his eyes full of well-meaning support. "Well, you know I can't join the fight against that dastardly Tabor, but I have some eagle friends who would be honored to lend their talons to the cause." He patted my arm reassuringly before grabbing his to-go coffee and departing without glancing back, his kind offer to enlist help from his eagle friends lingering in the air.
Sadness washed over me as the longing for simpler times intensified. Watching him leave, was like the final nail in the coffin of my uncomplicated life.
I took a deep, steadying breath, forcing myself to refocus on the task at hand – the impending conversation with Samuel.
With a resigned sigh, I straightened my shoulders and scanned the room, landing on Samuel's hunched figure in the far corner. He sat nursing a steaming mug, his fingers drumming an anxious rhythm on the tabletop. Mildred was busy wiping down the expression machine but she stopped to fix her gaze on me. Without a word, she handed me a steaming mug of my usual order – a caramel latte with an extra shot. The gesture, so normal and yet so comforting, nearly brought tears to my eyes.
"He's in the back corner," Mildred said softly, nodding toward Samuel's table.
I gave her a grateful smile, clutching the warm mug like a lifeline. As I approached Samuel's table, the floorboards creaked beneath my feet, each step feeling heavier than the last. The weight of Javid's jacket, still draped over my shoulders from my impromptu nap at the care center, provided a small measure of comfort.
As my shadow fell over him, Samuel looked up, his eyes widening with apprehension. My heart seized and my unease grew. This conversation wasn't going to go down as easy as Mildred's latte that's for sure.
I slid into the chair across from him, the scrape of wood against wood seeming way too loud over the muted conversations of the Coffee Haus.