by Tesha Geddes
“Here! In the back,” Mathis responded.
Stacy navigated around the enormous stacks of magic books until she found the wizened old bookbinder at the back, hunched over his work. Mathis was a tall, elderly wolf shifter. In his prime, he had been solidly built and intimidating, but time and old age had stolen most of his size. That never seemed to bother him though — books had always been his first love, and they didn’t care how ripped he was. Mathis looked up at her and sighed.
“I take it you found another potential apprentice,” Mathis said.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were a telepath,” Stacy teased him.
“Don’t need to read your mind to read your face,” Mathis said. “You get that same look on your face every time you want me to give some dunce a chance.”
Despite his harsh words, he had the gentlest soul Stacy knew — he was just very protective of the magic books in his care.
“You’ve been looking for an apprentice for ten years,” Stacy said patiently, “and your arthritis is only getting worse. You’re falling behind on your work — you need help.”
“I won’t trust these books to just anyone,” Mathis said as he stroked the cover of the book he was repairing.
“I know. Only the best for your beauties,” Stacy said. “There’s a young woman who applied for the position of assistant librarian. I’m going to schedule an interview with her, and I’d like you to sit in on the interview.”
“What’s so special about this one? Years of experience at another magic library?” Mathis asked.
“Addi says she handled a tricky situation with a cranky magical book. She got the book to calm right down when Addi couldn’t even keep a hold of the book,” Stacy said.
Mathis looked thoughtful as he said, “I’ll be there, just let me know when.”
Stacy agreed and returned to her office. She sent Kaida an email, requesting that she come in for an interview. That done, she returned her attention to the mountain of paperwork and stifled a groan — she really hated paperwork.
Chapter 3
Kaida had left campus and found herself in a nearby neighborhood. She was passing some impressively large houses. She wouldn’t call them mansions, but they were close. She sniffed the air cautiously, there were magicals around — no dragons, thank goodness, but she couldn’t identify what kind of magical they were. She eyed the houses nervously — maybe she should go back. Anyone with eyes would be able to tell she didn’t belong in this neighborhood. She caught a whiff of barbeque — yes, it was definitely time to leave. She turned around to head back to campus and ran into a wall.
She landed hard on her backside and looked up at the wall... only, it wasn’t a wall. It was a man, two men actually. The one she had run into was large and muscular; his companion was tall, but not as brawny. Their golden eyes marked them as some sort of magical. The brawny one had short jet-black hair. The other one had a wild mop of curly brown hair.
“I... I’m so sorry,” Kaida stammered as she scrambled to her feet, fear gripping her heart.
“It’s fine, I’m used to fending off the pretty ladies,” the brawny one said with a wink.
The second one snorted and said, “What Linus means to say is that we’re sorry for knocking you over.”
“It’s hardly our fault she fell for us, we are remarkable specimens after all,” the man named Linus said with a wink.
Kaida stared at them, dumbfounded. They weren’t mad that she’d run into them and one of them had even apologized to her. Her! But the first one was acting weird. Was he drunk?
“Don’t mind Linus, he’s an incorrigible flirt,” the second one said.
“Um…” Kaida said, her mind going blank. That was flirting? Kaida didn’t like it — it made her uncomfortable.
“I only flirt with the pretty ones,” Linus said defensively.
“Which, in your opinion, is all of them,” the second one said patiently.
“That just means I see the beauty in everyone,” Linus declared, gesturing with his arms.
“Or it makes you desperate.”
Kaida backed away slowly. If she was lucky, she could escape while the two of them were arguing.
“Wait!” the second one said.
Kaida froze.
“We’re having a pack barbeque to celebrate the start of the new semester,” he said. “Why don’t you join us? There will be a lot of people there and plenty of food.”
Kaida panicked.
“Or you could just grab a burger and leave, whatever makes you feel comfortable,” the man continued with a smile and held out his hand. “I’m Sen, by the way.”
“Kaida,” she said as she shook his hand, still trying to figure out how to politely decline the invitation.
“So, Kaida, do you like burgers?” Linus asked as he slung his arm around her shoulders.
She flinched and Linus dropped his arm. She was staring at the ground and missed the look that passed between Linus and Sen.
“I’ve never had a burger,” Kaida admitted, still not daring to look at them.
“Never had a burger!” Linus exclaimed, clutching his chest like he was having a heart attack.
Sen rolled his eyes at his friend’s antics and said, “Then I hope you enjoy your first experience.”
“Thanks,” Kaida replied, unsure what else she could say.
Part of her wanted to run back to campus and hide, but her hungry stomach won out. Free food wasn’t a luxury she could afford to pass up. Sen and Linus led her to one of the large houses, though she hung back a few steps, not comfortable enough to walk next to them. The house they led her to was one of the larger ones and a tantalizing smell wafted from the backyard. They led her to a side gate and opened it to a large backyard. There was a pool, a basketball court, and plenty of green space. By Kaida’s estimation, there were probably twenty people there already.
“Looks like the party’s just getting started,” Linus said.
Just getting started? That meant more people would be joining. Kaida had never been to a party this large. Actually, she’d never been to a party before. She was completely out of her depth. She shook slightly.
Sen and Linus led her over to where the tables of food were set up with the grill next to them. A tall young woman was busy setting out paper plates and utensils.
“Hi Celicia,” Sen greeted her. “This is Kaida — she’s never had a burger before. Are there any ready for her?”
Celicia gaped at her. “Never had a... are you serious?”
Kaida shook her head. Celicia threw her arm around the shorter girl and Kaida couldn’t help but flinch. Celicia dropped her arm under the guise of rearranging the placement of a few dishes on the table.
“Just follow me,” she said, “and we’ll get you the best burger ever.”
Celicia shoved a plate into Kaida’s hands, and a bun went on top of that. Kaida then moved to the plate of burgers, but Celicia intercepted her.
“Oh no,” she said as she steered her to the grill. “You’re getting a fresh one.”
Kaida looked back at the steaming burgers and wondered how strict Celicia’s definition of “fresh” was.
“Hey, Terri!” Celicia greeted a young woman manning the grill.
Terri was only a few inches taller than Kaida but slightly plump. Her apron declared her the #1 Grillmaster.
“What’s up, Celicia? Who’s your new friend?” Terri asked with a friendly smile.
“Kaida is a burger virgin,” Celicia said solemnly.
“Then she deserves the Paradise Burger,” Terri replied matter-of-factly.
“We’ll go get the stuff,” Celicia said with a grin.
Celicia led Kaida back to the tables where she loaded her plate up with Swiss cheese, a pineapple ring, a few slices of bacon, and tomato. Then, she spread a thin layer of mayo on the bun.
“Here you go,” Celicia said as she presented the plate to Terri.
Terri took the plate and placed the cheese over one of the bu
rgers, with the bacon on top. The pineapple ring, tomato, and bun went directly onto the grill. A few seconds later, Kaida had a Paradise burger on her plate. Her mouth watered — it smelled so good. Celicia led her over to a small table where Sen and Linus already sat with burgers of their own. Kaida sat down and cautiously took a bite of her burger. After that first bite, it took all her self-control not to shove the entire thing in her mouth — she’d never had anything so delicious.
“Good?” Sen asked.
Kaida nodded, too busy eating to speak.
Sen grinned and said, “Terri makes the best burgers.”
“She’s a magician on the grill, but can’t bake to save her life,” Linus added.
“Not that she needs to,” Celicia interjected. “Rio does most of the baking. He made the hamburger buns.”
By the time Kaida finished her burger, more people had arrived. Some went straight for the food, others to the pool, and one group had even started a basketball game. Many came by at some point to say hi to her companions, and they always made sure to introduce Kaida, but she was grateful none of them expected her to hold a conversation with them. She eyed the crowd apprehensively and her stomach began to churn.
“Are you okay?” Celicia asked. “You’re lookin’ a bit green.”
“I need to leave,” Kaida said. Being here was too overwhelming.
“The sun will set soon. Will you let Celicia and I drive you home?” Sen asked.
“I couldn’t,” Kaida protested. “You’ve done so much for me already.”
“Please,” Celicia said. “We want to make sure you get home safely.”
Kaida wanted to protest more but being confrontational was not in her nature.
“I live on campus,” she relented. “You could just drop me off at the commons between the dorms if that’s not too much trouble.”
Sen nodded and led them out to his truck, which was parked close to where Kaida had run into him and Linus earlier in the evening. Kaida went to climb in the backseat, but Celicia beat her to it, saying that guests got to ride in the front.
“So, you’re a student?” Celicia asked as she buckled her seatbelt. “What’s your major? What year are you?”
“Accounting,” Kaida said, her stomach settling now that they were away from the crowd. “I’m just a freshman.”
“Cool! Me too!” Celicia exclaimed. “The freshman part, not the accounting part. I’m majoring in Early Childhood Education, with an emphasis on Education for Magicals.”
Kaida thought that suited her bubbly personality perfectly.
“My brother here, however,” Celicia continued, “is the genius of the family. He’s majoring in architecture, specializing in creating spaces where different magicals can live together comfortably. He even won a competition last year.”
If other magicals were as particular as dragons about their living spaces, that would be a challenge indeed.
“That sounds interesting,” Kaida said. “How does that work?”
“Most of the buildings I design are custom homes,” Sen said. “It’s easy enough for most magicals to visit public spaces without needing special accommodations but living somewhere is a bit different. The first thing I need to identify is what kind of magicals would be living there, and what their needs are. For example, as wolf shifters, my sister and I need a lot of space outside to run around. Wolf shifters also tend to live in packs, and we’re known for roughhousing, so our homes are built larger, and sturdier. You’re unlikely to find delicate, sweeping banisters or chandeliers in a pack house. Cat shifters need space to run, but also things to climb. Water nymphs need bodies of freshwater, so if there isn’t a pond or something on their land, we’d have to make one.”
“So, you have to balance everyone’s needs and make sure there’s something for everyone, while also making sure that there’s nothing dangerous to any of them,” Kaida said.
Sen nodded.
“If you were to design a space for you and Kaida, what would that look like?” Celicia interjected.
Kaida swore she saw Sen blush.
“That depends,” Sen said. “Kaida, what would you need in your home to make you comfortable?”
Celicia rolled her eyes and said, “What my brother means is, what kind of magical are you?”
Kaida panicked — she couldn’t tell them what she was. The last thing she needed was word getting out that a dragon was going to school here — especially since she was far from a normal dragon.
“Celicia,” Sen hissed, “it’s impolite to ask.”
Kaida faked a laugh and said, “It’s okay. But what would make me comfortable in a home is a garden with lots of flowers, a window facing the morning sun, and a lot of privacy.”
“So, an east-facing cottage with a flower garden out front and woods out back for Sen to run around in,” Celicia suggested.
“With floor-to-ceiling windows facing the garden and porch,” Sen added. “And maybe a birdbath.”
Kaida blinked. If she was ever lucky enough to live in a place like that, she’d never leave. She’d split her time between splashing in the birdbath and sleeping in the sunshine.
“I thought wolf shifters needed large houses,” Kaida said.
“Generally, wolf shifters like to live as a pack, but some of them enjoy a bit more privacy, like Sen,” Celicia said.
Sen nodded. “When I build my home, it will be within walking distance of the pack house that I can go when I want company, but far enough away from the chaos that I can hear myself think.”
“I’m the exact opposite,” Celicia said. “I need to be in the middle of the chaos.”
“So that’s why you want to be a teacher,” Kaida said. “You thrive on chaos, and kids are chaos.”
Celicia laughed. “That’s not the reason I chose my major, but that is a fair statement.”
Kaida smiled in response. Looking out the window, she saw the green commons of her college approaching.
“Alright, we’re here,” Sen soon announced as he pulled up to the curb and parked. He turned to Kaida with a smile. “Would you like one of us to walk you to your door?”
“No, but thank you for the offer,” Kaida said.
She was grateful for the offer, and even more grateful when neither of them pushed the issue. Even though the two of them were friendly and hadn’t given her any reason to be suspicious of them, she wasn’t ready to tell anyone where she lived. Unfortunately, her moment of solitude was over when she reached her dorm. If the boxes stacked in the living room hadn’t announced the arrival of one of her roommates, the voices would have.
“Where do you want this box?” a husky male voice asked.
“That’s clothes, put it in the closet,” a younger, female voice replied.
Kaida hurried to her room, wanting to get out of the way. She’d just reached her door when a man appeared in the hallway. Kaida froze momentarily before throwing herself into her room.
“Hey, Erica,” she heard the man say, “looks like one of your roommates is here. She looks terrified. Be nice to her.”
Kaida’s face burned with embarrassment. She didn’t think he’d meant for her to overhear that comment, but as a dragon, her hearing was better than even the average shifter.
“Because being mean to someone I have to live with for the next eight months sounds like such a great idea,” Erica replied sarcastically. “Don’t worry, Dad, I promise I’ll be nice.”
Kaida blinked back tears. She wanted to believe that promise, but if Erica found out how different she was, would she still be nice to her? She took off her shoes and laid down on the bare mattress. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep but found she couldn’t when there were strangers moving around her dorm. It was another two hours before she heard Erica’s father finally leave. Deciding that she wanted a peek at her new roommate, she opened her door and jumped back in surprise when she was immediately greeted by a smiling face.
“I’m sorry!” she exclaimed automatically.
/> “Why are you sorry?” the girl she’d heard be called Erica asked. “I’m the one standing in front of your door like a complete weirdo. I was trying to decide if I should knock or not — I didn’t want to wake you up if you were asleep.”
“I... it’s fine,” Kaida stammered.
“Anyway, I’m Erica,” the other girl said as she held out her hand.
“Kaida,” Kaida replied as she shook Erica’s hand.
Erica was about average height, with chin-length reddish-brown hair and brown eyes.