OwlsFair

by Zenina Masters

  Kris smiled as she ran the white feather across her palm. “This is yours. You are a snowy owl. Very pretty. I don’t think I have ever seen you up close before. I swear, I will never figure out the way that magic shifts in bloodlines. With only few exceptions, the changes run along the same species but not the same genus. Well, that is the power of the planet for you. You can never tell who is going to get what by parentage.”

  The smaller feather was Doria’s. She’d shed plenty while they were playing during the flight. The last was one of her father’s. He had been preening and yanked it out after the party. Making up the excuse to go visiting her parents’ home was awkward, but getting into the forest to collect the feathers had been a nightmare of subterfuge.

  Well, her parents were suspicious, but she had the feathers she needed. “What do you use the feathers for?”

  Kris winked, “Flight spells. Owl feathers are used for silent flight.”

  “Seriously? You seriously use the feathers for spells?”

  “Yup. Some folks can fly using chants or sheer power, but others need a boost from a potion, talisman or unguent.” Kris carefully arranged the feathers on a sheet of paper and walked them to the other side of the room. A slow caress of her fingers and a drawer slid out.

  Ezzy watched her tuck the feathers away, looking eagerly until the drawer was closed and her feather was gone. “What now?”

  “Well, I have you registered at the hostel and your meals are covered anywhere at the Crossroads. You need to wear this bracelet and all charges will be confirmed and recorded here. Do you have any questions before I send you off?”

  Putting the bracelet on, she swallowed nervously. “Dozens, but I think I should just go before I change my mind. Should I call you when I arrive or something?”

  Kris grinned, “You don’t have to. I will know if you make it, but be sure to call me if you don’t end up coming back here. I will need to know what to tell your family, or at least how to distract them.”

  A dozen moments of Kris hiding her from her family ran through her mind. “You are good at it.”

  “Everybody needs a hobby.”

  Nervous, Ezzy got to her feet. “So, what do I do?”

  “Grab your bag and stand here on this mark.”

  Breathing quickly, Ezzy grabbed her small suitcase and stood on the mark. “What now?”

  “I wish you luck, I wish you joy and I wish you love.” Krisia stood in front of her, and her eyes began to glow.

  Ezzy’s vision blurred for a moment, followed by a sudden tug at her limbs that made her stumble. Hands caught her, and she was looking into the eyes of a woman with snow-white hair.

  A man stood nearby, his hair as dark as the woman’s was light. Both had the scent of shifters. He smiled softly. “Welcome, Ezmerelda Atkinson, to the Crossroads.”

  “That’s it? That’s all that it took to get me here? I didn’t really feel anything.”

  The woman chuckled. “Transporter Vehn is excellent. Not all the Transporters take such an interest in their client arriving in one large piece. Do you have your medallion?”

  Ezzy lifted her hand, showed the bracelet and nodded. “This?”

  “Yes—it will shift with you if you choose to shift, but its true purpose is so that your incidentals can be charged directly to the funding set up for you.” The woman smiled. “I am glad to see your Transporter was on the ball.”

  “She has a vested interest in my success.” Ezzy chuckled and lifted her bag. “Um, where do I go and what do I do?”

  The woman smiled again. “I am Teal, Guardian of the Crossroads. That is my mate, Tony. He’s the other Guardian. He wrangles the males, I work with the females.”

  Ezzy followed her as Teal began to move out of the building made of smooth, pale wood.

  “You arrived in the Meditation Centre, and as you can tell, we are central to the Crossroads.”

  There was nothing closer to the truth. The north-south, east-west roads met at the base of the steps leading down from the centre.

  “That building is the café, the one across from us is the general store, the Crossed Stars Bar is half a mile down the north road and across from it are the bed and breakfasts. You are in the hostel, so we will take you to the avian reserve.” Teal’s voice was brisk but cheerful.

  Ezzy tried to take it all in. “How many people are here right now?”

  “Forty permanent residents and twenty-four guests. Six of the guests are in the B&Bs, and the rest are in the hostels. Boys on the right, girls on the left.”

  “What keeps one side from straying to the other?” Nerves were setting in, and Ezzy clutched her bag tightly.

  “Magic. The original architects of this place were quite generous with their power. The hostels are completely safe and just crossing the street will make you safe from anyone following you if you are feeling insecure. Of course, we do also have law enforcement for the Crossroads. Anyone found harassing one of the guests would be summarily banned from this place.” Teal was amused.

  “How often does that happen?”

  “Not very often. The folk who come here genuinely want to start a new life with a new partner. That means they are on good behaviour.”

  “Where are the law enforcement officers to be found?”

  “They are in the Crossed Star—they are the bouncers.” Teal waved her arm toward the bar.

  “I am guessing that the bar is the hub of activity?”

  “Pretty much. That, and the Crossed Heart Café.”

  Ezzy let out a nervous giggle. “So, everything is crossed here?”

  “That is the idea. We try and bring folk together who never would cross paths in their normal lives. The Transporters weed out those who are just tired of dating and select only the folks who need this place.”

  “Is there enough call for that kind of thing?”

  “Apparently. There has been a Crossroads operating on every occupied continent for the last thousand years.” Teal was amused.

  As their path took them past the commercial district a line of buildings on either side of the street indicated they were near the hostels.

  “Each classification of shifters is in a separate building from the other females.”

  Ezzy smirked. “So, there is little chance of being eaten by another woman looking for a male?”

  “Very little. We have strict no-combat rules between the guests of the Crossroads. This is a safe place to seek and find a mate—however, we are also not idiots, and we have attempted to mitigate all chances of a hostile interaction.” Teal smirked. “There are still a few fur and feather battles now and then, but we do try to remove the temptation.”

  Now was the time for the question that was hopping up and down in her mind. “Can I shift and go flying?”

  “Yes, this entire area is secure, but you do not have to mention your shifted body to your prospective mate. Nor does he have to tell you what his is until you are ready to commit. Relax, enjoy and remember, whatever happens in the Crossroads, stays in the Crossroads until you leave and take your mate with you.” Teal patted her on the shoulder.

  A quick introduction to the housemother for the hostel of the avian and Ezmerelda was on her own. Oh, goody.

  Chapter Four

  The Crossed Heart Café was a glowing beacon to Ezzy’s ravenous appetite. With some grim determination, Ezzy entered the cheerfully lit building and looked around.

  A few heads turned as males noticed her entrance. A few females were dotted about, but Ezzy was looking to be alone.

  She slid into the first unoccupied booth and sighed in relief when a male reading a newspaper occupied her field of view. All that was visible of him was his very large hands, and it made for quite a break from the hungry eyes of the other males in the café.

  A cheerful waitress came by. “Good evening, sweetie. Would you like a menu?”

  Ezzy exhaled with a smile to match the young woman’s. “Please.”

  “Coffee?”

&nbs
p; “Oh, yes, that would be wonderful.”

  When the folded menu was presented, Ezzy stared at the selections until she was sure she had memorized the whole thing.

  The man reading the newspaper had lowered it and was now looking at her with an intensity that sent her insides quivering.

  When the waitress returned, Ezzy blurted out the first thing that caught her eye. “Cheeseburger and fries.”

  The waitress looked at her with a raised brow. “No salad?”

  Ezzy shook her head. If she was going to have to brave a bar full of eligible males, she was going to need to do it on a full stomach.

  The menu had been her only cover. Now that it was gone, she looked up, and her gaze collided with the warm brown eyes of the newspaper man.

  His entire body had the look of a man who worked outdoors, and he worked there a lot. Huge shoulders, a serious jaw, determined nose and lush lips gave him a solid base, but it was his warm brown eyes under dark brown brows that held her attention.

  She knew her eyes were a bright gold that sometimes set folks off, but shifters took it as normal to see eyes that colour. Warm brown was a colour she’d always wished she had, and if she had any kids, it would be a far easier colour for them to live with.

  The object of her attention smiled, and a furious blush broke on her cheeks. She quickly looked away, but the damage was done.

  He calmly folded his paper, lifted his coffee and got to his feet. When he stood next to her, she could tell that his height was well over six feet. He had a lovely woodsy scent that clung to him, and even two feet away, it made her want to get closer.

  “May I join you? I am waiting for my own order as well.”

  His voice was a low rumble, and she tilted her head to hear it better.

  She debated the pros and cons for a moment and then nodded, “Please.”

  His smile was amused, “Better to just jump in and get it over with, right?”

  Ezzy blinked in surprise at his amusement. “Something like that. Have you been here long?”

  He settled in across from her and accepted the cup of coffee the waitress delivered.

  “Thank you, Tee.”

  “You’re welcome, Buzz.” The waitress smiled and walked away.

  He turned back to Ezzy and said, “I have been here about three weeks.”

  Ezzy bit her lip to stop her smile, “Your name is Buzz?”

  “It’s a nickname, but it does the job. What is yours?”

  “Ezzy. It also does the job.” She snickered.

  “And we have one point of commonality, excellent.” His laugh was genuine.

  He relaxed, and she took in his graceful sprawl while sipping at her coffee. His t-shirt was stretched over masses of muscle, and his curling black hair brushed the collar in back. The open expression on his face helped her unclench a little.

  “How many women have you sought commonality with?” The words blurted out before she could stop them. A blush ran up her hairline as he raised a brow in surprise.

  “How long have you been here?”

  “I got here about an hour ago. I am sorry if it was a rude question.” She was rescued by the arrival of her cheeseburger, and she immediately dove in.

  “Well, I am happy to be your first contact, but if we are not meant to be, you will go on beyond me, and I will continue past you. It is simply how things work in the Crossroads. We are here to find a mate, and to do that, we have to give up the idea of falling in love with the first person we see.” His expression suddenly went grim.

  Ezzy used a napkin to tidy her mouth before she spoke. “Personal experience?”

  Buzz nodded. “So, what drove you here?”

  “My best friend. She knew that I was desperately unimpressed with my father’s choices for me, so she sent me here.”

  “She sent you? That is highly unusual. Did she find her own mate at the Crossroads?” His curiosity was genuine.

  “Um…no. My best friend is a Transporter.” Ezzy worked her way through the surprisingly good burger, stopping for the occasional fry dipped in ketchup.

  “You’re kidding.”

  “I am not. She and I had an agreement never to discuss our other lives, so when she saw how desperate I was, she gave me a card and had me meet my Transporter at her office. I had no idea it was her until I went through the door.”

  “I’m still getting around the idea of a shifter having a magic user as a best friend. How long have you known her?”

  Ezzy chuckled and settled into an easy topic of conversation. Krisia had shared in hundreds of misadventures with her, and Buzz seemed interested in how it all began.

  “We met at school in grade one and have been best friends ever since.”

  “How is it that you didn’t know that she was a Transporter?”

  Ezzy laughed and finished her burger. “Just after my first shift, she started her Guild indoctrination. I wasn’t allowed to talk about my shifting, and she wasn’t allowed to discuss magic, so we decided that we simply wouldn’t talk about it, and we never did.”

  Buzz tilted his head. “It sounds difficult.”

  “It was horrible. When I mastered my shape, I wanted to tell her, and I couldn’t. I would see her start a conversation about why her eyebrows were scorched, and she couldn’t. It was a test to our friendship that I’m very glad we passed.”

  She watched him rub his jawline and noted the five o’clock shadow that was appearing on his chin. “What about you—what drove you to the Crossroads?”

  He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck before drinking his coffee. “The area I live in is rather sparsely populated. There were few eligible women and even fewer that held any appeal for me. It was time for me to seek out a mate, and so, here I am.”

  She snickered at what he left unsaid. “Your parents as well?”

  He grinned. “Yes. You are very perceptive.”

  She shrugged, “That one is obvious when you have experience with it.”

  She nibbled at her fries as they sat in companionable silence. Outside, night was fully in control, and her inner wings ached to fly through the darkness.

  “Your form is nocturnal?” His words were polite, but she could tell he wanted to know what she became when she embraced her inner magic.

  “It is. Yours?”

  “Not particularly.” He shrugged.

  She sighed and wondered if he was something small and annoying. It seemed unlikely. His sprawl was far too natural, and he took up every inch of space he occupied. Folk who changed into smaller animals tended to give it away in their body language.

  The waitress, Tee, returned with a smile and took the plate away. “Can I interest you in dessert?”

  Ezzy shook her head. “Thank you, but no. I think I need a bit of a walk around the area to work off dinner.”

  Tee winked and left her with Buzz.

  The man smiled and leaned forward, “May I offer you a nocturnal tour of the Crossroads? It is quite spectacular at night.”

  This was the moment of no going back. If she said yes, she was going to immerse herself in the Crossroads until she came out with a mate. If she said no, she still had a chance to run back to her normal life and pretend that this hadn’t happened.

  “I would like that.”

  He got to his feet and held out his hand, and before she could change her mind, she put her fingers in his grip. As his embrace tugged her from her seat, she admired the rough warmth of his fingers. A woman would know that his hands were on her, and Ezzy was wondering if the rest of her skin would be as appreciative as her fingers were.

  It was something worth checking out.

  Chapter Five

  Buzz tried to keep his calm as his body reacted violently to the feel of Ezzy’s hand against his. The moment he’d seen her walk into the café, his cock had kicked the inside of his jeans.

  Three weeks of simpering women rubbing against him without invitation left him a little disgusted at the process of the Crossroads. He had sought
out the café as a refuge, and to his delight, a woman who sang to his senses had cautiously stepped into his range.

  Ezzy was cautious, and her face lit up when talking about her friend. That kind of loyalty was admirable, and her body wasn’t bad either. Dark brown hair cascaded down to her shoulders, a cute little bow of a mouth kept his attention when she spoke, and the few times she had made eye contact, the avian gold of her gaze had left him with no doubt that his companion had feathers when she chose to wear them.

  When she stood up, her nose was even with his shoulder, the perfect height for him. The temptation to wrap his arm around her waist was intense, but he didn’t want to scare her off. She seemed rather timid about her arrival at the Crossroads, and he didn’t want her to regret allowing him to be her first escort around the grounds.

  “Do you have night sight?” He asked her casually, as if his cock was not gaining the imprint of his zipper as he spoke.

  “I do, but there is plenty of light. Are the buildings glowing?”

  “They are. It makes it easier for those shifters who do not have nocturnal navigation. It also makes the females feel safer. Less dark shadows or something.”

  Ezzy looked up at him and smiled. Her nose crinkled as her lips curved upward, and it took all of Buzz’s self-control not to give into the bear inside him and maul her until she cried out for more.

  “That does sound safer. What is that building over there?” Ezzy pointed with her free hand, the side of one breast pressed against his arm, and Buzz closed his eyes for a moment.

  “The Crossroads General Store. The family who runs it are beaver shifters, and they also take care of maintenance on the majority of the buildings.” He could feel his teeth sharpening with his growing arousal.

  This tour was going to kill him.

  * * * *

  “What kind of shifter runs the bar?” Ezzy’s attention moved beyond the general store and to the bright light and noise of the bar. The sounds were not as harsh as she had anticipated, and there was something inviting about the light that spilled out.

  “A tiger owns it, snakes are bar tenders and a group of male lions act as bouncers.” His voice was low, and his words carefully pronounced.Ezzy winced as she realized that his arousal was beginning a partial shift. His scent had gotten more intense the moment they walked out of the café. He definitely was keying to her body. That much she could figure out. Her own pulse was rapid and had remained so with their hands in platonic contact.