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"I'm..." I started to give my automatic response, then stopped myself. "I'm taking it day by day. Building a life as Juniper feels...right, somehow. Like this is who I was supposed to be all along."

He nodded, seeming satisfied with my answer. "Good. The clients seem to respond well to you. There's something about your approach that's...effective."

My pulse quickened at his almost-compliment. "Just doing my job."

"Doing it remarkably well," he said, studying me with unusual intensity. "Five for five at the mixer. Even Diana can't claim that kind of success rate."

I shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny, wondering if he somehow knew about the strange auras I'd begun seeing, the way I'd felt drawn to certain emotional energies that night. Whatever was happening to me, I wasn't ready to discuss it—notuntil I understood it myself. My entire life I’ve had no magick and having any now felt wrong. But also right. I still have never had sex and as a witch I shouldn’t have any magick.

"Just beginner's luck," I said lightly. "Or maybe being emotionally uninvested has its advantages."

He looked like he wanted to press further, but the office door swung open before he could respond. Thea swept in carrying two steaming mugs, her entrance perfectly timed as always. Her crimson blouse was unbuttoned one button too many for professional standards, but she somehow made it look elegantly daring rather than inappropriate.

"Coffee for the boss," she announced, setting one mug in front of Lust. "And for our matchmaking prodigy." She handed me the second mug with a wink. "Heard you're collecting your first paycheck today. Planning a splurge?"

"Grocery shopping," I admitted, inhaling the rich coffee aroma. "I've been living on Diana's charity long enough."

"Living well is the best revenge," Thea quipped. "But maybe add something fun to your list. A girl deserves a treat after out-performing her boss in her first few weeks." She glanced at Lust with a mischievous smile.

Lust made a sound suspiciously like a growl. "Don't you have calls to return, Thea?"

"Always so grumpy before his second coffee," she stage-whispered to me, then sashayed toward the door. "Oh, the Carmichael file is on your desk. She specifically requested Juniper handle her case–said she heard about the mixer's success from Vivienne."

When she was gone, a small, satisfied smile spread across my face. Lust noticed and rolled his eyes. "Yes, you're brilliant. We're all very impressed. Go buy your groceries before your head gets too big to fit through the door."

I stood, tucking the envelope securely into my handbag. "I'll see you on Monday. Maybe by then you'll have reconsidered my digital filing proposal."

"Don't count on it," he called after me, but there was no bite to his words. As I closed the door, I could have sworn I saw him reach for one of the folders, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.

Outside, the town was coming to life beneath a pristine blue sky washed clean by morning light. The main street stretched before me, lined with maple trees dressed in their first flush of tender green leaves. Tulips nodded in planters along the sidewalks, their cups collecting sunlight in vibrant yellows and pinks. I savored the simple pleasure of walking freely, my paycheck secure in my bag, my future—uncertain as it was—at least temporarily my own to shape.

I paused to consider my route. The farmers' market would be setting up in the town square, and the thought of fresh produce and artisanal goods after weeks of making do was irresistible.

The square bustled with activity – vendors arranging colorful displays of fruits and vegetables, the scent of fresh bread and flowers mingling in the air. I moved through the stalls slowly, savoring the sensory feast. After the stark terror of Xavier's betrayal and the ghostly emptiness of the days following my escape from the grave, the vibrant life surrounding me felt like a miracle.

An older woman smiled at me from behind a display of strawberries and blackberries. "First time at the market?"

"Is it that obvious?" I asked, picking up a basket of the bright red berries and inhaling its sweet scent.

"You have that look." She chuckled. "Like you're memorizing everything. Seasonal shopping is an art form around here."

I selected a basket of both types of berries, then found myself drawn to a table laden with unusual fruits. Among them, plumppurple figs caught my eye, their shape somehow familiar. My mother had grown them in her garden, though I'd never paid much attention to them beyond their appearance in her ritual preserves.

"Interested in figs?" The vendor, a weathered man with kind eyes, noticed my gaze. "Just got them in yesterday. Perfect ripeness."

I picked one up, feeling its soft weight in my palm. "They're beautiful. I've never actually prepared them myself."

"Most folks haven't," he said with a nod. "Interesting little things. Not truly fruits, you know."

"They aren't?" I turned the fig over, studying it more thoroughly.

"Nope. Technically, they're flowers. Inverted flowers." He took one and gently sliced it open to reveal the pink flesh inside, studded with tiny seeds. "See all that? That's the inside of a flower. The fig tree's flowers bloom inward instead of outward."

"I had no idea," I admitted, fascinated by this new perspective.

"Gets even more interesting," he continued. "In nature, they need a specific kind of wasp to pollinate them–the fig wasp crawls inside, pollinates the flowers, then gets digested by the fig."

I raised my eyebrows, suddenly less enthusiastic about eating one.