Page 10 of Little Wing (Shades of Fairhaven #1)

“ T hank you for coming.” I smiled politely at the young woman dressed in pointed ears and a maroon cape before handing her the canvas tote bag with her purchase.

“Your copy of the book is inside along with some fun items from Ms. Reverie. Would you like your receipt in the bag or with you?” I asked, pulling the thin paper from the printer.

“In the bag is fine. Thank you,” the woman responded, squealing with glee as she clutched the bag in her arms. She quickly retreated to her group of friends who were also dressed up like fantasy characters.

The store was certainly full of excitement.

Everywhere I turned I could find someone either showing off their costumes or discussing the new book.

Noticing the theme of their dress, I looked down at my outfit—a simple black dress with purple wildflowers, a grey long-sleeved cardigan, and my trusty black Doc Martens.

I wasn’t in costume, but at least I didn’t stand out like a sore thumb.

Each of us working the event tried to dress up in something more whimsical than normal in order to help immerse ourselves and our customers in the world of Reverie’s fantasy.

Reina truly went above and beyond with her red off-the-shoulder dress with a black corset belt to accentuate her waist. Even Heather and Darrin, our part-time coworkers, wore fake elf ears and capes to play along.

Once another wave of customers checked out and went back to socializing, I signaled Heather across the store to take over on the register.

I needed a break from all the interactions with the young men and women.

It was wonderful to see them enjoying themselves, but I couldn’t say I enjoyed all the potential staring that happened as they talked to me.

I lowered my head quickly and wandered into the center of the store where I swiftly located Reina. Her heartbeat was pounding in my ears. Her blood smelled sweet. Her scent—Mocha… Mint… Adrenaline.

“Hey, Lo!” she beamed. “How are you holding up?”

“Well, if another person asks who I’m cosplaying, I may just head on home.”

“Oh hush, you!” She stepped in front of me and spread her arms as far as she could without hitting anyone.

“Look at how incredible this is. We’ve had a steady flow of people all night and they’re sticking around and talking.

” She grabbed a stray book lying on the table and brought it to her chest. “We’re down to the last two boxes of the new books.

I can’t believe I’m even thinking this, but we may sell out. ”

My eyes widened at the thought. Yes, the event was going incredibly well, but never in my time working at the store did we sell out of a book like that.

“That’s amazing,” I admitted.

“Damn right, Lo. I mean, clearly the size of the store isn’t keeping anyone from just looking around either.

It wouldn’t be too bad if we hosted more events like this, right?

I don't see how the owner would object to bringing in more business. At least until we finally get our own bookstore up and running. ”

Reina stopped to look at me as I tried to mask my disdain.

Sure, I loved being able to help her and the business, but the reason I loved Black Cat Scribes as much as I did was for the fact that traffic was slower and that I got to spend my evening hours with books that were possibly older than I was.

The idea of opening our own bookstore presented conflict that I wasn’t ready to confront.

Sure, it would be nice to do something like that with my best friends, but talking about it was one thing.

Making the moves to make it a reality made me realize that I didn’t know if I could tie myself to something so solid. So… real.

“Lo?” Reina asked, waving her hand in front of my face. “You okay?”

My gaze quickly returned to the woman standing in front of me.

I could always tell her the truth about hiding in plain sight from people, from vampires, who would like nothing more than to ruin me.

All I had here were the friendships I treasured, and I couldn’t bear the thought of losing them. So, I did what I could and smiled.

“Sorry, just not used to there being so many people here. Sure, if you think that is the best for the store, then you know I’ll be here to help with any event.”

“And the future bookish hangout, too? You know I don’t want to do it without you.”

I nodded. “Of course.”

Content with my response, Reina’s lips parted as she reached with a free hand to push a strand of her lavender hair behind her ear. Her attention suddenly fixed on something beyond our conversation.

“Oh… my gods.” Her eyes quickly darted from me to what appeared to be over my shoulder. The change in her body language made me wary about looking behind me.

“That is a fucking sexy vampire,” she declared .

I blinked and before I could turn around to see who she was talking about, Reina gripped my wrist and practically squeaked through tight lips. “Girl—he’s staring, like, right at the back of your head.”

As her grip loosened on my wrist, I grabbed the book from her arms and turned toward a shelf I could set it on.

The maneuver allowed me the most natural way to steal a glance in the direction Reina was staring.

It didn’t take long at all for my eyes to settle on the man who was leaning against the concrete pillar.

His skin was a warm tan that would have you think twice about him being a vampire.

Any suspicion of mortality dissolved in the instant he flashed his fanged grin that complemented the gleam of his brilliant silver eyes.

Not even colored contacts could be that mesmerizing.

They were so delicate; so much more beautiful than mine.

His dark brown hair was curly and styled to reveal a partial undercut.

His facial hair was trimmed to a short stubble that only made his smile more mesmerizing.

The plain white T-shirt he wore under a black sport coat had me wondering just how fitted the fabric must have been against his skin.

And of course, his jeans hugged him right where they needed to be kept snug.

I forced my eyes away from his torso and looked back up at his eyes that were very clearly staring right back at me.

Oh wow, okay. Yeah—he was staring right at me.

Like a child caught doing something they shouldn’t, I pivoted away from the bookshelf and gasped quietly.

It didn’t matter that I wasn’t facing him anymore.

I could scent him. I could feel his eyes traveling up and down my body—burning into my back.

In that moment, I recalled his face and the familiar way my body reacted to his gaze.

I knew him! Well, not exactly, but I recognized him from The Royal Nomad .

“Cutie, right?” Reina giggled quietly, keeping her hand over her mouth. “You’re looking a little flustered there. Better shape up, because he’s coming right over.”

I didn’t even have a chance to drag her away before she waved excitedly.

“Hello! Are you enjoying the event?” Reina stepped from behind me and offered another polite wave as the man stopped in front of us. His presence carried a weight that couldn’t be ignored.

I didn’t dare look him in the eyes again, yet I could feel his searching for mine.

“I am,” he began, a whisper of an accent on his tongue.

“I’ve passed this store many times, yet I don’t recall it ever being so…

lively.” His voice was like velvet, rough yet smooth and bold—my gods, just the sound of his voice was doing things to me—things I had no business feeling!

The front I fought hard to uphold trembled involuntarily as his eyes continued to travel over my body.

Questions lingered in his gaze, yet he verbally entertained another conversation.

He played into Reina’s politeness. Two conversations playing out simultaneously.

One inquired about our store while the other prodded my mind.

What are you?

He raked his hand through his chocolate curls and settled at the shaved side.

“I hope it’s no bother, but my brother asked me to pick up a copy of the new Reverie novel.

I know nothing about it, but his wife has been asking about it.

” He smirked, giving us both another flash of his fangs—hiding nothing about what he was.

“Hoping I didn’t miss an opportunity to pick one up? ”

I said nothing.

Reina jumped at the first opportunity to help the man. “You most certainly didn’t! We’ve sold a few, but don’t worry if we don’t have one up front, Lotus will be more than happy to get one from the back for you.”

His posture tensed up with a sharp exhale at the sound of my name from Reina’s mouth.

Before either of us could say anything, Reina was summoned to the counter by Heather for assistance with a transaction.

Her squeal of “I’ll be right there” was all we heard before I was left “alone” with the handsome man.

He was a vampire. There was zero doubt about that. His body lacked a human warmth, and he emanated a soft hum that resonated only in vampires. Its sound lulled softly in my ears. While my heart raced as fast as a vampire’s heart could, he continued to observe me not with malice, but mere intrigue.

He rubbed the side of his head again before moving down to his stubbled jaw.

I hated that I couldn’t look away. When his hand moved from his face, I watched as he stuck it in his pocket.

Even with a store full of chatty people, there was a silence that stretched between us, one that soon began to feel somewhat uncomfortable.

I could hardly stand still, but I tried hard to remain calm even as his eyes failed to look away from me.

“Is your friend a fan of Reverie?” I finally asked.

His eyes squinted, as if he was picking my words apart.

“Sir?”

“Are you in cosplay too?” he asked casually, picking up a book off a neighboring display. He flipped through the pages mindlessly before setting it back down to return his full attention to me.

“Cosplay?” I quickly glanced down at my cardigan that hung loosely against my body. “Not quite. I am playing the role of the happy bookstore employee. I can't say I'm that dedicated of a fan of Ms. Reverie," I said, nodding towards the small sea of patrons who were dressed up and socializing .

“Vampire.”

I choked back a laugh. “Excuse me?”

“Sylvie Reverie is an out and celebrated vampire author.”

“I suppose she is, yes.”

As I watched him lean forward, I noticed how he towered over me. He wrinkled his nose before stepping back. “You are a puzzle…”

“What? Puzzle?”

My reflexes were helping me get ahead of whatever “puzzle” he was attempting to solve.

He might have startled me by showing up at the store, but my wit was not yet stunted.

I couldn’t help smirking when I pointed to the back of the store.

“If you’re looking for puzzles, we do have some in the back.

The beginner puzzles are the ones on display back there. ”

With the way that his lips curled, I could tell he enjoyed the quick response, but rather than entertaining the moment further, he bowed his head and lowered his gaze to the pin clipped to my cardigan.

“So, your name is Lotus.”

I fought back the shiver that shot down my spine at the sound of my name on his lips. “Yes, Reina did confirm that. So, is there anything else that I can help you with?”

He shook his head slowly, his eyes remained steady on my face until he turned to reach for a copy of the new Reverie book and tucked it under his arm. “Perhaps another time, Lotus. I do have a few other errands to take care of tonight, but perhaps I could find you here again?”

“Well, I do work here.”

He nodded. “Or maybe I could buy you a drink at that bar where your friend works?”

I couldn’t let him see me stiffen—realizing he recognized me and that I, too, recognized him. “If I’m there, then perhaps.”

He smirked. “Good. Well, I’ll go make my purchase, but Lotus,” he said my name again. “It’s lovely seeing you again.”

Before he turned, I stepped forward, clearing my throat loud enough for him to stop. “So, you got to say my name a few times. May I know yours?”

He didn’t turn all the way around, but I could see one fang peek out when he smiled. “Silas.”

Our exchange made it feel like I was trapped in a bubble with him.

Did time slow? Did everyone else leave? When he—Silas, made his purchase and walked out of the store without looking at me again, I pulled my phone out to note that I still had a few hours left of my shift as well as the event.

Before Reina could pull me aside to get the full rundown of my interaction with her definition of the “ideal book boyfriend-type”, I occupied myself for the rest of the shift by helping other customers with their purchases.

The interrogation would simply have to wait.