Page 34 of The Autumn Leaf Bookshop (Everly Hollow #1)
I don’t think I am safe with you
Sylas
D on’t fuck up. Don’t fuck up.
“You know, chanting that repeatedly isn’t going to force your magic to stabilize and not fuck up…right?” Nim says, rolling his eyes. “ You’re giving me a headache .”
So far, my magic has been holding steady, and I can only hope it continues to stay that way into the late afternoon and evening hours. I was nervous as shit yesterday, praying to the Goddess that the lanterns would take flight, float, and burn properly.
I glance down at the vibrant colored scales beside my feet.
Nim lifts his head slightly, partially opening one eye, before lowering his head down to rest. I cast a few enchantments on a handful of piles for the children…
and even some adults, who don’t want to wait in the lines for the bounce house set up near the east corner.
The town square is packed. There has to be close to double the number of people who attended the opening ceremony. We blocked off a few streets to help accommodate a few booths, spreading the market out so that everything doesn’t feel too cramped in one spot.
The air is thick with the smells of baked bread, grilled meats, and sugar. Children shriek with laughter, tourists and locals talk while they shop or grab a bite to eat. Bouncing from booth to booth, taking photos and selfies.
I spot Dominik at his flower stand, sleeves rolled up, and Seren helping him arrange bouquets and potted plants before running two booths down to her grandparents, Elowen and Lorien. Together they man the honey stand, the sunlight beaming off the glass jars like molten amber.
Elora has her produce stand set up, and that too is always a hit.
When a group of kids dashes away from a picnic table toward the bounce houses or leaf piles, Nim eyes the abandoned hot dogs. With zero shame and no regrets, he helps himself. Standing on his hind legs, paws on the table as he snaps them up in quick, neat bites.
Raene laughs when she notices, shaking her head. “Did you just see that?”
She points in his direction, glancing at me, then back at Nim. “He’s going to be spoiled rotten.”
“He already is,” I say, grinning as I slide my hand into hers when she reaches my side. Her fingers squeeze mine lightly, and something in my chest eases, like maybe she isn’t as far away from me as I thought. Not yet, anyways.
“Where did you run off to?” I ask as we begin walking towards the booths. “See anything you wanted? ”
“Just browsing for now. I walked around for a bit with my grandmother, and I wanted to start making my rounds to see the girls. So far, I’ve only stopped by Oriana’s candle booth, and her scents are incredible.
” She taps on her temple. “I’m scoping out the booths I want to hit up, see what I love, then start shopping. ”
I nod. “Ahh...gotcha. Sounds very strategic.”
“Of course. I can’t just buy the first thing I see. That’s a rookie mistake, Ash. I need to see it all, then spend all my coins.”
“So there are rules?”
“Yep,” she responds, standing tall as we enter the main market area. She lets go of my hand to face me, and I suddenly miss her warmth.
“First,” she checks off with a finger, “you must scope out items before committing. Secondly, if there are limited quantities of items you are interested in, circle back, especially if you suffer from FOMO.”
I cross my arms, my smile wide as I nod my head to inform her that I’m listening. I’m soaking in every bit of what she’s saying.
“Lastly,” she ticks off her thumb, “never…and I repeat never shop on an empty stomach.”
I laugh out loud. Okay, that third one is true for sure. “Do I need some sort of handbook for this?”
“Only if you want to survive,” she loops her arm in with mine as we begin walking deeper into the heart of the market, “but you’ll be safe with me.”
I look down at her as she tugs me towards a booth that catches her eye. She looks back occasionally, smiling and laughing at all the people around us. And right then, it hits me, like a knife between my ribs.
My heart isn’t safe. Not even close. Because soon, instead of being within an arm’s reach, she’ll be in the city, miles away, and I’ll be here wishing I’d held on tighter.
We make another round through the market. Raene’s method has proven to be effective. She’s purchased items from all our friends’ booths, including a treat from both bakeries. One for me and one for herself. I happily carry her totes and bags as I follow her to the next booth.
“Ash.” She tugs on my sleeve in excitement as she points. Her face lit with glee. “Salt water taffy!”
Eyes shining like stars, she leads the way to the booth, and I fall into step beside her.
“It was my Dad’s favorite,” she says quietly but with a hint of joy as the memories flood her head. The booth has dozens of lined, towering jars varying in all sizes and filled with colorful taffy.
“I would ask my Mom if we could give him a pack of taffy for his birthday, Father’s Day, and Christmas.” A touch of a smile brushes her lips from the memory.
This is the first time she’s mentioned something so personal about her parents, and it makes me feel a bit of something like hope that she would want to confide in me and let me in.
“It’s a good candy,” I say, giving her a wink .
The Sugar Shack looks like a candy-coated dream. Glass jars of jelly beans and bagged cotton candy in the shape of balloon animals. Colorful rock candy, candy bars, shimmering lollipops, and edible glitter tubes.
“Hello! I’m Tansy!” says the tiny pixie.
She’s a smidge smaller than a ruler with silver freckles on her cheeks. Her mint green hair is braided into two plaits that fall over her shoulders, and her pink apron is embroidered with the candy logo and the whimsical script of the business name.
“This is Clover,” she nods her head at the pixie with deep brown skin and ash-blonde hair, “and this is Luma,” she adds, gesturing to the side of the tent where a light blue-haired pixie is manipulating clouds of cotton candy into various animal shapes before placing them onto sticks to be bagged. “What can I get you two today?”
“Hi!” Raene takes another step forward. “How much is the salt water taffy?” She asks, nodding at one of the jars.
“Three dollars a pound.” She smiles, readying a clear bag and twine she pulled out from under the counter.
“Can I get two pounds of the orange dreamsicle?”
Tansy giggles. Her eyes crinkle at the corners as she smiles.
“That, my dear,” she taps on the jar filled with individually wrapped taffy that is white and orange swirled, “is pumpkin spice.”
Raene frowns a bit, but then eyes a jar filled with the blue taffy. “Is that one by chance, cotton candy, or blue raspberry?” She points a finger at the jar, but her smile falters, unsure of the response that she will get .
“Maple Blue Sugar,” Clover calls out, without missing a beat as she helps fill an order of jellybeans for a gentleman behind us.
Raene throws a look over her shoulder that screams, what even in the fuck is that flavor? Or kill me now .
I shift toward her, pressing my hand into the small of her back, “Do you have any flavors that are not…fall-inspired?” I ask.
“I do!” She flits to a jar behind her and dives inside, coming back with a crinkly wrapped taffy. “Try this!”
Raene opens her hand, and Tansy gently places it into the palm of her hand. She unwraps it, biting it lengthwise to get the combination of the two flavors, then holds the other piece out to me. I inch closer, open my mouth, and she drops the taffy on my tongue. Together we chew and savor the taste.
“Pineapple and mango?” Raene asks, her face lights up at the taste. “It’s delicious.”
“Thank you.” Tansy does a little curtsy and giggles.
Her wings flutter as she beams. “It’s called Tropical Tango. ”
Raene digs into her back pocket, pulling out some cash. “I’ll take three pounds, please.”
We continued our shopping after dropping her bags in her car, keeping an empty tote for anything else she may see. We pass rows of vendors selling trinkets, clothing, and jewelry. Then one booth has my attention. The table is with earrings, rings, necklaces, and even loose gems.
“Give me a second,” I murmur in her ear, guiding her to the booth.
“Jewelry?” She asks, brows raised as I scan the display.
“Not just any jewelry.” My gaze lands on a pair of earrings—silver hoops with ivory colored drops that shimmer when the light hits them, and if you look closely, you can see a faint swirl of fog inside.
I hand her one so she can see, and she holds it up, her face mesmerized by the activity within the stone.
“Is this magic? It’s beautiful,” she speaks quietly. She looks closer, gently stroking a fingertip over the stone like she’s trying to figure out if it's a trick.
“They’re mist gems. Found here in Everly Hollow.”
She hands it back, and I hand the pair to the jeweler, telling him I’d like to buy them.
He boxes them up, I tap my card to his phone to complete the purchase, and before she can argue, I slip the tiny box into her hand.
“Ash—”
“Don’t,” I cut in, smirking. “You’re going to hurt their feelings.”
She huffs a laugh, rolling her eyes as she tucks the box into her bag. “You’re impossible, but thank you. They are beautiful.”
“Not impossible,” I correct, leaning in just enough to give her a gentle kiss. “I followed your rules, and I saw something I wanted. Now let’s grab some food before we do the passport walk.”
As the night settles over the town, lanterns strung around the market begin to flicker to life. Music drifts softly as families eat, shop, and talk. The bounce houses and leaf piles have been cleared away, leaving the promise of tomorrow’s carnival.
With our stomachs full and excitement building, we clutch our passports in hand and step onto a lantern-lit pathway lined with rustic, wooden booths, eager to begin our Sip Passport adventure.