‘We had a plan,’ Peri stated. ‘A simple, lovely plan. What happened to it?’

Peri stood with his arms crossed in the middle of Madame Jeanne’s Boutique, his eyes shifting to the door every once in a while, with a longing gaze. The man was understandably annoyed as according to his calculations they were supposed to be back home by now, with him under his covers in bed. Instead, three hours after they left the school, he was standing in the middle of the boutique watching Felix flamboyantly flaunt himself in front of a mirror and asking him for his opinions on his clothes. Peri’s hand was dangerously close to the dagger on his belt.

Vivian was standing to the side, her new clothes and school cape already wrapped up into neat parcels clutched in her arms. She could sense the mounting tension between the two of them. Honestly, she was with Peri on this. When she had agreed to go shopping together, she didn’t expect to spend so much time at the boutique. She had so much more shopping she needed to do and Felix was wasting daylight. Still, she reigned in her temper and instead glanced at Dixie, hoping she would intervene. The shifter merely smiled and winked at her.

Right, I should probably try to avoid asking any more favours from them. I’m already in so much debt…

Still, better being in debt than about to be murdered, which is exactly what Felix was edging Peri towards. She looked at Aiden who had made the smart decision two hours ago. He sat in an armchair away from them with his parcels on the floor by his feet, pretending as if he couldn’t even see them. He had a book open in one hand and seemed completely disinterested in his friend’s approaching demise. Vivian was tempted to join him, to leave Felix to deal to his much-deserved fate, but stood rooted to the spot because of a vague sense of loyalty to Felix.

I just met him today, don’t even know him that well… Still, he was nice to me.

So, she tried to send Felix a warning with her eyes, telling him to stop pushing Peri to commit murder. He didn’t get the message.

‘What do you think Peri?’ Felix gave a twirl. ‘I think it brings out my green eyes.’

‘I should’ve left you to die.’

Felix paused for a moment. ‘Well, if you hate it that much, I’ll pick out something else.’ He held up a hand to signal one of the shop assistants over.

Vivian started forward when she saw Peri grasp the handle of his knife, ready to pull it out. Thankfully, Cyrus stopped him.

Cyrus placed himself between Peri and Felix. ‘You can’t kill him.’

‘Don’t worry. I’ll make it look like an accident.’

‘That’s not the problem here.’

‘Also, how would you make a stabbing look accidental?’ Vivian asked, also placing herself in front of Peri to block his way to Felix.

‘He tripped.’

‘He tripped?’ Vivian asked incredulously.

Peri shrugged. ‘He tripped straight onto my blade.’

‘I don’t think anyone will believe that.’

‘Fine.’ He let go of his dagger and grabbed a scarf instead. ‘Strangulation then.’

‘I’m sure he’ll be done soon,’ Vivian said placatingly, tugging the scarf out of his hands.

‘Soon was two hours ago,’ Peri hissed, reluctantly letting go of the scarf. ‘And why am I even here? Can’t you do this on your own?’

‘Someone needs to help me carry all my things back,’ Vivian pointed out.

‘Do I look like your slave?’

‘No,’ Dixie interjected. ‘But you are her guardian.’

‘Excuse me!’ Peri looked genuinely flabbergasted. ‘I don’t remember taking on the runt as my ward.’

‘You did vouch for her in front of the council,’ Dixie said. ‘And she does stay with you.’

‘She also stays with Sith.’

‘Who is a member of the council and can’t just sponsor anyone she wants.’ Cyrus gave Peri a small smile. ‘Besides, you were the one who led her defence in the council chambers. Sith merely supported you.’

Peri groaned. ‘Why? Why me?’

Vivian gave a strained smile. ‘I’m standing right here.’

‘Ignore him,’ Dixie said. ‘Just remember that if you do anything wrong, he is answerable. So, I highly advise you to make as much trouble as you can.’

‘Do not give her any ideas,’ Peri warned.

‘She’s a commoner about to attend a school meant for nobles,’ Dixie said. ‘Trouble’s coming your way whether you like it or not.’

Peri cursed, drawing a few gasps from the crowd around them, and stomped over to where Aiden was sitting, slumping down in the chair opposite to him. Aiden flinched as the man fixed a glare on him, daring him to start a conversation. Aiden wisely raised his book a bit higher to serve as an impromptu wall between them. Peri grumbled a bit more before leaning back in his armchair and closing his eyes, attempting to fall asleep in the middle of the crowded shop.

‘Well, that was quite a reaction,’ Cyrus said. ‘Though I suppose that’s only to be expected from him. Such drama.’

‘Why do I even need a guardian?’ Vivian asked. ‘Does everyone here have one?’

‘Well for most of us, it’s our own families,’ Felix answered. He ducked behind a changing screen. ‘It’s nothing too serious. They send a few letters once in a while to our parents about our lives here as well as our performance.’

‘Performance?’

‘Well, this is a city of refugees,’ Felix stepped out from behind the changing screen and handed a blue tunic to the sales-elf next to him. ‘Each of us have to carry our own weight. If we don’t, or worse, we end up burdening someone else, we get a lower grade. I’ve heard that the lowest grades get expelled from the city.’

‘No.’ Dixie shook her head. ‘Those are just rumours.’

‘She’s right,’ Cyrus interjected. ‘There are very few mages left. The council won’t exile someone just because they aren’t useful. So, even if you have the lowest grade, they still try to put you up somewhere. You only get expelled if you’re considered a danger to others.’

Vivian gestured at Felix. ‘So being an annoying prat is alright, but no assault or murder.’ Her annoyance at him was slipping through.

Felix gasped; a hand held dramatically over his heart. ‘Annoying prat?! I thought you liked me.’

‘I did… at least, up until an hour ago I did,’ Vivian admitted. ‘But you have tried on seven different blue tunics since then and haven’t picked one.’ She held her forefinger and thumb close together. ‘And I am this close to continuing what Peri started.’

Felix huffed. ‘Well, I see that you’re picking up all the wrong things from that man. Very well then, if you think it’s so easy, you choose one and I’ll buy it.’

‘The last one,’ Vivian answered immediately.

‘No, wait, you’re supposed to-’

‘The last one.’

‘- deliberate and think it over before-‘

‘I don’t care enough to do that. You said you would buy the one I chose and I choose the last one.’

Felix held up another blue tunic. ‘But this one is made of fairy silk. Feel how soft and-’

‘I don’t care,’ Vivian stressed. ‘I have a lot more things I need to buy and we have wasted enough time here. I said the last one. You are getting the last one. Pack it up and let’s go.’

Felix sighed in defeat. ‘Fine. I suppose this one is too expensive.’ He looked sorrowful as he let go of the fairy silk tunic and turned to the sales-elf who was assisting him. ‘Pack up the rest please.’

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The elf bowed her head slightly. ‘As you wish sir.’

Cyrus let out a small sigh of relief before moving to wake Peri, to tell him that the nightmare was over. Aiden finally put down his book and joined them once he realized that Felix was done.

Felix bit his lip as he watched the elf take the fairy silk tunic back to the shelves. ‘Why did it have to be so damn expensive?’

‘Because fairy silk is hard to get.’ Dixie patted his back comfortingly while simultaneously pushing him towards the counter where Madame Jeanne was waiting. ‘It’s made from the cocoons of fairies from when they undergo metamorphosis to grow their wings.’

‘Let me guess,’ Felix said. ‘They do this somewhere hidden and hard to find.’

‘The local fairy population have a place deep in the Druscan woods where the young ones go to change,’ Cyrus added, pulling a sleepy Peri behind him by the arm. ‘Most of them leave the cocoons there since it’s too heavy for them to carry back. The few we do get are ones that were pushed to the edge of the woods by coincidence, either by wild beasts or strong winds.’

‘Such a waste,’ Madame Jeanne commented, as she settled Felix’s account. ‘I would love to get my hands on those cocoons. The things I could make…’

Cyrus looked contemplative for a moment before he nudged Vivian forward. She shot him a confused look before realizing what he was suggesting.

‘Um, well, the council has appointed me as a forest ranger to explore the woods. If you want, I could keep an eye out for them,’ Vivian offered hesitatingly. ‘Bring back any I find.’

Madame Jeanne eyes widened in surprise. ‘Are you really? The council told you to explore the woods? By yourself.’

Vivian shrugged. ‘Apparently, I’m the only one who can talk to them, so they told me to document the woods.’

‘You can talk to druscans?’ Aiden finally spoke, looking mildly impressed.

Vivian nodded in answer before turning back to Madame Jeanne. ‘So, do you want to?’

Madame Jeanne laughed. ‘I won’t say no to that offer. No one in their right mind would. Bring me any that you can find. I’ll pay generously for them.’

‘How generous?’ Cyrus asked.

Madame Jeanne ran a through a few mental calculations. ‘I can give you about fifty denos per cocoon. Damaged ones will be a bit lesser.’

Fifty denos?! That’s more than my entire wardrobe… Vivian glanced at Dixie. Goodbye, debt.

Of course, it was this point that Peri had to ruin her celebration by being the voice of reason.

‘Before you go building castles in the sky, perhaps you should first verify if you’re even allowed to sell items from the woods. For all you know the council may find a need to regulate the sale of the products obtained.’

Vivian visibly deflated as Peri’s reasoning thrashed her dreams black and blue. Welcome back, debt.

‘I highly doubt it. Even if the cocoons are in the Druscan woods, they still belong to the fairies.’ Felix pointed out. ‘If the fairies were able to sell their own cocoons, they wouldn’t face any interference from the council whatsoever. So, I think if you were to get the fairies’ permission to collect and sell them on their behalf, and split the profits, the council cannot interfere. You’d simply be acting as a middle-man, providing transportation for the goods. But you must get permission from the fairies.’

‘Where can I go to get that?’ Vivian asked.

‘Lucky for you that’s our next stop.’ Cyrus smiled at her. ‘We need to get your textbooks and any other writing supplies you need. The Secret Garden is a bookshop run by fairies. We can ask them when we see them.’

………

The Secret Garden lived up to its name. The exterior of the shop looked ordinary, with its plain white façade and glass windows that displayed several books on red, velvet cushions. However, the moment Vivian stepped inside the shop, she found herself in the middle of a lush green forest with grass under her feet and the smell of fresh flowers in the air. A cobblestone path led up to the counter, winding its way past tall trees that seemed to hold up the ceiling. Their wide trunks had been hollowed out to store books and their thick roots twisted themselves into benches. The counter itself looked like a large tree stump with tiny lights bobbing along its surface. On closer examination Vivian realized that they were fairies, slender figures with gossamer wings outlined in the light. Several more floated around the shop, some of them working together to lift books in and out of the trees. Vivian watched in fascination as two of them worked together just to lift a single book off the shelves.

No wonder they don’t bring back their cocoons…

Peri had decided not join them in the shop, citing that he had spent enough time with them to last a lifetime, glaring at an oblivious Felix as he said so.

‘If I see that boy wasting my time once more, we’ll all be finding out whether a book can be used to bludgeon someone to death. I’ll be at the inn. Come find me when you’re done.’

Vivian raised an eyebrow. ‘Such violence… but I agree with the sentiment.’

And so, the group minus Peri entered the bookshop. Cyrus strode forward towards the counter in the centre of the room, his eyes fixed on a pink light bobbing above its surface. The light dimmed as he approached, allowing them to see the fairy clearly.

‘Good afternoon, Miss Vyn,’ Cyrus greeted. ‘I hope you’re well.’

‘As well as I can be, what with the school year starting soon,’ Miss Vyn replied. Everything about her was pink, from her hair to her skin and even her clothes. ‘We need to start packing the books now if we want to have the sets ready by the time the students come to purchase. Look at me. I’m so stressed that my wings are moulting.’ She shook her wings to prove her point, glittery dust flittering down as she did so.

Cyrus chuckles. ‘Seems hard, but I’m sure you’ll get through it. After all, you do this every year.’

Miss Vyn huffed and placed her hands on her hips. ‘And it never gets easier.’ She glanced at Vivian and the others. ‘Are these friends of yours? I see some new faces.’ She smiled politely. ‘Hello, I’m miss Vyn, the owner of the Secret Garden, if that wasn’t obvious.’

‘Um, hello. I’m Vivian,’ Vivian introduced herself awkwardly. ‘I just arrived yesterday, so all of this is pretty new to me. Sorry in advance if you catch me staring.’

Miss Vyn tossed her hair back and laughed. ‘Welcome to Mirran, Vivian. It’s nice to have another mage join us. As for the staring, we come across a lot of newcomers and they always stare. We’re fine with it as long as you keep your hands to yourselves.’ She wagged a finger. ‘No grabbing the fairies.’

‘I’ll… keep that in mind.’

‘And your friends are…?’

‘I’m Felix.’ Felix held out his right pinkie finger for miss Vyn to shake. She raised an eyebrow at the action, before acquiescing and giving the appendage a firm shake. ‘And my friend here with the permanent scowl,’ he gestured at Aiden. ‘Is Aiden. Don’t expect an introduction. He came out of the womb socially inept.’

Vivian frowned. ‘Didn’t we all?’

Miss Vyn chuckled and shook her head. ‘Did you two arrive recently as well?’

‘Yes. I, myself arrived here two months ago but I must admit I never had the opportunity to visit your beautiful shop. It is quite marvellous.’ He pointed at the trees in shop. ‘Are those real trees or just pillars designed to look like them?

Miss Vyn seemed to be puffing with pride. ‘Those are real. I wanted the shop to remind my people of our home. It took a lot of effort to grow them inside the shop. We had to wait till they were fully grown to place the ceiling. And then we had to be careful while carving out those niches in the bark for the books. We couldn’t cut too deep or it could compromise the tree’s integrity and bring the ceiling down on us. It was quite the endeavour. Still, it was worth it.’

‘Fascinating,’ Felix marvelled. ‘Just what kind of magic did you use to make them? Is it earth magic?’

‘No, not really. It’s a combination of four elements actually. Plants are not sustained on earth alone. They need water to drink, the sun’s fire for light and heat as well as the air to breathe. It was a large joint spell, cast by around ten of us at a time for over two weeks.’

‘That’s incredible,’ Vivian looked around in awe. ‘It’s almost like I can sense it, the magic in this place. It’s so warm. I didn’t know magic could feel so… comforting.’

‘You can feel magic…?’ Miss Vyn looked at her curiously. ‘Now that’s something you don’t hear every day.’

‘Can’t others feel it?’

‘No, not usually. The effects of magic can be seen or heard by most. But you seem to be sensing magic itself.’

‘It’s… just a feeling I get. I don’t even know if that’s what I’m sensing.’

‘Hmm, curious.’ She tapped her chin with a slender finger.

‘Anyway,’ Dixie interjected. ‘Getting back to the matter at hand, we need three sets of first year textbooks for the children.’

Vivian bit her lip. ‘Does anyone else find it disturbing when a child that looks younger than us calls us children? Or is it just me?’

‘It’s not just you,’ Aiden muttered.

Miss Vyn called out another fairy at the back of the shop. 'Irie, three parcels for first years. Get them ready.’ She turned back to her customers. ‘They’ll be ready soon. Perhaps you’d like to browse our collection while you wait?’

‘Actually, there is another matter we wish to discuss with you,’ Cyrus said. He nudged Vivian forward. ‘Vivian here has a proposal for you.’

‘Oh.’ Miss Vyn examined her. ‘Let’s hear it then.’

Vivian quickly stumbled through an explanation about the fairy silk, how they could collect and sell them and split the profits. She wasn’t sure she did a good job convincing Miss Vyn, but at least the idea wasn’t dismissed outright. She seemed to be thinking it through, carefully weighing her options.

‘Hmm, it’s an interesting proposal. Definitely worth considering, but I’ll need some time to discuss this with the others.’

‘That’s alright. Take as much time as you need,’ Vivian replied. ‘Perhaps I can drop by later this week?’

‘Yes, I should have an answer for you by then.’

‘Here you go.’ Three sets of textbooks, neatly tied with twine, was hauled onto the counter with a thud by a team of more than fifteen fairies. ‘Three sets as requested.’ A green fairy was gasping for breath as he leaned against one of the stacks of books. ‘Anything else you need? Please say no.’

Miss Vyn scowled at him. ‘Irie, don’t be rude to our customers.’

Irie slumped down to sit on the counter, still heaving for breath. ‘I wasn’t rude. I said please, didn’t I?’

Miss Vyn rolled her eyes and turned back towards them. ‘Sorry about him. He’s still in training.’

‘I’ve been here for ten years now.’

‘And yet you’re still in training. It’s embarrassing for both of us. Now, if your done loafing off, go help the others.’

Irie groaned loudly, but still pushed himself to his feet and flitted away to join his co-workers. Miss Vyn, once again, turned to face them.

‘So, anything else I can help you with?’

‘No that will be all.’ Cyrus grabbed one of the book sets and handed it to Vivian. ‘Ring us up please.’

They quickly settled their tab and left, with Vivian once again promising to visit later in the week to get her answer.

Dixie looked up at the sun. ‘What do you lot say to some lunch?’

Vivian nodded enthusiastically. ‘I could eat. A whole lot.’ She was already turning towards the inn where Peri was waiting for them.

‘Will you be joining us?’ Cyrus asked Felix and Aiden. Aiden shook his head in a definitive no.

‘We’d love too,’ Felix answered.

‘We?’ Aiden hissed.

‘Oh, come on. What are you even going to do if you go home now? Probably, brood in the darkness? I know your element is shadow but don’t you think you’re leaning into it too much.’

‘I don’t brood, I contemplate.’

‘You can eat and contemplate,’ Vivian suggested. ‘You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to.' She shrugged. 'You haven’t the whole day. Almost forgot you were there. Besides, no one is jumping at the chance to-’

‘Wait, look at that?’ Dixie pointed at the sky. Thick, dark smoke was rising high into the air. A few people around had their heads raised, looking at the smoke with apprehension. A sense of dread filled Vivian as she mentally tried to map where it was coming from.

‘That’s from the Druscan forest,’ she gasped. ‘And it’s near my home.’