caught my sight as I ran past, and I skidded to a stop for a moment to look.
It was an armory store, and the armor in the window was beautiful. It was designed for a sorceress, and was white, made of leather in order to be lightweight and allow room for movement. The leather had designs of roses carved into it, the different pieces of it overlapping so the breastplates looked like petals. The set was complete, with leather pants, bracers and shoulder pads. It was topped off by a white cloak, which hooded the mannequin in shadow.
The armor was gorgeous. Yet I had a set from Ethan, and there was no need for me to buy something that was new... though it still stuck out in my mind as I turned my back and walked away.
I hurried down the cobblestone streets of Dolinska until I came to a tiny, crooked restaurant squeezed between brick buildings awkwardly, as if it wasn’t meant to be there. The sign hanging over the door said The Faerie Glen.
I headed inside and met a wave of heat. Inside the crooked building was the cutest little cafe. The walls were painted pink and white, and there was a long glass case full of beautiful pastries lining the head of the shop, underneath a blackboard with a menu of today’s items. The tables and chairs were pink metal, save for the booths, which were a welcoming cream. It was packed. The smell of waffles wafted through the air, mixed with syrup and the scent of baking cakes. A shifter boy with an acoustic guitar played on a stool near the window.
The tiniest little butterflies floated through the air. They glowed white before they began changing colors, from pink to purple to blue to green. They set the ambiance as the lighting in the restaurant changed with the color of their glow.
I spotted Delmare at a large table in the back. Art supplies covered the table— probably a project for her major.
But she wasn’t alone. Stefan was curled up next to her on the bench seat. He had one hand on her knee, the other around her shoulders. They were talking quietly, and both were smiling. They had their heads leaned in, as if sharing an intimate moment. Delmare didn’t appear annoyed or bothered, merely relaxed.
I didn’t get it. Every time Stefan was in the room, Delmare acted like she couldn’t stand him. Hell, they’d almost gotten into a brawl during class the other day. But now she was cozying up to him like he was her lover. It was like... because no one was watching, Delmare felt free to let Stefan in.
He said something to make her laugh, and the smile that spread across her face as she giggled was brilliant.
Delmare looked so happy with Stefan. Why was she always pushing him away?
I felt like I’d be interrupting if I bothered them now, so I turned to leave. But Delmare saw me and waved me over. “Emma, hi!”
I ducked my head. I’d ruined the moment. Stefan pulled away from Delmare, and I said, “Hey. What are you working on?”
“I’m supposed to create a collage for my art class. Stefan was helping me,” Delmare explained.
“Was,” Stefan clarified as he got up. “I’m late for Battle Studies. But I’m sure Professor Clarion will let it slide.”
Delmare giggled. “Thanks. I had no idea where to start until you came along.”
“I’m your inspiration, sweetheart.” Stefan winked at her, and by the gods, Delmare didn’t yell at him for it this time— just smiled and waved goodbye.
I sat down next to Delmare— as I did so, the waitress came to take our order. I got the gluten-free rainbow faerie pancakes, as Delmare offered, before I rounded on her.
“Okay, what the hell was that?” I asked. “I’ve never seen you act like that before.”
“Well, he helped me with my project.” Delmare gestured to her collage. “I was stuck, but we happened to run into each other, and he suggested we work on it together. I had a creative block until he started firing off ideas. Now I think I have too many.”
“Stefan’s your muse. How cute,” I said.
Delmare slapped me on the shoulder. “Stop it. It’s not like that. We’re just friends.”
I rolled my eyes. “Sure. That’s why you were cuddling two seconds ago.”
“Friends can cuddle,” Delmare said defensively.
“Yeah. Next thing you’ll say is friends can bang, too,” I said.
She sighed and put her chin in her hand. “It does look that