Page 19 of Sugar Plum Fae
“Only the truly worthy get a wish from the well, and it must truly be their heart’s desire.”
Roderick tilted his head, considering. “That would help keep us from draining our power so quickly.”
"I have an idea. Let's go into town as... elf tourists or something. We need to see how the townspeople react to their wishes in the real world instead of dreams."
"If you insist,” Roderick said.
Candace traced a sigil in the air, her fingers leaving a trail of shimmering motes that coalesced into the words "Be back in an hour" floating above the well.
As they walked the streets of Whitlock, Candace loved looking at storefronts that glittered with lights and garlands. The holiday scent of cinnamon and pine teased her senses. She resisted the urge to hold Roderick’s hand. She was still a bit annoyed with him.
“The people are acting strangely,” Roderick said, glancing around the town.
A werewolf nearly crashed her car while staring wistfully at a "Home for the Holidays" billboard. A group of bored gnome carolers sang off-key. A gargoyle grinned deliriously while dangling upside down from his roof, attempting to hang lights. A witch struggling to carry an enormous, wriggling sack of kittens passed Candace on the sidewalk, while a minotaur across the street paced back and forth, muttering under his breath about being unable to choose between two equally perfect jobs.
"This isn’t right." Candace gestured.
“It is weird, even for Whitlock."
Candace watched in dismay as the woman with the sack of kittens tripped and fell, unleashing a tidal wave of panicked felines onto the street.
“We’ve both been working too hard, and our magic has been stretched thin,” he said. “The town could be reacting to that. Let’s go grab a coffee and take a break before going back to the wishing well. Maybe things will sort themselves out while we recharge our power.”
“All right,” she said, but she wasn’t convinced. The townspeople looked like they were confused. Could it be a sickness? Had the drinking water or the local food crops been contaminated?
They ducked into the cozy Whitlock Coffee, leaving behind the frigid air and the pandemonium of Main Street. Candace sank into a plush armchair near the fireplace, her sleepless night all of a sudden catching up with her. Her eyelids grew heavy. Despite her best efforts to stay awake, sleep beckoned, and she surrendered to it.
She awoke with a start when the barista brought their drinks over—a peppermint mocha for her and a black coffee for Roderick. As the barista walked away, Candace noticed Roderick slipping a small vial into his coat pocket.
"What's that?" she asked sharply.
"Just an energy tincture. It will amplify the effects of the caffeine."
Candace studied the vial closely. The liquid inside was jet-black and seemed to swirl ominously. She had never seen anything like it in her sunny realm.
"Let me see it," she demanded.
"It's nothing nefarious, I assure you," Roderick said tersely.
Candace bit her lip. She wanted to trust him, but this unknown substance troubled her. What was Roderick hiding?
Roderick's expression darkened. "Paranoia isn't a good look for you. Here, take a sniff." He held it out to her.
"No," she said quickly. The refusal hung in the air, a tangible wedge driving itself between them.
He shrugged, leaning back against the creaking wooden chair, eyes hooded. "Your loss.” He slipped the vial into his pocket.
Candace leaned against the frost-kissed window of the coffee shop, watching a cloaked figure glide through the bustling streets of Whitlock. The stranger's eyes, a piercing shade of silver, scanned the holiday chaos with an unsettling calm. The air crackled with a clandestine magic as the figure passed by each reveler, leaving a trail of heightened emotions in her wake.
"Who is that?" Candace murmured, her gaze fixed on the strange woman weaving through the Yule market stalls with the grace of a shadow.
"Zenaida," Roderick said, downing his coffee in a long gulp. “She’s head of the witch’s coven.”
Zenaida whispered into the ear of a passerby, who immediately erupted into a bout of laughter so intense it bordered on hysteria.
“What’s her deal?”
"She’s had her eye on Ben’s job for several years."