“I hate to say it—well, that’s a lie! I LOVE to say it so I’m really going to enjoy this,” Tooth said sarcastically. “I told you sooooo!” The little comb danced around the table, pleased with itself.

I had sat back down on the couch after Alkan had left to gather thoughts. Vampire...not vampire...maybe vampire? This question was getting old. I think the real question is, does it even matter?

“I mean yeah...there’s no doubt he’s a vampire...he literally can’t see his reflection,” Cushion chimed in, “but who cares?! He’s hot! We all know it!” The pillow was collapsing in on itself; it was practically a groupie at this point. At least Cushion and I were kind of on the same page. Regardless, Alkan was still a client...and I needed to fulfill his request.

“Fine, Tooth... you’re right. He’s a vampire. Now let’s move on, shall we?” I sighed in concession.

“Thank you for coming to your senses!” Tooth sounded so relieved. “You got a little too close there, Elio! He could have sucked your blood!”

“I don’t think that’s something we need to—”

“I mean...I’d let him bite me.” Cushion giggled.

“Cushion!!” I gasped.

“What? If you date him, obviously I wouldn’t!” the little pillow confessed.

“The prince departed, he would soon return to claim the heart of the one he loves…” A voice called down from the bedroom. Novella must be invested in this as well...

“Hehe...nice one, Novella!” Cushion cheered from the living room.

“Really, you two…” Tooth scolded.

“I should start doing some research, I guess,” I said, getting up from the couch. I felt a little lightheaded from all the excitement.

“Research for what? Wait... you're not going to still help him right?”

“Of course I am! I’m a wizard of my word and I agreed to help a client. So what if he is a vampire? He’s a nice person and that’s all that matters. Now I’m going to do my job and help him as best as I can.”

There was a moment of silence in the house as everyone processed what I said. A quiet voice from the corner broke the silence. “S-surely I might have a book that could help with your task,” Carton piped up, shuffling a little out of the corner.

“Shhhhh...Carton! This is a serious moment,” Tooth scolded.

“I-I do hold all the secrets of magic within though!”

“Well...it’s not a bad idea to check…” I said as I walked over to the cardboard box. It had been right before, perhaps there was another book that would prove useful for Alkan’s request.

“Let’s see…” I said as I rummaged through...I again noticed there were more books than the last time...how is that possible?!

“Carton...how do you have so many new tomes and spell guides?” I asked in confusion.

“When you enchanted me, I may have been imbued with the power of conjuration! Carton said, while its eyes glowed with pride and power. It waved its flaps about, suggesting it was going to perform a great feat of magic right before our eyes! My mouth dropped open in shock. Had I really imbued it with enough magic for such a feat?

“...Conjuration? You? Really?” Tooth said with some snark.

“The jig is up, Carton! We know you have been throwing yourself against that bookcase behind you,” Cushion called from the couch.

I peered at the shelves above Carton, and saw many books strewn about. I wasn’t the tidiest person, but this looked like the bookcase had been shaken or something. Some books had fallen over and a few were teetering on the edge.

“Carton?” I asked, looking down at it. I tried not to judge; Carton was a funny one, always overblown and full of bluster, yet had always been helpful.

“I...may have exaggerated a tad...but the result is the same! I have new books that will be helpful for you to look through, do I not?”

“Ok, before I look inside, I need an explanation please.”

“I…” it’s poor little face turned to sadness and worry. “I’m afraid if I’m not useful...you’ll disenchant me!” There was an audible gasp from the others at it’s words. “I’m just a cardboard box, my only use is what I hold within me. If I’m empty…”

“Carton! I would never do that to my friend! You’re a part of this family and we wouldn’t be the same without you, right guys?

There was a resounding “Yeah!” from the group.

“See? You never had to be afraid of that. Now open up, I need your help with this job!”

“Y-yes of course!”

“Let’s see here…” I smiled, and began digging through the volumes Carton had...forcibly procured. That silly box… One of the books caught my eye.

“Wait a sec…” I said, pulling out one of my favorite books! “Glamor and Glitter: A Truly Outrageous Spellbook”. This was my favorite book during my time in Crystalis, I can’t believe I forgot about it! This one was all about appearances and drawing out and seeing the beauty in the ordinary; a very useful tool for city life, I had found. For a big city, Crystalis was so drab. It was full quartz, glass and grey cobblestone, lacking in any color. I’d get so many requests to add something extra to people’s appearance. Outfits, hair, even surrounding people in beautiful auras or illusions made up a lot of my daily work. I wasn’t sure though if I could rely on this book to help Alkan see himself...but I cracked it open to see anyway! I flipped through the first couple pages to the table of contents…

“Illusions...phantasms…” No, I didn’t need those, but I stumbled across something else… “Oh! This might work.” I smiled. “A spell to give someone true sight, to see through charms, spells and curses.”

“Sounds like something Beauty could have used for the Beast…” Cushion yawned, remembering Novella’s story we drifted off to the other night.

“Too bad she was not able to use magic, but I can! So what do we need for this?” I looked at the incantation and reagent required for the spell. It was nothing too out of the ordinary, or difficult. I traced the page with my finger, reading out each ingredient on the list.

“Pear water...almond oil—I have lots of that— dried rose petals, a touch of sandalwood powder...and the charcoal of two...phoenix feathers?!” I shut the book immediately.

“We have all of those, don’t we?” Tooth looked around the room at the various glass jars and containers, scanning them carefully.

“We have almond oil in the kitchen!” I heard Brew call out from near the stove.

“Yep! And we have the rose essence over there! I know it!” Tooth said, gesturing to my workstation.

“Phoenix feathers...we should still have a couple, right...on top of the shelf there...” Cushion pointed to a small supply cabinet that I rarely opened. I actually tried to avoid using it wherever possible; it contained my most potent magical ingredients. Truth be told, most of my spells used common components. I was a bit nervous to do anything with extremely magical ones, especially after that horrible incident in the city...

“Elio, it’s fine. We checked! We have all the stuff you need,” Cushion smiled.

“Thank you all...but…I think I’ll look for a different spell.”

“But I thought this was the perfect one?” Cushion asked.

“I know, just...I’m not sure I can do this spell.”

“Why not?” Cushion asked with a completely puzzled look spread across its face.

“...It’s the phoenix feathers, isn’t it?” Tooth asked. I couldn’t bring myself to respond, so I just nodded my head.

“What’s the problem with phoenix feathers?” Brew asked from the kitchen.

“Are you ok, Elio? Cushion asked, it’s voice filled with sympathy. I still couldn’t answer.

“It’s not my place, but…” Tooth started, “last time Elio used them...well, something bad happened and became very, uhm...depressed afterwards.” How did Tooth know that? It wasn't there when it happened, and I’m sure I never mentioned it.

“Tooth...how…”

“You talk in your sleep sometimes,” Tooth said sheepishly.

“That’s when you enchanted all of us, right?” Cushion pointed at itself with one of its corners.

“Yes…that’s when I shut myself away and enchanted Tooth. I let myself go for so long, I even avoided leaving my apartment in Crystalis… I had to run away, so that’s why I came here” I sighed.

“But you’ve never said what happened, Elio.” Tooth pushed.

“I don’t want to talk about it...and I don’t want to do this spell.”

“Elio!! I don’t like the reason why, but you can do this! You’re not going to have a bad experience with them now!” Tooth cheered, hurling encouragement to me.

“I believe in you, I mean...how many wizards are as skilled as you are at all these different kinds of magic?” Cushion reminded me of my talents.

“Yes, I mean, I don’t know much of the world, but from what I’ve heard, most seem to just specialize. You’re impressively well-rounded, if I do say so myself!” Brew pointed out.

“I-I don’t know… What if I mess it up again?” I stared at the ground, my eyes beginning to blur with tears. “I don’t want to have to move again…”

“You won’t! You can’t be afraid of failure!” Tooth protested.

“Yeah, if you are, that means you’ll never try anything challenging!” Brew added.

“Elio...we believe in you!” Cushion smiled.

“Thank you all. I—”

“Plus, you don’t want to let the hot vampire—I mean client—down, do you?” Cushion continued.

“Cushion!!” Tooth screamed, but it didn’t matter; Cushion giggled loudly enough to drown out the comb’s protest. I couldn’t help but chuckle alongside Cushion, and soon we all were erupting in thunderous laughter.

“Alright...I’ll try it. But if I’m going to do it,” I said slyly, “Tick, Tock! Time, please!”
“Why...it’s 8:49” Tick said

“It’s 8:53, exactly!” said Tock. The two glared at one another passive aggressively and huffed and puffed, waiting for the other to start the fight.

“Close enough, it’s dinner time!” I said with a little cheer, trying to appear happier.

“Alright!” Tooth smiled. “Well while you do that, we’ll just be over here, doing nothing...right Cushion?”

“Yup, right here…” Cushion winked. Huh, wonder what that was about?

I was feeling pretty tired, so I opted for some quick and simple comfort food: sesame noodles. After setting a pot of water on the stovetop, I went to gather the ingredients to make the sesame sauce. Brew was kind enough to turn on the burner and watch the water for me as I mixed everything together in a small bowl. As I worked, I could hear mysterious little whisperings from the corner between Tooth, Cushion and Carton.

“So...we will need a few blankets…” Cushion said quietly. Blankets?

“...And some big, soft sheets!” Tooth skipped about, happily! What on earth were they doing?

“Shhh!” Cushion warned.

“Elio! The water looks to be about ready!” I heard Brew said as it peered into the boiling pot next to it.

“Alright, thank you, Brew!” I smiled and dumped the dry noodles into the rolling boil. The base of the sauce was almost ready, so I added some fragrant ginger and a little chili-garlic sauce. The smell was wonderful, but nothing compared to the pasta I had with Alkan… That creamy and earthy sauce, the amazing aroma, that smile, his laughter… Tooth would scold me if it knew where my thoughts were.

“ELIO!! BE CAREFUL!!” I could hear Tooth yell. Yeah, something like that.

“The water!! It’s boiling over!” Cushion cautioned me back from my daze. Oh no! I lifted the pot from the hot burner and placed it on a trivet. The water began to calm, settling back into the pot. Once they were done, I strained the noodles and poured them into the bowl.

“Perhaps those chairs from the table?” I heard Carton whisper.

“Hang them from the hook there” Tock whispered loudly.

“No, not that one, the other one!” Tick contradicted. They were in on this too?

“Uhh so what next Elio?” Brew asked with a little nervousness in its voice.

“It just needs to be combined…” I said wearily. I spooned the sesame sauce over top and mixed it together. The steam from the noodles warmed the sauce, and filled the whole room with the pleasant scent of sesame. I immediately took my chopsticks and dug into my meal. The noodles were soft and had a nice chewy-texture to them. The sauce was savory with the perfect amount of saltiness. A scrumptious and easy meal...and one of the few I knew how to make!

I finished the final few noodles with a loud slurp, mostly to alert them so they let me in on this little secret.

“Oh! You’re done?” Cushion asked with a grin.

“Was it goooooood?” Tooth asked, cheekily. The comb was so happy I had begun to eat regularly again. For many months, I’d only manage to snack.

“It was very good!” I replied, licking the last remnants of sesame sauce from my lips.

“Yay!” Cushion exclaimed. “Now come help us, we have an idea!” Cushion jumped around. I got up and put my bowl and chopsticks next to the sink.

“Elio...aren’t you forgetting something?” Tooth said with a sweetness that almost sounded threatening. I sighed and washed everything up in a hurry. I knew Tooth was right. My comb was a big motivator for me to clean my old apartment before moving out here. I didn’t want my cute little cottage to get that bad. I flicked the water off my hands, and went over to join the circle of objects discussing the plan.

“So are you going to clue me into your little schemes?” I asked, curiously.

“We’re building a fort!!” Tooth grinned.

“A blanket fort!” Cushion giggled.

“Oh. My. Goodness!” I gasped in excitement. “Let me grab some blankets and sheets from upstairs!” I said as I strode to the stairs, practically hopping up each of them with excitement. I opened the door to the linen closet, and retrieved the biggest thing I could find, a white sheet dotted with shooting stars and comets. We needed something soft to lay on so I searched for the softest blanket I owned. After digging through a few, I stumbled upon an extremely plush green blanket with a delicate floral pattern throughout.

“I’m back with the building materials!” I giggled, running down the stairs with my pile. Carton had left its corner and was scooting the chairs into position close to the couch.

“A little more to the left,” Tooth said, and Carton pushed the chair where it pointed.

“That looks good!” Cushion clapped its corners together in applause.

“Should be ready for the roof, Elio!” Carton beamed with pride.

“Thanks everyone!” I spread the green floral blanket between the couch and chairs, smoothing it out as I went. It was like I was a flower sprite, blanketing the forest floor with beautiful buds and blooms.

“Mighty fine work there!” Tick would’ve tipped its hat, if it was able to wear one.

“Quite good, now let’s see how the rest pans out!” Tock cheered, sounding the most excited I have ever heard it be.

I grabbed the cosmic sheet, and with a dramatic flick of my wrists, floated it through the air above the chairs and back of the couch.

“Whoaaaaaa—!!” I heard all of the objects say in unison as it flew beautifully through the air. It formed a cute and fairly large tent. I went to turn off the lights, but Carton suddenly yelled out, “Wait! Novella!”

I quickly ran back upstairs and grabbed the little blue book. It wouldn't be fair to forget about it! I came back down and saw Tooth, Cushion, Carton and Brew waiting for us under the cover, with Tick and Tock able to see inside from their vantage point. Perfect, everyone was here. I turned off the lights and crawled inside.

“...Elio...I’m scared…” Cushion whined.

“Shhh...it’s ok!” I reassured the pillow as I cupped my palms and raised them towards the roof of the blanket fort. With a gentle push, I focused all my magic toward my hands.

“The darkness of shadow consumes all light, but the light of the fireflies keeps burning bright!”

A tiny tiny orb of light suddenly flickered into existence in my hands. More and more began to appear until I threw my hands into the air, casting the small wisps of light fly around the room.

“Wow!! So pretty!” Cushion marveled, having already forgotten it was scared.

“Are those...real fireflies?!” Tooth starred, its little mouth was agape.

“No, they’re just wisps, tiny orbs of light. The spell is just that way because they LOOK like fireflies.”

“How wonderful...” Carton said with a pleased smile. The faux fireflies danced all around us inside the blanket fort. They were so beautiful and calming to look at, blinking in and out through the air.

“Let’s cuddle and talk! Hehe…” Cushion said as it flopped down to one side of the blanket fort. I nodded and laid my head down on Cushion, holding Novella close. Tooth hopped up on my stomach, while Carton and Brew rested near my feet. Tick and Tock counted out the minutes and hours we laid there talking and laughing. We didn’t speak about anything in particular, just...talking. With my friends. Cushion told us about a cute dream it had the other night and Brew shared some new ideas for warm drinks to try in the fall. We all laughed when Tooth fell inside Carton and couldn’t get out. As the night waned, Novella read us some lines of beautiful poetry. And as the other had fallen asleep, I gazed up at the twinkling little orbs, flying in pretty patterns above me. I sighed...and smiled.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

I woke with a yawn, rubbing my eyes as I tried to focus on what hung above me. Shooting stars, comets, and constellations danced in my blurry vision. I guess we’d fallen asleep in the blanket fort. Yawning, I sat up to greet the day.

“Pfftah! Pfftah! Elio! Your hair!”

“Mmmm? Oh! Sorry Cushion!” The poor pillow was trying to spit long locks of my hair from it’s mouth. As usual, my hair was wild and free after waking up.

“Thank you…” it said tiredly, falling back asleep. While I pulled my hair from Cushion’s mouth, I looked to see how the others were doing. Tooth was nestled beside Novella sleeping comfortably. Carton was still snoring and Brew...where was Brew?

“Psst! Good morning, Elio!” a loud whisper came from the kitchen. “Water’s on for when you want it,” said Brew, trying ever so quietly to stay quiet on the burner.

I crawled out of the pile of sheets and blankets, and stood up. I whispered to the twins hanging on the wall, “Tick...Tock...can you tell me the time?” They didn’t seem to stir from their slumber. I decided against waking them both, as I knew it’d cause an argument. “Tick...TICK!” I hissed.

“...Hmm? Good morning!” It said as it sleepily opened one eye.

“Can you tell me the time? Quietly? I’m trying not to wake anyone else up!” I looked over nervously to Tock. Tick spun its hands around in a hurry and updated its time.

“It seems the time is 10:43,” it said with a smile.

“Not quite...” A voice emerged from the twin clock to its right. “You only THOUGHT I was asleep, but time waits for no one!” Tock spun its hands to reveal what it believed to be the correct time. “It is 10:45!” Only two minutes different today? Perhaps one day the two might agree upon a time, after all!

“It’s 10:43, Tock!”

“Nope, I’m afraid you’re mistaken, as usual!”

The two began to argue as they always do, and the other objects began to wake up.

Cushion groaned groggily. “Gah! Who cares what time it is? It’s sleepy time!” the pillow said with great annoyance.

“Well, might as well give it up now, Cushion. It’s much harder to go back to sleep after you wake up…” Tooth said as it stretched.

“Not…” Cushion yawned, “...for me!”

“Oh no, if it’s almost eleven...that means I might have missed a client!” I said in a panic. I ran to the door and swung it wide. The glare of the sun was intense, making me shield my eyes as I ran down the path to the signup sheet. Whew! Looks like no one had signed up for an early spot today, but Rosetta would be coming by at noon! My beating chest relaxed a little, and as I took a moment to catch my breath, I realized I was still wearing the same clothes as the day before. I did a little sniff test, and yes...I’d need to shower before Rosetta arrived. I took the signup sheet and headed back inside.

“Did you miss anyone?” Tooth asked with concern.

“Luckily, no. We are all fine,” I smiled cheerfully. I quickly grabbed a new signup sheet and ran out to the board to post it. Luckily, living this far out from town meant I didn’t have to worry about anyone seeing me so disheveled.

“Whew…” I said, walking once again back inside. “Ok, showertime. Could you guys maybe try to clean this up a little?” gesturing to the blanket fort? They all stared at me blankly. “Right...too little and no hands. Nevermind.” I just smiled and went to the bathroom.

The hot water from the shower head felt amazing on my skin. I found a new soap I wanted to try, a special kind of shower oil. As I popped the cap open, I was immensely greeted with a cotton candy-like sweet scent mixed with geraniums. Irina had got me this when I first moved to town. My guess is this was her strategy to find out all about the newcomers to Windbloom; a gift in exchange for lots of gossip material. I squeezed some of the geranium body oil into a washcloth and lathered it into my skin. The suds felt so soothing. Once I was finished and all cleaned up, I wrapped my long green hair in a towel to dry. The scent from the body oil had carried throughout the entire cottage, filling it with the beautiful aroma.

“Wow! What’s that?” Cushion asked as it let a giant yawn loose.

“It smells so good!” Tooth said as it took a whiff.

“It’s the geranium shower oil Irina gave me! I finally used it.”

“Oh really… Is Alkan coming tonight?” Cushion asked, its snow-white body turning a bit pink where its cheeks would be.

“Not today, I told him it would be a few days for this one.” I may have taken a slight glance at the signup sheet, just to make sure I didn’t miss his elegant signature. Nope, first Rosetta then a few others into the afternoon.

“Then you should use the oil again when he’s here next, you’ll smell so nice!” Cushion giggled.

“I think good smelling food is much more tempting!” Tooth said pointedly, glaring at me.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll eat something in a sec,” I said, brushing the little comb off. Judgy little thing, I knew exactly what it was referring to—my dinner with Alkan the other night. I chuckled at Tooth’s inability to let these accusations go. Alkan was super kind, and it saddened me that the little comb kept going on about this. Maybe I should come right out and ask Alkan directly… “Hey Alkan, are you a vampire?” No, way too awkward!.

Today was a working day, so I didn’t bother to get all dolled up again. I threw on a long t-shirt and some shorts and went into the kitchen. Brew was kind enough to prepare a cup for me with hot water. I plopped in some earl grey tea and put some bread in the toaster.

“Blackberry or apricot jam?” I pondered out loud.

“Apricot!” Tick called.

“Eww,no! Blackberry!” Tock yelled.

“Cinnamon toast…” Cushion mumbled in it’s sleep.

“Ooh, a much better choice!” When the toast popped, I spread some butter and sifted a little cinnamon sugar over top, the sugar crystals glistening in the sunlight. Before I could take a bite, there was a knock on the door.

“Yay! Rosetta’s here!” Tooth cheered. I quickly chomped down on my toast and opened the door, revealing the most beautiful plants! Rosetta’s face peaked through the large, curling, golden stalks that protruded in every direction from the planters in her arms.

“Oh my!” I marveled with a mouthful of toast. “Rosetta, this is gorgeous! Wait, is this—”

“The enchanted lavender! Isn’t it amazing? It’s grown so quickly,” Rosetta beamed with pride, laying them on the ground.

“It’s gorgeous!” I gawked at the tiny golden flowers as they gave off a faint glow.

“You’re amazing, Elio. This stuff is so prolific, I thought I’d bring you some as a thank you. And wait until you see them at night. They really do glow!” Rosetta was so excited, she covered her mouth with a small giggle. “Give ‘em a whiff!”

I lightly pressed my nose to the small blooms. The plant smelled of normal lavender, but with a scentual aroma of honey-like sweetness. “It smells delightful...” I said softly. Maybe it would make a great simple syrup base to add to coffee or tea!

“I know! It’s such a surprising plant you’ve created. Since it grows in that unique swirling shape, I’ve decided to name it...goldenhorn! It just reminds me of a unicorn’s horn!” she said excitedly.

I tilted my head this way and that, trying to see what she meant. If you squinted, it did seem to blur into the swirled horn of a unicorn all the old paintings depicted. It was a fitting name, most stories spoke of the unicorn’s ability to vanquish darkness with the healing light of its horn!

“Elio, it’s so pretty!” Cushion’s eyes were practically heart-shaped.

“You did such a good job making this...I’m so proud of you,” Tooth complimented me with some sweet encouragement.

“Aw, thank you everyone...and thank you, Rosetta, for the lovely gift.”

“Thank YOU for creating it! It’s been so helpful for my late night work sessions in the garden,” she smiled sweetly. “So, where are we planting it?”

“That’s ok, Rosetta, I can plant them later. Besides, you’ve got a request for me, right?”

“Mmmm, nope! I signed up just to bring you these,” she smiled again.

“Aww, then in that case I’d love the help!” To have the best green thumb in the region was a blessing. Rosetta would know exactly where to plant them in the garden, not only to maximize the beauty of the lightshow at night, but also to ensure it didn’t die instantly from being planted wrong.

“Alright, let’s head out and find a good spot for these!” She picked up the pots of goldenhorn and we headed out to the garden.

“Let’s see...” she pondered, surveying the garden. She pushed back a few strands of hair that blew gently in her face. “I know! Put them right there, between the damask roses and the echinacea. There was a small space between the two plants from where I had cut some echinacea to make a bunch of tea sachets a few weeks ago. “That would be a perfect spot! They’re companion plants, you know?”

“What exactly are companion plants, anyways?” I asked while grabbing a garden shovel from my tool cabinet.

“It means they enhance each other's growth, and can help protect each other from pests!”

“Wow! Plants can do that?” I may be a good wizard, using plants and herbs in my spells, but actually growing plants is another world to me.

“Of course! Plants are their own kind of magic!” Rosetta grabbed a hand shovel from her belt, and began to dig a spot between the plants.

“They seem to be!”

Rosetta gently pulled one of the bigger goldenhorns from its pot and gently supported the roots while transferring it to its new home. She gave the root system a little squeeze to break up the dirt and pushed the soil back into place, patting it gently.

“Ok, how about we put more of it over...there! Near the zinnias.” She pointed to another space across the garden.

“Alright, I’m not sure...but do you mean between the daisies and....uh...those poofy ones?”

“The zinnias! Yep, right between them.” She repeated the process a few more times, spacing the goldenhorn as best as she could while keeping in mind which plants might be incompatible as a neighbor. Soon, there were golden helixes sprinkled throughout my little garden, adding a pop of bright color in between all the flowers and herbs.

“Rosetta...these are going to be so beautiful at night! I can already tell!”

“Believe me, they’ll be like sparkling little spotlights for your garden in the dark! I’m so excited for you to see them!”

Sparkling spotlights… My mind suddenly shifted to Alkan. He seemed so sad during his last visit, wanting to see the garden in the light. This would be a great surprise for him when he comes next! Leave it to Rosetta to come through for me, without even knowing it.

“Thanks for all your help, Rosetta! Anything I can do to repay you?” I asked happily.

“This was a thank you present! But…” the gardener said sheepishly, “maybe you’d be willing to part with a bottle of your rose essence? Only if you have one to spare, of course!”

“Please! I think I still have two or three bottles of it,” I smiled. Rosetta loved my rose essence. It was made from fresh rose petals that were steeped in a strong alcohol for a few days until it was steeped through. The result was an extremely potent rose-scented liquid, similar to a vanilla extract. Rosetta used it in her baking quite a lot, while I used it more often in spells.

We went back inside and I sauntered over to the cupboard to fetch the bottle Rosetta requested.

“Here you are! I hope you make those tasty rose madeleines with the essence, they’re amazing!”
“Thank you, Elio!” Rosetta smiled. “I hope you have a pleasant day, and a beautiful evening in your garden!” She waved as she walked out the door and shut it behind her.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

“Those flowers were so pretty…” Cushion said with a sigh.

“Yes, yes, very pretty. But Elio...you should probably get back to work now. You haven’t finished the vampire’s request!” Although Tooth didn’t particularly like Alkan, the comb was always one to keep me professional. “We don’t want him to come back more than he has too, do we?” Tooth stuck its tongue out.

There it was! The little comb was just trying to limit my contact with Alkan. Tooth was right through, I needed to work on the true sight spell. But...I still was afraid of attempting it. I didn’t want something bad to happen, especially to Alkan...

“Elio?” Tooth said some concern

“You’re still worried about the phoenix feathers, aren’t you?” Cushion pondered aloud. “You’ve never said what happened with them in Crystalis, but—”

“Shhhh...Cushion!!” I heard Tick call from on the wall.

“You’ll make him more anxious!” Tock agreed for once.

“Excuse you! I was going to say it would be fine!” Cushion said, rather annoyed.

“Elio, you’re a much better wizard now than you were…” Tooth tried to comfort me.

“I know, Tooth...but...what happened was so horrible...and embarrassing. What if something happens to Alkan as a result of me not doing the spell right?”

“Well...just...do your own thing and make it your own!” Tooth exclaimed.

“Yes! I know you can do it, Elio!” Cushion cheered.

Do my own thing...interesting. I felt a little better, hearing that my friends believed in me.

“You always seem to do best when you play to your strengths!” Tooth continued.

“Like how?”

“Maybe it doesn’t need to be a potion?” Tooth pointed out.

“Oh! Maybe you could put the spell inside a necklace or something that he can wear?” Cushion exclaimed excitedly. Maybe my little friends were on to something. I thought about it for a moment, and opened the spellbook to the true sight spell. Changing the medium didn’t seem like it would affect the integrity of the spell afterall. Hmm…

“If I changed it from an ingestible potion to something you applied on your skin…” I pondered. This seemed like a fair compromise. I still was very anxious about giving a client anything made from phoenix feathers...let alone something you’d drink.
“Alright...I’ll give it a shot! Alkan’s going to see himself like we do!”

“That’s the spirit!” Tooth would have given me a thumbs up if it could have.

“You can do it, Elio!” Cushion cheered in encouragement.

I gathered the necessary ingredients from around the house and took them to my desk, everything except the phoenix feathers. Standing at the cabinet, I unhooked the latch to reveal a tall container of deep red feathers. The glass was warm to the touch. I cautiously shuffled over to the desk, careful not to shake them. Phoenix feather was a beautiful, yet extremely volatile material. Each feather glistened with an iridescent hue in the light, emitting a glowing rainbow of colors like a prism. I sat them gently on the desk next to the other ingredients, and carefully took out a mixing bowl to start the spell.

“Ok everyone, I need you all to be very quiet, ok?” I whispered. Everyone nodded silently, they all understood the seriousness of the moment.

I took some pear water and carefully poured a measured amount into the bowl. Next came the almond oil. I used a small pipette to drop the seven drops required into the bowl. As I mixed the two together, the sweet-smelling liquid became more viscous. So far so good. I added a heap of sandalwood powder and a few dried rose petals, and let it sit on the mixture before double checking the recipe from the tome.

“What’s next, Elio?” Cushion whispered.

Now was the part I dreaded… I silently pointed to the phoenix feathers, causing Cushion to cover its mouth. The feathers needed to be soaked in the mixture before they burned out. I couldn’t just reach in and grab one though, they were so sensitive to touch. One wrong move could make them burst into flames, disintegrating them instantly, along with the cottage! How was I going to do this… Maybe a simple breeze spell to push them out of the jar should do the trick without incident? I hope...I mean, I’d never seen a phoenix in person, but they definitely fly. Feathers should be ok with wind, right?

“A simple gust...a quiet breeze...float these feathers out with ease.”

As I recited the incantation, focusing on the jar, the feathers began to shift about. They gently and slowly swirled inside the jar before one separated from the rest. It raised out the top and hovered above the opening. A second feather slowly joined it, both dancing around each other in figure-eights through the air.

“How pretty…” Tooth said softly, watching in awe.

I was afraid the feathers might hit one another, so I quickly tried to change the course of the air current holding them aloft. One landed directly into the bowl, submerging into the liquid just as I wanted. The other floated off haphazardly away from the bowl. All of our eyes widened in fear!

“Ahhhhh!!” I heard Tooth and Cushion let forth a panicked gasp. Beads of sweat dripped down the sides of my head as I tried desperately to course correct the feather. I spun the air itself like twine and created a path towards the bowl. Eventually it landed, teetering precariously on the edge of the bowl. With one final tiny blow from my lips, the phoenix feather slipped gently into the fragrant liquid and submerged itself.

“Phew…” I said, as I wiped the sweat off my head with my hand. I took a deep breath in and carefully mixed the liquid with a long spoon. The feathers shined their rainbow light only for a moment longer before they ignited into a bright blue flame.

“Uh, Elio? Is this–” Tooth started, but I just put a finger to my lips.

The flames poured from the top of the bowl, but they were tame and level due to the oil. The whole room was filled with the aroma of a rose garden in bloom. Soon the flames died down and the feathers were nothing but black charcoal, turning the rosy mixture into a deep black. I began to stir, and held my free hand over the flames.

“Liner of flames, glittering bright...surround the user in flattering light!”

The flames crackled and spit as small star flakes descended from my hand into the bowl. After a moment, the flames finally dissipated. All that was left was a thick, pitch black substance, glowing with a strange blue and green aura. I smiled at my work… I...I think I did it?

“Elio, you did it! You did it!” Tooth cheered.

Maybe...I needed to be sure. I went to grab an applicator and two cosmetic tubes from my vanity to store the mixture in. I carefully poured a small amount into both tubes, making sure not to spill.

“I think I did? But...I need to test it before I give it to Alkan…” I responded to Tooth. I grabbed the tester tube I had created, and took it to the wall mirror.

“But...you’re not a vampire, Elio!” Cushion chirped.

“Yeah! It won’t work for you,” Tooth said.

“I know, but I just want to make sure it’s safe to use.” I stood in front of the mirror, and picked up an applicator. This was it...the final test. If it didn’t work, only I was the one who’d be affected. I dipped it gently, and slid it gently across the waterline of my eyes. So far, so good, but nothing has happened. I drew a thin line carefully across my top eyelid to complete the spell on one eye, and then repeated the process on my other eye.

I started into the mirror, carefully looking for any change. Nothing really looked different...aside from my lashes seeming to shoot tiny sparkles when I blinked. At least with that, I knew the magic had stuck, and it seemed safe. I did a silly twirl and smiled at all my friends, waiting in anticipation.

“How do I look?”I said, spinning, letting a little glittering wink fly. They all laughed and cheered.

“Oh my!! Magical eyeliner?” Cushion said, full of awe.

“I guess that makes sense...you need to apply magic to his eyes so he can see…” Tooth shrugged.

“Brilliant, Elio! The book called for a potion, but you made it your own!” Brew said from the kitchen.

“Heh, I just didn’t want him to ingest anything phoenix feather related...it’s too risky.”

“Well, this was a smart solution! Bravo!” Carton piped up from its corner.

I felt something shift within me, and I felt an overwhelming urge to cry wash over my whole body. Not tears of sadness, but tears of joy! I used the phoenix feathers...and nothing went wrong. This was… I just felt relief. But I couldn’t cry! It would mess up the eyeliner!

“Whew, let’s hope Alkan is ok wearing eyeliner…” I said nervously, rubbing the back of my neck.

“Well, if he protests, you’ll know he can see himself and that it worked, right?” Tooth laughed mischievously.

“I bet he’ll look goooood with eyeliner.” Cushion clasped its corners together, dreamily.

“Cushion…!!” Tooth turned, interrupted from its evil cackling.

“I must concur with the pillow!” Carton said from the corner. “He will look quite dashing!”

I couldn’t help but blush, thinking of Alkan wearing it. He would be so incredibly handsome… I imagined him in my head; his gaze, intensified by the eyeliner, his top shirt buttons left undone, exposing his collarbones. His smile...with those teeth. I cupped my face in embarrassment and closed my eyes, trying to shake the image from my head. Hopefully with this, he would finally see himself as I saw him...