Chapter Twenty-Six: Cassie

How could he? Cassie had been asking herself the same question ever since Byron’s shocking revelation that he did not want her to win the competition and receive life-changing sagely knowledge.

It wasn’t as if he didn’t know why she wanted to win.

She snorted. Of course, he did. He’d managed to get that answer right!

Because apparently, he wanted the same thing. To be the person his family needed him to be.

Did his family need him to be a jerk?

She took a breath. She needed to let go of her anger. Find her equilibrium. She had been doing just fine without him and she would do just fine now that he was out of her life.

But was he out of her life? Cassie glanced toward her apartment window. The sun was setting. The time for the next trial was approaching. A perfect romantic date with her partner.

With her mate.

Perhaps none of this would sting so badly if she and Byron were simply boyfriend and girlfriend. But they were mates, something much more profound.

Or so he said.

Was that even true? Or had he lied to her for some unknowable reason?

But why? Why would he claim they were mates if it wasn’t true? What would he have gotten out of this if he didn’t even care about winning the competition? Besides, it was a bond that transcended the mere attraction of humans. A connection born from the deepest parts of their souls. As a shifter, he had to have felt it just as intensely as she did, if not more.

Unless there was something else at play.

Cassie stared bleakly out of the window. Would she ever find peace if she didn’t confront him? Or would these questions linger inside her, growing into a relentless source of torment? The thought gnawed at her, and she knew she had to get answers, whether they would hurt or heal.

She headed for her bedroom and discarded her pajamas, which she hadn’t bothered to change out of the whole day. As she went to her closet, her gaze landed on her phone, which she had set to silent after the second time Byron called.

Twenty missed calls. Wow, the guy was nothing if not persistent. She scrolled through the notifications. He’d sent a lot of texts, too, the last reading that he would wait for her at the tavern.

Now would be the perfect time to confront him. She knew exactly where to find Byron. Because for some reason, even after what he said yesterday, he still planned on going to the tavern.

So that’s where she would go.

With any luck, they’d still be able to win the competition. Get their advice. And then promptly part ways.

Opening her closet, she reached for a pair of clean, comfortable jeans, and one of her favorite shirts, a soft, emerald green blouse that reminded her of Byron’s dragon’s eyes.

No! She would not dwell on how magnificent Byron’s dragon was or how amazing it felt to ride on his back. Instead, she quickly slipped into her clothes, her movements mechanical. Then she brushed her tangled hair and tied it up in a headscarf before shoving on a pair of her favorite boots.

Cassie grabbed her phone and hesitated for a moment, staring at the screen. Not all the calls were from Byron. She tapped the screen and saw several messages from Sophie who had been out of town for a few days.

“Cassie, are you okay? Call me back!”

“Where are you? Byron’s looking everywhere for you. He said that he came to the store, and it was closed.”

“Please don’t shut me out. I’m worried about you.”

Cassie sighed, her thumb hovering over the reply button. But before she typed a single letter, there was a knock at the store door. Not the first one of the day, since Byron had been by twice already. But this knock was not his. It hadn’t been the frantic pounding from when he had visited before.

“Sophie.” It seemed her friend was back in town and had come straight over to see Cassie.

Cassie shoved her phone in her pocket and headed downstairs into the store. Ignoring the comments from the mirror, she reached the door and then stalled. Sophie was not alone.

“There you are,” Cassie’s mom said.

Here she is,Cassie thought. And she could not hide any longer.

Reaching for the key, Cassie unlocked the door to find her whole family on the other side, along with Sophie. “Hi.”

“Hi?” Cassie was confused as to why everyone was there. “Is this about the storm in the teacup?”

She stepped outside and closed the door behind her to stop the bell jingling.

“The storm in a teacup?” Sophie looked at the others. “What else have I missed while I was on my business trip to Cairnnor?”

“You were visiting Cairnnor?” Cassie asked.

“Don’t change the subject,” Jade said sharply, stepping forward. Jade always had a way of cutting straight to the heart of things. “We’ve all been worried sick about you, Cassie. You can’t just disappear like that.”

“I didn’t disappear,” Cassie insisted. “I was here all day.”

“You were here all day not answering your phone or the door,” Jade said.

Cassie’s mother, ever the picture of calm concern, placed a gentle hand on Jade’s shoulder. “We’re just relieved to find you safe. But Jade is right. We have been worried.”

Cassie bit her lip. She felt like a cornered animal. “I needed time alone.”

“You can be alone and still answer your phone,” Beatrice pointed out to a murmur of agreement. “We were beginning to think that teacup swallowed you up or something.”

“I needed to think, to clear my head.” Cassie pressed her hand to her temples.

“Cassie.” Phineus stepped forward. “We heard what happened.”

“You did?” Cassie’s eyes widened. “So you know why I needed time to think.”

“Yes,” Phineus said. “I suppose we do. But why alone?”

“Why alone?” Cassie asked.

“We are your family,” Neave said gently and placed a reassuring hand on Cassie’s arm. “We’re here to help you through anything, whatever it is.”

Cassie felt a flood of emotions surge through her as she looked into the sincere eyes of her family members. But how could they truly ever understand how she felt? How Byron’s betrayal had cut her soul deep.

It wasn’t just some competition. It was like he didn’t want her to succeed, didn’t want her to grow as a person.

“I appreciate your concern,” Cassie continued, her voice trembling just slightly. “But Byron...”

“Was right,” her father said.

Cassie reeled back, the wind knocked out of her by Phineus’s words. “What do you mean, ‘was right?’”

Phineus took a deep breath, his expression softening for the first time. “Byron came to us,” he began, “he told us what happened between you two. And we all believe he is right.”

Cassie’s eyes darted from her father to her mother and sisters. “You all think he’s right?” she echoed. “That I don’t deserve sagely wisdom? Is that what this is about? You all think that it would be a waste for me to receive life-changing knowledge.”

“No, not at all. It’s the complete opposite,” her mom said gently. “We think you are perfect as you are. Byron thinks you are perfect as you are.”

“He loves you,” Sophie said with a wistful smile. “And he sees you as we do.”

“As a disappointment?” Cassie suggested bitterly.

“Why would you ever think that?” Beatrice asked.

“Because look at all of you.” Her forehead furrowed. “You wield magic as if it were an extension of your own bodies. I can barely make a broomstick sweep without it turning into a wild rodeo.” Cassie’s voice trembled, the frustration and self-doubt she’d carried for so long spilling forth in jagged bursts.

Jade stepped forward, her eyes glinting with a fierce protectiveness. “Cassie, magic isn’t just about control or power. It’s about understanding, connection, and intent. Your ability to understand malfunctioning magical items is unique and incredible in its own right. You just see the world differently than us.”

Cassie sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. “But what good is it if I can’t cast simple spells without them going awry?”

“What good is it?” her father asked in disbelief. “Cassie, do you remember the time the enchanted mirror trapped Aunt Agatha in its reflection?” Phineus leaned forward, his eyes boring into hers. “None of us could figure out how to release her. But you—”

“You understood what it needed. We were all trying to force it to give up Agatha, but no matter what spells we threw at it, it was no good. But you saw what was needed to coax it into letting her out,” Beatrice finished, her voice filled with admiration. “You figured out the flaw in its enchantment and set her free when none of us could. Your gift is rare, Cassie. It’s invaluable. You may not see it as a magical talent, but it’s part of who you are, fundamentally.”

Neave chimed in. “Besides, magic isn’t about being perfect. It’s about growth and discovery. Every time you help fix something that’s broken, you learn something new and help others in ways we can’t.”

“But I hate being the weakest link,” Cassie said.

“Who said you were the weakest?” Phineus asked.

“No one had to say. Even that freaky doll that cut my hair as a kid knew it,” Cassie retorted. “It couldn’t get away with doing that to anyone else.”

Phineus snorted. “That doll didn’t cut your hair because you were the weakest, my dearest Cassie. It cut your hair because you were its greatest threat. Even when you were a child, you could see the magic in items like that in a way no one else could.”

“And Byron sees that because he sees you. He loves you,” Sophie said, her voice filled with soft encouragement. “He’s a dragon shifter, Cassie. His kind are drawn to strength and fire, not weakness.”

Cassie scoffed, but the corner of her mouth twitched upward. “Yeah, well, he’s terrible at being romantic. I mean, who tells their mate they don’t want her to win her heart’s desire of life-changing sagely advice?”

Neave giggled. “He could have handled it better. We all agree with you there.”

“But he spoke from the heart.” Her mom took hold of Cassie’s hand and squeezed it gently. “And that heart of his is pure. I think that actually might be the most romantic thing a person can do.”

“When he had time to organize his thoughts, it sounded much better,” Beatrice said. “It’s not that he doesn’t want you to win, or grow, become powerful, or anything like that. It’s that he’s fallen in love with you. He’s waited all his life to meet you, and he was just worried that the emphasis on ‘life-changing’ knowledge would change who you were, just after he’d met you.”

“But he sees that’s what you want, so he’s gone to the tavern to set up your date. If you want to win the competition, you can. You can do anything you put your mind to, and he’ll be there by your side, even if he doesn’t want the same.” Her mom clasped her hands together. “He truly does love you.”

“He does,” Cassie admitted with a nod. “I suppose even I can see that.”

“Then what are you doing still standing here?” Jade asked.

“I just need to…” She pointed back into the store and then stopped. “I just need to meet him for our perfect date.”

“That’s my girl.” Phineus winked and then ushered his family and Sophie away.

“We’ll see you there,” Sophie called out.

“Don’t take too long,” Jade added.

“I won’t.” Cassie waited for her family to walk away and took a deep breath. Then she stepped back inside and closed the store door, the bell above jingling a familiar tune. The air inside was filled with the scent of aged parchment and a subtle hint of something mystical. She’d never been able to put her finger on exactly what gave the store the unique smell, but as she inhaled, it gave her comfort. And confidence.

Cassie stopped in front of the mirror, ready for whatever it had to say about her hair, or her outfit, or her makeup.

“There you are at last, Cassie dearest,” the mirror said with a slight hitch in its voice.

“That’s it?” Cassie asked.

“Of course,” the mirror said.

“No insult?”

“You have at last discovered my secret,” the mirror said kindly. “One no one has in all the years I have adorned this wall. Or the walls that came before. No one else has discovered why I was made.”

“And that is?” Cassie asked, with a raised eyebrow.

“To show a person their true self. And that is what I show to you now.”

“I…” Cassie stared at the woman, who stared back at her. She looked…like Cassie. There was no warping, no unflattering reflection, just her.

As she stared at her reflection, she began to understand why Byron was so scared of her changing.

After all, she wouldn’t want Byron to change. She was worried that he’d stop lecturing on obscure subjects when he was nervous. Or never pick her dandelions because of some deep meaning that only they knew. Or cease sticking to the routines that made him comfortable.

Byron had seen her as the mirror showed her now, without any of the flaws she saw in herself.

And now she needed to go and find the person who would complete her.

There was another knock at the door.

“Byron.” She whirled around. What must he think, waiting alone in the tavern, thinking she was going to stand him up? She hurried to the door, but as she opened it, someone stepped inside the store. Someone who wasn’t Byron.

“I’m sorry, the store is closed,” Cassie said as she eyed the intruder.

“I’m not here to shop,” the man said as he took another step toward her.

“Then why are you here?” Cassie asked as she prepared to summon her magic and eyed the phoenix wand on the wall behind him.

“I’m Oswald.” The man thrust his hand out toward her.

Cassie stared down at the offered hand and then looked up at Oswald. There was something familiar about him, but she could not quite place it. “Oswald.”

His smile was unnervingly charming, but Cassie could sense the undercurrent of something…darker.

“Byron’s cousin,” Oswald said as if reminding her of something she must already know.

“Oh, Oswald. Byron’s cousin,” Cassie repeated. The cousin Byron had never mentioned.

“I thought I would come and introduce myself and…give you a word of advice,” Oswald said, retracting his hand when she didn’t take it.

Cassie narrowed her eyes. “A word of advice?” Just the thing she loved most in this world, unsolicited advice from a perfect stranger. But she decided to give Oswald the benefit of the doubt since she didn’t want to upset her mate’s family. He was likely here to encourage her to go to his cousin in the same way her family had come by to persuade her to go and fix things with Byron.

“Oh yes,” Oswald continued, his voice a silky murmur. “You see, Byron is...well, bless his heart. He’s not very good at this whole romance thing, is he?”

Cassie couldn’t tell if that was supposed to be endearing or not. “He’s got his own way of being romantic, and he’s just wonderful the way he is.” She crossed her arms over her body.

Oswald chuckled, a sound that grated against Cassie’s nerves. “Of course, of course. But you see, dear Cassie, there are things about Byron you might not know. Things that could be...problematic.”

Cassie thought again about reaching for the phoenix wand and sending this man packing out of her store. Her emotions were frayed enough, she didn’t need this cousin of Byron’s causing any more complications.

She didn’t need anyone giving her advice on Byron since she already knew everything she needed to know about him. And that was that she loved him, and he loved her. “What are you trying to say, Oswald? Because I have somewhere I need to be.”

Oswald took another step closer and rested his hand on the crystal ball in the center of the shop. “If you could see the future, Cassie, you would know it ends in heartache. You see, Byron has lied to you.” He looked up and met Cassie’s eyes.

“Has he?” Cassie’s eyes flickered to the crystal ball as it swirled, a scene beginning to unfold.

“He told you he is your mate…because he needs an heir.” Oswald’s words knocked the air from her lungs.

“An heir,” she croaked as the scene in the crystal ball unfolded, unbeknownst to Oswald as he tried to demand her full attention. The image of Oswald, and a woman who was holding a child, emerged from the swirling magic.

“Yes, you see his family…our family is bound to tradition. And that tradition states that the family fortune goes to a male heir…” Oswald began.

“Isn’t that a bit outdated?” Cassie asked. “Surely there should be a change in the law so that a female has the same rights as a male.”

“I don’t make these rules,” Oswald said smugly. “But I am bound by them, just as he is. That’s why he’s come to Wishing Moon Bay. To find someone to produce him an heir. And since Byron has been unable to find his mate and spawn an heir, when Byron dies, the family fortune will belong to me and then pass to my son. Byron is desperate to avoid this. And so he has told you that he is his mate.”

“You’re saying that I am not Byron’s mate?” Cassie asked.

“I know it must be hard to hear,” Oswald said. “Whoever would think of faking a mate for inheritance purposes?”

“Who indeed?” Cassie watched as an image of Oswald appeared in the crystal ball.

“I mean I would not put it past Byron to fake a child, too,” Oswald went on confidently. “I am here to keep a close eye on him so that he doesn’t sneak in a child that is not his simply to keep control of the family fortune.”

“You mean offer a child that is not his as an heir?” Cassie’s eyes narrowed and she glanced toward the crystal ball and then raised her gaze to Oswald. If what she saw in the crystal ball was true, and it had never given her a reason to doubt its authenticity before, Oswald had just described exactly what he had done.

“Yes.” Oswald removed his hand from the crystal ball and rubbed his fingers together as if to get rid of dust. “I wanted you to be aware of Byron’s true nature. And true motives.”

“Oh, I know Byron’s true nature,” Cassie told him.”

“He’s not your mate, you know,” Oswald said as she ushered him toward the door. “Byron has lied to you!”

“Do you know if there is one thing I have realized today, it’s that Byron has always spoken the truth to me. Even when it was a truth I did not want to hear.” She smiled at Oswald as she locked the store door. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with my mate! And it is not fake!”