1. Librarian

1

LIbrARIAN

" S ylvan, what brings you in here today?" I slipped out from behind the front desk to embrace my cousin, someone I saw less and less of now that spring had arrived and his garden was in full bloom

"Well, dear cousin, I'm afraid it's not just to visit you, although that's a nice bonus." He smiled and pointed toward the back of the library where bookshelves lined the walls "I'm here for what you keep in that hidden room over there."

"A match?" I raised my eyebrows. "But you've never had trouble finding dates before."

"Dates? That's true enough. A soulmate, though? That's a different matter entirely. I've seen what you can do for other creatures, and I would like you to do the same for me. I shall fill out whatever information you need to help speed things along."

I pursed my lips. "All right, come with me. You must understand that my being your cousin will not make a difference in how much time it takes. I only match those who are already compatible with each other based on the information they give me."

"Of course. I expect to be treated the same as all your other applicants, and perhaps even harsher. I want the perfect one, cousin, and I trust you to find him for me no matter how long it takes you."

I nodded silently. If I knew my cousin, which I did, he hadn't thought this through one bit. He was going to get his heart broken again if he wasn't careful, and I wasn't sure if he could handle that.

But perhaps it was my own shortcomings that held me back from wanting to help him. Perhaps I didn't want to see him get hurt again, or I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find him the right match. Whatever it was, I couldn't turn my own kin away, so I took a deep breath and pulled out a particularly ornate book from the darkest wood bookshelf in the room.

The bookshelf slid aside and I walked into the matchmaking room with Sylvan following on my heels. There was nothing special inside, save for one large, leatherbound book, a few empty sheets of paper stacked up, and a pen lying on the small table beside the single shelf that the book lay on.

"Name?" I asked, taking pen and paper in hand.

"Sylvan Lockwood." He rolled his eyes. "You know that, cousin."

"You said that you want to be treated like my other clients, and so you shall," I retorted. "Now, what are you looking for in a partner?"

Sylvan shrugged. "Another fae would be nice. It's so much easier to communicate with fellow faefolk." He rubbed his chin with his hand. "Although, a human might be interesting as well."

"Gender?"

"Male."

"Age?"

"Around mine."

"Physicality?"

"Does it matter?"

"To some, yes."

"Whatever you come up with, I'm sure I'll be happy with him."

"Hobbies and interests?"

"I would prefer someone who enjoys the outdoors as much as I do. You remember how we used to play in the woods when we were younger, don't you?"

Visions of my cousins and me galavanting through fields of green grass and flowers, darting around tall, looming evergreens, and splashing in a crystal clear stream danced in my head. "Yes, I do," I said wistfully. "But those days are long gone."

"Of course, but I do keep my garden and I would like my mate to enjoy spending time out there at least as much as I do."

"That might be tricky – I don't think that anyone could enjoy your garden as much as you do."

"Maybe not, but do give it your best effort."

"You know I will. Now, I believe we are finished here. I'll call you if and when I find your match."

"I'll be waiting with bated breath." Sylvan winked.

"Don't do that. You may die from lack of oxygen before you get your response."

"I'm joking, cousin. I know it will take some time. Rest assured, though, I'll be more than ready when that call finally comes through."

With Sylvan's profile completed, I bade him goodbye and set to work finding the perfect match. I was prepared to wait weeks or even months for the right man to come looking for his other half, but as soon as I opened my matchmaking book to place his profile inside, I knew the one was already there. I pulled out a sheet of paper, scanning it several times over to ensure I'd chosen the correct one.

"He can't be it…But he is."

I shook my head and sat down to write a letter. Sylvan might not be pleased, but I had only successes and no failures under my belt at this point. As long as he trusted me and my intuition proved right once again, my cousin would soon meet his one true soulmate, odd of a match as it might be.