Chapter 167: Speak It Into Existence?
Cyrus Calder could not hide a flicker of surprise when he saw the three people who had just entered The Full Moon Lounge.
Helena Baird, who had been watching him from her usual seat, caught the change in his expression and turned toward the entrance.
The first two students were walking together and had clearly made at least some effort for Halloween. Owen Keats and Iris Wexley both wore small costume accessories, but nothing about either outfit stood out much in a room already filled with witches, vampires, masks, and fake blood.
𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
The girl following a few steps behind them was different.
Audra Sloane had not dressed for Halloween at all.
She wore a white pleated skirt with a light beige coat, and her naturally cool expression made the simple outfit look almost severe. In a lounge crowded with exaggerated costumes, she somehow stood out more because she looked completely normal.
She also looked unmistakably younger than the four women already sitting near the bar.
Cyrus stared at the group.
Owen and Iris showing up was understandable. Owen had already mentioned that several classmates were going out tonight.
But why was Audra with them?
As the three started toward the bar, Cyrus became aware of something else.
He was wearing white wolf ears.
Being seen like this by Helena, Rhea, Daphne, or Vera had been embarrassing in a manageable way. They were all older than him, and at least some of them were already strange enough that Cyrus had stopped expecting normal reactions.
Being seen by classmates was different.
Having Audra, Owen, and Iris walk in while he was wearing fluffy ears and a decorative tail created a kind of embarrassment the older women had not managed to produce.
Cyrus suddenly understood why people sometimes regretted costume parties.
Audra noticed him immediately.
Her eyes moved first to the white ears, then the vest and tie, and finally to the four striking women sitting in front of him.
A faint crease appeared between her brows.
Owen and Iris had started toward an open table, but Audra ignored them and walked directly to the bar.
If those women could sit there, then so could she.
Owen and Iris exchanged a quick look.
Then both followed.
Audra took the open seat beside Helena. Iris sat next to Audra, while Owen took the remaining stool beside Iris.
Cyrus looked at all three.
"How did you end up here too?"
Audra answered in her usual calm tone.
"We were passing by, and I thought I saw you through the window."
Owen quickly added some context.
"A few of us went out for Halloween like I mentioned yesterday. We split up not far from here, then Audra noticed you inside while we were walking back."
There was a trace of apology in Owen's expression.
He clearly had not planned to bring half the class into Cyrus's workplace.
Cyrus understood and shook his head slightly.
It was not Owen's fault.
"What would you like to drink?"
Before Owen could decide, Iris answered.
"Milk is fine for me."
Owen hesitated, then nodded.
"I can have the same."
Cyrus turned toward Audra.
"Would milk be all right for you too?"
Audra's expression softened almost invisibly.
"That would be fine, thank you."
"You are welcome."
The small irritation she had felt upon seeing the women around him faded.
Cyrus had specifically asked what she wanted.
That meant her preference mattered to him.
Audra had seen Cyrus working through the lounge window once before, but this was her first time actually entering the place and watching him behind the bar.
It was also the first time she had seen the full reality of his life outside St. Alder.
She found it difficult not to keep looking at him.
The costume did not help.
Audra eventually forced herself to glance away.
That only made her notice the women around her more clearly.
The witch beside her was Helena Baird.
Audra recognized her from previous encounters and from the way Cyrus had mentioned her.
Helena's attention seemed almost permanently fixed on Cyrus.
There was a quiet intensity in it that Audra did not know how to interpret.
Farther down the bar sat Daphne Whitlock.
Audra obviously knew her language arts teacher.
Beside Daphne was Vera Sable, the school nurse, except Vera currently had gray hair and gold eyes that Audra assumed were part of a Halloween costume.
Then there was Rhea Maddox, the police officer Audra had seen before.
Every one of them was beautiful.
Every one of them was older.
Every one of them, in one way or another, seemed to be paying attention to Cyrus.
Audra's confidence wavered.
She had always known she was attractive.
That was not arrogance so much as something other people had spent years making impossible for her to ignore.
Yet sitting here, surrounded by these women, Audra suddenly felt strangely ordinary.
Was the private time she spent studying with Cyrus really enough?
Was it enough to make him gradually choose her?
Could she truly assume that one day they would naturally become something more?
For the first time, the certainty she had built over the past few weeks developed a crack.
What advantage did she actually have?
She could help him study, and Cyrus clearly trusted her enough to keep meeting her alone. Until tonight, those things had felt important. Looking at the women around the bar made them feel much smaller.
Audra disliked that realization.
The doubt dimmed her expression slightly.
Vera noticed every bit of it.
Young crushes were wonderfully transparent.
She barely needed blood memories for this one.
Vera took another slow sip from her drink and enjoyed herself.
Tonight had absolutely been worth coming.
The only disappointing part was the lack of an actual fight.
Cyrus placed three glasses of milk in front of his classmates.
Owen looked at the wolf ears again.
"The last time I saw you working, you definitely were not dressed like this."
"It is only for Halloween."
Owen grinned.
"It actually suits you pretty well."
Cyrus shifted his eyes away slightly.
Helena, however, turned her head and looked directly at Owen.
For one strange second, Owen felt the air around him become unnaturally still.
His heartbeat stumbled.
Then he glanced toward Iris.
She looked completely normal.
Owen frowned to himself.
Maybe he had imagined it.
By the time he looked back, Helena was already watching Cyrus again.
Cyrus had noticed nothing.
Owen decided not to mention the strange sensation. Between the costumes, the lighting, and the number of people packed into the lounge, there were plenty of ordinary explanations for feeling unsettled.
After the three students tried their drinks, Cyrus lowered his voice.
"I would appreciate it if you did not tell anyone at school that I work here."
Iris nodded.
Audra did too.
Cyrus then noticed Vera lifting a hand as though she was about to contribute something.
Daphne had also looked over.
He immediately added, "That request includes both of you from St. Alder too. Please keep it quiet."
Vera's mouth turned down slightly.
She had not even said anything yet.
Vera considered that deeply unfair.
She had gotten plenty of entertainment tonight, but still no dramatic confrontation.
Then a burst of raised voices came from the back of the lounge.
Vera's disappointment vanished.
The noise grew louder.
She turned around immediately.
Had she finally thought something into existence?
If she said it out loud next time, would that make it count as a supernatural ability?
Two men near the rear tables were arguing.
Nobody seemed sure what started it, but within seconds their voices rose enough to overpower the music.
Then one shoved the other.
Cyrus's expression changed.
This was the first real disturbance he had ever seen inside The Full Moon Lounge.
Whatever problem those men had, this was his workplace.
They could not start fighting here.
Cyrus was already preparing to step out from behind the bar when Helena rose from her seat.
She walked toward the two men without any visible urgency.
Cyrus started to follow.
Malcolm reached out and stopped him.
"You can stay here. Helena can handle it."
Cyrus looked at him with obvious doubt.
Helena was not physically imposing.
She was elegant, calm, and usually gentle.
Nothing about her suggested she should be the person approaching two angry men who had already started shoving each other.
Still, Malcolm looked completely unconcerned.
Cyrus waited.
Helena reached the men and said something too quietly for the bar to hear.
The argument did not merely quiet down. It stopped completely.
Both men went completely silent.
For a moment, Cyrus thought Helena must have threatened to call the police.
Then the two men straightened almost at the same time.
One turned toward the room.
"We are sorry for disturbing everyone."
The other immediately followed.
"We apologize. We are leaving now."
They spoke loudly enough for most of the lounge to hear.
Then, without another argument, both walked directly toward the exit together.
The entrance bell rang.
They were gone.
Helena remained with her back to the room for another second before turning around.
Cyrus narrowed his eyes.
For the briefest instant, he thought he saw a faint green glimmer pass through Helena's eyes.
Then it disappeared.
He looked toward the nearby wall.
A green atmospheric light had been installed in that corner for Halloween.
So that was probably all he had seen.
Helena returned to her seat as if nothing unusual had happened.
Cyrus stared at her.
He had known for a while that beautiful people in human society sometimes received an absurd amount of cooperation simply because others did not want to make a scene in front of them.
Still, this seemed excessive.
Two men had gone from nearly fighting to apologizing and leaving together after Helena spoke a few quiet words.
Cyrus looked between Helena and the door.
Maybe she was simply much better at handling difficult customers than he realized.
The explanation was possible.
It just did not feel especially convincing.