The Knight Prince

Chapter 4

The pealing jingle of a bell announced Ari’s arrival as she opened the door to the Sweet Tooth coffee shop. As she strode inside, her fingers wrung the straps of her backpack, eyes sifting over the corner store’s mob of customers while she absently bit at her lips. Trying to avoid getting lost within the evening’s caffeine rush, she weasled through the crowd and found refuge against the far coral-colored wall between tall decorative shelving cases displaying various items for sale ranging from coffee bags, mugs, and other gear bearing the company’s name. Her Aunt Eva and Uncle Steven’s company.

Although she had heard how Sweet Tooth was doing well through her Aunt Renee’s constant bragging about her sister’s success, it was amazing to see it in action. With every possible area loitered with people, whether it be the tables that seated a party or two or four along outskirts of the café near the windows, or the center arrangement of overstuffed beige settees, or the rows of stools up at the counter bar, it proved Aunt Renee’s boasting was straight up legit. And that wasn’t even counting the queue of customers in the grab-and-go line.

“Ari?” She jumped at the call of her name, scouting the throng of bodies for the source. When her eyes fell on the tall, brunette waif clad in a light brown Sweet Tooth apron and visor, Ari felt a flood of relief wash over her taut shoulders. Her cousin Katherine, though she preferred Kiki, quickly delivered the coffee and muffins to the table she was serving, swinging the small circular platter under her arm as she shuffled through the labyrinth of customers.

Smiling, Ari broke away from the sanctuary of her hiding place, weaving through bodies and meeting Kiki. Wrapped in an immediate hug, they squealed in greeting. “Kiki, so good to see you!”

“s**t, lady, what the hell are you doing in NYC?” She pulled back, looking over Ari as if she were an anomaly, her eyes wide in amazement. “I didn’t think Auntie Renee would ever let you escape from Upstate. How’d ya break outta there?”

“Didn’t your mom tell you?” She was sure the aunts would have been talking, especially since Aunt Renee didn’t want her to come in the first place. “I’m going to be in the City a while. Ya know… because… of…”

Kiki’s expression slightly darkened, her smile wilting. “Oh, yeah. Right,” she shook her head, giving Ari a pass at needing to explain.

Although Xavier hadn’t been officially reported as a missing person yet, he was still missing, leaving everyone who cared about him in limbo, including Aunt Eva and Kiki. When their mother died in the car accident and their father went AWOL, she and Xavier were split apart. He was eight and she was only four. While Ari went to go live with Aunt Renee, her brother was raised by Aunt Eva and Uncle Steven. And not until a few years ago did she realize the reason behind their separation had everything to do with who their father was, who they were to become, and how it was imperative no one knew about them. Xavier was her brother, but for the most part, he was like a brother to Kiki, too.

“And no, I haven’t talked to my mom yet,” Kiki looked over her shoulder, both of them eyeing the back of a middle-aged woman working an espresso machine. Ari’s heart jittered a moment at seeing her aunt, even if it wasn’t yet her face. “Aside from the fact that mom is too worked up over the whole thing to even say Xav’s name, and between studying for my exams at NYU with working my slave hours here, and we haven’t had two seconds to chat.”

“Have you spoken to Michelle?” The memory of her sister-in-laws broken sobs while they spoke on the phone the other day still squeezed at her chest. “How is she?”

“Mish came by yesterday. She looks like s**t, but I don’t blame her,” Kiki frowned. “The cops haven’t had much luck on anything.”

“What happened that night? She didn’t tell me a lot.”

“We probably…” Kiki looked around, her eyes squinting at the crowd around them. “…should talk about this someplace else. Are you staying here long? Maybe we can shoot the s**t after my shift?”

“Well,” Ari hopped a little on the balls of her feet. “I’m hoping to stay here for as long as I can to find out what’s happened with my brother and stuff. So, I don’t know how long I’ll actually be here.”

“Wicked sweet!” Kiki’s black-painted fingernails flipped upward, positioned in the ‘rock on’ salute. “So you staying at my mom’s place then?”

“I—I hadn’t planned that far ahead,” she eyed her aunt again, who had now honed-in on them, her right hand bracing her hip. Ari waved, a half-smile quirking at her lips. After an excruciating number of seconds, her aunt finally returned the wave, beckoning her over.

As she strode to the counter, Kiki followed, speaking in close to her ear so she could be heard over the din of the shop. “Well, if you don’t want to be suffocated under the thumb of another Kerry sister, AKA my mother, then you’re always welcome to crash at my apartment near campus?” She had finished her invitation the moment they arrived in front of Aunt Eva.

“Nonsense, Kiki. Ariana will be staying with me.” The finality in her voice, the way he aunt's eyes bore into hers with all the suffocating concern that she had just escaped from with her Aunt Renee, Ari found herself shaking her head.

“It’s ok, Aunt Eva. I think I’ll bunk with Kiki.” Ari’s chin lifted, keeping eye contact with her. Like hell would she jump from one lockdown situation into another. If that happened, there was no way she would get anything done.

Sure, she was a newbie witch and there were people in this city who wanted her dead, but she was twenty years old and could handle her own s**t. Even though she was far from being a Mistress witch, she had learned a lot over the last two years and wasn’t half-bad with what she could do with her magic. All she needed to survive New York City was a few defensive spells, right?

A line grooved between Aunt Eva’s eyebrows at Ari’s protest, her lips pursing for a second. Yet, although she didn’t like being countered, she seemed to be a woman of compromise. “Fine, but you’ll need to earn your keep. We’ll help you settle in of course, but I don’t accept any freeloaders. And a Kerry girl is never a charity case, Ariana!” She added with a quick nod, “You’ll be working here, at the coffee shop, with Kiki while you’re with us.”

“No, a Kerry girl is not a charity case," Ari smiled. "And I would love working here with you.” Although she had taken on Aunt Renee’s last name of Reine when she moved in with them years ago, she would always be a Kerry. Cassidy Kerry’s daughter. As well as her father’s daughter, but no one knew his name. When he disappeared, it seemed everything that was him, everything that was him and Cassidy, had disappeared along with him.

Kiki snorted, “Of course, what mom is really saying is she wants to keep an eye on you,” she nudged Ari’s side. “Why do you think she has me working here?”

“And you’ll be working here until the day you die, Katherine Lewis,” Aunt Eva glared.

“Wrong, mother!” Kiki rolled her eyes. “The reason I'm attending NYU is NOT to become some barista. I’ll be starting my internship in a few months and I’m outta here!”

A cute guy around her age with sandy-brown hair and hazel eyes suddenly slid into place at Aunt Eva’s side. Ari glanced at the golden name tag which scripted ‘Mason’ pinned to his chest, as he placed two tall paper coffee cups on the counter between them, glancing up at Kiki. “Sorry, Keeks, we signed on at Sweet Tooth with our own blood. We’re all stuck here for life!”

“Don’t damn me into your own personal hell, Mason,” Kiki’s hip c****d out as she placed her hand on it. “Dreamslayer!”

“Well, this Dreamslayer needs you to get these lattes out to table seven,” his head jerked slightly to the right, toward the direction she needed to go.

“Slave driver!” Kiki stuck her tongue at him before grabbing the drinks and spinning on her heel as she made her dramatic exit.

“Hi, I’m Mason Rutledge,” he smiled, jetting out his hand. She took it, shaking it as she returned the smile.

“Ariana Reine. My friends call me Ari.”

“Well, it’s good to meet you, Ari,” he said softly. “It will be nice having a new face around here.”

“Mason, you see like a hundred new faces a day!” Aunt Eva rolled her eyes, “And flirting with my niece isn’t making me any money,” she shoo’ed. “Get your ass back on the register. Now! Skat!” She pushed on his arm, encouraging him to get moving. He chuckled, waving at Ari before conceding back to taking customer orders. The couple he was helping had asked for something out of the large glass display case off to the side of the register filled with an array of desserts.

Ari's eyes peeled as she leaned back a little, trying to get a better look at what the coffee shop had to offer, wondering if the sweets were homemade. Already eager to get her hands on a bag of flour, Ari’s mind raced with ideas on what her aunt could add to the selections. Baking sweets had been a hobby of hers, mostly because she had a sweet tooth herself, but even more so, she loved the smiles on people’s faces when they were enjoying something she had made. It was why she had wanted to go to culinary school in the first place.

Maybe Aunt Eva would let her tinker around?

“Let’s start you out, tonight? The coffee rush has just about ended, but we’ll be getting people in and out all night until closing. Why don’t you go find an apron back in the office and we’ll have Kiki train you on a few things.”

“Sounds good,” Ari’s eyes brightened for the first time she had come to New York City. The only time she would get to see Aunt Eva, Uncle Steve, Xavier and Kiki were when they made the trip upstate for the holidays. And that wasn’t much, either. It would be great to actually get to know her city family better. And maybe, they could even help her find out more about Xavier’s disappearance.

Finding a Sweet Tooth apron in the cabinets in the backroom, Ari slipped it over her head, adjusting it as she looked at herself in the full-length mirror. Smoothing out the company logo on the bib’s center, she chuckled at the pink cupcake’s huge, toothy smile. It was cheesy, but it was also cute. Gimmicky at best. People seemed to like it or maybe the coffee here was just that damn good.

As Ari gathered her long blonde hair into a ponytail that hung off the lower side of her head, Aunt Eva walked into the office and over to the desk, rummaging through a small pile of papers that were settled on the edge. “Hey, you ready?”

“Yep!” She said as she wrapped the ties around to the front of her stomach to tighten the apron down because it was a bit too big for her slim form. “Teach me coffee!”

“Baby steps, my dear,” Aunt Eva chuckled. “There is an art to a good cup of coffee, and you won’t learn it all today, but you’ll get there.” She walked up to her, smoothing out her hair and tucking some stray strands behind her ear. “This gorgeous blonde hair, big blue eyes…” her voice trailed off. For a moment, she simply stared at Ari, before her eyes misted, and she looked away. “You always looked so much like your mother.”

“That’s what I’ve heard,” Ari cleared her throat, blinking back tears that burned in her eyes. Four-years-old was a long time ago for her, enough time that some would say she shouldn’t remember who Cassidy Kerry was, or maybe feel any real grief for losing her. But there had always been a harrowing in her heart and a sinking ball in her stomach whenever she thought of the person in the photographs. Ari felt guilty about the things she allowed herself to forget.

“Ariana, why did you come here?” It wasn’t anger in her voice. It nearly sounded like fear had wilted her plea. And fear is something she understood. It’s what she was used to feeling with Aunt Renee ever since she turned 18 and went through the trezire. Because it meant she was different, and they were afraid of what that difference did to her mother, possibly her brother, and now maybe to her.

Ari pulled back, shaking her head. “I don’t want to hear this from you, either. I know that maybe me coming here was the stupidest thing that I could ever have done, but I feel I should be here. Especially with Xavier missing. I feel I need to at least figure out what happened to him. And maybe I… I could get some other answers, too.”

“Answers to what?”

“To maybe…” Ari shrugged, her words failing to string together in her mind in a way that didn’t freak her aunt out too much. She knew how her mother’s sisters felt about her father. But they didn’t understand that this guy was still her dad, and someone she was curious about.

Aunt Eva already seemed to be cuing into her thoughts. “Is this about finding your father?”

“I— I don’t know? Probably?” Ari sighed, letting go of her reservations. “Ok, yes. It is. I mean, look at everything that’s happened. With Xav and I being… different. And things just seem like it all connects back to my dad.”

Aunt Eva held her forehead, looking like she was squinting through a migraine. “This is exactly why you shouldn’t be here. It’s why I promised your mother that you were never to come back here if something were to happen to her.” Ari frowned at this confession. Her mother knew. But of course, she would. And her aunt knew something, too.

Yet, here she was, treading water, while the ocean of years of their omissions threatened to swallow her. Although she understood their need to shove her away like some box at the back of a closet, betrayal nipped at her loyalties. Her aunts and uncles meant well, sure. But all the bubble wrap they tightly wound around her and thought was keeping her safe was actually suffocating her.

“I’m not leaving until I figure this out,” Ari couldn’t keep the barb from her voice. “And you can support me or not, but it doesn’t change anything with what I believe I need to do here.” With that, she strode past her aunt and out of the office.

Finding Kiki chatting with Mason at the counter, Ari took a few seconds, a few breaths, to unknot her stomach before marching over to them. With her face plastered in a nearly genuine smile, because the argument she had with her aunt still shadowed her mood, she greeted them.

“Woohoo, look at you getting all official,” Kiki snickered, eyeing Ari’s apron. “And... with your first assignment as barista, I’m going to throw you to the wolves. None of that easy peasy bullshit, ok? You’ve got to learn how us New Yorkers do things.” She grabbed Ari's shoulders, pointing her in the direction she wanted her to look.

“Hey, I’m a New Yorker?” Ari professed.

“Oh, sweetie. Upstaters aren’t real New Yorkers,” Kiki winked. “So, first off, you're going to take an order of coffee over to that couple there,” she pointed to the far corner of the store. “That’s table 14.” Ari followed her cousin’s finger to a man and a woman who looked to be in a heated discussion. Although they were leaning in, trying to keep their voices down, their loud whispers sizzled with anger. The man’s back was to her, but she could see the woman's scowling face. Though, her perfect features screamed supermodel or something Hollywood, with the thick cascade of silky chocolate-brown hair, perfect make-up, and exquisite tight red dress that showcased a drool-worthy body.

“Um…” Ari balked. “They don’t look like they want to be… bothered right now?” she swallowed, hoping her inadvertent plea to avoid that couple at all costs was heard loud and clear. All three of them flinched when the man’s palm slammed on the table.

Mason chuckled, “But they still ordered and paid for these cappuccinos,” he shoved into Ari’s hands.

“I wasn’t kidding when I said I was throwing you to the wolves, Babe,” Ari wanted to rip that smirk off Kiki’s face. “Now, go on. And remember to smile. Those two look loaded with cash, so you might get a nice tip.”

“S-so, I just… put these down in front of them and leave?”

“Yeah,” she said as she coaxed Ari to move a few steps with an encouraging nudge. “And try to up-sell too… ask them if they want anything else. Offer them dessert.”

Ari growled inwardly, watching the couple as she slowly approached. Her feet felt like they were laden with concrete. The closer she got, the more she was certain these two were knocking on the door of divorce court or something like that, and screw Kiki for setting her up like this!

Payback was going to be a b***h, she just needed to figure out how she was going to get her cousin back!

When Ari came within a few feet of the table, the woman caught sight of her and stopped whatever conversation she was having with her companion, but Ari had caught the last string of hissed words. Something about a baby. s**t, these guys had a kid involved in their obvious rocky relationship. Ari instantly felt bad for whatever the child had to go through at home or would go through if these two ever split.

The woman crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her manicured nails against them, as she sat back in her chair while Ari set their coffee in front of them. Since the woman was in her line of sight, she addressed her first, “Would you like anything else?”

“No. And thank you,” the woman’s answer was short, curt, but her voice was beautiful, just like her appearance. Ok, that wasn’t so bad. One down, one to go. Swinging her attention toward the gentleman with her best smile, she was about to ask him the same question, but her words caught within her throat.

Locking eyes with the most striking green she had ever seen, Ari choked on her breath. Unable to look away. Didn’t want to. Because looking away could mean they’d disappear, he'd disappear, and she wouldn’t ever see anything so beautiful ever again.

Besides, she wasn’t the only one being all creeper-stalker either. He was doing it, too. This sexy man with dark hair and lush eyelashes framing those unforgettable eyes was looking at her, too! His expression was a mirror, sharing every bit of the shock, the wonder, the… connection? as her own.

In those endless seconds, it didn’t feel like they were in a coffee shop on the corner of a busy New York City street. They couldn’t be. Because it felt like it was only her and him, in some sort of voided space, blocking out everything around them, and the only thing she could hear was his hitching breath, and his quick intake of air through his nose as he sniffed.

Wait. Was he sniffing the air?

Is he sniffing me?

Ari snapped back into reality as she watched him lean in slightly to inhale again. Self-conscious, she subtly turned her head to the left, smelling herself, too. To make sure she didn’t stink.

Having just come from a long bus ride, maybe she wasn’t as spring fresh as she should have been?

Ugh! This is a nightmare! A gorgeous man notices me and I stink?

But seriously? Was this guy actually checking if I had BO?

Her own quick sniff left her confused. She hadn’t smelled anything alarming.

Am I not smelling my only funk? Am I missing something?

UGH! He just did it again!

What is up with this guy?