Keeper's Reign by Eliza Leone

Chapter 1: Impatience

Onnie stopped on the cobblestone sidewalk and looked at a wooden sign above her that swayed gently in the soft breeze. The Book Nook was burned into the wood and was surrounded by an intricate curling design that reminded her of steam rising from a cup. Below the sign was a wooden door painted a cheerful green, and there was a considerable terracotta pot filled with flowers to the right of it. The smell of fresh flowers and foliage drifted off them, and Onnie smiled down at them. She looked over her shoulder at the building across the street that was bursting with flowers and then back down to the terracotta pot, assuming they were probably tended to by that florist. Like most of the town, the bookshop was a single-story building with old-fashioned windows and walls made of sturdy red brick that looked to have survived many rainy seasons.

Lifting her face to the sky, Onnie smiled and hiked her messenger bag higher on her shoulder. A few fluffy clouds were floating around the grey-blue expanse, and a light fog seemed to have followed her down the street this morning as she walked. The city of Alku was cold, green, and wet. The exact opposite of what she was used to in Los Angeles, and she was no longer unsure if she would like the change of scenery.

Now that she stood before her family's legacy, she closed her eyes and let the feeling of belonging wash over her. Onnie was ready to explore her new life in the new city she would now call home. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the moist Washington air, and rested her palm on the store's door. She softly ran her fingers over its surface, the grain in the wood still pronounced enough to feel through the layers of paint. It radiated warmth, and the contrast with the weather around her made her grin. It felt cozy, even from the outside. With one last breath, she pushed open the welcoming wooden door and stepped inside.

Onnie blinked as her eyes tried to adjust to the dim interior of the bookshop. Everywhere she looked, there were books. They were stacked in piles along the walls, filling a mismatched army of shelves, and some were even under glass in cases. Considering the size of the building and the number of books Onnie could see just from where she stood, there had to be thousands. Her Grandfather's explanation of the shop had been far too modest.

"I'll be right with you," an older woman said from further inside the shop, and Onnie didn't answer her, instead wandering to a nearby shelf.

"Where is it, Rebecca? I need that book." A deep

male voice said in frustration.

Onnie quickly ducked behind a row of shelves and out of the central aisle. The last thing she needed on her first day in Alku was to walk in on some altercation. She moved to get away from drama. However, she wasn't above eavesdropping to learn a bit more about her new town.

She made her way down the aisle, out of sight and in the direction of the two strangers. When she judged herself to be approximately even with the front counter, she removed a thick scroll from the center of a backless shelf, creating a gap. Careful not to push anything off the stack and onto the floor on the other side, she peered through.

Presumably, the older woman was Rebecca, who was currently frowning at the man at the counter. She was well dressed with a classic feel to her. Two pins tipped with pearls that matched the string around her long, delicate neck set her silver hair in a perfect chignon. She wore a conservative knee-length cream skirt with a black sweater and a purple shawl over one shoulder.

"It still hasn't come forward, Gabriel. You know how this place works. The book will show itself when you are ready for it."

The man was leaning on the marble counter, not talking with Rebecca, just staring at her. His hair was a rich chocolate brown, which had fallen forward, obscuring his features from where Onnie was spying. His workout shorts exposed the legs of a marathon runner, lean and powerful while not being bulky or overly lumbering. His fleece jacket outlined that his arms and torso were just as slim and fit.

What was most striking about the stranger was his height. He must have been at least six and a half feet tall, which, compared to her five foot four inches, was a literal giant. As Onnie's eyes wandered over the stranger, she couldn't help but blush at his perfectly sculpted backside, but the man's frustrated voice broke her ogling.

"I'm ready, Rebecca. When I'm not teaching, I do nothing but train, day in and day out! I can do this. Tell her to give me the damn book." The man sighed heavily. "You know how important it is that we do it before he gets any worse."

"You know I cannot force her to do anything she does not wish to do, Gabriel. You must wait and trust her to provide it when the time is right.

Besides, the next one isn't ready yet. You must both be." Rebecca said quietly.

The woman glanced to the shelf Onnie was hidden behind, and though she knew she was fully concealed, Onnie shivered and covered her mouth to quiet her breath anyway.

"We're running out of time." He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, giving Onnie her first glimpse at his straight nose and chiseled jawline. "But you're right. She's never been wrong before.

The woman smiled. "Continue your training. I will call you when it comes forward," Rebecca rested her hand on the man's forearm, "You have my word."

Gabriel sighed and raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, Bec, fine. You win. Call me the moment that book shows up." He nodded once. "Tell the old man I said hello."

"I will. Take care of yourself, Gabe." Rebecca placed her hand on his cheek, her eyes filled with tenderness.

"You're not eating enough again."

Pulling her small hand from his whiskery jaw,

Gabriel sighed. "See you later, Bec."

Gabriel turned and shoved his fists into the front pockets of his coat as he stepped forward.

Out of the corner of his eye, his sight connected with Onnie's, and she knew she'd been caught.

She heard the man's breath catch as he stopped short to look at her, a look of surprise plain on his expression.

Onnie stumbled back, embarrassed at being caught eavesdropping, and quickly replaced the scroll on the shelf. Her heart raced, but she turned her back in the man's direction and pretended to busy herself with whatever the closest book was to her hand. It looked like she'd found a New Age section or something, the text describing rituals and protection spells.

She absentmindedly flipped through the book, still in her hand, but her mind was elsewhere. From the sounds of it, that man was looking for a particular book and not having any luck. Rebecca had mentioned another woman was also looking for it, so maybe another clerk wasn't working today.

Another stab of worry hit Onnie. Her Grandfather hadn't mentioned that he needed not one but two people to help run the store for him. He apparently hadn't told her everything, and a sense of dread rippled up her body.

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