Chapter 39: Coffee & Crystals
Zhan walked a lap of the shopping centre’s ground floor once before realising that the ’high class cafe’ was in fact the generic coffee shop near the ice rink next to the fast food, burger restaurant. Zhan scowled, rechecked the notifications on his phone, then went in.
Inside, the cafe was mostly filled with smart casual digital nomads and high school students in uniform though there appeared to be a few couples on dates as well. It was the middle of the day in the middle of the week, but Zhan knew it wasn’t his place to pass judgement. This was a different era from the one he’d grown up in so he merely shook his head and threaded his way to the one empty corner.
Because this corner was not in fact empty. Strange, given the cafe’s turnover but completely understandable if one knew who was currently occupying the seats under a perfectly weaved invisibility spell.
On one side of the table sat a handsome man whose age was difficult to pinpoint at a mere glance. On the one hand, he appeared youthful, yet on the other, wizened beyond his years. To most this gave him an air of alluring mystery but to Zhan it was irritating to the extreme.
Next to him, sat a woman who would have looked beautiful in any era but who looked especially pretty in the current one with her sleek dark hair and tastefully applied makeup. Even Zhan had to agree that she looked good though the amount of time she spent glued to her phone irked him.
The boy, hands shoved into his pockets, sat down in the last remaining seat. "So?" he asked, nodding to the woman.
"We were just waiting for you," said the handsome man instead, inclining his head.
"No one asked you, Morgan," said Zhan.
Morgan sighed but said nothing.
The woman locked her phone and placed it face down on the table. There were no drinks in front of them.
"The schedule for the harvest has been moved up," said the woman. In contrast to her supple looks, her voice was harsh like ice breaking.