The Elven woman rolled her eyes. "My parents want me to, but I don't really care."

Fred sat down near her, but not in her space. He pulled out a textbook, but kept glancing in her direction. "I mean, have the healers figured out what's wrong?"

"No. My grandmother wants me to visit the edges of the old forest, and speak with some elders. She remembers something similar happening to others, but it was before her time."

"I'm sorry," he said with a soft smile. "But you're strong and will beat this, whatever it is."

She shrugged her shoulders and held out the drawing. "What do you think?"

That's when I spotted the Cat. His nose reached out and he touched her mug. Magic tingled and the mug suddenly lit up, yet neither the troll nor the elf noticed. The Cat slumped back on the table like he'd suddenly lost all of his bones.

The two kept chatting about classes, oblivious to what had just happened.

Then Fred went back to his textbook and notes, while Allisa flipped to a new page and started a new sketch.

Whatever the Cat did, it didn't change the fact that the sketchbook still sparkled.

"Did you sip my drink, little man?" Allisa asked the cat. She petted him for several moments as I tried to focus on my book and figure out how to ask about her sketchbook.

Yet, she suddenly grabbed a pencil and started on a new page.

The story couldn't hold my attention, and now I worried about the Cat as he just lay there, though he was still breathing.

The door jingled, and a crowd of others took my attention off the situation. All humans getting drinks to go and nothing special. The mid-morning rush definitely took off.

The Cat almost spooked me into dropping a drink when he leaped up onto the counter near the register and went to sleep.

The cinnamon rolls sold quickly until a single one waited, all by itself, mocking me whenever I spotted it. I did not need another sweet treat, especially after the last few days without Indigo. The number of treats I'd allowed myself exceeded my limits.

Finally, the rush slowed down, and I started thinking about lunch. I knew for dinner I wanted to order Chinese, so ordering food for lunch was a no go. No one needed anything, and I darted in the back to make a sandwich, which didn't take long. I left one on the counter for the Cat as well.

By the time I got back out front, another troll had entered the shop. This time I didn't recognize them at all. They waved at Fred, and approached the counter with a smile.

"Welcome, what can I get started for you?" I asked.

"Can I get a vanilla latte and that last cinnamon roll?"

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"Of course, coming right up." I quickly got to work grabbing a mug and steaming the milk. "How's your day going?"

"Awesome, I aced my last final and now I get to relax until classes are back in session."

I nodded as I set his drink on the counter and grabbed a plate for the treat. Thankfully, I had tongs to use and handed the gooey deliciousness over once he tapped his credit card.

"Yo, Allisa, I thought you were headed home," he said, turning and catching sight of the woman. He sat down right next to her as she rolled her eyes at him. "Woah, that's an exceptional sketch."

That golden outline shimmered again, then went out as the two of them began talking.

"Okay," I muttered under my breath and then checked on the Cat. He still slept, and I gave his head a pat. He lifted it and cracked open an eye before closing it again.

Something felt wrong with the Cat, but I didn't know what to do. If the coffee shop wasn't open, I'd take him upstairs and cuddle with him on the couch. Maybe get him some food. But with the shop open, all I could do was sit here and wait…

"Can I get a tea?" asked Allisa with the sketchbook under her arm. Her voice knocked me out of my mood.

"Of course, let me grab you a new mug…"

"Actually, can I get it to go?" She smiled and set her nice ceramic mug on the counter. "I can't spend all day sketching, after all."

"What'd you sketch?" I asked as I grabbed a to-go cup. I motioned to the various tea canisters on the back wall.

She pulled the sketchbook out and flipped open to a page covered with pencil marks.

Gold flashed along the edges as she flipped it around to show me.

She'd sketched the face of a man. He had sharp pointed ears, and eyes that stared into my soul. Something about him felt familiar.

"Who is he?" I asked. "You're really talented."

"No clue, his face flashed in my mind while working today." She paused, glancing at the canisters. "Can I get the spiced apple?"

"Of course." I pulled it down and used tongs to grab a tea bag from inside before putting it into the cup. I poured hot water over it, but not boiling water since I didn't want to burn the tea. Then I set a timer for 4 minutes.

"It will be done in a jiffy… If you want something sweet, I can toss a little maple syrup into it. It goes with the apple perfectly."

She leaned forward with a smile. "Yes, please."

I added a jiggle of syrup and stirred it slowly with a spoon as I waited for the timer to go off. When it did, I removed the tea bag and added the lid. When I turned back, I found the Cat eyeing the sketchbook.

"Here you go," I set the drink on the counter and rang it up.

Allisa tapped her card and gave the Cat one last pat before she put the sketchbook in her bag and grabbed her cup.

"Thank you!"

"Have a good day!"

The Cat didn't move, just staring at her as she left the shop.

***

It shouldn't have been possible.

But I did it anyway.

As soon as she touched my fur, I knew what was wrong. The healers wouldn't be able to fix it. The magic that connected her to her people, and eventually to me, had frayed. Her connection to the ley lines had frayed. Without that, as a person of a magical race she would slowly fade, then die.

I couldn't let that happen.

So I fixed it.

My bones felt on fire as I shoved past the limits placed on me. Everything inside me turned to nothing as I waited for my punishment.

Yet, it didn't come.

They didn't come.

And then…

I stared as she left the shop, that sketch still with her. That beautiful, lost, ancient image of what I used to be.

Impossible.

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