Mystics 3-Book Collection by Kim Richardson Page B

her
lovely bed at the Wander Inn and staring out at the rolling
hills outside her window—and not at a concrete jungle—she knew it
was all real .
    She pulled on a new pair of jeans, t-shirt,
laced up her sneakers, and brushed her hair into a static mess of a
ponytail. She closed her bedroom door and went downstairs.
    She was greeted by the same man she had seen
the night before. He was sitting in the living area, and another
man in his thirties sat by himself. Zoey sat at a table near the
windows. As soon as she had taken her seat, Aria rushed towards
her, holding four plates piled with food.
    “Nothing like a good breakfast to start the
day.”
    She placed the plates carefully in front of
Zoey and watched her eagerly with her yellow cat-like eyes.
    “Hope you like a big breakfast, I wasn’t
sure what you liked, so I made a little of everything. I’m afraid I
got a little carried away. But please don’t feel pressured
to eat everything , I don’t want to make you sick on your
very first day.”
    Aria’s yellow eyes and four arms still made
Zoey a little uncomfortable, and she did her best not to stare. And
yet, there was something comforting about the gray-skinned woman.
Like a real aunt or close relative, Aria made Zoey feel safe.
    Zoey had never seen so much food so early in
the morning. It was a breakfast buffet for her alone, and she was
ravenous.
    “This is great. It smells amazing. Thank
you, Aria.”
    Aria beamed and wiped her four hands on her
apron. “Well, let me know if you want anything else, I’ll go and
fetch you a nice big glass of orange juice. Be right back.”
    There was bacon, scrambled and poached eggs,
eggs benedict, pancakes, French toast, potatoes, sausages, fruits,
breads, oatmeal, three different types of cereal, and baked beans.
She had two servings of everything and washed it all down with a
giant glass of orange juice. It was the most delicious breakfast
Zoey had ever eaten. Clearly Aria was a master chef. She burped
when she had finished, and Aria giggled.
    “Morning Aria.”
    Tristan strolled through the dining room.
Zoey’s eyes met his for a second, and he looked down with a
widening smile.
    She wiped the crumbs from her face. She
realized that the enormous pile of plates in front of her made her
look like a pig, and that he had probably heard her burp, too.
    Then another series of goose bumps riddled
her skin, but she had no idea what to make of them. Was it because
Aria was near? She would have to control her seventh sense. She
tried to calm down, and the feelings slowly disappeared.
    Aria stacked the empty plates. “Hi Tristan,
can I get you anything? There are still lots in the kitchen. A
growing boy like you needs to eat.”
    “Smells delicious, but I’ve already eaten,
thanks. I’m here to pick up Zoey for her first lesson.”
    He stared at the leftovers on the table and
the crumbs on her shirt. “Someone’s been busy. Did you eat all of it?”
    “What?” said Zoey, wiping her shirt. “I have
to catch up on fourteen years of malnourishment. Thought I’d get an
early start.”
    “I can see that,” laughed Tristan.
    “I couldn’t help myself,” said Zoey as she
sipped the last of her orange juice and smacked her lips loudly.
“It was the best food I’ve ever tasted in my entire life.”
    Aria beamed.
    “Well, our first class starts in fifteen
minutes,” said Tristan.
    “We better get going. Agent Ward is really
strict about punctuality. She’s always giving extra duties for
being late. I think she secretly enjoys it. You don’t want to start
off on her bad side— trust me.”
    She swallowed. “Right—the operative’s
program—Okay. Well, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” She knew she
didn’t sound very convincing, even to herself, and she doubted
Tristan bought it.
    Leaving the Wander Inn behind, Zoey
followed Tristan across the grounds and into the agency. Throngs of
humans and mystics stepped out of the mirrors, and even though she
had seen