Chapter 31: Why Me?

Castian Reycan was a creature of habit. He had a schedule and it almost never varied.

Weekdays he worked 9-5 then took evening classes at the University of Miami getting yet another master's degree. This time it was in Sustainable Business so he could be of more use to his clan as they moved forward into the future.

He wasn't the only one studying that subject matter at the moment. Two other elves who worked at Elite Financial Solutions were doing the same. They intended to use their knowledge to improve their branch and start up an additional side business together that wouldn't harm the environment more than the humans already did.

What little free time he had was spent studying, often with his kin since they had all started their master's degrees at the same time, but he did have a standing appointment with Harmony Netzley on Friday nights after work. It was the only time he saw her unless he needed to drop by the witch coven for something or other and she happened to be behind the desk.

They had only run into each other in public one other time at an office supply store. To say they didn't run in the same circles would be a massive understatement.

Why would they? Harmony was a witch. Witches and elves had a business arrangement to maintain the balance of the fae world but that was it.

Castian typically only interacted with fae other than elves in a work context when VIP customers came to call. That didn't even happen every day because there were far more humans in this area than there were fae. Which was the case anywhere you went these days.

Elves and witches had adapted to this changed world best. In an effort to continue to better blend in and come out on top, most of his brethren had been getting graduate degree after graduate degree right along with him for decades. Every time someone finished a program they chose another one.

It wasn't as if they couldn't afford it. Elves were the richest of all fae races because they had discovered early on that the best way to get by in the human world was to have lots of money. They learned rather quickly how to make that happen to their best advantage.

Castian, like the rest of his kin, was a pragmatist. He never involved himself in anything frivolous or unnecessary…until he happened to get dragged into one of Harmony's schemes.

They had shared a physical relationship for nearly twenty-one years now but he truly didn't know much about her. Why would he need to? Everything about their relationship was transactional.

He knew what she liked in bed but that was the extent of it. He hadn't needed to know anything else.

Finding out she was not only good friends with a water fairy but that they shared an interest in mermaids was surprising. In all the time they had been together she had never tried to reschedule or skip out early before this. She knew her duty as well as he did.

It shouldn't have surprised him though. Witches were known for being passionate about their research. He had simply never seen it up close before.

Castian knew that witches' eyes glowed when they were casting magic but he hadn't realized they also did when they were excited. He had never seen Harmony's neon green eyes look like that before Friday night.

He had been rather bemused by the whole encounter. Between Harmony and that mermaid, Talori, it was impossible to tell who was more excited. He had never seen so much enthusiasm in such a small space before and didn't know what to do with it but stand there and watch.

Harmony's water fairy friend, Brennan, seemed used to it. Of course. He had been hanging around her for an indeterminate amount of time and had been in the company of that very excitable mermaid for at least a few days straight.

He handled Talori very patiently. Castian wasn't sure he would be able to do the same if their positions were reversed.

It was strange seeing Harmony act so differently than she usually was around him. He could still remember the night they met when she coolly and clinically approached him at that party meant to match up elves and witches. She had been wearing a black dress and boredly swirling around a glass of wine, downing it all in one gulp before she walked over to where he was standing quietly in a corner of the room.

"Hey, do you want to get out of here? I'd really rather not waste my time socializing when I have things to do."

"You don't even know my name."

"That's an easy fix though. I'm Harmony Netzley. You are?"

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"Castian Reycan. Why me?" he asked.

Castian had been forced to come to this party but hadn't anticipated actually pairing up with someone by the end of the night. He had never had a relationship before with either a witch or an elf. He hadn't been interested.

That was why his kin dragged him there. They said that everyone had to do it at some point so he may as well try. They were all at least making an effort to socialize by engaging in small talk with some of the other witches but he had thought he was fulfilling his duty simply by showing up.

Harmony shrugged. "You're the only one not already talking to someone else that I can see. I'd rather not deal with the hassle of waiting around."

Straightforward and to the point. That was how she had always been around him. He hadn't been able to argue with that logic so they ended up leaving and taking advantage of getting a room since the party was being held at a hotel.

Castian hadn't intended to get involved with a witch but since one picked him, he knew it was his duty to follow through. And it didn't end up being as bothersome as he would have thought.

Harmony wasn't fussy, didn't contact him unnecessarily, and gave great neck messages. He had come to rely on those as time went by.

They had a good arrangement going on. So when she said she wanted to reschedule and he literally couldn't because he had class both of the nights she suggested he ended up going along to help with her emergency. He didn't want to end up skipping a week when he had bothered going to see her in the first place.

Now he wasn't sure whether or not he should have done that. The whole evening had been rather perplexing because he learned a lot more about his girlfriend than he had bargained for.

Whenever he saw Harmony (unless she was at work) she was always pretty dressed up. She didn't beat around the bush and got right down to business.

It was strange seeing her wearing a full face of makeup in such casual clothes but she had likely changed knowing she might have to get her hands dirty. That was only the beginning of Castian's realization that he didn't know what she got up to when they weren't together at all.

How long had she been friends with a water fairy? That was certainly an unusual friendship. Witches did have to interact with all sorts of fae since they were the backbone of the fae community so it was honestly more surprising that Brennan had gotten involved than she did. Fairies tended to stick with other fairies unless they needed something.

But Brennan was clearly well-acquainted with Harmony's office because he didn't so much as bat an eye at the strange instruments in there or the scorch marks on the walls. They must spend a lot of time together.

Castian had never been in her office before but why would he? He had no reason to go into the back area of the witch coven before now. He always picked up his merchandise at the front desk and left, like the majority of fae did. He wasn't sure how many non-witches had even managed to make it back here before but it couldn't be many.

Seeing Harmony in her element was strange. He had known her for decades but only in a very specific context.

This was the sort of thing that was familiar and natural to her. Obviously, she didn't get involved with mermaids every day but tonight she was acting more like her real self than she ever did around him.

At least that was the impression Castian got. She didn't say anything after they dropped off Brennan and Talori but he could tell her mind was racing as they drove.

He wasn't sure what to say. Tonight had been more than a bit overwhelming. It took him a while to come up with something and when he did it wasn't very original but it was the best he had.

"I never thought I would see a mermaid."

"I've seen one before. They always send the same guy to exchange the tears for magic items. Someone from my coven goes every three months to a prearranged meeting place. He was very tight-lipped though. Did the transaction then left without stopping to chat," Harmony told him.

"I never thought I would get to meet such a chatty one! I'm willing to bet she's going to tell me all about merfolk society and I can't wait.. I can't believe Brennan stuck around to play anthropologist though, that's just like him."

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