by Claire Luana
“Very first,” Wren said.
“Dash is sorry he couldn’t make it,” Olivia said. “He’s buried with a new crop of recruits.” Dash had been promoted to captain of the Cedar Guard and was busy trying to replenish the ranks the invasion had decimated.
Wren waved a hand. “He’ll have plenty of chances to come by. Tell him we missed him. What can we get you?”
“I want a scoop of the lemon basil sorbet Thom has refused to shut up about,” Olivia said.
“Right this way, ma’am,” Thom joked as he walked around the counter, brandishing a silver ice cream scoop.
“And what can I get for you?” Wren asked Callidus with only a touch of hesitation. Things had been strange between them since Wren and Thom had announced they were leaving the Guildhall. Not bad, but...there were words unsaid.
“A cupcake, I think,” Callidus said. “Maybe one of those rose ones.” He nodded towards cupcakes frosted like blushing roses crowning the three-tiered display on the counter.
She looked back at him and let out a disbelieving laugh. “Really?”
A smile broke across his face. It was so uncommon, it touched her. “I hear they’re to die for.”
Wren smacked her hand against her forehead, groaning. “That’s terrible.”
A laugh escaped him. “I couldn’t resist. I was sad, you know, when you said you were leaving. But now... This suits you, Wren. I’m happy for you.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, overcome with emotion. How far they’d come together. What they’d been through. She’d never really thought she’d end up here. Happy.
“The Guild’s door is always open, you know. For both of you.”
“Will you be all right?” Wren asked.
“Oh yes.” Callidus waved a hand. “Olivia and Marina could run the place in their sleep. Though with the gold we sent to the Red Badger, we’ll have to tighten our belt for a year or so.”
Wren snorted. “I still don’t think we should have paid Ansel anything.”
“I debated. But he did help us get into the palace. Him and Griff and the men and women who follow them. We couldn’t have done it without them. So I sent him half.”
Wren had received a letter from Ansel a month ago, admitting he’d been wrong to doubt her, and wishing her happiness. She found she hoped for the same, for him.
Callidus continued. “But don’t you worry about us. We’ll be fine. Though things certainly are less exciting without you and Thom and Hale around.”
The mention of Hale brought another wistful smile to her face. “Have you heard from him?” she asked. She had stood on the docks just two days ago, waving goodbye as Hale had stood on the deck of the Sea Witch, Griff’s flagship, waving back at her. It turned out he and Griff had known each other back when they’d been young. Hale had decided he needed some time away from the Guild to find himself again. Away from Maradis and the memories it held.
“Not yet, but they shouldn’t get to Centa Kana for another day. He promised to write from there,” Callidus said. “At least we know Griff will keep him in line.”
“She said she was going to make him work to pay his way. Can you imagine?” Wren laughed. “Hale doing hard labor?”
“It’ll be good for him,” Callidus said.
“Agreed.” Wren nodded. She understood Hale needing to get away. And she knew, she felt it in her bones, that when he was ready, he would come back to them. When he put himself back together again.
The bell tinkled and a family walked in—a blonde woman with two young boys. “Are you open?” the woman asked.
“Absolutely,” Wren said.
“I’ll let you get to your customers,” Callidus whispered, and Wren nodded, hurrying behind the counter.
“What can I get you?” Wren asked as the two boys moved forward, grubby fingers pressed against the cool glass of the ice cream case. The mother smiled, her hand lingering on one of the boy’s tawny heads.
“Is it really magic?” One of the boys looked up at her, his green eyes as wide as saucers.
“It is.” Wren nodded. “The magic flavors are marked with the little magic wand.”
“I want to be magic when I grow up,” the other boy said.
“It’s all he talks about.” The mother offered an apologetic smile.
“Well,” Wren said, leaning down, “I think that’s a perfect plan. Because in Alesia, you can be an inspector, or a priest, or a pirate. Or if you believe hard enough, you can be a magic confectioner. In Alesia, you can be anything you want.”
Thank you so much for taking the time to read The Confectioner’s Truth! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about Wren’s adventures as much as I enjoyed writing them!
Reader reviews are incredibly important to indie authors like me, and so it would mean the world to me if you took a few minutes to leave an honest review wherever you buy books online. It doesn’t have to be much; a few words can make the difference in helping a future reader give the book a chance.
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Claire Luana grew up reading everything she could get her hands on and writing every chance she could. Eventually, adulthood won out, and she turned her writing talents to more scholarly pursuits, going to work as a commercial litigation attorney.
While continuing to practice law, Claire decided to return to her roots and try her hand once again at creative writing. She has written and published the Moonburner Cycle, the Confectioner Chronicles, the Knights of Caerleon trilogy with Jesikah Sundin, the Faerie Race trilogy with J.A. Armitage, and is currently working on several new fantasy series.
She lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband and two dogs. In her (little) remaining spare time, she loves to hike, travel, binge-watch CW shows, and of course, fall into a good book.
Connect with Claire Luana online at:
Website & Blog
Moonburner Cycle
Moonburner, Book One
Sunburner, Book Two
Starburner, Book Three
Burning Fate, Prequel Novella
Moonburner Cycle, Box Set
Confectioner Chronicles
The Confectioner’s Guild, Book One
The Confectioner’s Coup, Book Two
The Confectioner’s Truth, Book Three
The Confectioner’s Exile, Prequel Novella
Confectioner Chronicles, Box Set
The Knights of Caerleon, with Jesikah Sundin
The Fifth Knight, Book One
The Third Curse, Book Two
The First Gwenevere, Book Three
Gwenevere’s Knights, Box Set
The Faerie Race, with J.A. Armitage
The Sorcery Trial, Book One
The Elemental Trial, Book Two
The Doomsday Trial, Book Three
Orion’s Kiss
