My name is Lara and this is a story about how my good intentions went awry and somehow turned out even better than I planned.

You see, when I was nine years old, I lived in a unique village. It was run by a woman who only had her own selfish needs and wants to consider. My parents and everyone else's that I knew of, were feverishly trying to finish a massive device that was supposed to save us all. The woman promised that it'd be our salvation, because the Earth was dying. But when the final day of construction came, her true motives became blaringly clear.

I was running around outside, playing and laughing with other young kids around my age when I felt the earth start to shake and the spear of the device all the big people had worked so hard on rose into the sky and I felt myself being yanked back alongside my friend Dane. But instead of the shock I felt myself feel, my friend's face registers shock, but also a deep, abiding hurt. When I'm on my feet again, I look up to see a huge castle in the sky, floating as if it owns the clouds and air.

"Mother!" I hear Dane scream and tears stain his face as he stares at the sky castle with a mixture of fear and hatred. "Dane," I say gently, half afraid that he'll turn those dark, angry eyes on me. He blinks rapidly before wiping his eyes and rubbing his nose on his shirt. "She just left me here."

"Who?" I ask, still not understanding.

"My mother!" Dane says, his voice shrill and on the verge of panic. He starts running and I follow, thinking he means to play.

"Dane, who's your mother?" I ask, breathless.

"The woman in the castle!" he yells back over his shoulder.

For a moment I'm speechless and then I start laughing, because I know the perfect way to get revenge on that spiteful hag.

"That's so great! I'm gonna marry you when we're grown!"

Instead of the instant denial I thought he'd throw my way, he just looks back at me with those fathomless sunset orange eyes.

You know what they say about revenge. Whether or not it's a dish best served cold I suppose is up to the person seeking it.

For me the idea of revenge was a boiling hot dish, until it wasn't.

When I was nearly eighteen, I had my heart set on fulfilling that long held dream of marrying Dane and finally seeking his mother brought low.

But then Dane left our village without a word to me or anyone else. I'd never in my life experienced a hurt that cut as deep as his abandonment and seven years later, I'm still not sure I'm quite over it.

"Welcome!" I call as the tiny bell above my small shop door tinkles. I busy myself behind the counter before stopping near my aged coffee machine and finally look up at my latest customer.

I run a custom coffee shop and cater to odd coffee additives and the occasional vanilla coffee drinker. Although my eclectic customer base is the bread and butter of my business.

"Can I help you?"

The man in front of me smiles and I feel an unpleasant pull in my belly. He's attractive on a ridiculous scale, but more than that, it's the crooked grin and seafoam eyes that have my mind reeling.

"I'd love a coffee and a pastry if you have any available."

"Anything special you want me to add to your coffee?"

"A sprinkle of vanilla might be nice and a dash of cream?"

I set to work, adding vanilla and cream to the pre-brewed coffee and selecting a glazed donut from my small stash of yeasty treats. Afterall, you can't go wrong with a classic, right? Still, I felt awkward as I put the coffee and donut on the counter.

"Thanks, Lara," the man said and I nearly swallowed my tongue. Before I'd been able to push aside my misgivings, ignoring them in favor of a paying customer. But there was no denying that the man knew my name. While my heart gave a leap, my mind wanted to know what Dane was doing back in town.