Prologue

He offered his open arms for a friendly embrace and she stepped toward him easily. His comment that she looked familiar was just a marketing tactic; he really had no idea who she was. It would be nice to be able to remember every single face that passed through his world daily, but that would be impossible. She'd met him before, but she wasn't fooled by his claim. It was okay. Although they were friends in many lifetimes, she didn't expect him to remember in this one - yet.

"Mmmm, you smell like magick," she said, almost to herself, as she let go.

"What does magic smell like?" he asked with a chuckle.

Her eyes caught his and suddenly he felt a bit odd. "Physics and faeries, belief in the truth, nature and nurture, with a pinch of stardust," she stated matter-of-factly, as if reading a recipe reflected in his gaze, "or maybe just something like a grape lollipop."

"I see," he smiled.

"I know," she replied as a young girl rudely pushed in front of her, spewing a stream of teenage babble in his direction.

As her smile melted into the crowd, he thought he heard "Third time's a charm," but he wasn't sure if it was out loud or only in his head.