Mandy stared, amazed, into a display case containing an elaborately embroidered shawl. The silk fabric shimmered with gold thread worked into intricate paisley patterns. Her attention caught on the wooden tray mounted beneath the case. Small squares of fabric lay arranged in neat rows - samples of the materials used in the piece above. Her fingers traced over the raw silk, marveling at its subtle texture.
"They have samples for everything?" She couldn't keep the delight from her voice.
Kieran leaned close, his deep voice pitched for her ears alone. "Julian insisted on the samples. He wanted people to experience the textiles fully - not just see them behind glass, but touch them, feel their weight and texture in their hands."
Mandy's fingers traced over another sample, this one featuring delicate metallic embroidery work. The threads felt cool and smooth beneath her fingertips. She moved to the next display, finding another carefully arranged tray of samples.
This is wonderful," she breathed, running her fingers over a scrap of fabric that somehow managed to be both rough and smooth at once. "So many museums keep everything locked away behind glass. You can look but never touch. This is so much better."
"Simply incredible," Mandy breathed, already moving toward the next case. She ran her fingers over another swatch of fabric, marveling at the intricate weave. A thought struck her as she traced the delicate pattern.
"How do they keep people from walking off with the samples?" she asked, looking up at Kieran. "I mean, they're just sitting here in open trays."
Kieran's blue eyes sparkled with a mischief she was more accustomed to seeing from Jacinth than the ancient prince. "Go ahead - try to put that sample in your purse."
Mandy blinked at the unexpected suggestion. "What?"
"Go ahead - try," he urged.
Shrugging, Mandy picked up the fabric swatch and moved to drop it in her purse. Somehow, her hand bypassed the open bag entirely, placing the sample neatly back in its designated spot on the tray.
Frowning, she tried again. This time she deliberately aimed for her pocket, but once again, her hand seemed to have other ideas. The sample landed precisely in its proper place on the display tray.
"That's..." Mandy stared at her hand in bewilderment. "How did...?"
Kieran's deep laugh echoed through the showroom. "Protection magic. Julian may no longer have Djinn powers, but he's still a powerful mage - the samples can only be placed in their trays. Then they… forget, for lack of a better word… that they were trying to take the sample."
Mandy stared at him in amazement, then burst out laughing. "That's brilliant! And so practical too." She tried one more time to pocket a sample, giggling as her hand smoothly deposited it back in its proper place.
"How come I'm not forgetting, though?" she asked him curiously.
That faint quirk of his lips that she was coming to love appeared. "Because you are expecting it."
That was just so cool.
Next, she headed to the far wall where rows of wooden cubbies held skeins of yarn in a rainbow of colors. A carved wooden sign explained their unique origin - 100% silk yarns created from the remnants of sari and gown fabrics.
Mandy's breath caught at the sight. Each skein seemed to capture light differently, creating subtle variations in color and texture. Some were solid hues that shifted from deep jewel tones to delicate pastels, while others combined multiple colors in ways that reminded her of sunrise over the desert.
"Oh, these are gorgeous," she sighed, running her fingers over a skein that shimmered between deep purple and midnight blue. "I wish I knew how to knit or crochet. Just imagine what beautiful things you could make with these."
The yarn felt impossibly soft against her skin, its natural sheen catching the sunlight streaming through the windows. Another skein nearby combined threads of gold, copper, and rich burgundy in a way that made her think of autumn leaves.
Reading the sign above the yarns, her brows raised as she read about the charitable donations - all proceeds going to help domestic abuse victims both locally and internationally.
"Whoa! A hundred percent of sales? That's amazing," she breathed, her fingers still caressing the silken yarn. The knowledge that such beauty could arise from helping others made the colors seem even more vibrant.
"Julian is very determined to make a difference," Kieran said quietly. "As I understand it, he's in the process of making another collection - from Nepal this time."
"Nepal?" The word conjured images of snow-capped mountains and colorful prayer flags in Mandy's mind.
"Yes. There are women there who twist leftover material from sari silk rolls into yarn. The yarn sells for considerable amounts here in America, but the women who create it see very little of that money."
Mandy glanced down at the skein in her hand with new appreciation. The way the light caught the threads reminded her of sunlight on water. To think something so beautiful could come from leftover scraps - and that the process of transforming those scraps could help lift people out of poverty.
This was more than just a store or a museum - it was a bridge between worlds, connecting artisans with opportunities, turning waste into wonder. The magical protection on the samples seemed almost symbolic of the greater protection being offered to vulnerable women through programs like this.
She'd read about it, in the magazine articles about Julian and Uncommon Threads. But somehow being here, in this exhibit, seeing the textiles, the exquisite embroidery, the priceless silver and gold threads, the real pearls and gemstones - this felt different - more personal somehow. Perhaps it was knowing the man behind it had spent centuries bound by magic, yet still found ways to help others.
