Page 61 of Harbinger

So I’d had Spicy Seared Steak with Charred Peppers prepared for her that were sliced into tender, bite-sized pieces, and paired with jalapeno butter. Pepper Honey Glazed Chicken Skewers accompanied that main course, garnished with fresh lime zest. And then there was also the Grilled Flatbread with Spicy Red Pepper Hummus for dipping.

The best part, as far as I was concerned, were the waffles with bacon, drizzled with maple syrup—her comfort food, as I’d found out.

I’d also prepared a special drink from the Beverage Station in the Cafeteria. It was a deep crimson elixir in a crystal goblet rimmed with black sugar, and it tasted of spiced cherry and dark berries.

I watched her pick up the special flower that I’d rested beside the main course plate.

It was a rarity that I’d acquired from a special region on this plane in Meforian Forest during the time I’d had since leaving home before starting at the Academy to explore. It was a Celestial Eclipse Peony with deep shades of burgundy and plum and possessing layered petals that gave it a gothic, romantic feel. The petals had an almost ethereal glow and as I watched her touch it, it reacted to the connection to her, deepening in color and then shimmering with silver—the mark of her magic.

It was said to represent the balance between the dark and the light, control and chaos—something that referenced the differences in our approaches to our abilities. But the way that it responded to her touch did what I’d hoped, something I’d be sure to point out to her—it demonstrated that her power wasn’t just uncontrollable chaos, and that it, instead, had the potential to be something rare in agoodsense.

I leapt from my position atop one of the age-old oak trees where I’d been observing her, and I called my magical flame—not my dragon fire, as I didn’t wish to incinerate the grounds beneath. Unlike the white-hot nature of my dragon fire that appeared a mixture of deep-orange and vibrant-yellow, my magical flame was a rich crimson.

I created a glowing, levitating path beneath my feet, walking along the vibrant-red magic from the top of the tree to the roof where she was positioned and looking around in pleasant surprise and trying to locate the one responsible for arranging such a thing.

Such a heartfelt thing, I was hoping she was interpreting it as.

Of course, it could be taken the other way—as something invasive and creepy, intruding in her private space and using what she liked against her. Especially with Kai’s recent actions, I knew there was a chance it could be viewed like that. But thatwas on the empty side. I had to believe she would see beyond that.

She spun right toward me as I touched down on the turret, then waved away my magical flame path and stepped down onto the roof right between her and the picnic setup.

“Vorzyr,” she uttered, trying to make sense of my sudden appearance, especially in relation to what had been prepared before her.

“I did ask you out to dinner. But I figured this would be the better option, given that you’re uncomfortable being out around others in close quarters.”

Kai had told me that when we’d discussed me approaching her, but I’d also seen it for myself in the fact that she only dipped into the Cafeteria after the busy breakfast, lunch, and dinner rushes were done with, and she only stayed briefly to grab her meals, then take them back to her dorm room.

Her eyes widened as she stared at the food. “This is all… perfect.”

“I might have charmed the Cafeteria staff into giving me some insight into your eating habits, food preferences, and all that.”

“Charmed them?” she queried, the corner of her mouth turning up. “I can see that.”

“Well, thank you, gorgeous.”

“There it is right there,” she pointed out.

I winced. “Too strong?”

“Not at all. It’s refreshingly different to what I’m used to.”

“That’s heartbreaking, especially seeing as though I’m just skirting the edges of charm.”

She lifted a shoulder, a melancholy air taking hold of her. “It is what it is, right?”

“I disagree.”

“You do?”

“Of course. It doesn’t need to be that way, nor should you allow it to be.”

She looked away, rather than speaking to it.

That melancholy air didn’t dissipate either. It seemed that my comments had triggered it, that the subject matter was hanging heavy for her right now.

“Are you all right? You weren’t in classes today.” Yet again, she hadn’t been. Kai had obviously told me where she actually was, but I didn’t want to lead with that, because it would make it clear that the two of us had discussed her—and behind her back at that. Also, she hadn’t exactly seemed on good terms with him during their last encounter. She’d teleported away from the both of us, for fuck’s sakes, and my understanding was that she rarely employed her abilities for something so futile, so normally she would have walked away, but she’d been so upset by what had transpired that she’d blinked away with her magic instead.

Although, that upset really didn’t seem directed at me and despite the negativity and sadness surrounding her right now, she was still looking on with an awed expression at the dinner picnic that I’d prepared.

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