Page 35 of Magic Blooms
At least all the moving back and forth seemed to put Lorraine’s mind at ease somewhat. It made her feel like she was doing something instead of sitting around waiting for whatever happened next. I understood that very well myself.
What I couldn’t understand was why Joshua had promised to include me, only to disappear yet again. His treatment of me had proven maddeningly inconsistent, as had his ability to keep his word.
By the time the meeting was set to begin, I was more than ready for it. Lorraine allowed for a quick shower and change of clothes before she drove us both to the Elyria municipal building. Despite its importance, we arrived with only a few minutes to spare before the scheduled start time.
While I found most of the buildings in town to be charming and quaint, this one proved anything but. The towering structure let off an air of intimidation as we walked up to the entrance side by side.
The brick exterior of the building was aged and weathered, and the white tower in the center, while beautiful, could probably use a new coat of paint.
“Really, you don’t have to come in with me. I can handle this,” Lorraine reminded me for the dozenth time in the last half hour.
Yeah, like that was going to happen.
She should’ve known my curiosity would’ve never allowed me to skip something like a magical council meeting. The only doubts I had related to how secretive I should continue to keep my presence. Lorraine didn’t seem all that bothered by people knowing I was here today. She said various magical beings came in and out of Peach Plains, so it was impossible to keep track of everyone.
I watched various townsfolk wander into the building. They all looked so normal from the outside. But then again, I guess I did, too. Lorraine made it sound like there were many different types of beings that congregated here, but maybe all the people were the same and only the magic was different.
I still had so much to learn.
Back in Vilea everyone’s magic was element-based, and most of us had devoted ourselves to earth or water. Abilities like mine were extraordinarily common and often not needed. There were so many others who could use their magic to get a job done, so why call on the pretty daughter of Orthoceras?
As such, I’d never nursed my talents. Never learned what all was possible.
If only I’d been taught or asked my family to guide me more, maybe I could be of more use now. Just like Lorraine, I was now lost in a raging sea of what-ifs and what-might-have-beens.
No one paid me much mind as we crossed into the large meeting room. Lorraine, however, was stopped every few steps by someone new who wanted to wish her luck.
I took this opportunity to study my surroundings, which were comprised almost entirely of wood. Wood walls, wood benches, wood railings—everything wooden—facing a long table on a stage up front where a line of rather official looking people sat sternly, watching as the rest of the congregants poured inside.
Lorraine waved a quick goodbye and marched straight up to the front row where she settled in beside Jasmine.
I grabbed a spot near the back and watched those in front of me chat animatedly about what they expected to happen here today. The air felt charged with a shared anxiety. No one wanted to see Lorraine punished—no one besides Gerry at least, from what I overheard.
The bench shook as someone took a seat beside me.
Joshua. Why would he avoid me all day and then come sit right next to me now? His constant ability to surprise me rankled. How should I react now? Confront him about the broken promise? Play it cool? Keep the focus on Lorraine until the meeting had ended?
I just didn’t know, so I settled for uncrossing and recrossing my legs, offering him a guarded smile, and murmuring, “Hey.”
He gave me a small nod of recognition. “How’s Lorraine holding up?”
I shrugged. “We did chores around Fox’s End all day. I think as long as she was busy she wasn’t thinking too much about everything. But now that she’s just sitting there and waiting for this to start, I’m sure she’s about to pull out all of her hair.”
I meant to stop talking after that, his question having been answered. But my concern for our shared friend overrode my desire to treat him coldly. “You don’t really think they’ll shut down Fox’s End, do you? I mean, none of this was her fault.”
Unfortunately, Joshua’s expression didn’t give me much hope. “The council is less concerned with being fair and more worried about setting a precedent.”
“But she didn’t do anything wrong,” I muttered.
“Maybe, maybe not. Either way, Lorraine is the one in the line of fire.”
“No,” I cried loud enough to turn a few heads. Dropping my voice to a whisper, I said, “We need to find the person who did it and tell the council. They won’t punish Lorraine if they had the person who actually did it. Where were you today? I was counting on you, but you never came.”
The corners of his mouth tugged down in a frown. “I had a hard time after… You saw my hands, and I…” He trailed off as a new presence entered the room.
The mysterious figure floated down the aisle, long black robes billowing in the wake.
A large hole on the back of the robe had been torn right across an intricate design of symbols stitched in gray, curved on top and jagged at the bottom.
