Page 8 of Skyblossom
“Oh, cute!” Rosie said, hands clasped at her chest. “I was getting us together to make sure you’re dressed for a date, but you beat us to it.”
“Rosie. You asked if you could tellKali.”
“I did! And Kali told the others.”
Viv, dressed in all-black with black hair and black eyeliner and a dark look by default, waved me off. “Don’t worry about me. I’m not worried about anyone’s love lives.”
Lovely. Everybody else did, though, judging by how they gushed, and I had to insist to everyone that I’d onlyjust met her, which went over at least a little better because Rosie had at least kept her promise not to tell anybody about the skyblossom wish. I was still flustered and dying of embarrassment by the time I got out of there, and I clearly didn’t do a good job pulling myself together before I met Summer at the wyvern cars in the Crescent District up at the top of the Citadel, because she looked concerned when she saw me.
“Hey,” she said, striding across the plaza to meet me. The crowds around us faded into the background when I saw her there, dressed in a field jacket that gleamed softly with enchantments, cool and practical and a little androgynous. Also—was it just me or were the lyre flowers hanging low on the side of the plaza still in fuller bloom than they normally would be by this time of year? The pink heart shapes of the flowers framed her like a laurel wreath as she came up to me and said, “Is everything okay?”
I couldn’t very well just tell her what was happening. I blushed, looking at her jacket collar when I couldn’t meet her eyes. “Fine, everything’s fine.” That didn’t come across believably. I bounced on the balls of my feet. “Um… is your friend coming along? She really didn’t seem to like me, is all.”
She relaxed, a soft look in her eyes. “Oh, she doesn’t mean any harm. She’s just… oh, god.” She scratched her head, looking away. “I wouldn’t know how to describe it.”
“Well, we’ve got a wyvern car trip, so…” I shrugged. “Tell me on the way?”
She smiled radiantly. “Will do.”
Chapter 4
RIDING THE WYVERN (CAR)
SUMMER
Wyvern cars were already not the best idea. They were cute little enchanted carriages that flew between the highest point of the Citadel and places out in the Grounds, and most of them were just right to be a cozy fit for two, which meant I was keenly aware of the thought of telling CadenceLumi thinks we’rehitting on each otherwhile we were pressed up side-to-side in an enchanted flying carriage ride.
But then there was a short line to board, and once it was our turn, the car that had shown up was one of the old fleet preserved and kept around, the ones with the old style that just felt painfully romantic now, with dreamy little draperies on the windows and a shimmering of magic dust that swirled around our feet as the door swung open and I stepped inside. Cadence hesitated, shifting from one foot the other, looking wide-eyed at it all with a blush spilling out over her cheeks, and I wondered if she was feeling as confused by all of this as I was—why it was that magic romantic enchantment seemed to spring up anywhere she went.
I wondered if she thought I was cute, too. But Lumi would kill me if she knew I was thinking that. Luckily her divination didn’t let her read minds.
Cadence didn’t get to hesitate for long, as someone in the line behind her cleared their throat pointedly, and she stumbled and hustled along to climb into the carriage next to me. I shifted over to make more room on the seat, but the old fleet cars were a little smaller… we still ended up sitting with our legs touching as the door swung shut and the carriage took off, lighting up with enchantments activating in the form of golden scrollwork sprawling over the surfaces as soft orchestral music filled the car. It sounded too romantic, too.
“I… I do love the old cars,” she blurted, eyes straight ahead. I was glad I wasn’t the only one nervous. She smelled like flowers… I guess that made sense.
“They’re really cute,” I said. “I’m surprised you take them much. I thought herbalists all just spent all their time out in the Grounds.”
She laughed, relaxing a little and looking down to play with Knot as he crept down her arm to poke around in the air. “I’m actually a double-major.”
“Oh, yeah? Overachiever.”
“Ha. I’m just a big nerd… I do enchantment, too.”
Maybe that was why she was so… enchanting. Maybe she had beautiful-things enchantments lavished onto every part of her. It would suit her. “I could never,” I said. “I’m fighting for my life just to keep up with one major.”
“Alchemy’s a competitive subject, from what I’ve heard. But I’m not that special! Just… I just like being around books. Learning everything I can.” She shrugged. “I’m first-generation magic… I always wantedsobadly to do magic, and now that I’m here, I feel like I can’t waste a single second of learning as much magic as possible.”
“You’re first-generation?” I said. “I wouldn’t have guessed… you talk like Lumi. I mean, without the dramatic exaggerations and constant whining.”
She covered up a laugh with one hand. “I grew up reading about magic from the very first days I could read. Studying about magic fundamentals or reading novels set in arcania. And, you know, hanging out in online forums for arcanists. I spent more time with magic kids on the internet than I spent with the actual kids in the real world around me.”
“Well, it’s paid off. You clearly know your stuff. I’m first-gen too, but I admit I kind of felt like I was up a dragon’s den with a cricket bat when I got here. I felt wildly unprepared.”
“But doing your own potion extensions is no flicker.”
“Yeah, it’s not easy, but hey.” I nudged her side playfully. “Overachievers band together, right?”
She laughed, the sweetest little sound in the world. “Here’s to that,” she said. “So, um, your friend Lumi?She’sdefinitely heritage magic, right? She had it written all over her.”
