A breeze drifts along the path, and I fight off a shiver, wishing I had more latte to warm me up. “The ancients were smarter than us. Maybe the stories should’ve stayed secret.”
We wander a little farther, and Kirin points out the shopping center on the western edge of the campus—a small outdoor mall called the Promenade with at least two dozen different stores, a good mix of regular shops that sell clothes and shoes, office supplies, games, and sporting goods, along with stores catering specifically to witches and mages. Glancing at some of the signs, I spot ads for everything from Tarot decks and crystals to magickal herbs and potions, enchanted jewelry, wands, occult books, and—
“Broomsticks? Are you serious?”
Kirin laughs again. “They’re mostly used in rituals. Though for the students who have the power of levitation, they make a fun prop at parties. You want to stop in and get something?”
I’m not ready to shop till I drop just yet, so we continue on toward the dormitories—one for each house. Set on a huge semi-circle connected by another arcing pathway, four impressive gothic buildings that look like a cross between cathedrals and castles stand tall, carved from the same color stone as the surrounding landscape. They’re smaller than the administration building, but more ornate, with towering spires, stained glass windows, and gargoyles perched strategically along the eaves.
Each dormitory has five floors of student housing, plus the main level, which includes a massive common room and kitchen area, art and photo installations depicting the history and magickal legends of each house, and multiple cafés featuring different international and regional cuisines.
“House of Blood and Sorrow has a bar called Pour Your Heart Out,” Kirin says. “They do karaoke nights on Fridays. Pretty fun, if you’re into that sort of thing.”
“Karaoke? I love karaoke! Jessa and I used to bring the house down at Sancho’s with our rousing rendition of Beyonce’sAll the Single Ladies.”
“NowthatI’d pay money to see.” Kirin grins. “All four cafés are open 24/7, and you can eat in any one you chose, no matter your house affinity.”
“Good to know, since I’ve got all four.”
“You… what? Hold on.” Kirin turns to face me, stopping me in my tracks. “You’re spirit-blessed, and you’re just mentioning this to menow?”
“I’m a little overwhelmed and distracted at the moment,” I explain. “But yeah, that’s what they told me. Spirit-blessed.”
“Which cards did you see?”
“The Princesses.” I tell him about the vision, once again leaving out the part about the owl.
Kirin watches me with an eager glint in his eye, the gears of his researcher mind turning so loudly I can practically hear them squeaking.
“Fascinating,” he says.
I flash him a sexy smirk. “Well, thank you.”
“You know I’m going to bug you about this, like, every day. Especially as your magick starts to develop.”
“I would expect nothing less. What’s your affinity, anyway?”
He’s still nursing his coffee, and now he holds the cup in front of him, then releases it. It floats before us, not spilling a drop.
“Air,” he says. “I can move it and manipulate it, among other things.”
“I might be bugging you, too,” I say, eager to know more. “I’d really love to learn how to do that.”
“It’s a deal.” Kirin grabs his cup, swigs back the last of his coffee. “In the meantime, let me show you the house grounds. We’ll need bikes for this part.”
He tosses his cup into one of the magickal bins, and we head over to the nearest bike station, selecting two sleek white mountain bikes.
We ride along another path that winds behind the dorms. I’ve barely broken a sweat when the landscape suddenly cracks open before us, revealing a vast, beautiful space that looks as huge and pristine as a national park.
“I see now why we needed the bikes,” I shout, pedaling to catch up to his long strides. “This is just… wow. I live here. I actually live here.”
When Trello mentioned that there were plenty of outdoor areas to explore, she was seriously underselling that fact.
The dorms fade behind us as we ride deeper into the backcountry, and Kirin points out the natural features associated with each house, each one more impossible and stunning than the last, making me giddy—and super glad I pushed Devane for the rock-climbing gear. I’ve already spotted at least a dozen potential spots to try.
Behind the House of Breath and Blade, tall sandstone spires called the Towers of Breath and Blade rise out of the earth, their craggy fingers stretching so high into the sky, the jagged peaks are obscured by the clouds. They look too fragile to climb, though; in fact, their very existence seems to defy the laws of nature, as if the weight of a single feather could send them toppling to the earth.
Riding past the spires, we weave through desert mounds of red and lavender and gray until we reach the boundary to the House of Iron and Bone lands, a petrified forest bearing the same name, its crystalized tree remnants sparkling like diamonds in the setting sun.
