“You gonna join us later?”
Was there some event I’d forgotten about… “Game night. Right. Dion said something about that. When was it again?”
“Nine bells, lounge area.”
I finished an hour of training, mostly calisthenics, showered, and made it to the cafeteria right before closing. Tonight was a spicy rice-vegetable dish, with a smoky brown sauce, and iced hibiscus tea. I took a seat just as Dion, one of the other mage students, was leaving. He was usually quiet, and after our awkward introduction, had indeed proven quite graceful, often being present without people noticing.
“Tough week, huh?” he said.
“We survived.” I noted his plate was empty. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll catch you guys later for game night. Nine bells, right?”
He nodded and ghosted out of the room.
I didn’t mind being one of the last few people in the cafeteria, and it was nice finishing dinner at my leisure. Sure, I had my share of homework, but I could do it tonightortomorrow. I could let my mind just go blank. It had been what, a couple months since I’d arrived?
I didn’t exactly have everything under control, but it felt close. Just finish up this project here, read four chapters in geomagic, memorize the next batch of formulas. So close I could reach out and touch it.
What was Sephimara doing tonight? That argument looked heated, but was life at that palace more hectic or relaxed than mine in the dormitory?There were servants to take care of mundane tasks, but the few times she’d spoken about it, it was clear she wasn’t happy with her day-to-day life there. Should I invite her to our next game night?
I stared over the dozen empty tables in the dimly lit room, realizing I was now alone.
It was easy to tell myself we could never be more than classmates. That other feelings for her were pointless. Yet that little wisp of a smile that crossed her lips when caught off guard, the rare softening of those piercing green eyes, the occasional wry quip, and the way she twined those legs… I pressed my eyelids shut.That.It awakened another part of my brain intent on beating the sensible part into submission.
No need to imagine all her little quirks and alluring details, we’d see each other tomorrow. Just the two of us.
And then she’d depart for dance practice with the count’s son.
I clenched my jaw.
◊ ◊ ◊
I reviewed class notes for a few minutes at the desk in my dormitory room. Cleggs’ monstra plant had grown considerably since we moved in, though I wasn’t sure if it was naturally or through magic. Biomagic was a third-semester course, but it was possible he’d skipped ahead. The little gnome was not only annoying, butannoyingly gifted.
The ninth bell sounded.
I stretched both arms over my head, feeling oddly energized. For all the work we’d endured, there was just enough free time to stay sane. And students in the mage specialization had formed a wonderful camaraderie.
Hushed voices murmured up from the dormitory’s lounge as I paused at the top of the spiral staircase one level up. I patted the marble railing. The former hotel was grander than any inn I’d ever stayed in. My smile broadened as my inner child resurfaced. I slid down the spiral railing, reveling in the rush of speed, and hopped off to alight gently on the tiled floor with a short slide. Both hearths glowed and crackled, radiating a delightful warmth into the dim space. The academy had a modern heating system with radiators, so the hearths were supplemental… or just ambiance? But at this moment in time, they were perfect.
Partial walls, potted plants, and numerous bookcases split the space into dozens of cozy little nooks and crannies. At first glance just a few students were present, but the more you looked, the more you saw. Students tucked themselves deeply into oversized armchairs, reading. Pairs or small groups clustered in darker corners, chatting in hushed voices. Couples cuddled up next to the fire. I stepped quietly through the space, glancing, trying to avoid disturbing anyone as I searched for our little group. Sliding a set ofdouble doors aside, I peered into one of the last spaces: the arboretum.
Cleggs waved at me from a wicker armchair in the far corner.
Though not as grand as the city’s public arboretums, the iron-framed glasshouse was large enough for a myriad of trees, and even a pair of fountains the size of a four-person table, where water trickled from marble statues of a mermaid and a merman.
The broad, waxy leaf of a tropical plant brushed my cheek as I stepped to a circular glass table flanked by a sofa and two armchairs; all wicker, with plush cushions patterned in stylized palm fronds, midnight-blue in color.
“Hey, hey, I was afraid you were gonna spend the night studying.” Cleggs sprawled in the far armchair.
“Not a chance.” I waved to Cleggs, Dion, and Yoi. “Brenda?”
“Was plundering the kitchen,” snapped a gruff voice from behind me.
She bore a serving tray with cut-glass lowballs, a silver pitcher that glowed at the base, and a plate of fresh biscuits with the faint scent of rosemary.
I sidestepped to let her pass.
“Oh-ho! Nice work. What the lady lacks in academics, she makes up for in pilfering proficiency.” Cleggs sat up and rubbed his hands together.
