by R A Lindo
Conrad nudges me again, recognising the introspection I sometimes get lost in. “They’ll work it out,” he whispers, keeping his eye on Noah’s nervous interactions at the bar.
He’s got more faith than I have in Lucy ever expressing how she feels, but he’s right — it’s up to them to work it out. Although, this won’t stop me thinking about how we can help. I mean, what’s the benefit of magic if you can’t add a little wonder to people’s lives?
Noah finally returns with four glasses of Jysyn Juice and a Parasil: a self-refilling glass container. The Parasil suggests Zoe’s not planning to close anytime soon, meaning we’ll soon have Rebel’s Rest to ourselves: a nice reward for an eventful evening.
“So …?” I ask, curious at the grin on Noah’s face.
“I’ve got a date,” he whispers, sipping his Jysyn Juice with a shaking hand. “Tomorrow night in The Winter Quarter.”
“No way,” Lucy responds with a little too much intensity. “You’ve got a date with Zoe Tallis …?”
“Yep,” Noah says, checking himself over in the window. His chinos, grey T-shirt and matching waistcoat are fairly unmarked after our skirmish in Drandok. “Seven p.m. tomorrow which means no night ranging for me.”
“Good man,” Conrad says, patting Noah on the back. “You’ve finally worn her down.”
“Very funny,” Noah replies, clearly getting stressed at the idea of the date. “So, what do I wear?” he asks, getting only a shrug from me.
“Come on,” he prompts to Lucy and me, “I need a woman’s touch.”
“You’ll have that tomorrow night,” Lucy replies with her usual sarcasm but she can’t hide the envy, causing her more pain than she realises.
“Seriously, guys, I need your help. What do I wear? And where do I book a table?”
“Merrymopes definitely,” Conrad suggests.
Merrymopes is Conrad’s favourite place — the magical milkshake and ice cream parlour in Founders’ Quad. I love it too, but I’m not sure it’s going to be Zoe’s idea of a first date.
“I’d say somewhere more sophisticated,” I suggest.
“Like where?”
“Wimples …?” I reply, getting the expected laugh from Conrad and Lucy.
Noah doesn’t find the idea of date in a sweetshop so funny.
“You’re not helping, Guppy.”
“Velerin’s,” Lucy suggests. “It’s the classiest restaurant in The Winter Quarter. You’ll impress Zoe if you take her there. It’s also near The Sinking Bridge where couples go on first dates, hoping to share their first kiss.”
Noah turns to Lucy, surprised by her attention to detail. “Thanks, Lucy; that really helps.”
“Any time,” Lucy replies with a smile that hides her true feelings.
“Can you pay in Kyals at Velerin’s?” Noah asks, glancing at the sight of a wizard vanishing through a portable Perium outside.
Conrad takes the bag of Kyals from his Keepeasy. “Here,” he says, handing Noah the bag of Kyals back. “A first date’s more important than a bet.”
With that, we raise our glasses in celebration of Noah’s success with Zoe Tallis — the barmaid who watches us clink our glasses with a strange smile.
20
Romance & Reflections
With Noah getting ready for his date and sleeping soldiers on the tail of Neve Blin, Conrad and I decide to spend the early evening in The Cendryll. We sit in my bedroom on the fourth floor, something that’s allowed in the daytime with strict orders for Conrad to be in his own room or elsewhere before nightfall.
Although we’re Night Rangers, eighteen is still the magical number for official wizarding status, meaning we’ve been accepted but are still treated like kids in some regards. Not that this is a big deal as there are plenty of places where romance can thrive, the top floor of The Weary Winzer our favoured spot at present.
No-one really goes there and an Invisilis charm keeps us hidden from anyone using surveillance devices to see what we’re up to. A girl needs her privacy, after all. For now, though, the romance in question is Noah’s date with the girl he’s been chasing forever: Zoe Tallis.
I’m still in shock that Zoe’s agreed to go on a date with Noah. Not because I think she’s out of his league; it’s more that she’s always seemed separate … as if she enjoys the attention of the regulars in Rebel’s Rest, but no more than that. The only niggling doubt I have is linked to the strange smile she had on her face, watching us celebrate Noah’s success last night in Rebel’s Rest.
I just hope she’s not stringing him along, only giving him the date to stop his endless pursuit of her. It will crush Noah if she’s building his hopes up, but Zoe doesn’t strike me as a cruel person so I sit with Conrad on my bed, studying the Panorilum that hovers in the middle of the room: the big piece of parchment paper that acts as one of the Society’s surveillance devices.
The large, moving illustration of Society Square focused in on Velerin’s: the location of the date. Conrad’s never liked spying on people who aren’t enemies, saying it’s weird to check on friends and comrades. I think it’s normal but I’m a pretty nosy person, so we leave Noah and Zoe in peace, preparing for a date we’ll probably never hear the end of.
“I bet Lucy’s watching their every move,” I say, sitting cross-legged on my bed with Churchill perched on the end.
Churchill is Kaira’s cat, and I’ve offered to look after him while Kaira’s on her travels. He’s gentle and doesn’t require a lot of fuss, just wanting company like all of us. I tap the bed to invite Churchill over — an invitation he accepts, settling in my lap.
“Probably,” Conrad replies in reference to Lucy struggling with her feelings for Noah, whatever they are. “We should help her to take her mind off the date.”
“What have you got in mind?”
“Some night ranging … maybe a trip to The Royisin Heights.”
“To track Neve, you mean?”
Conrad strokes Churchill before adding, “We’re probably going to have to, anyway, helping us to explain how we got into a firefight with her in Drandok. I’m sure Casper will know if she’s holed up in The Royisin Heights.”
“Can’t we leave that until tomorrow night?” I suggest. “I’d rather watch how the date goes.”
“Which is a bit weird.”
“Why?”
“Watching our friend on his first date with the girl he’s wanted for ages …?”
“It’s encouragement,” I suggest in an unconvincing tone.
“It’s prying in personal business.”
“And a trip to The Royisin Heights is another trek beyond The Society Sphere,” I reply. “A job other sleeping soldiers are taking care of.”
“Don’t you want to know where Neve is hiding? And if Odin’s left Drandok?”
“Yes, I want to know, but we can use the Panorilum to find that out, can’t we.”
“It’s not the same as visiting, seeing them with our own eyes.”
It’s obvious Conrad doesn’t want to watch the date, maybe sharing my concern that Zoe’s potentially stringing Noah along. If he is worried about this, he obviously won’t want to see his friend humiliated, so I make him a deal.
“Okay, we wait for Noah and Zoe to get to Velerin’s, just so we know he hasn’t been let down, and then we contact Lucy and head to The Royisin Heights. That way, we help both our friends.”
“Deal,” Conrad says, grabbing my waist as we fall onto the bed laughing, conscious that Society eyes might be on us. We know the limits of ‘decorum’ as Society elders like to put it, deciding to push the edge of those limits, getting lost in one another until another date begins.
The sight of Noah appearing outside Velerin’s returns our attention to the Panorilum hovering in the bedroom. The restaurant is in the magical part of The Winter Quarter, decorated by snow that falls all year round.
There’s nothing like the Society anywhere else in the world, and you can never get tired of the endless wonders it off
ers. Velerin’s is another wonder: a globe-shaped building formed of glass and steel, rotating anti-clockwise on the hour. The snow adds a decorative touch to the building, drawing couples seeking a romantic backdrop to their evening.
The colourful glow is one of the best things about Velerin’s, the lighting inside coming from the Spintz charms hovering above each table, formed in the shape of a chandelier in the colour of the diners’ penchants. When it rotates on the hour, you get a glimpse of the people inside — couples mainly and the odd family, the children absorbed by a winter wonderland of colour.
It’s not the sort of place you drop into and you’re encouraged to dress up for the occasion, something Noah’s clearly taken to heart. He’s abandoned his chino and waistcoat look for a purple suit decorated by a gold pocket chain. He’s also got some gel in his hair from the way his fringe spikes up into a quiff. I’m not sure about the hair gel but he looks the part. All we’re waiting for now is the arrival of Zoe Tallis.
I start to get nervous when the minutes pass, the moving illustration on the Panorilum offering no clues to Zoe’s whereabouts until she appears out of nowhere, using a Cympgus to add a touch of drama to her arrival. The girl’s got style, that’s for sure, stepping through the portable Perium to the delight of Noah.
Zoe’s drawn to a more classic look like the dress and coat she’s wearing now, looking like she belongs in a 1920s movie. The Winter Quarter helps with the backdrop, Edwardian buildings stretching high to add to the image of romance Noah and Zoe are doing their best to maintain.
“They look good,” I say to Conrad who smiles at the sight of Noah offering Zoe flowers.
“A nice touch,” he comments as they head for Velerin’s, the snow swirling around them.
With Velerin’s rotating slowly in the snow, offering a glimpse of romantic meals within, Noah maintains his gentlemanly rhythm, opening the door for Zoe who lifts her dress as she steps in, waiting inside to be met by an equally elegant woman who takes them to their table on the top floor.
The choice of table was also Lucy’s idea, a strange attention to detail from a girl who harbours certain feelings for Noah, but that’s a puzzle for another day. For now, we’ve agreed to keep Lucy company to take her mind off the date: a bit of night ranging and a trip to The Royisin Heights.
As Noah and Zoe reach their table, Conrad utters ‘Undilum’ to deactivate the Panorilum — the large piece of parchment folding of its own accord, returning to the little book its hidden within when not in use. Reaching out for the book as it spins in mid-air, I return it to my Keepeasy stitched into my black, leather trousers, readying myself for another journey beyond The Society Sphere.
I’d rather stay here with Conrad, keeping Kaira’s cat company, but we’ve promised to spend time with Lucy: a friend and comrade who just might need a distraction this evening. The Royisin Heights will give her that — a group of hills that stretch upwards and outwards, dotted with mounds of earth where the most reclusive members inhabit, almost monkish in their existence.
I always wondered why anyone would choose to stay in Drandok, but that’s clearer now: a rehab centre for ravaged soldiers trying to keep a grip on their minds. The Royisin Heights is more straightforward: a place for witches and wizards wanting no part of modern Society life.
Lots of realms in the S.P.M.A. choose to have no ties to the above-ground world, having no interest in rubbing shoulders with the unmagical masses. The Royisin Heights takes this to the extreme, though, as if the people that stay up there have checked out of life altogether.
The large mounds of soil frame the homes inside — homes that are much bigger than the mounds suggest, the benefits of magic being the one thing the inhabitants haven’t abandoned. Part of me wonders if it’s the place Alice Aradel used as a hideout once her life as the evening witch disintegrated. If it is, we’re likely to find more interesting characters hiding up there, looking to be left alone for different reasons.
The majority are left alone, of course, the Society respecting all ways of living that don’t threaten its existence. Odin and Neve don’t pose a real threat, but choices have consequences. Their choice of releasing a Silverback in our direction in Drandok has limited their future to two options: rehabilitation or judgement.
I’ve got the feeling they aren’t going to accept either choice, meaning we’ll soon meet again in unfriendly circumstances.
“Do you think Zoe really likes Noah?” I ask Conrad as we get ready to leave, returning to the ground floor where our Williynx will soon appear.
“It’s hard to say,” Conrad replies, taking a black T-shirt from my wardrobe.
I have a habit of borrowing his clothes which doesn’t bother him — until he can’t find them, that is. As he changes T-shirts, his toned torso marked by the scar running diagonally across his body, I feel a touch of sympathy for Lucy, not knowing how I can help without offending either friend.
If I try to help Lucy, she could brush off my good intentions with a flat out denial or, worse, anger at my prying nature. If I ask Conrad to mention it to Noah, he’ll probably refuse. Even if Conrad does mention it, Noah might wonder why he’s bringing it up when he’s finally got a chance with Zoe.
The most obvious reason for not bringing it up is not knowing how Noah feels about Lucy. They’re close but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything, considering we’re a group of Night Rangers who spend a lot of time together. You have to be close because you’re entering shady situations, relying on your comrades for back up.
Conrad gives me a hug, kissing me on my lips.
“You’re overthinking things,” he says, always knowing when I’m preoccupied. “Let Noah enjoy his date and leave Lucy to work things out. If she doesn’t know what she feels, anything we do to help will almost certainly backfire.”
“But, they’d be good together.”
“We don’t know that, Guppy, so let’s not create an imagined romance which could mess up a friendship.”
“We were friends first.”
“True, but I knew you secretly loved me.”
I pinch his waist. “You’re getting a bit too confident. It must be all the attention you’re getting from Lorena in The Chattering Tap.”
“Lorena flirts with everyone.”
“Especially you.”
“I’m just a likeable guy,” Conrad teases with a smile that always wins me over.
“You’re a cocky guy.”
“And you’re a beautiful girl.”
I’m close to calling off our trip to The Royisin Heights, wondering if Lucy’s better off left alone, working out her feelings as she watches Noah on his date. No doubt, she’ll have a Panorilum or Follygrin to hand, so should we risk interrupting her fun when there’s fun to be had here?
I keep my arms around Conrad’s waist, moving in a slow dance in the bedroom, Churchill observing from the windowsill he’s now perched on, wondering if we’re ever going to leave.
21
The Royisin Heights
We agree to meet Lucy in The Winter Quarter where she’s decided to hang out for the evening (no need to guess why). We find her on the Sinking Bridge, looking down into the river with her yellow Williynx perched on the bridge alongside her, adopting a smaller form.
Lucy has used her penchant — a ring on the middle finger of her left hand — to illuminate the bridge in the colour of her penchant stone: a gentle citrine yellow lighting up the darkness. Lucy’s enacting a Society ritual for couples on first dates.
The Sinking Bridge has a few layers magic, including the ability to transport cars to other magical realms. Romantics like it because of the way it shimmers into life. Couples step onto it, placing their penchants on its wooden surface, watching as the bridge glows in the colour of their penchant stones, lighting up The Winter Quarter.
What couples really hope for, though, is the sight of the bridge spilling its colour onto the water below: the true mark of love, apparently. Noah and Zoe will have to wait and see if
they can light up the bridge with their penchant stones.
The bridge is currently illuminated by a dull yellow light, reflecting Lucy’s emotional state. Never one to show her feelings, her sullen posture on the bridge says it all. The fact she’s chosen to meet us in The Winter Quarter is a sign of how much she’s struggling with her feelings … even more reason to talk about how she feels.
Maybe she views it as weakness, but mildly stalking a boy you secretly like when he’s on his first date with another girl isn’t particularly healthy.
“We get her into the sky as soon as possible,” Conrad suggests as we walk past Velerin’s, catching a glance of Noah and Zoe as the globe-shaped, glass restaurant spins anti-clockwise on the hour.
We’ve left it until eight p.m. to meet Lucy — my designs on staying in for the evening not quite going to plan. I got over my selfish desire to cuddle up with Conrad when I saw Lucy standing on the bridge alone, using my Follygrin to check on her whereabouts.
She’s been standing on the bridge for over half an hour now, lost in her thoughts of what could have been, or something else she’s not prepared to talk about. There’s only so much you can do for friends when they don’t want to help themselves, so we prepare to take to the skies, whistling to our Williynx as Conrad and I step onto The Sinking Bridge.
The old me would have ‘acquired’ one of the cars parked on the snow-covered streets, keen to drive over The Sinking Bridge before vanishing through it: a fun Perium leading to The Shallows. That’s not our destination this evening, though, The Royisin Heights calling instead.
“Hey,” Lucy says as we reach her.
Conrad gestures for me to engage in conversation, tapping his hand on the bridge as Erivan perches alongside him, inspecting the water that glimmers below