Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Do something brave every day
“What are you doing?”
Rylan’s voice startled me so much that I accidentally flung my pencil over the gazebo railing into the water.
I’d finally found some free time after surviving my first week and wanted to enjoy a peaceful morning by the lake.
So, after grabbing my coffee, I got a notification on the app for club updates, then headed outside with my notebook.
Minutes after calming myself, I looked at my new friend. Rylan wore a green sweater and jeans today—a combo he’d worn the past two days of seeing him around the castle.
Not that I was paying attention.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said while shoving his hands into his pockets.
“It’s fine. I’m finished writing anyway. Have a seat.”
“What are you up to?” He sat on the bench across from me and observed the fog over the smooth lake.
“I’m making goals for the year and picking what clubs I want to join.” I looked over the list in my notebook with a smile.
Goals for school
Control powers
No more flower explosions
Join a club
Do something brave every day
Try something outside of comfort zone
Plan for career once home
Help someone magically
Don’t blow up or fail magic school
“Are you going to join any clubs?” I asked, curious if he even had time.
“I was thinking about the amulet club. It’s been a while since I’ve used these hands creatively.” He lifted his hands as if to inspect them.
Don’t think about him using those hands creatively on you.
Thankfully, his eyes glazed over like he’d followed a thought down a rabbit hole and didn’t notice the way I bit my bottom lip from the images of his hands on me.
Friends, Tempie.
Friends don’t salivate over each other.
“That sounded fun too. But I didn’t want to overcommit, so I chose herbalism.”
“Makes sense with the rant you went on at the apothecary last night.” He chuckled, and I rolled my eyes.
My baby familiar needed more time to hatch, so the vendor had told me to finish shopping at the fair, and I would be notified once she was all done. At the apothecary tent I found out that Nathuria knew many remedies for sicknesses we didn’t, and I crashed out.
All those nights I spent up late with Piper while she had major ear infections? Could have dropped a little bit of oil and Hylia, a natural growing herb in the other realm, in her ear.
But noooo…. I had to hold my feverish baby while she cried without much help.
I needed to know more and was pleasantly surprised when Cealian, the apothecary vendor, was listed as the club leader.
“You gotta admit with the Nathurians’ knowledge,” I said to Rylan, “we’re going to have a lot more medical breakthroughs.”
“That’s my hope. Ever since the incident, I’ve been trying to figure out how to improve our realm. We have a long way to go.” Rylan relaxed against the paint-chipped railing. Muscular arms lifted behind his head, and I tried not to stare at his chest… or his crotch.
Rylan’s soft chuckle told me he saw me staring, and I turned my head so fast to look at the lake, I nearly gave myself whiplash.
The water was slick as ice, and the sun just started peaking over the trees ahead.
“It’s wild to think how different our lives were just two months ago.” I’m not sure why I said it. I guess the view and the list had me thinking of my life pre-magic.
“I’m glad for it,” he said. “I have more clarity on what I want now than I ever did.”
His words made me pause, but I still didn’t face him.
“I think it’s pushed me to seek clarity in ways I wouldn’t have back home.
” I let my thoughts flow, and I hoped I could trust him with them.
Which made me think of Lucas and home. Then, I laughed through a big grin.
“Hell, I wouldn’t have left home if it weren’t for magic.
I’d have likely kept working at the bank and maybe got a hobby to pass the time. ”
So far, I’d been going through the motions of school—go to class, listen to teachers, eat, hang out with Remy, and now learning about snake life.
I had to give myself credit for making it through my magic education to this point, but I wanted more for myself. I wasn’t that old Temperance anymore.
“It doesn’t sound like a bad life,” Rylan murmurs, “but I think you deserve better.”
That time I did look at him. His words were something I’d say to someone I cared about. As I scanned through my mind, I couldn’t remember the last time someone besides Piper said something like that to me.
We held each other’s gaze in silence as the sun fully crested over the trees. I wondered what he was thinking, and instead of only wondering, I did something from my list.
Do something brave every day.
I asked him even knowing he could unravel me. Stupid, hot billionaire that I couldn’t stop admiring. “Why would you say that? That was a kind thing to say, but we hardly know each other.”
“It’s the truth,” he said simply, shrugging his shoulders. “I think you were born for magic and deserve to blossom into the person you were meant to be.”
Those were not the words I expected, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Don’t swoon, Tempie.
Friends, remember? Friends don’t swoon around each other.
“I’m still learning,” I said with a sigh. “Sometimes it feels like I won’t ever get it right.”
“Let the experiences come as they may and try not to get hung up on them. You’re doing great.” His stormy eyes brightened… and not just from the sunrise hitting him. “I’ve got a feeling everything is going to be better than your imagination could ever conjure up.”
“I hope so.”
“I know so.” He smiled confidently, and I nodded.
If he could believe it, then I could too.
We both watched the sun rise higher over the lake and gasped as a pink sea serpent broke the water line and flipped into the air like a performing dolphin. It didn’t look like any animal I’d seen except maybe in children’s fantasy books.
I was both in awe and scared.
A smaller version of the one that disappeared beneath the surface jumped up and made whale-like noises. We watched in silence for five more minutes, our bodies leaning against the railings to get a closer look.
“So, there’re magical sea creatures in the lake now?” I asked, not remembering any notes to stay out of the water in case of sea beasts on the website.
“It appears so.”
“We should probably tell someone.”
“We should.”
Rylan and I briskly walked back to the castle, and I felt the confidence of his words ease my worries with each step.
Things were only going to get better from here.