CHAPTER FOUR #3
“Fair enough,” he granted. “Certain exceptional individuals have a natural…affinity for it. They call, and it answers. I believe you may be one of those individuals who can wield it, Ms. Hoarfrost.”
“You think I can wield magic?”
“In time, with training, perhaps,” he nodded.
“The challenge in harnessing the magic is knowing what you want. Being clear about your intentions. And having those intentions be in line with Christmas. But these are advanced, post-exam lessons. Something to look forward to. In the meantime,” he said, nodding toward her lapel, “that ID brooch will get you through the passageway and back to the Reception Area, should you need any assistance. As for this bracelet,” he said, extending a hand, palm up. “May I?”
Avery placed her hand in his. Immediately, she flushed; her skin began to twinkle again, thrumming with a warm glow that matched her heartbeat. Louis watched her skin glowing before locking his eyes on hers.
He took a step closer and put the back of her hand up to his lips, as if to kiss it. Instead, he pressed the gem in the center of her bracelet. “A cup of hot chocolate, please,” he spoke onto her wrist, still holding her gaze.
She could scarcely hear him over the sound of her heart throbbing. And she barely registered the festive mug that appeared beside them, levitating. He dropped her hand, plucked the mug out of the air, and handed it to her. The smell of rich chocolate enticed her back to the present.
“The bracelet is magical, so you don’t have to be,” he explained. “I would start small until you get the hang of it. Eventually, you may not need the bracelet. But that takes time.”
Admiring the green jewel in the firelight, Avery considered its powers. And the fact that the gem matched Louis’ eyes.
Louis took a step backward toward the entrance.
“There are some matters I must attend to for the next half day or so. You could read some of these materials,” he said, gesturing to the books he needlessly arranged, “and get to work on an outline. When I return, we can make sure you’re on the right track. ”
“So, you’re coming back?” she said, still warm and tingling from their interaction and in no hurry to be without him.
“I’ll be back tomorrow.” He gave a small bow and began to turn.
“Tomorrow—” Avery said, before dashing forward to stop him from leaving. “Wait, how do I keep track of the days here? Won’t the sun not rise again in the North Pole until, like, March?”
“That’s right,” he said. “But I had these windows enchanted to give you the same daylight as the Big City for this time of year. I didn’t want you feeling out of sorts in the middle of all this.”
Avery swooned. He’d gone out of his way to consider her comfort before she even had to ask. He might as well have been walking out of a lake in a white shirt.
“Is everyone in the North Pole as considerate as you?” As she spoke, she touched his upper arm, finding a solid bicep under his suit jacket and letting her hand linger there.
Louis stammered. “I—” Leaves again began to sprout on delicate branches in the air above him. Small, white berries appeared among the foliage. Twitching, he looked up and swatted them away, pacing in a small, tight circle, shaking his head.
Avery felt the closest thing she could to shame.
She took a step back and ran a nervous hand through her scalp.
“I’m so sorry, Louis. Truly. I'm obviously making you uncomfortable. You've been so professional and kind to me, and I’ve been, well, it must be all these changes, maybe the magic is clouding my judgment. I’m embarrassed.
I mistook our professional…chemistry for somethi—”
He dashed forward, and put a finger on her lips.
She stopped talking. She couldn’t have remembered how to talk if she’d wanted to.
“Please don't finish that thought,” he said, breathless. He lightly brushed his finger across her lips. “We need to focus on you passing this test. Then we can—” He tore his gaze from her lips back to her eyes. “—talk.”
Avery’s heart was in her throat.
He moved his hand to her cheek, and she broke out into a grin, closing her eyes and luxuriating in his touch and attention, like a cat in a sunbeam. Everything about it felt warm and right.
His fingertips grazed her skin as he tucked a soft, blonde strand of hair behind her ear.
Avery opened her eyes to see Louis smiling back at her, their lips mere inches apart.
“You aren’t the one who decides if I get the job, are you? I wouldn’t want to be accused of trying to charm my way in,” she said.
“No. I’m not,” he confirmed in a serious tone.
He dropped his hand and took a step back.
“There are formalities that some feel must be observed, traditions that must be upheld—I advised against…” He shook his head.
“All I can say is,” he said, softening his voice, “if it were up to me, the search would be over.”
Avery melted. “Okay.”
Louis took a deep breath and turned to leave.
“But you are coming back, right?” she asked.
“Wild reindeer, Avery,” he said over his shoulder as he exited the room, closing the bookshelf passageway behind him.
Avery sighed and turned back to the books.
It was time to get to work.