CHAPTER THREE #3
She held Cadi’s stare with wide-eyed eagerness, and Cadi had to admit that she was probably right. Despite her irritation, she knew that if left to her own devices, she definitely would have bailed. Zoe had just nudged her along into the next step.
Cadi relented. “Fine, I’ll go but I’m not promising anything.”
She jumped at Zoe’s delighted squeal, her left ear ringing slightly from the jarring sound. Slipping back into her seat, Cadi tipped her drink back, downing half the contents in a single swig, coughing from the burn.
By the time they finished their drinks, the crowd around them had doubled in size, and they were all more than ready to leave.
Careful to avoid her scales, Cadi gripped Zoe’s shoulder as they wove their way back toward the door, trying her best to keep from getting swallowed by the throng.
When they finally emerged into the fresh air, the sweet scent of orange blossoms drifted on the breeze that gently cooled Cadi’s skin as they made their way to the train station.
“Cadi!”
She stopped mid-step to turn back toward the bar at the sound of her name and found Sera jogging toward them, the beads in her braids clacking together with each stride.
“I’m glad I caught you,” she said with a smile as she reached them. “You guys mind if I steal her for a second?”
Cadi nodded to the others, waving for them to go ahead before turning back to Sera.
“What’s up?”
Sera hesitated, the easy confidence from earlier overshadowed by something new that Cadi couldn’t quite place.
“I was just thinking … how’d you like to meet up before Somnium next week? We could head up there together, maybe grab food after?”
Cadi didn’t even try to fight the smile that overtook her face, or the warmth that spread through her chest at the unexpected invitation.
“Serafina Travers, are you asking me on a girl-date?”
Sera let out a full laugh. “Don’t get too excited. You aren’t my type.”
Cadi snapped her fingers in mock disappointment. “But seriously, that sounds wonderful.”
“Excellent! Let’s just meet here beforehand and I can drive us.”
They quickly exchanged numbers, and Sera shot her one last smile before turning to disappear back to the bar.
Cadi’s chest swelled to the point where she thought she may burst. This evening had been everything she had wanted for years; it hardly felt real with how easily everything was falling into place.
She caught up with the others at the train station, smiling to herself when she found that not even Celine’s haughty comments about the state of the city’s transportation system could dampen her mood.
They piled into the train car with a smattering of other late-night commuters, and Cadi settled into her seat, finally allowing herself to feel the excitement that had been steadily growing all evening.
“I can’t believe you actually signed up to be a temple attendant.” Sera laughed, sipping her wine. “You’re already there for Somnium, and now you’re voluntarily going back on Wednesdays to clean? Feels like a scam.”
Cadi chuckled, her cheeks flushing bright red from the mix of embarrassment and wine. “Hey, in my defense, I was coerced. Zoe somehow managed to con me into giving the Order a trial run for the next month, so here we are. Seriously, the woman should have gone into sales instead of healthcare.”
After that evening’s Somnium, Sera had insisted they visit Bacchus, her favorite spot in town, and the small wine bar seemed to breathe life around them.
Every table was full, and the low hum of chatter drifted through the air.
Soft lights hung from the ceiling, warming the tan stucco walls punctuated every few feet by fresco-style murals depicting various pastoral scenes.
Vines hung from the exposed beams above them, trailing back to the plethora of hanging plants scattered around the space.
Cadi scrunched her shoulders and leaned to the side to make room for a chimera trying to squeeze her massive feline body between the chairs on the way to the restroom. Sera snorted, reaching forward to snag a piece of fruit from the thick wooden board that rested on the table between them.
“Whatever you say, nerd.”
Cadi laughed again as she spread a knife full of cheese across a piece of bread.
It had surprised her how easy it was to fall into a rhythm of banter with Sera, her normal anxieties waning the longer she spent in the woman’s presence.
She wasn’t sure what it was, but something seemed different about her.
Maybe it was her ability to take Cadi’s awkwardness and make it seem endearing, or the way she didn’t take herself too seriously. Whatever it was, it felt good.
“Hopefully it won’t be that bad,” Cadi continued. “I mean, sure, it’s basically glorified housekeeping. And I have to wear this really unflattering, itchy robe. But they gave me a cool necklace!”