“Ladies, it’s time for the autumnal equinox.”
Chapter two
Arabella Marudas
Orangelightcastitselfover Calami Tower as the day came to an end. Arabella Marudas felt anticipation wrap itself around her, warring with the worry that left her fighting to not bite at her nails. Her little sister, whom she hadn’t seen in over a year, had made it through the trials and now they would be forced together once more. It was odd that she should feel any trepidation at their reunion when they had spent her happiest memories together. At least until she came to Calami and made a new life for herself.
She supposed that was the source of her reason for pacing around her room until her shoes were likely to wear out. In the year Ara had been gone, the letters exchanged with Seren had become more infrequent and brief. The truth was, she knew her sister resented her for leaving right after their father’s death, but the reality was being a Calami witch was their future. Not just hers or Seren’s, but also their family’s given the security the position granted. Graduating from Calami meant securing a future that saw them all safe and well cared for. She could have opted to stay on with Lady Bunce as a hedge witch apprentice, but then, that was all she would ever be. Her power was relegated to making potions and tending to basic illnesses. Being a Calami witch meant the placements after graduation were endless for her. Even being the Imperial Witch was a possibility if the current occupant suddenly died or became incapacitated. All Ara needed to do was to secure her position at the head of the class and she would be eligible to study under the current Imperial Witch, Olympia.
A knock on the door stopped Ara in her tracks. Soft fur brushed across her legs and Ara looked down to see big green eyes staring up at her, imploringly. She bent down and ran her hand along Juniper’s soft red fur as he arched into her touch.
“I’ll be fine,” she assured him as she had the last hour while he watched her from his place perched on her bed. Her familiar was always in tune with her, and she hated when it left him feeling anxious.
“Open the door, Ara. I could hear you pacing all the way down the hall,” Roxie’s voice called through the door.
Ara bit back her smile even as she opened the door, revealing a woman with curly red hair and a constellation of freckles. Roxanne Laurier didn’t hesitate to throw open the door wider, effectively sliding past Ara and throwing herself onto the bed.
Ara shook her head as she closed her door and turned to see Juniper happily jumping up and snuggling into Roxie’s lap.
“Hey there, you old fleabag. I missed you too,” Roxie affectionately pressed a kiss to Juniper’s head, and the fox began to purr.
“It’s weird not sharing a room with you,” Ara said, taking a seat at her desk.
Roxie frowned. “I almost wish they would let us, buta Calami witch must learn independence to effectively be part of a community.”
“Must you quote Professor Courvo at every turn?” Ara rolled her eyes.
Roxie sat up straighter. “A Calami witch must appreciate ‘ze knowledge entrusted to her by her betters.”
Ara giggled. “Do you write down everything she says?”
“She may be uptight and insufferable, but she’s one of the most talented witches alive today. Plus, I like her accent. It makes everything more severe.”
Ara smiled at the woman who had gotten her through her first year at Calami and her first year of grieving her father. When they had been asked to pair up in the trials, Ara and Roxie had been inexplicably drawn together, but when they learned they would have to fight each other, Ara had questioned her decision to come to Calami. She knew now that both she and Roxie had held back in that duel until three other witches fell and ended the trials. When Courvo announced they would be roommates, the two women, freshly eighteen years old, had embraced, and that had been the start of their friendship.
Roxie’s smile faded. “I saw Seren’s name on the list of Hatchlings.”
Ara gave her a tight smile. “I’m happy she made it, but Seren’s always been tenacious. I had little doubt she would make it through the trials.”
“Then why have you been pacing a hole in the floor all evening? You didn’t even come to dinner.”
Ara’s stomach growled as if remembering her forgotten meal. “I just–I don’t know how Seren is going to react to seeing me. The last time we saw each other, she said things. Things she meant.”
Ara could feel her eyes burning with the memory of how her sister had accused her of abandoning her and their mother. Coming to Calami was the right decision, but knowing that she was leaving Seren alone to take care of their mother, who had gone distant and detached since their father’s death, had been difficult. She had comforted herself through long nights knowing Seren would have done the same if she had been the older one, but it seemed a hollow consolation now.
Roxie tsked and gently shoved Juniper, who stretched as if it were his plan to be awoken all along, “Go comfort your mistress, you lazy fox.”
Juniper merely jumped down, landing softly on his paws before striding over to Ara and repositioning himself into her lap. He curled up and resumed his purring.
Roxie shook her head. “When I get a familiar, I hope it's something livelier than that ball of fur.”
Ara’s laugh was a mixture of sniffles and humor. “You’ll probably end up with some exotic creature.”
Roxie smiled, clearly satisfied with the idea. Ara knew it was hard for her to wait for hers, but the connection rarely happened before the second or third year of training. How Ara had managed Juniper was as inexplicable as how any witch came into their familiar. It simply happened.
A deep reverberating gong sounded through Ara’s open window, and her breath hitched. The sun had completed its descent and the light of the full moon shone throughout the nearby Whispering Woods. Energy hummed in her veins.
“It’s nearly time,” Roxie whispered, emerald eyes alight with excitement. “I’m going to go get my cloak. Don’t leave without me!” she yelled as she threw open her door and ran toward her room.
