“Nice to see a man who’s comfortable enough in his skin to allow that.”
He gave me a sheepish smile. “I was asleep at the time.”
Dori and Clary returned, carrying boxes and bags.
“See,” Benedict said to me before turning to the women. “Anamaya says she’d like you to make her up.”
Dori’s eyes lit up like beacons of hope, and dread pooled in my belly.
“Wait. I didn’t?—”
“No.” Dori held up her hand. “You can’t take it back. This is happening.”
Benedict snickered, and I shot him a glare.
“You can look glamorous for your first trip to Coral Isle tonight,” Dori said. “Providing the storm stops.”
“You’re going to look beautiful,” Clary added.
I had no intention of leaving the tower with a made-up face, but I could burst their bubble later.
I sat back in my seat with a sigh. “Fine. Let’s do this.”
* * *
I studiedmy made-up face in the bathroom mirror. Smudgy dark eyes, pouty berry lips, and contoured cheeks. I looked like a stranger. A stunning stranger.
Dori had done a great job, but my skin felt stiff and itchy.
I gathered my hair into a knot, then washed my face clean. Cards was next on the menu, and I was already socially drained, but I’d be lying if I said I hated spending time with the trio.
I exited the bathroom to a flash of bright light, followed by a deep rumbling.
“Ana!” Clary popped her head around my door. “Come, quick. You have to see this.”
She ushered me into Dori’s room, a haven of knitted throws and scented candles. Dori and Benedict stood at the window, beckoning me to join them, moving aside so I could look out.
Dori’s room afforded a view of the inlet and the landmass housing the Main Building. “Okay, what are we looking at?”
“Just watch,” Benedict said.
Lightning lanced from the sky and shot toward the Main Building, latching onto a tall rod projecting from a southern tower turret. The building lit up bright for a moment, each dark window screaming into the night as the rod held the lightning in its grip for long seconds.
My breath snagged in my throat at the raw power of this moment. The lightning broke free, and I imagined I heard the snap and sizzle of its escape. The Main Building fell into darkness once more.
We waited long seconds and the sky lit up again, another bolt, another connection with the rod.
“It’s amazing, right?” Benedict said. “I always wonder what it would feel like to be inside the building or on the grounds. The sheer power being harnessed right now…”
Chester had mentioned the steeple that conducted lightning. “What do they do with the power?”
“Reserves, I think,” Dori said. “Who knows. We have magi-generators, so maybe they use the power in conjunction with those somehow.”
Or maybe it was used for some other purpose…
We stayed to watch the lightning for a little longer. The companiable silence settling around me like a hug.
“Looks like Coral Isle is definitely off the agenda for tonight,” Benedict said. “Might be off the agenda all weekend. Storms like this won’t pass quickly.”
