19
CARWYNN
“Wait,so why do they need to be kissed by midnight?” Ella, a wide-eyed female Si in the front row, twirled a sandy-blonde curl around her finger as she asked.
“Is it a time-restricted spell?” Tilly leaned forward with interest, lavender hair swept over a shoulder. “What happens if they don’t? Will they lose the chance at finding a soulmate forever?”
Skylights lit up the domed stone classroom, casting a bright glow over the five rows of amphitheater-styled seats. Large slabs of stone curved around each row, every wooden chair behind filled with curious Luckland students. A few of the windows were propped open, letting in the fresh, earthy scent of the grassy roof above.
I couldn’t contain it. Laughter bubbled up as I pinched the bridge of my nose.
I absolutelylovedteaching the Human Studies course.
For the majority of the week I was a student, attending classes and grinding through coursework. But Fridays—Fridays were mine. The one day I got to switch roles.
The class was made up of about thirty students. Without fail, their questions and comments were always beyond hysterical. Having been raisedculturallyas human, it was fun to see things from the Ferie perspective. Through their eyes, even some of the most basic human customs seemed, well, kind of ridiculous.
This week’s lesson was one of the largest and most beloved human holiday traditions: New Year’s Eve. We tackled everything from the overindulgences of alcohol, obnoxious noisemakers, chaotic parties, glittery outfits, countdowns, fireworks, superstitions, and of course, the tradition the students kept asking about: themidnight kiss.
A world without magic, power, and spells was hard for some to comprehend.
“No, definitely no spells. Remember, there’s literallynomagic. It’s a yearly ritual. At the stroke of midnight, they try to kiss someone. The tradition is meant to symbolically bring better luck and stronger relationships into the new calendar year.”
A few students raised an eyebrow, blinking.
“And no. Humans don’t have love-bonds like we do here. It’s vastly different—we’ll briefly touch down on that in a moment. But as per the midnight kiss, if they don’t kiss someone—” I shrugged. “They justdon’tkiss someone. Simple as that. No curses. No consequences. Though, I can imagine a few people waking up to some unfortunate surprises after kissing the first willing stranger while wildly intoxicated.”
That earned me some chuckles.
One of my more rowdy students, Cosmo, leaned in with a cocky grin. “I don’t know, that sounds likemykind of night! Doesn’t sound too unfortunate to me!”
I rolled my eyes.
“That’s becauseyou’dbe the unfortunate surprise for someone else.”
“Ay!” he cried, smirking as the class burst out in laughter.
“All right, all right. Settle down,” I chuckled. “Okay, let’s shoot back to love-bonds really quick.”
Spinning around, I moved toward the slate wall and drew three encompassing circles, like a target.
“So, as many of you should already know, here are the three love-bonds of Ferie. I like to think of them asflavors—sweet, spicy, and downright apocalyptic.”
Several students cackled.
“One is like a warm hug, the other a shot of whiskey, and the last . . . like a possession.Or so they say.”
Cosmo leaned back in his chair, fingers intertwined behind his head. “I could use a warm hug right now.” He flashed his teeth at me.
“Or a two-by-four to the face!” A smooth, familiar voice called out from the back.
Finley. There was no mistaking that grin or piercing green eyes that zeroed in on me. For a moment I felt like I was back in the hot spring with a sudden flush of panic, wanting to cover myself up under his deep gaze.
The students lost it, roaring as Cosmo narrowed his eyes.
I bit back my thoughts and cleared my throat loudly, giving the students a pointed look to calm down.
“Outer ring: Soul-Connected.” I wrote the words on the wall, then tapped it with a finger. “These are the sweet flavors of love. Closest friends. Found family. Friendships forged in battle. Trust that runs bone deep. Think, your emotional velcro.”
