His magic sparks around his eyes. He blinks once, then twice. His vision comes into focus without the aid of his glasses.
Sarah whistles, her eyebrows raised. “Impressive. So, can you see okay?”
Hakeem lets his vision settle, turning to Eddie. He can’t help but smile as he looks up at the man coming into focus, who looks back at him in awe. “You really do have a spell for everything.”
Hakeem gives a small shrug, “I guess. My vision will be fine without my glasses for a few hours, hopefully I don’t need the mask for the whole night.”
Sarah can’t fight her smirk-ignoring the fact that Hakeem didn’t answer her- as she glances between her brother and his date. They are lost in each other’s eyes, grinning like idiots.
* * *
After they pass through the portal to the Spring Realm, the limousine pulls up to a luxurious castle, parking in front of a pond of crystal clear water. Bathed in the light of dawn, dazzling shades of pink, blue and purple coat the marble spires of Castle Primavera. The Spring Realm is the land of eternal dawn, where the sun never rose farther than the edge of the horizon.
Castle Primavera is taken out of a story book. Lush gardens and orchards scattered across the acres circling the grounds. Towers that pierce the clouds, stain glass windows and walls of ivy climb its ancient stone. Birds flutter around, filling the sky with their chorus.
The limo pulls up at the carved steps of the castle; a servant of the Primavera household acts as a valet, opening the doors for the group. They appear to be a nymph, elemental beings born of Undine, goddess of water. Nymphs are known for their blue hair that flowed like water, the sound of crashing waves could be heard as their hair swished.
Sarah is helped out of the car by the servant, while Eddie gets out on his own to offer a hand to Hakeem. “Ready?”
Hakeem swallows the lump that formed in his throat, shakingly taking the outreached hand. “With you? Absolutely.” They walk into the castle, Hakeem holding on to Eddie’s arm as he escorts him in.
The castle opens to a grand foyer, the halls lit up by torches of daylight. People pour in, dressed to impress. Tailored suits, elaborate masks, high fashion dresses and gowns from across history. Everyone in attendance seems to exude opulence, as though they owned the world(Oh gods, do they?). The air is thick with magic, overwhelming Hakeem’s senses. Not the best time to be half-djinn.
Hakeem tightens his grip on Eddie’s arm, his breathing shaky. Eddie closes a hand on top of his, gently squeezing. “You’re okay, I’m right here.”
“Yeah, it’s just overwhelming. I can practically see the mana flowing through the air of the realm.Thisis a royal’s castle? I never knew magic could be so abundant, it’s almost suffocating.”
“Did you want to leave? I can call the car back around in an instant.”
“No!” exclaims Hakeem. “I want to be here with you, Eddie.” Eddie smiles adoringly at the flustered mage by his side. They walk arm in arm towards the grand ballroom of the castle.
* * *
“This was a mistake, I should go.” Jackson freaks out as Wendy, not-so-gently, pushes at his shoulders, guiding him towards the castle steps.
“You’ve said that every five minutes since you called Jean-Claude. You can spiral and walk at the same time, you seem quite adept at it.” States Wendy.
“Do I look okay? How’s my mask? Do I smell alright? Does my hair look stupid tied back? Should I lose the bowtie? Did we leave Princess enough food and water for the night? Should I have told my parents I was crashing the ball?”
“You look handsome. Your mask is lovely. You smell like pine aftershave. Your hair is cute tied up like that. No, because bowties are cool. And Princess is stocked for the night. I swear I saw her lining up a show on the TV before we left. As for your parents, I’m sure they’ll see this as a pleasant surprise as will a certain two men waiting beyond those doors.” Replies Wendy patiently.
Jackson’s body freezes at the mention of Eddie and Hakeem, though he keeps moving as winds wrapped around his body, propelling him onwards. Jean-Claude dropped them off at the castle gate, where they were waved in by the guards. Wendy walks steadily by his side as her winds do the hard work.
“Maybe I should go back to check on Princess, just to be safe.”
“I can go back with Jean-Claude to check on her.Youcan go find yourdates.” Wendy isn’t letting him off that easily.
“What if they resent me for showing up after saying I wasn’t going?”
“They literally were hoping you would join them up until the last minute, they’ll see it as a solstice miracle. Gods know I do.” Wendy murmurs the last part.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I don’t have self destructive tendencies that keep me from pursuing my own happiness. Furthermore, I see how they both look and talk about you. Trust me, Jackson, those boys are smitten.”
Jackson’s words leave him in a barely audible whisper, followed by a dry gulp. “I really hope you’re right.”
Wendy sighs, “You’ll see that I am.”
