Midnight's Blossom

by Corinn Heathers

  “Ah, yes. 'Councilor' Merope.” I glanced out the window at the city lights flashing past as the car sped down an elevated roadway. “I wouldn't have guessed he was a politician.”

  “We don't think of them as politicians,” Rose corrected, wagging a finger at me. “It's not a career, but a civic duty. Everyone who serves on the Council does so in addition to their family's business or individual profession. My father's involvement is somewhat more… personal than most, as so many of our family serve in the Fiallan Defense Corps.”

  An icy void formed in my gut. “Is he—”

  “Worried about war? Yes. Always. My father is very vocal about maintaining Fialla's border defenses, because he remembers the Forge War. Seven Holy Stars, he nearly died during that awful season. He does what he can to prevent such horrors from ever reaching our lands again.”

  It was obvious what Rose was alluding to.

  “He's helping the rebels, isn't he?” I ventured.

  “How else would he know about Willow's recommendation? It's not exactly a smoking gun—or rather, a smoking stack of invoices and correspondence, but he couldn't have known about it otherwise. I know he doesn't want to involve me in dangerous things, so he doesn't talk to me about it, but—”

  “But you are involved, through your connection to me,” I mumbled. “Rose…”

  “True. It's obvious the rebels are interested in you. Because we're, well, together, it means I'm a part of all of this mess, too.” Rose's tone sharpened as she continued, fixing me with a sidelong glare. “Don't you even dare tell me you're going to step back, Lily. I know you're thinking it. So don't even. Just don't. We're in this together, no matter what.”

  I wasn't able to stop the tears. Rose's admonishment was forceful, but it wasn't the vehemence of her sudden outburst that made me start to cry.

  “I'm so sorry,” I blurted. “I don't… why am I—”

  “You drive me crazy, you adorable little pixie. I'd hug you and kiss away your tears if I wasn't driving.”

  I sniffled and wiped my eyes, but didn't respond with words. No further conversation took place until Rose pulled the car into a small parking lot underneath a rather ordinary-looking apartment complex. It looked similar in design to the communal boarding houses for commoners I'd seen all across the Empire, but a fair bit nicer.

  I opened the door and stepped out onto the smooth concrete of the underground garage. Rose beckoned for me to follow her into a nearby elevator. Once inside, she depressed a button that would take us to the third floor.

  The elevator rose slowly and again I found myself somewhat nervous in the presence of more machines that did not depend on magic to function. I hoped that I would get used to it, as we would be spending the remainder of our term break in Fialla before returning to the Academy.

  Rose led me through the corridors on the third floor to a nondescript door set adjacent to a floor-to-ceiling window at the end of the hall, overlooking the complex's small central courtyard. I watched as she tapped her multicom against a flat rectangle mounted in the door. The metallic click of a disengaging lock reached my ears.

  “Come on in.”

  I stepped through the threshold of Rose's apartment. The lights came on as we entered, illuminating a small but comfortable dwelling. It was a fair bit larger than the dorm room we'd shared with Erika Corvus at the Academy, and far more modern-looking. Electrical outlets studded the walls in various places, and a sleek computer terminal with multiple display monitors sat on a desk near the sliding door to the balcony.

  “It's like being in another world,” I observed.

  “Think of how I felt, coming to Solaria.” Rose laughed softly. “Like going halfway back in time a hundred years. The Empire hasn't really brought themselves into the new century with any real enthusiasm.”

  “True, I mean, the whole nation runs on the idea that blood holds the magic and the magic equals power. They're not very fond of advancements that democratize other sorts of power.” I paused for a moment as Rose pulled out a chair at her dining table and sat down. I followed suit, watching with wary interest as she poured us both a glass of some sort of fizzy pink liquid.

  “That's not some sort of beer, is it?”

  “Sort of. It's a fruity thing I stole from Dad. I think he keeps it around for visiting dignitaries who can't handle bitter brews. Try it and tell me what you think.”

  I took the glass and sipped at it experimentally. It was very good, crisp and sour and just sweet enough. I took another, much larger swallow. Rose grinned at my favorable reaction and tapped the bottle with a fingernail.

  “Help yourself,” she said. “If we run out, I can always get more.”

  “You're trying to get me drunk,” I accused.

  “Who, me? Perish the thought.”

  I gave her a look that was intended to be suggestive. “You don't need to do that. After all, we're here, just the two of us, in a place where the Academy masters can't possibly see us…”

  “You need to work on your subtlety, Lily.”

  “I wasn't trying to be subtle,” I retorted, scowling. “I want you, right now.”

  Rose laughed. “Oh, my! Has it really been that difficult to wait?”

  “Yes, it has!”

  Chagrined, I clapped my hand over my own mouth. Inadvertently, I'd almost shouted the words, which of course just caused Rose to laugh even harder.

  “Aren't you hungry, though? We haven't eaten since before the flight.”

  “Later,” I insisted, leaving little room for discussion.

  “Gods, Lily, I had no idea you'd be this… forceful.”

  My expression fell a bit. “You don't like it?”

  “It's hot.” Rose's eyes smoldered as she gazed at me with unabashed desire. “Can you make it to the bedroom, at least?”

  I stood up abruptly enough that I knocked the chair over as I slid off. I expected her to laugh at that, too, but she was already moving toward the door on the other side of the room. We barely even made it two steps inside before she drew me into her arms and kissed me so hard I let out an involuntary moan.

  The two of us, caught up together in desperate embrace, fell against the yielding softness of Rose's bed. She absorbed the gentle impact and smiled at me as I lay atop her. I loved to look at her smile, but I wanted her to kiss me again.

  “I love you, little red lily,” she whispered as she reached out to run warm fingertips through my hair. “No matter what happens, I'm glad we met. I'm so glad I fell in love with you. I'm so happy you love me back.”

  I somehow managed to get my shirt off, tossing it in some random direction. Rose's hands were on me, on my sides, sliding up toward my chest. I felt the calluses, the roughness that was also very soft, as she slid upward to squeeze my breasts through the bra I wore.

  That, too, was discarded, and I gasped out loud as her hands returned but without woven fibers to impede them. I tried desperately to keep my eyes open, to watch her as she let her fingertips play along my body.

  “Close your eyes if you want to, love,” Rose murmured. “You don't need to see, just feel.”

  I wanted to keep them open, but then I couldn't. Velvety softness engulfed one of my rapidly-stiffening nipples and my back arched of its own accord. The movements of Rose's tongue and lips managed to elicit a chorus of plaintive noises in response.

  My skin was aflame with sensations that reduced the feeling of her kisses to a bare whisper. My whole body tingled as Rose's hand started to drift down to the hem of my skirt, sliding her fingers between my thighs. It was as if the past months hadn't even taken place, and it was as if we went right back to that stormy night in the dorm room, the first time I offered myself to her.

  Those rough-but-gentle fingertips brushed against something very sensitive that was most certainly not covered by fabric, and I squeaked loudly. I forced my eyes open through sheer exertion of will and saw the curious expression on my lover's freckle-dotted face. Her white eyebrow was arched quizzically. />
  “You didn't wear any.”

  I bit my lower lip and nodded.

  “Gods, Lily, how can you be so perfect?”

  Rose went inside, and it became impossible to respond with words.

  Chapter 17

  Binding Force

  I awoke some time later, though I wasn't entirely sure how much time had passed between when Rose and I had… started. Or finished, for that matter. I blinked the blurry remains of sleep from my eyes and smiled as I realized I was resting my head against Rose's chest.

  She was still asleep, her arms and legs sprawled out in every direction. At some point during our activities, all of our clothing had become scattered around the room. A cascade of white hair was everywhere, half-entangled with my red curls, brushing against my cheek.

  I did my best to stay still, to simply drink up the warmth from my lover's body and soul, but it was clear that Rose was a light sleeper. She stirred a moment later, and opened one of her big, beautiful brown eyes.

  “Sleep well?”

  My cheeks went warm and I nodded vigorously.

  “Me, too.” Rose yawned and opened her other eye, glancing at something off to the side that I couldn't see. Her body stiffened and she turned her gaze back to me. “It's almost eight. We sort of spent the whole afternoon having sex and sleeping.”

  “I don't see anything wrong with that,” I said, somewhat defensively.

  Rose laughed. “We're on vacation, right?”

  “Allegedly, anyway.”

  I levered myself up into a sitting position on the bed, drawing away from Rose so she could get up as well. My hair was disheveled, my muscles loose and relaxed, and my skin was… well, sticky, in a lot of places. I made a face, one that only seemed to make Rose laugh harder.

  “Shower,” I mumbled.

  “Yeah.” Rose licked her lips and winked at me. “Want to take one together?”

  “Okay.”

  After a moment's work spent untangling our limbs from the sheets of Rose's bed, we made it to the apartment's fairly spacious bathroom. I was gratified to see that the apartment had been fitted with a larger shower stall than I expected, with more than enough room for the two of us.

  The cascade of hot water filled the room with steam and washed the mixture of sweat and… other things from my skin. I closed my eyes and leaned against Rose, just enjoying the various sensations of warmth that sank into my body and soul. We remained like this for a time before I heard a rather loud and urgent gurgling sound quite close to my ear. As the top of my head only came up to about the level of Rose's chest, it was clear where the sound originated.

  “Someone's hungry,” I observed, dragging a fingertip across the glistening brown skin of Rose's tummy.

  “I'm wishing Dad did try to feed us now.”

  “Let's finish up and go find something to eat, then?”

  Rose nodded and the two of us worked quickly to wash up. Fresh towels hung nearby, and I took hold of one as I stepped out of the shower. My hair dried quickly, but it would be something of a mess if it wasn't touched up with a bit of oil to keep the curls from drying out.

  Unfortunately, I could barely see the top of my head in Rose's bathroom mirror.

  “Want me to do your hair?”

  I bit my lower lip. “Don't have a choice.”

  My lover laughed one of her wonderful laughs and she dispensed a small amount of some sort of sweet-smelling oil into her palm. With dexterous movements, Rose worked it into my curls, teasing them out between her fingers. It only took her a minute before she was finished, and I leaned up on my tiptoes, straining to see how it looked in the mirror. As before, I could only just barely see the top of my head.

  “I'm too short,” I wailed.

  “Here.”

  Rose's hands slid under my arms and she lifted me up with a fluid, effortless motion. My feet left the ground as she picked me up enough that I could see my reflection unobstructed.

  Red curls were perfectly arranged and drawn out to accentuate the style I usually wore, but it looked even more professionally done than any I'd ever been able to manage myself. The conditioning serum Rose used was scented lightly of young cherry blossoms, thin enough that it didn't look greasy but still enough to hold the curls in perfect loose ringlets.

  “Wow,” I mumbled.

  “You look stunning,” Rose agreed. Gently, she set me back down and my feet touched the floor again. “Wait here, and close your eyes. I have a surprise for you.”

  I gave her a suspicious, sidelong glance.

  “Close those eyes! No peeking, now.”

  Letting out a small, amused sigh, I closed my eyes and waited. I heard Rose's bare feet padding against the stained-wood floor of her apartment, then the sound of rustling fabric and sliding drawers as she rooted around in her wardrobe. A few moments later, her footsteps came closer again and I could just barely hear the whisper of fabric.

  “Okay, open!”

  I opened my eyes and let out a gasp as I saw what Rose had brought.

  It was a dress, made from expensive watered silk and dyed a deep, shimmering black that was so perfectly dark it seemed to drink up the light in the room. The fabric was studded with tiny sparkling motes, arranged in a spray that looked random at first, but after a moment of study, I realized what I was seeing.

  “Seven Holy Stars, Rose,” I breathed as I stared at the intricate patterning worked into the dress, of each of the constellations in the night sky. “Literally, even. This is the most beautiful dress I've ever seen.”

  “It's yours, little red lily. I had it made specifically for you.”

  Tears filled my eyes as I hesitantly accepted the gorgeous gift. “This… this had to have cost a small fortune—”

  “Lily, you're my girlfriend. I'm required to spoil you. It's in the rules.”

  “T-thank you.” I sniffled and wiped at my eyes with my free hand. “I don't deserve you.”

  Rose snorted. “Put it on, you brat. We're going to a nice restaurant for dinner and we should look like we belong there. Our travel clothes are not appropriate, and I've been waiting weeks to see you in that dress.”

  I couldn't think of anything to say, so I just nodded. Rose brought me a set of undergarments that would not show up beneath the dress and I understood why she hadn't been more upset about our lack of supplies. As I pulled the dress up and slipped my arms through the shoulder straps, Rose let out a grunt of approval.

  “I'll zip the back for you,” she offered.

  I turned and shivered as Rose's fingertips brushed against my back. The dress was designed with a low, open back and the zipper only went up a handful of centimeters. I could have easily fastened it myself, but I knew she just wanted to touch me. I was certainly not opposed.

  With the dress securely fastened, I turned and did a bit of a spin, feeling the playfully-short skirt fan out slightly as I did so. I looked up at Rose and smiled.

  “How does it look?”

  “Gods, Lily, it's just unreal,” she replied in a husky tone. “You're like a goddess made flesh, and I'm the luckiest girl alive.”

  I giggled at that, and was surprised that for once I didn't feel overwhelmed by Rose's rather exaggerated compliments. I slipped past her out of the bathroom and into the apartment's common area, where I noticed a pair of black, low-heeled shoes that would have been small enough for a Fiallan child… or a half-human, half-fey Solarian.

  “How did you figure out my measurements?” I asked, amused.

  “Magic,” Rose said with a grin.

  “Now I know you're lying.”

  “Okay, okay, I measured your Academy uniform and shoes. The tailor and I discussed taking a little off because they always seemed slightly too large for you. We had a little back and forth for a bit and I sent him a few photos for reference.”

  “They better not have been embarrassing ones,” I growled.

  “Just our class photos, for scale.”

  I put on an expression of mock anger. �
��Those were the embarrassing ones!”

  “I mean, I could have sent him these other ones I have on my multicom—”

  “Rose!”

  She danced just outside my reach as I swatted at her, and she laughed before scooping me up and planting my backside on the divan near the coffee table that bore my new shoes.

  “Damn these short arms.” I tried, unsuccessfully, not to grin at Rose's teasing as I slipped the shoes onto my feet. They fit perfectly, and I took an experimental step. I wasn't used to wearing heels of any sort higher than my usual pair of soft leather boots, but these felt solid and comfortable, with no wobble or give that made me unsteady on my feet.

  While I finished adjusting the straps, Rose had vanished back into the bedroom for a moment before returning. She was dressed in a white, loose-fitting duelist's tunic under a bosom-enhancing vest of a lovely powder-blue. Her lower half was clothed in pair of stone-washed gray cloth leggings that clung to her like a second skin, and her feet were encased in a pair of ankle-high brown leather boots. Rose's voluminous white hair had been pulled back into a loose tail that draped rakishly over her left shoulder.

  “You look so beautiful, so dashing,” I managed while attempting to recover my wits. “Like a fairy princess-knight. All you need is a silver mythril rapier with a jeweled hilt.”

  Rose fairly beamed at the compliment. “Fiallans don't carry weapons out in the open. Not the best dinner etiquette, I'm afraid. Also against the law.”

  That was a little surprising to me, as nearly everyone in Solaria carried some sort of knife or sword at their waist. I hadn't been deprived of my dagger, for no one at the port seemed to notice its presence. This was not surprising, for a part of the magic placed on the weapon made it unnoticeable to those who intended to take it from me.

  I could feel it inside my satchel, pulsing with magic that bore Mother's touch. Like Eiri's legacy, it was linked to my soul as a talisman of protection.