“Yes, I think I will.” The elf sounded a little surprised.
Raine straightened as several waitresses flew over with a huge pepperoni pizza. They set the food in the center of the table, and the teens all grabbed slices to add savory bites to their sweet meal.
Adrien finished his slice quickly. He was hungrier than he’d realized. “Matt told me an interesting thing the other day.”
Raine set her pizza slice down. “What?”
“There has been some talk recently about a professional Louper league.”
“Really? I can see that. Louper’s fun.” Raine smiled. “As someone who grew up without being surrounded by magic, I can tell you it’s really cool. I can see how non-magical people could get into it even more than magicals.”
“Yes. From what I was told, it’ll be an international league. The idea is they will have people play through regional championships, then national championships before finals and a world championship.” Adrien looked thoughtful for a few seconds as he pondered the future of the game. “There was even some talk of an interworld league, but it’s too hard to figure everything out with Oriceran.”
“Wow,” Sara said after she’d polished off her second piece of pizza. “If there will be a professional Louper league and you’ll already get two years as captain, have you thought about going pro?”
He shook his head. “The game’s fun and I look forward to being captain, but I’m not interested.”
“Why not?”
“I’m from a Guardian family, and I intend to live up to that legacy.”
Filled by their less than healthy meal, they headed out of Bubble and Fizz.
Raine pointed down the street. “I heard something from a senior about a sale at the magical trinket shop. Let’s have a look at that. There are supposed to be fun things there.”
“I have to check something out real quick.” Sara took a few steps away from the group. “I’ll catch up with you guys in fifteen minutes, okay?”
The others nodded and continued on their way.
Sara hurried around the corner and jogged along the narrow path between the stores and booths. After a few minutes, she slowed as she closed on the area where she’d last seen Hap. She wasn’t sure if it made sense to look for him in the same place, but without a shop or stall, she had no specific idea where to look.
A witch seated beside a small wooden cart waved at her as she passed. “Love potions for sale. Capture the heart of the boy you love. Special sale.”
“I don’t need that kind of thing.” Sara kept walking. The trip wasn’t about love but awakening her trickster magic.
A Willen in a red coat rushed to her side. “Need a new necklace?” He held a pearl and silver necklace up. “Priced to move. Just came in from a local supplier.”
“I don’t really need that.” She stopped and stared at the Willen. “Does that red coat mean something special?”
He raised his head in pride and his whiskers shook. “It means I’m a member of the Red Coat Society. We recently moved into this kemana. It’s a special club for rodents of taste and potential.”
“Is Hap in your club? He wears red, too.”
The Willen’s tail twitched. “Do you know Hap? It’s hard to trust a ferret, but he’s said he’ll find us some opportunities, so if he tries hard, maybe we’ll let him in our club. He has to earn it first.” He shook a long, thin clawed finger. “But don’t get any weird ideas. No whiskerless are allowed in the Society.”
“I wasn’t interested, but okay.”
The Willen tilted his head and his beady gaze dropped to her purse. His mouth parted as he raised his long, thin claws. He looked at her again and his eyes started to spin.
Sara jerked her head up. “Hey, don’t try to hypnotize me, you jerk.”
He backed away with both hands up. His tail shook. “I only wanted to take payment for the information.” He took a few more steps back. “I’m sure you have something nice in your purse.”
The kitsune narrowed her eyes. “Don’t mess with me. If you don’t want trouble, you’d better help me out.” She pointed down the street. “I’m looking for Hap. Tell me where he is. I have some things I need to buy from him.”
“Oh, buy? Sure, sure. Okay. I can help with that.” He flexed his clawed hands, his beady eyes focused still on her purse. “If you promise not to cause any trouble for me.”
“Just tell me where he is.”
“Go three stores down, head to the right, then take the next left. You’ll find him there selling potions. Also priced to sell.”
“Thanks.” Sara backed away and didn’t take her eyes off the greedy Willen. “Stay out of trouble.”
“I always do.” He scurried into a narrow space between two shops and chittered under his breath.
Sara followed the directions but remained watchful for other shady Willen. She’d never had one try to steal from her so blatantly before, but she also didn’t spend a lot of time around the rodent-like race.
Hap came into view, a small metal tray set up in front of him which contained several wide-bottomed potions of different colors. POTIONS FOR SALE was written in a precise hand in several languages on a wooden sign that hung from the front of his tray.
The ferret waved happily when he spotted her and his whiskers twitched with excitement.
Sara looked back and forth for other Red Coat Society Willen before she approached. “Hi, Hap.”
He pulled his hat off and bowed deeply. “Greetings and salutations again, Sara. You had to run off in such a hurry last time. We didn’t have a chance to discuss how we can both set up a win-win situation. Everyone likes win-win.”
“My friend had to show me something,” Sara lied. “Before we talk, I need to know something.”
Hap put his hat back on and adjusted it. “Ask your questions, and I’ll give answers. Some will be entertaining.”
“Are you trying to join the Red Coat Society?”
The ferret rasped a laugh and his whiskers and tail shook. “Is that what one of those little rats told you?” He fluffed his vest. “I merely offered them some business opportunities, but they can be a little short-sighted.” He waved a paw. “Horatius A. Pierce is an ally to all, but an enemy to none. My sartorial choices are similar by mere coincidence, I can assure you of that, young lady.”
Sara wasn’t sure she could trust him, but his response reassured her a little. She glanced at the potions. “Are any of these magic enhancement potions?”
Hap blinked and tilted his head. “These? No, no. These are simple stuff. Warmth, cold, that sort of thing. I wouldn’t sell something expensive like that on the street. There are too many thieving types out here, you know. It’s unfortunate, but that’s the world we live in. People always want to take things that aren’t theirs. Shame, shame, shame. They don’t understand win-win.”
“I’m interested in a magic enhancement potion, something that works on kitsunes.”
“Kitsunes?” He clapped his paws together. “I love kitsunes! You’re a kitsune? You should have told me earlier. I knew it. I sensed it in you from the beginning—that potential, that go-getter attitude.”
“Have you met a lot of kitsunes?” Sara eyed the ferret warily. “And you think they’re go-getters?”
“I’ve met less than a hundred and more than zero. Is that a lot? Who knows?” The ferret folded his little arms and grinned, his sharp-toothed smile vaguely sinister. “Magic kitsune enhancement, huh? I could get my hands on something like that, but it’d be a custom order. It’ll take a lot of effort. I’ll have to ask around and will need some time to look into it.”
Sara’s breath caught. She’d assumed Hap would say it was impossible or too expensive, but he had offered a small sliver of hope. “It can’t be stolen.”
He snorted and his whiskers twitched downward. “I don’t know what horrible libelous enemy of commerce and small business has told you lies about me, but I don’t deal in stolen goods. Yes, a few times, I allowed mysel
f to be a little too trusting of certain suppliers out of the goodness of my heart. But whenever I’ve been aware of any irregularities, I can assure you, with utmost sincerity, that I’ve done right by the people involved. I’m a ferret who prides himself on not only being a go-getter but also on his untouchable ethics and reputation.”
She stared at him for a moment and decided that challenging him was pointless. While it was a huge temptation, she didn’t want to risk losing her chance at help.
“Okay. Thanks, Hap. I appreciate it.”
“Of course, Sara. Like I said, go-getter. I’m sure you’ll see that I can help you in a lot of ways, and I’m sure we’ll be able to find a way for you to help me.”
Sara gave him a shallow nod. “I have to get back to my friends. They’re expecting me.”
Hap’s gaze flicked to the potions for a second, and he gave her another far-too hungry smile. “Your other friends. Remember, Sara, you and me are friends now.”
“Sure, Hap. Sure.” She waved and headed back up the street.
A cluster of older teens and twenty-somethings with Arc Eighty-Eight glasses wandered down the road almost shoulder-to-shoulder and swung their invisible weapons or cast fake spells. A red-coated Willen watched them from a nearby alley but ran off when he noticed that she had seen him.
“Damned Arc Zombies,” rumbled a Kilomea as it emerged from a small pub.
Sara moved to the side of the road and let the players pass. Raine and Cameron appeared around the corner. Once they spotted her, they rushed down the street.
“Is something wrong?” Sara asked.
Raine slowed and shook her head. “We were a little worried.”
“I was looking for Hap.”
“That ferret?” Raine’s expression contorted in confusion. “Christie told me about him. He’s kind of shady, I heard.”
Sara sighed. “I know that, but he might be able to get me a potion that will help my magic.”
Cameron snorted and looked around for Hap. “Do you really think some shady ferret in a kemana can get his paws on that kind of thing?”
“It doesn’t hurt to at least try.”
Raine smiled and grabbed her hand. “Come with us to the trinket store, but you’re right. It won’t hurt. But be careful that he doesn’t ask you for something weird. It might be a scam.”
“I know, but I hope it isn’t.”
Chapter Nineteen
Raine’s mind drifted constantly to Sara’s concern about her magic as the Student Council members continued to pitch ideas for the upcoming Spring Formal. They all sat in a square around four linked tables, and the last thirty minutes had seen a host of suggestions about things people would like to see at the dance without anyone willing to commit to an actual idea.
“We should have Dorvu coat the entire floor in ice,” came one suggestion. “Call it the Spring Winter Wonderland? Doesn’t that blow your mind?”
“Dances through fire. It’ll be exciting.”
“I want imported Oriceran caviar. No. I demand Oriceran caviar.”
Suggestion after suggestion continued to flow, some reasonable but most impractical. All the while, Raine wondered what she could do to help Sara. She’d given her friend the big speech about sharing her load, but the truth was, a sophomore witch, no matter how many books she read, wouldn’t be able to help a kitsune come into her magic.
The professors didn’t have an easy solution, either. Otherwise, they would have already helped Sara. If everyone from Librarian Decker to Headmistress Berens couldn’t help her, what chance did Raine have?
It didn’t matter that she reminded herself of that truth over and over. She refused to give up on Sara. Maybe she couldn’t help her with her magic, but she could help her with something else that would make her happy.
She sneaked a quick look at Philip. The more she watched him around Sara, the more obvious it became that he’d developed a crush on her. The question remained as to whether any of their friends should get involved in trying to get them together. Pushing things too hard could make it worse, even though Philip and Sara seemed to like one another.
Kerry groaned from across the room. “No, we will not have everyone ride in on horses, and we certainly can’t get that many unicorns. That’s stupid.”
Raine tried to force her concentration back on the meeting and the event, as it’d be one of her last major contributions as a member of the Student Council.
Philip paid far more attention for his own reasons. The dance represented an important opportunity for him. He’d had a lot of time to think during Christmas Break, and he realized that there was something missing in his life. After seeing Cameron and Raine and William and Evie together, he knew exactly what that was—and where he could get it.
“How about a 1920s theme?” suggested a new freshman witch representative. She spread her hands out. “We could call it the Magical Gatsby Experience.”
Kerry grimaced as if the girl had stabbed her. “We did that already.” She rolled her eyes. “Can you try to be a little original? Even a little original rather than waste our time?”
The girl shrank back into her chair, blushed, and looked down.
Raine frowned at Kerry and her anger flared. “Remember, she wasn’t here last year. It’s not like she’ll know everything that we’ve done.”
Everyone looked at her, curiosity on their faces, except for Kerry, who scowled. But the girl usually looked like that even when she wasn’t upset with someone.
“She could look at the yearbook, couldn’t she? I’d expect someone who wants to be a student leader to do something other than wait to be told everything.” Kerry rolled her eyes so dramatically it almost made Raine dizzy. “All I ask is that people put a little thought into this. Is that really so hard? Really so unreasonable?”
Raine locked eyes with her. “The point is that she tried. This is supposed to be a brainstorming session, so shooting ideas down too hard will only lead to fewer ideas, not more. If you don’t like an idea, simply say so and we can move on.”
“I suppose.” Kerry sniffed in disdain. “It doesn’t change the fact that we’ve done it recently. We need a better idea. Instead of worrying about her, why don’t you come up with an idea if you care so much, Raine.?”
“Glamor of the royal court.” She shrugged.
Her recent deep dives into history, both ancient and more modern, left such ideas lodged deep in her brain. It was something she’d thought a lot about.
Everyone on Earth was used to the idea that kings and queens were mostly ceremonial with a few exceptions in a smattering of countries, but true royalty with actual power still reigned on Oriceran among many species, including King Oriceran himself, with little sign that anything would change. It was simply another way the sister planet of Earth was different.
“Huh?” replied Kerry. “Glamor of the royal court? What does that even mean?”
“Glamor of the royal court,” Raine repeated. “Fancy court gowns, and we can make it international and not limit it by time period, so we can have a lot more variety.”
“That’s not a real theme. We can’t plan around that.” Kerry threw her hands up. “We need something more specific. At least Gatsby is a specific theme.”
“Why exactly?” Raine leaned forward.
“Why what? You’re not making any sense.”
“Why do we need to be so specific?” Raine refused to let Kerry bully her. “This school is filled with different races and species from other countries. There’s a wealth of varied and rich history of royalty on both Earth and Oriceran. That’s theme enough. The point is for the dance to be fun, not to be a history or literature lesson.”
Philip snapped his fingers. “That’s great. It’ll be much cooler than if everyone wears the same kind of suits and dresses. All sorts of crazy, fancy clothes. I’m sure some of the kemana seamstresses can produce decent stuff only from pictures. It’s not like we actually need some real handsewn royal gown. I love this idea.”
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“So do I,” interjected the freshman from before with newfound excitement on her face.
Several other students nodded their eager agreement. Murmurs broke out in the room. Everyone was thrilled with the idea.
Kerry rubbed her temples. “Seriously? You want such a loose theme? Glamor of the royal court?”
Raine stood and rested her hands on the table. “Why don’t we vote?”
Everyone threw their hands up without the formal motion.
The other girl folded her arms. “Fine. We still need to figure out class assignments and music. Will we try to somehow do period music from every past royal culture at once? It’s not like everyone can learn a bunch of formal court dances.”
Raine opened her mouth to speak but closed it as Philip slammed his hand on the table so hard that she winced instead.
“Film scores,” he shouted.
The gathered student representatives and Student Council officers all looked at him like he’d lost his mind in the World in Between.
Philip stood and he chuckled and blushed a little. “I’m saying that if we find movies about the periods we’re talking about, a lot of them will have dance scenes with music. We can borrow some of that. Even if we don’t do fancy court dances, we can dance to it. It’s not like King Oriceran will show up and judge us.”
Raine nodded as he sat. “That’s a good point. This could work.”
She let her attention linger on him for a moment and noted his enthusiasm. The thought occurred to her that she needed to do everything she could to help this dance succeed, not only for the school but for Philip and Sara.
Chapter Twenty
Xander chuckled as he sat across from Mara at her desk. “Glamor of the royal court? That’s not what I expected. The students get more creative each year. Or is it simply the mix of students we have this year?”
“I’m not sure, but a little unexpected creativity isn’t a bad thing,” Mara replied with a warm smile. “The more creative they are, the more excited they’ll be. They’ll invest more time and effort into the event, and the whole goal is for it to be student-driven.” She looked down and a wistful sigh escaped before she could stop it.
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