Page 67 of Inked in Bloom
“Someone’s excited about their assignment,” Cherri says, her attention trailing behind us. I peer over my shoulder and watch purple petals flutter down the grassy path. Furrowing my brows, I scan for the cause, until I land on it.
My fingertips.
“I’m excited for us both.” I feign nonchalance and catch a few petals in my palms. While I’m sure Lisse will bestunning, I’m more interested in finding out how everyone is doing from Cherri when we slip back here in a few weeks once we get transportation privileges.
Dani stands at the top of the stairs leading into City Hall, looking as unhappy as I’d expect. Whatever they did to earn the punishment of retraining with the Conservatory and now having to go back out to do spring must have been pretty bad in the eyes of Fate and the other Radixes. Even so, they didn’t seem remorseful or ashamed about their actions.
We’re ushered into the auditorium where Blooms step one by one onto the center of the flower-shaped dais. They shrink down into their shifted bunny form, and I press onto my toes, trying to get a better look. Springing off their hindlegs, there’s a flash of blinding light, and they’re gone. Does it hurt at all? How long will it take? The questions hurl themselves at me, the line becoming shorter and shorter until it’s our turn.
“Do you want to go first?” I ask Cherri.
“Sure.” She lifts her chin.Guess I’m not the only nervous one.
The harbingers wave her up to the dais and her eyes dart to me. “Meet back here in two weeks?”
“See you in two weeks,” I reply with a nod.
Striding onto the dais, Cherri becomes a black puffball with peeks of auburn. She gives me a final glance before jumping into the small, dark hole surrounded by dirt. Light flashes when her bunny form reaches the end of the visible tunnel, and I shield my eyes with my forearm, blinking away the spots in my vision.
“Next.”
It takes me a moment to stop staring at the blank space where my friend was standing and register that they are calling on me.
“Sorry,” I say, bumbling up the last step onto the dais. Nerves flutter along the magic buzzing in my veins. Even with a whole line going before me, it feels as though everyone’s watching me.
I close my eyes, recalling my mantra.
You’ve done hard things. You’ll do hard things. And you’re not alone.
With my bones cracking, body contorting, fur and whiskers sprouting, the auditorium grows around me and the Blooms become giants. I stare at the hole in front of me, perfectly bunny-sized.
Here we go.
I leap forward and dive into the dark tunnel. Light splashes me with warmth as I’m whisked through the veil, whipping on a breeze until I’m dropped in a field of hyacinth buds.
My chest heaves and I sputter out a few coughs, the lungfuls of floral and dirt aromas potent.
Jolting upright, I scramble to my paws, shuffling out of the flower bed.
I made it.
People wander paved pathways, weaving between grass and sprouting bunches of blue flowers. I scamper toward the path nearest to me, drinking in the vibrant colors, the murmurs of onlookers, and the rustling of nature along the breeze. I’m both awestruck and overwhelmed, shivering against the slight chill in the air.
“Can’t believe you were hoping to go tothe Midwest US,” Skylar scoffs, kneeling to primp a lopsided tulip at her feet. Realistically I know how idiotic it sounds. No one would pick the Midwest over this floral wonderland.
I twitch my whiskers and shift back into my harbinger form, quickly snapping on an olive-green wrap dress.
“What do you think of Lisse? Though more specifically, this is Keukenhof.” Skylar stands up and tosses a hand like we aren’t in the most spectacular botanical garden I’ve ever seen. Not that I’ve seen many. I can’t remember the last time I left the city and traveled. Regardless, this location is breathtaking, but we aren’t the ones meant to enjoy it.
“I can’t believe this is where we will spend the next few months.”
Skylar sighs. “Technically, this is only one small portion of our territory. We have all of the Netherlands.”
Our job is a seemingly lovely task, but I’m a bit concerned how much upkeep it’s going to take.
I turn my face as a family stands up ahead, posing for a picture. They don’t notice me, though, despite falling out of the sky. I’m completely invisible to this world. Skylar runs right in front of them.
“Skylar!”
