Page 10 of Inked in Bloom
“Right on time. Everyone, this is Monroe,” Fate says, gesturing at me with long, elegant fingers. “Why don’t you come introduce yourselves?”
The harbinger with cropped rich-rose hair and a slightlydarker shade for her skin waves. She’s in denim overalls with a white tank beneath it. “You’re finally awake.”
“I’m Roxy,” says the lilac harbinger beside the rose-colored one. She loops an arm around a dark-lavender man who’s a full head taller than her. He gives her a goofy smile as she musses his green curls that are a hue lighter than my own. “This is Kendrick.”
The rosy harbinger taps her chest. “And I’m Cherri.”
“You all live here?” I gesture up toward the doors on the second level. A warm breeze blows from behind me, and I spin, finding the space where Fate once stood completely empty. My brows furrow. “Where?—”
Cherri shrugs. “She tends to do that.”
The three descend the stairs one at a time, circling down the floating planks of wood. Kendrick turns to Roxy. “Probably has another harbinger to bring back.”
“How are you taking it?” Roxy asks, her focus wholly on me. She reaches the bottom stair and holds out a hand, waiting until I give her mine. She clasps it between her two, gently sketching circles over my palm with lilac fingertips inked in delicate black vines.
“Being dead?” I ask, eyes tracing where each black line disappears beneath the sleeves of her creamy blouse. “Just swell.”
She lets go of my hand, catching my chin with her knuckle and lifts it, her mossy gaze boring into mine. “Don’t worry. Breakdowns are pretty normal around here.”
Well, that’s reassuring…
Blush petals peek from between strands of dark hair, reaching the middle of her back. It’s nearly black, but when the light hits it from certain angles, there’s a green iridescent sheen to it.
She’s beautiful. They all are in an oddly ethereal way.Not as severely inhuman as Fate, but I still can’t help but be in awe of them. I’m supposed to be one of these…harbingers? Seems impossible until I wiggle pale-pink fingers in front of my face.
I frown. “How long have you been like this?”
It feels more polite to ask thanwhen did you die?
“I’ve been a Bloom for about thirty mortal years,” says Kendrick, chest puffing with pride.
Roxy chuckles, scanning him up and down with a shake of her head. “Thirty-two here.”
“Six months.” Cherri beams and bounces on her heels. “I’ll be starting my training at the Conservatory soon.”
“It’s the academy for adult Blooms,” Roxy supplies. “And I’m a server at Novel Nibbles. It’s part bookstore, part café.”
A café? Maybe being dead won’t be an entire hellscape.
“It’s great.” She glances over at Kendrick. “I don’t go out for spring anymore. Paid my dues.”
“And I work over at the Sprouts School. Teaching the little blossoms Language Arts and Literature,” Kendrick says.
Roxy holds out her hand and nods toward the door. “Would you like a tour? Might help you get a bit more acclimated to harbinger life.”
“Umm…maybe later.” I gnaw at my bottom lip until it’s raw. While I’m sure getting my bearings would be helpful, what’s on the other side of that door is more than overwhelming. It’s dizzying. “Right now, I’d like to crawl back under the covers.”
“Understandable,” she says, swallowing thickly. “Get some rest. We’ll show you around another time.”
“I’d appreciate that,” I say, trying to be polite. My foot wobbles against the woodgrain as I ascend the first step.Inhaling slowly, I count each inhalation and exhalation until I’m outside the room I woke up in.
“Let us know if you need anything,” Cherri calls up. Her chest is lifted, like she’s ready to jump in and assist. Kendrick nods next to her.
“Thanks.” I cast the three of them a shaky smile. “I think right now I just need some more sleep.”
Before they say another word, I slip into the room and shut the door behind me, unable to get into bed fast enough. Pulling the blanket over myself, I sift through some breathing exercises, not sure which to try first. Heat stings behind my eyes, and I slam them shut, desperate for the tears not to flow.
All I want is to sleep, wake up from this fever dream, and be home.
