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Chapter Twenty-Eight

“ T hat wasn’t bad, as far as wedding ceremonies go. They kept it short and sweet.” Callan offered me an arm, and I looped mine through his as we walked to the field where the tables for the reception were waiting.

“Have you been to a lot of weddings in your time?”

“It’s a frequent occurrence within our circles, I’m afraid. When your aunt is a famous magical florist, you tend to get invited to a lot of events.”

“Your aunt is a florist? She’s not a botanical congresswoman or something?” I wasn’t sure why the idea of a member of Callan’s family doing such a normal job was surprising. Though I would wager a botanical florist didn’t exactly have normal clientele.

“It’s a shock, I know. But a few Rhodeses have managed to buck the family trend.” His voice soured, and I knew a change of subject was coming. “Speaking of, I sense a magical botanist’s touch here today. Nice work on the flowers.”

“Thanks, I’m pretty happy with how they came out. But if you see any wilting, get to work.”

“Want anything to drink? ”

“Umm…” I hesitated, trying to remember what Aunt Vera had picked for the drink menu.

“I’ll surprise you.” He gave a deferential nod and walked away.

“You didn’t tell me you were bringing your man candy as your date!” Maci whisper gasped, appearing at my side.

“Hey, Mace. It was kind of a last-minute addition. When did you get here? I didn’t see you at the ceremony.”

“Ugh. Long story. I’m super bummed that we were late. I misplaced the wedding present. We showed up and slipped into the back row to not interrupt the ceremony.”

Maci looked over my shoulder, and I followed her gaze. Alex was standing at the appetizer table, loading two plates.

“How are things going with Alex?”

“I was kind of surprised he wanted to be my plus-one since things between us really aren’t serious. But I’m happy he’s here.”

“Yeah, totally,” I said, resolving to say hi to Alex and make sure there was no weirdness between us.

“Back to you. Holy swoon, Callan fills out a suit nicely.” She fanned herself with a hand.

I choked out a laugh. “The guy does know how to dress. Come on, I want to say hi to Alex.”

We made our way over to Alex, whose blond hair was slicked back for the occasion.

“Hey, Alex. How have you been?” I asked.

“B! Doing great. This wedding is really nice. Your aunt seems happy,” Alex said, his comfortable smile easing any of my concern about seeing him.

“Thanks, she is.”

“So, how has everything been with you? That’s Callan, right?” He nodded toward the bar where Callan was waiting in line.

“That’s right. You two met snowboarding last year. I’ve been well. Just busy prepping for this wedding and school and all that.”

Callan headed our way then, hands full with two glasses. “ Hello, Maci,” he said warmly. “Alex.” He nodded in Alex’s direction. So he remembered him too.

“Nice to see you again, Callan,” Maci said. “Well, we better go find our dinner seats. I know you two are at the head table. Meet us on the dance floor later, okay?”

When she was out of earshot, Callan spoke, eyes on Maci and Alex as they walked away. “Speaking of dances, you owe me one.” He handed me one of the glasses.

“I do?”

“Aside from the free food and drinks, the perks of being a wedding date are the epic dances surrounded by elderly relatives and neighbors.” He pulled a test-tube-shaped vial of bright-orange liquid out of the inside of his coat. A bit of cork held it stoppered.

“What is that?”

“Just a little concoction of enhanced blood orange and blueberry. Nonmagical people are unfortunately dull in their drinking palate. Do you want to try it?”

“This isn’t going to make me do anything weird, is it?”

Callan mocked a disbelieving expression. “You think I would mess with you like that? You won’t do anything weird. But your sensations might be heightened, just a little. These are a staple at magical botanist weddings. Don’t drink it if you don’t want to.”

That was a dare if I’d ever heard one. I took the test tube and poured half of it in my lemonade then chugged the drink. Callan tipped the remainder into his own glass and followed suit.

Within a few minutes, the pink and purple of the sky was so vibrant that I felt I was inside a fairy tale.

Callan had been correct. I didn’t act any differently, and all of my conversations and actions were normal, but there was the slightest sense that everything around me was a little bit more .

The colors, the sounds, the warmth of the October breeze.

It was as if we had taken a perfect evening and painted it with a brush of pastels and neons.

“It’s called the Elixir of Bliss. Kind of a clichéd name but accurate. Some first-years accidentally invented it in a chemistry of plants class a decade ago.”

“I’m surprised people don’t take this all the time.”

“Due to the nature of the chemical compounds involved, you can get sensitized to it very easily. It works best if you only take it once a year.”

“And you chose tonight?”

“Why not tonight?” And then he took my hand and tugged me onto the dance floor.

The first few songs were fast, and we all danced together, Maci and Alex near us among the dozens of people boogying on the dance floor. Then a slower song came on, and Callan extended a hand like he was a British prince.

I arched an eyebrow but took his hand. Expertly, he slipped his other hand around my waist and tugged me just close enough to be decent then angled our intertwined hands together like a professional ballroom dancer.

He began to move, taking perfectly coordinated steps that I followed, letting him guide me through the dance.

“I take it you learned this from all those functions you’ve attended?”

I could feel Callan smile from where his face was nestled above my head. “Something like that.”

“And who do you dance with at those functions?”

“Mostly ladies old enough to be my mom.”

I laughed, and Callan lifted my hand and spun me in a quick circle.

“I’m sure they all love your moves.”

“My dance card’s usually full.”

“And what about girls your own age? Do you dance with them?”

“I’ve danced with Nevah a time or two, and Meadow. And a few other people from my parent’s circles that you haven’t met yet. ”

Yet . For some reason, the word lodged itself in my chest with a little bloom of warmth.

I could have asked then. I could have prodded more about his dating history, or what would happen if we found the Vanished Compendium , or any of the other million things I wanted to know. But when he pulled me in again and swayed to the music, I made the decision to tamp down my curiosity.

For this moment, I wanted to enjoy the fact that I was at my aunt’s wedding, under a sherbet sky, dancing with Callan Rhodes.