a P

ements are

. I was wearing my white lab coat, holding

om his paperwork. "Seraphina is very e

id neutrally. "Tell her not

rward," Damien said. "The mountain air will be g

e gone until three days befor

our trip

you. For being reasonable. I know this is hard for you. But once the

urse,

oak door clicked shut, I let out a

alcony as the helicopter took off, carrying

cended on t

rge terrace, high above the city smog. For

wer garden. It

the most precious of all-the Moon Herbs. They only bloomed under moonlight. I had cultiv

nce called t

e dirt?* he had asked.

understood that the earth gav

l. The dirt was co

I had spent six months cross-breeding it to ma

ped th

I pu

t of the soil with

. I moved to the ne

ting them. I wa

Root. I dumped the soil over the railing, wa

like I was pulling a memor

he forgot my birthday b

he told me I was too so

as the moment

ed in dirt. Sweat d

aintly, a beautiful, iridescent blue. It was the rarest pla

g it out, preserving the root ball. I pla

with me. I would nee

pty ceramic pots and scattered dirt. It l

s per

my hands. The water turned bro

to the

n Pool Ritual." The day Seraphin

er and drew a massi

eling a date. It wa

d the co

until they

ys until

empty, silent apartment.

adness. It

s lig

ght of hope, I