Ghost in the Roses

Chapter 12

Kai leads me into our flight's stables.

"What are we doing here?" I whisper.

He stops at a stall door with "Century" engraved into it. With a slow creaking sound, he exposes a sleeping dragon.

"You want to fly our dragons there?"

"Yes. Their stealth will sneak us out and back in. Go wake up September and let's saddle up."

But she is already awake. Her nose drags her sleepy self out of her bed of hay towards Kai. The air moves intently and hard though her nostrils as they inspect his shirt and hands. Playfully, Kai tries to push her away, but all he could do is shrug up.

"September, come on. Stop," he tries not to laugh her name out loud.

"Kai. Shhhhhh. She's probably smelling the garlic and butter on you," I smile.

"And that's not the only reason why you two will get caught," the voice isn't mine or Kai's.

Only after exposing our intentions to sneak out, the third person's presence comes out from the shadows. I'm relieved that it's Nina and hope that the benefit of our friendship will bring leniency.

"You two smell like good food and wear good clothing. You are better off wearing a knight's uniform, then you might have a chance of not having angry people picking a fight with the likes of you."

"Please don't be mad at us," Kai pleas.

"How can I not," she turns her nose up. "You two were going out there without even inviting me."

"Sorry, Nina. Come with us."

"First we need to change," Nina smiles as her hand digs into her dress pocket.

Between her thumb and index finger, she presents the physical form of her clever idea. It's liquid and bottled in a tiny vessel.

"What is that?" I frown.

"This is chameleon ink," a smile gives us a sneak peak at her clever plan.

"That's a good idea. Why didn't we think of it?" I remember that potion from our lectures.

"That's because my family is new money and I still remember what it was like growing up poor," she reminds us.

"Hold still," the steadiness of her hand fills the dropper to a line and then, holds it over my head.

Like the rings of a fallen dew drop in a pond, the magic spreads all the way to my toes. As Nina chants, it swallows up my privilege and leaves a trail of poverty behind it.

"I ask this magic entity,

With its ink to rewrite my identity.

Lend me the chameleon's gift,

To blend in, make my skins shift."

Just as this short poem ends, our hair finishes overgrowing. I immediately itch for a haircut. Or maybe it's something else. Kai's and mine shirts lose the thread count and out pants grow patches. The time's pace quickens and steals away the leather's shine as it runs across our riding boots. Nina's vibrant red hair turns into same quality of a color faded clothing. The brightness of her dress fades. All three of us are dressed in a color palate that, well, lacks color.

"What is that smell? Is that me?" Kai begins to smell the inner side of an old vest that he would never own by choice.

"Quit smelling yourself," getting her Marshmallow ready, Nina shakes her head at him.