Tales from Saltaire

A Sunset Tower

Ten minutes to go. Kai stared at the small, ornate clock on their desk. Barely drafted documents and contracts lay spread out, jumbled together with quick, waterlogged sketches of the communal garden by the lake. The mayor wanted them done for tomorrow's town meeting, but that wouldn't happen. They spun the chair, letting the bookshelves that covered the walls, the door scaly with notes, and the high, rain-stained window blend before their eyes. They came to a stop facing the heavy rain and moved the curly, blue hair out of their face.

Why were they nervous? They could just say no. The wizard couldn't waltz into their office and demand the world. Right?

In the last hour, while reorganising the bookshelves in the little office, Kai had played out thousands of ways to decline her. Foxtrot Slope wasn't a place for a wizard. Surely she'd understand. Kai turned towards the town map hanging across the cramped study. The enchantment that made the markings of the lanterns glow had faded, leaving only an occasional flicker.

Knock-knock-knock!

Kai jumped into a straighter posture and fumbled for a pen. She shouldn't be here yet. The clock was only five minutes to ten.

"Come in."

In walked a wizard in an immaculate sunset-coloured dress that hugged her neck and flowed from her waist to her calves. Her arms were left bare, revealing lines, circles, and glyphs inked in gold on her light skin. The pointy, but not quite straight, pearl-white hat on her strawberry blonde, wavy hair gave her the illusion of height. The gleaming, golden high heels clicked on the floor as she approached.

Kai moved their mudstained boots out of view behind the desk. "You're early," they remarked and wrote a line of curses on the nearest paper to seem busy.

"Would you like me to return in a few minutes?" Her polite words hid a note of impatience.

"No, it's alright. Please, have a seat." Kai put the pen down and gestured to the chair on the other side of the desk.

The wizard took Kai's outstretched hand. "Nerissa Eveningsky. I appreciate you taking the time to see me on such short notice."

"Of course." Kai smiled as if the mayor hadn't written this meeting into their schedule the same morning. "Kai Learkin."

Nerissa waved her hand over the seat and the gold lines on her fingers glowed as specks of ingrained dirt jumped to the floor.

Of course she had to be a posh prick. Kai refrained from rolling their eyes.

"So. You're here to buy land, I've been told."

"Yes, precisely. I think the outskirts of Foxtrot Slope would make a wonderful location for my tower. Let me show you the architectural plan."

Her what?! Kai sucked in a deep breath through the nose as Nerissa reached elbow deep into her little, white purse. Her hand emerged with a scroll bound with an orange ribbon. She opened it for a moment before hastily closing it again with the hint of a blush on her cheeks.

"My apologies, this is the interior design. I'm sure that's of no interest to you." Nerissa switched the scroll to one with a pink ribbon and handed it to Kai who spread it over the other papers.

A high, twisting tower was coloured in vibrant pinks and oranges, with notes and measurements written in a neat cursive around the tower like swarms of birds. The octagonal base of marble arches was surrounded by a circular herb garden shaded with apple trees. From the arches rose a narrowing section of sunset bricks that gave the tower its height and twist. At the top was a room with high windows capped with a shining, white roof, like Nerissa's hat but tipped with gold.