The Trial of Morrigan Crow; Morrigan Crow's Revenge

Chapter 9 - Wundrous Welcome

"No, listen to me." His wide blue eyes burned into her black ones. Righteous anger rolled off him like heat from the sidewalk in summer. "You asked me if your talent is being cursed? If you have a knack for ruining things? Hear me when I tell you this: You are not a curse on anyone, Morrigan Crow. You never have been. And I think you've known that all along."

Morrigan couldn't stop her tears around running down her cheeks nor could she stop her smile.

"You are going to join the Wundrous Society, Mog," Jupiter whispered. "I promise you that I will see it done. And I never want to hear a word about this curse nonsense ever again. Promise me."

She promised.

She believed him.

Just like he did.

"Here it comes. Get ready to jump."

Jupiter had decided they'd ride the Brolly Rail to the garden party so Morrigan could try out her birthday present. However, the problem with the Brolly Rail was that it never stopped or even slowed down to let passengers on and off. The circular steel frame hung from a cable that ran all over the city in a loop. You were supposed to jump on as it whizzed past the platform and hook your umbrella onto one of the metal rings suspended from the frame above, holding on for dear life, legs dangling in the air, until you reached your destination.

"Remember, Mog," said Jupiter as they watched the circular frame speed toward them. "When it's time to get off, just pull the lever to release your brolly. Oh, and when you land, try to aim for a soft bit of ground." Morrigan rolled her eyes as she remembered in her first life how terrified and nervous she was when she heard Jupiter add, "You'll be fine. I've only broken a leg on this thing once. Twice, max. Ready... Go!"

They leapt for the rail, Morrigan held tightly on to her umbrella. She watched the platform speed toward her was washed away by a wave of adrenaline, as they hooked onto the rail. Jupiter grinned, throwing his head back to enjoy the ride. They zoomed through the Deucalion's neighborhood and into the cobbled streets of Old Town, crisp spring air biting at Morrigan's face and stinging her eyes, and finally jumped off at their destination—both, miraculously, landing on their feet. Not a broken leg between them. (Morrigan:...)

The Wundrous Society campus was surrounded by high brick walls. There was a stern security guard checking names against a list, but she recognized Jupiter immediately and waved the pair of them through, smiling.

Something changed when they stepped through the gates. It was as if everything were slightly different, as if the air itself had shifted. Morrigan breathed in deeply. The air smelled of honeysuckle and roses, and the sun felt warmer on her skin. She has truly missed everything, she thought. Outside the gates, the sky hadn't looked quite as blue, and the flowers were still only tiny buds, the barest hint of spring's arrival.

"Wunsoc weather." Jupiter said

After saying that, Jupiter seemed to remember Morrigan was new to everything as he added for a second, "Short for WUNdrous SOCiety—it's what we call the campus. Inside the walls of Wunsoc, the weather's a bit... more.....More of whatever it's like in the rest of Nevermoor. Wunsoc lives in its own little climate bubble. Today it's a bit warmer, a bit more sunny, a bit more springlike. Lucky us." He nabbed a sprig of cherry blossom from a branch in passing and secured it in his buttonhole. "Double-edged sword, though. In winter it's a bit more windy, a bit more frozen, and a bit more miserable."

The driveway stretching up to the main building was lined with gas lamps and—out of place among the colorful flower beds and pink cherry blossoms—two rows of dead, starkly black trees, untouched by the Wunsoc weather phenomenon.