The Fallen Empath-Book 2-A Rose-Red Tyrant TEASER

Chapter Three: Garden Decoration

 We walked into the halls of mirrors and up to a mirror. Stone playing cards make the frame, a heart with a crown and the name 'Heartslabuyl' sits in the center on top. In order to get into the mirror we need to step on a stone open book.

When we step through the glowing and rippling mirror, we see a huge red castle looking mansion with white and black accents. On either side of the pathway were heart-shaped rose shrubbery and at the end of the path was a small fountain in the middle of a heart.

"Dang, this place is swank! This is nothing like our dumpster of a dorm." Grim looks around excitedly.

I tilt my head to the side. "Comparisons will only make you more miserable." I say with a weak smile.

We walk into the rose maze and hear a calming voice. "Aww yeah, I am getting my paint on!"

"Ah, someone's here." Grim says from my shoulder.

"They all gotta be red, or it's 'off with my head'!" The voice murmurs.

I get a strange sense of deja vu. I had a dream similar to this just last night.

The man with orange hair turns and notices us. "Huh...? You guys need something?" A small red diamond sits under his green right eye.

Ace rubs the back of his head. "What are you doing there?"

"Are you blind? I'm painting these roses red, duh." The green eyed man says matter of factly.

Deuce and Ace flinch back.

"What? Why?!" Deuce questions.

The guy chuckles. "So naive, you put the 'n' in newb. Hold the phone, I know you! You're the ones who broke a billion-madol chandelier and nearly got expelled for it, yeah?"

"That chandelier is gonna haunt us till the day we graduate, isn't it?" Ace grumbles.

"And you! You're the one who ate the housewarden's tart that same night!" The guy looks at Ace, making him flinch. "You guys are THE hot topic around campus! I've gotta get in on this fleeting fame." He pulls out a phone with a white case and diamond shaped details. He pulls us all close together and puts up a peace sign. "I'm just gonna grab a selfie real quick... It's cool if I post this on Magicam, right? Gimme your names so I can tag you."

"I'm Deuce Spade."

"Ace." He crosses his arms and pouts.

"I'm Grim, and this is my henchman, Yuna."

I wave with a weak smile.

"Uploaded! Sweet." The guy puts his phone away. "Oh, I'm Cater Diamond, by the way. I'm a junior here at Heartslabyul." He gives us another peace sign. "But Cater is fine. Or Cay-Cay if you're cray-cray! Soooo nice to meetcha."

His little rhyme makes me giggle slightly. "It's a pleasure."

"Ah, you're the prefect of that so-called Ramshackle House dorm, right? Like, I can't believe you actually live there!" Cater plays with a lock of his hair that's not slicked back into a half ponytail. "It's all gloomy and looks like hot garbage on Magicam. No filter could salvage THAT dump."

Grim crosses his paws. "Y'know, you've done nothin' but diss us here, pal!"

Cater's eyes widen. "Gah, what am I doing? I don't have time to chat! The party's tomorrow. If we're not ready, it's 'off with my head'! Hey, you kids wanna help me paint some roses?"

"Yeah, uh... Why are you doing that exactly." Ace questions.

Cater puts up another peace sign. "Because red roses are so much more photogenic! Or...something...?" He puts his hand down, not sounding too sure why he's doing it either. "And after that, I've gotta start getting things ready for the big croquet tournament. And that means coloring all the flamingos." He lets out a sigh.

"You're colorin' flamingos now? Isn't anything the right color around here?!" Grim's ears flatten.

"Now it's coming into focus, Ace. That tart you ate must have been for the housewarden's birthday." Deuce puts a hand on his hip. "That explains his reaction!"

Cater hums. "Oh, no, It's not Riddle's birthday."

"It's not? Then whose birthday is it?" Ace questions.

"It isn't anyone's birthday. Tomorrow is our dorm's traditional unbirthday party." Cater puts a hand on his hip. "It's a special tea party we throw when no one has a birthday—if the housewarden feels like it."

Ace's eyes widen. "And why would you do that?"

"Again with the questions! Listen, I need these roses to be red. Like, yesterday. Can't you guys help out with magic or something?" Cater asks. "Oh, but Ace is on magical house arrest and Yuna is a total normie, so you two better stick to paint."

Deuce flinches. "Recolor the roses with magic..."

"Can't say I've done this before." Grim crosses his paws.

"Relax, it'll be fine. You got this! But maybe do it before I lose my head? K-thanx!" Cater pulls out his pen. "Time to paint these roses! Not pink! Not green! Not aquamarine! It's rose red or nothing!"

"I'm sure we can bang this out in no time flat, yeah?" Ace rubs the back of his head.

I hand him a paint brush and carry a bucket of red paint to a bush.

"I don't know if I'm much of a painter, but I'll give it my best shot!" Deuce stretches.

"With me on the case, this'll be a piece of cake!" Grim grins. "You, no slacking off, okay?" Grim looks over to me.

I smile. "I won't, I promise."

We spend a while painting the white roses red, Ace and I using brushes while the others use magic. Cater seems to be doing a good job teaching them how to do it right too.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this." Deuce smiles.

"Lookit me! I can get all of 'em at once! MYAAAH!" Grim shouts.

Ace and I turn around to see the roses turn every color but red. Grim looks at the bush confused.

"Nope! Gotta do it more like this!" Cater moves his pen around and the roses turn the right color.

Ace laughs. "Nice one! Guess being a junior does count for something."

Cater winks. "Thanks! Keep this up and we'll be done before you know it."

We move onto more and more bushes and are on the last few now.

Grim shoots off a spell and turns a rose red. "Did you see?! I got it red in one shot!"

"Yeah! Same here." Deuce smiles wide.

"You guys are doing great!" I clap.

Cater looks over their work. "Lookin' good! Just smooth it out a little more and you'll be golden! The trick is to picture a real red rose in your head when casting."

"That really helps? Thanks." Deuce closes his eyes. "Red rose... Red rose..."

Ace pouts. "Maaan! I wanna use magiiic!"

I put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You will soon enough."