Page 152 of The Alchemists

“What are you saying?”

He moved his lips with the lyrics, and the ambient Magic surrounding him, hanging in the air, rushed through him, balling at his core and bursting free. From the way her eyes widened, he knew she could see it.

“This…these are your Words?”

He nodded, and unbelievably, she laughed. It was a whip across his heart. But when he looked again, her eyes were delighted. She shook her head, her whole body trembling with mischief as she wailed, “Fucking Chant. That asshole just always has to be right.” She whisked a tear from the corner of her eye.

It was his turn to be confused, but as her words sank in, the nausea was replaced by a bubbling sensation, lifting him, turning him to light.

“Wait…you mean?”

She nodded, her laughter subsiding.

“Since when?” he gaped at her.

She shook her head like he was incredibly stupid. “Since the first time Asher played it.”

He thought on that for a while, as they slowly drifted back and forth on the swings, both of them pondering what it meant for their Words to align. What was the probability? How often did it happen?

Lily was the first to break the silence. “Sebastian?” When he looked up, her eyes were soft. “I really love you.”

There was a small knot in her voice, and its presence produced an equal knot in his own as he replied, “I really love you too, Lily.”

It seemed like as good a time as any, and so he offered her the box. It was a simple gift box, no frills. He hadn’t even put a bow on top. She accepted it, sliding off the lid and peering inside. His heart caught as she withdrew the terra-cotta pot, and held it up, regarding it.

From within the sleeping dirt, a single bud bloomed.

LILY

Lily hadn’t realized she was crying until a tear slid down her cheek and onto the plant. It splashed off the waxy, tightly closed bud and into the soil. There were too many things sloshing around messily in her heart. She was crying because she knew that she would love Sebastian forever if she could. Like Chant had said, they had something rare and good. It was blindingly unfair that they only had a month left. She was crying because she was loved, had become rich in love, even, and it was going to hurt people, when she was gone. She was crying because, for some reason, Sebastian had gotten her a living, growing thing for her birthday, and she probably wouldn’t be around to even see it bloom for the first time.

“A plant?” she sniffed, wiping her eyes with the cuff of her sweater.

Several more tears fell into the soil, and Sebastian regarded them strangely.

“I’ve probably killed it; I don’t think salt water is good for plants.”

“I think it’s fine,” he said quickly.

“What is it?”

“I don’t know yet,” he said apologetically.

She held the plant, with its one tiny bud, up for inspection. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but this is a very weird gift, Sebastian.”

He forced a laugh. “Don’t tell me you wanted diamonds instead.”

“Something like that.”

“It’s magic.” She glanced at him. “Supposedly.”

“What does it supposedly do?”

“Grant wishes.”

“Sebastian…” she sighed.

“I know, I know, you just want to enjoy the time you have. But it’s harmless. It’s just a plant.”