Page 94 of Under Restless Skies

Some bonfires light the sand, and I turn to Celine. “Do you know which one is ours?”

She points to the back of the beach, on the west. “Last one.”

We take off our shoes and walk where the water meets the sand, tiny waves wetting our feet as we pass two bonfires surrounded by people.

“Do you know who they are?” I ask.

“Not sure,” Celine says. “Some sentinels, other recruits, people from the city. Have you been here at night before?”

Heat rises to my cheeks. “Never for a party.”

She smiles. “Let me guess. You came for the bushes.”

There’s no point denying it. “I had… a special someone. He’s no longer special, though. We’re… not anything.” I want to change the subject. “And you two? Have you been here before?”

Celine shakes her head. “Not before the academy. I didn’t really go anywhere.”

She sounds so sad that I almost want to ask her why, but then Nelly says, “I lived far, so I never came here either.”

“It’s magnificent,” I say. “During the day, too. I used to come here to bathe in the ocean.”

“Those waves look mean.” Nelly scrunches her nose.

I smile. “They feel good, like a massage. The ocean clears your mind.”

Nelly snorts. “I’m pretty sure I can clear my mind in the bushes, thank you.”

Celine and I laugh. We pass a third bonfire, then walk toward the last one. Four guards stand around its perimeter, a sure sign this party is sanctioned by the academy or Sky Guard officials. When we approach, a guard asks for a password.

“Starlight,” Celine whispers, and the guard gives each of us a wooden cup.

We enter a circle where the light of the fire reaches us, with some people standing, others sitting on logs or round rocks. I barely recognize any second-year recruits, maybe because no one is wearing a uniform, or because I’ve only seen them briefly during meals.

Two cauldrons lie on small wooden tables with large ladles for serving.

I grip my cup and turn to Celine. “Are they both star nectar?”

“I assume so.” She shrugs. “It’s why we’re here.”

“I guess I’ll just be thirsty, then.” A sigh escapes my lips, and I don’t know if it’s relief or annoyance.

Celine opens her purse. “I have a flask with water, if you want.”

“It’s fine.” I shake my head.

She nods, then whispers, “And golden oil too.”

“I have my own,” Nelly says.

Their words surprise me. While Celine mentioned potentially tumbling on the sand with someone, I didn’t think she meant it.

I say, “Well, I intend to remain thirsty in more than one way.”

The girls chuckle, then approach a cauldron and fill their cups.

I watch the recruits sitting around the fire, until my heart skips a beat.

Alayel is there, with his friend Flavio, and they’re talking to a beautiful brunette woman. I wonder if he’s going to ignore me again, like he did at the ball. Is this some game for him, or hasn’t he seen me yet? Why does he make me so flustered? So jealous? We’re not anything.