Ember chants softly to herself as she struts through the gardens of the courtesan's guild, her tongue working in her mouth as she forms the sylbles of the walking-rhyme Liv taught her. The words are all nonsense, rushy little sounds like the babbling of a brook, but they bring her joy and that's enough. All around her, maple trees turn gold and garnet — the exact shades of the fmes embroidered on her new uniform. The scent of warm earth and fallen leaves rises around her.

  Her rucksack is slung over her shoulder, the worn canvas out of pce amid the marble benches and topiary bushes. She hasn't brought much with her — just a few personal notebooks and the vibrating wand Liv gave her when she turned eighteen.

  Across the garden she can see a small fountain with two young women seated at it. As she approaches, the golden embroidery on the strangers' clothes catches the light. Each of them wears the same bck floor-length skirt and white dress shirt as she does.

  The left one is tall and slender, and has the clearest complexion Ember's ever seen: close-cropped bck hair frames her sharp-lined face, and a silver pin of an owl is clipped to the pocket of her dress shirt. She’s thin, with slight breasts and willowy hips; to Ember's eye, she's more beautiful than hot.

  The other is about a foot shorter and a little piner, with long chestnut hair, and wears gold hoop earrings and blush-colored lipstick on her soft lips. She has a button nose and intelligent blue eyes, and her curves are beyond generous. Ember wants to give her ass a nice smack just to see how it jiggles.

  Ember's face breaks into a full-strength grin, and she waves high above her head. "Hello!" she calls across the garden. "Are you the other second-years?"

  "Yes," comes back a call from the woman with the gold hoop earrings. "You're Ember Fallon?"

  "The one and only!" Ember jogs over and does a sloppy curtsey to the two women. "And you two are?"

  "Camellia Shea," says the shorter, curvier woman, and gestures to her tall and slender companion. "And this is Fianna When."

  Fianna cocks her head to the side, and crosses her arms below her owl pin. Her gaze rakes from Ember's face all the way down to her feet, and then back up again. "Hey, it's sex café girl. You look pretty cool, I like your freckles." Her gaze flicks back to the butterfly hairpin that holds Ember's ponytail in pce. "I like your hairpin, too."

  Ember fights down a stab of irritation. "It's not a sex café. But thank you."

  "Yeah, I know, you call it an il'ka," says Fianna. She purses her lips, the sharp lines of her face making it look a little sour. "I'm not sure what nguage that's supposed to be, but it's hardly very clear, is it? It's just a bunch of sounds strung together. Got an apostrophe in it, too. Don't you think this thing needs a better name?"

  Ember raises an eyebrow in an arch. "What, do you have a better suggestion?"

  Fianna shakes her head. "No, but not for ck of trying. I've been reading your notes all morning." She crosses her arms. "I'd love to hear more about your ideas. Sexual fantasy worlds fascinate me."

  Ember pushes down another small stab of irritation. "It's not just a fantasy world. It's something I want to make real."

  Fianna spreads her hands. "Did I say you didn't? It's clear you're putting reams of passion into this. That's the best kind of fantasy, I think. The kind that inspires you to change things."

  Ember exhales, slightly mollified. Something still doesn't sit right, but if she argues about it she'll just ruin her first impression. "Well, thank you for your interest. If you want to help out, I'll hardly turn you down." She looks over at Camellia. "So do you two want to tell me a little about yourselves, or...? Since it seems you've already heard all about me."

  Camellia sits back down on the marble bench by the fountain. Her long skirt hugs her legs as it catches the autumn wind, her loose, waist-length hair stirring in the same breath of air. "As I said, I'm Camellia Shea. I was a wallflower when I joined the guild a few years ago, but I persisted, and here I am." Her line of sight falls to the fountain and lingers on the rushing water. "I've heard about your surgery, and I think you did the right thing. Forty years of full and rich life is better than eighty of suffering." She touches the tip of her thumb to her pink-painted lips. "Even if some might call you reckless."

  A smile ambushes Ember and spreads across her face in a half-moon. "I'm gd you see it my way," she says. "Though I've never really been the shy, cautious type." She swivels her gaze to take in Fianna again. "What about you?"

  "Who, me?" Fianna shakes her head, her unfairly pretty face scrunching up a little as she considers the question. "I'm nobody. Well, was nobody. Maybe someday I'll be somebody. For now I'm just another trainee." The corner of her mouth twitches up. "Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies."

  Ember raises an eyebrow. "Fine, keep your secrets." She looks back and forth between Fianna and Camellia. "Is it just the two of you in the year, or...?"

  "No, there's also Maeve. Maeve Cleary, that is. She's still holed up in her room. Ishaza has her on an aphrodisiac to simute some of the effects of kindling and she's been having a hard time of it, what with being banned from sex and all." Fianna runs her hand through her close-cropped hair again. "I hear it's your turn to try that next."

  "Oh. Lovely." A fluttery lurch goes through Ember's heart. "Do you know when that'll happen?"

  "Probably no ter than the end of the week," Fianna says. "The kindling's at the end of this month, so Ishaza's going to pull out all the stops to make sure we're ready. Camellia has excellent control already, so she's not in any danger, but us two... could be in for a bit of a bumpy ride." She fshes her eyebrows at Ember.

  "Bumpy ride, heh." Ember cracks a smile. Despite the off note earlier, she thinks she likes this girl. "So what are you two's body counts, if I may be so bold?"

  Fianna returns the smirk. "Around a dozen. I didn't keep track." She jerks her thumb at Camellia. "She was a virgin when she came here, but since then she's had sex with both me and Maeve. She's shy for a courtesan, not for a regur person."

  "I prefer to take my time with these things." Camellia settles her hands in her p, her gold hoop earrings stirring a little in the wind. "Though I think it's inevitable that I'll eventually add Ember here to my total, given that we'll be kindling together."

  Ember smiles. "Something to look forward to, then. Do you girls want to show me the dorms?"

  "Certainly," Camellia says. "They're just at the edge of the garden here." She stands, her wide hips making the movement draw the eye, and gestures for Ember and Fianna to follow.

  ~*~

  Camellia emerges into a common room. There's a pillow pit inset in the floor, with two tiers of plush pillows in scarlet silk. Across in an alcove stand kitchen counters made of marble, the same sable shot through with gold that the student uniform is. There's an iron stove without a cubby for coal beneath; runic circles cover its top instead. The lounge is lit by a coral-colored skylight, and the kitchen is kept warm with amber mage-lights. The scent of cinnamon lingers in the air.

  Ember exhales her lingering stress. This looks cozy and comfortable.

  "Welcome to the second-year dorms. The private rooms are down that hallway." Camellia motions to a short hall across from the kitchen. "Your room is the far one on the left side, the other three are ours."

  "Only four rooms?" Ember raises an eyebrow.

  "The guild likes to be certain of their potentials." Camellia says. She shrugs, and folds her hands before her waist.

  Fianna lets out a sharp puff of air. "I don't think anyone's likely to mistake it for a social club." She waves a hand at Camellia. "Make sure you show her the library; I have three pages on contract w still to write."

  Camellia's arms ce together over her chest. "You still owe me from st time," she says. "Show her the library yourself."

  Fianna looks up at Camellia. "Look —"

  She cuts herself off as a sharp, pained moan drifts through the walls of the dorm rooms.

  Cherry fres on Ember's cheeks as shock and embarrassment fsh through her. "Wait, is that —"

  "Maeve," Fianna confirms, her sharp-lined face pursing in that sour look again. "The walls are reasonably thick, but, well. There's only so much they can do. When Maeve's at her worst, she tends to be loud."

  Ember's gaze darts down the hallway toward the source of the moan. She touches her lips, and a deeper flush comes to her face as a deeper, more guttural groan drifts over the common room. Maeve sounds like she's totally out of control.

  "Does she usually come down after a while?" Ember asks.

  Fianna wobbles her hand. "Usually she exhausts herself. After she's slept for a while she tends to be a little clearer-headed, but she's gotten none of her assignments done this week. Don't disturb her while she's like this — I've had her literally fling herself on me before."

  "Do you have any advice for what I should do if that happens?" Ember raises an eyebrow.

  "She's usually lucid enough to obey sharp commands in a clear and direct voice. Otherwise, try not to be alone without a solid door between you and her." Fianna turns her eyes toward Camellia. "There are wards — Ishaza showed up within ten minutes of the time when Maeve grabbed me — but still, it's best to be prepared."

  Camellia bows her head a touch. "Stay with me or Fianna when you can." Her thumb worries against her opposite palm in a slow rub. As another heavy gasp drifts through the walls, a shiver jars her hands.

  Ember focuses her gaze on Camellia. She seems troubled...

  "It must be hard to listen to her like this and do nothing," she says.

  "Yes," Camellia says. "But it's what's best for everyone. She'll wear herself out and come down again soon enough." She touches the rim of one of her gold hoop earrings and slides her thumb along it. "It's dangerous to disturb her when she's like this."

  Ember concedes the point with a nod. "I understand." She coughs, feeling beyond awkward. "So, this library...?"

  "Yes," Camellia says. "You have a lot of formal education to catch up on." Her gaze flicks over to Fianna. "I guess I'll take you today. I don't want to have to shelter in my room."

  "Thanks," Fianna says. "You're a big help."

  "I'll get that favor out of you eventually," Camellia replies with her lips pursed. "Come on then, Ember."

  "Alright," Ember says. "Lead on."