Chapter 65

I admired my dress in the mirror. Azul really did a good job picking it out. He must have found a culture in this world similar to mine in my world. The thought excited me. Perhaps I could visit one day. I pushed the idea away for now. It was time for my party. I opened the door to find Grim standing there.

"It's about time!" he said.

I smiled as I noticed he wore a colorful ribbon decorated with hibiscus flowers. "You're looking good."

Grim grinned at me. "Thanks! Now, let's go."

I followed him down the hallway, heading towards the lounge. Upon reaching our destination, I found the doors closed. Jade and Floyd stood in front of them, dressed very nicely. They both smiled when they saw me.

"You look lovely, Ona," said Jade.

"Yeah," Floyd agreed. "That dress suits you very well."

I smiled back at them. "Thank you. Shall we go in?"

Floyd held out his arm to me. "Yes, let's go, Little Shrimpy." Jade made to look like he was going to open the door, so I quickly moved between the twins and grabbed hold of both their arms. He seemed surprised at first, but then he smiled softly at me. He opened the door with his free hand, and then we entered the lounge.

I gasped as I looked around. The party appeared to be a perfect replication of a Hawaiian luau. The music, the food, the decorations, and the atmosphere all reminded me of home. I was amazed by the details. A chorus of "happy birthday" from all my friends snapped me out of my faze.

"Wow," I mumbled. "Thank you, everyone. I can't believe you planned all this."

"We were quite sneaky, weren't we?" Ace said with a grin as he stepped forward with Deuce.

"I did not want to lie, but it was for a good cause," said Deuce.

"Yes, they managed better than I thought they would," said Azul.

"I suppose you planned all this," I said to him.

"With their help, of course. And we could not have put it all together if Floyd had not distracted you."

"I did a good job, huh?" Floyd said with a grin.

I nodded in agreement. "Very good. Is that the only reason you spent time with me?"

Floyd shook his head. "Nah, I wanted to have fun with you!"

I chuckled softly. "Of course." I finally let go of the twins' arms and turned to Azul. "How did you do all of this, though? I did not think you knew that much about my homeland. I never told you anything."

Azul smirked. "True, but you know I use someone else to obtain information."

My eyes widened in understanding. I slowly turned to face Jade. Just looking at him, I knew I had it right. I swallowed hard. "You?"

Jade gave me a small smile. "You did tell me a lot about your Hawaii all those evenings we spent together."

I swallowed hard, emotions stirring inside me. "And you remembered?"

"Of course. Did you get everything right?"

"Yes, this-" I swallowed hard and nodded. "This is perfect. Thank you, Jade." Unable to hold back any longer, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug. I felt his surprise, but he held me back just as tightly. "This is the most wonderful thing anyone has ever done for me."

"You're welcome, Ona," Jade whispered. "I'm glad I could make you happy." After a moment, he pulled back and smiled at me. "Let's enjoy your party now, shall we?"

I smiled back at him, my eyes shining with affection for him. "Yes, let's."

I walked around the party, checking things out and talking to people. Eventually, a bunch of people started dancing to the upbeat music playing in the background. I danced with Grim, Ace, and Deuce fora while. Then I decided to take a break. I noticed Jamil near the drinks table, so I walked over to him.

"Hello, Ona," Jamil said politely. "Happy birthday."

I smiled warmly at him. "Thank you. Why aren't you dancing?"

"I do not know how to dance to this music."

"You don't have to do any particular dance. Just do whatever comes to you."

Jamil gave me a look as if I were crazy. "Speaking of dancing, if you are looking for some exercise in the morning, Kalim could use a dance partner."

I brightened at the idea. I loved Kalim and dancing, so that sounded like a lot of fun. "Really? Will you be there too?"

"Of course. I will help out, but you should be able to wear him out faster than me."

I chuckled softly. So, that was what he was after. "Sure, I'll do it. Just tell me when, and I'll be ready."

Jamil gave me a small smile. "Thank you."

"ONA!"

I turned just in time to see Kalim racing towards me. He hardly slowed down as he approached, and he nearly knocked me over in a hug. I chuckled lightly as I hugged him back. "Hello, Kalim."

"Don't hurt her," Jamil scolded.

"Sorry," said Kalim before letting go of me. Then he beamed at me. "Happy birthday!"

I grinned back at him. "Thanks!"

"Do you want to dance with me?"

"Sure!"

"Great!" Kalim turned to Jamil. "You should join us, Jamil."

"Fine," said Jamil, who looked like he was holding in a sigh. Still, he joined us on the dance floor and did give it his best effort. Dancing with Kalim was fun, like always. He certainly had a lot of energy and soon wore me out. I escaped to take another break.

I felt someone's eyes on me, and I turned to see Jade watching from the corner. I smiled and approached him. I still felt overwhelmed about how much he had done for me. I knew he was good at getting information for Azul, but the thought of him doing it for no personal gain and only my sake made my heart feel light and happy.

"Hello, Ona," Jade said when I stopped in front of him. "Are you enjoying your party?"

I smiled warmly at him. "I'm loving it. Thank you for caring so much to do all this. It is the most wonderful gift anyone has ever given me."

Jade chuckled softly. "I do have a real gift for you, you know. Two gifts, actually. One I cannot show you until tomorrow. Would you like the other now?"

I brightened at his words, touched by his thoughtfulness. "Yes, please."

Jade smiled and pulled a small box out of his pocket. "Here you are. Happy birthday, Ona."

I took the box from him. I carefully unwrapped it before removing the lid. I gasped upon taking in the contents. It was a hot pink hibiscus flower hair clip made of glass. I took it out of the box and carefully examined it. "Oh, wow, this is beautiful, Jade. How did you know I would appreciate something like this?"

"You told me the hibiscus flower is important to your people." Jade held his hand out. "May I?"

"Oh, yes." I handed him the hair clip. Then I remembered something. "Make sure to put it on the-"

"-the right side, I know. The left side means you are in a relationship."

My heart fluttered at the thought that he paid so much attention to me and what was important to me. I smiled widely as he placed the flower in my hair. "Exactly. How do I look?"

Jade gazed at me with fondness and something else I could not place. "You are beautiful."

His compliment made my heart skip a beat. "Thank you." I tilted my head as I observed him. I was struck by the thought that he looked quite handsome. And I loved the way he looked at me. It was almost like-

"Would you like to dance?" Jade asked, holding his hand out to me like a gentleman.

I blinked in surprise. "You don't dance."

"I can make an exception. Besides, this song should be slow enough for me. What do you say, princess?"

I paused to listen and realized he was right. A slow song played throughout the lounge. I gazed at Jade contemplating his offer. Something about it felt right. I smile and took his hand. "Alright."

He smiled back at me. His hand felt warm in mine. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It's just that, right now... you look like a prince."

Jade chuckled lightly. "A prince, huh? I suppose I can be a prince... just for you and only for today."

I grinned at him. "That's alright with me."

Jade led me onto the dance floor. He placed his free hand on my waist, and I let mine rest on his shoulder. Then we started dancing. I had not had many opportunities to slow dance, so I followed his lead. He was surprisingly good.

"How am I doing?" he asked during the middle of the dance.

"Wonderfully," I replied. "This is very nice. Thank you, Jade. I'm having a great time."

Jade smiled kindly at me. "Anything for you, princess."

We continued to dance in a comfortable silence - aside from the music, of course. When the song neared its end, he surprised me by pulling me into his arms. I quickly recovered and hugged him back tightly. We only broke apart when a loud, fast song started playing, startling us both. Then we looked at each other and laughed.

"I don't think I can keep up with this song," Jade said with a sly grin.

I smirked. "Yeah, that's alright. I won't hold it against you."

"Shrimpy!" Floyd exclaimed as he bounded over to us. "Jade, are you dancing?"

"I was," said Jade, "but this song is a little too fast for me. Why don't you take over?" He glanced at me. "If that's alright with you?"

I smiled, pleased that Jade was asking instead of pushing my onto Floyd like usual. "Yes, of course." I turned to Floyd and grinned at him. "You want to dance?"

Floyd grinned back at me. "You bet I do! Come on!" He grabbed my hand and yanked me onto the middle of the dance floor. I chuckled lightly before beginning to dance with him. And so, I ended my birthday with a whole lot of fun.

"What are we doing here?" I asked curiously. I stood outside the botanical garden with Jade, who I had met up with at breakfast. He had said he wanted to show me something important. "Are we here to check in on your mushrooms?"

Jade chuckled lightly. "We can do that too if you wish, but we are here for your birthday gift."

I suddenly remembered he told last night that he had another gift for me. I gave him a soft smile. "You bought me a plant?"

Jade smiled at me in return. "Come with me, and I will show you."

I stepped into the botanical garden with him. I followed him through a maze of plants until we reached a section that I knew belonged to him. My eyes glanced over the mushrooms until they landed on something new. I gasped and looked at Jade. "Is that...?"

He nodded. "A tropical hibiscus plant, yes."

I looked back at the shrug, marveling at its beauty. The flowers were hot pink just like the hair clip I wore. This was my favorite flower, and it reminded me of home. "Thank you, Jade. This is amazing. How did you find it?"

Jade gave me a sly smile. "I have my ways. I'm assuming you like it?"

I grinned at him. "I love it!" I turned to him and hugged him. He chuckled softly as he hugged me back. When I pulled away, he smiled warmly at me.

"The hibiscus flower blooms often, does it not? Since you share my appreciation for plants, I thought we could share this one. You can use it for whatever you like, and I will use some of the flowers for tea... if you are willing to teach me how to brew it."

I brightened at the thought of drinking hibiscus tea. It had been so long since I last had it. "Of course I'll teach you! I can show you today. We've got to use these flowers up before they die. They only last for a day, you know."

"Yes, the seller did mention that. I would appreciate your guidance."

I nodded. "Of course." Suddenly, I remembered something. "Oh! I've got something for you, too."

Jade looked at me curiously. "A gift for me? But it's your birthday, not mine."

"It's not a birthday gift. Just something for being my friend. I got Floyd something, too. I just happened to finish it recently and thought I'd give it to you today."

Jade appeared pleased by this. "Then, by all means, give me your gift."

I grinned at him with excitement. "Alright." I opened my bag and pulled out my gift. It was a mushroom I had made out of clay, baked, and painted blue. Jade's eyes widened when he saw it, and he carefully took it from my hands.

"My! This is beautiful! Is it...?"

"A mycena interrupta. Yes."

Jade's face lit up with joy, and he examined the fake mushroom from every angle. "Fantastic."

I shifted nervously. "I know it's not much, but I don't have any magic, so that was the best I could do."

Jade shook his head. "No, this is perfect." The expression on his face told me he truly loved the gift. I smiled as I felt a warm feeling fill me. "How did you know mycena interrupta was my favorite mushroom?"

I shrugged. "I took a guess. It's the one you talk about the most."

Jade appeared astonished at this. "You're saying you actually pay attention when I ramble about mushrooms?"

I tilted my head to the side as I looked at him, his surprise making me curious. "Yes, of course. I love listening to you talk. Is that so strange?"

Jade chuckled softly and shook his head. "It's not strange. It's just... No one has ever enjoyed listening to me talk about my interests. Not even Floyd." He gazed at me with gentle eyes that were rare for him and made me feel warm and happy. "You are very unique, and it is much appreciated."

I nodded while I tried to think of an appropriate response. "I'm glad. I'll listen to you any time."

Jade carefully held the mushroom in one hand. Then he brought his free hand up to lightly brush against my cheek, causing my heart to skip a beat. "Thank you, Ona. And thank you for the gift."

I smiled warmly at him in response. "You're welcome, Jade."

He withdrew his hand and straightened up, pushing away the hint of vulnerability he had shown in his eyes. "Well then, shall we pick the flowers and make ourselves some tea?"

I grinned at him. "Yes, let's!"

A few days later, Crowley caught Grim and me and told us to relay a message to Kalim and Jamil. It seemed they were going on a trip. We immediately headed for Scarabia. I was curious to find out more information and see my friends again. We found Kalim and Jamil in the middle of the hallway with a ton of suitcases around them.

"What's shakin', guys?" I said happily. "You good for a quick chat?"

"Heeey, Ona and Grim!" Kalim said cheerfully. "What's up?"

"The headmage asked us to tell you guys you're clear to use the Dark Mirror!" said Grim.

"Ooh, great! Thanks! Then we'll get there in no time flat."

"So where ya goin'? Got an awful lotta luggage there."

"Al'ab Nariya."

Grim blinked. "What's that? Some kinda fancy entrée?"

"It means 'fireworks' in the old Scalding Sands language," said Jamil. "The Yasamina River Fireworks Fest is pretty well-known, I'd say."

"Yasamina? Never heard of it."

"Really?!" Kalim said in surprise. "It's this super famous fireworks festival. Tons of tourists from all over come to see it! There are bazaars and street stalls that sell all sorts of neat stuff—fancy souvenirs, colorful fruits, you name it! And then there's this huge fireworks show to cap it all off! It's the coolest! I just love the way the whole city comes alive during it!"

Grim appeared impressed. "Now THAT sounds like a good time!"

"Yeah, I bet it will be fun," I said.

"Well, there are some in power who use their influence to make money off of it as well..." said Jamil.

Kalim's face suddenly lit up. "Oh, I know! Why don't you come with us, Ona?"

I looked at him in surprise. "Really?"

Kalim smiled and nodded. "Since you come from another world, I'd love to show you the Yasamina River Fireworks Fest, Ona. It'll be a great chance to see the Scalding Sands in all its glory."

I smiled warmly at him in response. "That's very sweet of you, Kalim."

"Mraaah! I wanna go too!" said Grim. "There's gonna be a buncha good eats at this thing, right?!"

Kalim grinned at him. "Absolutely! You're more than welcome to come, Grim."

"Okay, slow down!" said Jamil. "You can't make this kind of decision at the last second."

"Aww, don't be like that. We can figure out some way to get them seats, right?"

"Yes, we could probably manage that—you're one of the organizers, after all. But you're missing the point!"

"What's all this about organizin'?" said Grim.

Jamil sighed. "The festival is organized by the Scalding Sands' most prominent families. Each year, they rotate who's in charge. And this year happens to be the Asim family's turn. There's no room for error, so running the festival is a daunting prospect. But it's also a tremendous honor."

"They asked me to make the rounds and greet our guests," Kalim explained.

"And since Kalim will be a part of it, I'm going as his attendant. All of which is to say—I won't have time to babysit you two. I mean no offense, but please, I ask that you sit this one out."

"You won't need to babysit us," I said. "We won't cause any trouble."

Jamil gave me a look. "Maybe I could believe that about you, but not-"

"MRAAAH!" Grim wailed. "But I wanna see the fireworks! And eat all the food! I WANNA GOOO!"

I frowned as I looked down at him. "Can't we talk about this reasonably?"

"C'mon, Jamil!" said Kalim. "Pretty please? I want them to learn all about the Scalding Sands!"

"Be a pal, Jamil!" said Grim. "If you don't take me with you, I'm gonna make a huge mess in your dorm while you're gone."

I moved closer to Kalim and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Yeah, come on. Kalim's my brother. It's only right that I visit his homeland."

Jamil narrowed his eyes at me. "You're not really family."

"She could be if I introduced her to my family," said Kalim.

"No," Jamil immediately snapped. "That's a bad idea. You'll be too busy anyway."

I brightened as I read between the lines. "That means you'll let us come?"

Jamil stared at me long and hard. Then he dipped his head in defeat. "...Okay, fine. You win."

"WOOHOO!"

"Thanks so much!" I said, flinging my arms around Jamil in a hug. He almost fell over from being startled. Then he awkwardly wrapped his arms around me in return and pat my back.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he grumbled before letting me go.

"You know what?" said Kalim. "We should bring even MORE people! What's better than sharing cool moments with YOUR BUDS?"

Jamil's eyes widened. "Whoa, whoa, hold on! Only a limited number of seats have been held back for VIP guests. You know that's not feasible!"

Kalim frowned. "Really? I seem to remember we still had some of those VIP seats left... How many was it again, Jamil?"

Jamil hesitated before answering reluctantly. "...Six, to my recollection."

"Then there's definitely room for me an' Ona!" Grim said happily.

Kalim grinned. "For sure! That means we can invite four more people. In that case, I'll hit up my Pop Music clubmates Cater and Lilia!"

Jamil sighed. "Great. Four extra guests we weren't planning on."

Kalim seemed to be oblivious to the problems he was causing. I almost felt bad for Jamil. "Would you like to bring anyone, Jamil?"

"I'm good. I wouldn't be able to properly host even if I did invite someone."

Kalim appeared thoughtful. "Hmm..."

Kalim suddenly grinned. "Then I'll give Cater and Lilia a plus-one each!"

Jamil recoiled in horror. "Wait, WHAT?!"

"It's settled! I'm gonna go talk to them right now!" Kalim started to move down the hallway. Ona and Grim, you're welcome to join me!"

"Kalim, wait! Rgh, and there he goes... So we're bringing six people after all. Ugh... This is turning out to be a real headache."

I chuckled softly before following Kalim with Grim by my side. "Those are the breaks."