Page 44 of Uprooted
Lugo has packed all her belongings into the waiting porter and holds out his hand to help her into her seat. I hardly believe my eyes when she takes his hand and steps up with a grateful smile.
“Elowen! I almost forgot. Make sure this gets to the lab.” She hands me a large bag. I peer inside and see a lumen’entem flower. I delicately hold the bag to my chest, not wanting to damage the fragile petals.
Lugo’s eager to leave. He slides the porter door closed while everyone is still saying their goodbyes.
“That was weird,” Bri says and turns to leave.
“It’s sweet. He wants to make sure she’s okay. He’s probably just protective from the attack,” I tell her. I think it’s cute. Maybe a little bit strange, but cute.
My feet are heavy while I walk to my lab. It doesn’t feel the same here without Andi. I look into the bag again, and without thinking too hard about it, I turn down the hallway that leads to my room instead of going to the lab.
* * *
I turn the flower over in my hands for the hundredth time. I’ve looked at it from every possible angle. It’s beautiful. The colorful layers are stunning. I graze my finger over the velvety petals careful to avoid the pollen Aro warned me about.
I had intended to take the flower to the lab hours ago, but a thought has lodged itself into my brain, and I can’t seem to let it go. Aro told me what the flower is used for, and now that I have one in my hand—one that could easily “go missing”—I toss around the idea of experiencing the effects of the flower. I don’t even know how to do it. I’d need Aro’s help if this is something I really want to do. I’m nervous about feeling out of control and fully letting go.
I set the flower down and pace back and forth for a while. Weighing the pros and cons in my mind. I have no idea how long I’ve waffled back and forth when a light knock on my door snaps me out of it.
I slide the door open and Aro steps in. Seeing him infuses me with the last bit of confidence I need to make my decision.
“Andi gave me a lumen’entem flower before she left,” I tell him. “She asked me to take it to the lab, but I kept it.”
He raises both eyebrows in surprise. He waits for me to continue.
“I want to do it,” I say definitively.
“Who are you and what have you done with my Elowen?” he asks with a broad grin.
“Don’t be so surprised! I’m more of a risk-taker than you realize.” He looks back at me skeptically.
“I knew you had it in you. When do you want to do it?” he asks. I sense how close we are in my cramped room, which feels even smaller with him in here.
“Tomorrow? What do you think?” I ask.
He takes the flower and turns it over a few times in his hand before setting it back down.
“Tomorrow’s perfect.”
* * *
“Well, well, well. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Bri says and welcomes me into her room. It’s identical to mine, except her room has holograms of her family on the shelves and an abstract painting of what could be a DNA strand.
“That’s cool,” I say pointing to the artwork.
“My brothers gave it to me as a going-away present.” She looks a tiny bit sad when her eyes linger on the image. I’ve never pried when she has hinted at feeling homesick. If she wanted to talk about it, she would.
“I’m going to tell you something. But you can’t freak out,” I warn her.
Her eyes widen and a maniacal smile crosses her face. “Yes. Tell me everything.”
“I’m going to try the lumen'entem.”
“The flower that unleashes your full unfettered desires and life’s purpose?” she asks, knowing exactly the flower I’m referring to.
“Yes, that one.”
“The flower that removes all your inhibitions and reveals life’s true meaning?” She’s messing with me, quoting a time I bombarded her with my findings on this flower.
