Natural Magic Ch. 39

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The nice thing about Cadolina being house head was that Tilli knew exactly where to find her. Even though the furniture of the houses was different, the floor plans were the same. And the house heads were always in the same place. If she had gone to Magnolia House, she'd have no idea how to find Sam, though surely someone would have been happy to direct her. Caddie, on the other hand, didn't have a roommate.

The surprise on Cadolina's face when she answered the door was almost worth the visit by itself. "Tilli What are you doing here?" Tilli had a suspicion that Cadolina had fought an instinct to swear upon seeing her younger sister. After all, after having gone the quarter with almost no communication, it would be a shock to see her turning up on her doorstep.

"Hey!" Tilli didn't bother with niceties. Instead, she pushed her way into Cadolina's room. She took a seat on Caddie's bed while her sister hurridly ushered papers off her desk and into drawers. She called up a wind to help her. Tilli could feel it whipping her hair, but she paid no mind.

When Cadolina was finished, she turned and scowled at her younger sister. "I see you still haven't figured out how to enter a room politely."

"I've figured it out. I just don't care. And you're the house head. People are supposed to come into your room all the time. To get advice or something."

"Which means you should go to your house head, not me."

"My house head probably doesn't know anything about Bajaad."

It wasn't the best language to entice her sister with, but when Tilli held up her book, it got Caddie's attention. She took it and flipped through it. "I don't know Bajaad either. What is this?"

"Recipe book."

Cadolina didn't roll her eyes, but her whole head. She tossed the book on the bed, next to Tilli. "Really? That's what you want to learn Bajaad for?"

"Caddie! Bajaad culture revolves around food! They say southern Dekani has the best food on Nideon. Besides," she touched her necklace. "I think maybe I was a chef in a previous life." This last bit she said only to annoy her sister, though it may have been a step too far.

Cadolina dropped into her desk chair. "Tilli, do you know how to be serious?"

"Fine. Can I spend the night in your room? Or at least crash in the common? My roommate's brother needs my bed. And if I know Sam will say no."

This was stroking Caddie's ego. She was always more willing to get her feet dirty than her little brother. But it wasn't enough to win her over. "Why can't you crash in the Victoria House common? And why can't he sleep in his own bed?"

"Because he needs his sister right now." Tilli looked into Cadolina's eyes. Of the three siblings, she was the only one who had blue eyes, rather than green.

"The fire last night...."

Tilli nodded. "He was the one who started it."

"I wasn't asking about your friend."

"I'm fine. We weren't anywhere near it."

Cadolina held her gaze a moment longer, then relented. "Fine, we can have a sleepover or whatever. But you're on the floor."

"Fine by me." Tilli grabbed a pillow and scooted off the bed. "Hey Caddie?"

"What?"

Tilli considered shutting up, but decided against it. "While I'm here, do you think you could give me some tips for the quarter exam in Mrs. Theelnin's class? I feel like I'm about to fail."

"I doubt it. But sure, what are big sisters for?"

Continue to Chapter 40