Lux found Constance, Grace, and a beast kin sitting together under the shadow of an orchard tree, looking out over the field of Icebreath flowers, all of them watching as the wind made the petals shiver and dance like blue flames in the grass.

  The beast kin, Lux noticed, seemed oddly familiar. He couldn’t stop staring. Where had he seen that face? The cat ears, the whiskers. Then it clicked! This was the man he had spoken to in the cells, the one with yellow eyes that seemed to catch every bit of sun, even now, blinked open and watching Lux with a bright, eager spark.

  Suddenly, a delighted squeal sliced through his thoughts. “Lux! You’re finally awake!” Constance was up in a flash and had him swept into a hug, nearly taking the breath from his lungs.

  Grace joined in, and it was all warmth and laughter for a few moments while they clung to him beneath the swaying branches. It took a while before they remembered the fourth person.

  “Oh! Lux, this is Jasper. He had an amazing idea for the bathhouse!” Constance gestured, and the beast kin with the wild yellow eyes gave Lux the widest, toothiest grin, ears twitching.

  So that was his name. Jasper.

  Before Lux could offer his own introduction, Constance kept prattling in excitement. “I was talking about how we could attract people to Silver City, make it stand out,” Constance said, the blueprint already unfurled and her finger moving over the details. “Jasper came up with this, and it’s genius. Look!”

  Lux plopped down onto the grass and leaned close, examining the parchment divided neatly into two segments.

  The first half showed a sweeping entryway leading to a wide, open courtyard. Two huge hot springs, separated by lush thickets of trees and heavy green bushes, steamed in the drawing. Smaller, private pools dotted the outer edges, bamboo fences encircling each one. The water was drawn a deep blue-green, bubbles glimmering in the ink.

  A winding path split the two main springs, directing guests toward a large wooden building.

  Inside, the second half of the blueprint revealed a lavish room, arched windows beaming sunlight onto the painted tiles, a grand hot spring in the centre, ringed by private showering areas behind rock walls. Cascading waterfalls, each separated by artfully stacked stones, completed the picture.

  Lux stared, spellbound. The design was stunning, a luxurious escape, not at all what he’d expected. He could already picture himself sinking into the steaming water after a long day. The thought alone relaxed his muscles.

  But then reality reared its head, and Lux’s brow furrowed. How could they possibly make hot springs here? There wasn’t a natural source, building and maintaining them would be expensive.

  He exhaled, blowing a strand of hair from his eyes. All three of them were watching him, waiting for a verdict.

  “I really like the design, but right now I need something simple. Something that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.” Lux figured the words would deflate the mood, but, “Don’t worry!” the trio grinned, unfazed. “It won’t cost much at all, and upkeep is easy. All you’ll need is a pump for the small waterfalls. Jasper knows of a creature that makes hot springs, it produces heat for the water, and its poop purifies it!”

  Lux’s jaw dropped. The bathhouse really could be the showpiece of the temporary apartment complex! He could already see future complexes, each with its own steamy oasis.

  He snapped his attention to Jasper. “Where do we find this creature?”

  Jasper fiddled with a whisker, thinking. “That’s the tricky part. The Hot Crystal Shell Snails live in an area surrounded by monsters.” From his belt pouch, Jasper produced a dog-eared parchment. “Look, here’s a map of where the snails are.”

  A white-capped mountain range sprawled across the map, snowy terrain at the peaks, dense forests and shimmering lakes at the base. “The nearest village is Winter Pines, about a day’s hike from the springs.”

  Lux scanned the map, lips tightening. “I’ll ask Novgar if we can manage the trip. But how do we even move the snails around?” He imagined tanks, water sloshing everywhere, the snails suffocating before they ever made it back.

  Jasper’s fanged smile widened. “You just carry them. They’re fine out of water for up to seven days.”

  Lux barked a laugh. “Perfect! We’ll do it.” With the bathhouse decision settled, Constance shuffled out designs for the park and canteen. The park was a wide green carpet, dotted with beds of flowers and towering trees. Stone walking paths branched toward each apartment block and neighbouring facility.

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  Gazebos with picnic tables were scattered about, even barbecue spots for sunny afternoons. The whole thing radiated comfort and leisure. “The park looks incredible!”

  Next was the canteen. The building was a long, single story box with room for rows and rows of tables. Three buffet counters split the dining space from the kitchen, behind, a huge cooking area gave workers space to move without tripping over each other.

  Outside, a paved courtyard gleamed, divided by garden beds and ringed with a thick, living hedge. As Lux traced how the three facilities nestled together, he spotted a blank segment on the drawing.

  “What’s this empty area?” Lux pointed it out.

  “Oh, specialty shops. Once we have more people, we can build them,” Constance replied, waiting keenly for his reaction.

  Her excitement was infectious, Lux felt his own smile blooming. “Absolutely! Once word spreads, I’m sure plenty of people will want to open shops in the main district. The canteen’s great too, I just hope there are enough seats.”

  He started counting, but Constance beat him to it. “Seats for one hundred, plus a takeaway option.”

  “Grace already started designing a card system for access to everything, the apartments, the bathhouses, everything. People pay up front at reception,” she added, waving her hand as if seeing it already running.

  Lux’s mouth twisted. He’d assumed the bathhouse would be complimentary, with just a nominal canteen fee. He voiced his doubts.

  Constance’s apology came first. “Sorry, Lux. We got carried away making some decisions. We split bathing between free and paid time because some species soak for hours, but there’s limited space.” She nudged the bathhouse map in front of him.

  “We figured a time limit would help everyone get a turn. The big pools and waterfall showers are free for an hour a day.” Her finger hovered over the sketch. “The private springs can be booked for longer, at an extra fee.”

  Lux nodded, feeling the logic. “You really thought this through. Let’s do it your way.” They talked for a while longer, but eventually Lux excused himself to find Novgar.

  He’d barely started to leave before Constance called after him. “Wait! I wanted to talk about the town hall job. People’s pay has been late because Violet keeps forgetting to hand out the money. If we leave it at the town hall, everyone can just collect their wages there. So it would be best to hire someone to manage the hall.”

  Lux suspected this topic was urgent if Constance was raising it first thing. “I’ll look into it. Anyone you recommend?”

  Jasper piped right in. “Beatrice, the owl beast kin with the gold feathers. She’s fantastic with paperwork, and rumour is she worked at a government office before. She’s helping in the orchard today. Should I introduce you?”

  Lux hesitated. He was flat broke. Best be upfront about it.

  At the end of his explanation, Constance gave his shoulder a reassuring pat. “Everyone will understand. You have a plan to earn money anyway, we just need to wait three days. But maybe offer everyone a bottle of fruit wine from the first batch to smooth things over?”

  Genius. Lux added, “I’ll do that plus free housing in the temporary apartments for the next three days, as a thank you. Jasper, I’d love that introduction.”

  Beatrice proved just as capable as Jasper promised, agreeing to start work the next day. She’d even volunteered to make a full list of what the town hall would need to function smoothly. Lux’s spirits soared after their talk.

  He found Novgar, who assured him that collecting the Hot Crystal Shell Snails was absolutely possible, they just needed to wait for Magenta to heal. With that, Lux settled into a whirlwind of activity, two days blurred past with farm and orchard work. Then, on the third morning, he woke, made another line on the wall (sixty now), and set off for Magenta’s house.

  He paused at her door, nerves creeping in. He hadn’t seen Magenta since the rescue. Would she even agree to help him now?

  Before he could knock, the door flew open. Magenta herself lounged in the doorway, hair a wild tumble, nightgown threatening to slip off her shoulder. Her greeting was sweetly poisonous. “My darling future husband, do you need something?”

  Lux flinched at her honeyed tone, eyes darting away from her exposed skin. “I’ll come back when you’re dressed,” he started, but her hand snapped out, yanking him inside.

  “Darling, you say the sweetest things,” Magenta crooned, tossing on a robe with a dramatic flourish. “No need to be shy, I’m covered. I’d never reveal all the surprises before our wedding night.”

  Now Lux was desperate to bolt, but instead he clamped down and spat out the problem. “Silver City is in debt.”

  Magenta waved a dismissive hand. “I know. Let’s skip ahead, you need my help?”

  She cocked a hip against her dresser, amusement sparkling in her gaze. Lux had no choice but to grovel. “You look radiant this morning,” he said, knowing it wouldn’t be enough.

  She gave him a look, try harder.

  “If you could teleport us to the auction house, Silver would be grateful. He might even compliment you.” Lux dangled the bait, watching for her reaction.

  But Magenta only smirked. “But it’s not Silver asking, and you’re the one who needs this today.” She was absolutely delighted.

  Lux exhaled, resigned. He decided to go with the stupid idea he told Twiggs, he just hoped it worked. “After the auction, we could go on a date.”

  Laughter, sweet as wine, spilled from her lips. “Perfect! I’ll bring you to the auction house, and then, a date.” She grinned. “Meet me at the winery in an hour, I have to prepare for our big day.”

  Lux left her house not knowing how to feel, should he be happy he secured transport or worried she had so easily agreed to a date as compensation? Sensing things could only spiral from here, Lux shuddered. At least transportation was secured. Without fresh funds, Silver City would grind to a halt.

  An hour ticked by. Lux found himself perched atop a teetering mountain of boxed wine, waiting for Magenta. The fact that he was actually about to go on a date with that wild woman hit him all at once, the thought clung to his head like cling wrap.

  He started to pray, with a sincerity even he didn’t know he had, that today would be normal. Just a normal, boring outing. Please, he thought, let it be something regular.