10-13-2026, 07:50 PM
Anton was solemn about his ability, and honestly Cali didn’t disagree with the sentiment. She called these things gifts because she saw the wonderful array of possibilities, not because it did not also come with a responsibility to be used wisely. She had broad shoulders for burden. Sometimes faith demanded sacrifice, and for the greater good Cali would give flawlessly. Something in Anton’s quiet and serious observations assured her he could be trusted with the gift he had been given, even when it tested him. She said nothing more about it, only watched in quiet approval.
When the subject changed, she laughed aloud with a genuine flutter of joy. Her eyes flicked back out to the snow-capped gardens around them. “I like plants,” she confided. “And singing to them helps keep me focused. I would show you what I mean, but it would be cruel to rouse them before spring. The Ascendant power requires a woman to be open, like a flower to the sun. So I thought being out here might help.”
When the subject changed, she laughed aloud with a genuine flutter of joy. Her eyes flicked back out to the snow-capped gardens around them. “I like plants,” she confided. “And singing to them helps keep me focused. I would show you what I mean, but it would be cruel to rouse them before spring. The Ascendant power requires a woman to be open, like a flower to the sun. So I thought being out here might help.”