The Brightest Shadow

Chapter Three: A Bargain for the Past

North of Widemill, the Felina Grounds shone in multiple coloured buildings, lilac flowers scaling the walls to symbolize women and their strength.

The wide courtyard, where women studied, worked and visited, had never been empty before, not will all the things to do.

Gardens in need of tending, tables under trees, and Della's most recent acquisition: seven easels she spreaded through the courtyard so they could paint.

All that, and no women. There's no one there.
She found them fast enough, though.

All of them, squeezed against the main house, so tight one could barely see the deep blue color of the wall. Some peeking through the main door, others on tiptoes for the chance to see through Katara's office windows.

Jule had no words.
But Bay... She huffed and dropped the box she had carried from the street fair.

"With all there is to do around here you choose to eavesdrop?"

Half the girls scattered through the courtyard at Bay's tone, and the handpainted golden stars on the wall came to life and shone under the sun.

Bellam moved around a brush right near the main door, gold paint shining on her fingers, in her cheek, and on the tiniest, clumsiest star that had ever been added to their wall. Jule smiled.

"It's one of my favorite traditions." She brushed Bellam's hair back from her neck and kneeled. "Katara came up with it. Every one who's ready to move on and heal, they come here and..."

"Paint a star." Bellam put down the brush and sent her a shy glance. "It looks really pretty."

Jule nodded, admiring hundreds of lopsided stars. Some big, others too tiny, but they all symbolized healing. Whenever she stopped and admired the wall, whatever doubts and fears she had about what she did just flew away.

"It does. And so does yours." Jule turned when Bay came up to them, one of her braids threatening to fall apart from all the head-shaking she'd been giving the women.

"They're already inside, let's go." She lead the way and Jule followed, taking a deep breath, as usual.

Della changed the flowers in the hall every two days, and she always brought those yellow ones with the sweetest scent. A great mental note would be to thank Della later.

Bay knocked on the wooden door and opened it as soon as Katara's voice called from inside.

Her office shared the right side of the house downstairs with a bathroom and a reading nook. The walls all had the same pastel green color in the halls, but inside the office, things turned wild.

Katara had black walls with cat portraits hanging, a still life painting by Della and lots and lots of books on the shelves. It's pleasant inside, comfy and...

A tall, lean man turned to the door, green curious eyes assessing them.

"Men aren't welcome in here." She blurted out, instinct taking over her tongue.

Lucca Taylor chuckled at the words, big, tanned arms crossing over his chest. The cotton shirt he wore wouldn't be found in street fairs or around the neighborhood, and his side-parted, undercut black hair had most likely been cut at Lorinda's central galleries.

No person from Widemill could afford that.

"I'm glad to learn you're all passionate ladies." His sensual lips showed a mocking smirk, different from the one he reserved for the people who voted for him. "Which one might you be?"

The governor offered them an open hand. Jule didn't move.

"I'm Jule Toledo."

"Great." He waved off her rejection and called over a blonde woman standing next to the window. "This is Denise, my assistant. Please, come sit with us, let us chat for a bit."