season avatars 03 - chaos season by sandra ulbrich almazan

want to see him?”
    “Of course I do. I’m not ready for him to see me.”
    “But you look beautiful,” Ysabel said.
    Now that Kay could count on regular, bountiful meals to give her energy for magic, she’d gained some slight curves. Her short, black hair shone, and her hat ribbon and dress matched her light blue eyes. With her hands worked into white kidskin gloves, she appeared almost as confident in her outfit as noble-born Gwen. Jenna had left her family farm for a townswoman’s life before Gwen had found her, and she still expected to find manure and dust on her gowns. Kay, as a former seamstress, was more comfortable with silk and lace than she was.
    She stared down at her clothes and let out a sharp laugh. “I don’t look anything like the seamstress he courted.”
    “You think he won’t accept that you’re an Avatar?” Gwen asked. “He and my former betrothed would get along famously, then, despite the difference in their stations.”
    “Do you want me to talk to Jon?” Jenna offered. “I can let him know you still care for him.”
    “Oh, could you?” The tension left Kay’s face. “You know much more about how to handle men than any of us do.”
    If I know so much about men, why doesn’t Lex want anything to do with me? Jenna put on a smile. “Why, thank you, Kay.”
    As the train eased to a halt, Jenna stood on tiptoe and peered at the engine. The cab window was so small she wondered how the driver could see where they were going. Three men poured out of the engines, all of them in soot-stained clothes. Jenna would have been hard-pressed to tell them apart. Kay, however, gasped and fell back.
    “Which one is he?” Jenna asked.
    “The one on the right.”
    Kay’s Jon was the dirtiest of the lot; he must have been the one shoveling coal. His jacket was off, and his shirt stuck to his chest and arms, exposing pure muscle. Jenna had to stop herself from licking her lips. No wonder Kay was reluctant to let him go.
    “He’s not going to be on our trip,” Kay continued, disappointment and relief warring in her tone. “He’ll get a layover if he’s been working all night.”
    “Then I’d better talk to him before he disappears.” Jenna darted forward so quickly all Gwen could call after her was “Be quick!”
    Jenna reached for her skirts, intending to run after the men, before remembering she should show more dignity as an Avatar. That didn’t stop her from calling, “Jon!” She didn’t know his last name, so she hoped he wouldn’t be offended by the familiarity. “Stop! I want to talk to you!”
    The passengers on the platform stared at her, mouths open in shock. Jon continued into the station as if he hadn’t heard. When Jenna followed him inside, the door to the ticket window closed.
    She dashed over and called, “Jon! Jon!”
    The elderly ticket seller woke from his doze. “Huh? Ava, the train is boarding. You should be outside—”
    “They wouldn’t dare leave without me.” She hoped. She flashed a man a brilliant smile. “I need to speak to one of the crew members who just came in, the one named Jon. Do you know where he went?”
    “The fireman? One moment, Ava.” He called, “Jon, clean up! You have a very important visitor!”
    A few heartbeats later, Jon appeared. Soot still ringed his eyes, and his wet hair stuck up. He’d thrown a jacket over his shirt. He stared at her warily, with no signs of recognition from their first locomotive trip to Rainbow River, where they’d found Kay. Wasn’t Jenna beautiful enough to be memorable?
    “Lady? No, Avatar,” he said. “You’re one of the new Avatars.”
    Gwen would say it would be proper etiquette for someone else to introduce them. Seeing as their mutual acquaintance was unavailable, Jenna didn’t mind doing it herself. “Jenna t’Reve, the next Summer Avatar.” She gave him a pointed look. “Sister Avatar to Kay Seltich, the next Winter Avatar.”
    “Kay.” He swallowed. “It’s true, then? She’s