Nymph's Trust is part of mine and Arizona's brand new Purple Oasis series, a post-apocalyptic paranormal romance series. This is the first time we've co-written outside the Twin Souls Universe.
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Copyright 2021 Laura Greenwood & Arizona Tape
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Dad glanced in my direction and nodded to me.
I rose to my feet. This was my part of the ceremony, and just like Earl, I was expected to fulfil it without any mistakes.
I made my way over to the kettle and lifted it with the ceremonial glove. That part was always easy to remember, especially when I didn't have any desire to burn my hands.
Carefully, I poured the water into the elegant glass teapot. The water splashed over the allotted portion of tea leaves, the steaming water causing the leaves to open up from the heat.
Before my eyes, the water turned from clear, to a faint yellow colour. The familiar smell rose up and filled the gazebo, eliciting a warm glow within me.
A quick glance around the circle to see who was reacting to the smell the same way would reveal which of the congress members was a tea witch and which wasn't. I was still surprised Dad had managed to convince the others to let non-tea witches sit on the Purple Oasis congress in the first place, but I was glad he had. Our community was made up of more than just one kind of paranormal.
Once the teapot was full, I placed the kettle back on the heatproof mat and turned my attention to the next part of my tasks.
I picked up the timer and twisted it to the right brew time. It looked vaguely familiar. But that could just be because it was a generic brand that everyone had in their kitchen pre-apocalypse.
Dad leaned over to double-check that I'd set the right time. I held my breath as I waited for him to confirm I'd done it right. I was reasonably sure I had, but there was always a moment of doubt, no matter how many times I did this.
I wiped each of the small teacups in turn and distributed them to the members of congress.
The timer rang again, announcing that the tea had finished brewing. I nodded to Dad, signalling that my part of the ceremony was complete and it was his turn again.
Sometimes I wondered why we had to do things in such a long-winded fashion, but I knew the answer was going to be that it had always been done this way.
Many things had been destroyed by the apocalypse. Tradition was not one of them.
Purple Oasis, shared world series with Arizona Tape
The Purple Oasis series is a shared world with Arizona Tape. Each book can be read as a standalone.
Series Overview:
Heat Level: Low - Relationship Type: m/f or f/f - Build: Fast - Point of View Character: Dual first person POV, changes between books - Cliffhangers: No - Tense: Past
Nymph's Trust is currently part of the Tea Apocalypse Anthology.
