Bastial Energy (35 page)

Rek’s losing him,
Cleve thought with a sudden panic.

For a breath the Elf’s weariness hung on his face, but then his mouth closed and a serious look came into his eyes. “We’ll all be in danger, yet I’ll be the main target. I need protection, yes, and injuries may occur, but none of you are expendable. I’ll fight for you, protect you, and keep you safe all the way to the sixth floor and even after. If you don’t trust me or you’re scared, then stand aside to watch us fight on our own, but know that I’m asking for your help.” He glanced over the top of their mob. “All of your help.”

They each stood tall, focused. Cleve felt ready to do whatever was asked of him.

“What’s the plan?” Colimp asked.

Rek smiled in relief. “Rodents, lots of them.”

Chapter 38: A New Day

EFFIE

No better time to cast than in the quiet morning
, Effie thought. The sun had just pushed through the clouds, and the blackened brick walls of the mage’s training area—although they were ugly—did well to block any wind that had managed to make it over the Academy’s outer wall. She was closed off from the rest of the world, a rare moment of tranquility. Her breaths were clear, without tension.

Her fire spells would start with a loud
whoosh
of hot Bastial Energy gushing from her hands through her black staff that was filled with heavy Sartious Energy. Soon, the crackle of fire forming on the end of her staff would follow, and just for a blink, which is all it took for the swirling yellow and orange fireball to take size, the heat from it hopped down her arm.

That was her cue to shoot, and she’d better have picked the target before then. For in that instant, losing focus could mean a wild spell—the fireball could explode into the ground just before her feet, or more likely it could zoom off anywhere in front of her. She figured this was why the brick wall was blacker than it was red.

Her fireball crashed into the charred, metal figure of a man’s torso, igniting his chest with the dance of fire for just a breath before it dissipated. With the fire gone, so were the crisp searing sounds it had produced, leaving just the calm after-noise of Effie pulling in air through her nose.

When she’d first learned to cast them, each fireball used to make her feel like she’d just run a mile, but now the physical effects were closer to walking up a small hill.

Ding, ding, ding.
The quiet was suddenly interrupted by the near deafening sound of the Redfield bell that startled her so much she jumped from the ground. Rage consumed her. Luckily, there was no around to take it out on, and the feeling soon faded. The bell gave a deep ring that somehow seemed shrill, perhaps because it made her ears feel as if she was standing next to a screaming woman.

The Group One mage classroom and training square was near the center of the Academy, just west of Redfield, so she couldn’t have been closer to the bell without already being in Redfield, where it hung atop the massive, blood-red pillar.

When the ringing stopped, she could hear her thoughts again.
That’s just Liaison Wilfre debunking the rumor of war
, she remembered on the way there.

She’d awoken early even though there were no classes that day. She thought making it into Group One would allow sleep to come easier, but she was wrong. She was more restless last night than she’d been since coming to the Academy. Watching Cleve being taken had put her nerves on edge. He hadn’t returned, and she was unsure whether he ever would. Meanwhile, Steffen was hiding something that made him so guilty he couldn’t bear to look at her. But the worst of it was still the uncertainty of war. No matter what Liaison Wilfre was about to tell them, she had a strong feeling there was more to it. Effie knew she wouldn’t be sleeping well for a while with everything going on. She sighed at the thought.

There were only a few people seated in the wooden stands when she entered Redfield, but more were flooding in so fast through all six entrances that she had no hope of watching for Steffen or Reela. Instead, she let her eyes rest upon Liaison Wilfre and Headmaster Terren conferring in the center of the dirt field. Her mind became numb with drowsiness as she waited for all three thousand students to file into a seat.
All three thousand, except Cleve
, she corrected herself.

Another man joined Wilfre and Terren in the center. He was in the same trench coat as he’d worn last night, Effie noticed, realizing then who it was.
Javy Rayvender
,
why are you here?

Someone cleared his throat as he sat next to her. “Hi Gulpy,” he said as she turned.

Brady
. Her heart leapt into her throat. The sun was on him, giving his skin a polished look. His eyes were brighter than ever, such a blue to them. He had the same smile as when they’d met in the bar. It was wide, so much so it would’ve looked phony on anyone else, but not on him. She looked around him to see who was seated on his other side, but there was no one.

“Didn’t come with your girlfriend?” Effie asked.

“She’s around somewhere, I imagine. Any idea why we’re here?”

She decided not to pry about why he was alone. “It’s just Liaison Wilfre informing us the rumors of war are false.”

“Rumors of war?” That took away his smile.

Wilfre began shouting before Effie could answer. “Welcome to Redfield, home of the Champion Battles. The reason I’ve called you all here is to make an announcement that’s very important.”

“So will you give me your true name or am I to call you Gulpy every time I see you?” Brady whispered. He leaned close when he spoke. She could feel the heat of his breath on her ear. She would have said something, but on this cool morning she actually welcomed his warmth.

Effie was still embarrassed about kissing him back in Oakshen. Every time he spoke, that same shameful feeling would swell in her stomach. “You won’t have to worry about what to call me because there’s no reason for us to talk.”

He leaned away without another word. Effie listened to Wilfre continue, now trying to ignore the guilt she felt.

“Before I say any more, you all should know who I am and what I do here.”

I’d rather listen to a blacksmith forging a blade with his hammer than to Liaison Wilfre talk about himself again,
Effie thought. She turned to Brady. “I never would have…”
Kissed you.
She paused as she waited for Brady to give her an eye. She hoped he might respond before she was forced to finish the sentence, but he only waited in silence with a curious look. “I wouldn’t have done what I did in the bar if I’d known you were attending the Academy, especially not if I’d known it would mean you were cheating on your girlfriend.”

Half his lip curled. “So, we’re speaking now?”

“No, shut up.” She folded her arms in embarrassment. She was unused to regretting her words so soon after speaking them.
It’s the lack of sleep
, she told herself,
not him.

Wilfre continued addressing the school with the same speech she’d already heard: “It is up to me to decide who would join such a mission…”

“Why even tell me you have a girlfriend?” Effie asked.

“I wanted to be honest with you.”

“Honest?” Effie blurted, completely shocked and unsure she believed him. “Who cares about being honest with someone you’ll never see again?”

“I knew I would see you again. You said you would be attending the Academy. I thought you should know the truth.” His reply was quick, with a slight hint of anger in his whispered voice.

Oh, that’s right.
She’d forgotten she’d stupidly revealed that.

He leaned toward her. “Something told me whatever this is between us wouldn’t end in that bar. It’s something about you I don’t quite understand, some sort of connection.”

She felt the same way but didn’t let it show. She wanted to be disgusted by his brash way of flirting. Instead, she found herself feeling flattered that he would be bold enough to tell her this. He made it seem like he trusted her, though she didn’t feel the same way.

“What about being honest to your girlfriend who lives with you? I’m no expert in relationships, but someone living with you sounds pretty serious to me.”

He leaned back. “I was honest with her also.” Effie could easily hear it in his tone now. He spoke with a determined frustration. “I told her what happened, and she moved out before classes started. She’s sharing a room with her friend. I was honest with her just as I was with you. I was honest with everyone.” His hands fluttered about. “Everyone says they want to know the truth, but I’m beginning to doubt that they really do.”

“I’d rather you lied to me,” Effie stated plainly.

“About what?” His eyebrows lifted. The sun caught his blue eyes.

“About everything, about something, anything even.” Effie sighed, knowing she was speaking without thinking. She gathered her wits to figure out what she meant. Brady waited patiently, keeping an eye on her and the other on Wilfre in the middle of Redfield. Effie realized her shame mostly came from how she’d practically thrown herself at Brady before knowing anything about him, such as that he was going to the Academy or that he had a girlfriend. She just wanted the shame to go away. When she realized that, her heart sank, for she knew she’d talked herself into a bind—she’d wanted him to lie about having a girlfriend so they could have fun for one night without her feeling guilty. The thought brought even more shame.
I could never tell him that. I shouldn’t even be thinking that. That’s terrible.

Effie shook her head and took a moment to hear what Wilfre was saying.

“That brings me to the news I need to share,” he announced, glancing at a scroll. “First, it’s important we cover a small portion of history between Kyrro and Tenred.”

“I guess honesty hasn’t done well for you,” Effie teased, tuning out the droning voice again.

“I know,” Brady replied. “When will I learn?”

“Hopefully never.” She felt herself smiling, but then she remembered something. “Since you’re so honest, did you also tell your girlfriend about the prostitute?”

What looked like genuine confusion crossed his face. “What prostitute?”

“You see so many prostitutes you can’t keep track of them?” Effie asked, now concerned there was far more she didn’t want to know about Brady. “The one with you at the bar before you came over to me.”

“Oh, her.” He shook his head with a light laugh. “I don’t see prostitutes. That’s just a friend I’ve known since we were children.
The reason I went to the bar that night was to see her before I left. Sometimes we flirt, but nothing would ever happen. My girlfriend has met her many times. She’s like a sister.”

“A sister that you flirt with?”

“Maybe more like a cousin.”

“That’s not much better.”

“A second cousin then?” He shrugged. “You must know what I mean. Don’t you have any platonic relationships with men?”

She thought of Steffen. With one ear to Liaison Wilfre’s rambling, she gave a long look around the stadium for him and Reela but couldn’t pick them out of the sea of people. The drowsiness was setting in again, tugging on her head.
I need to get more sleep,
she told herself as if it was a simple choice.
I need to figure out how to get more sleep,
she corrected herself.

“Of course,” she muttered.

“Why is Liaison Wilfre telling us all this history just to dispel some rumor?” Brady asked. “What do you know that I don’t?”

“Nothing,” she admitted. “Just my name.”

“Would you have me guess it?” he asked playfully.

“I’d rather have you call me Gulpy if you need to call me something.”

“What letter does it start with?”

“G,” she teased.

“No, your birth name.”

Suddenly everyone around them was murmuring to each other. Effie found a frantic expression upon their faces as she glanced around. She asked a girl behind her, “What did he just say?”

“Tenred won’t renew the treaty.” The girl had a grave tone.

“This does mean there most likely will be battles in the near future,” Liaison Wilfre continued regretfully. Then the murmurs burst into a buzz of incomprehensible dialogues.

“I thought you said he would tell us the rumors of war were false?” Brady said.

What is this, some sort of sick joke?
Hot anxiety engulfed her. It was the same feeling she’d had when she’d fallen from a cliff in a nightmare the other night. She’d awoken when she’d hit the floor, her heart racing just as it was now. She felt her lungs beginning to tighten.
No, not now, not out here with everyone around me.

“Headmaster Terren will talk now about how this will affect all of you!” Liaison Wilfre was shouting himself red, but still Effie could barely hear him over the students around her.

“Quiet!” Terren had both massive arms up high. His voice was deep, piercing through the noise of everyone else. “We need everyone to remain quiet!”

Effie noticed then that many of the students were standing. Quickly, they each sat back down. Terren waited patiently for the sounds of creaking wood to stop. Everyone began shushing each other for nearly a minute. Then the shushing stopped and there was a burning silence as everyone waited for him to speak.