Bastial Energy (24 page)

“Too much at once,” Effie said. She filled her glass once again and then Reela’s as well. She took a breath before throwing it down her throat. Reela ignored the begging glass at her fingertips and stared at Effie instead. She loved the way Reela’s radiant green eyes gazed at her as they did during these moments. It reminded her of the emerald green of Sartious Energy. Looking into those eyes was the one time when she truly could speak freely because she knew it was the only time someone truly would listen. There was no ulterior motive to be guessed, no games to be played.

“Start with whatever just happened,” Reela said.

“The one person who has the task of informing the Academy when war has begun wouldn’t know he was in a duel until his opponent’s sword had been run through him.”

“Liaison Wilfre,” Reela acknowledged. “He sat in on the first class I had to ‘observe the new psychics.’ You’re right. His orders need to be delivered by spoon. This worries you because you now believe we’re at war and haven’t been told so?”

“I guess I do. You told me Alex spoke the truth when he discussed it earlier.”

“Yes, what he
believes
is the truth,” Reela made sure to emphasize. “That doesn’t mean it’s accurate.”

Effie nodded to show she understood. “It’s the not knowing that I can’t stand. I’d rather be told we must prepare for battle than be left to guess. And I think the King is planning some mission for students, but I insulted his liaison.” Effie eyed the sakal in Reela’s glass, wanting her to catch up so she didn’t feel guilty for drinking more.

“I’m saving this for later.” Reela pushed it behind her arm and then reached out to squeeze Effie’s hand. A tingle swam up through her arm and she squeezed back. Then Reela retracted her hand. “I don’t think you’re as capable of offending men as you believe yourself to be,” Reela said playfully. “Even the delicate Liaison Wilfre. I’m sure something else has angered him enough since then for him to have forgotten. Did he tell you he was a good judge of character?”

“He did.”

Reela giggled. “He tells that to everyone in hopes that he may be able to convince himself of it. He’s good with names and faces, yes, but very forgetful of more important details.”

Effie knew not to doubt Reela. It was unlike her to speak without committing to every word.

Relieved to hear this about Wilfre, Effie decided to move on to her next thought. “Steffen’s been acting strange ever since classes began. He turns away from my face as if overcome with shyness. But it’s not the same as the quiet men in Oakshen who sneak looks at women and then turn away when they look back. It’s as if he’s avoiding me completely.”

Reela’s smile faded. “I’ve noticed that as well.” She leaned over the table. “He has a secret that he can’t escape from, and the sight of you seems to cause it to swell, pushing the rest of his feelings aside. I’ve never known him to hide something from us.”

Effie frowned. She’d always loved Steffen as a friend, but definitely never had the same feelings for him as her sister, Gabby. “Dare I say he’s developed feelings for me?”

“No, it’s not that,” Reela answered, just as confident as usual. Effie was relieved. She would be flattered, but it would only make their situation tricky. Reela leaned in closer. “But it’s something for sure.”

“Something is better than nothing. I can deal with something.” She noticed the familiar veil of alcohol pressing down on her. She reached for the jug to fill her glass again. “Is there
something
more we know about Cleve’s missing bow, or is that still
nothing
?”

Reela leaned back and pressed her lips together. “Just what I told you from when he brought Alex by and had me help force out the truth. The King’s Guard suspected Cleve had a bow. Alex’s brother had asked to be notified if Alex found out anything, but he hasn’t said anything and has no plans of talking. We still don’t know who took it or what they’re planning.”

“The possibility of war, Steffen keeping secrets, the missing bow, all this uncertainty, yet you don’t seem bothered?”

Reela grinned. It was the sly smile this time—the one that sometimes made Effie feel slightly uneasy. “If I was troubled, then who would everyone come to for help with their problems?”

Effie had to ponder that. Meanwhile, she whipped her glass back up to her mouth. Reela always had been there to talk about her problems, and there had never been a shortage. But when did they speak of Reela’s troubles? She couldn’t remember. “Everyone has issues, why not discuss your own?”

“While I’m helping others, I can’t possibly focus on my own. The more I hear of others’ issues, the more mine seem trivial. I like it this way.” Reela shrugged.

Suddenly Effie had the urge to stand and hug her friend. She did, wrapping her thin arms around Reela’s collar and pressing her head down onto her shoulder. Reela reached up to squeeze Effie’s arms.

“The next time something is bothering you,” Effie said, going back to her seat. “I want you to talk to me about it, no matter how little it might be.”

“You’re in luck,” Reela said as she pulled the glass of sakal back in front of her. “I do have something, and it’s pretty big. That’s why I brought out the sakal, to help the nerves.”

What could Reela possibly have that she’s nervous about telling me?
They told each other everything, and Reela was never shy. Effie always figured there was nothing Reela could admit that would surprise her. At least, she used to believe that. She was getting the idea that was about to change. “Please, share it.”

Reela looked…nervous? Effie had to stare at her to tell she was really seeing her friend this way. Reela’s almond eyes and puffy lips held nervousness just like any other person, but Effie hadn’t seen it before on Reela’s face. It took her a few breaths before she concluded that—yes, Reela was indeed nervous. It made Effie nervous in return.

“I’ve been feeling something in the past week, and it took until today for me to finally realize what it is.” Reela blew out air. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this out loud.” She threw back the drink into her mouth and swallowed with a cringe. As she slammed down the glass, she started coughing uncontrollably.

Effie stood to pat her back. “Are you alright?”

“No,
cough
, something has been,
cough
, very wrong with me,
cough
,
cough
.”

“What can I do?” Effie began to pat harder.

“Nothing,
cough
. I’m locked on someone.”

Effie jumped back. A leg got caught on her empty chair, causing her to stumble. Her feet became crossed, and she fell on her rear. She pulled herself up onto the seat so fast she thought for a moment that Reela hadn’t even seen her fall until Reela started laughing between coughs.

“You what? You’re locked on someone? Are you sure about this?” Effie asked incredulously.

“Yes.” Reela looked toward the door, then her head shifted to hang over the table.

Have I ever been locked on a man?
Effie nearly wondered aloud.
No, this is Reela’s time.
“Do I know him?” she asked instead.

“I think I need another drink before I can answer that.” Reela filled their glasses.

“I do know him!” she realized when Reela was too embarrassed to look up from the table. She gasped as she thought of the way she’d seen Reela behaving around him. “Cleve. It’s Cleve!”

Reela stood and cupped a hand over Effie’s mouth. Reela was as red as the enormous pillar over Redfield—its color could be seen from anywhere on campus. Effie figured it could have been from the coughing, or the sakal, but she liked to think instead that she was seeing her childhood friend humiliated for the first time.

“I don’t think the teachers heard in their faculty houses. Perhaps you want to shout it even louder?” Reela quipped, slowly removing her hand.

“I’m sorry, it just came out.”

Reela nodded forgivingly. She looked absolutely adorable, nervously fidgeting back into her seat. “What confuses me is that he seems more scared of
me
than of his missing bow. I can’t figure out why.”

Effie finished the drink Reela had poured for her. “What did you do to him?”

“Nothing!” Reela slapped Effie’s arm lightly. “He’s terrified. I’m not sure it’s even me that he’s scared of, but I do seem to be the cause of it. Every time we talk he gets this panic about him. The drinks helped, that first night, but even then everything about him was bottled up inside, guarded with a thick layer of fear. He never talks about himself, have you noticed?”

Ignoring Reela’s question, Effie had a far more important one. “What do you think he would do if you kissed him?” She giggled at the thought of it.

Reela gave a soft chuckle of her own. “I haven’t the faintest idea, maybe push me away and then run like a little boy. I wouldn’t anyway. I think it’s best not to act on my feelings. We are living together, after all.”

For a moment, Effie wondered what she would do if Brady, who she’d kissed in the bar back home, lived in their house.
Probably ignore him best I could
, she figured. She shook her head before the embarrassment could fully come back to her, focusing instead on Reela, who looked ready to pout. Effie rested her hand on Reela’s. “This seems so unlike you.”

“It is.” Reela took her other hand and put it on top of Effie’s. “In fact,” Reela continued, “this is the first time I’ve felt this way, and it took me a lot of thought to figure out what it was. When I first met Cleve, I looked deeply within him—I was skeptical about living with a warrior after your stories from the bar, especially one who brought a bow. I expected to find the qualities of other warriors within him: inflated sense of worth and purpose, twisted visions of reality, no regard for other classes, no interest in the needs of others, especially women. But instead, I found something I’d never seen before in a man, especially a warrior of his size. He was scared, and under that fear was a blank canvas. It was like looking into the mind of an innocent child, yet with a tenacious strength buried so deep I don’t think he’s even aware of it.”

“He seems pretty aware of his strength to me.”

Reela politely shook her head, her light-brown hair shimmering as it waved. “This isn’t physical strength I’m talking about but mental, like that of a master mage or psychic—something I’ve never see in warriors.” She sighed as if frustrated.

Effie let her eyes rest on the table. Something seemed off about this conversation. She tried to figure out what it was. Then she realized it was Reela’s tone. “You’re talking about being locked on to Cleve as if it’s a dilemma.”

Reela let out a smile that a parent might show to a child who’d misbehaved but hadn’t known any better. “That’s because it is.”

“Well, can’t you just stop liking him then?” Effie figured if anyone could fight an attraction successfully, it would be Reela.

Reela stared at her as if waiting for a punch line. “Are you serious?”

Effie’s hand slipped from between Reela’s so she could open her palms and shrug. “I don’t know everything you can do. I thought you could control your emotions pretty well. You’ve always seemed to in the past.”

“This isn’t just some emotion. It’s like he has a grip on my heart so that every time it beats, my blood runs through his fingers like a filter, filling the rest of me with this new life force that’s tainted by his touch.” Reela grabbed Effie’s hands somewhat forcefully. Immediately, Effie felt flushed. “This burning blood brings life to my limbs and mind, but with new purpose, with new desire.” Effie could feel what Reela was describing, at least it seemed that way. Her blood was burning hot. “All my old problems cycle through his filter until they dissipate and are forgotten, leaving only this new blood—pure of everything except his touch. All that’s left is him.”

Effie’s heart beat with wild enthusiasm. It was craving something, some kind of relief. The hot feeling swarmed through her body, completely taking over and making her head light. “It feels like I need him,” Reela continued softly. “It really does.” With her last words, she gave half a whimper, half a laugh, and released Effie’s hands.

Effie gasped loudly, her heart still thumping hard.
Did Reela mean to just do that?
Her friend showed no signs of it on her face. Instead she was looking at the door again.

Effie had been told by some men that they needed her, but that was different. She was lost on this subject and had little to offer. Being compelled to speak, but not knowing what to say, she asked, “So, you must be attracted to him.”

“Didn’t I say that yet?” Reela laughed to herself. “Absolutely. The way his hair is never the same, molding to every touch it takes, the way his mouth and eyes can give him fifty different expressions just by the difference of a centimeter here and there, how his muscles bulge beneath his skin. You don’t think he’s sweet on the eyes?”

“If you don’t mind being crushed into the bed by twice your weight of man-flesh, then I guess so.”

“I don’t.” Reela had a sneaky grin.

“Reela, I had no idea!” Effie slapped the table in excitement. “That explains why you’ve never showed interest in guys before—you were waiting for someone who could physically crush you, yet is terrified of you.”