Bastial Energy (51 page)

“Good. We also need a chemist who may be familiar with rare plants and Slugari. Jack Rose told me about Steffen Duroby, said he’s exceptionally knowledgeable. I met him briefly as you already know, but I didn’t learn much about him. What can you tell me now that you know him?”

Cleve gave a sigh as he thought about how he should answer this one. “I don’t know about Slugari, but if you’re looking for someone knowledgeable, then I doubt you’ll find any other first-year who knows as much as he does. Whatever rare plant it is, he’ll probably know. I’m not sure how well his decisions are under pressure, however.” Cleve thought about the first time they’d met and the rocks Steffen stupidly had thrown at the bear. Cleve was furious at the time, but now he found himself smiling at the absurdity of it. “He might be a bit unorthodox.”

“I see,” Terren replied. “You probably don’t know the first-year warrior I want to take. I don’t know anything about him, just that—except for you—he had the highest ranks after evaluation week, and he’s brothers with the commander of the King’s Guard.”

“Alarex,” Cleve said when he realized who it was. “I would like to think I know him. You can trust him with any mission. He goes by Alex.”

“Great.” Terren had one of those rare smiles he would get sometimes when Cleve surprised him during a bout. “I’m happy you’ve finally made some friends.”

Captain Mmzaza whistled. “The boy has trouble with the social life? Don’t worry, I’ll teach ya some songs and riddles. Captain Mmzaza will show ya how to make friends.”

“I can’t wait for that,” Cleve replied sarcastically. “What is this mission for anyway?”

“We may have an unexpected ally in this war,” Terren said. He began explaining the mission to Cleve, ignoring Captain Mmzaza’s panicked questions about Kyrro being at war. However, before Terren could finish, the jailer had returned.

When Cleve saw the woman behind the jailer, his heart started beating wildly. It was in that moment he saw Reela’s face under the thick, long hair. But as she came closer, he noticed the hair he stared at was dark, not light, and she was nearly a whole head shorter than Reela. It couldn’t be her.

“Sorry this has taken so long,” Jessend Takary said. She wore an enthralling smile.

Captain Mmzaza whistled. “Another pretty! What a day it’s been.”

Jessend took a quick, indifferent glance at him before turning back to Cleve and continuing. “My captain has been ill and doesn’t look to be recovering for a few days more. But I must be going back to Goldram now so my father doesn’t worry. Welson Kimard has offered a captain for me to use so mine can rest during the voyage. They say he’s a prisoner but not dangerous and a very good captain.”

“This is him right here.” The jailer pointed at Captain Mmzaza.

No, this can’t be happening,
Cleve thought.
Anyone else.
But before he could say anything, Captain Mmzaza gave a laugh and a stinging whistle. “No, not dangerous, and very happy to get out early, especially with you, lovely.”

“Oh.” Jessend Takary was startled but then forced a friendly grin. “How fortunate, two out of three right here. And where is Rek?”

“He’s waiting outside the castle, gagged and restrained,” the jailer said.

“Wonderful,” Jessend said. “If you would please restrain these men and escort them out, we can leave. I’ll be outside.”

“Certainly,” the jailer replied with his eyes falling on Terren. “As soon as I escort this visitor out, the rest will be brought to you. Procedures must be followed.”

“Thank you,” Jessend said. She made a point to show Cleve a comforting smile before leaving.

Terren’s usually hard eyes were now soft with sadness. “This is it, then. I
will
see you again.”

They hugged as tightly as the bars allowed. “Yes you will,” Cleve promised.

Terren whispered as they still embraced each other, “Behave yourself. The Takary family is a very proud one. Whatever they want you to do, do it. I’ll come for you as soon as I can convince the King to let me.”

“Just focus on the war. I can handle whatever it is they want me to do in Goldram,” Cleve whispered back, knowing any conversation about him with King Welson would be a waste of time. He would find a way back himself and didn’t want to worry his uncle with it.

Cleve poked his head out to watch the jailer and Terren walk down the hall.

Then Captain Mmzaza’s head snuck out from his cell to block the view. He had a showy grin. “Looks like you’re going to be calling me captain after all.”

Chapter 51: Confidence

EFFIE

Effie wearily pushed through the door to her campus house.
I don’t see how sleep can elude me tonight.

Marie Fyremore had been working the Group One mages until exhaustion overcame them each day. Effie had never seen so much life out of someone so old. Her grandmother was a mage, but Effie never saw a spell from her. She liked to knit instead and talk about how she used to impress boys with magic. Marie Fyremore was definitely not like her grandmother.

Marie had a tough voice, and it rang through Effie’s mind all the way back from the classroom.
“You can’t let an old woman outcast you!”
That was her favorite saying, and she did outcast them, even made it look easy. Her fireballs were impressive, nearly as large as the five-foot-tall metal training dummy. When students were keeled over and searching for breath, she would shoot a gust of hot Bastial wind at them, yelling, “Don’t breathe, meditate. Your breath will come back while you regain energy. Do it standing tall. You’re an easy target staring at the ground.”

Sometimes, Marie would cast “shell” in front of students who were just about to shoot a fireball at their dummies. “If you can’t get through this shell, your fire will have no effect on the tough skin of a Krepp!” Then she’d snap her wand and hold the shell there as easily as if it were a simple spell of light.

“Shell” was an emerald green rectangle, always slightly curved toward the student caster Marie chose to block. Its Sartious Energy was translucent and held steady until Marie let her wand rest. Then it would shatter apart like glass, dissolving into the air. Effie hoped her master mage instructor was exaggerating about Krepp skin being tougher than her spell of “shell,” because no one could shoot through it, not even Effie. She nearly passed out trying.

Marie Fyremore seemed to push Effie harder than anyone else, perhaps because she’d said she wished to specialize in Sartious Energy, and no other student had said the same.

“Green mages are extremely useful, especially in a time of war,” Marie told Effie after their first class. “But to get anywhere with the heavy energy, you have to be completely dedicated. Manipulating the stuff is dangerous. Too much SE flowing through you can stop your heart. I never advise students to take on its study unless they have expert self-control. So I always recommend men stay with Bastial.” She laughed and leaned in close. “SE brings its caster an orgasmic feeling when it runs through the body. Have you felt it, dear?”

Effie nodded. She thought she had, at least. She was never sure exactly what it was, and the tingling pleasure had only happened a few times.

“It’ll be stronger as you get more powerful. Men have no self-control. Once the pleasure is discovered, it takes over, and their focus is usually lost. They’re not used to multiple orgasms, like us,” Marie said with a wink.

Effie laughed politely, but truthfully the discussion of orgasms with the old woman was too strange, even for her.

Effie found Steffen reading at the kitchen table when she entered their home. He looked up and closed the book at the sound of her.

“Eff, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Finally, here it comes.
“What is it?”
What have you been hiding from me?

Steffen sucked in a long breath. “Gabby and I kissed. I think I like her.”

Effie let her arms fold over her training gown. “So?”

“So, you’re fine with it?”

“Yeah, why not?” She’d kissed many men she thought she liked—Brady being one of them, and she barely knew him. It was actually a shock that Steffen and her sister hadn’t kissed before.

Steffen let the air out of his chest. His shoulders slumped in relief as he smiled. “I always thought if your sister and I were together, it would be a major issue.”

“It would be,” Effie answered. “Wait, you’re telling me you’re going to start
dating
my sister?”

Steffen’s face tightened as if ready for pain. “When you say it like that, it sounds so wrong.”

“It sounds so wrong because it is wrong! That’s my sister!”

For a breath, all was silent. Steffen kept his eyes on Effie, giving no sign as to what he was going to say next. It seemed as if his fear had morphed into confusion. “But you just said you were fine with it.”

“If you think you like her and kissed a few times, sure, fine with me. But actually dating? No.” She noticed she was pointing at Steffen like he was a dog that had pooped in the house. Effie knew sometimes it was necessary to be completely straightforward with Steffen, especially in conversations about the opposite sex. Still, she never felt good about it. She took a breath to let out some frustration. “You shouldn’t touch her at all until you’re sure about the way you feel.”

Steffen leaned away from her finger as if it was about to cast a fireball. “What do you mean, until I’m sure about the way I feel?”

“Because you’re not even sure if you like her. You’re going to mess with her mind and end up really hurting her. You’ve known her nearly her whole life, and you’re still not certain about the way you feel?”
Compared to Reela, who was in here the other day practically writing poetry on the spot as she described what Cleve does to her.
Men are the worst
. Effie could feel her eyes rolling, but she tried to stop them, knowing it wouldn’t help.

Steffen seemed to be chewing his cheek. His eyes were avoiding Effie’s.

She decided to take another breath. Feeling calmer, she took Steffen’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Gabby’s impressionable to a fault, and for some reason you have a bigger impact on her than anyone else. If you started doing stuff together…” Effie dropped Steffen’s hand so she could gesture descriptively as she cringed. “She’s already in love with you. It will tear her to pieces if you don’t feel the same way. She’s technically an adult, but that doesn’t mean she really is one. There’s a lot she can’t handle.”

A smile was forming at the corners of Steffen’s mouth. It wasn’t quite there yet, but Effie knew she’d see it soon. “I think I get it. However, my interpersonal skills have always been below average, so correct me if I’m wrong. Gabby is like a sponge, and we’re all like water to her, soaking us up?”

“Yes,” Effie nodded at him.

“But I make her wetter than
anyone
else.”

“Yes. Wait…no.”
Does he realize what he’s saying?

“No? But she
is
like a sponge?”

“Forget the sponge analogy.” Effie held her head for a moment to think. His perplexed expression was starting to frustrate her again. “Just make sure you’re completely certain you really like her before you do anything. Otherwise, you’ll hurt her.”

His hands came up to show that was the last thing he wanted. “Definitely.” Guilt seemed to strike his face. “But how do I know if I really like her or not? I think I like her already.”

You’re asking me, and I don’t even know how I feel about Brady with any certainty
.

It may have been from the tightness she felt forming in her stomach, or just the pity she had for Steffen, but she suddenly had the urge to share an embrace. She nestled against Steffen’s chest, wrapping her arms around his lower back. He returned the hug, and Effie felt warmth spread through her stomach, immediately relieving the tension.

“Reela will know that,” Effie said, parting from Steffen. Reela had always been the answer to emotional dilemmas.
And now she’s got one of her own,
Effie said to herself, thinking about Cleve.

“Thank you, Effie.”

Effie smiled but took his shoulder in a firm grip to let him know how serious she was. “Don’t touch Gabby. Don’t go to see her. Don’t even write to her until you know how you feel. You don’t want to give her the idea you feel one way when you actually feel another.”

“I understand.”

A culminating silence followed.

“Where is Reela? The sun has almost set,” Effie asked.

Just as Steffen opened his mouth to speak, they heard the front door unlatch. Reela came through wearing a dress with the colors of Kyrro. It was showier than Effie was used to seeing on her, but the surprise was nothing but pleasant. Effie always wanted her friend to show off her body more. It seemed like a waste not to.

Reela had a tired smile. “Pack your bags, both of you. Headmaster Terren will be here soon.” She walked by them toward her room.

“What?” Effie blurted, still thinking about Reela’s dress. “Pack our bags?” She turned to check Steffen’s expression to see if he understood what Reela was talking about, but his face was squished together just like hers. Effie started after Reela. “Why pack our bags?”