Bastial Frenzy (The Rhythm of Rivalry: Book 4) (34 page)

“I like jokes,” Vithos said. “I hear this one from farmworker. How you know when Tegry Hiller lies?”

“How?” Rek asked.

“When you see his mouth move.” Vithos laughed. “Because he big, stupid liar!”

The rest of them chuckled. “Vithos, it ruins it when you explain the joke,” Terren said.

“What’s difference between Krepp and snake?” Vithos asked. “Snakes no spit.”

They laughed.

“What you call Krepp with no arms, teeth, ears?” Vithos said. But then his smile twisted. His brow furrowed and he grunted. “I forget word.” He grabbed hold of Rek’s shoulder, leaning toward him. “This.”

Rek seemed to understand the joke, then, laughing to himself. “Trustworthy.”

“Yes! Trustworthy. How you tell if Krepp might spit to you?” This time Vithos waited for someone to ask. Cleve was amazed how many jokes he had at the ready.

“If he breathing,” Vithos said with a chuckle.

Terren spoke next. “How does Tegry Hiller get dressed in the morning?”

“How?” Vithos asked.

“He doesn’t. It’s a lie!” Terren shouted, practically manic. Cleve was surprised how hard it made him laugh.

Rek was laughing as well, but Vithos just scratched his head. “I no understand. Tegry Hiller go all day naked?”

They laughed even harder.

Chapter 25:

CLEVE

Expecting Reela to be somewhere inside, Cleve’s heart beat harder the moment he entered the dining hall behind the two Elven brothers.

Terren’s name was called from two directions at once. He handled it gracefully, holding up a finger to one man while a woman approached him with a document. “I was hoping to find you here,” she said.

Rek stopped to wait, but Terren waved him forward. “I’ll join you later. There are some people I need to speak with.”

Cleve was unused to seeing his uncle so needed. Hardly anyone came by Terren’s house when Cleve used to live there, though Cleve was out during the day—training in Raywhite Forest or walking to Oakshen to join the other warriors at the city’s training grounds. He despised many of them, but sparring was necessary for improvement.

He figured Terren didn’t allow visitors coming by late, which was when Cleve would return.
Or perhaps it was because we weren’t at war yet
.

It was around this time of day when Cleve and Terren would spar with each other, when hunger was just prodding at him—not yet gnawing—and the last light of the sun often colored the sky with streaks of red.

The memories made Cleve realize he’d never thanked Terren for taking care of him. Not once.

The sight of Effie and Reela eating across from each other switched his focus back to his nervous heart. Reela’s back was to him. Even without Effie nearby, he would’ve recognized her from the curve of her body and the shine of her lustrous hair. She was leaning forward on her elbows, listening to Effie speak.

Then Effie saw the Elves. Her mouth dropped open and she pointed.

“Yes!” Vithos shouted. “It brother to me, Rek.”

Many heads turned toward them. Reela swung around. She had a wide grin as she approached. She stood on her toes and put one arm around both of them as they all embraced.

“I’ve dreamed of this moment many times,” Reela whispered, somewhat shyly. “I just didn’t imagine two of us would have scars.” She let out a light laugh. “Although yours isn’t nearly as hideous as mine.”

“Quiet,” Vithos told her. “You very pretty. I very happy. Very, very happy.”

Reela caught sight of Cleve. He’d been staring, waiting for her eyes to find him. When her smile faded, it felt like a hammer had struck his chest.

“Can we talk?” she asked, her tone causing his stomach to turn upside down.

“Yes, I need to apologize,” he said, hoping to see some of the anguish dissolve from her face. But she acted as if she hadn’t heard him.

“Let’s sit over here.” She walked to an empty table. It was then that Cleve realized the dining hall was emptier than he remembered. This was the peak time for dinner, no tables should’ve been completely empty, but there were many of them.

The Krepps,
he reminded himself.

Either on purpose or by accident, Reela’s hair covered most of the scar running from her cheek down her neck. Cleve could still see its green color, but it didn’t bother him. Her eyes, though—they held the power to tear his heart in half. They were squinted and glistening. She swallowed before opening her mouth to speak.

But he took her hand before she could. “May I say something first?”

She nodded.

“My mind was in a terrible place when you visited. I’d spent days alone, and the only thing fueling me was my anger toward Welson. I hadn’t yet taken any responsibility. Instead, I was looking for reasons—maybe I should call them excuses—as to why my life had been ruined. I wanted so badly to believe Steffen was lying about my father. So when you sided with him, I decided you were lying as well.”

Reela took a breath as if she was going to say something, but Cleve squeezed her hand and continued before she could.

“And it was wrong of me. It didn’t take long for me to realize this after the three of you left.”

“I would never lie to you about your family, no matter what bribe I was offered. I can’t even describe the feeling I had leaving your cell. Our relationship was built on trust. The first time we met, I found out you had an illegal weapon, but I could see what type of person you are. I protected you from being imprisoned.”

“I still don’t understand why you did that.”

“I didn’t really know myself until later. I’ve been locked onto you since the moment we met.”

Cleve hadn’t heard this phrase before. Perhaps it was from Oakshen. But from the look in her eyes, he could tell what it meant.

“I felt the same way,” he said.

“And because of that, it hurt so much worse when you…said those things. I couldn’t even think about going back there.”

“I understand. I was amazed to see Steffen.”

Reela let out the start of a laugh. “He’s braver than he seems.”

There was a silence. Cleve had hold of her hand. She put her other hand on top of his and sighed.

“How did you even get out?” she asked.

“Luckily, I’m valuable to the King. With some help, I was able to speak with him once more. He doesn’t need to worry about me discussing his crimes. It’s important that we’re allies rather than enemies. I’m just glad I don’t have to see him often.”

“I see.”

“I’m sorry, Reela. I won’t do anything like that again.”

“You’re fortunate I don’t believe in grudges.”

“Don’t believe in them?”

“Yes, a grudge is just a delay of forgiveness. Why delay something that I know is bound to happen?” She surprised him by leaning forward and kissing him.

Cleve knew it wasn’t meant to be anything passionate, but the moment she pulled away, he found himself wanting to feel her lips again. She tilted her head and looked at him with her eyes squinted, a seriousness hardening her expression.

“And I thought I was the psychic.” Reela showed him a wry smile, her eyes still fiercely staring at his lips.

“What do you mean?”

“The way you make me feel…” She shook her head. “I don’t even understand it.”

Cleve could feel passion taking over his hunger. He was about to move his hand behind her head to make sure she wouldn’t lean away before he was done kissing her. But then Vithos shouted, “Reela, come listen to joke!”

Reela’s breath came out through her nose as she laughed. She squeezed Cleve’s arm. “My brother and his jokes.” Her fingers ran up to his bicep as she spoke. “How many did he tell on the way here?”

“A lot.”

Reela kissed him softly on the cheek. “Thank you for not staring at my scar.”

“Enough about that thing. I don’t care.”

“And somehow that’s the truth.” She was shaking her head incredulously as she stood. “Even I think it’s hideous.”

“Of course you do. Women hold the harshest judgments for their own bodies. I don’t know why your imperfections seem to hide your own beauty from yourself, probably the fault of men. But if you could see yourself through my eyes, you would never feel self-conscious again.” Cleve hadn’t meant to use such a blunt tone. But once he’d started talking, he wasn’t able to stop until he was done.

His comment made Reela’s lips curl under her teeth. It looked like she was about to cry.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

“Thank you,” she interrupted, a tear escaping one eye. She quickly wiped it away. “Thank you, Cleve.”

He was surprised by her reaction. “It’s just the truth.”

“That’s what makes it so wonderful.”

Behind them, a burst of laughter erupted from the table where their friends sat. “Reela, you miss funny joke!” Vithos shouted.

“My Bastial stars, I’m coming.”

She and Cleve sat on Effie’s other side.

“Rek told me you were out,” Effie said. “You’re not going to give me a hug?” She stood with her arms out.

Cleve obliged, leaning far down to get his arms around her. Effie was even smaller than Jessend, he realized then.

She made a facetious grunting sound like he was crushing her. “My Bastial stars, did you get bigger?” She patted his chest hard like he was a big dog. “Nothing to do in prison but push-ups?”

Cleve tried to think of a retort about her small stature. But he was unable to. Luckily, Zoke and Alex came to their table then.

“Effie,” Alex began in a chiding tone, “didn’t we talk about touching other men’s chests?” By the grin on his face, it was clear he was joking.

“Don’t worry,” she replied, moving her hand to his chest. “You’re plenty enough man for me. I don’t like being crushed into the bed like Reela does.”

“Bastial hell, Effie!” Reela’s face was flushed. Cleve felt the same heat in his cheeks.

Effie was clearly trying not to burst into laughter, biting down with a tight smile.

Zoke was already seated beside Vithos, scooping food into his mouth with his claws and asking Rek questions about the Elves with a full mouth. Steffen joined them, sitting with his plate of food as he greeted those nearby.

Alex set his plate down next and settled onto the bench beside Effie. ”Let’s see if we can go one meal without any more vulgar comments,” he told her.

“Speaking of vulgar,” Effie said, “Vithos, tell that joke again for those who just got here.”

“Ask me how bad Krepps stink,” Vithos told Steffen.

“How bad do Krepps stink?” Steffen asked with his mouth full of food.

“So bad, they use farts for perfume.”

Steffen swallowed with a blank expression. Suddenly he smiled and began to laugh. “Oh, I get it.”

“We should get our food,” Cleve told Rek and Vithos. They’d sat down before waiting in line, too eager to join the others.

The Elves nodded and went with him.

When they returned, they had the liveliest meal Cleve had ever experienced. There were no less than two conversations at once at all times. To make matters even more hectic, many students came to their table to meet Rek, asking him questions. Cleve overheard all of them.

“Is this really the first time you’ve spoken to Vithos?”

“How did you get your scar?”

“Which one of you is stronger at psyche?”

“I heard you used to be a teacher here. Will you be teaching again?”

Some even came to speak to Cleve, although all were warriors in Group One. They didn’t stand around asking questions after introducing themselves, as others did for Rek. Cleve wondered if it was something about the way he looked, or possibly his tone. But he was thankful for it. It was difficult enough to keep track of everything going on at their table without the distractions.

Terren came to sit and eat with them, but he had to leave the moment his food was gone. He apologized, shook Rek’s hand, and was off.

It was getting late by then. Most of the tables were empty.

Zoke stood with his palms pressed against his back. “I wish to lie down.”

He turned to leave, but Effie stood and said, “Wait.”

He looked back with what seemed to be a scowl on his lizard face.

“Everyone come back to our house for drinks,” Effie said.

“No,” Zoke said. “I’m going to sleep in my house.”

“I’m tired as well,” Steffen said.

Cleve just wanted to shower and sleep in a real bed, though he wouldn’t mind if Reela shared it. Before he could say that he was tired also, Alex stood up and started berating everyone.

“Cleve’s back, Rek and Vithos are united, all of us are still alive, Tenred will most likely be signing a treaty—this is a time to celebrate! It could be our only time.” He shook his fist. “I’ll gladly drink with you, Effie. Now who’s joining me?”

Reela stood and offered sarcastic applause. “My Bastial stars, what a speech. Like a young Terren. Now if you could just direct the passion you have for drinking toward leading, maybe you actually could be the head of the Academy one day.”