by B. T. Narro
She didn’t voice her objection until she noticed Brady wasn’t crushing the leaves but melting them with Bastial Energy.
“What are you doing?” Effie asked. “Won’t that ruin the taste?”
“You’ve never had lamwin tea made with BE before?”
“No.”
“Try it.”
“Fine.” Effie watched closely to make sure there was nothing else he was mixing into it.
He laughed when he noticed. “Don’t trust me?”
“I do,” Effie lied.
“Good, because I’m going to tell you a few things that’ll be hard to believe.” He turned to show her a serious stare, pausing for a moment to hold a finger out at her. “But all of them are true.”
All Effie could wonder was whether this was some sort of ruse to get her clothes off.
Soon each was seated with a plate of food and a cup of tea. Effie had a small sip. She wouldn’t have known Brady had melted the lamwin leaves with Bastial Energy, for the tea tasted the same to her as when her mother made it.
Brady seemed fixated on Effie, watching and waiting for something.
“What?” Effie grunted.
“Why aren’t you drinking more of the tea?”
Could it be Brady was one of those people who was insulted when guests didn’t devour what was offered to them? He didn’t seem the type, but then again, she barely knew him.
It was easier to drink the tea than argue, so Effie took a big gulp. Brady’s next breath seemed to fill him with relief.
“Did you tell anyone about drinking the blinker potion I brought over last night?” he asked, more interested in Effie’s answer than his food.
“No. Should I have?” Effie still couldn’t get used to this side of Brady. If he doesn’t tell me the real reason I’m here soon, I’m going to force it out of him.
Brady shook his head. “I’m glad you didn’t.”
“When are you going to tell me why you brought me here?”
Brady’s faint smile became flat, and his head sank over his food. “Kyrro is going to lose this war.”
It took until Effie had swallowed all the food in her mouth before she really heard him. “What?” she blurted.
But as Brady opened his mouth to say more, a knock at the door stopped him. Brady must’ve expected it, for he jumped up, opened the door, and stepped outside, closing it after him. Effie got a glimpse of the man who’d come to see Brady. He had blond hair, and something about him looked familiar. From his thick arms, he seemed to be a warrior.
They must’ve been speaking in whispers because Effie heard none of what they said, not even a murmur.
How do I know that blond man? Effie wondered. She looked around the kitchen to busy her eyes as she waited. Seeing two closed bedroom doors, she decided to investigate. Brady was being far too suspicious not to.
The first room couldn’t have been Brady’s because a series of swords leaned against the wall. Effie figured they belonged to whoever had moved in after his girlfriend moved out. Disinterested, Effie quickly investigated the other room before Brady came back.
As she’d expected, numerous potions and plants were scattered along shelves just like in Steffen’s room. But there were locked chests and drawers in each direction she looked, making her wonder how many secrets one man could have.
She hurried back to the table, wondering again why the blond warrior looked so familiar. Just as Brady came in and shut the door behind him, she remembered.
“Is he the one Zoke spat on in Redfield?” she asked.
“So you saw him.” Brady seemed disappointed. “Yes, my friend Sawdar.”
Before sitting, Brady peered into Effie’s cup. When he saw it was empty, his shoulders relaxed.
“I need to admit a few things to you, Effie, and we don’t have a lot of time. So if you could refrain from asking questions, that would be helpful.”
She tried not to scoff, but it came out on its own.
He ignored it and continued. “First, I’ve only been pretending to have a girlfriend, and it wasn’t just to trick you.”
Suddenly Effie was clinging to every word, no longer skeptical about the seriousness of this meeting.
“The girl does exist,” Brady said. “But we’ve never been romantically involved. We needed to create the image of being together so the two of us could have a house to ourselves without arousing suspicion.” He leaned forward. “You haven’t been in the Academy that long yet, but trust me when I say that it’s hard to keep secrets from your fellow students, especially after three years.”
Effie felt dizzy. At first she thought it was from shock, but as that began to pass and the dizziness grew worse, she realized something else was wrong.
“I’m not feeling well,” she admitted.
“That’s another thing,” Brady said. “The blinker potion I gave you last night will remain in your system for more than a day. I know far more about it than I let on, such as that the ingredients in the potion don’t mix well with lamwin leaves melted from Bastial Energy.”
Effie stood, grabbing onto the table for balance. “You poisoned me?”
“You’ll be fine.” Brady took her shoulders and quickly put her back into the seat. She was too weak to fight it. “You’re going to be asleep for a long time. When you wake up, you’ll be on your way to Tenred.”
She felt as if she might vomit. “Tenred?”
Then the realization struck her, and with it came a wave of dizziness that nearly knocked her from her seat. The locked drawers, his worry when he’d seen her wand, his claim Kyrro was going to lose the war, the secret Reela had found with psyche…Brady was a spy. And his fake girlfriend is one as well.
“You bastard,” Effie tried to yell, but it came out as a murmur. She tried to stand once more.
Before she knew it, she was falling and Brady was catching her.
“My girlfriend and I used you as a reason to split up.” The inflection in his voice made it clear what part of that statement was an act. “She needed to gather information from one of her friends, and the easiest way to do that was to move in with her.” He leaned down as he held Effie, kissing her cheek and neck in between his whispers. “But I really do care about you, Eff. My feelings were never disingenuous. I’m in love with you.”
She wanted to knee him in the groin, and even more so with him using her nickname as if they were close. But she didn’t have the strength to lift her leg.
“I’m going to keep you safe,” Brady said, plopping Effie back in her chair and grabbing her cheeks with his coarse hands. “I needed to make sure you weren’t near Zoke or Reela, or any of the other targets.” He kissed her forehead.
I’ll kill you, Effie tried to say.
“A battle is coming soon.” Brady stood and seemed to be frantically gathering bottles and vials from cupboards and practically throwing them in a bag. Everything had become a blur.
“And Tegry Hiller, the King of Tenred, needs to know the Academy’s secrets—battle formations, training regimens, new inventions.” Brady wiggled a red liquid in front of Effie. She figured it had to be the blinker potion. “That sort of thing.” Brady put the potion into his bag with the others.
Effie missed what he said next, realizing she’d fallen asleep for a moment.
She barely could hear someone shouting in the distance. “Fire, fire!”
“It’s begun,” Brady said.
Someone threw open the front door. Effie couldn’t turn to see who it was, as her body had gone numb, but she could hear a woman’s voice she didn’t recognize.
“Let’s go,” the voice said. “What’s she doing here?”
“She’s coming with us,” Brady answered. “Get the wheelbarrow ready.”
Chapter 15:
ZOKE
On Warrior’s Field that morning, Zoke was fighting as if he had something to prove. At least that’s what Alex told him. Zoke didn’t quite understand what that meant, but Zoke could tell from Alex’s expression
that he was pleased.
During a break from team combat, Warrior Sneary called Zoke over and asked, “Do all Krepps learn this fast?”
“No. Krepps are even more stubborn than you Humans,” Zoke said. “Many don’t take instructions very well.”
The instructor nodded. With a scrunch of his mouth that looked to be closer to a smile than anything else, he seemed relieved.
“I think your growth has put Sawdar in a poor mood, though,” Sneary said.
Zoke had figured the same thing. Why else was the blond warrior fighting so poorly? He seemed distracted, completely disinterested in anything but his own thoughts.
Just as Zoke’s team had lost every time yesterday, Sawdar couldn’t seem to avoid his opponents’ wooden swords.
As good as it felt to be winning in team combat, Zoke knew it was mostly because he was paired with Alex that day. The two of them had fought together within the Slugari colony, so Zoke knew his tendencies.
After last evening’s dinner, Zoke had convinced Alex to train with him on Warrior’s Field. Expecting to spar with the tall Human, Zoke was in disbelief when Alex said their swords wouldn’t be touching at all.
“You have to learn the basics first,” Alex told him. “Spacing is everything.”
The Human went on and on about how Zoke should position his body, how he should hold his weapon, and what to watch for. Alex made special care to let Zoke know everything he did wrong.
At first, Zoke argued with the Human, demanding an explanation as to why leading with his right foot was going to get him killed, or how giving a quick glance to check on his teammate’s position revealed his next move to his opponent. But when Alex’s answers made more and more sense, and the light of the sun was just a faint glow, Zoke realized his time was better spent listening than talking.
Soon it became so dark that Alex began to worry they wouldn’t find their way back to their student houses.
“I’m just going to sleep here,” Zoke said. “The grass is cool, and the night is warm.”
“You shouldn’t,” Alex told him. “You’re different enough already. You don’t want to stand out even more by sprawling out on Warrior’s Field. Just use Cleve’s bed.”
Reluctantly, Zoke agreed and eventually managed to find the right house after poking his head in the wrong place twice, startling a few students.
It seemed as if Effie was in Reela’s room when he got there, the two female Humans speaking quietly while Zoke settled onto the soft mattress. Sleep took him soon after.
He’d had a lively breakfast with Effie in the dining hall, where he’d nearly choked when she’d given him the impression that Marie Fyremore might be romantically inclined toward him.
Zoke was starting to get used to the idea of free food. It was what he liked the most about the Academy, even making it worth the stares.
Marie surprised him on Warrior’s Field just as they were stopping for lunch. “Zoke.” She waved him over.
Knowing she was in command, he wasn’t embarrassed about obeying. Though he still felt it was strange the old woman had so much power over everyone else. He knew her to be a mage like Effie, but could her magic really be that strong at her age?
When Krepps became old, their skin softened and their joints stiffened. Looking at Marie, it was clear this same thing happened to Humans, but they already had such soft skin. Zoke couldn’t help but wonder how frail it must get in the later years of their lives. And Marie is to lead the mages during a battle! Zoke just then remembered that Effie had told him that. It was an unnerving thought.
At least Terren is the one to lead the warriors. Zoke had been commanded by the head of the Academy before and now trusted Terren’s judgment more than his own.
Strangely, Zoke noticed Sawdar running west toward the student houses. It was the quickest he’d seen the Human move all day.
“I can’t meet with you later,” Marie said.
Zoke was surprised to find he was disappointed. Perhaps his conversation with Marie about his past really had made him feel better.
He took comfort in the old woman’s presence. She seemed to be confident that she knew what was better for Zoke than he did himself. At first, this was a laughable concept. But Zoke already trusted Terren’s knowledge when it came to battle. Was it really so strange to trust that Marie knew what she was doing as well?
“I see,” Zoke said, feeling it was better to hide his disappointment.
“A messenger brought me a letter to let me know that Terren is coming back to the Academy this evening. He’s been staying at the castle and having discussions with Welson Kimard.”
Zoke knew that Terren had been discussing strategy with the King of Kyrro ever since returning from the Slugari colony. He wondered how the Slugari were going to be involved now that they were allies with Kyrro. Will they be able to recognize that I was the Krepp who helped save them, or will they fear me just as they did the first time we met?
“I understand,” Zoke said.
“But we can discuss matters during lunch.” Marie looked at him intently, expecting Zoke to argue. “It’s important that we talk frequently. I have more questions about your culture, and I know it’ll be good for you to discuss your feelings.”
“Fine,” Zoke answered, feeling more relief than he let on.
“Good. Come with me to my house on the northern end of the campus. As we walk, tell me more about these eppil plants that Doe and Haemon eat. I’ve described them for Jack Rose—the lead chemist of the Academy, who told me he wants to meet you—but he’s never heard of them.”
“I’ve already told you everything I know about them.”
Marie produced a discouraged grumble from the bottom of her throat. “But all you’ve told me is that they’re thick like a vine, they’re black, and they grow out of the ground and back into it, sometimes twisting among themselves along the way. You also mentioned that they’re extremely important to Doe and Haemon, but what’s led you to believe this?”
“That’s a fact, not a belief.” Just like yesterday, discussing the eppil plants brought forth such sudden anger it was as if the hot rage was lying dormant deep within Zoke, waiting for this trigger.
“And how do you know it’s a fact?”
“Because they kill Krepps who come near them! Because Vithos told me that eppil plants are the source of their power! And because mother to me was one of the Krepps who was killed. Must I be forced to provide evidence for every detail I give you?” Zoke noticed then that his shouting had attracted unwanted attention. Young Humans walking by had stopped with a threatening glare, as if they were about to draw their weapons.
“Everything alright?” one of them asked Marie.
“It’s fine,” she quickly answered.
They were silent until they were close to the faculty housing area along the northwestern side of campus. There were far fewer students walking around by then. With a glimpse over his shoulder, Zoke noticed that Sawdar was walking in their direction, and two men were with him now.
Zoke didn’t know the Human too well, but he still could tell that Sawdar was a different man today than he was yesterday. He’d barely said a word, his gaze often stuck to the grass or up in the clouds. But the weirdest part was how different he appeared. With heavy eyelids and a blank look, it seemed as if he hadn’t slept at all the night before.
Just before stepping inside Marie’s house, she stopped Zoke to examine his feet. “Usually I make people take their shoes off, but I see you don’t wear any.”
Zoke lifted the sole of his foot for a glimpse. It was difficult to see the dirt against his dark gray skin, so he ran a fingertip along it. It was definitely dirty.
Marie grumbled as she thought of what to do. Going to the kitchen, she said, “Don’t move.” She fetched a rag and handed it to Zoke. “Wipe off your feet outside, then shut the door behind you.”
There were no floors to the huts of his old encampment, just dirt. It seemed easier that way than worrying abou
t keeping a wooden floor clean all the time, but Zoke wasn’t about to complain.
As he wiped off his feet, he noticed Sawdar and the two men were still walking toward him. Are they visiting Marie’s house also? They were too far to tell.
When he finished brushing the dirt from his feet, Zoke went inside. If they’re coming to speak to Marie, they can knock on the door when they get here. Zoke closed the door after him as instructed.
“Sit and get comfortable,” Marie said, pulling plates from the nearby cupboard. “I hope you don’t mind that lunch will be light. It’s not good to eat so much before going back to training.” She looked over her shoulder at Zoke. “Well, at least that’s the case for Humans.”
“Our stomachs work the same way,” Zoke said.
“I hate to bring up subjects that upset you, but I’m afraid we must know more about these eppil plants. If we managed to destroy all of them, would Doe and Haemon lose their ability with magic?”
Zoke pushed back against the burning anger swelling up from his stomach. “I don’t know.”
There was a knock at the door.
“It’s probably Sawdar and two others,” Zoke informed her. “I saw them walking this way.”
“Sawdar?” Marie rubbed her lip as she thought. “Oh, the warrior you spat on in Redfield.”
Her hand brushed the wand on her belt. Zoke wondered if she even knew she’d done it.
Zoke stood as Marie passed him, deliberating offering to open the door because he was closer. Instead, he remained silent and watched from behind her.
Marie opened it. “Hello, I’m with someone but—”
Sawdar lunged forward. Marie screamed, using her hands in a feeble attempt to swat him away. The old woman fell backward and hit the wooden floor hard. The handle of a knife protruded from her chest.
“I’m sorry,” Sawdar muttered, kneeling down to remove the knife from her flailing body.
He’s gone mad! Zoke started toward Marie, unsure how to help her. But then he noticed Sawdar was now coming toward him with the knife extended, Marie’s blood oozing down its blade.
