Ignoring Timoran’s offer, Luke groggily wanders over to the pump and lies beneath it. He grips the handle with both hands and moves his face directly under the faucet. Whimpering in dull pain, he pumps the handle, repeatedly lifting his body a few inches off the floor. Water trickles out of the faucet and into his mouth, his tongue greedily licking at the drops. The pump shakes before a torrent of water blasts Luke in the face, startling him as he loses his grip and sputters on the floor. Timoran and Delvin mockingly applaud him as he crawls to the bars and shakes his drenched hair like a freshly bathed dog.
“Forest trackers are odd and resourceful people,” Delvin chuckles in amusement. He groans when his stomach roars for attention. “I hope we get out of here soon. I don’t want to miss breakfast considering I was denied dinner. Selenia can’t possibly be cruel enough to keep us here for two meals.”
“Maybe she’s waiting for the run to finish,” Luke says as he hears distant yelling from his side of the prison. “Imagine us in that mess. Timoran and I would be leaving the students in the dust, which would force Selenia to compete with us. I don’t know how good a runner you are, Delvin, so I won’t say what trouble you would bring to the race.”
“You always talk about making trouble,” Delvin curiously points out. “Why is it so hard for you to behave?”
Timoran clears his throat to stop Luke from answering, drawing everyone’s attention. “I have not known Luke for very long, but he did not act like this in Hero’s Gate. I believe being back here has brought out his mischievous side. It would appear he has a reputation in this academy as a source of chaos and his interactions with Selenia suggest he enjoys getting into scuffles with her. I have seen the same type of play-fighting between wolf pups and their older pack members. Maybe it is a cry for attention or an attempt to get Selenia to train him.”
“It’s possible,” Delvin replies, calmly eyeing Luke and stroking his chin. “Though, I think it’s a safer bet that Luke is a glutton for punishment. He probably enjoys being able to get under the skin of the great Selenia Hamilton. From what Kevin told me, very few people have ever gotten to her like Luke has.”
“Congratulations,” Timoran says to Luke. “So, where do we stand with each other?”
“In a detention prison,” Delvin bluntly answers.
“Beat me by a second,” Luke mutters with a smile. “I think you need to explain the question, Timoran.”
“Are we still bickering or are we friends?” Timoran asks, glancing from Luke to Delvin. They continue blankly staring at him, so he sighs and raises his sight to the wooden ceiling. “This entire thing started because you two were fighting. So, I am asking if you are going to fight again or are you friends.”
“Friend is a very strong term,” Luke mockingly replies.
“Besides, we were fighting out of . . . I’m going to go with pride,” Delvin says, holding back a yawn. “I’ve no bad feelings toward Luke and find him to be a highly skilled warrior. Though, I haven’t known him long enough to call him a friend.”
“Technically, we were coerced into fighting by Thomas, Duggan, and the students,” Luke claims. Delvin emphatically nods in agreement and snaps his fingers in the half-elf’s direction. “We were more than willing to let it be a battle of words, but it became a demonstration. If it was a fight with dark intentions, we would be in the infirmary instead of here.”
Timoran laughs loud enough to startle a bird on his cell window. “Why are you two dancing around my question like a pair of lovesick children? It is a simple question.”
Luke and Delvin join in the laughter, which draws the attention of Duggan as he passes by the detention center. He bangs on the door with his fist and curses at them in dwarven until they stop laughing. They stay quiet until the blacksmith walks away and they hear the sound of a distant slamming door.
“I guess we’re friends,” Delvin says, stretching his hand out of his cell. “You’re an interesting and entertaining person, Luke. I look forward to the excitement you bring to my life whenever we meet.”
“Thanks, Delvin,” Luke replies, extending his hand out of his cell. They are unable to reach each other, so they pretend to shake hands. “I’m going to like being friends with you. You’re a great warrior to spar with and there’s something oddly inspirational about you. Not sure why, but talking to you makes me want to try harder at whatever I’m doing.”
“I get that a lot,” Delvin admits as his cheeks flush. “In return, I must admit that something about you inspires me to act without fear. That’s probably why I never thought about backing out of the demonstration. Even when Selenia stepped in, I refused to surrender,”
“I wonder if-” Timoran starts to say before the door to the detention building opens on well-oiled hinges.
The prisoners expect Selenia, so they are pleasantly surprised to see Sari skip into the building. She is carrying a pile of paperwork in her arms, but she casually dumps it on a bench. Luke and Timoran shy away from their bars when Nyx enters the building, an angry look on her face. Her fiery eyes move from one prisoner to another and lightning runs up her arms. Sari gently pinches her friend’s side and sternly shakes her head while pointing at the caster’s sparking hands. The lightning vanishes and Nyx’s anger is replaced by an expression of mild annoyance.
“I don’t even know what to say to you two,” the caster declares, staring at her friends. She turns to Delvin, who is leaning against his bars and staring at her. “You’re the mercenary from Freedom I met a over month ago. Luke told me you were a former student here and a protégé of Selenia. She wanted me to tell you that she’s severely disappointed in you and hopes you avoid following Luke’s lead in the future.”
“What?” Delvin blurts out as if coming out of a trance. “Oh, I promise to think clearly next time. So, how are you connected to Luke and Timoran? I can see you aren’t romantically involved with Luke.”
“We’re not involved, but I’m surprised you figured that out so quickly,” Nyx responds with a wry smile. “You’re very insightful . . . I don’t remember your name. Selenia called you the assistant idiot this morning. She believes Luke led the way and you were stupid enough to follow him.”
“My name is Delvin Cunningham and I’m merely observant,” he states, pointing at Luke’s cell.
Nyx turns around to see Sari kissing Luke through the bars, her hands gripping the wet collar of his shirt. Rolling her eyes and muttering to herself, Nyx reaches over to pull the gypsy away from her favorite toy. She is unable to budge Sari even when she uses both hands to pull at her friend’s waist or shoulders. With a tired look of frustration, Nyx covers herself in raw aura to increase her strength and brace her legs in preparation for another try.
“You are going to hurt them, Nyx,” Timoran mentions before she can pull.
“My dad is waiting for me at breakfast, so I don’t care right now,” Nyx responds, letting go of Sari and facing Timoran. “I hate it when she does this immovability trick. Maybe I can move the ground they’re standing on. Why is she still kissing him when she can hear me complaining?”
“Amusement and spite,” Sari replies out the corner of her mouth.
“Can I make a suggestion?” Delvin asks, beckoning for Nyx to come closer. She leans near his cell, so he can whisper in her ear. Even Timoran has trouble hearing Delvin’s exact words as the caster smiles and chuckles.
Nyx cracks her knuckles and the aura around her body fades away. She calmly walks around her friend, absent-mindedly playing with her short hair as if it is still long. She can see Luke has noticed her and is trying to pull away, causing Sari to tighten her grip. Reaching out with a delicate hand, Nyx slips her fingers through her friend’s thick hair until she can touch the gypsy’s neck. The half-elf grins evilly as she tickles Sari, whose body shivers against her powers. When she cannot take any more of the torture, Sari breaks her hold on Luke and smacks the caster’s hand away.
“That was a dirty trick, Nyxie,” the gypsy hisses, catching her b
reath while Luke fights to stay on his feet. “I don’t know if I should be angry or proud of you, which is an issue that is happening far too often lately.”
“Don’t blame me,” Nyx says while letting Timoran out of his cell. “Delvin told me what to do. Apparently, he’s a master strategist, which I can believe to some extent. Though, he didn’t seem smart enough to handle Luke and stay out of trouble.”
“Luke and I had old business to finish. We went too far while under the impression that Selenia or Kevin had given the match their blessing. It’s a mistake that I don’t plan on repeating,” Delvin explains, watching Nyx move on to Luke’s cell. He can sense Sari staring intently at him and slowly glances at her. Her eyes are narrowed as if she is examining him, which makes him shift uncomfortably. “Do I have something on my face?”
“A very pretty set of eyes and an acceptable amount of scruff. The chin and nose are pretty cute too,” she answers, biting her lip and walking to Nyx, who is fixing a boot lace. “He’s nothing like Luke, but I think he’s handsome. What do you think, Nyxie?”
Nyx peers up at Delvin and shoots a sideways glare at Sari. It is a look Delvin recognizes as a warning to drop an old argument, reminding him of his time with the bull-headed Tavris. He continues watching Nyx as if she is the only one in the room. The warrior has no idea what intrigues him about the short-haired caster, but he steadily finds himself more and more interested in talking to her.
“What do you think of her?” Sari whispers into Delvin’s ear when she notices he is falling into a trance.
“She’s beautiful,” he absent-mindedly blurts out. He jolts out of his trance and meets Nyx’s stunned expression of anger and embarrassment. “I mean . . . I do mean what I said. You’re a very beautiful woman, Nyx, and your hairstyle suits you very well. It brings attention to your delicate ears and enchanting eyes.”
“Thank you,” Nyx mutters as she unlocks his cell. “You’re rather handsome yourself.”
“Sari is also a pretty girl, so-” Delvin begins in an effort to mask his interest in Nyx.
His words are cut off by a blazing fire erupting around Nyx. The warrior has barely enough time to grab his cot and use it as a shield before Nyx unleashes a force spell, blasting him through the wall. Everyone watches Delvin, who is groaning and dragging himself to his feet. The wall of the building magically repairs itself, blocking him from view as he dusts his clothes off.
“We’re having breakfast in Selenia’s office,” Nyx states in a cold, edged voice. She leave the building, refusing to wait for the others. They hear her immediately yell at Delvin about the breakfast.
“What just happened?” Timoran asks, looking down at Sari.
“I’m pretty sure Delvin screwed up, but I don’t know what he screwed up exactly,” Luke answers. He retrieves his sabers and Timoran’s great axe from a closet near the door. “I’m impressed he could take that hit and stand. He’s a lot tougher than I thought.”
“He should have focused on her and ignored me,” Sari says, shaking her head in disappointment. Noticing the blank expression on Luke’s face, she pats his cheek and kisses his nose. “He wanted to save her some embarrassment by pretending to be a man who compliments everyone. He doesn’t know that Nyx isn’t used to the type of compliments he gave her. Not with that level of sincerity anyway. So, she mistook his good intentions as being a womanizing jerk. All I know for sure is Delvin is smitten by our little Nyxie.”
“But they just met,” Luke points out.
Timoran straps his axe to his back and slaps Luke on the shoulder. “I believe we just witnessed a rare occurrence in nature. True love at first sight is very special because it typically takes time to get beyond being strangers or push beyond lust. I am guessing Sari picked up on it and coaxed Delvin into speaking his mind.”
“Don’t be so nice, Timoran. I tricked him,” the gypsy declares, leading the way out of the building. They see Nyx and Delvin are already at the administrative building with the half-elf several feet ahead of the young warrior. “I’ve seen his glazed expression before and I wasn’t going to let the opportunity to embarrass Nyx pass by. I didn’t expect her to be that flustered, so I have no idea what’s going on in her head. Timoran could be right, but it could also be Delvin is attracted to Nyx and she’s not interested. Given Nyx’s history, I believe she was caught off-guard by Delvin and has no interest in him. If we catch them making out in a corner, I’ll owe Timoran a case of Ifrit mead.”
“I will hold you to that,” the grinning barbarian whispers.
*****
Timoran is unable to hide his displeasure at the sight of the large bowl of off-white mush sitting on the circular table. There are a few platters of fresh fruit and bottles of milk, but he sees no meat or cheese. He is surprised when Luke and Delvin greedily fill their plates with the mush. The ladies are less enthusiastic about the meal, but take their seats with Nyx placing an empty chair between herself and Delvin. Timoran sighs as he roams around Selenia’s office, admiring the metallic head of a Sword Dragon on the wall behind her large desk. He tries to delay the inevitable by examining the various trophies around the room, curiously wandering over to several of them for a closer look.
Turning back to the table in defeat, Timoran sits next to Sari and serves himself a ladle-full of mush. Feeling somewhat relieved that everyone is enjoying the meal and Luke is going for seconds, the barbarian tries a bite. He is shocked to taste fresh bacon, fried eggs, and something sweet that he is unfamiliar with. The delicious mush has him so enraptured that he never notices Selenia place a platter of burnt toast on the table and sit down. She takes one of the pieces and spreads a thick layer of mush on it, an act that is copied by Luke and Delvin.
“Is the meal up to everyone’s standards?” Selenia asks, smirking at the chorus of muffled noises from the men. Nyx and Sari stare in mild disgust at the horrible lack of manners, their mouth slightly open. “You two should forgive them. They missed dinner after being very active, so I’m sure they’re famished. Be thankful they aren’t fighting over the food like a pack of starving wolves.”
“They should be lucky we’re feeding them at all,” Kevin declares, arriving with a tray of perfectly browned toast. He gives Nyx a kiss on top of her head before he sits between her and Delvin. “What did you do to that bread, woman? I know you’re a horrible cook, but even you should be able to make a decent piece of toast.”
“I’m distracted,” she growls from across the table. “You seem to be in a happy mood, old man.”
“It feels like a great day,” he responds, beaming wide and proudly.
“You’re sappier than a pancake breakfast,” Selenia counters, her eyes shifting to Nyx, who freezes with a slice of melon sticking out of her mouth. “Thanks to you, I have to deal with Kevin being giddy instead of his surly self. I don’t know whether to thank you or ship you back to your mother.”
“Be nice, Selenia,” Kevin politely requests.
Delvin puts more of the mush on his plate after stealing the ladle from Luke, cautiously glancing at Kevin through the corner of his eye. The older warrior gives him a stern look that makes him lean away. With a rolling motion of his hand, Kevin urges Delvin to speak his mind and stop staring.
“Sorry, sir, but I’m confused as to why you’re protective of Nyx,” he says, handing the ladle to Luke, who promptly loses it to Sari. “It sounded almost paternal when you defended her.”
“She’s my daughter,” Kevin bluntly states, awkwardly putting his bad arm around Nyx’s shoulders.
“She’s your dead daughter?” Delvin asks, quickly checking to see if he spit any food on the table. “I’m confused on how this beau . . . young woman is your daughter.”
“I was never dead,” Nyx answers. She briefly considers reacting to his near compliment, but decides to play nice. “It’s a long story that I would share with you if we were closer. For now, I don’t know you well enough to tell you it.”
“Then have dinner with me tonight,�
� Delvin bravely requests, ignoring Luke kicking him in the leg. “I’m sure I can convince Betty to let me use the kitchen to make us a nice meal. From what I’ve been told, I’m a pretty good cook.”
Timoran hears a faint groan from Selenia, who sighs and impatiently taps his finger on the table. Luke and Sari concentrate on their food, the gypsy keeping a gentle hand on the half-elf’s leg. All of them silently give Delvin credit for staying in his chair while Nyx balls her fists in embarrassment. Her cheeks are flushed and she repeatedly makes small hisses of frustration. She is struggling to behave in front of Kevin, who is calmly eating an apple and watching the younger warrior sweat.
“I can’t believe you hit on me in front of my father,” Nyx finally says in a voice of feigned disgust. “You have no class or tact.”
“Actually, he asked you out on a date and offered to cook for you,” Kevin interjects, nodding to Delvin and smirking. He can already see Selenia smile in anticipation of what he is about to say. “Just have her home by ten and I better not catch you two kissing at the door. If you bring me a blueberry pie from Betty’s kitchen then you can bring her back at midnight, but nothing will get you out of trouble if I catch your tongue in her mouth.”
“Dad!”
“What?”
“Shouldn’t you be mad at him?”
“For what?”
Clicking her tongue and crossing her arms, Nyx realizes she has no idea what she expects Kevin to be mad about. Delvin is being kind, charming, and polite instead of spouting the crude comments she used to receive from amorous suitors. There has been no mention of her legs or butt in his compliments and he is adorably easy to fluster. Still, she barely knows the man and, while handsome, she is not sure he is really her type. She cringes as she imagines Sari telling her she does not have a type.
“I hope we can move onto business now,” Selenia states, finishing her food.
“Not yet,” Nyx snaps at the headmistress, earning a snicker from Kevin and blank stares from everyone else. “I want you to . . . I don’t know what I want.”
Legends of Windemere: 03 - Family of the Tri-Rune Page 48
