by Zen DiPietro
The room suddenly felt too small. “Why?”
“So she didn’t blow up the world.” His tone was dismissive. “It worked until that one—” he jabbed a finger in Arc’s direction, “—destroyed the blanket and gave her full access to her abilities.” He lifted a careless shoulder. “She nearly went supernova but all’s well that ends well. I thought Kassimeigh had told you about this.”
Élan stared at Luc in disbelief. Was this guy kidding? La-di-da, almost blew up the world, but no big deal? He seemed annoyed at having to revisit the issue, but that was his problem, not hers. Her only concern at the moment was the nature of his interest in her. “All’s well that ends well . . . right. I’m just going to skip that for the moment. What I need to know right now is if you’re going to try to mess with my head. Because I tried everything you guys asked of me when I was a kid, and I’m done.”
Luc’s mouth angled downward and Élan braced her feet to push back her chair. She didn’t have to be here. She sure didn’t owe them any help. But before she moved, she realized that Luc’s eyes were sad rather than angry. She paused.
“I’m very sorry for your experiences as a child.” His blue eyes shone with undeniable sincerity. “Unfortunately, the need to mana train a child is critical. It prevents them from inadvertently destroying items and harming people, including themselves. Sometimes, like Kassimeigh, a child must be blanketed to avoid disaster. There have been only a few cases, ever, when a child had an ability but also an apparently biological blanket. You were one of those.” He held his hands out, palms up. “The truth is, manahi have not yet discovered any remedy to that condition. Yet somehow you’ve done it for yourself. That’s an impressive feat. If you ever grow to trust us enough, I’d love for you to come to the institute and show us how you transmute via music. It could help us learn how to teach children like you about mana.”
Another suspected twinkle appeared in Luc’s eyes. She found herself wanting to trust him, in spite of her instincts. “Imagine it,” he suggested. “You could put a group of the most learned manahi on Terath through your own hoops. You could be their teacher.”
A reluctant smile teased Élan’s lips. Put that way, the idea did have merit. “I’ll tuck that away for future consideration.” The idea of helping other children like herself did appeal.
“Good. Do that.”
The tension drained out of Élan, and she held Luc’s gaze without the hostility she’d previously felt. Not that she was ready to trust him implicitly or anything, but she didn’t suspect him of anything nefarious anymore, either. She’d have to spend some time considering the problem of her learning disability from the perspective of the manahi who’d tried to teach her. They must have feared her hurting others.
“Right. So.” She shifted her gaze, bringing the other three back to the conversation. “Kassimeigh tells me that I’ll be well paid for my weeks of service out in the hinterlands.”
In truth, she’d do it for nothing but the enjoyment of keeping the forest healthy and the opportunity to spend an extended period among the trees. Her respites out there tended to be rare, though they’d been more numerous lately. A prolonged stay would be an interesting adventure.
But they didn’t need to know she’d do it without the money. The number of credits Kassimeigh had suggested would keep her in mandolin strings and hot meals for quite a while. Not that money was a particular problem for her, but she guarded her account carefully. Chocolate and shiny new instruments don’t just grow on trees.
Will was glad to have both Kassimeigh and Arc back, but he felt like he’d missed a few things in the interim. He hadn’t even caught Arc before the archer had drifted off somewhere—to play with projectiles, no doubt.
“Let me get this straight.” Will ran a hand through his slightly shaggy hair. He needed to look into a way of tying it back, out of his face. “You’ve met a former music superstar and plopped her into the middle of the hinterlands to babysit some trees. You’re hoping to find out something in the next few weeks about some invisible fungus or something that chews up plants. While you wait, you decided to fly up here on a kite with seats so you can work on the monorail. Is that everything?”
Kassimeigh grinned. “Yes, I think that sums it up. It’s been a busy week.”
“Oh. And you’re trying out new hairstyles.” He flicked a hand at her poker-straight ponytail. “This is new.”
“Right, that too.” She ran her hand down over her smooth hair. “I got the idea just recently. Mana works way better than combs and hot irons.”
“New methods of transportation and new hairstyles. I can’t wait to see what you come up with next.”
“I’ll let you know. Meanwhile, I’m headed south to meet up with the monorail construction crew. I took a look on the way up, and it appears they’ve gotten a good start but have a long way to go.”
“I’m sure they’ll appreciate your help, even though you’ll be rendering them essentially superfluous.”
She frowned. “I don’t want to upset anyone. But surely any upset would be balanced by not having to spend more time in Apex than they must.”
“I’ll not take that personally, since I’m a citizen of Apex now. But yes, I’m sure you’re right.”
“Arc’s already with the archers, if you want to say hi. He couldn’t wait to get a bow in his hands. Said he was having withdrawals.” She shook her head with fond amusement and her ponytail swung like a pendulum. He liked her new look, but he preferred the old one.
“The only problem with having him teach archery to the troops is the huge letdown that will happen when he leaves again. I haven’t been able to find anyone nearly as good as he is.”
“Just don’t tell him that. He’ll never let you forget it,” she advised with a smile.
“Gotcha.” He chuckled. Arc wasn’t afflicted with a big ego, but he did like to tease his friends, and Will had been on the receiving end more than once. Though Arc’s teasing did not nearly approach the level of Izzy’s specifically-designed-to-nettle variety. “I’ll pretend I’m doing him a favor by letting him teach here.”
Kassimeigh’s mouth pursed with amusement. “Good. I’ll be on my way now, but I’ll check back here when I have a chance. How long until the comm link goes live?”
“The satellite was launched and the relays placed but so far the system isn’t online. We keep hearing the words ‘any day now.’”
“Nothing I can do to help with that, I’m afraid. But I’ll hurry up your monorail as much as I can.”
“Great. When you get back . . . think I can get a ride on your kite there? Just to try it?” He stepped forward for a closer study. “When did you come up with this?”
“Just a few days ago. This is version two. Sleeker than the first.”
Though it wasn’t actually shaped like a kite it did form a curving “V” in front to improve aerodynamics and maneuvering. He didn’t recognize the lightweight synthetic fiber, and surmised that Kassimeigh had managed to procure something cutting-edge from one of the engineering firms in Capital. He imagined its pale gray color would make it blend easily into the sky. He ran his fingers over the surface. Three slightly raised seats with low backs rested in the center, offering what looked like a comfortable perch.
“Sure. As long as you have a strong stomach. G-force is no joke. It’s taken some practice, but I can pour on some pretty good speed now.”
He raised his eyebrows. She flew that thing fast enough for g-force to be a worry? “I’m not sure whether to be excited or afraid.”
Kassimeigh shrugged. “Neither will make a difference in the ride so best to just wait and see what happens.”
“Fair enough. I’ll try not to speculate. We’ll keep an eye out for you.”
She stepped onto her kite and took a seat. After a moment it lifted smoothly into the air, rotated, and launched forward.
Will couldn’t help gawking a bit at the spectacle. He was glad none of his troops were there to witnes
s his lack of aplomb. Just when he thought he knew what to expect from Kassimeigh, she did something to surprise him.
Kassimeigh zoomed back to the fortress the next day. She hadn’t intended to return so soon, but all she could do was roll with the circumstances. She took advantage of the short trip back by practicing her piloting skills. She was getting better at flying. Plus, she liked it. A lot.
She propped her kite near the new side entrance and pushed open the heavy door to find Will. First, she’d take a few minutes to freshen herself up.
She ducked into a washroom to ensure that she had no debris in her hair or stuck to her face. Assured of a dignified appearance, she left the room and tapped a quick message into her hand comm.
Will quickly returned her message and she strode to meet him outside the mess hall.
He stood waiting for her. “You again. I thought you were building me a monorail.”
“I placed all the equipment they had. The crew is now doing the fine handwork and running checks while they wait for more supplies to be delivered. The next delivery is expected in two days.”
“How did the workers react to your help?”
She shrugged dismissively. “Mostly positively. The sooner this line is built the better for everyone.”
“And the less-than-positive reactions?”
“Not everyone is excited to see one manahi lifting many tons of monorail line. Some people mistrust a single person wielding that much power. I can’t blame them. It’s not normal, and in the wrong hands could be devastatingly dangerous.”
“Yes, we’ve seen that.” Will grimaced. Her eyes met his and a moment of remembrance sparked between them. Kassimeigh made a mental note to check in with Izzy and see how Meli was doing the next time she had a comm signal. She’d been on the move so much in the past week that she hadn’t gotten the regular update.
Kassimeigh gave him a small nod. “Anyway, I’m going to go south to the stockyard to organize the transport of materials. I want all of it up here at once rather than in multiple small deliveries. Then I can get the whole line laid down.”
“When it’s complete, will the line have unusual complications due to the climate here?” he asked.
“Yes. Dust will be an issue. Crews will be required to keep the line clean so that the monorail car runs smoothly. On the other hand, the hardware itself will actually fare better in the cold.”
“That’s good to know. Any estimate on completion?” His hand comm sounded but he ignored it.
“Once we get the entire line installed, the crew will need about a week to do all the fine adjustments and do trial runs with the test car. Proper alignment is critical, so it’s a painstaking process. Nothing I can do to speed that along. Overall, I’d say two weeks and you’ll have a monorail.” Maybe less, but she didn’t want him to be disappointed if it didn’t happen that quickly.
“Fantastic. I owe you one.” A huge smile brightened his face.
“I thought you already owed me one.”
“I guess I owe you two now.”
“As long as you’re keeping count.” She returned his smile. “Can you let Arc know where I’m headed?”
“Oh, sure, because the general has tons of leisure time.” He sent her a teasing grin.
“If you’re not in a hurry to get that monorail . . .” She trailed off meaningfully.
He laughed. “Now you sound like Izzy. No, we do need it as soon as possible. The lack of rail and comm has really slowed our progress.”
“You could have chosen to build a headquarters in the mid-lats.”
Will shook his head. “We had to be somewhere unpopulated. A military force is a new idea on Terath. Better to let it develop at a distance from people’s homes. We don’t want people to feel threatened.”
“Of course.”
“We’ll be civilized with the comm system and a monorail soon enough.”
“I’ll get to it, then.”
Will returned to the comm panel in his office and sent Arc a quick missive about Kassimeigh’s plans, then noticed an urgent message. There were a lot of those these days. It was only a supply requisition, but if it didn’t get approved immediately, they’d have to wait two extra days for a food delivery. There was too much on his plate these days that wasn’t food.
He once again headed to the mess hall, hoping he’d have time to actually eat. He hadn’t even gotten close to the food last time. He’d been sidetracked in the hallway by questions from Azure regarding patient confidentiality protocols, then Kassimeigh had messaged him. This time, he managed to get a tray and pile it high with food. He took a big bite out of his sandwich, watching Justin approach.
“This seat taken?”
Chewing, Will gestured to the seat across from him.
Justin wasted no time sitting down and digging into his food.
“How’s the ankle?” Will asked after swallowing. He’d barely seen Justin since his return from his hinterlands expedition, and appreciated the opportunity to talk to him.
“Like new. Azure’s a great doctor.”
“The ideal chief medical officer,” he agreed.
Caught with a mouth full of food, Justin simply nodded.
“I’m glad you only broke an ankle and not your neck out there. Arc would have had a lot to answer for if he’d lost me one of my favorite troops.”
Justin laughed. “Tell Carston that. Maybe he’ll take it a little easier on me this afternoon during hand-to-hand training.”
Will laughed with him. “He’s a great one to learn from.”
“He is. I’m learning a lot. Growing new muscles in places I didn’t know they grew.”
A couple minutes of silence fell while they both worked on defeating their lunches.
Will remarked, “The new estimate on the monorail is about two weeks.”
“Awesome. That will be a huge help. Being so removed has its advantages, but they’re outweighed by the disadvantages.”
“Mm.” Will’s answer was noncommittal, and his thoughts drifted toward his to-do list.
“Not that I’m complaining,” Justin explained quickly. “I love it being part of the Guard.”
Will realized Justin had taken his silence personally and waved his fork in a placating gesture. “Sorry, I just got distracted for a minute. So much to do, so little time.”
“You make it look easy. Everyone’s talking about it.”
Will couldn’t help his incredulous laugh. “I guess it’s good to look like a miracle worker but the truth is that I’m swamped. I hardly have time to eat or sleep. I need a permanent second officer and support staff, as of a month ago.”
Justin stopped eating. “Ah. Kassimeigh.”
Will didn’t let his chagrin show, but it gnawed at him. He hadn’t meant his observation to seem to be about her personally. “Whoever it ends up being, I need him or her in place soon. But I also need department heads and administrative staff to handle the everyday running of the Guard, so I can focus on the things a general should be doing. I’ve been working on that, but there just isn’t enough time to handle all the daily necessaries and finish engineering the Guard’s infrastructure as well.”
“Put me to work. Whatever you need.”
Justin’s artless sincerity made Will smile. This was why he liked Justin so much. The guy always jumped to do whatever needed doing. Which, actually, made him the perfect candidate for some departmental organization. If he could make headway there, it would go a long way toward streamlining the Guard’s operations. Will longed for the day that all of the Guard’s parts operated together like an efficient machine.
“That’s a great idea. After lunch I’ll show you what I have for the administrative infrastructure. If you could help me work through getting department heads in place, I might be able to get on top of things, rather than being buried under them.”
“Sounds great. Like I said. Anything you need, Will.”
Will’s hand comm alerted him to another message marked “urgent.”
He eyed his tray. He’d gotten three-fourths of the way through his lunch, which was better than usual. He grabbed an apple to take with him and stood from the table. “Come see me when you’re done eating and we’ll get you started on weeding through some things. Thanks, Justin.”
“Sure, I’ll be there shortly.”
“Just don’t think it will get you out of hand-to-hand training,” Will said with a grin, and Justin laughed.
Will disposed of his tray and followed the siren song of his comm panel. Soon, maybe he could eat and sleep at normal intervals like a normal person. A guy could hope.
Three days later, Will was watching Arc and the archer squadron practice when Kassimeigh returned to the fortress. They needed a lot more accuracy training, but that would come in time. The squadron had a lot of raw talent.
“Monorail’s done,” she informed them without preamble as soon as she reached them. “All the heavy lifting, anyway. The technical stuff is up to the crews, but they assure me that they’ll work around the clock to get it done.”
Arc blinked at Kassimeigh. “A construction crew. Working around the clock. Seriously? You’re more powerful than I thought.” He stared at her in pretend awe.
A small smile twisted her mouth. “Sometimes it works to my advantage that people are afraid of me.”
Will laughed. “That’s why you’re my second in command. No one can get things done like you.” He meant it, but a little flattery couldn’t hurt.
“I haven’t accepted that position,” she reminded him.
“Think how much fun you’d have. I mean, compare being here to hanging out at the manahi institute, like Luc wants. How boring would that be?”
“I agree with you there,” she allowed. “But those aren’t my only two options. There’s a whole world of stuff just waiting for me to come find it. Maybe I’ll become a . . . hmm . . . hairdresser?” She indicated her straight hairstyle.
Will slapped his hand to his chest as though she’d shot him through with an arrow. “I see you’ve been taking lessons from Izzy.” He turned to Arc. “You’re on my side, right? After all, if she were here full-time, you could take a full-time position too. Think of it. Rugged terrain, lots of target practice, and plenty of troops to train.” He held his hands out, as if framing a wide landscape with them.
