Challenges

by Sharon Green

  “If it was, we may have a problem,” Kambil murmured as Delin watched the guard members carefully carrying Hiblit out. “I couldn’t sense the amount of power being used myself, of course, but I also couldn’t miss the fact that no one and nothing was actually burned. Both clothing and flesh should have been charred, and that it wasn’t can only be attributed to the user’s quick response and greater than ordinary ability.”

  “Faster and better than Bron, you mean,” Delin murmured back, the very important point pushing his anger aside. “It won’t be possible to get the results from the testing of Adriari’s group no matter how much gold we try to offer, so we might be wisest assuming the worst. If Adriari is stronger than Bron, we certainly do have a problem.”

  “One which would be less troublesome if we didn’t have to face her group,” Kambil agreed with a sigh. “But it’s foolish to think about that, as there’s only one way we can avoid facing them. That way isn’t at all practical, so we’ll have to think of a way that is.”

  Delin was about to ask what the impractical way was, when the answer suddenly became clear. If Adriari’s group lost in the first set of competitions, Delin’s group would be able to forget about them. But that would mean having the peasants defeat them, which wasn’t about to happen. The Advisors had made certain that the peasants couldn’t defeat them…

  Various ideas fleeted through Delin’s mind, their appearance and disappearance like the flickering flame of a candle. There was a way to let the peasants win after all, and the thought of having to face them later with his own group caused not the slightest bit of worry. He and his people were good enough to defeat any peasants, especially if they happened to have personal problems. Delin decided to look into the matter, and then he’d make his final decision…

  CHAPTER FOUR

  I didn’t quite feel shaky as they carried the unconscious man out, but that was only because I still held to the power. Once I released it and my usual reactions took over again, I’d probably tremble like a hut in an earthquake. That screaming had been so horrible, so utterly lost and abandoned…

  “That was a marvelous exhibition you put on, Tamma,” Jovvi said very softly from beside me. “When those flames appeared, all I could picture was fire spreading and burning everything in reach, including us.”

  “That’s what I pictured, so I had to stop it,” I whispered back. “The man isn’t even a Middle talent so it wasn’t hard, but I can’t believe that no one else tried to do the same. There are supposed to be how many High practitioners in this room?”

  “I think you’ve just discovered that there’s a big difference between ‘supposed to be’ and ‘are,’” she murmured, letting her gaze move around the room. “Almost everyone in here was terrified, and their reaching for the power forced me to use my ability to protect myself rather than help even a little. But before I blocked everything out, I got a small look into that man’s mind. It was horribly painful but it was also strange, only I don’t know in what way. If I’d had even a minute or two longer…”

  “Everything in this place seems to be strange,” I said, joining Jovvi in gazing around. “The Five are leaving through a door other than the one the guardsmen carried that man through, and now everyone else looks to be getting ready to leave. What really bothers me, though, is that most of those people seemed to know the man who had the fit, but not one of them is following along to find out how he’ll be when he wakes up. Maybe they know where he’ll be taken and mean to follow after he’s taken there, but somehow I doubt it.”

  “You’re unusually perceptive,” Jovvi said with a nod of agreement, still studying people. “They’re all working very hard to forget what happened, and most of them even seem to have managed it. They’re treating it like a bad dream you’re best off not even discussing, but they can’t stay here and do it. That’s why they’re getting ready to leave, so they can put the incident out of their minds.”

  “Which means they’ll make no effort to find out why it happened,” I said, hearing the disgust in my voice. “They stroll around pretending to be so very superior to commoners, but they’re no better than my parents and their cronies. Why are decent human beings so rare in this empire?”

  “They’re rare because you usually have to be raised by decent human beings in order to become one yourself,” Jovvi answered, finally turning back to look at me. “Most of us in the group seem to be exceptions to that rule, but largely it came about after we all met. And now I think it’s just about time for us to leave, since Lady Eltrina is hurrying in this direction. Apparently there’s a benefit in having been one of the last groups to arrive.”

  “Please stay together, people,” Lady Eltrina said as she came up to us, again looking harried. “Your coaches will have to be moved in order to let the other guests’ carriages out, so you might as well be taken back to your residence. I’ll call you in just a few minutes, and when I do I’ll expect you all to come as quickly as possible.”

  With that she was off again, probably to keep one of us from saying something that would upset her even more. I thought about the fairly large amount of power I still held to, wondering if I should release it to be sure I wasn’t the one who said something which I’d certainly be sorry about later—but decided not to. I’d really been looking forward to seeing the palace, but now I felt that I’d be much happier if I held to the power until I was out of there.

  “Excuse me, Dama Domon, but I need to speak to you privately for a moment.”

  The male voice was so serious that I had to turn and look before I was completely certain it was Vallant Ro who had spoken. There was the oddest air about him, which was why I didn’t flatly refuse the way he’d refused me just a short while ago. The urge was definitely there, but curiosity won out.

  “All right, Dom Ro,” I said just as formally once I’d followed him a few steps away from the others. “What is it you wanted to talk about?”

  “Not many minutes ago, it was pointed out to me that I was the one left in the residence rather than Holter because you and I aren’t gettin’ along,” he said, not quite meeting my gaze. “The doin’ is part of the testin’ authority’s plan to ruin us as a Blendin’, so continuin’ with our … disagreement would just be playin’ into their hands. For the good of the group, I want to propose a truce.”

  “A truce,” I echoed, staring straight up at him. “And for the good of the group. You chase after me until I can’t think straight and then suddenly won’t even speak to me, and that’s what you call a disagreement? Anyone else would have come to me with some kind of explanation, but you—you just want to foil the plans of the testing authority. All right, Dom Ro, if that’s the most pressing thing on your mind, let’s by all means foil the testing authority. Consider me one hundred percent willing.”

  By then his direct stare had a frown to keep it company, and he parted his lips to say something else. But I no longer had any interest in anything he might say, so I turned and stalked back to the others before he produced the first syllable. Distantly I knew that if I hadn’t still been in touch with the power I’d probably be in tears, but that realization didn’t do much to calm my anger. I’d barely been able to keep him out of every thought I had, and all he’d apparently thought about was getting even with the testing authority.

  Jovvi glanced at me with her own frown, but she seemed to know better than to ask me any questions. Which was very wise of her, since I was more than ready to make a scene even worse than that unknown Fire talent. I suddenly understood that when frustration reaches a certain level, the only possible reaction becomes the screaming out of it for all the world to hear. But I wasn’t quite at that level yet, since I would have much preferred making someone else do the screaming…

  Dom Ro actually tried to speak to me again, but Jovvi quickly drew him aside and saved his breeches as well as any sense of modesty he might have had. The desire to burn the pants off him was an almost living thing inside me, and if you don’t believe I could have
done it without harming him in the least, you haven’t been following our adventures very closely. He would have been bare before he could even think about protecting himself with Water magic, and the picture that evoked drove me even crazier. I had to forcibly push it away with another thought, and my mind came up with just the thing.

  Rion had gone to join Jovvi and Dom Ro, so Lorand now stood all alone. He gazed toward the place where the group in orange and silver had stood, possibly watching the way every noble in sight moved with the sort of short, jerky motions that proclaimed them to be horribly annoyed. Their annoyance probably stemmed from the fact that they couldn’t simply leave when they wanted to, but had to wait around like commoners until it became their turn. My parents would have fit in perfectly, but I didn’t care to waste time realizing that you don’t need a title to be self-centered and heartless.

  Instead I walked over to Lorand, trying to forget what I’d heard pass between him and Jovvi. They really cared for each other, and there shouldn’t be so much pain between people who cared so deeply. Maybe I could help to make him forget for a while, too…

  “You don’t look like yourself,” Lorand observed suddenly, proving he wasn’t as distracted as he’d seemed. “Is something wrong?”

  “I’m about as angry as it’s possible to get without exploding,” I told him, “but I’m really trying to calm down. This is no place to lose control, especially not when you’re still touching the power.”

  “That must be it,” he said with sudden understanding in his voice. “You’re still touching the power. I seem to be a different person too when I’m still in touch with it, one who’s a good deal more confident. Does this mean you were the one who stopped those fires earlier?”

  “Somebody had to do it,” I answered with a shrug. “Our very noble hosts and fellow guests seemed to find it beyond them, so I made the effort. Wouldn’t you have helped to put that poor man to sleep if the guard hadn’t been able to do it?”

  “It so happens I did,” he admitted, looking rueful. “I doubt if anyone noticed, though, because I discovered that I could … disguise my efforts by hiding them behind the efforts of others. I have no idea how I was able to do that, and standing here thinking about it hasn’t given me any answers.”

  “I’ve noticed an odd ability growing up every now and then too,” I said, feeling the frown I’d developed. “I think this is something we ought to discuss with the entire group, but not in this place. Besides, I actually came over to ask you a favor. There’s a very good chance you won’t want to, and if so that’s perfectly all right, but I still thought I would ask. Do you mind?”

  “If you ask?” he said with brows raised. “Of course not. We do happen to be friends, so if I can I’ll do it. What’s the favor?”

  “I need to be distracted from something,” I admitted, distantly wondering how I could say all that so calmly and coherently. “If you feel the same, you might not mind lying with me even though we don’t mean something special to one another. If you really don’t think you should, I’ll understand completely.”

  His mouth opened and closed a few times, as though he couldn’t decide what to say first, and then he shook his head.

  “Someday I’ll have to tell you how hearing that made me feel,” he said, his smile odd. “Right now I don’t think I can find the proper words to describe it, so let me say instead that most girls don’t make that offer quite so … flatly and openly. If they do it at all they just sort of hint around, so if I looked surprised that’s the reason.”

  “I suppose most girls have more experience with this sort of thing,” I said with a nod for the information he’d given me. “I’m only first starting to get that experience, so I’m bound to do something wrong. Does your response mean you aren’t interested?”

  “No, it so happens it doesn’t,” he answered with a grin. “I’m really not used to talking to you with you showing such an … overt personality, and the experience is fascinating. What I was going to say is that you’re right about my need to be distracted, but wrong to think you don’t mean something special to me. I may not be the sort of man a woman can count on for every minute of her lifetime, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do an occasional favor for a very good friend. Were you thinking about tonight?”

  “Tonight or tomorrow,” I agreed, now studying him with my head to one side. “But you don’t really believe that nonsense, do you? About you not being a man a woman can count on? Jovvi may have said that at some time, but that hasn’t stopped her from constantly worrying about you. Or thinking about you. You’re as important to her as she seems to be to you, so why can’t you take it a bit easier on yourself?”

  “Mainly because I’m a disappointment to myself,” he said, the grin long gone. “When we spoke that night we had dinner together, I actually believed I was over my problem of fearing burnout. It didn’t take long to find I was mistaken, though, so I’m completely disgusted with myself. Wouldn’t you be?”

  “I usually am when it comes to standing up for myself without leaning on the power,” I told his indignation. “I can’t seem to act or speak or feel the way I want to when it’s just me, and that’s very frustrating. But then I remind myself that no serious problem disappears overnight, and that I’ve actually made a lot of progress when you consider how I used to be. I’m not a fully independent person yet, but someday I will be.”

  “You know, that’s something I’ll have to consider,” he said, his expression less intense and more pensive. “If you stop to think about it, I’ve made some progress, but I just don’t know if it’s enough. Well, that’s for later, so let’s change the subject. What is it that you need distracting from?”

  “Vallant Ro,” I pronounced, struggling to keep that giant rush of anger from returning. “The man’s impossible, even more now than he used to be. Do you know what he had the nerve to say?”

  “I’m almost afraid to ask,” Lorand ventured, his brows high again. “And I thought he’d decided to avoid you.”

  “So did I,” I agreed with a short nod. “After trapping me into agreeing to lie with him and then making me wait most of the night before it became clear that he wasn’t coming after all—Now he wants us to put aside our disagreement for the good of the group. When he said that, I almost set his breeches on fire.”

  “I’m glad you didn’t,” Lorand said after choking just a little, an odd glint dancing in his eyes. “And not just because our Blending will need him. But what was that about waiting for him most of the night? Am I wrong in thinking you sounded … disappointed when you said that?”

  “Well, maybe I was looking forward to the time just a little,” I grudged, discovering that the subject was hard to discuss even in the presence of the power. “He drove me so crazy that he was almost the only thing I could think about, and then he—”

  “Didn’t show up,” Lorand finished when I couldn’t. A tiny amount of tears had begun to moisten my eyes, mostly from the unavoidable realization that the man I found so attractive had lost all interest in me. And the memory of how alone and abandoned I’d felt that night, almost as much as I’d felt since the day my parents married me to a monster…

  “But I can’t really blame him for stepping clear of the difficulty I represent,” I said, blinking away those foolish tears. “I seem to attract powerful men who like to own things, and my father’s plans are far from secret. No sensible man would want to get in the way of all that, so—Oh, look. There’s Lady Eltrina, waving at us. Our coaches must be here… Lorand, would you mind if we waited until tomorrow to lie together? I—don’t think I’m quite up to it tonight.”

  “No, I don’t mind,” he replied gently as he took my hand and put it on his arm. “But right now I insist on escorting you to the coach, and I don’t care who doesn’t like it.”

  I gave him as strong a smile as I could just now, then joined him in heading out of the ballroom. The music had started up again a few minutes earlier, but I hadn’t noticed sooner. Not that
it mattered. All I wanted to do right now was get back to my apartment and release my hold on the power. After that … well, I thought I knew what would happen. Tears and Water magic do go rather well together, don’t you think?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Vallant watched Tamrissa Domon march away from him, giving him no chance to say the ten things he wanted to—all at the same time. She’d agreed with his suggestion just the way he’d hoped she would, but not quite in the expected way. There was something odd about her, something different, and what had she said during her controlled tirade about how she felt? That was something else he felt a strong need to question her on, but when he followed her back to the immediate vicinity of the rest of the group, Jovvi stepped out to block his way to her.

  “No, Vallant, you don’t want to speak to her again right now, take my word for it,” Jovvi admonished, urging him back a few steps. “She was the one who stopped the fires a few minutes ago, and she’s still touching the power. I promise you that if you try to speak to her now, her anger will make you truly regret it. What in the world did you say to get her that angry?”

  “All I did was propose a truce between us for the sake of the group,” Vallant replied, finding it difficult to keep his voice down—and his eyes away from Tamrissa. “Are you tryin’ to tell me she’s actin’ so strange because she’s still touchin’ the power? Why should that make any difference at all? I don’t get strange when I’m touchin’ the power.”

  “You mean being fully open doesn’t change you at all?” Jovvi asked, the question gentle but sounding as if she already knew the answer to it. “Personally, I always feel different with the power coursing through me. I’m more alive and alert, more ready to cope with anything that might happen. But you’re not affected in any way?”

  “I didn’t say I wasn’t affected,” Vallant pointed out, still oddly disturbed. “I get the same feelin’s you do, and a sense of … freedom, I suppose it is, as well. But I don’t get all strange and different, which Tamrissa has. Are you absolutely certain there’s nothing wrong with her?”