~*~*~*~*~*~
They were eventually situated with cups of tea and plenty of biscuits, more fruit and an entire pitcher of fruit juice for Calida. Dexter had joined them after seeing that everyone was sufficiently provided for. He opted to sit on the ground, beside Ty’s chair, his grey eyes clouded over, the expression of worry seemingly permanently etched on his face now.
Neil found himself trying to protect his plate as Calida attempted to slip more things on there, occasionally refilling his teacup when he wasn’t looking. They were taking turns asking him all sorts of questions, most of which he couldn’t really answer. He knew next to nothing about his past and thanks to his foster family, then enrolling in Noir Academy, there hadn’t been time to figure out more. He’d just been trying to keep his head up and above the chaos, figuring that one day he’d be able to spare the time.
“So you haven’t been out of Noir since the inheritance?” Ty asked. He exchanged a look with Dexter.
“Darling, he just said that it came in the day before, how could he possibly have had any time to go anywhere before that?” Calida shook her head as Neil fidgeted. “You’re making it worse. Go start your work. If I need you—either of you—I’ll call.” She gave them a look when they hesitated. “Smother me and I will make your lives a living-”
“We’re going,” Ty said, hastily. He set his cup cut down, his two-toned gaze flickering between Neil and then back to Calida. “You will call?”
“Yes Alpha,” Calida winked. “Now shoo!”
Ty left, pulling Dexter after him.
Calida shook her head as she watched them go. “That’s got them out of our scales for a little bit,” she said, lightly. “Hope they weren’t too much. I don’t want to overwhelm you any more than necessary.”
“A little late for that,” Neil said, faintly. “So they’re all your—what exactly?”
“My Bonded. I’ll get to that in a bit. How about we start slowly, with whatever questions you want to ask me, hm? I’ll take some notes?” Calida beckoned with one hand and waited, until a small, bound portfolio came flying into the room. She caught it and propped it open on the pillow on her lap. The nearly empty juice pitcher was floated over to the table, before she began to scribble furiously. A moment later, she tipped it towards him. “This is everything?”
Neil leaned sideways, scanning the bullet points for the makeshift timeline. He could follow her sloppy handwriting for the most part. She’d summed up his knowledge of his past and dragels in general. It didn’t amount to much. “That’s everything that I can remember,” he hesitated. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. We can only ever do that which we have the strength for.” Her smile softened. “So, questions?”
“Many.”
“Ask away.”
“You feel—I feel—safe, why?” This question had been bothering him the most, before the fact that he wasn’t the last dragel in existence.
Calida beamed. “You’re precious,” she said, simply. “From one submissive to another, you know that I won’t instinctively hurt you, especially since you helped me yesterday. I decided we ought to be friends, so I mean you no harm. Your instincts are confirming that, by telling you that it’s alright. Though if you need something a bit more formal, it sounds something like—this Circle of Baronsworth, containing myself and mine, has no quarrel with you, Neilson Hewitt.”
A spark of magic leapt between them, fading as quickly as it had blossomed.
Neil felt a warm, fuzzy feeling melting over him. It was definitely more intense than the flash of warmth when she’d first held his hand. “What was that-?”
“That is a formal expression of friendship,” Calida explained. “When you have your own Circle—or at least an Alpha—then you can return it if you like. It’s simply a gesture between friends. Now, what would you really like to know?”
“Besides the fact why you’re not—extinct?”
“Dragels are holders of some of the oldest magic in history,” Calida nudged the portfolio over to him. “Why don’t you take notes? It might help you keep it straight in your head. It’s a simple explanation, but it might go over your head the first time.”
Neil took the portfolio and flipped it to a clean page. He wondered for a moment, why she wasn’t using a digital table.
“Dragels are naturally curious creatures and so, we like to travel. However, in our travels, we weren’t always very well received. Some realms welcomed us while others hated us outright. Those that were less than welcoming, well, we traveled there in disguise and we covered our tracks. Some races have issues with us and others don’t, so we’re careful when we have to pass through their realms and only if absolutely necessary.”
“Realms?” Neil said, faintly.
“Oh darling, you didn’t think you were the only ones in the universe?” Calida chuckled. “We are never as alone as we think we are. This realm, for instance, has never been kind to us, but they are tolerant enough to overlook the fact that I am come with a harem of lovely men and women where we are all bonded together in happily wedded bliss. As long as we maintain a professional outward appearance, what happens behind closed doors can be easily overlooked. Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.”
Neil’s ears warmed and he heard himself speaking before he could even temper the question. “How does that even work?”
“Very simply,” Calida chuckled. “And with a great deal of communication and compromise. While it isn’t always easy, that doesn’t mean it’s always hard either. Most of the time we are all very happy and content with each other. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. You would probably discover the same to be true for you.”
His ears warmed. “I doubt that.” As a scholarship student, romance was regulated to those within his social class. Neil had always thrown himself into his work a little too much—so that he wouldn’t have to think about such things. Gender wasn’t an issue, he’d found himself attracted to both sides shortly after sixteenth birthday and had decided it wasn’t worth the hassle. The Synders wouldn’t have cared to know his preferences and he wasn’t about to tell them either.
“You haven’t courted or hunted, save your doubts for later,” Calida said. “First off, you’re a Submissive, the same as I am, so that makes it easier to explain things.”
Neil twitched. “What does that mean?”
“Good things, really,” Calida hummed. “It doesn’t mean that you’re any less of a person or that you’re incapable of doing anything on your own, it just means that sometimes you’re so busy doing other things, you forget to look after yourself. Depending on which realm you’re from and how you were raised, being Submissive can carry positive and negative connotations. I’d like to you to think of it as a good thing—because it is. The main trait of a dragel submissive is their selflessness. It’s also practical by default, you see, dragels have access to and are born with—a tremendous amount of magic, but it doesn’t always stay with you. Magic is a living, breathing thing. You have to work to keep it, if you want to have it.”
“I don’t have any right now.”
“That’s only temporary. I’m talking about far more magic at your fingertips than you’ve ever seen in your life. Until you’ve seen a dragel’s true nature, you have nothing to compare to. See, no one person could ever hold such powerful magic all alone. It would destroy them from the inside out, because they are physically incapable of handling such high levels of stress. Dragels came into that magic, because of a triad bonding between a high-born magician, a native warrior woman and an elemental dragon that offered them shelter. Dragels were born from their shared union, it was later discovered that the side effects was raw, unadulterated power. That’s where Circles came in. The idea of a Circle was born from the philosophy that two are greater than one, three greater than some and so on, following a law of exponential increase. See, everyone is born a submissive, but the choices they make define them and their future ranks.”
“There
’s ranks?”
“Of course there’s ranks. How else would you tell anyone apart? When a Submissive is actively Hunting—that’s what we call looking for someone to court, they search according to rank. To find what they need to make their Circle complete, a balance between magical stability and personal preference is needed. You pick one from each rank, basically and some ranks accommodate more than others.”
“I have to hunt?” Neil rubbed his face. This was not the way he’d seen his day turning out.
“Arielle, I think I’m making a muddle of this,” Calida chewed on her lip. “Try and hear me out, alright? Dragels come with all of this magic, see? Too much of it and they have to find someone who can help them balance it, who will also complement them. Because of their selflessness, Submissives always have the most magic compared to any other rank, this is why they are often the ones hunting. They look for a strong, capable individual that is compatible with their magic and complementary to their personality. Once they’ve found it, they initiate a courting process, which eventually leads to bonding.”
“Bonding…” Neil scribbled across the blank page. He was doodling more than taking notes. This was starting to sound like one of those paranormal romance books that girls would fawn over. He didn’t see himself as being a Submissive anything and the idea of having to find someone and bond with them to keep his magic made his temper flare. “Then what?”
“A Submissive handles all of the courting and soliciting of their Bondeds, or Intendeds, which is what you call them before you claim them. Once you find someone who is strong enough to stand with you and also to stand up to you, that’s your Alpha. You find them first. Then you have to find a second, someone who can fit between you. Their magic is usually softer, more subtle, and they tend to be taller than your Alpha, they are the Beta. You, as the Submissive, will always be the shortest, sadly.”
Neil pulled a face at that. It was bad enough that Kendall was taller than him and even Elyenka at the rate things were going. He hoped there would be something good coming out of this dragel business, especially since it seemed like such a headache. He had no magic, was destined to be forever short and now, he’d have to find a bunch of—of what? Neil shook his head.
“It’s because it makes us easier to handle—they can better protect us if we’re small enough to be picked up or shielded.” Calida waved a hand. “Anyway, once you have a Beta, you’ve formed a triad and from there, you add whoever else you like until you feel complete. You’ll know when your magic isn’t restless anymore. The more powerful a Circle is, the more Bonded you will often find in it. The exception to that is having a small, closely-knit Circle with access to magic, but the ability to ground it or themselves, so that it doesn’t overwhelm them.”
“Why all the Circle business?”
Calida shrugged. “Circles are unique, but it’s a bit self-explanatory. There’s a special sort of fulfillment that comes with having a Bonded Circle. There are some who do claim solitary or remain as an operating triad for their entire lives, but nothing can ever replace the strength, the freedom and the courage that comes with having full emotional, mental, magical and physical support behind you, in everything that you do. That’s what a Circle is.”
“So I have to have one?” Neil frowned. “I have to court some stranger and fall in love with them or else my nonexistent magic is going to tear me apart from the inside out?”
Calida stared at him. “To some degree,” she allowed. “You don’t have to decide right away and you’ll probably change your mind after you’ve found someone. It’s difficult to explain, especially seeing as you don’t know anything about dragel culture. You wouldn’t bond with someone you didn’t feel a strong connection to and love is not always required. It is possible to grow quite fond of each other before you ever even open your heart to love, that’s not to say that it’s impossible to fall in love, but I’m being realistic here. You’ll need an Alpha at least and a Beta, if you can manage it. After that, if you want to consider solitary, you can. You wouldn’t be a Circle though, you’d just be a bonded triad.”
Neil gave a slow nod. Her words didn’t exactly put him at ease, but he would sort through that later. He still had questions and he still wanted answers. “Are there other types of Circles?”
“Three, actually. A family Circle, comprised of anyone who is family, whether by blood or spirit—but only according to your definition of family. You have a friendship Circle, which would include me—we are friends—and then there’s the Bonded Circle.”
“And which one’s yours?”
“Bonded, of course. Haven’t you been listening? Ty is my Alpha and the top dominant, if you will. His duty and responsibility is to all of us and to make decisions with everyone’s opinions in mind for the sake of the bigger picture. He handles the finances as well, because he’s good with numbers. His word goes and while I do have the power to counter it, there usually isn’t a reason to do so.”
“How did you find him?”
“Hunting,” Calida answered, promptly. “I was trying to find a good seat for the Introductions a few hunts ago and he offered me his seat. I told him I didn’t need it and he asked if I was sure, because someone of my height would most definitely not be able to see a thing from where I was standing. I turned to snap his head off and caught sight of those gorgeous eyes.” A dreamy look settled on Calida’s face. “I stared at him for far longer than was polite and by the time he’d managed to break the trance, I decided that I wanted to court him, if he would let me. His magic was strong and he—well, he didn’t care about this,” she rubbed her arm, gesturing to herself. “He’s as pale as winter, but he didn’t care that I wasn’t. We had dinner, then lunch for a week and by the end of it, I asked him to claim me and he said yes.”
“That’s it?”
“It’s not complicated, Neil. We were two grown adults, for the most part—a bit younger then than we are now—but he was kind, strong and stable. There wasn’t anything else I needed. We’ve been ridiculously happy together for years.”
Neil frowned. “And the rest of them?”
“Dex is my Beta, he’s a worrywart, but his duty is to keep the peace between myself and Ty. If I have something that requires attention that Ty either can’t see to straightaway or isn’t quite capable of handling, I go to Dex. He handles it. If there’s an argument of sorts between us, Dex is the mediator. The Beta balances the authority in a Circle. For instance, Ty has work to do here, that’s why we’re all over in this realm right now, but I wanted to see you, so I went to Dex. He went to fetch you.”
“How did you meet him?”
Calida giggled. “That’s actually quite a story, but the short version is that he’s a ridiculous flirt. He didn’t realize I was bonded and he was just—innocently flirting—and accidentally ran into Ty when he realized his mistake. We decided he was clumsy and adorable, so we made him ours. Courting a Beta needs some approval from the Alpha, so it’s usually done together. Dex thought I was completely unbonded, so he hadn’t taken any notice of Ty, until it was too late.” Calida’s shoulders shook with laughter again. “I love him to pieces, silly as he is. From there, we just added the others one by one. Dex is a great judge of character and friendly when he wants to be. I did follow tradition, an Alpha first, a Beta second, the rest afterwards and no Gheyos until I’d taken a Pareya. Follow me so far?”
Neil shrugged. “What about Terius?”
This time, she snickered. “Terius is our special darling,” she said, with a wink. “I fell off of a balcony—entirely by accident, mind you—and his reflexes were quicker than Dex’s. We’re soulbonded, so the moment he touched me, our magic confirmed it. By the time he set me back on my feet, I wouldn’t let go of him and so, we had to add him. He’s a contrary fellow, but I love him dearly. He’s what’s known as a Pareya. It’s dragel for ‘Protector’ and his duty is make sure that we’re all safe, that we’re looking out for our health. If there was to be some sort
of attack, then he would protect us—with his life.”
Neil blanched. He could not mistake the sincerity in her voice for anything other than absolute conviction, but he also couldn’t reconcile the image of the grumpy Magical Arts teacher as someone who would selflessly sacrifice their life for another. He counted on his fingers. That made up four individuals, if he included Calida. He wondered how many it took to make up a Circle.
“He doesn’t look like it, but he would,” Calida continued. “That’s his rank. There’s other ranks, Gheyos—they’re the Fighters, they like to fight and they’re always very physical. If there was an attack, then a Pareya would protect all us that they could and the Gheyos, would fight. Regardless of our magical strength and knowledge, Gheyos are trained to fight and they’re very good at it. Pareyas are trained to protect and they know how to do that without smothering you—most of the time, anyway.”
“Sounds complicated.”
“Well, you can have more than one Pareya and you definitely need more than one Gheyo. They have their own internal ranks and there’s other positions, Advisors, Healers and so on. There’s also room for a Battle Mage, a Carrier, a Companion and even a Royal. That will make a lot more sense when you’ve seen a full Circle though. I have eight, in case you’re wondering.”
“Eight?” Neil failed to keep the disbelief from his voice.
Calida unbuttoned her pajama jacket, ignoring his blush. She wore a thin camisole beneath, but she pointed to a series of neat, tattooed Circles across her neck and shoulders. There were eight marks in all, four on each side, positioned so they were not directly visible unless she chose to show them off. She wore a golden chain around her neck with a gold ring dangling from the end, several notches were cut into the smooth surface. “Eight,” she repeated, before doing up the buttons once more. “That’s actually a bit small, considering the average Circle usually ranges anywhere from twelve to fifteen.”
Neil drew his knees up to his chest. “So, the first thing I need is an Alpha?”
“Unless you’re in a hurry, I’d suggest finding your mentor first.”
“Really?” Relief flooded through him and Neil found himself relaxing again.
“You won’t be able to put off finding an Alpha forever, but having a mentor helps. They explain all sorts of things, dragel customs and society. They teach you about your dragel magic, how to manage it and they explain all the courting necessities that you need to know. They’re pretty much the parent you wish you could have, they’re kind, firm and dedicated to seeing you happy and settled. I could share what I know, but I’ve never mentored anyone before, so you’d be the first and that wouldn’t be fair to you, not to mention with my mood swings right now, I’d be a terrible mentor. All mentors are usually Bonded and with a child of their own, unless they’ve been Bonded for more than thirty years. It’s something of a requirement.”
Neil shrugged. It made some sense, when he thought of it that way. He wasn’t in any position to find himself an Alpha that would lord it over him, no matter what Calida said. He hadn’t really seen that sort of interaction between her and Ty, but he hardly knew them. The Synders weren’t really affectionate with each other, but they’d always operated with a ruthless efficiency and he’d never seen them caught off guard. “How do I find mine?”
“That’s where we come in,” Calida said. “You’re not the first male Submissive that’s turned up without a mentor recently, not to mention no history or knowledge of your blood family. My Circle, or specifically, the Baronsworth Circles, are usually involved in politics and scandals. Our name is from Terius, because he has the highest socially acceptable standing. He’s a Councilman. Ty is a private investigator—inter-realm matters, of course—and our current case involves sorting out recent discrepancies between mentors and their assigned mentees. You must be very lucky. I didn’t expect to find someone like you here.”
“So you don’t know?” Neil uncurled from his position and leaned forward to string another skewer full of fruit. He’d set the portfolio on the low table and the craving for fruit had started up again. Seeing no reason to deny it, he helped himself.
Calida hesitated. “Right now, no,” she admitted. “But, a mentor is assigned to you from the moment it’s verified that you’re dragel or you will be dragel. They ‘port in just before your inheritance arrives, so they can help you through it. If they don’t show up, that’s—bad.”
“How do they know?”
“Magic. Dragel magic is different from regular magic. Your dragel magic spikes right before your inheritance comes in, that’s how your body is able to handle the transformation or it would most likely kill you.”
“So where’s mine?”
“Good question. Worst case scenario—they’re dead.”
Neil flinched.
Calida ignored it. Her bubbly persona had melted away to something serious. “Best case is that they’re working on a way to summon you to their side and for some ridiculous reason or the other, it took longer than they expected. They may have tried to ‘port to you and couldn’t, so they’re trying for a reversal. That’s standard procedure anyway. The only reason they have for not showing themselves within the week of or after your inheritance, is that they’re physically incapable of doing so and there’s very little that can stand between a determined dragel.”
“What about your mentor?”
She chuckled. “Mine is busy at the Hunt. It’s currently underway in Nevarah and he’s required to be there because of his work and elemental obligations. Keep eating, if you need to,” she waved at the tray. “If your magic is so low that you’re sticking to fruit, then your body is probably too busy using the energy appropriated for your magic—for something else.”
“I can feel it, I just can’t use it. What’s that got to do with fruit?”
“Fruit converts to natural sugar or something like that. There’s two things that fix most problems when it comes to dragels, sugar and blood. You don’t have a trusted bloodsource, so you’re instinctively settling for the next best thing. Fruit. Natural sugar. You won’t like much of anything else for a while, at least not until your magic levels are back up where they need to be.”
Neil grimaced. He didn’t mind fruit and the explanation was welcome, but it didn’t sound very appetizing, given that he had no idea when or if the magical stimulant prescription would work. “Wonderful.”
“Don’t whine, your magic is there. Trust me. I wouldn’t have been able to sense you yesterday, if it wasn’t, meaning that I wouldn’t have let you within five feet of me,” Calida said, tartly. “Now, the fact that you can feel it, but can’t use it sounds about right. Loss of magic is rare though. Usually it happens when you’re between six and ten years of age and it comes back by the time a year or so has passed.”
“I didn’t even know I had magic at that age.”
Calida chuckled. “Unless you’re born into a magical family, then that’s perfectly normal. A child’s magic only shows when they sense they are in a comfortable, safe environment or if there is a great need for it.”
Neil didn’t answer. He was trying not to think back to the moment where he’d first learned he had magic and the resulting fight that had nearly brought the house down when his foster family had discovered it. There had been yelling, shouting and throwing things—but no physical harm after that, because his magic wouldn’t allow anyone to get close to him.
Something crashed in the kitchen and Calida winced.
“What is it?”
“That would be Terius making breakfast, but he tends to be a perfectionist and that means it takes much longer than it should,” Calida said. “I didn’t mean to take over your entire morning—no, actually I did. Sorry. But I’m sure you have plenty of other questions and knowing that you didn’t know anything about us, I’m more than happy to spend all day answering them. Do you have anything that must be done today? Any requirements for your scholarship status? I know Noir’s
strict.”
“I’m supposed to either attend class or work for seventy-percent of my daytime hours,” Neil recited. “I also have friends that will most likely worry if I don’t show up for some of the shared classes.”
“Well, Dex is taking over Terius’ class, so you won’t have to worry. That’s why I sent him to find you in the first place. Terius is a good councilman, but a terrible teacher. He has zero patience and no tolerance.” She spoke absently now, with an ear cocked towards the kitchen. “We’ll be here for a few weeks, so if today isn’t good, you can always come by tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Any time is fine. I don’t have an assigned job, really. The others have been handling everything since these two,” she patted her tummy. “Which means I mostly read casefiles and eat a lot of fruit. I’d welcome some company, it can get boring when my imagination decides to have some fun.”
“That’s very—generous.”
“Hardly. We’re dragels, love. Family and friends are everything to us. Now that we’re friends, you needn’t look so worried. Everything will work out in the end.”
Neil managed a wry smile. Some of the confusion had faded and he was slowly connecting the bits and pieces of information into a sensible format for later thought. “Will it?”
Calida grinned. “It is a lot to take in right away, but it’s not all bad. I’m probably the worst person to make a decent first impression, but I do promise you that it’s worth it. The Circle—the wild magic, everything. It’s worth it a thousand times over.”
“You said this was—a realm?”
“Here? Yes. It’s called Veridae.”
“And your home, that was Neverland?”
“Nevarah,” Calida repeated, slowly. Her dark eyes sparkled with laughter. “It’s definitely not Neverland, but it’s fairly close—a magical place that only dragels can travel to. Lots of other magical creatures reside there, but the majority of the population are dragels. It’s a safe haven.”
“How do I get there?”
“By invitation.” Calida tapped her cheek. “I could invite you,” she said, slowly. “But that takes a lot of paperwork. It’d be easier to find your mentor first and you could enter on their visa.”
“I need a visa?”
“Arielle, no. It’s just that the Hunt is on right now and that means everything, including the official offices and such, are operating at the bare minimum. Things that might take a few hours, could take a few weeks. The Hunt is a very big deal.”
“And the Hunt is?”
Calida chuckled. “I’ll save that explanation for when you’re ready,” she teased. “It’s a formal parade and an all-ages celebration for every eligible dragel or suitable creature, in Nevarah. It happens every ten years. Once you’re over sixteen, you’re of age to court, be courted and bond. But let’s get you sorted out first before we settle you, eh?”
Another loud crash came from the kitchen, followed by quiet muttering in another language. A burnt scent filtered through the sitting room, before it was whisked away by an unnatural thread of wind.
“Staying for breakfast? Or brunch? Whatever it’s supposed to be, I haven’t a clue.” Calida eased herself off of the sofa and stood, stretching with care. “Say yes and let’s go rescue my kitchen. Terius is a good cook, until he’s distracted. When he’s distracted—that’s the end of everything. I barely had time to look at the kitchen and if he sets it on fire, I’m going to yell. It hasn’t even been a full day.”
Neil followed after her, pausing to pick up the empty fruit bowl and tea tray.
“Thank you. Kitchen’s this way.” She led the way down the right hall, where it opened out into a modestly sized kitchen with standard-sized cooking appliances and a small, four person dining table squeezed in the corner.
Terius stood over the kitchen sink, draining off something from a frying pan, while a square serving plate held two charred pieces of something, curled up at the ends. He dropped the cover in the sink and held the pan under the running water. It hissed beneath the spray, sending up puffs of steam.
“I would ask, but I’m fairly certain those were my lovely premium fish fillets from-”
“Sorry?” Terius muttered. He set the pan down in the sink and turned the tap off. “I must have had the heat turned up-”
“Or you were taking another long-distance message from that ridiculous council that doesn’t understand the meaning of off-realm,” Calida said, knowingly. “Yes, no? Let’s go with yes. Stop making a mess there and sit down. I’ll fix something myself. It’s just breakfast.”
“It was an accident,” Terius protested. “It’s not like I did it on purpose. I’ll just start over with-”
“I didn’t say you did anything on purpose, love, I’ve just asked you before, to please keep your work out of the kitchen.” Calida tugged at her messy hair then murmured a spell that smoothed and combed it into a neat braid. “Table. Sit. I’ll throw something together.”
Neil stood awkwardly to the side, watching as Calida gently elbowed her way in front of the sink and began to take over the washing. He took the tea tray and set it on the cleared side of the sink, careful to keep away from Terius.
“Thank you, Neil.” Calida reached for the tray. “Do you have any food allergies or known medical conditions?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Good. Have a seat. Terius, stop glaring at him.”
Terius glowered at both of them, before retreating to the table. He took the seat in the corner, keeping his back to the wall. He pretended not to notice when Neil cautiously took the farthest seat away from him at Calida’s instruction.
They watched as Calida took over the kitchen, comfortable and confident, now that they were out of the way—she gestured grandly to the kitchen. Rich, golden light twinkled at her fingertips,
Flicks of her fingers had pots and cooking utensils floating out of the drawers and cupboards, while a crooked finger from her other hand, brought the desired ingredients leaping to her command.
Neil’s jaw dropped. He stared as her dark brown eyes flared to the same shade of gold as the visible magic crackling at her fingertips. She rocked forward to stand on her tip-toes a few times. The shimmering strands of light swirled around her, creating a lovely picture as her directions began to show results.
It was a matter of minutes before delicious smells filled the kitchen. Calida absently directed a few things, while sorting out the burnt mess at the sink. She disposed of the charred meat and set about frying thin slices of something else.
“Was it important?” she asked, plating fluffy scrambled eggs with generous chunks of vegetables strewn throughout.
Terius’ scowl lightened. “They granted hunting rights to one of the Military Circles,” he said, carefully. “They were making sure that I knew my vote was counted absent and that there is a hunting party now active.”
Neil’s brows furrowed together. Terius made it sound like something terrible, while Calida had been excited on his behalf at the thought of hunting. For one brief moment, he wondered how dangerous hunting was.
“An active hunting party?” Calida twirled to face them, her hands falling to her sides, fingers still twitching, her magic completing the assigned tasks. “Is it that bad?”
Her tone of voice made Neil sit up straight. He didn’t dare interrupt. This didn’t sound like the kind of hunting she’d mentioned earlier.
“It’s bad enough,” Terius said, grimly. “I’m sure you know which one it was without my having to spell it out for you.”
Calida gave him a look, but turned back to her kitchen directing. “You should tell Ty. It might be helpful for him. If they’re sanctioning that, then we need to be extra careful.”
“We’re always careful.”
“Tell Ty anyway.”
“I doubt it would make a difference with whatever he’s scheming in that twisted head of his.”
“Twisted? Really?�
� Calida turned around again, her smile a touch too sweet. The gold in her eyes glimmered bright. “Neil, why don’t you go wash up? The refresher’s right down that hall.”
Neil was up and out of his chair, disappearing down the hallway as he felt a flicker of magic ripple out from the kitchen. He didn’t have to double-check that a silencing spell had gone up. He did know that right then, he wouldn’t trade places with Terius for any given amount of currency in any realm.
The Dragel's Song III Page 5
