Chapter Forty-One – The Dark Elf

  The food came, and it was amazing, as usual. Gray liked the baked zaba zaba, but what really intrigued him were the tomato appetizers. He’d never had anything like it, the bite of green leaf, the creamy cheese, and then the tomato itself, greasy from olive oil but also tart from the black vinegar.

  Another highlight of the meal was watching Midj. It was clear what kind of resonance she had. The more she ate, the more mana she got, and she thickened a bit even as they sat there. She chattered, and hummed, and if they hadn’t been sitting, she would’ve danced. Eating was everything to her.

  It was Rynn who suggested they not linger to allow more customers the opportunity to eat at Gorgonzola’s Counter. They’d just paid when Pinch joined the end of the line.

  Gray wasn’t going to miss the chance to tease her. “Hey, Pinch, since we’re no longer sparring in the morning, do you miss getting all that sand in your hair?”

  The fae was alone, but even if she’d had her squad, her reaction would’ve been the same. She looked at him with a mixture of disgust and annoyance.

  Gray walked up her.

  Pinch stared into his eyes. “What do you want?”

  “Who is paying you to cause trouble at First Field?”

  The Fae laughed a little. “Whoever it is, you can bet they are also paying me to keep their identity a secret. Maybe if you paid more, we could talk.”

  “You knew all along we were Captain Sevanya’s squad, didn’t you?”

  Pinch shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. You don’t matter. So don’t talk to me.”

  Tomi slipped up next to him. “Do you know about Gray’s stick?”

  Pinch shrugged.

  The cat girl sighed. “I wish someone would tell me about the stick. I don’t get it.” Tomi moved off, but Midj was there to take her place.

  The goblin girl grabbed Gray’s hand and held it. It was just something she did with most people, and Gray found it adorable.

  “Who is your friend?” Midj asked.

  “We’re not friends,” Pinch said.

  “You’re darn right you’re not. You took Blythe and Sindara from us. Where are you from anyway? Black hair and violet eyes, you’re not a Backbone fae, nor do you come from the Thistle Mire, so I’m betting you’re a Lust City fae. I’d guess you were royalty because, you know, you have that way about you.”

  Anger flashed in Pinch’s eyes. “You don’t know a thing about me. Stay out of our way on Culling Day. I’m going to win no matter who I have to kill.” She turned and stormed off.

  Rynn finally found Gray in the crowd. “What did she say?”

  “Not much,” he said.

  Midj coughed. “Not true. “Someone definitely is paying her to cause trouble, which is how she could afford to pay off Blythe and Sindara. Word has it the fae are financing a mixed squad with them girls. And I’d a bet the cost of a good brunch she’s from Lust City. I’ve known Backbone Island fae and I’ve known Thistle Mire and she’s not like any of them. We have to be careful. If she has ties to the Lust City Watchfire family, her friends aren’t just rich but powerful.”

  “Do you think that family is paying her?” Gray asked.

  Midj shrugged. “I don’t know, but I don’t think so. Orcs and dragons hate our captain. I’d guess it was one of them. We still haven’t gossiped about our sponsor yet. I don’t know anything for sure, but I have my theories.”

  “Freckle Island,” Rynn said quietly.

  “What’s that, angel?” Midj asked.

  Rynn blushed. “Gorgonzola said Pinch is from Freckle Island. It’s up north, near the Crown.”

  Midj’s face darkened. “Then I don’t know nothing about nothing. Freckle Island? Never heard of it at all.”

  Gray didn’t like seeing the frown on the goblin girl’s face. “I have a mystery for you, Midj. I want to know where you go the frycake I saw you eating this morning.”

  Midj was about to answer when she glanced around. “I see Tomi. She’s found a chair, so she’s sleeping, but where’s Ames?”

  Glancing around, all they saw were the crowds of people waiting for a seat at Gorgonzola’s.

  Then Gray caught sight of Ames, who was staring up at the sky. That was fine, except she was standing in a fountain. Two big cambion orcs were headed toward her.

  “Hold on,” he said. “I see her.”

  He hurried through the crowd and helped her out of the fountain. The orc guards then had to break up a fight and soon forgot about the dark elf.

  “My sandals are wet,” Ames said softly. She turned to him. “I’m sorry I spoke of murder. I’m sorry for everything. I didn’t fight well today.”

  “We can help you with that. You kept up with us the entire run. Besides, we need your healing skills.”

  She nodded. “Perhaps.”

  He was confused. “Perhaps what?”

  “Perhaps we won’t need to kiss.” She stared at him and didn’t look away.

  That allowed him to notice how pretty her eyes were—a gorgeous auburn color with flecks of purple.

  She took his other hand. “I know about the place of water and stars. You go there in dreams. The blood and the faces scared you, and they should. There will be fourth war of the gods and more will die. Find my core. It will be easy for you.”

  Gray wasn’t sure what to say. “Have you been there in dreams?”

  “I dream all the time,” she said softly. “The mana gives me the sight. But it wasn’t just the mana, it was the pain, but I don’t want to tell you about that. We’re going to run together. The first exam of the Testing, of Culling Day, is going to be the run. You were wise to practice that. It’s why there were water barrels in the coliseum.”

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  Gray had to laugh. “Mama Cinders really did us a favor. Can you tell us what the other…”

  Then he couldn’t talk. He felt her core, and felt something there, something darker than he would’ve thought. She was odd, far more awkward than Rynn, but while she was so gentle that darkness in her core was harsh. Her core was far more fragile than Rynn’s, and he had the idea it might easily be shattered.

  She let go of one of his hands and touched his head, caressing his hair. “We’ll all break before the end, even before the Reckoning begins. Some of us might die. It’s okay. We all break in the end, even the gods. Especially the gods.”

  “Can I try giving you mana?” he asked.

  She touched his face. “I didn’t think you’d be so handsome. I wish you weren’t. It will make things more difficult with all of us. We’re drawn to you, but no, your heart, your core, already belongs to her. You can give me your mana, and I’ll pray that it won’t feel like a kiss.”

  It was stupidly easy to transfer the mana to her, and her eyes glowed, and she smiled. “It feels good, not like a kiss, but a party, where everyone is happy, and the pain is forever away. No pain, only happiness, only the happiness of Midj eating, or Tomi sleeping, or you, Grayson Fade, the happiness of you when you look to see where Rynn is. You always know where she is. She looks for you as well. She needs you, but then, you need her too.”

  It was true. Gray had come to rely on Rynn like no one else in his life.

  Ames stepped away, a sad little smile on her face. “Goodbye, Grayson Fade. Thank you for rescuing me from the fountain. The orcs might’ve arrested me if not for you.”

  Rynn and Midj had rounded up Tomi, and the three women met with them by the fountain.

  Ames pulled Tomi over. “It’s your turn. Gray needs to know if he can access your core.”

  The cat girl went stock still. She pushed Ames away. “No. That’s not happening. You might as well have asked me to kiss him.”

  Ames furrowed her brow. “I didn’t need to kiss him even though I wanted to. No, this is different.”

  Gray wasn’t sure he heard that right. The dark elf wanted to kiss him?

  Tomi snickered, “Yeah, I’ll bet. It’s not happening.”

  Ames fell quiet, and of course, Rynn wasn’t saying anything. Even Midj was at a loss for words.

  Gray went to speak when Rynn came forward.

  The elf girl burst into a flurry of words. “I know I don’t talk much, and I’m sorry, but when I do talk, I tend to ramble, and I just have to say, Gray and I kissed, but it was to help get mana into his core. It wasn’t about his resonances because he doesn’t have a resonance. I had vented my mana, and it was this special moment, but we aren’t going to risk bonding. You don’t have to worry. We want to win, and I need to win…for my family. They’re counting on me. Aunt Florence sent me a letter, sorry, Gray, I didn’t tell you, but I can’t disappoint her. I just can’t.”

  Tomi laughed. “An elf named Florence. I love it.”

  Rynn took the cat girl’s hand, and that’s when Gray realized he was already holding Midj’s hand. When did that happen?

  Rynn turned serious. “Gray’s core is massive. He can provide us with mana. I saw how well you fought today, but shifting takes a lot out of you. If Gray can give you mana, you’ll be like two recruits if not three. Already, you’re so powerful. We need you to be even stronger if we have a chance to win.”

  The cat girl licked her lips before lowering her head, so Gray couldn’t see her eyes. All he could see was her piles of hair.

  Tomi blew out a breath. “It’s fine. The captain mentioned something about a mana transfer, but I didn’t think it would happen any time soon. I guess I have to try, but he won’t…he won’t delve, will he?”

  “I won’t,” Gray promised. “No delving.”

  “As long as there’s no delving, we can give it a try.”

  Tomi came to him. “How does this work? Do we have to hug?” She looked like she might puke.

  “No. Just give me your hand.”

  She held out a hand, and he took it. Her skin was surprisingly soft and warm. He could smell her, and while it had been a long day, she still smelled sweet. Sindara had teased her for being smelly, but that had just been cruelty for cruelty’s sake.

  The cat girl then let out a shout. “Ugh, I can’t do this with everyone watching. This is embarrassing. Let’s go someplace more private. Did I really just say that. I can’t believe I just said that.”

  Gray didn’t know where to go, but then he had an idea. “I know where we can go.”

  He led them through the market and right to the doors of the Excellent Inventory Emporium. They were just about to close, but Gray hoped for the best.

  He and his squad mates came through the door, and it took a bit, but he introduced his new squad mates to Softie and cousins Flip, Flap, Flop and Earl.

  Softie grunted. “Always glad to have customers, especially recruits, but something tells me you’re here to see my sister.”

  “Actually, we just need to use her back room. For core work. Would that be possible?”

  Softie cocked his head. “What do you mean core work? This ain’t that kind of place.”

  The Widow Stone came from the back. “Grayson Fade, always good to see you. I’m so glad your squad is back. Let me guess, the captain was less than pleased with you for having broken through her wards.”

  “She wasn’t happy,” Gray agreed. “But we came to an understanding. She wasn’t surprised that you helped me. I don’t think you two are all that friendly.”

  “No one is friendly with her.”

  “Because of what she did,” Midj sputtered. “Or supposedly did. Do you believe it?”

  The Widow nodded. “I believe it, Miss Midjara Munch. I overheard the introductions. It’s a pleasure to meet you Midjara Munch, Amaranthis Tal’Vessra, and Tomika Ka. I was Emilia Stone, but now I’m the Widow Stone. From the looks on all of your faces, I can guess that not all of you know the gossip about your captain. You shouldn’t hear it from me but here we are. Most agree she is behind the Wrath Tower falling. If not for her, the Weeping Well would’ve remained sealed and the Hellbinder Barrier never would’ve been necessary. Which makes it ironic that she has spent decades running squads through First Field with varying degrees of success.”

  Midj laughed. “That’s not what I heard. I heard she took her last kill squad and tried to overthrow the dragons in Pride City. She wanted to start a whole new family with her on top.”

  Softie grunted. “I heard if a kill squad fails, she takes them to Old Town and poaches demons until they all die.”

  Cousin Earl joined in the gossip. “I heard she’s old enough to have caused the fall of Alastria. She’s why there’s the Crumblelands in the first place.”

  Softie snorted. “She can’t be that old.”

  Earl wasn’t going to be convinced that easily. “If she was a cambion dragon, she might be ageless. She might be the first dragon to rise out of the god of pride’s blood. That would’ve been the Second God War, right?”

  “Right,” Softie said. “But if she was the original mother of all dragons, I doubt she’d be sponsoring kill squads at First Field.”

  Rynn frowned and Gray felt bad for her. She thought the word of the captain but how could that be? Settie literally hid her face because she was so hated in the Belly. And he knew how gossip worked. He wouldn’t believe any of the outlandish rumors unless he heard it from the captain herself.

  Rynn shook her head. “It can’t be. The captain is famous for fighting demons, hunting them, preparing kill squads. And how can a single person destroy one of the pylons? No, it’s just gossip.”

  “I think that too,” Midj said. “But the captain isn’t an easy person to deal with. We all know that. And angel, up north, she might be respected, but down here in the Belly, there are a lot of folks who can’t stand her.”

  Gray could only smile. “It doesn’t matter. It’s ancient history. We’re here now, and she’s our sponsor. She is powerful, though. She gave me my core.”

  “Very powerful,” the Widow agreed. “Now, what’s this about using my workroom?”

  “For core work,” Softie grunted. “Whatever that means.”

  “I know exactly what that means. Captain Sevanya is going to use him as a power source. To do that, he needs to connect with squad mates. You know where the work room is, Mr. Fade. You’ll have your privacy.”

  Gray thanked her and made his way back behind the counter and into the workroom. Like before, it smelled so good, and the air glowed with the mana collected in all of the many magic items. Candles flickered her and there.

  He found two chairs and dragged them into the middle of the room. It was perfect. He felt the magic so keenly there, and he sat down. Taking a breath, he found he was nervous. His connection with Ames had been so intense.

  What would it be like with Tomi and Midj?

  He was about to find out.

  The cat girl stood in the doorway, eyes wide.