Chapter Thirty-Five – The Long Wait

  As the days passed, the morning duels with the Fae only got more brutal and Gray knew it was his fault. Winning was no longer an issue. The few shekels that passed between them didn’t matter. It was a game of pain.

  The bloodless blades couldn’t do much damage but the pommels were a different matter altogether. So were the punches, elbows, and kicks. Often, Pinch would launch herself into him and deliver a kick to the face, which of course, would erupt in blood, ending the fight.

  No one, not even Pinch, wanted to fight to Second Blood again. First Blood was fine.

  Pinch would always fight Gray and Rynn, and Gray never won, but all he wanted was to last longer and longer to make the fae use as much mana as possible. Then it would be Rynn’s turn, and though she sometimes lost right away, if Rynn could parry, duck, and dodge long enough, Pinch would eventually lose enough mana for Rynn to win because the elf girl wasn’t just pulling from one core but from Gray’s ocean of magic.

  Pinch couldn’t fight after facing Gray and Rynn, and so the other members of the fae squad would face other recruits. Freek and his squad was always there to fight, and other recruits started to come for the morning duels, so they could bet on them. Gray was pretty sure some of the weaker students were still paying the shekels to avoid getting beaten up on the pavilion sands.

  Both Gray and Rynn had the healing needles to take care of their wounds, so after the fight, they could undo the damage and return to their normal days of practice and mediation. No one else messed with them, though, because their morning battles with Pamalee Thornpinch had become something of a legend. Rynn was seen as Pinch’s equal since she seemed to have a limitless amount of mana to pull from.

  However, as much as people were gossiping about each other at First Field, everyone was secretly laughing at Gray and Rynn because they didn’t have a full squad. Everyone was also very interested in who their sponsor could be. A few people, like the Dame Hekla knew, and Gray was certain that the Magistrate also knew but they weren’t letting the secret slip.

  Gray didn’t know why there was such animosity against the captain, while Rynn was certain that it was pure envy. Everyone hated Captain Sette Sevanya because she was the best of the best.

  Gray had his doubts. He’d heard rumor that her best days were behind her. Maybe she was famous outside of the Belly, but in Pit City, no one really cared about the mystery woman in her hat and mask.

  As the days passed, Gray had two worries. He didn’t want his stick broken in the fight. It had to happen because wood was weaker than steel, and yet, every time that Pinch tried to break it, the wood held. It had become something of a joke between them.

  Before the fight, Pinch would smile. “Today is the day I break your stick, human boy.”

  Gray, ready for her attack, would respond. “Today is the day I convince you the three shekels aren’t worth it.”

  And Pinch would say, “They will always be worth it to me.”

  That was something that Gray could believe. Every time she got the money, her mana would increase. It was clear she had a greed resonance but there was something else inside of her, driving her.

  As long as she didn’t break his stick or kill him, Gray didn’t care. They’d fight, she’d win, but he’d improve. Even better, Rynn began to win, which drove Pinch crazy. That was fun to watch.

  The fae were soon not a big deal. No, the real worry was Settie.

  If the captain didn’t return with the rest of their squad, Gray and Rynn couldn’t compete in the Testing. Everyone needed to be in a squad on Culling Day. After that, when people either dropped out, squads could disband and reform to give everyone the best chance of finishing the Testing. But people had to be in a squad first, and they had to survive Culling Day. Mama Cinders did say that stragglers had managed to get into the later phases of the Testing, but it was rare, and the process was brutal. Most were killed in the attempt.

  The best part of Gray’s day, for those long weeks of waiting, was returning to Ruin Manor with Rynn. They’d pick up something from the market, sometimes food from Gorgonzola’s Counter, sometimes something simpler from a street vendor, grilled meat on a stick for example, and they’d take it through the tunnel and back to their house. Yellow, of course, would be thrilled to see them, every time.

  Gray knew that he wouldn’t leave the dog again, ever. Yellow was too social and happy to be left alone. His heart broke a little when he thought of the long days the poor puppy had had to endure all alone.

  It proved that the captain could be cruel. She was as driven as Pinch but why? Why would this ancient dragon woman care about some games in the poorest, most chaotic city in the Belly? The First Field in Pit City wasn’t for the best of the best. There were other academies of the Watchfire families that drew more powerful and better-connected recruits.

  Every one of the seven cities surrounding the Weeping Well had their own version of First Field. The best of the best was the military academy in Pride City, called the Skyfire Command School, that had their own Culling Day, but to even get a shot, you had to pay an exorbitant fee or know someone who could. And mostly, they wanted dragons, though from Gray had come to understand, dragons didn’t procreate all that fast and didn’t have the depth of mana that other races had.

  Waking up, Gray loved his mornings with Yellow and Rynn. Most of the time, they would sit on his bed and talk, laugh, and prepare for the day, coming up with strategies to defeat Pinch. They’d sometimes talk about what they’d do if the captain didn’t return. If everything did fall apart, at least they had a house.

  Gray figured they would simply start poaching demons. It would be dangerous, but lucrative, and he knew that the Softie and the Widow Stone would buy the mana, though neither he nor Rynn knew how to harvest mana from demons. He could learn that. There were poaching squads, but they were considered outlaws, since the Watchfire families all regulated demon hunting.

  Rynn had no interest in becoming an outlaw. She said that if the captain didn’t return, she’d have no choice but to book passage back to the Crown. She invited him to come with her, and they could maybe try again the next year. There was no limit to how many times you could try the Testing at First Field, as long as you had a sponsor. Rynn was confident that they could find a squad to join, given the fact that everyone at First Field talked constantly of their morning battles with Pinch. Gray was the weird nully with the stick and Rynn was the bald elf girl who couldn’t be beat.

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  Yes, they had made a name for themselves, but every day that past put them further on edge. As the weeks fell away, so did their hopes of competing that year. Gray wasn’t about to stop training, not for a second. Sometimes, he could look down at his body, and it seemed like someone else’s. His arms were muscled and his chest had never looked better. He would marvel at the strong body he had now. And he wasn’t just becoming physically stronger, his core was also growing in power. The itch was gone, but now, at odd times during the day, he felt a burning sensation on the back of his neck. Rynn taught him that when the burning was intense, he had to stop whatever he was doing and meditate, focusing on his breath and picture moving the mana from the burn to his core. It helped, except when he was running, and then he would channel the pain into his workout.

  They didn’t change their routine until Pinch changed it for them with only three days left until Culling Day. Just three days…

  The morning of that fateful day, Gray was fighting with Pinch again, and he had gotten good at dodging her attack, anticipating her movements, and yes, he got kicked in the ear, but it hadn’t drawn blood. The Fae had gotten wise to his tactics, and she was using less and less mana during their fight. That made it harder on Rynn, and Gray hated that. However, he liked that the fae girl was careful about using her wings in the fight.

  His tactics were the same. He wasn’t there to win. He was there to inflict damage on her and to weaken her so Rynn could win.

  During the fight, Gray managed to get close, but then, Pinch’s core flared and her mana swept through her body. She beat his stick from his hand, grabbed him, but had to drop her sword to do it. Their faces were close, and he could smell her sweet musk. They’d been fighting for so long that many of her squad got bored. Like Gray thought, he had improved a thousand percent sparring with the brutal fae girl.

  Pinch glared into his eyes. She had him, and since she was using mana, he was far stronger. It was only a matter of time before she threw him to the ground, grabbed her sword, and drew first blood.

  But then, if she let him go and bent over to grave her weapon, he would easily be able to punch her in the face, which should give her a bloody nose, and that first blood would win him the fight.

  He’d never been closer to winning.

  She gazed into his eyes for a second, and there was something in them that was neither ice nor amusement. He found himself lost in her gaze—her eyes were such a remarkable shade of purple. Her muscles were tense, but the way they had each other, he could feel her small breast pushing against his arm.

  For one mad second, he felt the draw to kiss her. She must’ve been feeling something as well because fresh mana lit up her skin, filling her core. It wasn’t wrath, no, because that look in her eyes wasn’t anger. It was something else entirely.

  She seemed to catch herself. She snarled and went to bite him. It wasn’t meant to be a nip because she was looking to end the fight by ripping open the flesh of his face.

  Instead, he rammed his forehead into her face. Immediately, he felt the blood splash his face.

  For the first time, Gray had won.

  She shoved him away. “You stupid fucking human boy. Every day you come, and every day I beat you. Wouldn’t it be easier to just fucking give me the shekels?”

  The crowd was stunned. It was the first time that the fae girl had lost her self-control. For the most part, the fighting seemed like just a job to her.

  The fae girl did look savage, standing there, blood leaking down her face, her violet eyes blazing.

  “And every day I get better,” Gray said. “I didn’t come to First Field to be comfortable. I came here to become better, faster, stronger. You helped me with that. Thank you. And I don’t think I need to point out that you didn’t win this fight. I get to keep my three shekels.”

  “They’re not yours, nully,” Pinch hissed. “They’re hers. You’re some poor nully from those nowhere islands, born without magic, serving that dragon bitch who doesn’t care about you or the ugly elf girl, who cut her hair, so she wasn’t teased about being angel-headed. You both are pathetic. You’ll lose. You won’t make it through Culling Day. And how I’ll laugh and laugh.”

  Rynn stepped up, filling her blade with mana. She didn’t say a word. It was her time to fight.

  The crowd of recruits around them were stunned silent.

  Gray picked up his stick and stepped back. “Oh, how I love your tough talk, Pamalee Thornpinch, but I’m not the one bleeding today. You don’t know what’s going to happen and neither do I. Like I didn’t know today was the day I was going to finally beat you. Now, my friend Rynn has a turn. Let’s see how you do against her.”

  “No,” the Fae hissed. “We’re done here. See you on the field, human boy. Know that I’m going to do all that I can to make sure you don’t make it. You have made this paycheck unnecessarily hard, and I’m never going to forgive you for that.”

  She then snapped her fingers and her squad left, following her.

  Gray saw she wasn’t getting any mana from the outburst. No, and neither were her squad, who left with no expression on their faces. They didn’t seem to be all that surprised.

  Freek wrinkled his nose. “So, uh, does that mean we don’t have to fight?”

  Mama Cinders laughed. “You can still spar, Freek, and if you lose, I’ll take your shekels.”

  Freek grinned. “No, I’ve lost enough to the fae squad. But if you don’t mind, Rynn, I’d like to spar some. Winner just gets bragging rights. Is that okay?”

  Rynn nodded, and then gave Gray a little smile. They had outlasted the fae.

  Rynn made short work of Freek, who wasn’t one tenth of the fighter that Pinch was. Both Gray and Rynn had come a long way since that first fight with the orc.

  There were other matches, and Mama Cinders offered up some guidance here and there. They were all about to leave when the kindly old dragon woman pulled them aside.

  She looked a little unsure of herself.

  “What is it, Mama?” Gray asked.

  The dragon frowned. “You have to be careful.”

  “Of Pinch?” Gray asked.

  Mama Cinders shook her head. “No, of your sponsor. I haven’t said anything up until now, but there is a chance that Captain Sevanya won’t return in time. That has happened before, and I’ve seen good recruits miss out. Even if she does return, she doesn’t have your best interests at heart. I was thinking that she had hired Pinch to come bully you and the others. She’s done such things in the past, but not this time. You hear Pinch mention a paycheck. Clearly, they are working for someone. I’m not even sure they are about the Testing. But then, today, when Pinch called your sponsor I bitch, I thought differently. Then I decided to warn you.”

  Rynn looked pale.

  Gray wasn’t surprised. “I know Captain Sevanya has her own agenda. Can you tell me anything more?”

  Mama Cinders then saw Mrs. Blackpaw coming. “I shouldn’t have said what I said. Sevanya’s past is troubled, very troubled. She is hated, to be honest. And if people hate her, then they will certainly hate you as well. Just be careful.”

  She turned from them.

  Gray was about to ask Rynn what she thought of the strange conversation when he saw the tears in her eyes.

  “It will be okay,” Gray said. “She’ll return in time.”

  “What if she doesn’t?” Rynn asked in a choked voice.

  That night, even Gray started to get nervous. In three days, he might have to go back to the cup game to make ends meet, and while he didn’t mind swindling people in the marketplace, he’d become very curious about what the Testing might be. Everyone was vague about the specifics, but then, it changed every year.

  Gray was just getting into bed when Yellow went racing out of Rynn’s room. They still slept with the doors open.

  Yellow wasn’t barking, so that could only mean one thing…

  A second later, the secret door to the cellar banged open and Settie’s voice boomed through the house. “Grayson Fade, what in the fuck are you fucking thinking you stupid, precious, precious child!”

  Gray and Rynn came out of their rooms and stood in the hallway.

  Gray laughed. “Mother’s home, and boy, does she sound pissed.”