Chapter 29 Rohak
Rohak
Iwatched from the staircase as Faylinn flew across the hallway from Ellowyn’s room into the sanctuary of her own.
Her curly hair was slightly askew, her eyes unseeing but troubled as she mumbled to herself.
I was too far away to pick up the words, but it was evident something was greatly troubling my Faylinn.
To be the one she fled to with her thoughts again.
I sighed deeply before running a palm down my face.
I’d spent six months in Hestin coming to terms with not only Faylinn’s role here in Vespera, but my own shortcomings.
I had no one to blame but myself for Faylinn’s current treatment of me—I’d pushed her away, sneered in disgust as she saved her friend and ex-lover, and banished her from my side when all she wanted was to stay and help.
I fucked up.
And I continued to fuck up by not swallowing my pride and begging for her forgiveness.
I’d returned to Vespera weeks ago and still hadn’t found the courage to apologize.
Instead, I avoided every building she frequented, choosing to barricade myself in my office in the Academy and bury my nose in hundreds of missives.
Originally, I tried to work in my office in the administration building, but that effort was futile; her memory coated every inch of that space.
I could still smell her—a mix of eucalyptus and parchment—if I closed my eyes and concentrated.
Unfortunately for me, that provided too much distraction and caused my dick to half-harden in my pants each time I thought of her.
Between my distractive thoughts and the occasional interruption from both Art and Gene as they finished the Charise prototype—a weapon that used basic runes and crystals to aim a Mage’s magic with pinpoint accuracy, or so they said—it became clear that my office in the Academy was the only place I’d find solitude.
So that was where I retreated.
But I combed through my paperwork quickly—too quickly—and now I had no excuse to sleep at the Academy any longer.
My magic was restless, searching for a way out. I needed to release it soon, or I felt like it would consume me. Even now, as I swept down the manor’s staircase and into the Vesperan night toward the Academy’s training grounds, I could feel it pushing against my ironclad control.
I’d overused my magic while in Hestin, but there was no other choice; rebel attacks were constant and unpredictable, and I’d been given an impossible job with a ridiculously small task force.
We all overdrew to some extent, and most of the Mages that stayed with me to secure the territory were now on leave, recovering from the elongated mission.
Not me, though. It seemed the well of power was vast, much deeper than any other Mage I’d come across. Instead, my magic simply hungered for more, and I burned through crystals without compunction.
But that was no longer an option—with the collapse of the Crystal Mines in the north, our access to crystals was largely reduced.
It wouldn’t be long before hundreds of Mages fell ill with Mage Sickness.
To prevent others from suffering that fate—especially the lower classes that would have little access to the crystals they needed—I continued to take my previous allotment of four crystals, even though I could easily store and pull from seven or eight at this point without feeling the effects.
I rubbed my temples, an insistent throbbing taking residence in my skull, as the early spring wind bit at my exposed skin.
I greedily sucked in breaths of fresh air, relishing in the sting of chilly air as it filled my lungs.
The days were warming, but the nights still felt like winter.
This was the portion of spring that I enjoyed most, and needing to release my power gave me the excuse to simply take a moment to breathe.
The square was empty this late at night, and I crossed the expansive grey stone without a thought or worry to the Academy, a black visage looming in the deep night.
It was a formidable structure, and I could see why Faylinn was fearful of it when we first arrived from Isrun all those months ago.
I wonder if she’s visited the library yet?
If not, maybe that could be the olive branch—invite her to the library.
I hummed softly, pleased with my idea.
Circumventing the main portion of the Academy, I used the instructor’s entrance near the back and side of the building, quickly palming the Mage Orb and forcing the door open. Blessedly, Lex was the only one in sight.
“General,” Lex intoned with a respectful incline of his head.
If he was surprised to see me here this late at night, his expression didn’t show it.
He sat at a table, Ilyas across from him as they played a game of cards.
Clearly they had guard post tonight, even if this was an odd place for a guard post.
“Where is Sasori?” I asked by way of greeting and saw Lex’s mouth tighten as Ilyas’ shoulders hitched slightly. Their tells were incremental and would have been overlooked if anyone but me had seen.
“She’s on another assignment,” Lex said, trying desperately to keep his voice even.
I tilted my head slightly as I processed his statement.
“An assignment I am unaware of?” As a Vessel to a Mage in the army, she fell directly under my command. To know that someone else was giving my soldiers commands without my knowledge was disconcerting.
Alois. It has to be Alois.
“Apparently the dignitaries from Samyr are here. Because she is from there, she’s assisting Alois in negotiations. Something about a Vessel exchange,” Lex clarified, and my shoulders relaxed slightly, though my headache still pounded.
Something in the tight set of Lex’s jaw and the way his leg absently bounced beneath the table told me there was more to the story than he was letting on, but it was obviously of a more personal nature.
If there was more that threatened our security, Lex would tell me in an instant—of that I had no doubt.
There was no one more loyal to me than Lex d’Talionis, not even Alois.
“Care to help me release some of my magic?” I asked, and both men visibly brightened at the proposition. “I think it’s safe to leave this area unguarded for an hour at most.”
The likelihood that anyone was looking to enter the Academy was low; bypassing the instructor door was even lower, and my magic was now pushing at my skin, threatening to break loose at any moment.
While I didn’t need another person present while I released my magic, it would help to have someone as thoughtful and loyal as Lex to pull me back from the edge if the worst happened.
My fingers twitched as I waited for Lex and Ilyas to respond. They seemed to communicate with their eyes, sharing looks and glances that only they could interpret. Simultaneously, they tossed their cards into the middle of the table before pushing to a stand.
“Training yard?” Ilyas asked, his hand clasped on Lex’s shoulder.
With a brusque nod, I led the way out of the instructor’s quarters, through the Academy, and into the adjacent training yard.