“Asena’s Level 23,” Jackson said. “Pretty much, I have to decide now. It’s do or die time. Luckily, I found some notes that suggest there are ways I can unlock more advanced moves and increased core stats while staying in the Lyote stage, but that’s where the trail goes dead. No one seems to know how to do it — just like evolution, it’s different for different breeds of Djinn.”
“Have you tried calling anyone at the college?” Kay asked. “Someone has to have done something with all of your mom’s research on the subject in the past six years.”
“Left a message,” Jackson said. “The guy listed as the research partner with my mom on this project didn’t answer.”
“What are you going to do if you can’t find anything out before the playoffs?” Kay asked.
“I have one more option to at least explore,” Jackson said.
“And that is…?”
In response to Kay’s questioning look, Jackson reached over and picked up Vega’s card, flicking it over to her.
“Are you sure you want to encourage this guy?” Kay said, eyes scanning the card. “I got a real creeper vibe from him, and I wasn’t even the one alone in the locker room with him.”
“Look, I’m not committing to anything here,” Jackson said. “I’m just exploring my options. At this point, I don’t think I have anything to lose if I just meet him, right?”
Chapter Seven
“That’s fine, but keep me out of the shot,” Kay said as Jackson pulled up his holo-call app on his watch. “The less that guy sees of me and the less I see of him, the better.”
Jackson scanned the business card until he found the call code at the bottom, etched in pompous, gold lettering. The man certainly went to great lengths to keep up appearances with the thing, though Jackson still steeled himself to shut Vega down at the first sign of sketchiness.
A couple rings later, Vega’s slicked back hair peered out from the holo-projection. “Hello?” he said, squinting from behind his round frame glasses. His eyes grew wide when he recognized Jackson. “Jackson! I’m so glad you called! Just one moment!”
From the corners of the projection, Jackson saw Vega clearing off his desk. Jackson glanced over at Kay. She mouthed the word “creeper” and pointed to Vega’s floating head.
“Hey, Jackson, would you mind meeting in VR?” Vega asked. “I find it more comfortable than talking one bobbing head to another.”
Jackson fought the urge to roll his eyes. Vega had been the one that wanted Jackson to call him. Now, he wanted to sit in an awkward, outdated virtual meeting area?
“Yeah, that’s fine,” Jackson said. “Hold on, let me grab my lenses.”
Luckily, Jackson still had a lense set from his pre-teen gaming days. He pulled them on but kept the audio on speaker so Kay would be able to hear the conversation. On an impulse, he also tapped the record button on his end, in case anything came up that he would need to discuss with Briggs later on.
A virtual coffee shop materialized around Jackson. It took him a second to get the controls working but Jackson walked across the room and sat his avatar down across a small, tile-covered table from Vega.
“Ah, much better,” Vega said, taking a sip from a mug. Once again, Jackson forced himself to not make a snide comment. Who pretended to drink virtual coffee anymore? There was no taste or smell, unless Vega had a lens set that cost well over ten thousand suns. Jackson backtracked in his mind. Vega seemed like the guy who would buy an expensive lens set just to go to virtual wine tastings. The older generation certainly enjoyed their VR novelties — though from what he could tell, Vega couldn’t be older than thirty-five.
“Not to be rude, but can we get to it?” Jackson asked. “I only have a few weeks and have a lot of prep work to do leading into the playoffs.”
“Ha!” Vega made it seem like Jackson had just said the funniest, yet most insightful thing ever. “I like your professional attitude — that’s great. Glad to see that loss didn’t get you down.”
Jackson scowled and Vega must have noticed because he held up his hand. “Hey, don’t get me wrong, it was a fluke win for that other guy. I can’t say I’m not glad it happened though — I think it will really drive home the point I want to make.”
“Which is?” Jackson asked, tapping the table with his avatar’s hand. He wasn’t rude as a practice to members of the public he interacted with, but this guy was something else. Something about his mannerisms really rubbed him the wrong way.
“I don’t need to tell you how important evolution is to a competitive Djinn,” Vega said. “Unfortunately, with Lyotes, it’s not as simple as hitting a certain level. I’ve studied the species for years and have never seen it happen. Though I have read up on the research from a Doctor Carl Williams and Doctor Jessica Hunt. Any relation to the latter, by the way?”
If this guy was a fake, he at least did his research. But Jackson still wasn’t convinced. “So you’re familiar with my mom’s research at Crevajo College?”
Vega’s face brightened and he nodded so vigorously, Jackson thought his round glasses must have flown off, in real life. “Oh yes! I’ve read her papers and notes. I don’t know how many times. Imagine my surprise when you entered the Bronze League with a Lyote! I thought there may be a connection between you two but wasn’t sure. Did you know your Asena is one of only three active Lyote species in the DBL today? The other two don’t hold a candle to her, if you don’t mind me saying. They’ve been line bred for so long that they’re more Dobberbark than Lyote, if you know what I mean. Domesticated.”
“Okay…” Jackson said. “So, what is it you’re offering?”
Vega clasped his hands together and gave a giddy bounce that almost spilled his virtual coffee. “I’m glad I’ve got your attention! As I mentioned before, I’ve studied Lyotes for most of my career. What I’m offering is the chance for you to evolve your Asena completely free of charge. I just want to observe and document the evolution.”
Jackson hesitated, but Vega took it as a sign to keep pushing his pitch.
“From what I’ve gathered from my own research and Doctor Hunt’s — sorry, your mother’s — notes, Lyotes can only evolve when some key conditions have been met on their home of Lombardia. Now, normally we wouldn’t be able to set foot there, but I’ve secured a special research grant and can bring along a few colleagues, as long as you promise not to capture any Lyotes while there — ha! What do you say?”
Jackson sat in thought for several long seconds. This was all too convenient. Nothing in life was this easy, especially not when having to do with his taming career. He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think so. For one, I don’t have the time right now with playoffs approaching and two, I’ve put some thought into it, and my strategy is going to be to keep Asena as a Lyote. I didn’t mean to waste your time or anything, but I just wanted to hear you out before I made a decision. Thanks for the offer, though.”
For the briefest instant, Jackson thought he saw a furious look pass over Vega’s face. A moment later, it was gone, replaced by a sad smile.
“Are you sure I can’t change your mind?” Vega asked. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity I’m offering. The permit from the research grant is only good for a limited time.”
“And you didn’t think to submit for it until after you’d locked down a Lyote?”
“I was optimistic you’d come around,” Vega said. “I would think someone who had a famous Djinnologist as a mother would understand the importance of Djinn evolution and growth.”
The last comment struck a nerve in Jackson. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t talk about my mother. You didn’t know her. You don’t know me. Please don’t contact me again about this.”
Ignoring Vega’s protests, Jackson switched off his lenses and the virtual coffee room disappeared, along with the audio feed of Vega apologizing. Jackson pulled off the lenses and placed them on the bed.
“That didn’t sound like it went well,” Kay said.
>
“Yeah.”
“You didn’t have to be so mean.”
“I couldn’t help it. He got under my —”
Jackson was interrupted by another incoming call. He looked down, expecting to see Vega’s number but was surprised to find Fiona’s caller code. He froze. Was she going to take him up on his offer? For some reason, he felt awkward answering the phone with Kay in the room. He considered ignoring it, but his holo-watch was still connected to the projector so that Kay could see the incoming call too.
“Are you going to answer that?” she asked.
“Uh… yeah,” Jackson said. He was suddenly aware of his filthy room and the fact that he hadn’t showered since the day before. Jackson reached over and grabbed his hat from the bed post and pulled it on to help hide his unkempt hair. Then he answered.
“Geez, took you long enough,” Fiona said, her head hovering in the air in front of Jackson’s closet. She glanced to the side and saw Kay. “Oh, hey. What’s up, Kay?”
“Hey Fiona,” Kay said. “Are you staying over at your parents on the break?”
“Yeah, but I haven’t made it there yet. We’ve been doing some shopping for the awards ceremony,” Fiona said, rolling her eyes, “My mom is insisting I get a new dress for it. Jackson, what are you wearing there?”
“Uh…” Now that it was his turn to contribute to the conversation, Jackson didn’t have a clue what to say. “Clothes? I didn’t know it had to be something fancy.”
“Dude.” Fiona gave him a flat look. “Did you not read the invitation? It’s formal attire only. The DBL is going to be broadcasting the whole thing on the holo, we’re supposed to dress our best.”
Jackson did a mental rundown of his wardrobe. It consisted of cutoff shirts for working at the ranch in the summer, normal t-shirts, hoodies, jeans, a couple hats, and two pairs of leather work boots, one with laces and one without. “So…I guess I’ll have to go get some slacks and something with a collar?”
Fiona grinned and Jackson felt his stomach do a weird flip like it did before a big battle. “You’re such a hayseed, you know that? You have to wear a tuxedo.” Fiona laughed. “Vance told me you’d say something like that. Briggs’s homeless-chic ways are apparently rubbing off on you.”
“Vance?” Jackson’s butterflies made a u-turn, but for other reasons. “Vance mentioned me?”
Fiona nodded. “He does every once in a while. He used to be a ranch hand on Osmara before he started taming. I guess he understands what it’s like to go from a place like Tyle to the world of taming. Anyway, I was just calling to make sure you didn’t show up in jeans and boots. Good thing I did.”
In the corner of the room, Kay had a grin plastered on her face too. She knew as well as Fiona that’s exactly what Jackson had been planning on wearing.
“Thanks,” Jackson said. “I guess I’ll have to go rent one? That’s a thing people do, right?” The idea appealed to him about as much as spending an hour locked in a room with Vega.
“Yes, Jack. People rent tuxes,” Fiona said, a dry expression on her face. “Look, I gotta go — my mom’s going to kill me if I don’t start trying some dresses on. Catch you later!”
The holo wiped out, leaving Jackson wondering about how Fiona would look wearing a dress. He’d never actually seen her in one before, he realized. He forced the thought from his mind as Kay started talking about where they could find him a tux before realizing Fiona hadn’t said anything about his hangout inquiry. He decided to let it drop until he saw her in person, although he wished he could have had the chance to invite her along with them to get a tux.
“So does that sound good?” Kay asked.
Jackson gave her a blank look. “Uh, sorry. What?”
Kay smiled. “I just said a bunch of gibberish to see if you were listening.”
“Jerk.”
“Seriously, though,” Kay said, still grinning. “Do you want to go to Perot? I just did a search and there’s a tux rental shop there. It’s the closest one around — the Tyle Mercantile store doesn’t even have suits, let alone a tux.”
“Okay, sounds like a plan,” Jackson said.
She blinked in surprise. “You mean you agree?”
“Yeah, what the heck? Let’s go have a night out on the town in Perot. I can use a little mundane.”
Chapter Eight
“I look like a freaking moron,” Jackson said, standing in front of the mirror. “And why do they call it an inseam? Can’t they just ask me how long my pants are.”
“A little bit of class is going to do you some good,” Kay said. “Fiona was right, you are a hayseed.”
Jackson frowned at his reflection in the mirror. He was standing on top of a stool, doing his best to hold still and not mess up the pinned clothing until the employee at the tux rental returned. The place Kay found used some kind of high tech material that, as far as Jackson could comprehend, uninstalled itself after each use and went from clothing to a pile of silk cloth. The plus side was the smart fabric made for a perfect fit. On the other hand, it required Jackson to be measured as if they were tailoring the tuxedo just for him.
“I bet we could have found one at the thrift store for half the price,” Jackson muttered. “I can picture Akamu in a place like this. Not sure I like that.”
“Well, for what it’s worth, I think you look very nice,” Kay said. Jackson wasn’t sure if she was trying to make him feel better or defend her selection of tuxedo rental services.
After another half hour of measuring and test fitting with the smart fabric, the tailor finally stepped back and turned Jackson toward the mirror to see the finished product.
Jackson had to admit he cut a pretty dashing figure in the matte black tuxedo. He pulled at the cuffs and then at the collar and, in spite of himself, a self-assured grin spread across his face.
“How does it feel, sir?” the tailor asked. “Move around to make sure the fabric is conforming properly.”
Hopping off of the stool, Jackson did a couple of turns and squats.
Kay snorted. “You’re not going to be working out in it.”
“It fits great,” Jackson told the tailor, ignoring Kay. “Thanks for your help.”
While the tailor went to ring up the fitting and materials rental, Jackson disappeared behind a changing screen so the tux could be vacuum-sealed and kept fresh on the flight to the awards ceremony.
Jackson wondered idly what Fiona would think of the look. If recent events between them were any judge, she probably wouldn’t be able to stop laughing when she saw him. He was glad it was Kay and not Fiona who’d seen him measured and pinned up like a mannequin.
Once everything was packaged, correctly addressed for shipping, and paid for, they headed out to find something to eat. After debating and wandering around for a half an hour, they decided just to grab some gelato. Kay had eaten a big, late lunch with her extended family and Jackson, no matter how many he blamed Asena for eating, had more than his fair share of pizza rolls.
As the sun started to set behind the distant hills, they made their way down to the river walk. The air was warm with high summer and the gentle laps of the Tor River mixed with the sounds of the small city winding down for the evening. Asena walked on ahead of them a few steps but stayed close to Jackson so they didn’t get in trouble for breaking the Djinn distance rule in the city. Scrappy remained in stasis, content to rest in his ring.
Kay’s Fenkit, Sunshine, followed along at Asena’s heels, just as he always did when the pair of them were out of their rings together. The little fox Djinn didn’t fight, but had been Kay’s personal companion for years and went with her everywhere. After a rocky start to their relationship, Asena and Sunshine were as tight as Jackson and Kay.
“Man, this is hard to beat,” Jackson said. “Kind of makes me wonder if I made the wrong decision after all, not taking the job Mr. Sato offered.” Right before Jackson had received an invite to Bronze League Training Camp months prior, he’d received an offer to intern
and then work full-time as a certified Djinn Breeder at Sato Ranches, which he rejected in favor of working toward his taming career.
“Oh, whatever,” Kay said. “You’re happy to have a break now, but I guarantee you’d be going crazy if you hadn’t gone for the Bronze League.”
“Yeah, I know.” Jackson was going to miss Kay’s frankness and insights.
Four years…
They continued down the river walk, chatting about nothing in particular. Kay filled Jackson in on how her family had been while they were away. The two of them reminisced on times back in high school and working on the ranch together. Jackson didn’t want it to end, but eventually, they made their way full circle back to downtown.
“Do you want to head back?” Kay asked, checked her holo. “It’s almost eight — I’m good for whatever, though.”
Just then, Jackson had a thought and pulled up a message on his holo-watch.
“What’s that?” Kay asked when she saw the incoming email pop up on the screen. “Oh no — why are you even still getting those?”
“Don’t judge,” Jackson said. “I just…you never know, right?”
He glanced at the email. It was a notification for the Underground, a series of informal and illegal fights that took place around neighboring cities. It had been where Jackson had gotten his start and where he’d first met Briggs. Illegal or not, they still held a place in his heart. It was probably why he never bothered to unsubscribe to the notification list.
He gave a sideways smirk as soon as he noticed the Perot address.
Kay was on edge as soon as she saw the look on his face. “Oh no, you’re not dragging me to another one of those filthy, rowdy Underground fights! Besides, you’ll lose your roster spot if you get caught fighting illegally! I guarantee you someone will turn in a video clip just hoping to —”
Jackson threw his hands into the air. “Whoa, take it easy! I’m not going to fight, I swear! I just wanted to go check it out, I promise.”
Djinn Tamer - The Complete Bronze League Trilogy Page 58