by P. A. Peña
Aurelia took a teaspoon and dipped it into the sauce. She brought it to her lips and softly blew on it. Her eyes lit up as she tasted it, and she squirmed with excitement. “This just might be the best sauce I’ve ever made.”
“It can’t be that good.” Virgil said.
Aurelia grabbed a new spoon and dunked it into the sauce. She held it out in front of Virgil’s face. He leaned in to have a taste, only for Aurelia to pull the spoon back. “You have to blow on it first,” she said. “It’s really hot.”
Virgil flashed a blank stare. “I can literally breathe fire.”
“That doesn’t mean you can’t burn your tongue.”
“Fine,” Virgil said before puckering his lips.
He blew on the sauce covered spoon and Aurelia gently placed it in his mouth. His eyes widened. It was as if each of his taste buds were being massaged by the various flavors all at once. The onion. The oregano. The pepper. The garlic. Everything blended together in a beautiful symphony of deliciousness.
“Okay,” Virgil said. “That just might be the best spaghetti sauce I have ever tasted.” Aurelia burst into a fit of giggles. “What? I mean it. I may have doubted you before, but now I see the light.”
Aurelia grabbed a towel off of the counter. “I’m glad you’ve come around,” she said as she reached towards Virgil’s face. Carefully, she dabbed Virgil’s mouth with the towel. They locked eyes with one another. For a moment they stood there, neither of them saying a word.
“Thank you,” Virgil said, breaking the silence between them.
“Y-you’re welcome,” Aurelia replied, her cheeks reddening before turning away.
Roxanne entered the kitchen. “We’re back,” she said.
“And we have another guest,” Riley replied.
Virgil looked around Aurelia to find Roxanne and Logan accompanied by a familiar nymph. “Orlando!” he exclaimed.
The nymph waved. “Fancy meeting you here.”
“I take it you already know him?” Aurelia asked.
Virgil walked over to Orlando. “Know him? He sponsored me for the exam.” Virgil held out his hand. “You know, I never thanked you for that.”
“It was my pleasure,” Orlando said as they shook hands. He then looked to Riley. “Oh, and sorry to drop in so unexpectedly. I have to debrief Roxy on some stuff. It’s kind of important I do it in person.”
“You know guests are always welcome here,” Riley said. “But dinner’s nearly ready, so work will have to wait. Everybody go wash up, and Roxanne and I will set the table.”
Chapter 41
The dinner table was lively with conversation, although it remained clean as Peyton was present among them. With the time difference, it had only been a few hours since Virgil, Aurelia, and Logan had eaten breakfast, so they made their plates light. Virgil limited his to a small helping of spaghetti and a biscuit, and had an ice-cold glass of tea to wash it down. As he ate, he couldn’t help but smile. The food was even more delicious than he had thought it would be.
As dinner wound down, Orlando stood. “Everything was wonderful, as usual. If you would excuse me, though, I’m going to go out back for a smoke.” He tapped Virgil on his shoulder. “Why don’t you come out with me? Keep me company.”
“Sure thing,” Virgil said as he stood up. “Please excuse me, everyone.”
Virgil followed Orlando out into the backyard. As the door closed behind him, Orlando pulled out a cigarette.
“All right.” Orlando lit up. “Fill me in. I want to know everything that happened in the exam.”
Virgil grinned. “I thought we weren’t supposed to talk about the exam. Past, present, or future.”
Orlando returned the gestured as he lightly slapped Virgil on the shoulder. “You’re a Crusader now. That rule only applies to sponsors and applicants.”
Virgil spent the next several minutes recalling his experiences on Akata Island. He left out no detail, even the ones painful to dig back up.
Orlando exhaled a cloud of smoke. “Sounds like you’ve been through a hell of a lot, but it’s certainly made you stronger. You look like a new man.”
“Yeah. I’m a totally different person now.” Virgil chuckled. “I’ve gotten my ass handed to me more times than I care to admit. I can’t remember a time I’ve ever sucked this hard.”
“Okay,” Orlando said. “Way too personal there.”
Virgil chuckled as he shook his head. “Shut up. I meant metaphorically.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Orlando smiled. “Whether you want to admit it or not, Akata Island has had a positive effect on you. Either that, or it’s that pretty young thing in there.”
“I guess you can say that. Aurelia and I have bonded quite a bit throughout the exam.”
Orlando placed his palm on Virgil’s shoulder. “Just be careful. You don’t want to mix your feelings for Olivia with Aurelia. I know it might seem like things are over on account of Olivia being dead and all, but emotions. They don’t die so easily.”
Virgil blushed. “What do you mean? Aurelia and I are just friends.”
Orlando shot Virgil a droll, unconvinced look. “I get it. Logan is her brother, right? I suppose I’d keep it on the DL too if that behemoth was staring me down every day. But if you’re serious about romancing Aurelia, sooner or later, you’re going to have to tell him.”
“No. I mean it. She’s my best friend. Nothing more.”
Again, Orlando shot Virgil that same look, only this time, his eyes dropped shortly after. “My god. You’re not kidding.”
“I’m not. Two people can be friends without being romantically involved. In fact, it was Aurelia who encouraged me to pursue Olivia in the first place. Without her, I wouldn’t have stood a chance.”
Orlando took another draw from his cigarette. “You’re completely right. You certainly can just be friends. However, the way that girl couldn’t keep her eyes off you at dinner, she’s definitely into you.”
“You’re wrong.” Virgil shook his head. “I sort of told her I didn’t think she could cook. I’m sure she was just checking to see if I really enjoyed the meal.”
Orlando raised his finger. “First off, never tell a woman she can’t cook. Even if she can’t so much as melt butter, you eat whatever it is she makes and smile like it’s the best damn thing you’ve ever eaten. Second, if Aurelia doesn’t think the two of you could be more than friends, I have gravely lost the ability to understand women. And since that simply isn’t possible—” The back door opened, and out stepped Roxanne, Logan, and Aurelia. “Roxy. I take it you’re ready for that debriefing.”
“I am.” Roxanne waved her hand, summoning a white void. “However, given that we have new members on the task force, I think it would be best if we pull in the other members as well.”
They stepped through the void and were instantly transported to a large, bunker-like room. The floors and walls were made of metal, and there wasn’t a single window in sight. Numerous LED panels embedded into the ceiling lit the room. There were two floors. Furniture was sparse on the bottom floor. Apart from the bookshelves spread along the walls, the only other furniture present was a huge rectangular table sitting in the middle of the room, and several chairs surrounding it.
The upper level, on the other hand, was much homier. Or, at least as homey as a bunker could be. There were six twin-sized beds. Nothing too luxurious, but it certainly beat sleeping on the floor. A fridge sat in the corner of the upper level, and next to that was a small electric stove.
Roxanne gestured to everyone to take a seat at the table. Naturally, she took the spot at the head. As she sat down, the table lit up, revealing a keyboard and screen in its glossy surface. She began typing away. Before long, she had two projections up, sitting in the chairs as if they were there in the room with them.
One of the projections was that of a plump elven woman. She had orange skin like a summer sunset, and bright red hair which her lips perfectly matched. Her eyes were an amber gold. She was dressed ca
sually in a long gown clearly meant for sleeping, and her hair was tied up as if to avoid tangling as she slept.
The other projection was the complete opposite of the first. The golem was tall and slender and had deep brown skin similar to wet dirt. Her eyes were cold and black, and there didn’t appear to be a sliver of hair on her. The golem was dressed in a pair of jeans and wore an open vest, revealing a rocky set of muscles.
“Please forgive me for contacting you so late,” Roxanne said. “I was going to do this tomorrow morning, but Orlando has some information to divulge, so I figured we can just get it out of the way now.”
The elf yawned as she rubbed her eyes. “Sure thing, boss.” Her voice was soft and sleepy. “No need to apologize to us.”
“It is very discourteous to yawn in the presence of your commanding officer,” the golem sneered. “Must you always be so uncouth?”
“Cut me some slack. Some people enjoy getting some rest from time to time.”
“How can you find time to rest with such important work to do?”
“Easy. When I feel myself getting irate like you, I usually stop and think to myself, ‘Hey, Lilith. You should go lie down. Nobody likes an old stick in the mud like Ash.’ And then I go to sleep. Simple as that.”
“I am not a stick in the mud.” Ash grumbled as she crossed her arms.
“Ladies, if you are done squabbling,” Roxanne said, “can we get this show on the road?”
“Yes, ma’am,” the two women said in unison.
“Good. Then I will start with introductions. I’m sure you have noticed we have company with us.” Roxanne gestured her hand towards the trio. “Allow me to introduce you to Logan and Aurelia Bryant, and Virgil Truesdale. Virgil and Logan tied in this year’s placement tournament and have joined our ranks as rooks, and Aurelia has placed as a knight.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Lilith said with a wave of her fingers. “My name is Lilith Talson, otherwise known as the Smoldering Sunset. I’m a rook as well. Normally I report to Ash here, but since joining this group, I’ve been reporting to the big boss herself.”
“And my name is Ash Zobel, the Frigid Wood. I’m ranked queen and report directly to Roxanne alongside Orlando. If there’s anything I can do to assist you in getting acclimated to our team, please do not hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you,” Virgil said. “I look forward to working with you all.”
“Likewise,” Aurelia joined in.
Logan simply nodded as he crossed his arms.
“All right.” Roxanne turned to Orlando. “You have the floor.”
Orlando stood. “So, I got good news and bad news. The bad news is Nobody is in the wind again. Their hideout was mostly abandoned when I got there, and I have no clue where they could have relocated to.”
“That’s okay,” Lilith said. “We suspected as much after their attack on Akata Island.”
“What’s the good news?” Ash asked.
Orlando reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a peculiar looking notebook. It was bound with black leather that looked to be centuries old. There were a series of runes sewn into the leather, and a silver clasp held the book shut.
“What is that?” Roxanne asked.
“That,” Orlando said as he tossed the book onto the table, “is a grimoire I managed to recover from their hideout. Of course, I had to fight through a horde of demons to get it, but—”
“Are you serious?” Ash said in shock.
“As serious as I am fine as hell. So yes. I am very serious.”
“Excellent work,” Roxanne exclaimed.
“I don’t understand,” Virgil confessed. “Why does recovering one of their grimoires matter so much?”
Logan groaned. “If we know what kind of magic they are capable of producing, we might be able to discern their next move. We may even discover their motive for attacking us.”
“Precisely,” Roxanne said, “especially considering the great lengths they went through to obtain a catalyst.”
Virgil fell silent, looking down at the table. He hadn’t forgotten about the Fang of Kayveon being stripped away from him, but the mere mention of it was enough to dredge up every negative feeling he was trying so hard to bury. He felt a warm touch on his arm and looked over. Aurelia had reached over and given his arm a gentle squeeze. For a brief moment, they locked gazes, prompting them both to smile.
“So,” Roxanne continued. “What does the grimoire say? Are there any leads in it?”
“Oh, I have no clue.” Orlando sat back down. “The damn thing nearly disintegrated me when I tried to open it.”
Roxanne sighed. “Of course. We can’t expect everything to go so smoothly, right?” She turned toward Virgil. “Can you scan it for me?”
“Sure thing,” Virgil replied. “Anything I’m looking for in particular?”
“Yes. I want you to tell me if you detect any imprints of aura related to lost magic.”
The room fell silent at the mere mention of those words. Virgil nodded and complied with Roxanne’s request. His body tensed and his heart skipped a beat. “Yeah,” he said, opening his eyes. “The book has been sealed up by Cecelia using lost magic.”
“I had a feeling,” Roxanne said as she picked up the grimoire. “We have to find out what’s inside here. I’ll have Cordellia take a look at it, and Ash, I want you to work with her on this. I’m sure between the two of you, you can break whatever enchantment is protecting it.”
“As you wish,” Ash replied. “I’ll reach out to her in the morning and schedule a rendezvous.”
Roxanne turned to Lilith and Orlando. “While we wait for the results, I want you two to begin researching Cecelia Holland. Thanks to Virgil, we have a name now. I want everything you can find on her.”
“You got it, Roxy,” Orlando replied.
“You can count on us,” Lilith added.
Roxanne stood up. “One last thing, before I dismiss you. My focus for the foreseeable future will be on getting our new recruits up to speed. They have incredible talent and potential, but they aren’t quite ready to be out there in the field. However, I will always be available for contact, should you need me.”
Both Lilith and Ash stood and saluted Roxanne before their projections cut out.
Roxanne turned towards the trio of recruits. “As for you three, we will be operating out of my home in Fenmont. This room, however, is one of my own creation. It is a dimension entirely split from our world. So as long as I draw breath, this room exists and is impenetrable.”
She walked over to one of the bookshelves and grabbed a small box. From it, she took out three crystals, each no bigger than a golf ball.
“Once you two learn allostry, these teleportation crystals will be a lot less useful. Until then, use them to enter this dimension. Should you need a safe haven, consider this bunker your refuge.”
With that, Roxanne returned the group to her home. Orlando said his goodbyes. As the rest of the group proceeded to turn in for the night, Virgil pulled Roxanne to the side.
“What is it?” she asked. “I hate to be rude, but tonight is the first night I’m able to sleep with my wife in months, so please be quick.”
“R-right,” Virgil said, his face flushing. “I’ll just be a minute. I want you to teach me allostry—”
Roxanne turned to walk away. “Of course. Didn’t you hear me earlier?”
Virgil took hold of Roxanne’s arm. “No. I mean. I need to get stronger. A lot stronger. I imagine whatever training you went through to get where you are must have been grueling. Even so, I want you to put me through the same.” Roxanne laughed. “I’m serious. No matter how painful it is or how long it takes, I’m willing to devote everything I have to training.”
“Virgil, if I put you through the same training I underwent, you wouldn’t survive the first day.”
Virgil’s face fell. “But I—”
Roxanne placed her hand on Virgil’s shoulder. “You worry too much. No one deserves
the level of hell I went through, but I assure you, you will get stronger under my tutelage.”
But will I be strong enough? Virgil thought.
Chapter 42
Virgil lay in his bed. His brain was ready to get up and start the day, but his body had yet to find the motivation to comply.
A wave of cold washed over him and wetness splashed all over his body. His eyes burst open in a panic as he couldn’t breathe. Each gasp for air came along with a gulp of water while his mind raced. Virgil looked around, only to find darkness surrounding him in every direction. His lungs were beginning to ache, and his heart pounded so vigorously it felt as if it would leap out of his body. He shrouded himself in flames, and the water around him evaporated. Virgil fell to the ground, desperately struggling to fill his lungs with oxygen, but it was no use.
With his flames glowing bright, he could see he was in a metal box, barely big enough to hold him. The room was airtight. His strength began to falter as his eyesight drew weary. Virgil placed his palm on the floor and focused what little of his mind was still working. Pouring his mana into his hand, he released a stream of blue fire that tore away the metal floor. Before long, he fell through, landing flat on his face.
Virgil coughed, spitting up water. Each breath felt like shards of glass sliding down his throat as he heaved in air. He lay on the ground, his chest rising and falling as he savored each pain-filled gulp of air.
“Let that be a lesson to you,” Roxanne said. “Never be late for training.”
“What, what do you mean?” Virgil uttered between breaths. “We never established when we’d be starting.”
“I am aware of that. This exercise is an insight into what will be your punishment should you turn up late.”
Virgil looked around. He was in an open field. There was nothing but grass and blue skies for as far as he could see. “You call this an exercise?” he asked.
Roxanne snapped her fingers, and Virgil felt a crushing weight upon his back. It was as if a massive boulder had been placed upon him, and yet, no such thing had occurred. He opened his mouth to speak, but the pressure on his body was far too high, pinning his chest to the dirt.