Weston nodded and lifted his hands, palms out, attempting to placate her. “That’s fine. Of course. Whatever makes Jade feel most comfortable and safe.”
Krista faltered, surprise flashing in her eyes. The pressure of her finger eased. “You, you don’t mind that she’s bringing all of us?”
“Of course not.” She took a step back and Weston sucked in a breath, rubbing his chest. “The goal of her coming to Lucrum with me is for her to help get Andre released and to protect her from my father. If she has to bring half the Monomi clan with her so she feels safe, I’m not going to complain.” He shrugged. “My father may not like it, but I’m more concerned about Jade’s safety right now.”
Krista deflated at that, and she crossed her arms as if hugging herself, instead of being stand-offish. “We’ll bring a few others, too.” She looked at him from below lowered brows.
“Again, that’s not a problem with me,” Weston assured. She seemed to be calming down. And maybe she could report to Jade and Zak that he really did want what was best for Jade.
Krista’s eyes traveled to the door behind Weston, and then to the bed behind her. The flush of anger drained from her face, and her eyes slowly widened. She swallowed hard, then raised her chin. “That will be all.”
Weston nodded and opened the door, glancing into the hallway. No sign of his guards. Which meant they were either trying to eavesdrop from the rooms that shared a common wall with him, they were incompetent (unlikely), or they were waiting for her in the common room. “Uh, I don’t know if it’s safe for you to go out with Niles—”
She swept past him and stopped just beyond arms’ reach, somehow looking down at him from over her shoulder. “We’re in an inn owned by Garnet and run by the Monomi. I have nothing to fear in the common room.” Krista pivoted on her heel, leaning forward. “You, on the other hand, have plenty to fear. I will never trust you.”
Weston leaned against the door frame as Krista picked up her skirt to jog down the hall. A tremor ran through his hands, and he tucked them under his arms, turning away to kick his door shut. This trip was already proving to be far more than he’d bargained for.
Chapter Nineteen
Ben
Ben’s boots hit the loamy soil on the Perennia coast, and he inhaled the scent of salt and sand that blew in the air. They’d purposefully landed far from the city proper, hoping to avoid residents today. This particular grounding was for one purpose, and one purpose only: the test between Ezekial and Finn.
“Are we sure this is a good idea?” Ash asked as he followed Ben. They stepped aside to make room for others to disembark the Phoenix. “I mean, is this really the best use of our time?”
Ben shrugged. “Probably not.” He glanced up the wooden ramp to make sure Ezekial wasn’t coming down and about to overhear him. It was only Brandon, his hand resting lightly on the pommel of his sword as he joined them on the ground. Ben turned back to Ash. “But if this means we can have less friction on the team, all the better.”
“So, what next? Have Ezekial fight Brandon?” Ash crossed his arms with a skeptical frown. “I can’t see that going over well, either.”
“Maybe this will be enough.”
To Ben’s right stretched a field of vibrant multi-hued flowers that he’d never seen before. He strolled over and crouched, examining the five blue star-point petals and the five white, rounded, inner petals upon which the bottlebrush stamen nestled on. He ran a finger over the red and yellow petals of one, contemplating.
“Columbine flowers. The city is named after them,” Brandon spoke over Ben’s shoulder. Ben turned. Brandon’s eyes held a distant quality to them and a bittersweet smile tugged at his lips. He pointed at a yellow columbine. “Sapphire was fondest of the golden petals. ‘For they represent happiness, vivaciousness, and vitality,’” he quoted in a light voice. His hand dropped as he took a deep breath. “They fit her well.”
Ben waited a moment to see if the prince was going to say anything more. When he didn’t, Ben stood and nodded to the colorful field. “They’re beautiful.”
“Indeed.” Brandon glanced back at the Phoenix, and a glimmer of amusement crossed his face. “Maybe you should give one to your lady friend.”
“My—” Ben looked up at the airship and caught Raine’s eye as she walked down the gangplank. She angled toward them with a small smile. “We’re not like that,” he replied, keeping his voice low.
Brandon laughed aloud and turned toward the group amassing by the Phoenix, patting Ben on the shoulder. “You keep telling yourself that.”
Ben swallowed and fought to keep his expression neutral as he walked to meet Raine where she’d stopped by Ash. Brandon’s healing with Finn’s help was really starting to throw him off. Having the former bandit notice his attraction to Raine—let alone tease him of it—was downright disconcerting.
Whenever, if ever, Ben ever made it home, he’d never find someone as mesmerizing and puzzling as Raine, and it ate at him even as he savored every interaction with her. She’d finally opened up as a friend, and yet he recognized the walls she hid behind. Secrets. She had hers, just as he had his. And if he played his cards right, she’d never know what he hid from her.
Raine’s dark ponytail swayed in the wind, and she held an axe out to Ash. “Could you do us a favor?”
Ash accepted the weapon with an easy nod. “What do you need?”
“Two logs, preferably yea long.” Raine held her hands about shoulder width apart. “And from green wood.”
“No problem.” Ash surveyed the mix of pine, aspen, and maple trees beyond the green field by them. Autumn was just around the corner, and the leaves on the maple were only just turning. “Any type of wood?”
“Whatever strikes your fancy,” Raine replied. “Bring them over whenever you have them ready. I expect this first test to be over relatively quickly.”
Ash rolled his eyes. “So, no rush. Got it.” He snapped his fingers at the closest tree and hoisted the axe over his shoulder. “Don’t let them get carried away without me.”
Finn passed Ben, his simple vest layered over a long-sleeved shirt that ruffled in the breeze. He stopped by Raine and said something quiet that brought out a smile and a hug. Ezekial strode up to the duo, and Raine detached from her grandfather, the warmth in her eyes cooling just enough to be noticeable.
“Are we ready?” Rebecca called out from behind Ben. “Gather around!”
All of the crew but Ash formed a sloppy circle around the scarred captain, and she motioned for Finn and Ezekial to step forward. The steady sounds of wood being chopped punctuated the silence before she spoke. “The rules are simple. There will be three tests for you two to complete, but,” she held up a finger, “you must complete them with only manipulation magic. Use whatever you have at your disposal. The first test is simple. Show your power.”
The corners of Ezekial’s lips turned up in a smirk, and he bowed to Finn. “After you.”
Finn’s nod didn’t acknowledge the lilt of teasing in Ezekial’s voice, and the older sage walked out to the middle of the grassy field. Raine chewed on the edge of her finger, her jaw tense. Ben practiced the silent steps she’d been training him in earlier, and he sidled up next to her.
“How will they show their power?” he asked, his voice low.
Raine jumped, and her hand flew down to her sword hilt. She blinked at him owlishly, then blushed as she crossed her arms. “Sorry, I-I didn’t hear you.”
He couldn’t help the immediate cocky grin and wink. “That was the point of all that practice yesterday, wasn’t it?” He purposefully glanced away at Finn, letting her have a moment to collect herself, then back to Raine. “So, just how dangerous is this going to be?”
“Oh, not that dangerous.” Raine’s laugh was light, though her eyes didn’t stray from her grandfather’s back. “I’m just—” She hesitated. “Not accustomed to him participating in such things.”
“Right.” Ben furrowed his brow and he moved closer t
o Raine to allow Roska a good vantage point. “So how does this work, exactly?”
“I’m not sure how much you know of sages,” she started. Ben shrugged with a lopsided frown, and a flash of humor brightened her eyes. “But I’m going to just gloss over everything. Sages manipulate the elements around them, and one of the first things they learn during their training is to manipulate the energy around them. That is, the molecules. It’s one of the few ways that they can show their strength in a visible manner.” She lifted a hand to where Finn stood in the middle of the field. “There are other ways to do this, but we don’t have any of the necessary tools with us. When he releases his energy out there, we’ll be able to see a wave of it.”
Finn tipped his head back, facing the cloudy sky. He lifted his hands, holding them parallel over the ground. Soundless lightning erupted from his palms, rippling the grass and blowing up loose debris.
Ben took a step back while everyone else murmured in surprise. A green circle of flattened plant life surrounded Finn in a radius that Ben estimated to be twenty feet. Ben whistled lowly.
“If he loses this competition, I will skin him myself,” Raine growled, her face dark and eyes blazing. Her fists clenched. “Void take us all if this throws everything.”
Unsure of why she was angry after Finn’s impressive demonstration, Ben dared to step closer to Roska.
Finn returned to where they all stood, his face impassive as he nodded to Ezekial. Ezekial smirked and walked out to the center of the grass and waited for everyone to give him their full attention, then flashed a confident smile their way.
“Impressive, for an older man,” Ezekial admitted, his voice carrying over the wind and sound of distant waves. He slid his feet apart, arms outstretched. A similar blast of energy like Finn’s shot from Ezekial, adding another ten feet to the large circle. He straightened and wiped his hands together. “But I do believe I win this round.”
Roska whooped next to Ben. “Balnic! That was amazing!”
Ben grimaced. If Ezekial ended up winning this competition, that would change almost every dynamic on the Phoenix, and none for the better. And Ben had seen Finn in action, healing impossible injuries and shooting fireballs. Could Ezekial really be more powerful than that?
Rebecca worked her way through the crew to reach the front of the crowd, where Finn and Ezekial stood. “The clear winner of this first round is Ezekial,” she announced, her eyes betraying her hint of concern while her tone remained steady. “For this next test, we’ll need a bit more.” She motioned, and Ash dumped the two chopped logs before them. The scent of fresh cut pine tickled Ben’s sinuses.
Ezekial eyed the wood while Rebecca nudged a log with her boot. “Sages need precision. This will showcase that.” She turned to face Finn and Ezekial. “Carve it. Use whatever elements you want. You have two hours.”
Ash and Roska dragged over other stumps for Ezekial and Finn to place their lumber on while Brandon and Kerlee pulled out a chair for each sage. A few of the crew disappeared inside the ship, but Ben stayed by Raine’s side, fascinated with watching the two sages.
Finn ran his hands over the wood, his eyes closed. He made a noise in the back of his throat and opened his eyes with a single nod. He sat in the chair, paying no mind to how it sank into the soft earth. Aged hands rose as if embracing the pine, and Finn lifted them over the sides to the top, and fresh sap bubbled to the surface. He popped open the flask on his hip, and water streamed out of it and onto the log. It swirled across the surface, puddling impossibly on the sides in some areas, and completely avoiding other spots. Finn fisted his hand and the water crackled into ice. Chunks of wood fell.
Ben’s jaw dropped. Carving with elements. Manipulating them with such precision. He’d never thought it possible until now. And even as he watched, he still found it hard to believe.
Finn continued chipping away at the bottom of the block, turning it as needed, leaving an upside down V shape roughly hewn into the wood.
Ben walked over to see how Ezekial was doing and he raised his eyebrows, impressed despite himself. The Perennian sage had carved the outer part of the pine to resemble driftwood, and the inner section he was meticulously burning away with fire that he controlled in his hand.
Roska stood over him, arms crossed and eyes wide in wonder. He looked up at Ben and gestured down at focused sage. “Have you ever seen anything like this?”
“No,” Ben shook his head, awed by how the fire burned at the wood, then would wink out when Ezekial waved his hand. “This is unlike anything I’ve witnessed.”
“One hour left.” Rebecca snapped her pocket watch shut and looked at Raine, something communicated in her eyes that Ben could only guess at. Rebecca tilted her chin and raised her eyebrows. Raine nodded once, and the brunette captain turned away with a slight wince.
Ben skirted around the lowered gangplank to return to Raine’s side. Now he could see that Finn’s carving was taking the detailed shape of a bird with outstretched wings, the head arched toward the sky. Finn turned the wood around, chipping away at a long tail of elegantly curling feathers.
Once satisfied, Finn let the water he’d been using drop into the grass underfoot and pulled a metal box from his vest. He opened it to reveal several paper-bound cylinders. He removed one and snapped the case shut, returning it home to its pocket. Finn squeezed the cylinder with his fingers, and something inside the paper splintered. Fire jumped from the match to his hand.
With painstaking accuracy, Finn shadowed the bird, adding dimension and realism beyond what Ben would’ve expected possible within the short time frame.
“Five minutes,” Rebecca called out. The deck behind them rattled as crew members returned to see what magic the two sages had conjured. Geist moseyed over to watch the last of Finn’s work.
Talons gripped the branch, and the wings stretched up as if it were about to take flight. Finn held his hands on either side of the base, and his brow lowered as he brought his hands up to the bird’s head. Twin dots of amber sap burst forth from the wood, giving eyes to the creature.
Ben shook his head. To think, the entire thing had been carved without manmade tools or even being touched by Finn’s hands. Just his manipulation of the elements. Such a thing didn’t seem possible.
“Time!” Rebecca proclaimed. She paced over to Ezekial’s carving, and the sage raised it for all to see the flames carved and burned into what looked like a tree stump of driftwood. The flames looked real despite the pale wood and charcoal coloring, and every angle held a strength and intensity that had Ben half-expecting heat to come from the thing.
“I name it ‘Power,’” Ezekial stated with a proud smirk. He set it down and stretched, then strolled over to Finn’s station. “What do you have, ol—” he cut himself off, surprise painting his features.
Geist whistled as Finn held up his creation.
“Phoenix.” Finn held it out for inspection, turning it this way and that. While Ezekial’s carving echoed power, Finn’s practically sang with life. From the taut wings to the proud curve of the neck, to the strength in the talons, the wooden phoenix had a lifelike quality that seemed utterly unreal to Ben.
“Maybe I’ll find a different hobby than carving,” Geist muttered. “No way will I ever be able to top that.”
“And that was with only two hours,” Ben shook his head. “I can’t imagine a full day.”
Rebecca swiveled to take in the crew. “All in favor of Ezekial’s ‘Power’?” Roska raised his hand. She pointed. “All in favor of Finn’s ‘Phoenix’?” Everyone else raised their hand. Rebecca’s grin pulled on her scars as she gave a small bow to Finn. “Point to Finn, then.”
Finn set the bust down. “Now for the third and final test.”
Raine tensed behind him.
“Yes.” Rebecca pressed her lips together and pointed at the field where they had been earlier. “Back out there. Remember, this is testing adaptability. Quick thinking. Survival skills. Mastery over technique.” She prop
ped her hands on her hips and tilted her chin up while her eyes narrowed. “Use whatever skill, power, technique, or abilities you possess as sages.”
Finn and Ezekial nodded and started walking out to the flattened grass. Rebecca motioned to Keene, and he handed her two orbs. She passed one to her husband, Michael, and he held the sphere at an angle as she pulled a smooth silver stone from her pocket.
Raine’s hands fisted, and she stepped into Ben’s personal space.
Rebecca’s stone sparked, and Michael caught the spark on a sliver of a wood splinter. The tip glowed and they nodded to each other before he dipped the burning end into his orb, then hers. They both spun on their heels, flinging the orbs at the sages’ backs. “Bomb!” Rebecca shrieked.
Ben’s heart leaped into his throat, lodging itself there as the two spheres arced through the air. His vision flashed with memory: shouts, dust, an explosion, screaming, pain, the Void.
Finn turned at Rebecca’s shout and propelled himself back as the orb exploded.
Raine grabbed Ben’s hand, her short fingernails digging into his palm.
Fire blossomed from the glass, and Finn raised his hands to meet the flames even as he covered his face behind his arm. The flash brightened for a moment, then fell in on itself in a blazing ball before Finn pulled the fire toward himself in a stream, then let it dissipate off his fingers.
Ben’s gaze darted to Ezekial, equally awed at the sight of the tall sage unharmed, a ball of ice at his feet.
“Did he, did he suck the heat out of it?” Roska asked, his voice hushed.
“Looks like it,” Keene replied. He crossed his arms and looked between the two. “How do we decide who won?”
“That’s my question, too,” Ezekial ran a hand over his clothes. His countenance darkened. “A spark got me.” He poked a hole through his shirt and sighed.
“It’s a tie.” Raine marched forward over the uneven turf and she waggled a finger at her grandfather. “If you hadn’t held back on your power display, we wouldn’t be at a tie!”
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