servants do it so they have work or something, I don’t know. Whatever the case may be, I’m entranced by the idea of a man helping with women’s work.
He finishes loading his plate before looking at me. “Are you all right?”
“ Um…” My throat catches. I clear it, and then continue. “I’m well. Thank you for your help.”
“ It's my pleasure.”
We stare at each other a moment. Awkwardly. I twirl away from him and hurry to finish eating my own plate of food, though my thoughts are too busy for me to be hungry.
“So,” Lukas says, “you never answered my question. Is there more to your interest with the tournament or is it really just curiosity?”
“ Just curiosity.”
“ Hmmm.”
Hmmm? That’s all? His tone implies he suspects more. And there is more. He’s saved my life. With him being from a different country, he has to think differently than all the Chardonian warlocks. And Zade trusts him. More than that, I think I’m beginning to trust him. He doesn’t act like any other warlock, not even Zade. As good as Zade is, Lukas may just be better.
“Fine. You win. There is more to it. I want to enter the tournament.”
His eyes widen. “You know how to do magic?”
If I’m going to do this, I might as well take it all the way. My magic is eager to answer, heating within me, hungry to show itself. I let it out in a spell that explodes with pink and purple dancing overhead. Harmless, nothing more than colored lights, a display of my pure magic, yet by his widening eyes, effective.
“ Yes, then,” he finally says. His eyes relax, his smile, so small, but bringing so much warmth to the room.
It takes a moment to process the fact that he’s happy about this. I thought he’d be upset like Zade. Perhaps uncaring or irritated that I did it, but joy? Never that.
“Why just staring at the headquarters then?” he asks. “Why haven’t you entered?”
I stop the spell, using it as an excuse to turn away so he won’t see the flush of embarrassment racing through me. The words are painfully accurate. I should have entered by now. He said it was the busiest time. There was a plethora of warlocks coming in and out of the building. I should have risked that it would be enough.
“It’s not that easy. I don’t even know if my freedom has been made known yet. They’ll be more likely to punish me than to let me enter.” Excuses, but at least they’re something. “Even if word has spread, what is there to make them believe I am the girl that was freed?”
He cocks an eyebrow at me. “Is this all that’s bothering you?”
“No.” How does he read me so well? Probably because I give too much away in his presence. Why do I continue doing that?
“ What is it? Please let me try to help.”
Here we go. I take a deep breath. “Do you know what they do to women in Chardonia who do magic?”
His face loses even the hint of joy. “It’s part of why I’m here.”
This conversation is bringing more and more surprises. I thought he was just here for the tournament. “What do you mean?”
“You don’t know about Zade?”
“ Zade? What does he have to do with any of this?”
“ Everything. Well, not him specifically, I suppose, but well…I should let him tell his own secrets. Suffice it to say that some in Chryos don’t like what’s going on here. The new changes with the tarnished have made it more difficult for them to get out. We’re still getting a few tarnished men who make it, but no women have made it for a long time. And the stories we’re hearing…” He shakes his head as a disgusted scowl crosses his face. “We wanted to help before, when so many were coming to our country in need of aid. I must admit that when the flow lessened, many thought we shouldn’t help anymore, but my own desire only grew.”
“ Which is why you’re here helping me, because of these refugees you’ve seen in your country?”
“ If it doesn’t stop, I’m afraid of what could happen.
He finishes loading his plate before looking at me. “Are you all right?”
“ Um…” My throat catches. I clear it, and then continue. “I’m well. Thank you for your help.”
“ It's my pleasure.”
We stare at each other a moment. Awkwardly. I twirl away from him and hurry to finish eating my own plate of food, though my thoughts are too busy for me to be hungry.
“So,” Lukas says, “you never answered my question. Is there more to your interest with the tournament or is it really just curiosity?”
“ Just curiosity.”
“ Hmmm.”
Hmmm? That’s all? His tone implies he suspects more. And there is more. He’s saved my life. With him being from a different country, he has to think differently than all the Chardonian warlocks. And Zade trusts him. More than that, I think I’m beginning to trust him. He doesn’t act like any other warlock, not even Zade. As good as Zade is, Lukas may just be better.
“Fine. You win. There is more to it. I want to enter the tournament.”
His eyes widen. “You know how to do magic?”
If I’m going to do this, I might as well take it all the way. My magic is eager to answer, heating within me, hungry to show itself. I let it out in a spell that explodes with pink and purple dancing overhead. Harmless, nothing more than colored lights, a display of my pure magic, yet by his widening eyes, effective.
“ Yes, then,” he finally says. His eyes relax, his smile, so small, but bringing so much warmth to the room.
It takes a moment to process the fact that he’s happy about this. I thought he’d be upset like Zade. Perhaps uncaring or irritated that I did it, but joy? Never that.
“Why just staring at the headquarters then?” he asks. “Why haven’t you entered?”
I stop the spell, using it as an excuse to turn away so he won’t see the flush of embarrassment racing through me. The words are painfully accurate. I should have entered by now. He said it was the busiest time. There was a plethora of warlocks coming in and out of the building. I should have risked that it would be enough.
“It’s not that easy. I don’t even know if my freedom has been made known yet. They’ll be more likely to punish me than to let me enter.” Excuses, but at least they’re something. “Even if word has spread, what is there to make them believe I am the girl that was freed?”
He cocks an eyebrow at me. “Is this all that’s bothering you?”
“No.” How does he read me so well? Probably because I give too much away in his presence. Why do I continue doing that?
“ What is it? Please let me try to help.”
Here we go. I take a deep breath. “Do you know what they do to women in Chardonia who do magic?”
His face loses even the hint of joy. “It’s part of why I’m here.”
This conversation is bringing more and more surprises. I thought he was just here for the tournament. “What do you mean?”
“You don’t know about Zade?”
“ Zade? What does he have to do with any of this?”
“ Everything. Well, not him specifically, I suppose, but well…I should let him tell his own secrets. Suffice it to say that some in Chryos don’t like what’s going on here. The new changes with the tarnished have made it more difficult for them to get out. We’re still getting a few tarnished men who make it, but no women have made it for a long time. And the stories we’re hearing…” He shakes his head as a disgusted scowl crosses his face. “We wanted to help before, when so many were coming to our country in need of aid. I must admit that when the flow lessened, many thought we shouldn’t help anymore, but my own desire only grew.”
“ Which is why you’re here helping me, because of these refugees you’ve seen in your country?”
“ If it doesn’t stop, I’m afraid of what could happen.
Similar Books
