Bastial Explosion (The Rhythm of Rivalry: Book 3) (16 page)

“He didn’t know we were being outcast,” Vithos said. “He was infuriated when he found out, almost went back and got himself killed. Helping Kyrro win this war is the best chance he has at seeing you again. Once Doe and Haemon are dead, your army will fall apart. Then Krepps can go back to living as separate tribes, and you and Zoke can live among them. There are Krepps who don’t care about loyalty to Doe and Haemon. They’ll accept Zoke. I even see him leading his own tribe one day. Come with me and help Kyrro win this. Fight alongside brother to you.”

It would be so easy to agree if the thought of doing so didn’t make her feel despicable, even physically ill. She knew she couldn’t—wouldn’t—join the enemy. Never.

“I can’t.”

Luckily, Vithos seemed to understand without her explaining why. He let out a defeated breath and then scrunched his mouth as he nodded. “I figured that would be your answer.”

“So what now?”

“Now I use psyche and try to convince the Humans to let you all go. But I won’t kill Keenu. You’re going to need him. There are many more Humans from Kyrro along the route to Tenred, all of whom will shoot you down without remorse.”

Vithos stepped close to Zeti, extending his arms and then enclosing them around her, using his pale hands to squeeze her to his chest.

“Be careful—”

“What are you doing?” Zeti pushed him away, his touch too uncomfortable to bear.

“Humans do this. I like it. I thought you might also.” Vithos leaned forward as if he was about to try again.

“Don’t.” Zeti stepped away. “I appreciate your help, but do that again and I’ll spit on you.”

“Fine.” He started toward the Humans standing around Keenu and Grayol. “But help me by making sure Keenu keeps his dumb mouth shut while I talk.”

It took some time, but Vithos eventually convinced the men to untie the ropes and let them go.

“Better hurry,” Vithos said when it was done. “Even with psyche, these Humans are close to changing their minds.”

Chapter 14:

EFFIE

“Oh, Bastial hell,” Effie said to herself after looking in the mirror to find two bruises on her neck that Brady had left last night.

She fluffed her dark hair, moving it in different positions to see if she could cover them. When she realized it was impossible, she shook her fists. “Brady, you bastard!”

She knew Reela would’ve knocked on her door to ask what was the matter, but the psychic was still sleeping. Reela always sensed Effie’s anger when it got this bad.

What am I, twelve? I have to walk around looking like this?
If Effie saw another girl at her age of seventeen with the same marks on her neck, she’d want to point and laugh.

She felt revenge was in order but didn’t know what she would do yet. Then she found herself smiling at the idea of seeing Brady again.

Her teeth gritted together at the realization.
I should ask Alex to come over instead.

But she couldn’t let him see her until the marks on her neck faded. She slammed her fist into her open hand.
Bastial hell, I wonder if Brady did this on purpose.

If the marks weren’t bad enough, trying to get to sleep last night, after Brady left, brought on one of the worst attacks she’d had in a long time. Although she knew enough by now to understand nothing was physically wrong with her, the feeling of being unable to breathe got so bad she’d gotten up and walked into Reela’s room, sliding into bed with her.

“I’m sorry, Reela,” Effie said after hearing Reela rustle and then grumble to show she was awake.

“What’s wrong?” Reela turned onto her side toward Effie.

“I can’t tell.”

Effie instantly was relieved when Reela put her cool palm against her forehead.

“Are you using psyche to calm me?” Effie asked.

“Not to calm you, no.” Reela slid her hand down to Effie’s cheek. “If you’re feeling better already it’s only because of my touch. There are some things in this world more powerful than psyche, some as simple as this.” Reela kissed Effie on the cheek. “You’re going to be fine.”

Already, Effie could feel her breath slowing, easing back to normal.

“I was using psyche to read your emotions, though,” Reela said. “You want me to tell you what I found?”

“I want to know, but I’m not sure I want to hear it.”

“Isn’t that how it always is when we’re delving into our own problems?”

“It is.” Effie felt her heart clench as she readied herself. “What did you find?”

“You’re scared, Eff, terrified.”

“That’s just because I didn’t know why my breathing had gotten so bad.”

“Are you sure that’s the only reason?”

Effie couldn’t tell if Reela was hinting at something or simply asking without knowing. She asked, “What do you mean?”

“I felt an overwhelming sense of fear from you. There were other emotions as well, but the fear was too overpowering for me to identify them. It doesn’t make sense to me that the only cause of your fear was this breathing problem. Something must’ve caused the breathing problem in the first place.”

“What?”

Reela squeezed Effie’s hand. “There’s no way for me to know that. What happened with Brady?” Reela sat up suddenly, lowering her voice to a soft whisper. “Is he in your room right now?”

“No. I didn’t feel right letting it get that far.”

“Why?” Reela’s question held no judgment, just curiosity.

“I’m still trying to figure that out.”

“Well, it sounds to me like whatever happened with him has caused your attack. How do you feel about him? How does he make you feel?”

Even before Effie knew that Brady had left the marks on her neck, she’d been angry at him. It felt too strange to say aloud, though, for she didn’t know why. By morning, she had a reason to be mad—something she could see. But what had he done before that to upset her? No ideas came.

“I don’t know,” she told Reela. “I feel confused by the whole thing.”

“I wish I could help you, Eff.” Reela was interrupted by her own yawn. “But I would just be guessing, blindly reaching in the dark for who knows how long before I found something, and I’m terribly tired.”

That’s all Effie needed to hear to know it was time to shut up. She maneuvered her body against Reela’s and wrapped her arms around her for a hug. “Thanks. I’ll figure it out later.”

“Good night.”

But before Effie got out the door, Reela stopped her.

“Oh, Eff, I forgot. I was going to tell you this later but might as well now.”

“What is it?”

Reela sat up. “Brady’s hiding something, and it’s big. I sensed it with psyche, but it was buried so deep that it was as if he’s had the secret for many years now and has gotten used to ignoring it.”

Effie knew enough about psyche to realize that Reela had no way of knowing what this secret was. So all Effie could say was, “I see.”

She’d fallen asleep quickly when she’d returned to her bed, calm and relaxed. But now that it was morning, the realization settled in that she was on her own with this issue. Another attack could come at any moment, so she’d better figure out what had gotten her so upset, and fast.

But all she could do was focus on the bruises on her neck and the anger that burned within her every time she looked at them.

“Brady, you bastard!”

Having time to herself in the morning, Effie was determined to make at least some progress examining what had caused her attack last night to be so vicious. But her thoughts quickly became distracted when she realized that Cleve would’ve been up by now if he were there with them.

She missed walking to the dining hall with him. Cleve was like a wise old man at times, except he never seemed interested in offering advice. He chose his words carefully. But at the same time, he spoke as if he was forced to do so—as if his opinion wasn’t worth hearing.

Effie often took it as a challenge. She wanted to deceive Cleve, to peel him open and get him to admit things he didn’t want to. But she’d never succeeded. Effie would resort to teasing, trickery, even dishonesty. But it just made her feel that instead of peeling him like an orange, she was trying to grind him into a pulp with his skin still intact.

Still, she would get a laugh every now and again, even learn something new about him that Reela hadn’t figured out yet. But Effie knew she couldn’t open him up like Reela could. She’d seen them together, and Cleve always seemed like a different person when he was with Reela. Luckily, Effie had no feelings for him, so she didn’t mind.

She was nearly to the dining hall already and she’d done nothing but wonder about Cleve. It hurt not to know whether she would see him again.

A thought suddenly stopped her.
I should’ve checked to see if Zoke was up yet.

Actually, she was somewhat relieved she’d forgotten. Effie had been enjoying his company less and less recently.

But he’s still my responsibility.
She sighed and started back toward the house.
Who knows what would happen if he went to the dining hall alone.

She knew that Alex had taken him for lunch and dinner yesterday, but Zoke was an early riser, like she was. He would be hungry before Reela and Steffen awoke and were ready to accompany him.

Alex was the one she really wanted to sit with during breakfast. She rubbed the bruises on her neck at the thought of seeing him.

Ironically, he probably would have the answer as to why one of her worst attacks came last night…if she could talk to him about Brady, which of course she never would.

Alex offered advice all the time, unlike Cleve. Effie was sure he could make her feel better. But all he’d do now was stare at the marks on her neck and probably steam with jealousy.

“Bastial hell, Brady!” Effie couldn’t help but shout, forgetting where she was momentarily.

A student walking by gave her a strange look.

I would too, if someone was talking to herself as loudly as I am.

She had a feeling her anger at Brady was the reason for her attack. If she just could figure out why she felt this way, she probably would have her answer.

Is it how forward he was with me?
No, I’m used to that by now. Could it be this secret of his that Reela sensed? No, I was angry with him before Reela told me about that, and everyone has secrets.

Then she remembered what Reela had asked:
“How does he make you feel?”

Besides angry, Effie realized now that she’d felt a loss of control around him last night. Actually, he'd always made her feel that way.
That’s probably why I kissed him the first time we met.
I wasn’t thinking. In fact, I never feel like I am in his presence.

She felt a chill run down her spine—knowing she’d figured it out.

Effie used to believe she needed a night out at the bars to fight her breathing problem, figuring it was the uncertainty and danger that distracted her. But it wasn’t a distraction she was looking for—Alex had helped her realize this on the way to the Slugari colony. Effie needed control, which is exactly what she felt going out to bars at such a young age.

But after I met Brady at that bar, I had an attack when I got home.
It was the first time she could remember getting one after a night out.

He makes me feel like I’m someone else, and I don’t like that girl.
But the thought of driving him away was even more terrifying than all her previous thoughts. It wasn’t that she treasured his company, nor did she feel that she would miss him. It was just that she didn’t feel capable of letting him go. And this—being incapable—was the worst feeling for her.

Part of it was because she didn’t believe there was such a thing as being incapable. If it was physically possible, then she should be able to do it. But for some reason, just the thought of denying Brady made her knees weak. It seemed easier to go without food than to confront him.

My Bastial stars, I don’t know if I even like him. How has he made me feel affectionate toward him without even knowing him?

Effie started to wonder how many people ended up together simply because one person was attractive and assertive. It was a dangerous combination, she decided.

She felt as if she’d been deceived, won over by trickery, and now marked as his prize with the bruises on her neck.
I should slap him,
she told herself. It was a comforting thought, though she knew she’d never actually do it.

Zoke was just closing the front door after him as Effie got back to their student house. He froze at the sight of her, watching and waiting for her to react as if they’d spotted each other in the wild and didn’t know whether the other would attack.

“What’s wrong?” Effie asked.

“Nothing,” the Krepp grumbled in an even lower voice than usual.

“Then why are you looking at me like that?”

He scowled, making Effie realize she shouldn’t have asked. There were some things with Zoke that she had no hope of understanding.

“Never mind,” she said. “Were you about to walk to the dining hall?”