Bastial Frenzy (The Rhythm of Rivalry: Book 4)
Read Bastial Frenzy (The Rhythm of Rivalry: Book 4) Online
Authors: B.T. Narro
THE RHYTHM OF RIVALRY SERIES
Book 1:
Bastial Energy
Book 1.5:
The Sartious Mage
Book 2:
Bastial Steel
Book 3:
Bastial Explosion
Book 4:
Bastial Frenzy
Book 5:
Bastial Sentinels
Chapter 1:
CLEVE
What’s keeping your secrets worth to you? The answer tells a lot about a man.
Cleve didn’t know why his father’s words came to him, until he realized his father was there. Cleve could see his face clearly. But when he sat up and felt Reela’s arm slide off his stomach, the hazy image of his dream dispersed.
He kissed her cheek, and she smiled.
“I still want to sleep.” She spoke without opening her eyes. Her palm slid up to his chest. “Don’t excite Nulya. It took far too much psyche to calm her.”
Cleve’s horse was lying near the foot of the bed, taking up the entire floor.
Reela’s hand slipped off Cleve’s chest and her breathing became rhythmic. It was eerie how quickly she could fall back into a sound slumber.
Nulya stirred when Cleve set his feet down off the bed.
“Easy.” He stepped over his horse to get through the door. Looking back into the room, he figured getting her out would be even harder than getting her in.
There was no place for Nulya besides in the house. After the battle last night, the uninjured spent hours moving the dead into wagons and pushing them to the appropriate cities so the fallen could be buried in their hometowns. A list of the victims went with each wagon. It was to be posted in the center of the city—the sole notification of who lived and who died.
Liaison Wilfre would bring a similar list to the Academy. On it would be the names of those who’d died in Kyrro City. Cleve felt fortunate the only family member he needed to worry about was Terren, the head of the Academy, and Cleve already had heard his uncle escaped harm.
Cleve kept expecting to run into him last night, as he and others worked by mage light to take care of the bodies. But Cleve never saw Terren. He wondered what his uncle would say when Cleve came by later, after breakfast.
Effie was in the kitchen when he came down the hall, sipping tea. He smiled at the familiar sight. It was as if he hadn’t been gone. But then he realized she hadn’t heard him approaching.
He cleared his throat before he got too close so he wouldn’t startle her. She turned with a twitch. Then a smile formed.
“Breakfast?” Cleve inquired.
“Let me leave a note for Alex in case he comes by.”
Soon they were walking to the dining hall. The sight of the Academy illuminated by sunlight was disquieting. Last night, most of the bodies were found on the west side of campus, around the student houses. Cleve and Effie avoided places where blood still stained the dirt, the blemishes seemingly in every direction they looked.
Effie spoke softly. “I don’t remember there being that many bodies.”
But Cleve did. “Most of them were Krepps,” he said, trying to console her.
“Oh, that’s right. Still…” She sighed. “I’m not looking forward to hearing the death count.”
After they’d finished clearing the bodies, there’d been a long queue to use the showers in each bathhouse. So Cleve and his roommates had gone into their student house to talk as they waited. He’d told them everything he could remember from his time in Goldram: the war fought by four armies, with the psychic Elves building their own army to make it five; Rek’s experience with the Elves, including the scar they gave him; Jek Trayden and his terrible nightmares; Cleve’s actions to help the Takary royal family and the gifts he received in return; the twin princesses, Jessend and Lisanda. He was careful to be curt when speaking about Jessend. He’d just reunited with Reela and didn’t want her to get the wrong idea.
Reela had asked about her brother Rek, who must’ve stayed the night in Kyrro City. Cleve figured the Elf had survived, given that the Krepps retreated not long after the battle began. Though, both he and Reela were still worried to read the list of victims that was to arrive later.
It had taken some time for Cleve to get used to Zoke standing against the wall as Cleve’s roommates sat at the kitchen table with him and shared stories. The Krepp looked disinterested during the whole thing. But the Elf beside him was the opposite. Vithos became more excited to finally meet his brother the more Cleve and Reela talked about Rek.
Steffen was the most disconnected, even more than Zoke. Everyone knew he was grieving Marratrice’s death. Effie and Reela often touched his shoulder or hugged him.
“Are you worried about Welson Kimard?” Effie asked as they arrived at the dining hall.
“Somewhat,” Cleve admitted. The King had exiled him, and now he was back without permission to return. But Cleve was even more worried about what he would do to Welson now that he knew the King was responsible for his parents’ death. In that moment, he felt as if he could contain his anger, though he knew that might change the moment he saw Welson’s face, more specifically his smile. It’s what he remembered most from their conversations, the way the monarch smiled as he questioned Cleve about his father.
He was testing me.
Cleve felt himself making a fist. He opened his hand to take his plate back from the server.
“Thank you for fighting,” the woman behind the counter said. “Enjoy the food.”
Cleve thanked her and followed Effie to a table.
“How was your night with Reela?” Effie gave him a knowing smile.
Cleve pretended not to understand what she was asking. “Good, though quite troublesome to get my horse settled. I need to find out where I can keep her.”
“You left your horse with Reela?”
Cleve nodded. “Reela will be fine. Even after all the time I’ve spent with Nulya, Reela can get the horse to do what she wants better than I can.”
“Oh, with psyche,” Effie realized. She gestured with her fork. “You’re more talkative than when you were last here.”
“Am I?”
“You are. Whenever I talked with you before, I felt like you were always holding in a secret of some kind.”
His father’s saying came back to him.
What’s keeping your secrets worth to you?
“I guess I was. But I was keeping it from myself as well. I had feelings for Reela, and I didn’t even know it.”
Effie squinted at him. “I’m still sensing something you’re holding back, though. Is it about Reela?”
It’s that I might kill Welson Kimard.
Cleve folded his arms. “No.”
“But it’s something.” Effie shook her finger at him as she laughed. “There’s always something with you, Cleve.”
“So you and Alex are a couple now?” Cleve had noticed them last night, with their lingering looks and caresses.
“Fine, change the subject. Yes.”
“I see.” Cleve had nothing else to add.
“What did Terren say when he saw you were back?"
“I haven’t spoken to him yet.”
Effie stared in silence.
“What?” Cleve asked.
“Why are you here eating with me, then?”
Cleve shrugged. “I was hungry.”
Effie laughed. “Don’t you think you should tell him you’re back?”
“I will. After we eat, I’m going to get more food and bring it to Nulya. Then I’ll ride her to Terren’s house.”
“Take Reela with you.”
“Why?”
“I’m sure she’d love to ride on the horse. Then Terren can see that you two are together.”
“Why does he need to see that?”
Effie giggled, more to herself. “He knows Reela, remember? We told you last night that we fought with your uncle on the Fjallejon Pathway and within the Slugari colony. He’s bound to find out about you two eventually. It’s better you just tell him.”
The idea of telling Terren seemed embarrassing. “Only if Reela wants to,” Cleve said.
“She definitely will.”
When Cleve returned with Effie, Reela was outside the house, petting Nulya. “I took her to get water from the faucet outside the bathhouse. But she’s hungry as well.”
Cleve fed Nulya the bread and carrots he got from the dining hall. “Do you want to ride her?” he asked Reela.
Her bright green eyes grew wide. “I was hoping you’d ask.”
“I’m taking her to Terren’s to let him know I’m back. You can ride with me.”
Cleve caught Effie winking at him before she went inside. He got on the saddle and helped Reela up behind him.
When Nulya was at a trot, Cleve could feel Reela bouncing around, her hands tight across his stomach.