Bloodletting Part 1: The Affinities Cycle Book 1 (2 page)

Chapter 2

Tetra Bicks

The Bicks’ home was one of the few two-story stone homes in the village. A much larger single-story wooden structure, the healing house, stood a stone’s throw away. Though it had been built in cooperation with several other nearby villages along the Rocmire forest border, the townsfolk still considered the healing house as part of the Bicks’ place. Tetra’s family had served as healers for Jaegen and the surrounding towns for generations. Drayston Castle even called upon the Bicks family on occasion.

Tetra turned to watch Malec and Pavil jostle each other as they followed the rest down the street. They were always fighting, always teasing each other, trying to see which one of them would finally be the best at whatever they set their minds to compete about.

Looking back to follow his gaze, Halli smiled when she saw them. She put her hands on her hips and paused. “Stop being clods or the Dreadknights will come get you!”

Malec laughed. “Like they would bother with us. They’re too powerful and we’re just little boys.”

“Little boys who need to be taught a lesson.” Halli gave them a mock-stern look.

They followed the rest of the children to the twins’ home. Tetra listened to Laney regaling Sven with her theories on hypothetical situations and how they might use their magic in each scenario. They rounded the corner of the healing house, steering clear of the front doors to avoid the sick that even now waited their turn, and headed along the fence toward the main house.

“I’m not sure what I’d do,” Laney said as Sven held the wooden slat door open for the group. She bit her lip as she walked. “If I had no choice, I’d probably just use a gale to put out the fire, but that could cause it to spread to other buildings and there may not be a Volcon there to help …” her words trailed off as she disappeared inside.

Sven sighed in relief. Malec patted him on the shoulder as the rest of the group followed Laney into the kitchen entrance. “You had to ask. You know how she gets.”

Tetra stifled a laugh, not wanting to surrender his sour mood that easily. Holding his grudge, though he didn’t know who he was upset with, he sniffed at the air scornfully. The smell of freshly baked bread wafted through the door, making his stomach growl. His back remained a mass of pain so he walked carefully, trying not to draw attention to himself.

Mealtime at the Bicks’ house had become a common ritual for the group. Long before they’d been selected to attend the Academy by scouts a month earlier, Elder Proumin had them practicing together, learning from each other. Lunch, breakfast, any meal was a commonly shared event amongst them. The kitchen already bustled with people preparing meals for the healing house’s guests.

As one of the kitchen boys grabbed a tray, a stern middle-aged woman in an apron stopped him. Smile lines around Leta’s eyes belied her annoyed expression. She grabbed a small salt dish off the tray of meats and breads, and placed it back on the counter.

“Elder Harbaden will complain, but his salt intake must be kept to a minimum.” The twins’ mother shooed the boy out to deliver the food. Two crystal-tipped wood wands pinned her curly brown hair into a ball—a gift from their father, and also healing implements that amplified her already significant spirit affinity. She wiped hands on her coarse blue tunic and looked over the kitchen with a critical eye.

Her gaze fixed on the children as they crowded around the large baking table. Tetra watched his mother carefully as she studied his friends. A wry smile crossed her lips as she said, “Excellent! We need help with dishes and scrubbing.”

Laney quieted, the rest of the Jaegen Seven’s eyes went wide as they looked to Tetra and his sister. Tetra swallowed down a laugh at his mother’s joking, since she knew they were all worn out from practicing. The grin he’d fought to stifle a moment before broke free.

Halli walked to her mother, clasping her hands. Batting her brown eyes, she spoke in her best dutiful daughter voice. “Of course, Mother. Just show us what we need to do.”

Pavil stared confusedly between the food being prepped on the table and the dishes stacked in the sink. “But we’re hungry.”

Halli blinked innocently at her mother. Leta looked at her daughter and burst into high, musical laughter.

Elga, Leta’s white-haired older sister, pushed through the group. “You kids are always hungry.” She placed a freshly baked loaf of bread on the table. Flour dusted her lean form from head to toe. “You’re only getting out of dish duty because you’re leaving for Aldamere tomorrow.”

“We’re not kids,” Laney said. “We’re going to be Arch—”

Elga stuffed a piece of bread into her mouth, silencing the girl. It was bad luck to speak of such things before they came true.

“You all go into the other room and we’ll fix you something.” Releasing her daughter’s hands, she nudged Halli towards the home’s interior. Tetra opened his mouth to ask what they would make, but Leta raised a hand and pointed at the other room.

Tetra gave up and led the way into the dining room. Pavil and Malec earned a playful glare and the menacing shake of a knife from Elga as they each grabbed a hunk of bread on their way by.

As the other six entered the other room, Tetra heard his mother. “Halli. Wait in here. I’d like some help, please.”

Tetra shut the door to the dining room behind the group before his mom could conscript him, too. The long table in the dining room was polished from generations of use. An intricate carving of the Twelve Aspects creating the world decorated table’s center—a depiction often found on wall hangings in homes across the kingdom. Tetra had often studied the whorls of the wood with his eyes, tracing the way Vox met Europina and Agleiopan turned Magethia. Such carvings were rare, but the Bicks family’s centuries of public service had allowed them to collect artifacts of beauty and faith through their lineal journey.

The etching depicted the Twelve Aspects of Magic and the Seven Races of Mortality. Despite generations of use, the table remained in perfect condition. Tetra had fond memories of winter solstices during which his father’s siblings had visited from the neighboring village of Kestalt. The long table had seemed crowded then, and grew more so as some brought expanding families of their own. His friends spread out around the table, taking their usual places and waiting for their promised sustenance.

Laney looked longingly at the door. “Now I’m starving! How long?”

Pavil grinned. “I could help you with that.”

“Don’t even think it,” Laney scowled at Pavil. “The last time you did that, I wasn’t hungry for two days. Keep your Pathos to yourself.”

The others laughed. Tetra wondered if they would be separated at the Academy. Their ages would make a difference, and they would probably be put in different classes, but he hoped they’d get to see one another often. Yet he worried they would be soon separated. Aldamere was a large city and the Academy had several thousand students—at least according to Granddad.

Leta came through the door with Tetra’s twin following meekly. Halli looked abashed and wouldn’t make eye contact. His mother moved behind him and placed hands on the back of his shoulders. With a sinking feeling, Tetra realized why Halli looked guilty. Coolness rushed over his skin at his mother’s touch. Glaring at Halli, Tetra narrowed his eyes, ignoring their friends. “I’m fine, Mother, really …” His earlier sour mood flared up again.

“Hush.” She continued delving his back. “It’s inflamed. We’ll have to ask your father what he thinks.”

“I’m going,” Tetra curled his fingers into fists, pushing them against the table as his knuckles whitened.

“Yes, well—” She began, her voice trying to gentle him.

“I’m. Going.”

The coolness fled as Leta released his shoulders and walked around the table to look him in the eye. “Speak to me like that again and the only place you’ll be going is into the kitchen to help with dishes.”

Features softened alongside her tone as she spoke to him. “I know you want to prove yourself, but if your back is flaring up, we have to consider the strain. This is … troubling.”

Tetra stood, looking away from his family and friends, fists still clenched. Everyone had fallen silent, quietly watching the conflict between Tetra and the Bicks family matron. Leta was normally soft, warm, and friendly. Tetra rarely saw his mom as rigid, or a disciplinarian. She was the very spirit of kindness. But not today. Even Laney was cowed into silence, avoiding her usual vocal complaints about the origin of the next meal.

Steel, like a sword, could be seen beneath her blue eyes. It seemed to Tetra as though his mother’s gaze was daring him to hurt himself, promising she would kill him if he did something stupid. He sighed and slumped his shoulders, then headed for the hallway leading to the rooms at the back of the house.

His mother’s words trailed after him. “You’ll have to sit and speak with me about this before I’ll let you leave, Tetra …”

He entered his room and shut the door, barely resisting the urge to slam it.

***