Rebel Elements (Seals of the Duelists) (23 page)

“No idea,” Taban replied with a breezy smile. “Now get writing, indentured.”

Bayan bristled at the reference but focused on his handwriting. If Taban actually held to his word, Bayan had a few ideas for future trades.

~~~

Bayan headed back through the tunnel on the wooden walkway, carrying an armful of hot, fresh honey rolls from the bakery for Taban and his hexmates. He’d had to trade a future bottle of seerwine for the rolls, and both he and the head baker knew who got the better end of that deal.

As he crossed past the high cliff walls of the Chantery, which lay roughly at the center of the campus, he heard a familiar giggle from some nearby ornamental trees.

Curious and concerned, Bayan deviated from his course and eased closer. Soon, he could make out Tarin’s dark red hair, even in the dimness of twilight. Bayan recognized the sounds she and someone else were making: he’d made them in another life with Imee.

Worried, Bayan hurried over and grabbed her by the arm. Her partner gave a squeak and crashed away through the long-leaved branches before Bayan could catch a glimpse.

“Are you insane?” he hissed, pushing the honey rolls into Tarin’s arms and forcing her to walk with him.

He hadn’t pulled her more than three strides from her illicit kissing spot when Instructor Ithrakis walked into view.

Tarin froze at the sight of the authority figure. Bayan whirled to face her. “I told you we had a hex meeting, Tarin,” he said loudly. “You need to come to those every time, not go sneaking off to the bakery for goodies.” He indicated the bag of rolls.

“S-sorry,” Tarin muttered.

The Shock teacher moved on, imparting no more punishment than a frown, and both Tarin and Bayan slumped with relief. Then he took her arm and pulled her toward the stairstep hex houses.

“Are you trying to get expelled? You know what that would do to the hex? We’d be down one member soon after leaving trainee status, and you’d be potioneered with all your limbs intact.”

“I’m sorry.” Tarin’s voice trembled.

“Listen. I’m not mad at you. Well, I am. But only because that was so selfish of you. I admit, I’m not the best team player in the hex, but you know Kiwani would eat your face off if she found out.”

“You willna tell her?”

Bayan started up the hex house steps to the Earth level. “No. But you need to stop seeing whoever that was. You’re endangering both your career and his.”

Tarin gave him an unreadable look, but she accompanied him as he reached Taban’s hex house and knocked on the door.

“What are you doing?” Tarin whispered.

“Earning my tutoring lessons.”

The door opened, and Kendesi looked out. “Oh, it’s you.” She turned and called over her shoulder. “Taban, snack time.”

Taban came to the door and plucked the bag from Tarin’s hand, taking in her wide eyes and nervous pallor. “Look at you, hexling,” he said to Bayan, his voice lazy with approval. “You’re sub-contracting. I’m nearly impressed. Now, off with you. We avatar students have important things to discuss.” He started to close the door.

Bayan slapped a hand onto it, propping it open. “Are you going to make me ask every single time?”

Taban smiled. “It is entertaining, aye.”

Bayan frowned. “Fine. I want to trade. But this time I have something else in mind, besides tutoring.”

“And what’s that?”

“You trade for stuff all the time, like you’re in on some secret market network with off-campus ties. Am I right?”

“Maybe.”

Bayan grinned. “Do you think you can get me some copper and sulfur, for a start?”

“For a start? Strange requests will cost you.”

“I can help, right?” Tarin offered. “I could do something for Kendesi, or Breckan or Aleida.” Bayan looked at her in surprise. She gave him a grateful smile. “I would have gotten caught if you hadna come along.”

“Oh, look,” Taban said. “The children are bonding. I’ll talk to the girls, Bayan, and let you know tomorrow. But they’re not part of the direct market like I am. I’m the one getting you your copper. Just you remember who you owe.”

“Of course. Whatever you want in exchange will be fair.”

Taban nodded and shut the door. Tarin grabbed Bayan’s hand and tugged him into their empty hex house next door.

“What are you getting into with him?”

“You mean, what are
we
getting into with him?” Bayan corrected. “He’s the one who’s been helping me with my history classes. He may be a rude taskmaster with a superiority complex, but he’s making me learn. But I’ve got a new idea, aside from tutoring.”

“What’s the copper for?”

Bayan grinned. “Calder.”

“What’s he going to do with it?”

Bayan hesitated. “Hopefully, something interesting. Now let’s get out of here. And no more kissing people in the bushes.”

Tarin blushed as they headed down the stairs. “All right. It wasn’t anything serious, you know. It’s just… Diogenes has been making owl eyes at me since even before we ended up in the same hex.”

“You were kissing Odjin?” Bayan was stunned.

“Nae!” Tarin lowered her voice to a whisper. “Nae, I was kissing someone else so I dinna have to think about Odjin. He makes me so uncomfortable sometimes. He always tries to sit by me or work out with me in class. And he doesna seem to notice that I don’t like it. It’s smothering, like being stuck in a hot kitchen with all the windows and doors shut. I just needed to vent my emotions before they made me hurt someone in class.”

Bayan paused. “You kiss people when you’re upset?” Tarin silently nodded. “Well, that wasn’t quite as selfish as I thought, I guess. And it explains why Odjin’s magic is so wild sometimes.”

“I’ve always been that way. I used to get in trouble with my mum’s customers, kissing people in the bakery when things upset me. Like the time I burnt a pan of Mum’s specialty almond rolls, and the only other person around when I took the pans out back to scrape off the black was the old swineherd, Roolf. Ugh. Mum thought I’d gone off my nut. I just don’t know what to do with myself. I’m not really very good with confrontation
or
attraction.”

Bayan grinned. “Lucky for you, we get to practice confrontation every day. As for attraction, I think that’s something that needs to stay between you and the Void.”

Tarin nodded, but she didn’t meet his eyes.

~~~

When Bayan got back to the barracks, he found his roommates deep in their studies. Kah was out, but he’d left a shiny rock on his platform.

“No tutoring tonight?” Eward asked.

Calder sniffed appreciatively. “What’s that smell?”

Bayan took a small bag of extra honey rolls from inside his tunic and tossed it to Calder. “They’re probably squished, but considering how many I got for Taban, these won’t be missed. And no, no tutoring tonight.”

“Taban, he’s not stiffing you, is he?” Odjin asked. Bayan heard the boy’s anger; they were all benefiting now from Taban’s tutoring of Bayan.

“No, nothing like that.” Bayan edged over to Odjin’s desk in the far corner of the room. Leaning in close, he whispered, “And as far as Tarin is concerned, I’ve just learned that you’re not her type.”

“What?” Odjin looked up at him, his expression warring between confusion and affront.

“None of us are.” He nodded his head in a way that included everyone in the room.

At that, Odjin squinted. “Really?”

Bayan nodded. “Really.”

Odjin tipped his head back and sighed at the high ceiling. “Just my luck. Though it does explain her total lack of social skills.”

Bayan punched him in the shoulder. “It does not. I mean, her skills are fine. You’re the one who’s staring after her all the time.”

“Suppose there’s no point anymore, is there?”

“What were you thinking, anyway? We’re duelists. We don’t get lovemates, especially not while we’re still in academy.”

“Tarin, she’s got all that glorious hair. Never seen anything like it. I kept thinking that, after we graduated, we might… But I never even tried to kiss her or anything. I was careful.”

“Your magic gave you away long ago, Odjin. You should really try to get back on track. You don’t want to be as bad as I am, do you?”

Odjin grinned. “No, I don’t. Thanks for telling me, Bayan. You’re a good hexmate.”

Bayan nodded and sat down to catch up on his own homework. He wasn’t completely sure about the gender of Tarin’s lovemate preference—swineherds aside—but Tarin’s reticence seemed as much a confirmation of another girl’s participation as it was of Tarin’s embarrassment at being caught in an emotionally uncontrolled state. Bayan didn’t want anyone potioneered, whether they were in his hex or not. If he could save three classmates from a devastating fate with a single statement, even if he had to squint at it sideways to make it pass for proven fact, he’d consider it a good deed.

Calder put his ankle up on the foot of his bed and stretched his tendons, loosening the tightness Diantha had said he might feel after being healed. The willowy chanter had been right. Calder’s tendon was tight as a drum. He winced and leaned forward a little more, increasing the stretch.

He’d been partnered with Kiwani in the Wood Arena, and Cragroot was the spell they were practicing. Kiwani was apparently upset by something, because when she released her spell at Calder, massive, gnarled roots shot up from the arena floor and wrapped around his leg like a vice—and then kept twisting. Cragroot was supposed to be a passive spell, keeping one’s tegen distracted. But this one nearly tore off his leg.

Kiwani had released the spell as soon as she realized what it was doing, but Cragroot’s usefulness was in its speed. Calder shuddered, recalling the agony that completely overwhelmed him during the few breaths it took Diantha to bolt across the arena to his side. As Calder screamed and Kiwani sobbed in the background, the woman dropped to Calder’s side, Northern Common crystal already in hand, and began chanting.

That was quite the rush, Calder recalled, thinking of how quickly the pain had vanished. His body had rebounded from agony straight to ecstasy, and Calder had actually laughed on the cold sand of the arena floor.

“Feeling better?” Bayan surprised Calder out of his memories.

“Aye. Bit stiff. Diantha said it might take a couple of days to get back to full flexibility, so I need to do this later tonight, too. Don’t let me forget.”

“I won’t. I have something for you, too.”

“Is it a spare leg that I could use to hit Kiwani?”

Bayan chuckled. “No. And you saw how upset she was. She doesn’t have a clue what to do with failure. No need to make her feel worse; that’ll make her magic more unpredictable.”

“Curse you when you’re right.” Calder lowered his foot back to the floor. “So, what did you get me?”

Bayan held out a small, dark leather satchel. “I think everything’s in there, but you’ll need to tell me for sure.”

Frowning in interest, Calder sat at his desk and opened the small bag. Familiar odors wafted out: sulfur, copper, phosphorous, charcoal, zinc, iron, pasteboard, glue. A moment later, sweat popped out on his forehead, and he shoved his chair back from the desk.

He stood up. “What are you doing? Finally decided to mock me like the rest?”

“No.” Bayan met his eyes. “I know you know how to use these things. I surely don’t. But it’s a skill you have. Or used to have, anyway. Have you forgotten how to make firedust?”

“Nae. I havena forgotten.”

“Good. Then I have a plan.”

“A plan for
what
?”

Bayan looked at him earnestly. “A plan to help you master your fear of fire.”

Calder glanced at the satchel of firedust ingredients, then back at Bayan. “You’re mad.”

“I’m a little nervous, but I’m not mad. I’m afraid you’ll say no, not want to try it, keep failing in Flame class, and get potioneered. And after all I’ve done to get these ingredients for you, well, let’s just say that would be a real shame.”

Calder’s brow furrowed. “All that extra work for Taban and Braam, above and beyond your studies. You were trading it for this?”

Bayan lifted one corner of his mouth in a brief smile. “Don’t want you to leave the Academy yet. You translate the craziness of the Waarden Empire into something I can understand.”

Calder grinned and fingered a rolled paper cylinder labeled
zinc powder
poking up from the open bag. “So, how is making firedust supposed to help me?”

Bayan perched on the corner of the desk and lifted out a paper cylinder labeled
potassium powder
. “You know how much of these ingredients to use when you make different firedust flowers, right?” He began to shake the potassium powder.

Calder snatched it from his hand. “Stop that. You’ll blow your head off. Aye, I know several different recipes. Nothing super impressive, but I got to help make the packets that were used in the bigger flower mortars. Most of them were color-based, so I can make pretty colored fire and a few things that go bang.”

“Great! Will you make some for the hex?”