Page 129 of First Ritual

We joined three proven at a table.

“Huxley,” Sven said as he sat and shook his head. “He’s a slippery fucker.”

“I hate fighting him,” said a woman beside me. She held out her hand. “Ruby.”

I shook her hand. “Nice to meet you. How is he slippery?”

The four magus chorused, “Smoke.”

Sven added, “He can alter how solid he is. His outline looks like smoke when he uses the skill to get free of a hold.”

Interesting. “What works against that?”

“Several people wrapping around him,” Ruby said. “Getting a grip on him is impossible. We’ve got to grip each other around him until he runs out of juice.”

I almost grinned picturing that. “What else has he got?”

“He’s got sharp defense, but he’s weaker on the attack. He relies on battling a person until their reserves run dry trying to get hold of him.”

My mother was a similar fighter—one who preferred to tire her opponent. “Endurance fighter. Got it. Any special moves?”

“Vero’s training time in the battle center is this evening for two hours,” said another magus who I seemed to recall was named Breese. “We’ll take you through some of his go-to moves. You, on the other hand, have the advantage of surprise. No one knows your combinations and preferences. Aside from everyone witnessing you evading Corentin’s attack in the center. You were like a damn spider monkey crawling around him.” The magus shivered.

“We should think about her advantage of surprise some,” the last magus said. He threw me a quick grin. “Hi. Name’s Banks.”

I smiled.

He looked at the others. “Let’s explore Bronte’s fallback combinations tonight. It would make sense to only reveal a number of them. If possible. In a fight, that can be difficult.”

“Makes sense to me too,” I answered. “What are the rules on weapons?”

Four evil smiles appeared.

“There are no rules,” Sven said, a wicked gleam in his gaze that was all battle. “Treat the fights as a battle to the death. No killing or permanent injury. That’s it. There are dick moves—like turning someone to stone when they’re not a threat—that are frowned upon by the council as not being ‘in the spirit’ of the game.”

“If it’s the difference between a win or lose, go for it, I say,” Breese countered.

“I know there are mother weapons and charm stores, but what’s the go with those?” I asked next.

Four evil smiles widened.

Ruby bumped my shoulder with hers. “Say goodbye to the innocent magus you were before. We’re taking you to the storerooms.”

31

If there was one thing that always reminded me how different I was to humans, it was that violence made my blood sing. I found equal enjoyment from glimpsing a beautiful butterfly as I did to the humming ring of a sword removed from the sheath.

I’d spent three hours going through every weapon and charm in the Vero storerooms. Proven and novices had flittered in and out, checking the availability and position of various objects to enable them to summon the items during a battle. The rooms had been organized depending on power needed for use. A stored charm or even a mother weapon was useless if you didn’t have the magic to activate and wield it.

Caves was proving to be exactly what I’d hoped—a distraction. I’d gotten through another day, and that felt like a triumph.

Now, dinner could wait. This girl had a library to get to.

Sven, Rooke, and Huxley appeared in the passage ahead. They spread out in a line. What the hell?

My steps slowed.

A scuff behind.