Page 20 of Chorus of Ashes
The heat of competition warmed his blood, and Rian pushed his sleeves up, eagerly accepting a handful of stones from Seamus. He used to love playing games like these with his students as it encouraged them to think on their feet which would be required of them when they used magick in day-to-day life.
“Mine to go,” Bianca called, heaving a larger stone out into the meadow where it bounced and rolled to a stop. Callahan stepped forward. Apparently, he was next to go, and he jiggled the stones in his hand as he considered his tactics. He nodded to himself, as though he’d come to a decision, and then launched a stone into the air and immediately lit it on fire as it flew toward the rock. Rian smiled and played one of his favorites—coating the rock in ice and having it drop to the ground a ways short of the mark. He grinned when Callahan shot him an evil look and was surprised when a ripple of … enjoyment coursed through him. When was the last time he had truly enjoyed anything?
“What are we playing for?” Rian asked, competition heating his blood. Turning, he surveyed the others.
“Would it be too cheeky to play for our release?” Bianca asked, a hand on her hip.
“Yes, because if I win, where does that put me?” Rian countered, tossing a stone in the air and catching it.
“That’s fair, I suppose. How about we get a gift from one of the others — within reason?” Seamus asked.
“A gift? Like I could play to win my amulet back?” Terra said, glaring at him, though her tone was teasing.
“Within reason,” Rian said. How could she joke about him stealing the knife? Was she forgiving him or dare he even hope, understanding of his motives for doing so? Warmth bloomed, along with a narrow thread of suspicion. Terra was a puzzle, and one he was slowly becoming determined to figure out.
“Fine. But I’m motivated now,” Terra warned him. Her luscious lower lip stuck out in a pout, and Rian wanted to lean over and bite it. Turning before his body betrayed his attraction to her, Rian stood back as the others took their turns at trying to stop Callahan’s progress. He didn’t want to reveal all of his tricks too early in the game.
The others took to the game with enthusiasm, and he found himself biting back laughter at their increasingly absurd attempts at stopping the others’ stones from nearing the marker. Seamus was up and, while Rian contemplated if he should step in, Bianca beat him to it.
Sidling close to Seamus, Bianca reached around and cupped him between the legs just as the man launched his stone into the air. Cursing, Seamus jumped, and his stone dropped to the ground a foot in front of him.
“Simple, but effective,” Bianca said with a sly grin on her face. At that, Rian laughed out loud, as Seamus bent to his wife.
“This is a game of magicks. That wasn’t magick, you cheeky woman.”
“I thought you always told me that my touch is magick?” Bianca forced her lower lip out in a pout. Seamus threw up his hands and sighed, glancing at Rian.
“Well, now, I’m screwed either way if I answer that wrong, aren’t I?” Seamus grumbled, and Rian’s grin stretched his face wide. The movement was unfamiliar, and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d smiled like this. Goddess, but when had his life taken such an unhappy turn?
Be happy.
Remembering his mother’s words to him, Rian quenched the feelings of sadness that threatened to rise. He hadn’t quite fulfilled his promise to her, had he? Instead, he’d let his quest for revenge dominate his thoughts. Maybe there was another way, a different path forward, but now Rian wondered if it was too late to change his direction. He’d already set the wheels in motion by agreeing to Goddess Domnu’s demands. Had he lit a match to his own house? The Earth Fae had decided he was bad, so he’d made the choice to lean into it. Why not accept their judgment of him? But now, watching the wind dance through Terra’s hair and the way her smile bloomed on her face like a flower in the first brush of morning sun, his stomach twisted. A week ago he’d been so certain of his choices, and he didn’t like second-guessing himself.
Terra surprised him by tossing her stone with very little lead-up, and he scrambled to react. Ice was his go-to, and he grinned as the stone froze and started to drop.
Only to be lit on fire as it flew toward the marker. Was that Callahan counteracting his spell? Glaring at the old man, Rian started when Terra chuckled, her stone landing the closest to the marker.
“Was that you counteracting my spell?” Rian demanded, stepping closer to look down at the beaming Terra.
“You’re not the only one strong in magicks, boyo.” Terra quirked an eyebrow at him, and then, pursing her lips, she studied the marker once more.
Oh, it wason.
This time, when Terra let her stone loose, Rian was ready. Calling upon the air element, he used the power of the wind to divert the stone so far across the meadow that it almost fell over the edge of the cliff.
Almost.
At the last moment, a gull swooped in and captured the stone from its descent and flew it toward the marker. Rian’s mouth dropped open as the gull let go of the stone and it fell to the ground, gently rolling toward the marker.
“Yes!” Terra exclaimed, shooting her closed fist in the air. “Didn’t think to ask our feathered friends for help, did you?”
“Is that even fair?” Rian demanded. “Isn’t that getting extra help from a player who isn’t in the game?”
“There’s nothing in the rules here about help from animals,” Seamus said, pretending to open an imaginary scroll and read it. “Nope, nothing that I can see here in the rules of a game we just made up an hour ago. Animal assistance is allowed.”
“Hardly a fair judge,” Rian grumbled.
“Oh don’t be a poor sport just because I think more quickly than you.” Terra shocked him by poking his ribs and then blowing him a kiss as she stepped back so he could take his turn.