AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You know,” Grey said after another moment, his words careful. “Kazu means well. He’s protective of you.”
I snorted before I could stop myself. This time, I did grab the teacup but I didn’t actually bring it to my mouth.
“It’s the truth.” There was no insistence in his voice; it was as though this was a point he wasn’t going to argue with. “I had him in my office, asking him about whether or not he believed you were qualified for the mission.”
I lifted my gaze in surprise. “And he said I was?”
Grey pressed his lips together. Silence lingered a moment too long.
I hung my head. “Of course not,” I muttered. Why was I so surprised? I shouldn’t be. This was Kazu-sensei we were talking about. There was no way he would ever say I was ready for a mission.
“Don’t do that,” Grey said, an edge to his voice. “Don’t start feeling sorry for yourself, Embyrlyn MacKenzie. You’re better than that and you know it. I’ll not assign a victim to this task if everything bothers you so much. Scarlet Scroll Missions arenotfor the faint of heart. Have I miscalculated in my selection?”
“I…” I rolled my shoulders back and forced myself to sit up. I refused to be called a victim, and I needed to act accordingly. Master Grey was right: I couldn’t sit around and feel sorry for myself, especially if there was a chance we could bring back Dade and I could help do it. “No.”
“That’s what I thought,” he said, his lips quirking back into that gentle smile of his. “Now, I did ask Kazu what he thought, and while he wasn’t favorable to you going, I don’t believe it’s because he thinks you aren’t up to the task.”
“Then what is it?” I couldn’t help but ask, bitterness in my tone.
“Well,” Grey said, “for one, he’s extremely protective of you.”
“He barely acknowledges my presence on the training field,” I pointed out. I wasn’t trying to speak out of turn or even argue with him, but I didn’t want him to think Kazu-sensei really cared. Because he didn’t. And I didn’t appreciate being told otherwise. I didn’t need anyone to make me feel better. In fact, I didn’t want their sympathy. I didn’t want them to coddle me. I wished Master Grey would just be honest.
I blinked. Maybe I could appreciate Kazu more because he was…even if there was cruelty in his truth.
“That doesn’t negate the fact that you are his student and he is extremely protective of you,” he repeated. “He said you shouldn’t go on this mission, not because you can’t handle it, but because it’s dangerous. He was around when the Scarlet Scroll Missions were more common, and now that we’re considering bringing them back, he’s concerned how this might affect you.”
“Because he doesn’t think I can handle it,” I said.
“Because he doesn’t want you to have to,” Grey pointed out. “Embyrlyn, I understand Kazu is cold and a man of little words. I understand your frustration with your circumstance. But don’t presume it’s because he doesn’t care. Remember, he was your instructor when you were fourteen. He watched you grow up. He watched you fall in love and then get your heart broken. He is allowed to be protective of those he feels close to, as all wolves naturally are.” He lifted his brows as though daring me to argue with him.
I glanced away before sipping the tea. This time, I couldn’t stop my nose from wrinkling with disgust.
“Ah, your tea has gone cold,” Master Grey said in a decidedly gentler tone. “Well, here. Allow me to refill your cup –”
“No, thank you,” I murmured, setting my cup down on his desk. “I’ve never been a fan of tea.”
He frowned at this but didn’t argue. Instead, he leaned back and allowed his hands to hang limply off the arms of his chair.
“Embyrlyn, I think it’s important for you to realize the danger this mission might bring,” he said. “For one thing, it will require you to participate in activities that no one should have to participate in.”
I glanced up at him sharply, not understanding what he meant by that.
“Do you know how Light Bringers continue their magic?” he asked lightly, setting the scroll between us. I wasn’t sure if that was an offering, so I stopped myself from grabbing it and tearing it open so I could read it for myself. “How they keep their magic flowing, I should say?”
“There are those who are born with their own magic source,” I said. “They don’t need anything assisting in helping them maintain their magic because they already have their magic. It’s a natural occurrence to them in the same way transforming into wolves is for us.”
“Good.”
“But others, those who specialize in ShadowSide, take their magic,” I said.
“Well, not quite,” Grey said. “In fact, they do require someone to feed them, so to speak, the way a Vrykolakas feeds on the blood of a living being in order to sustain life. The Light Bringers, those that want to use the dark arts of their magic, must take the life force of someone else. They must drain someone in a way that allows them to take that force within the Light Bringer’s body. From there, the Light Bringer’s body will transform that life into magic, which enhances the ShadowSide and allows dark magic to be used.”
I wrinkled my nose, squirming with discomfort. “I don’t understand who would agree to give someone control over their life force,” I said. “Will they regenerate?”
Grey tilted his head to the left before doing it to the right. “I’m not certain,” he said. “This is something I would love to study more, but the truth is, I don’t know. My hypothesis is that it’s much like the blood in our body. Technically, a Vrykolakas could capture someone – a wolf, a human, even a Light Bringer – and feed on it. As long as they don’t take too much blood, the blood will replenish, like refilling a well. And that means they don’t need to seek out another meal if they already have someone within their clutches.”
My stomach twisted with unease. “Do you think that’s what Dade is doing?” I asked. “Do you think…do you think he’s feeding on someone so he can access his ShadowSide?”
