It took three full days for Gray to recover, but on the fourth day, he was back on the Chaotica field.

  Even better? Settie had gathered up a team of fae from the Briarblood squads and were paying them to scrimmage Gray and Squad 23. They’d met some the night before, at the Chaotica games in the stadium. They were not exactly the best that the elite school had to offer, but they were willing to practice.

  Gray had no idea how much the captain was paying them, but it must’ve been substantial. The enemy fae team were all women, and they were scarred and sullen, which made Gray wondered if any of them had lust resonances. Rynn said it wasn’t so simple, but then, she hated to talk about such inappropriate things.

  Once again, Settie herself was standing in for the demons. The field was muddy from the rain the night before, and even now clouds filled the sky.

  After the kiss, Gray, Rynn, and Ames were inseparable, and though it made sense for Ames to stay and guard the kill strip, he wanted to try something. They put Tomi there, and the rest of the squad charged down the field.

  The fae charged into their base field—four of them with the other three staying behind.

  “Midj, keep the mana hands going!” Gray called out. I’ll keep you filled with mana.

  The mana hands appeared on the field, glowing yellow in the gloomy light.

  Gray had the ball—he was the slowest member of the team…for now. Rynn and Ames stayed close to him. It felt so comfortable to be on the field with them. They were his comrades and more.

  One fae made it through the mana hands, but Ames took her down with a touch. It wasn’t attack, no, just a block that felt like being hit with a handful of needles. Gray fed her mana, emptying as much of his core as he could. Ames stayed behind, and it was Rynn and him, racing across the midfield line. The defenders converged on them from the front. The other four fae were coming in hot from behind.

  The fae started hurling mana shuriken at him, and a few struck him, but they weren’t charged to kill. They weren’t painless though. It felt like fists smacking him. They were trying to knock the ball loose. Rynn blocked shuriken with her own mana blasts, as many as she could.

  But one of the fae’s missiles struck the ball, knocking it loose.

  Another fae scooped it up and Gray felt someone kick his feet out from under him. It wasn’t legal, but Settie hadn’t seen the foul. Gray wasn’t going to complain.

  Gray channeled mana into Rynn, who then vented her core, throwing three fae to the ground, including the one with the ball. That was key. You couldn’t attack just anyone on the field.

  Gray gave her mana, and they both sped forward, chasing after the fae.

  But then, Ames was there, and she touched the fae with the ball, making her shriek with pain. Then Ames had the ball, and she sped toward the midfield line and the fae’s base field.

  Gray sent Rynn back across the line. “Let’s me and Ames try.”

  “Good luck!” Rynn made it back to their home base field as Ames past her.

  Then Ames gave him the ball, and they made another charge toward the fae’s end zone.

  Gray was nearly out of mana. It was the perfect time for him to try out his gambit.

  Ames got in front of him.

  “Following you,” he told her.

  “As you wish, Grayson Fade.”

  “Turn up the speed. Let’s see if this works.”

  “Gladly. My feet are hungry today.”

  Ames then filled her legs mana and she burst forward.

  Gray did as well, and this time, he couldn’t flood his meridians with mana. He simply didn’t have that much to play around with. He felt the muscles in his legs swell, and then, he felt his speed increase. He was keeping up with Ames. Both of them were running so fast!

  It was going to work. He didn’t have so much power that it threw him on his face, no, but he had enough to make him feel like he was floating.

  They left behind most of the fae, but they had two in front of them.

  Ames screamed and leapt on one, using her pain magic to take the fae out of the picture.

  Gray only had the fae in the kill strip.

  He ran onto the red grass. The last fae was their biggest girl, a monster of a woman, the thickest fae he’d ever seen. She was all muscle.

  So was he… muscle and magic.

  A shuriken struck him in the face, and he couldn’t see, but he knew where the goal line was.

  He filled his entire body with the last of his mana, and he felt the power. And it felt good. He lowered his shoulder and slammed into the fae, sending her flying. A second later, he was in the end zone.

  He’d done it. He’d used his mana to fill his meridians.

  He dropped the ball and went over to help the fae.

  She smiled at him. “It was a mighty run, Mr. Fade. Finally using your mana, are you?”

  “Finally.” He pulled her up. Touching her, he felt her skin, and then, that smile was so bright, and her eyes so sparkly. He felt the lust fill him. He’d been dizzy—he’d almost emptied his core, but now he was feeling far better. This big fae girl smelled good.

  She grinned. “Better that you’d use it the whole game. You’re only five.”

  “I’m trying. I’m trying.”

  “Gray!” Midj shouted. “Get back here! Time is ticking!”

  Gray trotted back with Ames, and they met Rynn at the midfield. The entire field reset after a goal with all players back on their home fields and their strip defender back on the red grass.

  Rynn flung herself onto him, kissing him. “You did it!”

  “It’s just what I thought,” he said. “With a full core, it’s too much. But if I can get my mana reserves down to only about 25%, I can handle it so much better.”

  Rynn snorted. “Oh, look at me. I’m Grayson Fade, and my biggest problem is that I have too much power. Whatever.”

  Ames giggled. “His core, Rynnanatha, is so very large. I would wonder about other parts of him.”

  Rynn rolled her eyes. “Are we playing Chaotica or making penis jokes?”

  “Can we not do both?” the dark elf asked innocently. “I’m wondering if Grayson Fade is going to flirt with every woman he meets.”

  Gray threw her a grin. “I have to get lust mana somehow.”

  Ames blushed, which made her dark skin darker. “Well, you have Rynn for that.”

  Rynn came up and grabbed Ames’s hand. “He does. And we have you.”

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  “Maybe.” Ames turned serious for a second. “The fire feels good, but it is so very dangerous.”

  Midj let out a frustrated yell. “Ack! Them fae are coming. Can we play kissy face later and focus on the game?”

  Gray threw her some mana, and Midj smiled. “Ah, yeah, that’s the stuff. Time to do some big-time blocking.”

  * * *

  In the end, even with Gray able to use his mana some of the time, they didn’t win, but they had any number of new strategies they could use. Like Gray thought, once they got behind in points, the demonic dragon known as Captain Sette Sevanya drew players away from their defense and the fae were able to score.

  But Gray was feeling worlds better.

  They went out to celebrate that night—they were going to have a fae feast in a private room with a view of the tower. It was in a different building from the inn, and inside, a fire crackled in front of a well-set table.

  Gray paused at the doorway. He couldn’t believe how the candles made the crystal glasses sparkle. It was such a fine room, with wooden paneling on the walls, wallpaper even, with huge windows that showed them Lust Tower in the distance.

  Midj didn’t stop. “Can’t wait to get some of the fae food. I’ve heard stories. I better not get raw fish. I hear they serve raw fish. Blech. Or alligator skins taken from the Thistle Mire. Not sure I want to east lizard.” She took the chair at the head of the table.

  Rynn, Ames, and Tomi then settled in around her.

  The captain paused with Gray at the doorway. “Problem, my precious Gray?”

  “This had to cost a fortune. And you paid the fae. I’m worried about your horde of gold. There’s nothing sadder than a penniless dragon.” He smiled at her.

  She gave him a rather bored look. “Still hiding your questions in comments. It won’t work. If you must know, this expense is to reward you for your insubordination, your recklessness, and your ingenuity. Two out of the three piss me off more than you can imagine. Do you know what angers me more?”

  He faked a frown. “That sounds like a question. So questions are tolerated if you are the one asking?”

  She nodded. “Precisely. I am not happy about the thousand shekels I had to pay Pinch for her efforts to save you. She loved taking that money from me.”

  Gray felt like she kicked him in the stomach. “Rynn and I were going to pay her. I was thinking about a trip to the dice markets to get that bitch fae her money.”

  “The fae has her money. Now, we have to come up with strategies on how to effectively keep your core empty without killing you.”

  “Hey!” Midj shouted. “The sooner you sit down, the sooner we eat!”

  The captain marched into the room. “That’s my chair, Midjara. I’m paying for this feast, and I should sit at the head of the table.”

  “Or maybe Gray should,” Tomi said. “This is his celebration party. Finally figured out how to get his mana all fixed up. Now, if only there hadn’t been a dragon on the field, trying to ruin our fun, we might’ve won.”

  “I wasn’t trying to kill you,” Settie snapped. “The demons will be there, and they will be doing just that. As for Gray sitting at the head of the table, we’ll see how well you five do during Soulshred Week. If you come in first place, well, then I’ll gladly give up my seat.”

  Midj moved, and Settie took her place there.

  Gray sat down at the end, facing the window. He was actually happier there. He had a view of the lights on Lust Tower. For once, it wasn’t rainy, and all the clouds were gone. The sky was filled with stars except for the shadow of the tower, rising up from the light like a spike of shadow.

  A fae woman came in and filled their glasses with manafied wine. Gray winced. He’d have to be careful. He was so tired that he was afraid he’d fall asleep if he drank too much.

  Midj stood on her chair across from Gray. “A toast! To Grayson Fade and his meridians. If we’re going to win, he’s going to have to always be five seconds from dying.”

  That made Gray laugh, especially after what had happened at the end of culling day.

  Settie sighed. “That is a terrible toast. Can anyone do better?”

  Ames raised her glass. “To the fire in our blood, the ice in our spine, and to the oceans of souls inside of us. We are what happens when the sky makes love to the rain. And in winter, we shall die, but come the spring, we will be in the shack, so happy. So happy.”

  Tomi snorted. “I like the one about Gray dying better.”

  Rynn tried next. “To the strength of our instincts. The virtues of our friendships. And when it’s time to sin, let us sing the songs of sin until we can sing no more!”

  “Excellent!” Settie said. “To our strength, our virtues, and our sins!”

  They tnked glasses

  He sipped the wine, tasted the depth and spice, and set it down. When he closed his eyes, he felt the room tip to the side. From just one sip!

  Rynn noticed. When the fae came back, she got him some of the bubble water, and he was so very thankful.”

  Of course, the captain frowned.

  Tomi, though, had been busy. “So, uh, I’ve been reading that illustrated history of the Fall of Alastria. It’s not a complete account, I mean, how could it be? It was this copied book—sometimes, it wasn’t copied very well. And it added all these extra characters to the story.”

  Midj sighed. “Can we wait to talk all that boring history stuff until our food comes? You’re killing Tomi! Killing me!”

  Tomi laughed. “You were the one who wanted to toast Gray’s death.”

  “Almost death,” Midj grumbled.

  “We can talk history,” Rynn said. “If it’s okay with the captain.”

  All eyes turned to Settie.

  She shrugged. “This is your feast. I have the warm fire at my back, I’m with the best squad that I’ve ever sponsored, and Gray has a month to perfect his newfound abilities. Speed, strength, agility…those are his neophyte abilities. But he has the acolyte’s mana mark. As we work, I’m hoping to coax something powerful, something that will drain his mana. Perhaps he can vent his core like Rynn. If he could control it, that would be excellent.”

  Gray couldn’t help but admire the captain. She had just tried to change the subject without declaring it. He could see them discussing what his acolyte ability might be for hours.

  But he was curious about what Tomi had found in the book. “What extra characters?”

  Settie sipped her wine, as she didn’t care that they were back to talk about the Fall of Alastria.

  Tomi chuckled. “They added this serving girl, a house maid, who was special to Princess Cassandra. The book is trying to pin the whole burning of Caelvarum on her. She is the one that let Malchutt into the palace, where he murdered the royal family…except for Princess Cassandra. All the histories I’ve read had it that Cassandra invited Thraxis in for a little dragon love. Thraxis snuck away, killed the king and queen, and came back with their heads. He threw them at Cassandra’s feet and then told her he was the Troublemaker. Hijinks ensued. Caelvarum was attacked the Troublemaker’s cambion armies, the city was burned, and Cassandra watched it, having lost her family and her love. I doubt this Dani ever existed. Oh, excuse me, Little Dani. She had a withered a leg and was small, so very small. She walked with limp. Little Dani. Ha. Talk about artistic license.”

  The captain sipped her wine. “It’s all story, don’t you see? The past is gone forever, and it only lives in story. We think our memories are true, but no, they are just stories we tell ourselves, over and over. The truth is murdered an hour after the event. We’ll never know what happened in Caelvarum that night. All we know for sure is that the Troublemaker and his armies sacked and looted, raped and burned, their way across the city. It was the beginning of the end for Alastria. So let the author have their fictions of Little Dani. The way I heard it, she was known as Dani Witherhand. It was her arm, not her leg. But see? It’s all just a story.”

  She sipped more wine.

  “But you would know,” Ames said softly. “You were there.”

  “I was young, a child really, and poor, so very poor, about as far from the palace as you could get. No, it was friends who helped me escape. Well, we helped each other. I had my Princess Cassandra moment, but I wasn’t in the palace watching…I was on Sorrowlock Hill, outside of the walls. Ha, for it to have that name even before the burning. What do you sometimes call irony, Gray?”

  “Blind John used to say that the Gods like to laugh at their own jokes, and that’s irony.”

  “It’s true, and often times, they are the only ones laughing.” She sipped her wine. “But anyway, after that, I didn’t care about the war. I just tried to keep my belly full and my body warm at night. Safe and warm. Until I could escape to the Backbone Islands. And before you can ask it, I didn’t know the goblin chef named Mimolette Walthamstow. In real life, people who make history rarely know each other. It’s all confusion, chaos, and luck. I should’ve died in Caelvarum. I didn’t. I wish I had a good story to tell you, but I don’t.”

  They were all quiet for a moment.

  Gray wasn’t sure if he believed her or not. Rynn and Ames were quiet, but Midj was dying. She hated all of this talk of history.

  Tomi, though, let out a sound, part gasp, part sob. “To think, you were there. You saw Caelvarum when it was the most beautiful city on Midmere. It was wonderful, wasn’t it? The towers, the dragons, the mana where there shouldn’t be mana. How did you keep your core full? It was in the Null Breaks.”

  Settie shrugged, finished her wine, and then contemplated her empty glass. “Those secrets died with the king and queen. There was mana, I worked on improving my core and my meridians, and there wasn’t an issue. I’ve gone back…to the Crumblelands, to Scarhaven, and little is left of the continent or the city I once knew. There is no mana. I think the Troublemaker did something, some last bit of trickery, that destroyed the magic. But I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter.”

  They talked more—mostly is Tomi asking Settie questions, which annoyed the dragon woman to no end. Gray could tell, but he also noticed that her patience was self-serving. She wanted all gossip about her to end. The past didn’t matter. Alastria didn’t matter. All that was important was that she was an ancient dragon, powerful beyond imagination, and they should have complete faith in her.

  Again, Gray was struck by how smart the captain was.

  Midj was overjoyed when the food came because not only was it the strangest, most delicious meal of their lives, but it meant a conversation change.

  There were fishy-tasting greens, which turned out to be a kind of seaweed. Gray was used to that. What did surprise him were the little strips of sticky rice and the various wonderful things they put on top. There was raw fish, and sauces, and little crispy things, and he couldn’t name one thing he ate.

  But with every bite, the flavor changed.

  There were also noodles, doughy and strange, deep-fried bird meat and a whole selection of fried vegetables. It was all manafied, and as they ate, the spiciness filled them, and yes, Gray couldn’t help but get a little drunk.

  Sitting across from Rynn and Ames, they kept smiling at him, and he smiled back.

  That kiss with Ames had meant the world to her, he knew, and he loved how close Rynn and her were getting. They weren’t just squad mates, but friends, and they shared this secret language of elven customs and courtesies. It was why they called each other by their full names.

  It was to be their last night in Lust City.

  They had all gotten what they had come for.