“Stop!” A wave of energy hit them all, forcing the orc girl to stumble backward, dropping the stick with a ctter. The bear men were levelled completely. Gray squinted against the pressure in the air. It felt like his head was being squeezed as his ears started to ring. For a second, Gray couldn’t see anything because there was so many yellow sparkles in the air. It was like the hot night had caught fire.

  Had Mama Cinder come to stop the fight?

  No, it was Rynn, hands turned to fists at her side, eyes closed.

  All that yellow light was coming from her. “Just leave us alone!”

  The dark-skinned girl ughed, wiping blood from her nose. “You attacked us. This Nully attacked us for no reason!”

  Gray picked up his fallen stick. “You stole our stuff and then rubbed our faces in it. Like the girl said, leave us alone. I’d rather be executed than put up with five fucking seconds of your bullshit.”

  Froggy stood up, wincing. “I’ll get you executed, Nully. My family has ties to the First Field. You don’t want me as your enemy.”

  “We’re already enemies. Give us back the trunks, and then maybe, just maybe, I won’t break your leg next time.”

  “You wish. Next time, I’ll gut you like a fish. I’ll cut your null core out of you and wear it as a neckce.”

  “No.” Striking like a viper, Rynn pulled the knife from Froggy’s sheath.

  All the girls gasped. It was shocking that someone could move that fast. Gray thought this was the end for Froggy. Rynn would stab her, and then he and Rynn would have to run. Fuck Captain Settie and her Kill Squad. Gray just wanted to get back to Ruin Manor and pet Yellow again. He could train on his own. With Rynn’s power and experience, they didn’t need First Field. He’d become a cnless manamancer like Softie’s sister. They were making it work.

  Instead, Rynn swept all of her golden hair up into a long ponytail. “The trunks and two thousand shekels are my gift to you. As are the clothes. I have another gift for you as well.” Rynn cut through her yellow hair, sawing and sawing, and then she flung her hair and the knife at Froggy’s feet. “Since you’re so obsessed with my hair, you can have it. My true treasure is my core. And I will make it so powerful that it will blind you all, so you’ll see nothing else ever again. Come on, Gray. We’ve wasted enough time with these pathetic crows.”

  Rynn stormed off.

  Gray smiled at the surprised squad, showing teeth. Did Froggy have connections that might make their life terrible? Maybe. But he and Rynn had showed them that they were mad dogs, ready to bite.

  He found himself ughing as he followed Rynn as she strode away. Had she really hacked off her hair instead of cutting Froggy’s throat? Yes. That all had really happened.

  Once inside their barracks, Rynn slumped against Gray. “Help me, Mr. No. That was…I’m spent. My core is empty. I thought maybe…but no.”

  “Maybe what?” he asked.

  “Help me get to our room.”

  They reached their hallway, and it was filled with orcs, male and female, all standing around, ughing, and drinking from big horns.

  “Floormates!” one yelled. “Oh, she’s pretty soused already, is she? Can’t hardly stand? Oh, we like you guys. You’re in 411, yes? I’m in 413. Same side. We’re basically roommates.” The orc was tall and slender, not bulky like your typical monster man. And yet, he was shirtless, and his muscles looked like steel cables under his green skin. “I’m Freek. That’s my world name. My orc name is Fengrik, but Freek is better. ‘Cause I’m a party freak!” He roared.

  Gray knew exactly how to handle Freak the Orc. “I’m fucking Grayson Fade, mother fucker. Yeah, this is Rynn, and she has this elf name, but I can’t fucking say it. You know, elves.”

  “Ha, fuck yeah!” Freak roared, ughing. “We love elves!”

  Gray smiled. “Who doesn’t love an elf girl, right?”

  “Right!” the male orcs thundered. The big she-orcs only rolled their eyes.

  Gray nodded at them. “I’m gonna get her to sleep, and I’m completely worn out. Hit it hard tonight in the market. You know how it is.”

  Freek nodded, clearly impressed with Gray. “Yeah, brother man, I know how it is. We spent the day drinking in Pubis Port. Just got back. Gonna live it up until the Testing. We’re ready for it, though. Some of us are Wrath Rats, others are Pride Serpents, fucking traitors. Pride Serpents are gonna field three teams, but us Wrath Rats are going to make it through. Not one of us is going to die. Not one!”

  “Not one!” other roared.

  Then all the Wrath Rats chanted, “Not one! Not one! Not one!” while the Pride Serpents on the floor chanted, “Gonna die! Gonna die! Gonna die!”

  Gray ughed and ughed, even though he’d never felt less like ughing in his life. No wonder the barracks smelled like gdiators. He had to wonder about the squad names. Why name them after demons.

  He got Rynn back into the room, and she colpsed on a chair. “I’m going to sleep. I can’t go out there. I can’t suffer through those orcs. I’ll wait until things quiet—”

  She was interrupted by a bellow and then more chanting.

  Gray leaned against the bed. “We just have to wait for them to pass out, Rynn. Then we’ll get some quiet. Until the snoring starts.”

  Rynn looked so miserable, with her exhausted eyes and uneven hair. “Could you please just turn your back. I want to change into my nightgown. I’m just so exhausted. And I’d never…I’d never vented my core before. I feel so…empty inside.”

  She closed her eyes and tears tracked down her cheeks.

  The room was stifling. The window was open, but there was no air coming in. Outside, the bellowing was as obnoxious as the stink of all those orcs.

  “Living in this pce is going to test me like nothing else,” she sadly.

  Gray pulled the other chair over to sit close to her. “This room is terrible, but it could be worse. The arena gdiators slept in a single, rge room, on cots stacked three high. I was able to get my own room, but it took some time. Give me some time. I think I can remedy this.”

  She opened her eyes, but no more tears fell. “Does this involve more of your scam cup game?”

  “Maybe. Maybe not.” He paused. Her eyes looked so dull, and her skin was pasty. Her whole body seemed to have shrunk. Even her mana itch was gone, and her chest was only pale skin. Gazing down, he saw no yellow light filling her belly. His core, though, was overflowing with light.

  He looked into her face. “I have something to ask, but I don’t want to be rude. It’s not about your resonance, but I don’t understand how this works.”

  “What is it? Just ask.”

  “Can you take some mana from my core? Captain Settie was surprised at how much power I have. If you could access it, it might make you feel better.”

  “I know it’s possible. We could try. But it would be…intimate.”

  “Do we kiss?” he asked in wonder.

  Rynn started to snort but stopped herself. “Um. No.” She rolled her eyes. “What made you think that?”

  “You said it would be intimate. Kissing is intimate.” He thought of Captain Settie and the Pleasure Market. Then he forced himself to think about something else before his excitement showed.

  The elf girl reached out with both of her hands. “We need to get close. Holding hands should do it. I’ll have to find your core, but I’m so tired. Maybe we should sleep.”

  “Let’s try,” he pressed. “Freek and his friends aren’t going to be settling down any time soon. We’ll need this skill during the Testing. It’s why Captain Settie recruited me.”

  She nodded. “I’ll try.”

  The two sat, holding hands. Her voice was as soft as feathers. “Focus on your breathing. Focus on opening your core. Feel my hands and try and imagine my core. If I had more mana, this would be easier. If I could just accept my fate, surrender to the moment, and see reality as it is and not what I want it to be, I’d have more mana. But now I’m just babbling again.”

  Both of them sat, eyes closed, sensing the other. She smelled so good. Was it perfume or was it her? Her hands weren’t exactly soft, no, because of the training. But they were slender, feminine, so much smaller than his, and he wasn’t very big. To think, this tall, thin woman had rather small hands.

  He thought of her one-word answers and smiled. She could be so awkward, and yet, she tried so hard. She seemed like a frightened girl, but she was a fighter, and slightly crazy. She’d shown that side to the Froggy’s squad.

  He felt his energy grow and expand.

  “By the gods,” she whispered. “There’s so much. You’re so big.”

  He chuckled. “It’s what every man wants to hear.”

  She ughed a little. “I don’t mean it like that. You’re hands are softer than I would’ve thought. You need more callouses. There will be blisters first.”

  “I’m not afraid of blisters. Actually, I welcome them.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ve spent most of my life weak, Miss Yes. Now, I’m going to spend the rest of it getting as strong as I can.”

  She inhaled. “You’re already so strong. Your mana is so strange. Yes. It’s coming into me.” She snorted. “Not like that.”

  “We’re not bonding are, we?”

  “No.” She paused. “Well, a little. But it’s not dangerous.”

  Eyes closed, he could focus on how much he liked her voice.

  “This is a simple mana transfer.,” she continued. “It does show that we like each other. If you hated me, this would be harder, but not impossible, because of your core. It’s endless.”

  “Can I open my eyes?”

  “Yes,” she said quietly.

  He looked down to see the yellow light flowing from his core and into hers. She was looking at him, and he realized she’d had her eyes open the entire time.

  “You look so peaceful,” she said quietly.

  Someone smmed into their door and an orc howled ughter.

  “I feel peaceful,” he said. “Today was special.”

  “Because you scammed those people and I helped you?”

  He grinned. “To eat at Gorgonzo’s Counter I’d destroy worlds. I’m kidding. No. I never knew such a pce like this existed. I want all of our days to be as full.”

  “Let’s make that happen,” she said. Then she closed her eyes. “One moment. I want to enjoy this warmth, just a little more, and then, I’ll end the connection. You might not feel it.”

  With her eyes closed, he could study her face like she’d studied his. The more he looked at her, the more he found her beautiful. Her skin was less gray, the circles under her eyes were gone, and her hair, though cut at a strange angle, glowed.

  “There,” she said softly.

  The yellow light was gone, but more than that, the connection he felt to her was severed. It was like they’d been hugging, and she’d stepped away.

  She opened her eyes and gave him the biggest smile. “If we practice that, we’ll be able to do the transfer without even touching.” The smile faded a bit, and then she furrowed her brow. “But we have to like each other, Mr. No. Our connection is built on affection and trust. I need to trust you. Can I trust you?”

  He thought of Princess Lilian and the ruby neckce, which turned out to be strangely, impossibly magical. How much was it worth?

  He realized he wasn’t answering her question.

  “I want us to be friends,” she said finally. “If Captain Sevanya trusts you, then I can too.”

  “No, Rynn. I’m fairly certain you shouldn’t trust me. I’ve done things in the past I’m not proud of, but I was desperate. Let’s hope I’ll never be so desperate ever again.”

  “Some say hope is the eighth instinct. Hope and despair. They call it the Divine Instinct. Others don’t believe in an eighth instinct at all.”

  He sat back, totally exhausted. “No, let’s not talk magic. I’m too tired.”

  “Then we’ll get you to bed, Mr. No.” The elf girl sprang to her feet. “But you do have to turn around while I change.”

  He respectfully faced the wall. “That’s fine. Just don’t make me go out into the hallway. I gave Mr. Freek and his friends my best performance, but I don’t think I have an encore in me.”

  Rynn let out a shriek.

  Gray whirled.

  Rynn held her clothes against her chest. “Turn around, Gray!”

  He turned back around, but not before he saw her bare shoulders and one muscled thigh. “What’s going on?”

  “It’s a scorpion. I killed it. Ugh, it was big. Just got scared for a second.”

  After the scorpion scare, Gray took his turn changing. He slept in soft shorts that Captain Settie had bought him. He wouldn’t have known what they were except that Rynn had something simir on, though she had an overshirt as well. He didn’t put on the shirt, it was too hot, but he did feel self-conscious. His arms were still so thin, and his chest was a bit sunken.

  He looked better, but he needed more muscle.

  Back in Cradleport, he’d always been so self-conscious about his body. He’d been honest with Lilian about his insecurities, and she had only shrugged. She’d said she loved looking at him while they were together in her bed and nothing else mattered. Besides, they both knew his true treasure was his brain.

  Lilian probably didn’t think too much of his mind now. He’d been clever enough to steal from her.

  Gray and Rynn were soon on their lumpy mattresses, covered with scratchy sheets that smelled sour. They’d been balled up in soapy water too long. The air in the room only seemed to get hotter as the noise outside grew louder. Above them, Froggy’s squad sounded like they were purposefully stomping around.

  Gray tossed and turned. Normally, he could sleep in miserable conditions. He’d had to share a basement room with fifty other orphans, and it had been hot, dark, and smelly. They didn’t have sheets, but slept on burp over straw. That was worse. Why couldn’t he get to sleep?

  He’d tossed the dead scorpion out the window. It had been the size of his index finger. What if more of those monsters were around? The gdiators had ughed at anyone scared of bugs. They’d make jokes about spider biting their dicks.

  Every so often, someone did get bit by widowmaker spider, and they would get sick, but no on ever died. But it happened so rarely, it was easy to ignore the danger. Nevertheless, you were dumb if you didn’t check your straw before you went to bed, like a dog, scratching at the dirt to scare away snakes.

  Gray felt a pain his gut, and he touched his stomach. He didn’t feel right. Had he been bitten by a scorpion? He just felt weak, but after the day he had, he was probably just tired. Blind John would tell him to let go of the day and let the night bring sleep. For some, the ability to sleep is the ultimate test of mastering one’s self. Gray was failing the test.

  At one point, he felt Rynn get up and leave the room. There was a toilet down the hall. She was probably going there to relieve herself.

  While we waited for her to return, he realized why he couldn’t sleep. He missed having Yellow at the foot of his bed. That dog felt like home. Would he be okay in Old Town? Captain Settie thought so, but then, being an ancient dragon, she’d been ambivalent whether he lived or died. A good dog the size of Yellow would only live around ten years. What was that compared to the vast eons?

  Rynn came back, sighed, and got into the bed under him.

  Her presence calmed him. She was a warrior. If he could keep her core filled, there was nothing they couldn’t handle.

  But Yellow. What about Yellow?

  Gray realized he had a solution, and he made up his mind.

  He was going to find a way back to Ruin Manor and Yellow. Living with demons had to be better than living with orcs.