Magi's Path (Aether's Revival Book 3) Daniel Schinhofen (books to read in a lifetime .txt) 📖

Dad... too forward and too aggressive. I try to temper that so as not to bother any of you. Dad worries about me, but I’m my own woman and I want what I want. I’m not worried that you’re using me. If you wanted to harm me, you’ve had nearly a year to do so already.”

Betty softly cleared her throat, and everyone looked at her. “Unlike my husband and daughter, I don’t push myself forward often. What I do know is that Daciana has been happier this last year than in any other year. I don’t fear for her choices... I only hold the fear any parent with a magi child holds.” She leaned forward and looked at Hao. “My family thanks you. We’d never be able to help her in this manner. While we can’t do much, if we can ever repay the help, just ask.”

“There is nothing to repay. I’m sure the family that gifted you those items did so from a fortune blown in on a wind,” Hao said.

A knock on the door cut off the conversation and, a moment later, it opened to allow three people with carts into the room.

“Ah, dinner,” Hao said.

~*~*~

Dinner passed, and the families chatted about minor things as they headed back to Stabled Hunger. The taproom was packed with people, only a handful of which were Warlin guards. The majority of them were eurtik or part-eurtiks who were eager to hear about how the novices had done.

Ramon asked for silence before announcing that the novices had gone undefeated for the first day. Pausing for the crowd to die down again, he reminded them that they still had many days of fighting ahead of them, but the next round of drinks was on the house in celebration.

Gufta and Betty were pulled aside by a few others with wolf-eurtik blood and asked for more details. Ramon went to help Hintle behind the bar while Vana went to check on her sister in the kitchen.

Hao led the way through the room so they could get to the private dining room. “Well, that will only get more exuberant as the tournament goes on,” he told the novices as they entered the room. “I do hope you can adapt to it.”

“It was a shock to me last year,” Gregory added. “We shouldn’t stay out too late, though,” he said, changing topics. “Tomorrow will be another busy day for you.”

“Agreed,” Nessa said. “We do have a little time to spare, if one of the carriages will take us back,” she directed the last to Hao.

“Of course,” Hao nodded.

“We should let them talk, dear one,” Yoo-jin said. “We will see you all tomorrow. Have a good night.”

Yukiko gave her mother a smile in thanks as her parents left.

“I was surprised at how easily today went,” Victoria said once the five of them were alone. “Besides the fire,” she added quickly to Nessa.

“I was, too,” Nessa said. “I hadn’t expected that fire, either.”

“She’s likely been recruited by the Eternal Flame,” Yukiko said, “the woman who threw it. They give those they favor necklaces that can do that. You did very well pushing through it.”

“It hurt,” Nessa said with a shudder. “I considered forfeiting briefly, but then I thought of that cretin badmouthing Daciana and imagined him saying something similar about me... I just couldn’t quit. I wouldn’t give him and those like him the satisfaction of me losing.”

“Finding a way to endure the pain and push forward is hard,” Yukiko said. “I’ve endured similar and worse. If you want to win, to stand at the top, you will all have to find your reasons. For me, it was my dear one.” She gave Gregory a smile.

“Funnily enough, it was the same for me,” Jenn said with a chagrined expression, “even when I was battering him senseless.”

“And for me, it was the promise I’d made Yukiko to see her in the finals for the first tournament, and a desire to prove that our clan was meant to be at the top for the second. Little did I know that someone had a better reason, even when she was beating me senseless.”

“I have a reason...” Victoria said softly, looking at the table.

“So do I,” Daciana growled, staring at Victoria.

“We’re friends,” Nessa interjected. “We all have our reason for wanting to finish first. Even if we face each other in the final four or championship match, we must accept that we can lose to each other. I would hate for that to be what breaks our friendship.”

Victoria looked up with a smile. “Even if you or Daciana beats me, I won’t hold it against you. I’ll just have to work harder to be the one to win next time.”

“I have to fight my own instincts at times,” Daciana said, a little embarrassed. “I never want to lose our pac… friendship,” she coughed, her cheeks going pink.

Nessa leaned over, bumping her shoulder against Daciana’s. “I would hate to lose our team, as well. You don’t have to be embarrassed over your instincts with us.”

“Ness is right,” Victoria said. “While I’m different from both of you, I don’t mind. In fact, I feel like I’m the odd one out most of the time. You both know things I don’t because you were born in a city. I do my best to not act like a fringer, but at times, I feel a little lost. If not for you two, I have no doubt that I’d have been pulled in by a group that would use me instead of cherishing and helping me.”

“Reminds me of us,” Yukiko smiled softly.

“Yeah...” Jenn agreed.

Gregory nodded. “I know exactly what you’re saying, Victoria. On the positive side, those moments lessen over time. Your friends will help with that.”

“I know. I’m doing my best to model myself after