Bret and Jake found Larson Engineering a few blocks from the tower. The old garage sat between a pawn shop and a deli. A faded blue sign hung over open doors, which revealed large machines in various states of repair. Jake peered inside with open-mouth wonder while Bret focused on the gray-haired man in a blue work shirt. He spoke to a tanned man with familiar-looking green eyes.
"Welcome!" the old man said when he spotted them. "You must be the mages Marcus sent my way. I'm Van Larson. It's nice to meet you," he continued, extending a hand.
"I am, but my friend here is along for the ride," Bret said, gesturing at Jake. "My name is Bret Cable," he added, shaking Mr. Larson's hand.
"Good to meet you, Bret," Van said. "And you are?" he asked, turning to Jake.
"Jake O'Reilly."
"Oh, I've heard your name mentioned at the Gentle Giant. You play poker there, right?"
"Occasionally," Jake laughed. "You should join us sometime."
"No, thanks. I like my money where it is. It's nice to meet you both. This is Kiran Abbott. The Abbotts came from Kotan. They're staying with us while I help them with their paperwork," Larson said, patting the tanned man on the back.
"Are you related to Maya?" Bret asked.
"Yes, she is my daughter," Kiran said.
"Is she here?"
"No, I believe she's at the library right now,"
"Oh," Bret said as his shoulders sagged. He felt glad that Jake wasn't looking. Jake was too busy staring at the machines in the shop.
"It has been nice having the Abbotts around. Maya has become good friends with my daughter, Shaylie. She should be around here somewhere," Larson said.
While they spoke, Jake inspected a large green and yellow contraption in the maintenance area. It had circular blades attached to the front. Jake had seen one on a farm when he was little but didn't know what you called it. The urge to touch the metal grew until he reached out a hand. However, a sound made him recoil and step back as if he received a shock. Someone moved to his left. Jake peered around the corner and saw a small red-haired girl with a long ponytail. She hunched over an open control panel with a wrench in her hand. The sight confused Jake.
"Um, are you supposed to be in here, little girl?" Jake asked.
"Who are you calling a little girl!?" she asked, standing up and glaring at Jake. He realized his mistake instantly. She wasn't as young as he thought. In fact, she might have been older than him. The girl brandished the wrench close enough to Jake's face to make him cross-eyed.
"I apologize. My bad," Jake said, holding up his hands. "I'm Jake O'Reilly. What's your name," he asked, holding out his hand and hoping she wouldn't whack it with her wrench.
She didn't move momentarily, so Jake almost retracted the gesture, but she lowered the tool and shook his hand. "Shaylie Lucas," she said. Her handshake was as terse as her greeting. Then she tapped his red armband with her finger and said, "You're a rookie, so I'm guessing you're around 21, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I'm two years out of the academy, which makes me older than you, little boy. So watch it," she said before returning to her work.
"Again, I'm sorry. Can we start over?"
"Sure, what kind of mage are you?" she asked as she tightened a bolt.
"Red mage. You?"
"I'm a blue. It figures you're a red. All brawn and no brain."
"I guess I deserved that," Jake laughed. "Cool machine. What do you call these things?"
"It's a combine. They use them on farms."
"Oh, right," Jake said, pretending he knew that information and forgot.
"So, why are you here, Jake O'Reilly?"
"My friend Bret is getting tutoring from Mr. Larson. He's not great at the scientific side of blue magic."
"Well, Dad will help him. He's always teaching blue mages."
"He's your dad?"
"The Larsons adopted me after my parents died," Shaylie said, stopping her work to watch Jake's reaction.
"Oh, I'm sorry for your loss."
"Thank you, but it happened a long time ago. I was little," she said, but Jake saw her shiver and wipe her face. She left a smear of oil in her wake. Jake decided not to point it out or push the topic any further. He switched to another thought that piqued his curiosity, but he soon regretted it.
"Your name sounds familiar. Are you related to Brennan Lucas? He invented those cool military drones, right?" The second the words left Jake's mouth, Shaylie's expression turned stony. She stood up and stared at him in silence, so Jake stammered. "I'm sorry. Did I say something wrong—again?"
"Brennan Lucas was my dad. Yes, he created those drones. But I would rather not talk about that. We don't build war machines here."
"Fair enough," Jake said, watching her return to her work. As she fiddled with the machine, he noticed she was missing the tip of her right middle finger. Jake opened his mouth to ask about it and wondered if the question would get him in more trouble. His curiosity got the better of him. "What happened to your finger?"
"An angry hippogriff bit it off," Shaylie said without looking at him.
"Oh, wow! Really?"
Shaylie looked over her shoulder with a bemused expression that carried a little pity in it. Jake was thankful for some levity to break the tension but felt foolish. "I lost the tip while I was learning to teleport. It was an accident because I didn't concentrate. Hippogriffs are extinct."
"Right. I knew that."
She shook her head, chuckled, and donned a welding mask. As Shaylie grabbed a piece of metal, she turned to Jake and said, "Could you back up a little? Don't look directly at this."
"Sure," Jake said and obeyed. A few moments passed before Shaylie channeled intense fire to weld the piece into place. She worked slowly and carefully. When she finished, she seemed flustered. Sweat poured down her face as she let out a long sigh. "Are you okay?" Jake asked.
"I don't like welding, but Dad is busy right now."
Jake inspected her work. Although he was unfamiliar with welding techniques, it looked pristine. "Looks like you did fine to me."
"It's not that. I can do it, but I just don't—never mind. Don't worry about it," she said, waving her hand. Shaylie used a rag to wipe her hands and face and stood back to look at the machine. "I'm not getting any more done tonight. The office is through there," she said, pointing at a door. "I'm going to get cleaned up."
"Okay. It was nice meeting you," Jake said.
"You too," Shaylie replied, but she continued gazing at the combine.
Jake entered the office and found Van Larson holding a lecture. He and four other mages formed a circle of chairs. Everyone listened as Van spoke. He held out his hands, and glowing orbs floated over them.
"The trick to discovering which elements work together is to treat them like puzzle pieces. Take it slow and let the elements speak to you. You will discover how they fit into place," he said, and the orbs came together, forming a larger and brighter orb.
Jake tried not to laugh at the thought of elements speaking. He imagined what their voices sounded like and chuckled softly. The sound made a few heads turn, so Jake muttered an apology. He didn't understand any of what Van said. Jake sat at the back of the room and watched. Van spoke for another half-hour, so Jake drifted off. His head slumped toward his chest and almost touched, but something nudged Jake's leg. He yelped, making the group turn and look at him again. Jake felt foolish. He wished they would stop looking at him, so he glanced down to see what had bumped him. Jake discovered a strange sight. A shiny metal dog sat at his feet. It behaved like a normal puppy, wagging its tail as it stared at him. The dog even barked. Jake expected something mechanical, but the bark sounded authentic.
"Um, good boy?" Jake said as he almost petted the thing. He pulled his hand back at the last second.
"He won't bite," Shaylie said. Jake looked up and saw her standing in the doorway. Her hair was still damp, and Jake's heightened senses smelled cherry blossoms. She must have used scented soap. He didn't realize he had channeled magic when the dog startled him, so he relaxed. "That's Baxter. I'm allergic to dogs, so I made him."
"You made him? That's impressive."
"Thanks," Shaylie beamed.
"Do you live here?"
"No, I share an apartment with Maya in the Mage Quarter, but my old room is still here. I bring Baxter with me to the shop."
"You live in the quarter? Why haven't I seen you around?"
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"Were you looking for me?"
"Good point."
"I'm heading home. Come on, Baxter. Time to go," Shaylie said, and the dog barked. Shaylie led the dog toward the door, but she turned to Jake. "See you around, O'Reilly."
"Yeah. See ya." He watched her leave, but Jake felt someone staring at him. Jake turned to find Bret grinning. "What?"
"She seemed nice," Bret laughed.
"Don't start."
"Ooh. Someone can dish it out but can't take it."
"Come on. Let's go," Jake said, shaking his head. As they left, Jake noticed Bret glancing around. He remained silent, but Jake knew who Bret was looking for. For once, Jake didn't feel like teasing him about it.
***
Training grew harder over the next few days, but Jake didn't tear any muscles or break any bones. After a particularly grueling session, Jake doubled over and was close to heaving when he caught a familiar scent in the breeze. He smelled cherry blossoms, so Jake stood up and searched for the source. Shaylie stood among the blue mages. She spotted him and waved. Jake returned the gesture as he approached Marcus.
"Marcus, has she been helping the blue mages since training started?" Jake asked, nodding in Shaylie's direction.
Marcus looked back and forth between them before answering. His expression made Jake groan inwardly. "No, she called and asked if she could lend a hand, so I told her to join us today. Why?"
"No reason. I was just curious."
"I don't know what you're planning, O'Reilly, but be careful with that one. She's more than you can handle," Marcus laughed.
"I'm not planning anything, but I could handle her just fine."
"Try, and she'll end up handling you, not the other way around. Just focus on your training, and don't get distracted."
"Yes, sir," Jake said before returning to his group.
Meanwhile, Bret progressed nicely in his training. He took Van Larson's lessons to heart. Bret's creations progressed from a shiny potato to a glittering but still lumpy sphere. However, he excelled in the offensive spells department. Davies conjured moving targets for Bret to strike, and he hit at least 70% of them. Bret considered this a win. He turned to Davies with a grin, but Davies was making notes on his clipboard.
"Not bad, Cable," he said.
"Thank you, sir," Bret replied, trying to hide his disappointment in Davies' reaction. Unfortunately, Bret's response sounded more like a question than a statement. Davies looked at him questioningly, so Bret shrugged.
"I meant it, Cable. Not bad."
Thankfully, something took Bret's mind off of training. He spotted Maya looking much happier than when he had seen her last. Bret moved in her direction.
"Oh, sure. You're dismissed," Davies muttered. "Don't mind me."
Bret gave him a half-wave in response and continued toward Maya. She smiled when she saw him.
"Hey, how is training going?" Bret asked.
"Good. You?" Maya asked.
"Better than when we started. Are you okay? You seemed upset the other day."
"Oh, that? I just had a rough start. I'm fine."
"Trust me. I understand. Tell you what. I know something that will get your mind off of things. Jake and I are going to the Gentle Giant tonight. Do you want to come with us?" Bret asked.
"What's the Gentle Giant?"
"It's a pub in town. Jake plays poker there."
"I'm not much of a drinker."
"They have good food too."
Maya laughed softly. Bret liked the sound, but the following sigh wasn't as reassuring. He knew the sound. It usually preceded a rejection, but she proved him wrong. "Okay, I'll go. Do you mind if I bring Shaylie with me?" she asked, pointing toward Shaylie.
"That's fine, but I don't know how Jake will react."
"He'll get over it," Maya chuckled.
***
Bret decided not to tell Jake that Shaylie was coming. He didn't want Jake to change their plans. Plus, Bret was curious to see Jake's reaction when she arrived. They headed to the Gentle Giant around 8:00 and found the place full of trainees. The number of red armbands surprised Bret, but the uptick in business seemed to please Hector. He was the owner. You couldn't miss him when you entered the building. He towered over everyone in the room. Hector wasn't a giant, but people believed he had some giant blood. They built the place with high ceilings to accommodate Hector's size, but the design also made for good acoustics. The Gentle Giant hosted live music every weekend. As they entered, Jake joined his buddies at the poker table while Bret went to the bar and ordered his usual. It was a shrimp platter and a pint of Hector's home-brewed ale.
"O'Reilly!" Jeff Biggs said, clapping Jake on the back. The lights glinted off his golden tooth as he smiled. "Have a seat, but no cheating this week. I need the money. Gotta save up for a new car."
"I never cheat," Jake replied, sounding hurt.
"Please! You must be using magic tricks to win so often," Ron Atkins laughed. It quickly turned into a wheeze and a cough.
"Do you see my eyes glowing while we play?"
"I don't mean that mage stuff. You're using sleight of hand!" Ron said.
"Believe what you want. Your money is mine either way," Jake said. He even let them peer up his sleeves to show he wasn't hiding cards.
Jake's prediction proved true in short order. He had collected quite a pile of winnings when Maya and Shaylie arrived. Bret welcomed them and introduced himself to Shaylie.
"Thank your dad for me. His advice helped a lot," Bret said.
"I will. You should come by again. He's always looking to help," Shaylie replied as she sat at the bar. "Give me the usual, Donna," Shaylie added to the bartender.
"You come here often?" Bret asked.
"Every once in a while," Shaylie shrugged. "You?"
"All the time. I like the food, and Jake likes the money."
"The money?" Shaylie asked, so Bret gestured toward the poker table. Shaylie smirked when she saw Jake. She turned on her stool to face his table and watched, waiting for him to notice her. It took a moment, but she bit back a laugh when Jake did a double-take.
"It's your turn, Jake," Byron Mickelson said, nudging Jake because he wouldn't stop looking at the bar.
"Huh?"
"You okay?" Byron said.
"Yeah. I'm fine," Jake replied and refocused on his hand.
When Jake lost the next round, Byron turned toward the bar again and grinned at Jake. "Oh, this is better than I thought."
"What are you talking about?" Jake asked.
"We found his weakness," Ron said.
"Got a thing for redheads, huh?" Jeff asked.
"I don't have a thing for her."
"Then why are you so distracted?" Ron asked.
"I'm not!"
They didn't believe him because Jake's pile of money began to shrink. The smaller it became, the more Jake glared at the bar. Soon, Jake had enough.
"I'm out, guys. That's enough for me," Jake said.
"Maybe we should invite her to play," Ron said, pointing his thumb at Shaylie.
"Yeah, maybe you should," Jake grumbled. He pocketed the remaining money and stood up. Then, Jake marched over to Shaylie, so she raised her eyebrows at him. "You're bad luck," Jake said when he reached her.
"Me? What did I do?" Shaylie asked.
"You mean besides staring a hole through me the whole time? I know I'm good-looking, but come on!"
"I was just watching the game. Looks like you didn't do too well."
"It was an off night. I'll get them next time," Jake said, sitting on the stool beside Shaylie. "Give me a pint of Hector's," Jake said to Donna. Shaylie shook her head as she watched Jake drown his sorrows.
As Jake commiserated, Bret spoke with Maya. "Here, try some of this," Bret said, offering Maya shrimp.
"Not bad," Maya said after taking a bite.
"Just not bad? This place has the best shrimp in town."
"Have you ever tried Kotani shrimp?" Maya asked.
"No, but I would like to."
"My uncle was a fisherman in Kotan. He would bring home some of the best seafood I've ever had."
"Do you miss it?"
"The seafood?"
"No, I mean Kotan."
"Sometimes, but I like it here," Maya replied. Bret sensed sadness in her voice. "My parents believed Endria provided better opportunities for me."
"Well, I'm glad you're here," Bret smiled.
"Thank you. You're sweet."
"Sweet enough that you'll have dinner with me?"
"Is this not dinner?" she asked, waving at the shrimp platter.
"This is a snack. Besides, I meant just the two of us."
"You're persistent," Maya sighed. When Bret nodded, Maya said, "Okay. One dinner, but nothing serious, and we're splitting the check."
"I can live with that," Bret said. Maya ate another shrimp, but Bret noticed she kept peering toward Hector with a nervous stare. "Relax. He's harmless. They call this place the Gentle Giant for a reason."
"Is he a giant?" Maya asked.
"Some people think he's half-giant, but I think he's only big-boned," Bret said, making Maya almost choke. Once she regained her composure, she opened her mouth to reply, but an argument between Jake and Shaylie interrupted her.
"You were doing that on purpose," Jake said.
"Fine! If you want your money back, let's make a wager," Shaylie said, throwing her hands in the air.
"What do you mean?"
"We'll have a drinking contest. If you win, I'll pay you what you lost. But if I win, you must help me with my work at the engineering shop."
"I don't know anything about engineering."
"Then you better not lose."
"No one can out-drink me. You're on."
"Donna, give me a plate of shots," Shaylie said.
"What kind?" Donna asked.
"Surprise me," Shaylie answered. When Donna placed the tray in front of her, Shaylie turned to Jake and said, "The first person to tap out or pass out loses."
They locked eyes, and each grabbed a glass. No words passed between them, but they simultaneously downed the first shot. The tray emptied quickly, so Donna provided another one. Jake didn't know what type of alcohol it was. All he knew was it burned his throat, but he didn't stop.
"You're looking woozy, O'Reilly," Shaylie said.
"Am not. You're a woozy," Jake slurred.
Jake didn't notice that Shaylie started throwing some over her shoulder when he wasn't looking. She mouthed an apology to Donna, but Donna didn't care. The spectacle amused her. She especially loved watching Jake struggle to remain upright. He gripped the edge of the bar tightly, but his arm shook. Jake decided sitting was a better option, but he missed the seat and barely caught himself.
"Don't laugh. I tripped," he said.
"I wasn't laughing," Shaylie replied.
"Liar."
"It wasn't me. Donna laughed," Shaylie said. Donna pretended to be hurt by her words. "I wouldn't do that to you," Shaylie said, giving Jake the sweetest smile she could muster.
"You know, you're really pretty when you aren't being a pain in the ass," Jake replied.
The comment caught Shaylie off guard, but she did her best to hide her surprise. Instead of replying, Shaylie lifted her stumped middle finger in a salute to Jake.
"Sassy! I like that," Jake mumbled.
"Let me stop you there. You're not my type," Shaylie said.
"What? You're not my type either!" Jake stammered. He searched for a change of subject and realized more shots were left. Jake drank faster, which was the worst thing he could do. He felt his stomach gurgle as his vision blurred.
"Are you okay?" Shaylie asked.
"Fine as rain," Jake lied. His butt found the stool, but his head also met the bar. It smacked against the wood with a loud thunk.
"I win," Shaylie said.
***
Bret somehow dragged Jake to a waiting cab and heaved him onto his bed at their apartment. They shared a flat in the Mage Quarter. Bret rolled Jake over onto his side and propped pillows behind him. He worried Jake might choke if he slept on his back and vomited during the night. His worries were for naught. Jake survived his slumber, but the morning surprise almost killed him.
The phone rang far too early for Jake's taste. He ignored it, but Bret answered the call. Jake heard Bret chuckle before hanging up the phone. "Get up. That was Marcus. He says we have special training this morning," Bret said.
"It's the weekend!" Jake cried.
"Yeah, but we gotta go."
Jake took a quick shower to wake himself. He hoped it would cure his hangover, but the hot water made his head throb even more. When they reached the training grounds, Jake's head felt like it would split down the middle. Worse yet, he discovered the ground was muddy. "Did it rain last night?" he asked.
"No, O'Reilly. Somebody must have left the sprinklers on," Marcus said, grinning around the cigar in his mouth.
Jake puked twice in the first thirty minutes, which Marcus found hilarious. Despite some dizziness and double-vision, Jake clearly saw the grinning face before him. She stood with her hands on her hips and rocked back and forth on her heels. Jake thought she did this instead of performing a victory dance.
"You knew," Jake said.
"Knew what?" Shaylie asked in her most innocent-sounding voice.
"You knew about the surprise training."
"They always do this on the first weekend."
"You're pure evil. Do you know that?"
"Thank you," Shaylie replied.
Her response broke Jake's resolve. He laughed and shook his head before extending his hand. "Well played. No hard feelings."
Shaylie examined his hand for a moment, but she shook it. As she clasped Jake's hand, he pulled her into the mud. Shaylie landed with a shriek and turned to Jake with fury in her eyes. "You jackass!" she yelled, flinging mud at him.
Jake returned fire. It didn't take long for them to begin a mud war, but Marcus halted it.
"Enough!" he yelled. "Flirt on your own time. Get back to training, O'Reilly."
"We weren't flirting," Jake said.
"Sure you weren't," Marcus replied as he walked away. Jake heard him quietly add, "I warned you."
When Jake turned, he saw Shaylie wiping mud off her clothes. The anger had abated. She replaced it with amusement. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said.
"Tomorrow?"
"Yeah, be at the shop at 8 AM."
"Why?"
"You lost the drinking game, so you have work to do," Shaylie said, waving goodbye before Jake could protest.