King Darian stood at a viewing window in the Science & Research department. There were no skinless specimens in the room. The scientists were performing tests on animals. Darian watched intently with a hand on his chin. He absentmindedly stroked his beard as he observed their work. Darian had no idea how nervous he made the men inside the room. They did their best to hide it. Having the king around was bad enough, but they could tell he wasn't in a good mood. His steely gaze told them everything they needed to know.

"Your Highness, I hope everything is well today," Victor Snyder said as he approached.

"No, it is not. Why haven't you tested the skinless blood on humans yet?" Darian asked.

"We are not ready. Most of the animals die or explode from our tests. I'm not comfortable testing on them, let alone humans."

"Time is running out, Victor."

"I'm sorry, Your Highness. I wasn't aware you were planning any upcoming military action."

"I'm not, but I might not have much longer to act."

"I do not understand."

"Certain issues have arisen. We need to advance to human testing as soon as possible."

"We will do what we can, Your Highness."

"I need my mage army," Darian said, fixing Victor with a stare that almost made him step back. "We need it. Endria needs it," Darian clarified. "The experiments must continue even if I fall," Darian quietly added, but Victor heard him.

"Surely you won't fall, Your Highness," Victor said. Darian's expression changed to exasperation. This time, Victor backed up a step. "We have the military and the Mage Society," Victor added.

"I have reason to believe we can no longer trust the Mage Society," Darian said.

Victor's mouth fell open. He couldn't believe what he heard. An uncomfortable silence followed before Victor found his wits again. "I assure you my men and women are loyal to the crown."

"Provide me with a magically-empowered army, and I'll believe you," Darian said. Endria and its neighboring countries agreed to a treaty years ago that outlawed mage armies. The Great Mage War had left its scars on the world. They settled on using a non-magical military to fight their battles. However, Darian had other ideas. "I'm tired of fighting wars with normal humans and guns. Our enemies no longer observe the treaty. The Varidian invasion proved that. Why should we follow it? These skinless beings have given us a gift. We could build an army that can wield all three magic classes and heal rapidly. No one would ever invade us again if we had such a force."

"I understand, but it will take time," Victor replied.

"Then find me some time while you're at it!"

Victor felt unsure about how to respond. He stammered before Renault appeared and rescued him from the awkwardness.

"Darian, would you join me for a drink?" Renault asked.

"Yes. That sounds good right now," Darian said, stepping away from the lab.

As they exited, Gregor nodded to Victor, who mouthed, "Thank you." Renault had experienced Darian's bad moods. He sympathized with Victor. Gregor led Darian upstairs to Darian's lounge. It was a long room with a window that spanned the length of one wall. This provided a panoramic view of the city. A sea of lights and buildings spread out below them. It was a beautiful sight in the day, but Renault thought it looked better at night. The city lights after dark reminded him of holiday decorations. They reminded him of simpler and happier times.

They placed a small couch in front of the window to let Darian admire the beauty. The black leather sofa matched well with the red carpet. They chose red in case Darian spilled his wine. On this night, Darian cared more about the wine than the scenery. He walked straight to the bar when they entered. Darian filled two glasses and handed one to Renault. Gregor couldn't help but notice Darian's glass was fuller than his. He didn't mind.

"Thank you," Gregor said, sitting on the couch. Darian stood at the window instead. "Are you well, Darian? You said you haven't been able to sleep since you heard the prophecy."

"Don't call it that. It was a warning. Calling it a prophecy makes it sound inevitable," Darian said without looking toward Renault. He took another drink.

"Either way, you need to get some sleep."

"How can I sleep knowing I might die? I have no queen and no heir. If Endria falls into a succession war, we will be vulnerable. And I have no damned clue who this assassin is!" Darian said. When he tried to take his next sip, his hand shook. Darian stopped the glass halfway to his mouth and steadied his hand before continuing.

"Has Hester had any new visions?" Renault asked.

"No. None at all."

"How are the experiments progressing?" Renault asked, believing a change of subject would be wise.

"They aren't. We must begin human testing, but Victor is stalling."

"We must do it right."

"I need this army to end the conflict with Varidia once and for all. I want them to feel what they made us feel."

"There's an old proverb. It says to wage war out of revenge is to create one's destruction."

"This is more about ensuring the safety of my kingdom."

"But revenge is part of it."

"Yes, but don't you want to make them pay?"

"I have thought about it, but I must separate those feelings from my job to remain level-headed. You should do the same, Darian. We don't need to make rash decisions like we did with New Arrington," Renault said.

Darian's head turned when Gregor said this. Anyone else would have cowered from that look, but Renault didn't even flinch. "Do not bring that up. We did what we had to. Besides, it gave us the skinless," Darian said, taking a long drink from his glass. Darian emptied it and poured more wine. He returned to the window, shifting the conversation back to the prophecy. The king knew Renault was trying to steer him away from the topic. "Has there been any suspicious activity from the mages lately?"

"Nothing we have observed."

"I need more information about this Red Sparrow."

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

"They haven't found anything in the personnel files. There is no record of anyone using that name."

"Until we get more info, I can't trust any mages."

"You can trust me."

"Of course, my old friend," Darian said. His expression softened, and he raised his glass. Gregor returned the gesture. "I wasn't including you in that statement. But as for the rest of them..." Darian said, trailing off into silence.

"We need them," Renault said, sensing what Darian was thinking.

"Do we? Once I have my new mage army, the old Mage Society will become obsolete."

"Can't we give them this new gift once we catch the assassin?"

"Maybe," Darian said quietly, but Renault didn't think he meant it. "But only if they prove their loyalty. The last thing we need is more powerful traitors."

"What would you do otherwise? Would you disband the society?"

"That would probably make them want to kill me even more," Darian laughed.

"The vision only implied there is one assassin. It's not the entire society."

"I still don't believe a lone killer could take me down. Everyone is a suspect for now," Darian said firmly. His tone carried a finality to it. Renault backed down. After another long gulp of wine, Darian said, "If we start human testing and find a way to unlock the skinless' secrets, perhaps I could survive."

"Do you plan to use it on yourself?" Renault asked, lowering his wine glass from his lips. A little wine spilled, but he didn't notice.

"I cannot die at a time like this!"

"So far, every animal they have injected with skinless blood has died. We can't experiment on you."

"We already know that's not how I will die."

"I thought you said it was just a warning. You can still die by other means."

"Then we will have to perfect the injection. I will tell Snyder human testing must begin immediately," Darian said. He finished another glass of wine and stared out the window. Renault watched him with an uneasy feeling in his gut.

***

Jake still nursed a headache when he arrived at Larson Engineering the following morning. He found Van Larson working on a large truck and mustered his best smile. Jake hoped the pain didn't show on his face.

"Hello there, Jake! How are you this morning?" Van asked, shaking Jake's hand.

"I'm good. Is Shaylie here yet?"

"She's at the back of the garage," Van replied, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. Van studied him momentarily in a way that made Jake a little uncomfortable. Jake wanted to look away, but he needed to maintain eye contact. He didn't want Van to think he was nervous. If the stare lasted much longer, he might go cross-eyed. "Are you interested in engineering?" Van asked.

"No, I agreed to help Shaylie around the shop today."

"She doesn't invite people to help often. You either pissed her off or made an impression," Van laughed. "I know how she can be."

"I think I might have done both."

"Maybe you did," Van laughed, but he never broke that uncomfortable eye contact. Jake felt like Van was sizing him up. He didn't like it. "Head on back. She's waiting for you," Van said.

Jake walked past the combine and found Shaylie sitting in a chair against the wall with her eyes closed. He might have thought she was sleeping if she wasn't mouthing the words to a song. Jake felt unsure how to approach. He worried he would startle her if he touched her arm but didn't think she would hear him if he spoke. Jake stood there awkwardly.

"Are you going to stare at me all day? I know I'm good-looking, but come on!" Shaylie said without opening her eyes.

"Sorry. I didn't want to scare you."

"You don't scare me," Shaylie laughed.

"I didn't mean that. You closed your eyes. I didn't think you knew I was here."

"You're not the only one with good senses. Besides, it smells like you bathed in cologne today. Dial it back a little."

"It isn't that strong," Jake muttered, but he quickly sniffed when Shaylie looked away. He still thought it smelled fine, but he shrugged. Meanwhile, Shaylie removed her headphones and placed her red hair in a ponytail. Then, she opened her toolbox. Jake asked, "What do you want me to do? Am I going to sweep the floors or something?"

"No, you're going to help me with my work. I'm a little behind, and I could use some muscle," Shaylie said while opening the combine's side panel. "You might want to remove those leather bracelets. They might get caught in something."

"Oh, okay," Jake said. He took them off and placed them next to Shaylie's radio. Jake absentmindedly rubbed his wrists. He wore those bands daily. It felt odd not to have them on.

"This nut is giving me fits. Could you see if you can turn it?" Shaylie asked, handing Jake a wrench.

"Sure, I'll see what I can do," Jake said. He took the tool and poked his head inside the machine. Jake spotted the nut in question. It looked rusted. He channeled magic to enhance his strength and hooked the wrench around the nut. After gauging how much power he would need, Jake poured just enough magic to loosen it without breaking or bending anything. It turned with a loud creak. Rust and dust flew into the air, making Jake cough. The nut came loose. Jake removed it and said, "There you go." He fought to say the words between coughs. Jake could tell Shaylie was biting back a laugh at his expense.

"Thanks. Next, I'll..." Shaylie started, but she stopped because Jake whacked his head on the metal as he pulled out of the machine. "Watch yourself," she said.

"Ow!" Jake yelled. He rubbed the back of his head and scowled at Shaylie for laughing. He handed her the wrench, but she noticed something as she took it. Shaylie grabbed Jake's arm and lifted it closer to her eyes. Her finger traced a scar that ran down his wrist.

"What happened?" she asked, looking concerned.

Jake thought she knew the answer, but he wasn't ready for that conversation. "It's nothing. I got that scar in a bar fight," he lied, pulling his arm away.

"Is that why you wear these?" she asked, pointing at the wristbands. Shaylie examined them before asking, "Who are Layla and Beth? Are they your girlfriends?"

"Layla is my mom, and Beth was my sister."

"Was?" Shaylie asked. Jake didn't like her sad gaze. He looked at the wall.

"She died when I was young. Beth had Beckett's Disease."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Shaylie said, turning the bracelet. "Wait. Beckett's Disease only affects..."

"Red mages. Yeah, my sister was a female red mage."

"Those are rare."

"I know, and yet there were two in my family. My grandmother was also one. You might have heard of her. Do you know the name Matilda Hart?"

"Do you mean The Great Matilda? The wrestler?" Shaylie asked, looking shocked and intrigued.

"That's the one."

"Dad used to show me her matches. I loved her when I was little," Shaylie said. She stood upright and placed her hands on her hips before imitating The Great Matilda. "I fear no man or woman. No one can match my strength! I eat danger for breakfast and pass it back out before lunch!" Shaylie said in what Jake thought was a fairly accurate imitation.

"I never would have pegged you for a wrestling fan."

"Female red mages fascinate me. Dad thought I would like her."

"Do you mean Mr. Larson?"

"No, my real dad. My brother Shane and I would watch his tape collection together."

"I didn't know you had a brother. Where is he?" Jake asked, bracing himself for the answer. He thought he might have stuck his foot in his mouth again when he saw her wince. She took a moment before answering.

"I haven't seen Shane in years. He ran away from home after a bad fight with our dad. Shane didn't approve of Dad making military equipment. He hated war. Mom and Dad's funeral was the last time I saw Shane. He stayed in the back and disappeared after it was over."

"I'm sorry," Jake said. He should have listened to his gut and not asked. Jake looked away, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"It's okay. Let's get back to work. Could you lift this machine so I can get underneath it?"

"Sure, but not for too long."

"I'll be quick," Shaylie said. Jake prepared himself. He channeled once more and lifted the contraption high enough for Shaylie to slide under it. Jake's muscles creaked as much as the combine, but only the machine made noise. "Don't drop it," Shaylie said.

"Relax. I won't."

"I trust you," Shaylie said. He could hear her tinkering with something, but she continued their conversation while working. "What made you want to join the guard? I figured you would follow in your grandma's footsteps."

"Nah, I never had any desire to do that. Even as a red mage, that profession took a toll on Grandma's body. Grandma got pretty banged up over the years despite using magic. Joining the guard seemed like a better option," Jake said. He increased his channeling to battle the growing strain but held still.

"Yeah, but you put your life on the line as a guard. Isn't that worse?"

"Maybe it is. What about you? Why did you become a tinker?"

"I've always liked taking things apart and putting them back together. Bonding magic with technology always fascinated me, and I'm pretty good with technical blue magic."

"But not teleporting," Jake laughed. When Shaylie didn't answer, Jake looked down to see her flipping him off with her stubby middle finger. He laughed harder. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist. Are you almost done? This is growing heavy."

"Yeah. I've just about got it. There we go," she said and rolled out before standing up.

Jake lowered the machine and shook the feeling back into his hands. He noticed Shaylie was putting her tools away. She smiled at him as he helped.

"You know, you're not so bad when you act like a civilized human," she said.

"Right back at ya, kid."

"And there it is. You had to ruin the moment. Didn't you?"

"I tend to do that," Jake laughed.