Page 34 of Cerulean Truth (Sapere #1)

SIXTEEN

JAMES

What the hell?

The sheer shock of walking through those familiar halls and seeing her face emerge from the mass of people I saw on a daily basis, without so much as a warning… That shit hit me hard.

A twinge of irritation sparked at her thoughtlessness in failing to inform me of her arrival, but witnessing the distress on her face, a sense of worry overshadowed it.

Scanning the room, I noticed all eyes were on her. Some filled with curiosity, others with distrust, and some male-ones were filled with something else entirely. My nostrils flared and I clenched my fists, restraining myself from gouging out their eyes.

As I diverted my gaze back to her, she looked utterly lost with that wide-eyed expression. My heart lurched and I fought the impulse to rush to her side.

Instead, I straightened my back, raised a brow and kept the rest of my face stoically calm. She’d seen me come in – hell, everyone had seen us come through—surely she was about to come up to me?

I waited for a few more minutes but it became clear she wouldn’t budge and I surely wasn’t going over there first. I was the only person she knew – how many options did she have?

Then, she almost punched herself in the face.

For the love of…

I was about to take a step toward her, when I spotted Enya heading over to Emma. I grimaced and held back. Sure, I wasn’t about to win any awards for charm and friendliness myself, but Enya gave any dictator a run for their money.

I tore my eyes away from Emma, motioning the rest to follow me and cursing the stubborn woman internally for ignoring me. As I left the Grand Hall, I couldn't resist glancing back one last time. Just in time to see Emma trip over her own feet. I almost laughed. Almost.

"Holy shit, did you see the new chick? Was that the granny?" Matthew asked loudly, his subtlety shining through as always. I nodded with visible annoyance, not particularly eager to discuss it.

"Wow, she's kind of attractive, like nerd hot…you know? She seems like the type who'd be a minx in bed but would want to read you excerpts from an encyclopedia about fungus afterward," he laughed, waving his blond hair out of his face. I punched him on the upper arm without even thinking about it.

He gazed at me, taken aback by the force of my punch, then grinned in response to the expression on my face.

“You’ve got a problem with fungi, James?”

I saw no need to dignify Matthew’s non-question with an answer.

"It's quite the spectacular species. Sure, you've got your regular yeast and mold, but there's also mushrooms and..."

Thankfully, Jackson cut him off before I had to resort to more drastic measures to silence him more permanently (like breaking his jaw, for instance).

"I know you can't resist, but it's like you're not even trying to be funny anymore.

Could you possibly show a modicum of compassion for the poor souls who have to endure your idiotic remarks all day?

Maybe try to spice them up with a touch of. .. I don't know, wit?"

Matthew responded with an air of self-confidence, "One doesn’t need wit when one is as handsome and well-endowed as I am. Huh. Guess we now know how you come to be so witty all the time."

Jackson raised his brow. "That shit doesn't even make sense."

Matthew smirked at Jackson. "Shit? Or wit?"

"Both one and the same in your case," Jackson retorted, rolling his eyes at his best friend.

Matthew snorted at Jackson's weak comeback and mumbled, "Maybe you have a larger penis than I thought..."

Jackson sighed. "Is there anything remotely reasonable that ever comes out of your mouth?"

Matthew grinned. "I simply adapt to the level of my conversational partner."

Jackson shook his head and said dryly, looking at me. "You know, I could eat some spicy food and shit out a more interesting conversation than this."

"Well then, at least your digestion would be entertaining," Matthew quipped.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, will you both just SHUT THE FUCK UP!”

I wanted to rip their throats out, just so that I could have one fucking second of silence to hear myself think.

Matthew’s eyes widened in surprise and Jackson frowned at my outburst.

“You okay there, Walker?” Jackson's voice softened with genuine worry.

I could’ve reassured him, but I wasn't in the mood. Emma’s face still lingered in my mind and I felt like an ass for not going over to her. And why the hell is that making me feel on edge?

Taking in a deep breath, I pushed down the growing anxiety and glared at my best friends whose bickering made the Civil War look like a minor squabble.

Matthew’s eyes studied my face and whatever he found, made him decide to shut up. Thankfully.

That was his talent—empathy (not so much shutting up).

You wouldn’t say so if you met him, class clown gone player with a hint of judgmental behavior.

Yet, as the best Recruiter Cyclos had seen in cycles, he spent more time analyzing people and understanding what made them tick than anyone else in the entire Collective.

Recruiters, simply put, were tasked with identifying the specific skill sets needed by magi, as well as overseeing the content of the entire educational program.

Matthew not only had the authority to decide who would teach, where, and what, but also took on the daunting responsibility of staffing the Universitas.

While he would consult with the Triplets when necessary, it was mostly a formality.

In a culture that prized education above all else, this recruiting role was held in high regard, widely recognized as one of the most esteemed professions in our world.

With his wavy blond locks and piercing blue eyes, Matthew attracted no shortage of female attention.

Yet, despite his charming exterior, he tended to act like a total jerk, fancying himself as some kind of "big-time playa.

" He couldn't resist boasting about all the stunning women he claimed to have on his radar, though it was clear to everyone that most of it was just hot air.

Jackson was a tad more serious. He was the one getting us out of trouble whenever Matthew had gotten us into it.

He had been getting us out of trouble since our early teens so no surprise there, Jackson was training as an Orator.

Something I thought Emma would also be interested in, as it was a profession similar to that of a lawyer.

He was a tall guy with a serious disposition, but when he laughed it was so infectious, nobody could ever keep a straight face.

Being at the top of our classes, all three of us were translating with an interface of merely two seconds by the time we were sixteen.

We strutted through life as if rules were meant for lesser beings, finding ourselves in detention more often than not.

And through that rebellious streak, we became inseparable, bound by a friendship forged in the crucible of our shared brilliance. And modesty.

In the Academy, two girls had joined our group.

There was Justine, the extraverted hot redhead with long legs, crazy smart with an attitude.

You wouldn’t have thought it by only looking at her but her mind was beyond anything of this world.

She loved the written word and was training in the natural sciences.

There was no doubt she would be a great Healer someday.

Then there was Nino, the rather introverted smaller black-haired girl, very pretty but would kick your ass if you would stare too long.

Which we obviously didn’t. She was an Offensive, like me and had crazy ninja skills.

She looked tough on the outside but had the sweetest disposition.

She wasn’t a person of many words, but I felt very comfortable around her and I had come to see her almost like a sister in the last few years, as we had trained and gone on missions side by side until a year ago.

Justine and Nino, although two very different people, understood each other more than any two people I had ever seen interact. Usually one of them only needed a word to know what the other was thinking, they were almost creepily in sync.

“I think she’ll have a hard time fitting in,” Justine mused, her tone carrying a hint of skepticism. "Starting off training with toddlers? That's going to be a trip."

I couldn't quite decipher her tone. It sounded like she wanted to express concern, but it came across more derogatory, as if she found the idea of a twenty-three-year-old woman surrounded by preschoolers amusing.

Nino shrugged, opting not to weigh in; she seemed rather indifferent to the arrival of the oldest Humanborn ever known to man… Well, not to man, to magi.

“Anyway, enough about that, it’s not our problem, we have a much more pressing matter to discuss.” Matthew changed the subject impatiently.

“Do enlighten us?” Nino smiled. She rarely took him seriously, and considering his commitment to living in the realm of sarcasm, who could blame her?

Jackson cleared his throat, sensing the imminent discussion.

"Well, ladies, we're faced with a challenging mathematical problem," Matthew continued, a smirk playing on his lips. The girls exchanged glances and rolled their eyes in unison.

"As you know, our First Offensive/Leader to be—aka our best friend Walker with his perpetually composed demeanor—is gracefully gliding into the realm of politics.

Care to guess the next big political event?

" Matthew teased, his raging enthusiasm wildly misplaced.

Justine shot a quick glance in my direction, leaving me puzzled about its meaning.

"For goodness' sake, man, try to wrap up a sentence within the hour," Nino interjected, not bothering to hide her irritation.

Clearly undeterred by the lack of enthusiasm, Matthew proudly produced the invitation to the Joint Committee's premier event—a mind-numbing reception coupled with an unimaginably awkward dance evening.

My attendance was mandatory, so obviously, I had to drag my friends with me. What else were they for?

A glimmer of excitement shone through in Justine's eyes, perhaps at the prospect of hitting the dance floor. However, her best friend, Nino, appeared appropriately bored, her gaze wandering elsewhere with disinterest.

"So," Matthew continued, "since we all have to go there, and we also have to dance there, we can’t go there without a date.

We are five, three men, two women, so women, choose your brave knight and the one who remains, Jackson, will easily find himself a date, considering his eternal banter has left him undeniable. "

Jackson cleared his throat, preparing to speak. "Actually—" he began, but Nino swiftly interrupted him.

"Why can’t we go as a group?" she suggested.

Matthew shot her a stern look. "Look, I get that it’s mandatory and boring, and we’re only going to support our friend, but even so, it’s still the main event of the Joint Committee.

Every maga or magus who has ever served the Committee will be there, and we are by far the five most prominent first cyclers this Committee will ever meet.

I will not go there without a very talented and ambitious maga by my side. "

"James and I will be expected there early, as James was invited by Stephen himself, who is one of the five presidents," Justine declared unexpectedly.

I blinked as an awkward silence followed her statement. After all, her words suggested I had somehow previously asked her to come with me, as my date of some sorts, which I hadn't.

It wasn't a dumb idea for her to accompany me—we'd been tight for years, and let's face it, she was by far the best dancer among us five. Plus, from an outsider's perspective, we looked like a damn power couple—matching in looks, drive, and talent.

However, that wasn't exactly how I envisioned spending my night.

“Actually…” My voice trailed off, not sure how to get out of it, when out of the blue, Jackson swooped in with his long overdue hero-moment.

“Actually, that’s not exactly true... If anyone's going to be Walker’s arm candy, it's going to be me,” Jackson interrupted.

His announcement was met with stunned silence from the rest of us.

I had no clue where he was headed with this, but the idea of rolling with Jackson as my wingman for the night sounded like some unexpected fun.

“Yes, you heard me right,” Jackson continued, looking a tad sheepish now.

We all stared at him in disbelief, knowing damn well that Jackson wouldn't touch politics with a ten-foot pole.

The legal profession, as he often said, tested the limits of hypocrisy, but politics crossed any lines he was already reluctant to respect.

“How so?” I prodded.

Jackson let out a sigh. “Over the past few weeks, my advisory role for the Council has turned into a full-time gig. The Council’s been bombarded with inquiries from Leaders and Specialists worldwide about the Great Exposure, and a bunch of these magic bigwigs are on the Committee.

So the Council wanted me there; technically, it's not as obligatory for me like it is for you but turning them down didn't feel like much of an option.”

He locked eyes with me as he explained, and I nodded in understanding. I knew exactly what he meant, especially since I'd recently caught wind that the resistance against the Great Exposure was gaining numbers. We’d need all the Orators we could get to draw up our legal possibilities.

"So, I was thinking I'd roll with Walker and catch up with you guys at the reception," Jackson proposed.

"Yeah, works for me," I replied hastily.

Matthew seemed absolutely thrilled at the idea of having not one, but two smart and stunning ladies on his arm. In stark contrast, Justine appeared visibly crestfallen, a detail I made a mental note of for future reference.

“Awesome, then it's settled,” Matthew grinned smugly. “I'll go with Justine and Nino, and we'll catch up with you lot once you're done with your mandatory crap.”

I nodded absentmindedly, feeling a sudden surge of pent-up energy. Taking slow, deliberate breaths, I tried to regain control.

"I'm heading off for some training. I'll catch up with you guys later," I called over my shoulder, leaving them with surprised expressions as I made my exit.